The Trouble

“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win you're still a rat.” (Lily Tomlin)

1 The prophet Haggai spoke the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel and to Joshua. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel was governor of Judah. Joshua son of Jehozadak was high priest. This message came in the second year that Darius was king of Persia. It came on the first day of the sixth month of that year. This was the message: ² “This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘The people say the right time has not come to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.’”

³ Then Haggai the prophet spoke the word of the Lord: ⁴ “The Temple is still in ruins. Is it right for you to be living in fancy houses?” ⁵ This is why the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Think about what you have done. ⁶ You have planted much, but you harvest little. You eat, but you do not become full. You drink, but you are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but you are not warm enough. You earn money, but then you lose it all. It is as if you put it into a purse full of holes.”

⁷ This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Think about what you have done. ⁸ Go up to the mountains. Bring back wood and build the Temple. Then I will be pleased with it and be honored,” says the Lord. ⁹ The Lord of heaven’s armies says: “You look for much, but you find little. When you bring it home, I destroy it. Why?

Because you are busy working on your own houses. But my house is still in ruins! ¹⁰ Because of what you have done, the sky holds back its rain. And the ground holds back its crops. ¹¹ I have called for a dry time in the land. There will be no rain in the mountains for the grain, new wine and olive oil. It will be a dry time for the plants which the earth produces. It will be a dry time for men and farm animals. The dry time will make your hard work useless.”

¹² Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. And Joshua, the high priest, was the son of Jehozadak. Zerubbabel and Joshua obeyed the Lord their God. And they obeyed the message from Haggai the prophet. All the rest of the people who were left alive also obeyed. This was because they realized that the Lord their God had sent Haggai. And they feared the Lord.

¹³ The Lord sent a message to Haggai, the Lord’s messenger. Haggai gave this message to the people. He said: “The Lord says, ‘I am with you.’” ¹⁴ The Lord made Zerubbabel and Joshua excited about building the Temple. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel was the governor of Judah. Joshua son of Jehozadak was the high priest. The Lord made all the rest of the people who were left alive excited, too. They came and worked on the Temple of their God, the Lord of heaven’s armies. ¹⁵ They began on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. This was in the second year that Darius was king of Persia. (Haggai: 1-15, ICB)

Stop making excuses about timing.

See Haggai 1:1-2 above

³⁴ Jesus said, “My food is to do what the One who sent me wants me to do. My food is to finish the work that he gave me to do. ³⁵ You say, ‘Four more months to wait before we gather the grain.’ But I tell you, open your eyes. Look at the fields that are ready for harvesting now. (John 4:34-35, ICB)

Step off the success treadmill.

See Haggai 1:2-11 above

¹⁰ The person who loves money will never have all the money he wants.
The person who loves wealth will not be satisfied when he gets it. This is also useless.¹¹ The more wealth a person has, the more friends he has to help him spend it. So what does he really gain? He gains nothing except to look at his riches. ¹² A man who works hard sleeps in peace. It is not important if he has little or much to eat. But a rich person worries about his wealth. He cannot sleep. (Ecclesiastes 5:10-12, ICB)

Go with God.

See Haggai 1:12-13 above

¹⁹ So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach them to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19-20, ICB)

Go the time is now.

See Haggai 1:14-15 above

¹³ Then Mordecai gave orders to say to Esther: “Just because you live in the king’s palace, don’t think that out of all the Jews you alone will escape. ¹⁴ You might keep quiet at this time. Then someone else will help and save the Jews. But you and your father’s family will all die. And who knows, you may have been chosen queen for just such a time as this.” (Esther 4:13-14, ICB)

 “Our everyday cares, making a living, the crazy rat race of life, often make us forget the value of a good deed. Thus, the goodness that exists within each and every one of us is covered with layer upon layer of indifference and unawareness. In fact, we almost have to be reminded of the fact that goodness is there inside us.” (Shari Arison)[i]

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[i] Inspired by the sermon “The Time is Now: Facing the Unfinished, “(installment one) Sunday June 23, 2019, Pastor Dave Jansen, CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH.
 

 

Talented

“I'm a basketball player. That's what I do and what I love but that's just not all who I am. I'm talented in a lot of different areas.” (Kevin Durant)

Basketball is a team sport. Two teams of five players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, and there is a hoop at each end.

The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line. If the offensive team puts the ball into play behind the mid-court line, it has ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line. If it doesn't, then the defense gets the ball. Once the offensive team gets the ball over the mid-court line, it can no longer have possession of the ball in the area in back of the line. If it does, the defense is awarded the ball.

The ball is moved down the court toward the basket by passing or dribbling. The team with the ball is called the offense. The team without the ball is called the defense. They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect passes, and garner rebounds.

When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other team. If a basket, or field goal, is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points. A free throw is worth one point. Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the number of fouls committed in a half and/or the type of foul committed.

 Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded the shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets three shots. Other types of fouls do not result in free throws being awarded until a certain number have accumulated during a half.

 Each team is assigned a basket or goal to defend. This means that the other basket is their scoring basket. At halftime, the teams switch goals. The game begins with one player from either team at center court. A referee will toss the ball up between the two.

·        Adidas manufactures all the National Basketball Association (NBA) uniforms.

·        Basketball was played by using a soccer ball until 1929.

·        Basketball became an official Olympic event at the Summer Games in Berlin, Germany in 1936.

·        Basketball was first played on December 21, 1891 by Jim Naismith, a physical education teacher at a Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Springfield, Massachusetts.

·        Harlem Globetrotters Corey ‘Thunder’ Law made a shot from 109 feet, 9 inches, setting a world record.

·        Lynette Woodward was the first female Globetrotter basketball team player.

·        Ringball, a traditional South African sport that stems from basketball, has been played since 1907.

·        Slam dunks were illegal for almost nine years.

·        The court surface is 94 by 50 feet.

·        The first “hoops” were actually just peach baskets and the first backboards were made of wire.

·        The shot clock was invented by Danny Biasone.

·        The steel rim of the basket has a diameter of 18 inches and is 10 feet high.

·        The world record for the highest basketball shot is 415 feet high.

·        Wang Zhizhi was the first Chinese player to compete in the NBA.

·        Women’s basketball was added to the Olympics in 1976.

“To be successful in anything, you have to have a passion for it, and that leads to being enthusiastic and demanding. I didn't have it for history. So I wouldn't have been a good teacher in that area. But I had it for basketball. And that's what coaching is at every level: it's about teaching.” (Jeff Van Gundy)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “40 Random Basketball Facts” by Serious Facts

·        “Basketball Facts” by Fact Monster

·        www.breakthroughbasketball.com

 

Behave

“Know how to behave at a buffet. Take a clean plate for a second helping.”(Marilyn vos Savant)

Whether you love them or hate them, buffets are a popular setup in the restaurant world. The idea of the buffet has its roots in the Swedish smorgasbord, which was originally a spread of appetizers (usually meats and cheeses) offered before the main course. The Stockholm Olympics elevated the idea to the world stage in 1912, and the concept was expanded to include the main meal with everything from soup and salad to dessert and more.

There are many kinds of buffets, ranging from the luxury hotel Sunday brunch to the bargain "hometown" diners. The best thing about all of them is that you can actually see what you will eat before your plate hits the table. Many restaurants offer an "all you can eat" buffet meal with a set price. It can be a good value if you stay aware of what you are eating.

These restaurants can make money because they normally need fewer employees. They don't need servers to take orders and wait tables. Employees are expensive. Here is some buffet science and psychology to keep in mind for your next trip to a modern-day smorgasbord to get the most out of your trip to the buffet.

·        Don't starve yourself before going to the buffet-Meals eaten earlier in the day should be light and moderate. If you are planning to eat a lot at the buffet, you should be hydrated, so drink water beforehand. Proper digestion requires water. Gassy soda drinks or alcohol will not help the buffet adventure.

·        Get an overview-When you arrive at the dining venue, salads are usually right up front. Fresh raw vegetables are good for you, but if you are getting a lot of filling iceberg lettuce and hard bread croutons, you might be full before you get to the seafood and prime rib. If you know what is ahead, you can focus on the "good stuff."

·        Take small portions-If the buffet has unlimited refills, as most do, you can always go back. You don't want to get stuck with a large serving of macaroni and cheese that doesn't taste as good as it looks.

·        Watch the starch-Dishes like potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread are inexpensive and filling (like the iceberg lettuce) the restaurant hopes you take a lot of these inexpensive dishes so you have less room for the more expensive offerings.

·        Choose things that you do not cook at home for yourself- I saw a man at a rather pricey breakfast buffet with a plate piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. He completely skipped the smoked salmon with caviar, fresh mangoes, and papaya, grilled trout with sautéed mushrooms, and the cream cheese cherry blintzes. So, you say, bacon and toast was what he liked, but why pay 30 bucks for something you could get at the nearby diner for $2.99?

·        Try to eat slowly and don't overeat-I know this is a tough one, almost impossible, but you can suffer later if you don't use a little selectivity and restraint. Taking a probiotic capsule, drinking some herbal tea, or using your favorite digestive aid might be a good idea. Sit still for a moment. Take a few deep breaths and wait at least a minute or two before going back for the refill. You can have it all, but try not to.

·        Use a little selectivity-This is the time for a little self-restraint. Try to be aware of which foods are way, way, way too high in calories and fat. The challenge is in trying to eat only things that are good for you. When there is a wide selection, you should be able to do it. The "bad" things should at least be in much smaller portions. If you are gulping down quarts of soft drinks and piling up French fries on your plate and starting on your third serving of chili, you might be abusing the buffet experience. Remember, too, the sodas are full of filling gas.

·        Clean your plate-It is considered bad manners to leave buffet food uneaten on your plate, so choose carefully. The unwritten rule is "you take it, you eat it," so make sure it is something you really want. Of course, there are times when one particular thing does not meet your expectations, and that is understandable. If one particular thing tastes a little "off" or is not what you thought it was, it is reasonable to push it aside. Some of the "bargain buffets" will charge you extra (by weight) for wasted food. Of course, "doggie bags" are not acceptable at all-you-can-eat venues. Bones and other inedible parts are exempt from the rule.

·        Desserts-Buffet desserts are usually small portions, but this is still the most dangerous part of a buffet experience. Some people are determined to sample all of them. This is a bad idea. The fat and sugar calories can be staggering. This is a great place to practice self control even if you have failed up to this point. A little frozen yogurt might be good for digestion or maybe some fresh fruit if you need something sweet.

“I like serving family-style or setting up a buffet. Everyone just goes to town, scoops their own food, and mixes their own drinks. You know how people love to come and watch you in the kitchen now and talk your ear off? If you give them something to do and something to drink, they don't do that as much.” (Chrissy Teigen)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “The truth about buffets “By Debra Kelly

·        “How to Eat Well at a Buffet: A Sensible Guide” by Rochelle Frank

 

 

A Liar

“No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” (Abraham Lincoln)

Our memory helps make us who we are. From fondly recollecting childhood events to remembering where we left our keys, memory plays a vital role in every aspect of our lives. It provides us with a sense of self and makes up our continual experience of life. It's easy to think of memory as a mental filing cabinet, which stores away pieces of information until we need them.

In reality, it is a remarkably complex process that involves numerous parts of the brain. Memories can be vivid and long-lasting, but they are also susceptible to inaccuracies and forgetting. Scientists have found that forgetting is normal, and actually vital to how the brain works. Here is a look at the strange facts about how people forget things.

1.   Brain injuries may cause forgetting- It is possible to lose memories before they even have a chance to become stored due to injuries in the brain's structures that are specifically involved in handling memory formation, maintenance, and recall. Damage to these areas can result in curious forms of amnesia. In one of the most-studied cases of such amnesia, Patient H.M. lost the ability to form any new memories after a part of his brain, the hippocampus, was removed during a surgery to treat his epilepsy. Another famous case records the story of Patient E.P., who had a similar fate after he had inflammation of the brain caused by a virus.

 

2.   Brains may be programmed to forget infancy- Our earliest childhood memories fade, and there's likely a reason for that. Most often, people don't recall any memories from their earliest years of life usually before age 3 or 4. This is called infantile amnesia. Scientists previously thought that early memories were there, but children just didn't have the language skills to verbalize them. However, recent research shows that children do make memories during their early years, but then forget through deliberate mechanisms. One possible explanation for this is that the developing brain, while growing exponentially and generating cells, wipes out stored memories.

 

3.   How doorways destroy memory-In one common but mysterious short-term memory failure, people find themselves in a room, without remembering why they ended up there. Researchers say, in these circumstances, the doorway may be to blame. The very act of walking through a doorway may hint to the brain that a new scene has started and it should store prior memories away, thereby causing strange memory lapses.

Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an 'event boundary' in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away. Recalling the decision or activity that was made in a different room is difficult because it has been compartmentalized. Mental event-boundaries are useful because they help us organize our mental timelines and remember not just where, but when a particular event happened.

 

4.   Memories can live on even if we can't access them-Could forgotten songs continue to live on inside our heads without us knowing? In a 2013 report of a strange case in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, researchers described a woman who had musical hallucinations of song that she didn't recognize, but others did. "To our knowledge, this is the first report of musical hallucinations of non-recognizable songs that were recognized by others in the patient's environment," the researchers wrote.

The scientists said the woman had likely known the song at some point, but forgot it. The case raises the question of what happens to forgotten memories, they said, and suggests that memories can be stored in some form in the brain that renders them accessible, and yet unrecognizable. It is possible that the woman had fragmented preservation of musical memories, with key portions of those memories lost. As a result, she couldn't recognize those memories, the researchers said.

5.   Mind-erasing activities-Although rare, certain activities can result in a temporary memory loss and brain fog, called transient global amnesia. Sex has been reported to cause this memory problem, with patients forgetting the past day or so, and having difficulty forming new memories. People with transient global amnesia suffer no serious side effects, and the memory problems usually disappear in a few hours. But it's not clear how this happens, and brain scans of patients who have had this type of amnesia show no signs of damage to the brain or signs of stroke.

 “The funniest memory that I can recall about my school days has to be one incident that involved unfinished homework for numerous days. I didn't do any of my homework for days and days at a stretch, and kept stalling my teacher that I was extremely unwell and was under heavy medication.” (Karan Patel)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “10 Interesting Human Memory Facts You Should Know” By Kendra Cherry

·       “Why You Forget: 5 Strange Facts about Memory” By Bahar Gholipour

 

My Uncle

“My proudest moment as a child was the time I beat my Uncle Pierre at Scrabble with the seven-letter word FARTING.” (Tina Fey)

Scrabble is a word game that uses letter tiles to create words in an attempt to reach the highest score.  It was created by Alfred Mosher Butts in 1938. Scrabble was derived from his earlier game Lexiko. Butts tried to sell the game himself by manufacturing sets under the name Criss-Crosswords. In 1948, James Brunot bought the rights to the game, with an agreement to pay a royalty to Alfred Mosher Butts. Brunot changed the name of the game to Scrabble. In 1952 Jack Straus, Macy's president, played the game and placed an order.

James Brunot couldn't keep up with the order, and sold the rights to Selchow and Righter. They sold over four million games in the second year. Scrabble is one the biggest selling and most popular board games of all time. Scrabble is over eighty years-old today. It is popular among both old and young game players. Here are facts you may not have known about Scrabble:

·        The box rules of Scrabble have been changed four times in 1953, 1976, 1989, and again in 1999.

·        There is also a Scrabble version produced in Braille for those unable to see.

·        Scrabble can be found in 31 different languages and in at least 121 countries around the world.

·        It is estimated that in each hour of the day there are at least 30,000 games of Scrabble started.

·        Some people play Scrabble by mail and by email.

·        In the United States version of Scrabble, the Scrabble dictionary does not allow any offensive words.

·        In the French version players all play each move with the same number of letters. They call it Duplicate Scrabble.

·        The game is sold in 121 countries and comes in 31 different languages.

·        Over 150 million copies of Scrabble have been sold worldwide.

·        Scrabble has quite a celebrity following, those celebs who play include: Sting, Keanu Reeves, Moby, John Travolta, Carol Burnett, Jimmy Kimmel, Kylie Minogue, Mel Gibson, Joan Collins, Tom Cruise, Kate Hudson, Richard Nixon, Madonna, Sharon Stone, and Queen Elizabeth II.

·        If all the Scrabble tiles ever produced were lined up, they would stretch for more than 50,000 miles.

·        It’s possible to score 1782 points on a single word. That word is Oxyphenbutazone. To get those points, competition player Benjamin Woo played it across the top of the board; hitting three Triple Word Score squares whilst also making seven crosswords downwards.

·        English Scrabble has 100 tiles. The most tiles are in Italian and Portuguese Scrabble which both have 120 tiles.

·        In 1985, Lieutenant Commander Waghorn and Lance Corporal Gill played Scrabble for five continuous days. Not by choice as they were both trapped in a crevasse in Antarctica.

·        There are 124 playable two-letter words in the English (language) game, containing every letter in the alphabet except for V.

·        Scrabble is used all over the world as a means of teaching English.

·        The name Scrabble comes from the words Scrabbling, Scrabbled and Scrabbles – all of which means to claw or scrape at something frantically. These words all derive from the Dutch word   ‘Schrabbelan’, which most likely integrated into American diction from Dutch settlers to North America.

·        One variation of the Scrabble rules that people play is called ‘Clabbers’. This is an anagram of Scrabble, in which players play their words in any order they want to and play the letters in any order so long as the letters can make an anagram of a word.

·        In Great Britain, 53% of all homes own a copy of Scrabble, and in the United States about 33% of all homes own a set.

·        In the French Scrabble there are five 10-point tiles, these being; K, W, X, Y and Z.

·        Scrabble is ranked as the second best board game in U.S. History, second only to Monopoly.

·        There is a daily newspaper column in Thailand devoted solely to Scrabble.

·        Scrabble became an American daytime game-show, hosted by Chuck Woolery on NBC, which ran from July 1984 to March 1990. The show got a revival from January to June in 1993.

·        In 2004, Scrabble was finally inducted into the American National Toy Hall of Fame, joining other great toys and games such as Monopoly, Etch A Sketch, Lego and The Game Boy.

“Everyone must know by now that the aim of Scrabble is to gain the moral high ground, the loser being the first player to slam the board shut and upset all the letters over the floor.” (Craig Brown)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “30 Fun Facts about Scrabble” by The Fact Site

·        “Scrabble Facts” by SoftSchools.com

 

 

Discovering

There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." (Margaret J. Wheatley)

Most of us know that charity is its own reward. The true wealth of charity is measured by good deeds not ego and material gain. As humans we yearn to make a difference. Most of us know how helping better others’ lives has positive impacts on our own. This action makes us happier, more balanced, and instills a greater sense of purpose in our everyday. It can be easy to get buried in the daily grind of life, and miss the benefits to ourselves and our communities that getting involved can provide.

A community feels more alive when people who live there love it enough to help improve it. Helping your community makes life better for your friends, family and other people who live where you live. If you look around and see that your community has a lot of problems, there's no better time to start fixing them than right now. The more love you pour in, the better it will get. Have a look below at suggestions for how to make a difference now.

1.   Adopt a Neighbor-You don’t have to go far or orchestrate grand gestures to make an impact on someone’s life. Whether the older man from down the street who lives alone, or the young mother (of toddlers) on the corner, there are folks in your neighborhood who could use a hand. Maybe you help shovel after a big storm, take them to the grocery store, or mow the lawn. It might not even matter what you do as long as you show you care.

 

2.   Attend Community Meetings-Community meetings are a great place to meet people from your neighborhood while developing a deeper familiarity with that community. It’s a great way to build feelings of belonging and ownership of the place you call home. Maybe you’ll discover a passion for local politics or activism along the way.

 

 

3.   Become a Mentor-Become a mentor to someone who would benefit from your skills, knowledge, and experience. Maybe there’s someone in your social circles or profession you would like to help along the way. If not organizations like Big Brothers and Big Sisters,  or Trudeau Foundation are there to help you connect you with folks in your area who could use a helping hand.

 

4.   Donate Blood-With one donation you can save many lives, yet just one patient could require multiple donors. For heart surgery it’s up to five people. Leukemia treatments require as many as eight donors a week. Emergency care for a car accident can use up to 50. Every donation makes a difference in someone’s life, and what greater gift could you give?

 

 

5.   Help Build an Affordable Home-Habitat for Humanity is an organization that, with the help of volunteers, builds of safe and affordable housing in more than 70 countries around the world. Houses are built, or renovated, over a number of weeks. Not only can you choose the kind of project you work on, but you work alongside the family who will live in the house at the end of the build.

 

6.   Join a Community Garden-Not only do community gardens beautify the community. They often provide produce and other goods to local neighborhoods often underserved areas. There’s always lots of work to be done to get to harvest. You won’t just be growing fruit and vegetables, but friendships and community along the way.

 

 

7.   Organize a Charitable Event-Find a cause you’re passionate about and organize on its behalf. Maybe you raise money for a senior’s program, or collect food donations for a community pantry. If you want to help, reach out to the organization you‘d like to help. They likely have suggestions on hand to pick from, or inspire your own.

 

8.   Organize a Clean Up-All you need to hold a successful clean up is a big box of garbage bags, a bigger box of recycling bags, a substantial supply of rubber gloves, a group of friends or volunteers, and a location that needs some love. These days most public parks, beaches, and neighborhood streets are in need of a little help, and sometimes folks just need a little inspiration to encourage them to help out. Lead the way, and see what follows.

 

 

9.   Shop Local-Shopping local invests in your community. Spending money locally supports the local economy and your neighbors by keeping money in your neighborhood, where it can be reinvested again through other shops and services. It’s a cycle that keeps on giving.

 

10.       Volunteer-Volunteering is also a great way to boost self-esteem and may help you discover talents you never knew existed within you. Volunteering energy and skills to a local organization is a great way to give back to your community. Whether a hospital, food bank, youth group, senior’s home, or animal shelter there are many local organizations that would benefit from your time. A quick search online will help find local opportunities. Contact organizations you’re interested in helping out to be put in touch with their local team.

"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die for the harder I work the more I live." (George Bernard Shaw)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “10 Ways You Can Make a Difference in Your Community” by Robyn McNeil

·        “21 Ways to Make a Difference in Your Community (and Work) This Holiday Season” by Susan Steinbrecher

·       “How to Help Your Community” by Kris Jensen