The Power of Zero

A great blog post from my friend Rusty Goodwin:

The Power of Zero

So, I’m sitting at home the other day watching a program about the origins of mathematics. I know you are thinking to yourself “How boring is this guy’s life that he watches a show like that?” but hang in there with me. It was quite interesting.

I learned that the numbers we use today originated in India. This culture was the first to invent an individual symbol to represent each of the numbers 1-9. This made commerce, measuring, counting, agriculture, everything much easier to manage. Yet while they had symbols that represented 1-9 no culture had yet invented the concept of 0 (zero).

Eventually, after time, the Indian people came to realize the power of zero, the concept of nothing. They came up with the symbol for it that we still use today, 0. Immediately, their whole mathematical system changed. It became infinitely more powerful and efficient. Other cultures and nations caught on to the concept of zero and it dramatically changed all aspects of culture at that time. Imagine the power of nothing. I’ll bet they had no idea how the concept of nothing would change the world.

Imagine math equations with no zero. Just think, there would be no binary system without zero and thus, no computers. Imagine trying to understand the number 1 million without zero. How long do you think your accountant would stay in business without zero? Impossible.

Okay, so here’s the application. Many times each of us feels like we are not significant. On any given day there are people in our organizations that feel like nothing. Just remember the power of nothing. The number 1 is great but look at it now. 1,000,000,000,000. Put twelve nothings after it and it is much greater. Take away one of those nothings and you have exponentially decreased the value of that number. So, if you are a nothing, don’t underestimate your value, be encouraged. You matter. We all do.

If you are a number 1 or 2, just remember, you are worth more if you have a bunch of us nothings on your side. You can make a much bigger impact with all of us nothings behind you; An exponential difference.

Maybe this is what Paul meant when he encouraged the body of Christ to actually act as if there were one body. Every part has a function and every part matters.

Maybe that is why when Christ came to this earth he chose to make himself of “no reputation”. Maybe he understood that adding value was better than being valued. After all, he did come so we could not only have life but have it more abundantly.

Maybe this is what Christ meant when he told his disciples that in order to be the greatest, they had to be the least. Last time I checked zero was the least.

Go Zero!

It's that time of year again...

J's birthday is coming up soon, and we are trying to get his party plans all in order. Now if you know me, I like to have every little detail planned out way ahead of time, but this time, I just can't seem to get my act together!

He wants a sports party with all different stations...basketball free throws, soccer goal, and lots more.

The question is, how many children to invite. He has a class of 26 children. Do you invite them all? I know our little house couldn't handle them all...

Guess I better get planning...I only have a couple weeks until it is here.

Thursday Happenings

Not too much going on here in Stantonland. J was supposed to have baseball tonight, but the game was rained out. I am actually kind of thankful... it is cold out, and I really didn't want to sit out there in the cold drizzle.

I spent the day working with Sarah at the TRBC costume shop. She is really doing a great job getting things cleaned up and organized over there.

We were going through a bunch of hats today that were donated to the church. There are some really great hats there...kind of made me wish that we still dressed up like that on occasion. Some of them were so well preserved in their original hat boxes. Wish I had my camera with me!

Tim is helping his friend Isaiah this weekend. Isaiah's youth group is having an all night activity Friday night. We'll see how long Tim lasts! Ha! I think he will have a great time.

Haven't figured out what J and I will do tomorrow night yet. We may just hang out at home.

Oh well! Happy Thursday!

This Morning's Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 3

1. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4. For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

5. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

6. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

9. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13. Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

14. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

20. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

21. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

22. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's;

23. And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

Q and A session with J

ABOUT MOM

These questions were all answered by J (word for word)

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you

2 What makes mom happy?
When I obey

3. What makes mom sad?
When I don't obey

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
When she does something silly

5. What was your mom like as a child?
She was little

6. How old is your mom?
31

7. How tall is your mom?
Big

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Play with me

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Work

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
For being a good mom

11. What is your mom really good at?
Sports

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Sports

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Music office

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Chicken

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
When she does something really good and funny

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Luigi (I guess that is the Italian coming out!)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Play basketball

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We both have black hair and white skin

19. How are you and your mom different?
She has glasses and I don't and she is a girl and I am a boy

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Because she does (with giggles)

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
He is funny

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
To go see grammy and pappy and mama and papa

ABOUT DAD

1. What is something Dad always says to you?
Not really anything

2 What makes Dad happy?
Nothing

3. What makes Dad sad?
Nothing

4. How does your Dad make you laugh?
Nothing

5. What was your Dad like as a child?
I don't know

6. How old is your Dad?
31

7. How tall is your Dad?
Huge

8. What is his favorite thing to do?
Play with me

9. What does your Dad do when you're not around?
Work

10. If your Dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
For being a good dad

11. What is your Dad really good at?
Soccer

12. What is your Dad not very good at?
Work

13. What does your Dad do for a job?
DLP Student Accounts

14. What is your Dad's favorite food?
Seafood

15. What makes you proud of your Dad?
I don't know

16. If your Dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?
Mario

17. What do you and your Dad do together?
Play

18. How are you and your Dad the same?
We are boys and we both have black hair

19. How are you and your Dad different?
He has really different skin with psoriasis and he wears glasses

20. How do you know your Dad loves you?
Just because

21. What does your Dad like most about your Mom?
He loves her

22. Where is your Dad's favorite place to go?
Basketball games and football games


ABOUT HIMSELF

1. What is something you always say?
Knock-knock jokes

2. What makes you happy?
I can play games

3. What makes you sad?
When I get hurt

4. How does mom or dad make you laugh?
When they do something funny

5. What was your hair like as a child?
Bald

6. How old are you?
7 and about to be 8 in a month

7. How tall are you?
Small

8. What is your favorite thing to do?
Play basketball

9. What do you do when your parents are not around?
Play video games

10. If you become famous, what will it be for?
Playing basketball

11. What are you really good at?
Basketball

12. What are you not very good at?
Tennis

13. What do you do for a job?
Cashier at the fudge shop

14. What is your favorite food?
McDonalds

15. What makes you proud of you?
How I am really good at stuff

16. If your you were a cartoon character, who would you be?
Dry Bones

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Play basketball

18. How do you know your mom and dad love you?
Because they do

19. What do you like most about your dad?
He is funny and bad

20. Where is your favorite place to go?
McDonalds

Wonderful Wednesday

Boy, am I a slacker or what? I haven't posted in almost a month...though I am not sure why. Every time I go to post something, I just can't seem to come up with anything.

So here I am today at the urging (nagging?) of a friend. :)

This week, my son is on spring break. It has been an absolutely gorgeous week so far...70 degrees every day. Well, yesterday, I had the blessing of being a mommy at home all day long. We had such a good day. The day began with J coming into my room shouting, "Mommy! I pulled out my tooth!" I was SO glad as this tooth has been dangling in J's mouth for several weeks. (He hates when I pull them out for him). So, he proceeded to call Daddy and the grandparents. MaMa asked him what he gets for losing his tooth, so I told him that he could pick whatever he wanted to do for the day.

Well, after a little deciding over a breakfast of waffles, J decided that he wanted both of us to stay in our pajamas all day long and watch a movie. So that is what we did (although I cheated and took a shower and changed into clean jammies). We watched several episodes of Seventh Heaven on DVD (we got it from the library...our TV blew up, so we have to watch it on one of the computers).

After a while, J wanted a mayonnaise sandwich. Yep, that is it. Just plain mayo and bread. Yuck! So I added cheese to mine. Then I asked him what he wanted to do. And again, he wanted to watch more Seventh Heaven and still wear our jammies. So that is what we did until 3:00. Thankfully, we changed into our day clothes and went outside to play a little basketball. Then we went to visit Jacque at Fabulus Fudge and take her the mail like we do every day (we share a mailbox with her).

At 5PM, Daddy came home from work, and he and J played some more basketball. Then we told J since it was "J Day" he could pick where we would eat dinner...and of course, he chose McDonalds. After that we let him browse at Game Stop for a few minutes and then went to see the movie "Bolt." It was a cute movie, and J really enjoyed it.

Then J decided to ask if he could stay up as late as he wanted to, and to that, we did say no. :)

It was nice to not be at work all day, but to be able to be at home with J. I miss those times. I do love my job, but I wish I could be home more.

Anyway, that was our Wonderful Wednesday...how's that for posting?