Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house. Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Ruth 1:8-17 (excerpts)

It’s disappointing that most of what we know of about Naomi is after the tragedy of loosing her husband and two sons. Too often I think we fixate on her declaration to “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.” (1:20) Yet, her very name speaks of sweetness and pleasantness. A sweet, loving woman she must surely have been to have become a mother to Ruth, greater than Ruth’s own.

Look at it from Ruth’s perspective. Her husband has died. Who is it that Ruth goes to for comfort? Who is it that Ruth seeks to emulate? Who is it that Ruth clings to? Naomi tells Ruth to return to her mother. Ruth tells Naomi that she is already there.

A mother is not simply the construct created by birth. A mother is a role that can be carried out by those who like, Naomi and Ruth, bloodlines are even in opposition. One a Jewess. The other a Moabitess. Their lineage could not have been further separated. Nevertheless, Ruth found a mother in Naomi.

As Christians, we need more women like Naomi. Women, full of sweetness, that will adopt the Ruths and teach them the ways of the Lord. Women, who like Naomi, cause others to emulate her godly ways.

Dear Christian woman, won’t you be a Naomi?

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Psalm 27:1-3

The psalmist confidently proclaims that he is fearless. He declares that he has no anxiety, unease, or worry. He doesn’t just say this once, he repeats himself again and again. He is making sure we understand that he is not the least nervous or alarmed.

Why should he be afraid? It’s David, King of Israel. It’s David, the man after God’s heart. However, we noticed that all is not sunshine and daisies in his life. His enemies are against him. He’s surrounded, overwhelmed, and cornered. In such a time of trouble, why wouldn’t David be afraid?

Fear, worry, and doubt are the opposites of faith. David isn’t afraid because of his trust in the Lord. He is confident that his life is in the Lord’s hand. He is sure of the strength, power, and mercy of God. David knew the Lord. No situation, No circumstances, No foe could trouble David. His fate was secure in God’s hands.

What are you afraid of? What has you made you to fret? What is it keeping you awake at night trembling? Is the Lord not your light and salvation? Is he not the strength of your life? Whom shall you fear? The fear of the Lord is the end of fear.

Hyperthreading illustrated

Infrastructure for Startups

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 13:5

It’s 1 am. Emily is asleep. The wind lightly blows against the house. The compressor on the fridge grumbles along. Outside of this, there is silence. You might think that I’m alone. You’d be wrong.

Nothing can separate me from the Lord. His presence thrills my soul. No matter how dark this night gets, it can’t cut me off from Him. We find revealed here a truth nearly too wonderful to comprehend. The Lord won’t leave us. He won’t forsake us. We are never alone. The psalmist said, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” (Ps 139:8) There is no where the psalmist could go and escape the omnipresent one.

What battles are you struggling through? What situation has you neck deep treading water trying to keep afloat? Dear Christian, recognize that you are in the presence of God. Recognize that he hasn’t left you. Recognize and enjoy it. After all, if you have him, what else do you need?

• Optimizing the Netflix API
• Embracing the Differences : Inside the Netflix API Redesign (Background)

I thought also about the 24th RubyTapas on incidental change. If you start out with a class method and decide to refactor to an object, then there is more change involved than refactoring an existing instance method.

Why Ruby Class Methods Resist Refactoring

Message-Oriented Programming

We just have to provide a module the responds to encrypt and matches?. Here is what I use:

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module SpecCryptoProvider
  def self.encrypt(*tokens)
    tokens.join("")
  end

  def self.matches?(crypted, *tokens)
    encrypt(*tokens) == crypted
  end
end

Then to swap it in we just have to assign it like:

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User.crypto_provider = SpecCryptoProvider

I keep the module in spec/support and load it in my spec helper. You can adjust to your testing framework of choice. I hope that this tip will make your tests just a little faster. It shaves a solid minute off our rspec run at Crunched.

Code that says why it does

Go Ahead, Make a Mess

Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

Luke 8:35

And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Mark 5:20

Here comes a group of people to see what this Jesus fellow has been up to. Upon discovering that Jesus had delivered this long-afflicted man they are frightened at the demonstration of his power. Later, when the man recounted to others his story people were astonished.

These observers were not expecting that the interaction between Jesus and the previously possessed man to be different than the interaction that the many others had had with him. They expected the man to still be crying naked cutting himself amongst the tombs. Boy, were they surprised!

As an aside, notice the world’s solution to this man’s problems. They tried to bind him. They tried to tame him. What a picture of man’s attempts at self reform! It has the same results. Man can’t bind his sinful nature. Man can’t take his depraved will. Man needs the delivering work of Christ wrought in his soul if he will ever be free.

Let’s now reflect what the difference should be between the reaction of the villagers and the reaction we have to a mighty and marvelous act of Jesus. These people expected the situation to be normal; they expected things to be unchanged. When you see Christ at work in someone’s life, what do you expect?

Experience shows that when Jesus is at work things don’t remain normal. Christ changes lives. As those who have witnessed the power of our savior, should we not expect that his standard operating procedure is in the amazing? Is it not a life unchanged that we should be more troubled by?

Carson: On the Path from Big-Ball-of-Mud to SOA

Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

Psa 119:27

People love to talk. Hours can pass by unaware when folks are engrossed in a good conversation. To support our desire to talk in November 2011 there were 331.6 million cell phone subscriptions in the US. What amazed me is there are only 311.5 million people according the the census published months earlier. People want to make sure that you can give them a ring anywhere they might be.

With all that time spent talking, let me ask you this probing question; “What are you talking about?” The psalmist desired of God to understand the word of the Lord. He declared that when he was made to understand that he would speak of the wondrous works of our awesome God. Is your dialog filled with recounting the mighty and marvelous works of the Lord?

If the answer is no then maybe it’s time for you to get back into God’s word. The more you learn about our God, the more words of praise will leave your lips and ascend unto his ear. Saturate your mind in the water of the word, so that your speech blossom with adoration for him.

Are his works not wonderful to you? Are they not worthy of your mention? What is it that you are talking about?

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 1:1

The apostle Paul is writing a letter to the church that was at Ephesus. As was custom, he begins by introducing who he is and who he is writing to. This is Paul’s standard letterhead; It is shared with the majority of his epistles. I imagine you would be apt to read right over this verse.

Notice though what Paul is saying. He is an apostle by the will of God. His position wasn’t his choice. Paul claimed to be the chief of sinners. Before the Lord saved Paul, he was church enemy number one. The God who saved Paul, also called him to be a apostle.

If you were to sit down to pen a letter to the church at New Canaan what is it that you would claim you are by the will of God? The same Lord that placed Paul in his position has a purpose for you as well. You have a place. You have a role. You have a ministry to perform to the glory of God.

Paul was certain that God had made him an apostle. We also don’t find where he disputed his place. Paul accepted that God had the authority to choose where he served. Have you accepted the job that God has called you to do? Have you tried to circumvent God for a duty that you’d be more inclined to?

Child of God, there is something God wants you to be. What are you by his will? How will you start your letter?

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

In the high pace time we live, tiredness is something we all have experienced. It’s likely that very recently with a frazzled countenance you proclaimed to a loved one, “I am exhausted.” Fatigue is a common, early symptom of diverse ailments. There are times in our Christian life when we are not physically taxed, but spiritually drained. Even Elijah came to a point in life where he sat sapped shaded beneath a juniper tree (1 Kings 19:4).

Aren’t you glad that as Christians we have a remedy? We can have rest. Christ offers it to us with only one requirement. We must go to him. He bids us come with the promised result of rest. Are you worn, weak, or weary? Has the circumstances and cares of life burdened you down? Do you feel depleted and spent? Then go to him and you will find rest you need.

He calls us to put on his yoke. He wants to carry the load. How do we take his yoke? We learn of him. Moreover, we learn him. The more we know him, the more we have to rest in. When we learn how he supplies us, we rest in his provisions. When we learn how he supports us, we rest strength. When we learn how he succors us, we rest in his comfort. The knowledge and understanding of our loving Lord provides us footings to rest upon.

Job feared God. When his life was turned upside down and he suffered such great loss, he could worship the LORD (Job 1). He rested in God. You can go to him. You can learn of him. You can rest in him.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16

The thermometer on my car’s dash read 108 yesterday. Summer is here. It’s time to go out in the backyard and slap some steaks on the grill. Is there anything more mouthwatering than a perfectly cooked steak?

The secret to a great steak isn’t just on searing it to the right temperature. It’s in the seasoning. You might even have your own patent-pending, award winning secret sauce that you soak those slabs of beef in. It might even contain salt that melts into the meat, drawing moisture with it. Maybe you have an acid in the mix that helps to break down the complex proteins tenderizing the steak. One ingredient I’m sure you use is time. I’ve never seen a recipe for a marinade that didn’t involve time. It might be 1 hour, overnight, or somewhere between. It’s never a quick dip.

Paul is challenging us to marinade our lives with the word of God. Let it dwell. Let it linger. Let the word of God soak into our beings. Let it begin to tenderize our hearts. Let it draw in the moisture of grace and truth lest our lives begin to dry out.

Don’t just dip into it, but dive in with richness or fullness. Fully immerse yourself in the life-changing pages and allow yourselves to develop into something sweeter and well seasoned.

May you live your life consumed by the word of God.

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gal 1:4-5

The proclaimation of Abraham echo in my mind as I read the salutation that Paul inscribed to the Galations. Issac, not knowing that he was it, wanted to know where the sacrfice was for the alter they had just built. Abraham answered, “God will provide himself a lamb.” (Gen 22)

Paul reminds us that that God did just that. Our sins demanded a payment, but the price was higher than we could afford. Like Issac, we needed a sacrifice to take our place. It was through Jesus Christ that God provided himself as our lamb.

What motivated such a wonderful act? It was the will of the Father. Paul wrote to the Romans (9:23) that “he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy.”

Are you a vessel of the Father’s mercy? Have you glorified him for it today?

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Romans 1:21-23

Nothing is as revealing of man’s true nature as ingratitude. Have you ever seen the horror that comes across the face of a parent who has just watched their child pitch a fit because that expensive gift was the wrong color? Why is it that we have to teach our children to say thank you? No one has to teach us how to be ungrateful.

We as Christians should be a brilliant light of thanksgiving against the black night of the world’s thanklessness. After all, we have so much to be thankful for. God has done so much for us. Yet, the danger of slipping back into the mire of unappreciation seems ever present.

Paul informs us of a group of people who knew God. These were not atheist or agnostics. They were aware of God. However, like the child of the horrified parent, they valued the gift more than the giver. They ended up worshipping images, rather than the living God. The downward spiral from vanity to foolishness all started with thanklessness.

Do you know God? Then take a moment and offer our loving Lord a bit of gratitude. Go ahead and thank God for the blessings in your life. Don’t fail to glorify him. Don’t fail to appreciate and adore him. Don’t become a fool.

No vacancy. The inn was full. No place inside for these expectant travelers to rest. The only space available was in the stable. It was there that Mary brought forth Jesus. It was there she swaddled him and laid him in a manger.

This however was no ordinary child. This was the only begotten of the Father. The very bread of life had just been born in the house of bread and lay resting in that trough.

The Lord would not be satisfied if an event so precious and wonderful transpired without a proper announcement and celebration. To the shepherds in fields that night the angel of the Lord appeared. That heavenly harbinger sharing with them good tidings of great joy:

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

Although the child the shepherds found may have looked ordinary, he was anything but. The angels had announced the arrival of the Saviour. They proclaimed that the Messiah had been born. This baby was special.

John the Baptist introduced His ministry

“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” declared John the Baptist as he stood by Jordan. The words of the prophet serve as a prelude to the ministry of the Messiah.

John called him the Lamb. He is the perfect lamb of God: without spot, without blemish. He is our redeemer who accomplished our atonement. He is the daysman that went between us and God, that laid his hand on both.

It was for this cause that the angel of the Lord instructed Joseph, “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

It was this truth that Simeon saw as he held the Christ child and prompted him to say, “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

It all had begun 30 years before. There in that humble town of Bethlehem. There in that lowly stable. There swaddled in a manger the words of Abraham finally were fulfilled. God had provided himself as the lamb.

We proclaim His return

That child of Bethlehem was the one foretold of by the prophet “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” The meaning of his name did not end with his earthly ministry.

Christ comforted his disciples before his death saying, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” God with us. That where I am, there ye may be also. Emmanuel.

John the revelator recorded “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. God with us. Emmanuel.

The angels welcomed his birth. John the Baptist introduced his ministry. We have the privilege of proclaiming his return. After all, it is the defining focus of the christian’s life and of this season. Truly, He is Emmanuel.

This was used to weave the songs and scripture together in our Christmas program at New Canaan.