These are a few of my favorite things

I hate it when a website gives asks you for security questions.  They are things like:

What it your FAVORITE band?
What is your FAVORITE  color?
What is your FAVORITE sports team?
etc.

I generally don't have favorites.

Except I do have favorite girl.

I suspect Julie Andrews had this problem as well.  When she sang her famous song in The Sound of Music, her list of  "favorite things" was rather long, leading me to think she had no real favorite things as well.

As for me, I don't have a favorite color, high school teacher, vacation spot, band, sports team, etc.

I may perhaps have a favorite piece of music (Pachelbel's canon in D major), but since I haven't even listened to that in a while, I'm not sure it's true.

But then, the other day, I was reading someone's facebook post about how to calculate exponentials.  As I was playing around with that, I calculated 2 to the 1/2 power, and there was may favorite number--well one of two favorite numbers (they go together).

√2 and √0.5

Or, to round to 3 decimals:

1.414 and 0.707

Such fun numbers to play with.

   √2 = 1.414; 1.414² = 2

   √0.5 = 0.707; 0.707² = 0.5

   0.707 + 0.707 = 1.414

   1/1.414 = 0.707

   1/0.707 = 1.414

   cos(45) = sin(45) = 0.707

   RMS = 0.707 * peak

   Peak = 1.414 * RMS

These two magical numbers are memorable to me because the play into some interests of mine: soil science, map making and electronics.

My favorite numbers and soil science

When I was a freshman at university studying for a degree in forestry, I had to take a class in soil science.  Soil Science?!  I didn't know there was such a field of study.

The professor who taught the class was known for his love of teaching about soil.  I carried on with some of his techniques in my later years.  But one of the things he stressed was how, when we took shortcuts across the grass, we contributed to soil compaction which led to the death of the very grass we liked walking across.

I was a good student.  I quit (taking short cuts).  I lost walking companions because they wanted to shortcut and I didn't.  But I was a very fast walker and still beat most people going across campus.  So how much further did I actually go? (To answer this I reach into another interest area of mine, map-making).

Your most basic short cut involves taking the shortest route to evade a 90 degree corner.  In the diagram below, assume you are going from A to B.  The sidewalk follows the path a + b.  The shortcut follows path c.

The basic nature of this shortcut involves a 45-45-90 triangle, where A and B are both 45 degrees and C is 90 degrees. We'll assume that the shortcut (c) has a length of 1.  To calculate the length of side (a) we can either use the sine of A or the cosine of B, which is that magical number 0.707 (the square root of 0.5) and multiply it by the length of (c), which in this case is 1, so we can just leave it alone.

You can double-check these with the Pythagorean theorem

a² +b² = c²

(√0.5)² + (√0.5)² = 1²

0.5 + 0.5 = 1

The shortcut length is 1
The long way is 0.707 + 0.707 = 1.414

So the shortcut is 1/1.414 or 0.707 times the distance (70.7%) of the long way.
or, to look at it the other way
the long way is 1.414/1 or 1.414 times the length of the shortcut.

Now, not all shortcuts are created equal, some involve a greater and some involve a lesser amount of distance savings.  But one could estimate that by NOT taking shortcuts, I walked about 41% more than my peers who did.

My favorite numbers and electronics

I used to tell people that I got my first license when I was 15.  Of course, I would leave out the fact that this was a ham radio license and not a drivers license.

To get a ham radio license, I had to study a bit of electronics.   This was in the day when our radios might not have even had a single transistor in it, let alone a chip.

One of the things we studied was waves, such as one might have with AC (alternating current).

Here in Thailand, our voltage is 220 volts.  But what does that mean?  Since with AC current, the voltage varies over time in a pattern call a sine wave.

If the voltage is the path of the blue line, then you can see it varies from 0, up to some peak value, then back to 0 again.

To measure the voltage of these AC currents, we use a value called the Root Mean Square or RMS as an average.

The RMS is 0.707 time the peak value.
Or, to look at it the other way,
the peak value is 1.414 * the RMS value.

So here in Thailand where the voltage is 220, the peak voltage is actually 1.414 times that, or about 311 volts.

And there are my favorite numbers, once again.

While it may almost seem like magic how these numbers pop up in different places, it should not be surprising that there is an order or pattern to these things. Scientists, mathematicians, engineers and many others can do amazing things because there are fundamental laws or principles that govern how things work.  And while we may not totally understand the "why" behind all these laws and principles, we can still do things like launch a satellite and have it intersects with a small moving target like Pluto, many years and several billion miles away.  We can build planes that fly in the sky and huge steel ships that sail in the sea.  We can build wrist watches that run a very fancy computers powered by minute amounts of electricity or that use very precise gears and require no electricity at all.

We read in Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT)
¹⁵  Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
¹⁶  for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.



God, through Jesus, holds all creation together.

How does He do that?

One of the ways creation is held together is by the universal laws and principles that we so often take for granted.

But these laws and principles aren't there so that we can boast in ourselves when we figure them out.  They are there so that we will marvel at the Creator Who put them in place.

Top Twelve 2015

This is my annual review of the year, by picking my favorite photo from each month.
Well--I cheated this month and picked two from November, so call it a baker's dozen.

The photos are not necessarily picked for their artistic quality, but more for special memories from that month.

January

In January, we made our first trip across the river to Laos.  We were only there a couple of days.  The first day we took a speed boat down the Mekong River south from Houay Xai.  The second day we made a road trip north, stopping in several Khmu, Lao Lue and Hmong Villages.

Our last stop was at a Hmong Village called Huay Dom Dam.  Just as we were pulling away, this young woman carrying her two children gave us a beautiful smile.  The picture is not as sharp as I would like, because we had already started moving.

February

Every Saturday afternoon, we open our house for young people to come to practice English and hear Bible stories.  Sometimes we mix things up a bit.  Since Saturday fell on Valentine's day, we had the students decorate cookies, then we told the story of St. Valentine after which we made Valentine's cards.

Since it is an English class, we had the students make their cards in English.  (Except me--I made one for my sweetheart in Thai.)  The young people had lot's of fun and got to bring some cookies home as well.

Our Saturday activities with the youth are our favorite time of the week.  To be with these young people who are eager to learn is a gift for those of us who like to teach.  And it contrasts with much of our week when we are with people who seem like they know everything already.

Several of the young people in this photo will be headed off to university later this year, and it reminds me how valuable is our time with them to teach and show them about the love of Jesus.

March

In March, we had to head to Chiang Mai for some meetings.  While we were there, we took an afternoon and went to visit the Siam Insect Zoo.  This is a small institution located north of the city.  While there was a lot to see in the way of insects, they also had some non-insects to observe.  This horned lizard probably likes living in an insect zoo, because there is plenty to eat!

While we were intent on observing the various critters in the zoo, this one looked equally intent on observing us.

April

In April, we were invited to a house dedication in Huai Jaw--the nearest Khmu village to where we live.  When we got there, we could not find where the house dedication was supposed to be.  Instead we got invited to where a wedding dowry ceremony was taking place.

There were lots of interesting things being presented.  An official dowry inspector was there to make sure everything was of sufficient quality.  Here, the inspector is checking the chicken legs and wish bone to see if they are auspicious.  The father of the bride, in the blue shirt, looks on.

May

One of the bike rides I like is a windy, forested road that leads to a forest temple about 9 km southwest of where we live.  As one approaches the temple, the vegetation changes from wild forest to a mix of wild and ornamental plants.

In that mix of plants one day, I was delighted to find see this beautiful flower spike.  It was hard to miss, because the spike itself is about a foot long and sat atop a four to five-foot long stalk.  While I had not seen this particular bloom before, it is closely related to galangal, which is commonly planted all around Thailand.  I don't know an English name for it, the Thai name translates "wild galangal".

June

One of the most attractive fruits in Thailand is the dragonfruit.  The beautiful pink fruit belies its very bland flavor.  The dragonfuit is a type of cactus.  One hardly sees the open blooms, however, because they open at night.  During the day, the blooms wilt and eventually turn brown.

One day I was fortunate in that the clouds seemed to have fooled this particular dragonfruit plant, and its blooms were still open even at about 10 am.  The blooms are several inches across and have an interesting palm-tree shaped pistil surrounded by many stamens.

July

In July, a team of college students from the US descended on our training center in Wiang Kaen.  This group of young people visited several nearby churches to put on activities for children.  In Huai Ian, the team was leading some songs.  Jake was playing percussion.  He invited one of the local men, Wat, to join with them.  Wat was thrilled at the opportunity.  Though Jake could hardly speak a word of Wat's language, his smile communicated all that was necessary.

August

I was on my way back from a few days in Mae Salong, and I saw a sign, in Thai, for a waterfall park.  I'm usually somewhat leery about such things, because sometimes destinations noted on such signs can be a long ways away or perhaps the road or trail doesn't go through anymore.  But this time I decided to investigate.

Huai Kang Pla did not have any large falls, but there were some small and medium sized cascades.  I was the first one in the park that day.  It was quite humid and I was soon drenched with sweat as I wound up the trail to the waterfalls.  It was the last day of my short vacation and I was trying to keep my brain in vacation mode.

The vendors at near the park gate were setting up as I got back.  They said the falls are more popular in the winter when people stop on their way to the mountain areas, or in the hot season, when people go to cool off in the pools.

September

One day we made a rather spontaneous decision to take an afternoon trip and head 25 km up the road to a small cave.

Pha Lae Cave functions more as a religious shrine than a natural resource.  The cave itself is small and it has quite a few Buddhist worship elements in it.  However, it is located in a pretty spot along the Ngao River so it is a nice place to relax.

We got there just as the monks were putting out bananas for the monkeys.  They must have known it was feeding time, because they had begun to amass even before the bananas were set out.  There were monkeys of all sizes, from tiny babies to big papas.  I thought it was cute how this baby was snuggled up to momma as she kept a watchful eye.

October

Pha Tang Creek flows out of the mountains that border the country of Laos.  As the creek nears its confluence with the Ngao River, it gets a bit flatter and these areas are formed into terraced rice paddies.  The creek itself is diverted into irrigation canals such as the one seen here.

On this day I decided to take a drive down the rough dirt track at the far end of my bike ride.  There butterflies were out enjoying the sunny day.  I paused to relax and reflect that this is one of the things I like about Wiang Kaen--the sleepy valleys surrounded by hills and mountains.

This particular area reminds me of parts of the Haut St. Marc, where we spent our first year in Haiti over 30 years ago.

November

In November we took our first real vacation together in a long time.  We decided to go to a resort area in the province of Krabi on the southern peninsula of Thailand.

What a beautiful area.   (That's why a posted two photos for November).

We stayed in Ao Nang.  Most evenings we had thunder storms and the mix of clouds made for awesome sunsets.  We would go for a walk to dinner and catch the sunset along the way.  Tourist season was just beginning and the beach would begin to fill with people watching the sky as the colors shifted with the drowning sun.

Most of the long-tail boats would be parked in a harbor a few miles north for the night.  But there were always a few moored on the beach.



Many of the tourist activities involve being packed with hordes of people in a van or boat.  One day we decided we wanted something a little more free-form, but we did not know our way around enough.  So we opted in for something in-between.  We went on a guided kayak trip.  There was only us and two Korean couples in our group.  The Koreans opted to hire locals to paddle their boats.  We paddled our own (felt that for a few days).

We were in tidal channels in a mangrove forest in Bor Thor, on the north side of Krabi.  One of the channels went through a cave.  As we broke through the back side of the cave-tunnel with the light filtering through the green leaves, it was like a mix of romance and a scene from some kind of adventure movie.It was quite beautiful.  Now that we know the area, I think I would go back and just rent the kayak and go at our own pace.

December

December means Christmas activities.  Being associated with a group of churches means we can stay quite busy, even if we don't go to all of the events.

The Sunday after Christmas we were in Huai Jaw.  PK was giving a message in Khmu, so we did not understand all of his message.  I drifted outside with my camera and used it to break the ice with some children.  They would climb up this small tree then swing themselves off of it from the branch that they are holding in this photo.

The smiles from these kids help melt away the stress of a busy holiday season.



My work this past year, especially the latter half, have been quite difficult for me.  I'm grateful for those things that help to relieve some of the stress of life--going for a bike ride, studying a flower, hanging out with children, watching a sunset, paddling a kayak. In all these things, we can see the hand of the Creator.  And I am reminded just how great He is.

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:1-11 (NIV) 

Milestones

One day this past week brought the concurrence of two significant events.

First of all, it was my birthday.  Another opportunity to look back at the past twelve months while also looking forward to the next.

A nice spin for my birthday this year (though a day early) was a surprise birthday cake brought by some of the teenagers who study English and the Bible with us.



One of the young women in the photo above, while she would not yet profess to be a Christian, is eager to hear stories from the Bible.  She and one of the others will be graduating this spring and are hoping to go on to university in Chiang Rai.  We've missed them some these past weeks because on Saturdays they have been going to Chiang Rai to take college entrance exams.  Pray that our time with these young people will be of benefit to them not just intellectually, but also spiritually.

Another event that occurred on my birthday, though I had not planned it this way, was that I finished reading through the Bible in Thai for the first time.

A few years ago, I figured that reading the scripture in Thai would be helpful for both ministry and for language-learning.  So I just started where I was in my regular reading, and tried to read a chapter a day (some days I did not get through a whole chapter).  I typically read on my computer, as I can make the fonts big.  (I have issues with my eyes that make deciphering the small curly-q's of the letters in the printed versions a bit difficult.)



It is interesting that the completion of this reading was marked with a beautiful doxology, which makes a fitting close to the end of one year and the beginning of another:

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.  (Romans 16:25-27 ESV)


What a great doxology!  It talks about a message of good news (the gospel)...made known through revelation (scripture)...to all nations...so that God may be glorified.  That is why we are here in Thailand.  May this be my prayer and continued focus of this next year of my life.

Bookends 2015

Once again I make a kind of year summary by looking at photos from the first and last days that I took photos during the year.

On January first, I went on a bike ride up the Ngao River Valley (The district we live in is basically the Ngao River watershed).  This is usually a good time of year for biking because we don't have the clouds of rainy season and it is still relatively early in the burning season so the air is still somewhat clear after the morning fog burns off.

On this day I rode to to village of Chedi Thong (roughly translates: gold pagoda).  This is a Hmong Village and home of some of the teenagers that come to study English in our home, including a young woman named Lai, who has come to have a special place in our hearts.  (Lai won a very nice scholarship to study English overseas and last week she and 6 other students from across Thailand appeared on national television when they had an audience with the princess.)

The photo is taken looking northwest.  (It's actually two photos stitched together.)  The hills in the back mark the border of Khun Tan and Chiang Khong districts.  On the valley floor are rice paddies, some of which are already black from burning.  The road winding through the photo is the main drag through our area.  It heads south from the Mekong River up through the mountains to Thoeng District.  It is a pretty drive, and the road on which most of my bicycling happens.



My photo from the last day of 2015 was taken just a few kilometers north of the first photo.

The village of Wang Pha was having a Khmu culture festival.  We had friends visiting us and we didn't leave the house until late morning.  By the time we got to the festival, it was almost over.  Many villages from the area participated and each village was charged with demonstrating some aspect of Khmu culture.  When we got there, the village of Huai Jaw was just finishing up showing a particular meal that is used for special occasions.

Uncle John (leaning over the baskets) is one of the leaders in our church in Huai Jaw.




Interesting that the two photos are connected to two of the hill tribe groups in our area.  The Hmong are the dominant ethnic group in our district.  The Khmu are one of the minor groups in the area but they are the people with which we spend most of our time.

While the ethnic diversity in our area is great, we serve a God who loves all of these people groups.  I, myself, have only a minor grasp of one of the languages of our area (Thai), but God understands them all.

People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise! - Romans 15:11 (MSG)