N is for Nobody (Person), Nowhere (Place,) and Nothing (Thing)

Negative Words Can Have a Positive Meaning

You may wonder what I mean by that title.  How can negative words have positive meaning?  First, let's define terms.  I am not talking about discouraging speech.  These words are nobody, nowhere, and nothing.  Wait, you say, those words don't have a negative connotation.  They just describe absence.  They do that.  But also they certainly can have a negative connotation at times.  Just listen to this common self-talk:

                                    Why would THAT girl talk to ME?  I am just a nobody with a job that's going nowhere. In short, I'm a real nothing.  


Today, I want to use those words for positive emphasis by looking at the story of Jonah for the Bible.

1. There is NOBODY that God doesn't care for. 

 In the book of Jonah, God sent Jonah to a place called Nineveh to preach repentance.  The Ninevites were not only an enmy of Jonah's people but were thoroughly wicked.  If there was eve ra group of people God couldn't love, the Ninevites would certainly be it. Yet God loved them enough to send a prophet to them to warn them of their need for Him.  God had created them just like he created Jonah, me, and you.  He loved them and wanted them to have a relationship with him just like he loved us.

2. There is NOWHERE on Earth you can hide from God.  

God no only created us.  He created the world and the creaturs of the world.  If God calls you to do something and you go the opposite direction, do you think God won't find you?  That's what Jonah did.  He didn't love the Ninevites like God did and did not want God forgiving them so he split.  Jonah was called to go to one end of the known world.  So, Jonah quickly booked to the opposite end of the known world.  Hiding from God is something that so many of us do, one way or the other.  In the end, God finds us.  That's definitely in the job description of one who came to seek and save the lost.

Because God found Jonah and sicked a storm on him, we may think that God is out to get us.  And, He is.  But not to get us like punishment, but get us like--bring us home!  When the others on the ship heard Jonah's testimony about serving the God who created the universe, and then saw the power God had to bring and calm a storm, many of them found him, and worshiped him for the first time.  So after Jonah was found in the ship, God again "found" him in the fish and brought him back to the purpose he had called him for.

3. There is NOTHING you can do that God can't forgive.  

Jonah goes back to Ninevah and preaches repentance to the people of Ninevah.  The Ninevites, if you remember, were wicked people.  But Jonah chapter 3, says that the Ninevites believed God.  In Jonah chapter 4, Jonah says, "I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love."

I think everybody thinks that they've blown it at some point.  That they've done something so bad that if anyone were to find out, no one would be able to be in the same room with them.  They feel separate, alone, and utterly unforgivable.  Guess what?  They're wrong.  In every instance, God knows exactly what they did, and has already died to forgive their sins.  Our view of justice gets in our way of accepting that. This was true of Jonah, as I said before, he didn't think the Ninevites deserved to be forgiven.  He was right of course.  None of us do.  But God loved us SO much, he chose to forgive us anyway.   As Judd Hirsch famously says to Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People, "You can live with that, can't you?"

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1/2 way point at A to Z blogging.

13 letters done. 13 letters to go.  In the first 15 days of the A to Z Challenge I have shared videos, thoughts, information and anecdotes for 15 nouns ( 5 people, 5 places, and 5 things.).

I have set my schedule for the rest of the month and have posts about 15 more nouns.  That's right 5 more people like Allen Levi, 5 more places like Comiskey Park, and 5 more things like Giraffe Poop  (Actually I hope there are no more things like giraffe poop.).

Come back later today for my post featuring the letter N.  It has a person (nobody), a place (nowhere) and a thing (nothing).  Until then you can head back to A to Z blogging for more fun and adventure.

M is for Minnie Minoso( Person)

1925- 2015

Orestes "Minnie" Minoso broke the color barrier for the Chicago White Sox in 1951.  While played for 3 other teams than the White Sox but played most of his career in Chicago.  He played with them in the 50's 60's 70's and 80's.  On March 1st of this year Mr.  White Sox passed away. He had played, coached and been an ambassador for baseball his entire life.   Click here to read about his homerun prowess with the Sox.  Click here to go back to Blogging A to Z.

M is for Minnie Minoso

White Sox Homerun hitters from A.J. to Zeke

M is for Minnie

Orestes "Minnie" Minoso

Minnie Minoso was the all-time home run leader for the Chicago White Sox when on September 3, 1956 he belted his 80th for theWhite Sox eclipsing the Zeke Bonura's mark of 79 which he had tied the day prior, th. By the end of 1957, Minoso had 100 White Sox round trippers.

Minnie spent 1958 and 1959 with the Cleveland Indians and during that time Sherm Lollar took over the White Sox home run lead.  When Minoso returned to the South-side in 1960, He wrested the lead from Lollar and finished his career with 135 White Sox homers.  He kept the title until August 4, 1974 when Bill Melton hit # 136.

Minoso hit 135 dingers with the pale hose and 51 for other teams for a total of 186 major league 4 baggers.  In the course of his career, he averaged 16 homers over 162 game season,

Minnie, who passed away March 1st of this year hit 21 homers for the Sox in 1956 and 20 in 1960, his best 2 yeers HRwise for the club.

 For more A to Z blogging click here.  To read more about Minnie at my other blog click here.  

L is for Lee

White Sox Homerun hitters from A.J. to Zeke

L is for Lee

Carlos "El Caballo" Lee 

If asked who hit the most home runs for the Sox between 2000 and 2004.  I would probably say Frank Thomas.  Boy, would I be wrong.  Thomas hit 135 long balls during that time period which is enough for 5th.  Magglio Ordonez and Paul Konerko who we will meet later this week both hit 139 homers and Jose Valentin as well as the above referenced Carlos Lee both hit136.  No other team had more than 2 players with 135 or more homers over that time span many didn't have one.  .

Carlos Lee played for the White Sox  from 1999 to 2004 hit 152 homers during that time putting him 9th on the White Sox career HR list.   I n addition to his 6 years with the Sox, Lee played 6 seasons with the Astros, parts of 2 with the Brewers and parts of 1 season with Texas and Miami.El Caballo (Spanish for the horse) hit 358 homers in his MLB career. Lee averaged 28 hr for every 162 games played.  His best 2 home run seasons with the White Sox came in 2003 and 2004 when he hit 31 in both campaigns.


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