Lamentations 3:19-33

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "the Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for Him."

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him,
to the one who seeks Him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust-
there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief,
he will show compassion,
so great is His unfailing love.
For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

Sofa reminiscent

It's not the subject that I miss, but the feeling
of a time a little more simple and sweet.
From the shadows of my memory come,
hazy pictures with blurry faces and
moments immortal, yet not crystal.

Hard times have become shrouded by the waxing good,
the loud has become soft, and the soft loud.
A sweet whisper is an obelisk, enduring, prominent while
memories once harsh have scurried into the dark alleys,
places at once difficult, dangerous, and unrewarding to explore.

Reflection is a sunset, golden and warm...
trails drenched in yellows, and orange and
oh! but it burns to look ahead and
the path traveled is now comfortable. So, here
with a yearning heart my soul does say,
it is well.

11:59pm

It's 11:59, well now midnight. I just got home from the office and I cannot stop thinking about work. Where is our next job going to come from? How are we going to get our name out there? How can we afford the equipment we need to do our job? Why do plans keep falling through!

Now that I've gotten home, this change of scenery should provide the incentive I needed to keep working. And working. and working...

Someone told me that our bodies require a certain amount of sleep to be creative. I feel like I'm having to sacrifice sleep in order to preserve a life of creativity. Sleep and security and friends.

Luckily, my ice cream sandwich is here to keep me company.

Thanks pal.

Inconvenienced

Gas inland is about 35 cents a gallon cheaper than gas in LA. For this reason, I've started buying inland, at the same place in Colton, about halfway between Maranatha's house and where the mtn. biking trails are at.

When I filled up last Sunday I got approached again by another person asking for money. It was seriously the third or fourth time that day that people had asked me for money. And, every time I've filled my car up at this place, I've always been guilted into giving someone something.

Yes, I realize that is a terrible thing to think, but I thought it. I genuinely felt inconvenienced, and wished that I could just live my life in peace. I'm sad to say that I did not cheerfully help every person who asked. I'm sad to say that I often think life is about me, and what I want, and what I think I need, and how I feel.

So it comes as no surprise that the last three times I've opened the Bible, its been to Isaiah 58. No matter how much I try to ignore God, He always has a way of shedding light on the truth if I'll only open my eyes.

Double Tall Soy Latte

No doubt espresso/coffee gets expensive, but I would argue that it pays for itself.

Being self-employed at this juncture, I have found that to be productive requires a plan. Secondly, I need small goals (weeks) rather than long goals (months etc...). Four hours ago, I had no plan for the upcoming week or any energy/motivation to be productive.

Enter one $4 double tall soy latte. Now, at 1am I now have a good start on the week ahead with energy to spare for a quick blog.

It may be unfortunate that caffeine is my effective catalyst for efficiency, but the fact remains.

Conclusion: $4 well spent.

On regret

I've decided not to live in regret.

This requires two things:

1. Don't do regretful things
2. Let go of the past

Not Long

It doesn't take long for acquaintances to become friends. It just takes some sort of shared experience to seal the deal.

Take this afternoon for example. Maranatha gave Elia a new DJ'ing machine, so the three of us plus two other friends spent the afternoon banging on things, laughing, and having a great time 'making music'. I know have two new friends.

And... I learned that Norway is the land where dreams come true. Who knew?