Just Thinking

The title of this entry is taken from the Ravi Zacharias's ministries magazine title, which I've been reading.  There were a couple of really good quotes that are worth noting:

• "Imagine leadership without character, business without ethics and science without human values - in short, freedom without virtue.   Os Guinness argues that while the laws of the land may provide external restraints on behavior, freedom requires virtue, which in turn requires faith."    I recently heard another speaker, Andy Stanley, I think it was, say something along the same lines; and it struck me as profound at that time also.
• "In fertile places, we don't sense the need for God as much as we do in the desert where need is desperately apparent.  Mysteriously, God's presence becomes palpable in the desolation.  God's power is made apparent in our weakness."  This reminds me  of what my pastor has been preaching on, with the Holy Spirit being the Living Water which quenches our thirst in the desert of life.  More so, it reminds me of the 2 Corinth 12:9 verse in which it says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

More than just the magazine from which these quotes came from, the title actually sums up what I wanted to write about.... just some things that I've been thinking about.  This weekend, I was able to see God's Hand working in various areas of my life.   It's not that any of these occurrences were majorly astounding, but, it encouraged me to see God involved in the little details that enhance the joys in life.

In my time with God before church on Sunday, I had asked God to teach me to pray, which was my theme this year.   And, it was funny to hear my pastor say that God has been leading him to teach a new series on PRAYER.

I had also prayed about my loneliness and once again reaffirmed that I had placed my singleness on the altar, giving it to God.   But, He still brought someone to make the effort to walk off the platform in the sanctuary right before church to come over to me just to give me a hug.  It was special and met a need that day.

After church, I had my annual birthday celebration with my small group leaders's anniversary.  We had dinner and then watched "The Inheritance" DVD that I gave them.  It was neat to see that at the end, it said that the two main characters lived "Happily Ever After", which was perfect as an anniversary gift, and was also the theme at their 50th anniversary party four years ago.   They gave me some lavendar sachets, which have been giving my clothes a really nice fragrance.

I thank God for loving and encouraging me.  Even from the studies in Nehemiah, He has motivated me to study more diligently.  I have also decided to read the Bible through again; and I am using the one that orders the readings chronologically.

Milestone

Well, it's that time of the year again when the odometer of my life bumps up one.  And this year is even a minor milestone.   Yet, I don't feel anything significantly different.   It's actually been a pretty difficult past year; and I'm hoping this coming one will be much better.   Yet, I'm encouraged that with challenges often comes maturity and growth; and I do think that I have grown in new areas.  Maybe it has even helped me to be more empathetic and understanding.

Considering my busy schedule, it's kind of fitting that today is the one day this week that I can actually rest after work.   The rest of this week, I have responsibilities, people to get together with, and places to go.   So, it's nice to have a "free" evening.

I've never made much of a fanfare of my Birthday, even as a child.  So, it is actually special and meaningful when people remember and take the time to spend with me or the thought to buy a gift or send a card or call.   I am blessed and grateful.

28-Aug:  My parents took me out for Thai food the other day for my Birthday.  My favorite dish was still the Pad Thai.   This week, I was inspired to make a couple of dishes related to Thai food.   We had ordered some Thai BBQ chicken.  It was a little dry, so with the leftovers, I boiled the bones for a soup base; and for the soup, it used the chicken pieces with corn and spinach.   It helped the meat to not be so dry; and it was a good, and fairly healthy meal.   I also made a green fish curry.   I stir-fried some green onions and ginger, added curry powder, and then coconut milk.  Then, added fish chunks when boiled, simmered, and seasoned with some fish sauce, salt, and pepper. It was pretty good served over rice.  An easy way to cook fish without a lot of fishy smell in the house.

Nehemiah 3

This is another one of those passages where the initial tendency upon first encounter would be just to quickly skim over it, since it would appear to be just mainly a list of names of those who were REBUILDING and REPAIRING the wall and gates around Jerusalem.  Yet, it was important enough to be included in Scripture, so as we dig deeper and examine more carefully, we would discover hidden nuggets of treasures here as well.

Nehemiah's leadership is once again demonstrated through motivating such a widespread group of people to work together.  Starting with the example of the spiritual leadership (high priest, priests, Levites) who dedicated and consecrated the work to God, the workers include people associated with families or cities throughout Judah and Benjamin, men, women, rulers, and the working class (goldsmiths, perfume-makers, merchants).  Many were able to repair the section in front of their homes, which was not only convenient but would likely have encouraged a job well done.  A clear sense of the unity of the people for a common purpose in fulfillment of God's Plan and Promises comes through.

Passages like these, with so much detail, just point to the authenticity of the Bible.   This also shows that God cares about the individual, and that the work of these people was honored.  It was interesting that this passage also showed that our past should not be obstacles to our ability to serve God, for Malkijah son of Harim (vs 11) was previously listed one of those who had sinned by taking foreign wives (Ezra 10:31) and yet here, he is participating in the rebuilding and repairing.

As I was preparing for the lesson, I came across a sermon text that explored the answer to the question of why they were rebuilding and repairing.  Nehemiah chps 1 and 2 had talked about the people living in reproach; and this particular sermon pointed out that because Jerusalem was associated with God, the need for restoration of the city should have been motivated by concern for how it reflected the honor and glory of God.  This could give us insight behind why it affected Nehemiah so deeply, when he heard that the city walls and gates were still in ruins and disrepair; and what motivated him to take action.

In applying this example of REPAIRING and REBUILDING in our lives, it is important to remember to start with consecration to the LORD.   We can also start "close to home" and enlist the help of others, particularly godly leadership.  To repair means to encourage and make strong, which would be beneficial in all areas of life.

Quiet

I attended a webinar today featuring Susan Cain as the speaker, talking about her New York Times bestseller, "QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking".    I totally related to the meeting for I am an unquestionable introvert, and even answered "Yes" to every single one of the questions that were asked in the beginning of the talk to determine whether or not we were introverts.

It's interesting that the focus audience for this webinar were women in leadership; and those who were introverts but still became leaders talked about being called "quiet leaders", which is what I was called many years back.   The main take-away I got was that we just need to figure out what we think and believe, and stick to that CONVICTION.  This will help us cope with expectations geared more towards extroverts, understand ourselves better, and be able to focus on our strengths.  Introverts tend to be more in-depth thinkers, will often work longer at solving problems, and maintain few but deeper relationships.

Most of the information provided I had learned along the way.  This just re-affirmed my own conclusions.   It was also re-iterated that Eastern cultures are more conducive to introverts in contrast to the Western culture where extroverts are in the majority.

Understanding that being an introvert is how we were created, just gives me permission to be myself.  It's okay to need time to be by myself, to take time to think before answering questions, to better relate one-on-one than in a group, to prefer communicating through writing rather than speaking, etc.   I am comfortable with being an introvert; and when I think back about when I first came to the realization that this is who I am and I didn't need to push myself to be aggressive and outgoing, it was back in high school when I first came across the passage in 1 Peter 3:4 that said, "but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God".  I reasoned that if a gentle and quiet spirit was precious in the sight of God, then it was fine to be "Quiet."

3-Oct:   As I've been reading the book, I have found that I can really relate to what it is saying.   Some things that have stood out are that we have moved from a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality.   In many of my blog entries related to "Character", that is something I had lamented, though not in that exact wording.   We live in a society that celebrates Extrovertism backed up with charisma and personality.  And it's interesting that the book points out that research shows that Collaboration kills Creativity.  To be most creative, innovative, and effective, we actually need solitude; for being around others is distracting, can have obstacles and challenges, etc.   The author gave the illustration that even for great musicians, they are that way because of the many many hours of practice ALONE.  In the leadership class on Sunday, I was able to experience first-hand, how a dominant extrovert made it difficult to share ideas from more introverted members in the group, even though those were valid and Biblically-based.   Also, as I've been reading the book, I find that Introverts may actually make good leaders.    My Assistant Pastor had pointed out that leaders should take time to listen and to not always be the one speaking all the time; and listening is something that Introverts tend towards by nature.  In our culture, I do see how it is constantly emphasized that we should work collaboratively in a team; and it's neat to be affirmed that working alone can often be more productive.

19-Oct:  It's actually encouraging to learn that while there are genetic factors that affect our Introversion, there are other influences that can help us to adjust and make a difference.   The book talked about the "Orchid Hypothesis" - while high-reactive or sensitive people are generally introverted, they are more like orchids which "wilt easily, but under the right conditions can grow strong and magnificent".

9-Nov:  Lately, I've been observing some behavior in the workplace that I would attribute the difference between how extroverts vs introverts address a problem.   The extrovert tends to jump right in and try to try many different things right away, fixing one problem after another as it comes up.   What then happens is that we often have to backtrack because we find that fixing the problem one way is not the best; and then it needs to be re-done; or that a less than ideal solution gets put into place.   As an introvert, in two distinct cases, I clearly remember wanting to just step back, look at the big picture and evaluate the details of the problem first, before jumping in.   Unfortunately, I did not follow my instincts, mainly because of the escalated situations, and decisions were really being made by others who were in authority.  To be most effective, I really should utilize my experience and voice the need to not work in panic mode; but rather to thoroughly and carefully approach the solution.

9-Feb-2014:  The section on introverts "acting" more extroverted resonated with me; because there are many situations where I do need to act more extroverted than I am comfortable with, like when I run meetings at work; or when I teach class at church.   The book suggests that for introverts who take on extroverted roles, it is important to find time for "restorative niches".  This helps me understand why I often need Sunday to be my true day of rest after church, since I've used up my energy being a leader  and teacher in class. It's the same after I have run a meeting, I find I need some "downtime" to get ready for the next thing.  It's also interesting that when relating to extroverts, we introverts may find that we need to make "free trait agreements", where we are given the time to be ourselves to recover from having to exert ourselves in extroverted situations.  Also, it is good to know that while extroverts are better at picking up on social cues in social situations; introverts do better when observing rather than participating.   It is because social situations become like "information overload" to us, making it difficult to pick up on details with conversational multitasking.

11-Feb-2014:  Having finished the book, overall, I find that there is a lot of useful information to help understand introversion; and how to most effectively utilize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of being an introvert.  It is also important to build up the confidence of an introvert by finding something to focus upon where he/she would be able succeed or excel.

Nehemiah 2

The next step in the RESTORATION process was PREPARATION.   While Nehemiah likely continued the first step of PRAYER throughout, he waited four months before putting into action what God had put it in his heart to do.   During that time of waiting, it was clear that he had thought about what was needed, for he was ready to voice his requests to King Artaxerxes when asked.  Notably, he took the time to say a quick prayer first before answering (vs 4), knowing that this was the moment he had been praying for the past few months.  And then, when the king granted his requests, he recognized that it was the Hand of God at work (vs 8).    After arriving in Jerusalem, he continued preparations by inspecting the damage to the wall and gates and the work needed to repair it.  Then, he demonstrated his godly leadership abilities by pointing the people to God, motivating them to begin rebuilding (vs 17-18), and facing the opposition with confidence that God would give them success (vs 19-20).

Sometimes, finding and carrying out God's Will, requires waiting, planning, and preparation.  And sometimes, it involves facing opposition.   Through it all, it is important to PRAY and to have confidence in the LORD.

Buffet Lunch

Had a buffet lunch at Ashoka the Great restaurant in Little India today.  It was really good, especially for the price ($9.95 +$2.50 for mango lassi).   I truly is neat to be able to have authentic ethnic foods in these interesting neighborhood communities of peoples from all over the world.  Also, had a nice time celebrating our ABC with my friend.

Shop-ahead Dishes

With a friend coming over towards the end of the week, but likely no time to go grocery shopping in the middle of the week, the following were some shop-ahead dishes that seem to work, mainly because they use ingredients that keep well for a full week or more:

• Italian - pasta with sausage; and italian squash
• Mediterranean - hummus with pita bread and chips, with curried sides (e.g. tomatoes, bell pepper, etc)
• Asian - noodles with shrimp, and stir fry vegetables
• Mexican - enchiladas, and cornbread with chorizo, and fajita vegetables 

I also saw some mediterranean salads in the store today, which inspired me to look online for some recipes.  Following are some that I found:

    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 (1-pound) box Israeli couscous (or any small pasta)
    3 cups chicken stock
    2 lemons, juiced
    1 lemon, zested
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
    1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
    1/4 cup dried cranberries
    1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

In a medium saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and cook until toasted and lightly browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Carefully add the stock, and the juice of 1 lemon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the couscous is tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the couscous.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked couscous with the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper and let cool.

Once the couscous is room temperature, add the fresh herbs, dried cranberries, and almonds. Toss to combine and serve.

==================
Ingredients

    18 cups torn romaine (about 2 large bunches)
    1 medium cucumber, sliced
    1 cup crumbled feta cheese
    1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
    1 small red onion, thinly sliced
    1/2 cup julienned roasted sweet red peppers
    1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, halved
    DRESSING:
    2/3 cup olive oil
    1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

    In a very large salad bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Yield: 28 servings (3/4 cup each).


=========================

Ingredients

    1 pkg (9 oz each) romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
    1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano, drained
    1 can (15 oz each) garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
    1 can (3.8 oz each) sliced ripe olives, drained
    2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
    1/2 cup chopped red onion
    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar


    Place all ingredients in large bowl. Toss together.

===========================


1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
1 cup cubed plum (Roma) tomatoes (3 medium)
1 cup cubed unpeeled cucumber (1 small)
1/2 cup halved pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 4 medium)
1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

    1 In 2-quart saucepan, heat broth to boiling. Stir in couscous; remove from heat. Cover; let stand 5 minutes.
    2 In large bowl, place tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onions and dill weed. Stir in couscous.
    3 In small bowl, beat lemon juice, oil and salt with wire whisk until well blended; pour over vegetable mixture and toss. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors.
    4 Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese.


20-Aug:   I ended up making just sausage pasta and serving it with a salad.   It turns out that my friend doesn't really like fruits and vegetables much.    So, I just grilled the sausage (cut it into slices after initial grilling, so that it would cook throughout).  Then, I sauteed onions, cubed tomatoes, italian parsley, and sliced portabella mushrooms; mixed with some tomato-basil sauce; add the grilled sausage; and simmered.   This was served over rotelli.  For the salad, I just mixed spinach with tomatoes and onions; and I happened to have a sweet roasted garlic balsamic dressing.

Nehemiah 1

We are about to start our new class series on Nehemiah on "Restoration".   It is actually a timely message for me, for I do feel like I need to go through a restoration process, somewhat feeling like I've been struck down, trying to rise from the "destruction and ruins".

So, chapter 1 continues after the book of Ezra ends.  It is still during the reign of Artaxerxes; but, the rebuilding of the wall still has not restarted since the last opposition (Ezra 4).  So, the city was still left unprotected and the people "are in great trouble and disgrace".   

The very first thing Nehemiah does in response is PRAY.  Through his example of prayer, we are reminded that it is important to remember WHO GOD IS, to be humble before HIM, to confess our sins, cling to His Promises, and make requests in order for us to take action according to His Will.

Prayer 101

Our class just finished a series on Prayer (the What, Why, and How basics).   It is always good to go back and review foundational essentials, of which Prayer is one (Acts 2:42).  And we were challenged to memorize the key passages of the series (Acts 2:41-42; 2 Chron 7:14; Psalm 119:10; Luke 11:1). 

I was reminded that the closer our relationship with God, the more we would desire to communicate with Him in prayer; and we are to watch out for "prayer breakers" which affect not only our intimacy with Him but also our effectiveness in living our lives out for Him. 

There were some good acronyms: 

• A.S.K. - Ask; Seek; Knock
• A.C.T.S - Adoration:  "I am not..., only You are..."; Confession:  "I cannot..., only You can..."; Thanksgiving:  "I do not..., only You do..."; Supplication:  "I seek..., You have supplied...

  Also, some discussions on praying "In Jesus's Name" (John 14:12-14; John 15:15-16; and John 16:23-27).   We are now able to do so, because after His death and resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we now have the ability and access to pray to God directly in His Name.  To pray in Jesus's Name is about the attitude of the heart, not just the words - we are to glorify God, know what His Will is, and not seek our own self-interests.

It was also neat to see that people in class are able to think critically and ask good questions.  There were a few interesting ones that came up:

• Related to Matt 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" are verses 14-15 "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions".  The question was that when Christ died on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins; and when we placed our faith in HIM, our sins were forgiven.  So, what are v14-15 referring to?    These verses are not talking about our salvation; but, rather how we live out our Christian life.   Yes, when we placed our faith in HIM, we are saved, and righteousness is imputed to us.   However, we continue to have this conflict btwn the sin nature and the Spirit; so, while we are here on earth, we still fall to sin sometimes.   When we do not seek forgiveness and do not repent, it affects our intimacy w/God, our joy, and the fulness of our usefulness.  In the same way, these verses are saying that if we don't forgive others, that is considered a sin as well; and it will prevent us from living in the full joy of His forgiveness.
• There was a question raised about how to reconcile Psalm 139:21-22 (hating those who hate God and are counted as enemies) vs Matthew 5:43-44 (loving our enemies).   I see this as related to Law vs Grace.  In the OT, it was emphasized that we are to hate evil and wickedness, and verses like those in Psalm 139 focused on the evildoing and unrighteousness; and what that deserved.  However, in the NT, we go beyond what is justifiably deserved through the Law and exhibit grace, which would be loving even the enemies (like walking the extra mile).  No matter what, though, the command has always been to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.