He is Risen indeed!

12:30pm-ish… 47 years ago… you started whining. 😂

These days, that means you’re gonna be doing some work today.

That was funny. His sense of humor.

One of the more low points of your life. 2009. Really sucks if you have a phobia of unemployment. Working on retainer bases for the folks just so you can afford rent… saw the opportunity to return to the Holy City, which was the goal. Always have to start small after you learn bitter lessons in curing arrogance.

In your case, it was turning 30 and living under your parents roof, despite being a hotshot that got a degree and you didn’t know enough about money to realize you don’t put rent on the credit card, and no, no one cares who you are, So don’t hold out for a gig thinking you’re better than starting out of the bottom for.

Considering you started at 17 as a janitor, at a fun park And made sure you were the best darn janitor they had, one would’ve thought you’d have learned that lesson. It’s OK though, you eventually did. 🙂

Working on retainer for the folks’ galleries and selling possessions for rent… squeaking by month-to-month and learning that turkey dogs in Burrito wraps were perfect “scraping by” food. That was almost a year. Almost a year of just squeaking by. Because you couldn’t find work. Because 2009.

A friend of a friend needed 400 bucks a month to split an apartment with and you got to know him pretty well. Couldn’t afford much outside rent and food. Sent applications everywhere and not even Target would hire you.

At one point, for some bizarre reason you ran across Holiday cards. Don’t even remember what holiday it was for. Maybe someone’s birthday. Don’t even remember when it was.

There was a card you actually spent the money to buy for yourself. Can’t even remember what it said exactly. Can’t find it anymore. Mold might’ve gotten it. Doesn’t matter.

Said something along the lines of “If God didn’t want you to reach for your dreams and never let go, why did He give you fingernails?” Some kind of funny picture went along with it. Bought it and put it on your shelf as inspiration.

Months passed. Apparently inspiration wasn’t much of a help. Can’t even remember how you found how that one job was hiring, But in mid March, you had an interview that actually went well, and they told you they wanted you to start in a week, on March 30. Yeah, you weren’t gonna ask for the day off for your birthday.😂

Best birthday present you ever got. Woke up super early that Monday and went to that inspirational card. Funny, you had never actually opened it. Yeah. It was a birthday card. Who on earth makes inspirational birthday cards?

Well… Him. 😂 Laughed through tears and headed to work.

15 years ago. One of those many, many, many moments He seems to enjoy pranking you in the most wonderful ways. Thank goodness He has a sense of humor, or you would be screwed.😂

You really needed that year. That whole time. Arrogant bastard. Oh, sure, people deserve far worse, but you needed something to bring you down to earth. And you got it – and now looking back at it you’re thankful for it. Because you know that it was part of His plan for you. And He was with you the whole time, whether you realized it or not.

Just a stupid card. Maybe a total coincidence. Yeah, you can say that, but coincidences… they’re different. And you know it.

Three. Count them. Three random occurrences of “Isaiah” today. Tapping you on the shoulder. Now’s a good time.

Actually chilly tonight by holy city standards, but no firewood at Food Lion. An extra TV in front of the fireplace for tonight then.

So much energy filling you lately. Springtime. Getting things done that just need to get done. Finally even opened up the dating apps for some reason. Talk about optimism.

Such feelings of love. Happiness. Not magnanimity… that would be a byproduct of arrogance.

Just… you want joy for other people, especially those seemingly angry at you. Ire. Flame. Crow. Your best friend that seems to hate your faith that you’re gonna have to deal with, especially since all the work that you’ve had to do is now finally taken care of. Wokeness is cancer.😒

Getting in better physical shape each day. Lots of walking. Weights. Too bad gym is closed on the weekends. Do something every day. Keep eating well.

It’s springtime. A new year; the 47th one. And there’s a lot of people out there that never saw their 47th. So be grateful to Him for every day you have of yours.

Isaiah. When Ted will let you read.😂

Tomorrow are you gonna get caught up on the daily delivery log, Working on the bank reconciliation, list some books, and have a good day at work.

Goodbye 46. And thank you.🙏

Finally. Hanover Fist in the bank. Time to work hard to keep it there. Still aching a bit, but definitely definitely going to keep churning on health. Walking every day. Limit grocery purchases to only what you need. How? Walk. 40 minutes to and from, only carrying a case of Bubly.😂

Feeling the Spring, even though it’s a gray, overcast day. Big traffic disturbance on the way home you felt obligated to intervene to assist with.

Sometimes you’ve just got to chase a duck. 😂

And you’re done. Wow. Projections indicated it would be a two week job. Four man team down from six. But your team knocked it out in less than a week. 20 containers, and you had nine wrapped up the first two days… Client was impressed to say the least. Awesome.

Headed home. Airport waiting is always contemplative when you get to the charging station first, lolz.

Held up with some horses carrying those machines. Your team got over 10,000 out. Amazing. 47 is right around the corner and you never quit. You had to fight through the pain and bruises every day, stay hydrated, push and push and push some more – and never stopped. Walking wounded towards the end of each day, but even though they’d have been better off with one of the other weightlifters on the roster, they couldn’t have finished early without you and your Advil-infused grit.

Now that it’s over? So worth it. Good for the soul and the wallet. Another week at that pace… sitting here in the airport knowing you’d be recovering today and tomorrow? Would be gut-wrenching – but yeah… you could still do it.😊

Not sure how many of these you’re going to be able to do in the future though. Obviously it lit a fire under you to shore up your health, which has been far worse, but wow Tuesday was a painful day.

Springtime at home is Gawjuss, so there will be plenty of reasons to get out.

Will be midnight by the time you get in, so you’ll uber. Dad always wants to pick you up, but you won’t have him out that late nowadays. It’s not early enough. 😂

Plenty of staring at-screen work awaits you at home, along with some booking to cover the basics. Seriously enough time has passed to push forward with the new client as well.

Isaiah is a tough slog. Early chapters really doom and gloom. So much context needed. “Testing” means different things. OT is so different than NT sometimes. Still wondering why He’s pushing it, but you always find out in time. Had to start over once already, so much time had passed and you’d forgotten where you left off. Chapter 9 is inbound; word has it the tone changes. Will see on the way to Atlanta.

Springtime brings energy. Vibrance. Pollen.🤔 You feel a different kind of energy now than you did when you were younger. More muted, like it’s harder as you get older. Nah, more likely it’s all the pain you’re still in.😂

You earned it though: https://youtu.be/THzyXA149I4?si=aUotHXoKksilN1wP

Two years ago…lolz literally now… you said goodbye in an airport. Now you’re back here for a red eye to Nebraska for a few weeks to make some Hanover Fist money, while bringing bookkeep work via internet with you for nights. Yay.

Answered prayers yet again. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes yes. There’s a magic 8 ball joke in there somewhere. He has His reasons, and shows them to you in His time.

She’s the one who left, and she’s the one who’s seemed to be mad at you ever since. Shrug. Airports.

Never been to Nebraska. College football lore holds there’s a big city in a corner, a Big Red football stadium in the middle, and flat cornfield covering the rest. Well, soon you’ll help build a data center somewhere near the Kansas border. Furthest you’ll ever have been away from the sea. No wonder you’re grumpy.

Kind friend coming to the house twice a day to give Ted her medicine. You don’t deserve friends like the ones you have, even when you’re not on good terms with your best friend at the time because he all of the sudden started caring about politics but doesn’t go further than headlines and late night nut job comedians. Run-on sentences rock.

Next few years are gonna suck, no matter what happens in November. It’ll get worse given how things are going. Wish you hadn’t gotten the Econ degree sometimes. Ignorance is bliss. Every day, Ross Perot seems more and more to have been a prophet of doom. Eventually the bottom will fall out and idiots nationwide will pander for votes by doubling down on spending their way out of debt. AI’s going to be replacing jobs soon. That’s when it’ll hit the fan. Cost of living blown up by inflation just in time for structural unemployment the likes of which no one’s ever contemplated.

You’re sadly getting pretty good at forecasting bad things happening. Saw college football dying 25 years ago, and watched as step by step, disastrous change after disastrous change to clapping seals oblivious to the idea that change never happens the way they think it will. TV networks turning it into a cake made of icing for short term profits. Swandagoodness people never learned Pandora’s Box.

“Don’t start paying players.”

“Whatever man, they deserve some of that money.”

“They get free college to play a game.”

“Muh free market”

(Shrug)

“Wait, why are teams unionizing?”

“Because no one ever beat any sense into you.”

Good thing you have the Holy Spirit in your heart. Whatever happens, you have the joy within you to get bored of depression. 😂

Two younger friends are popping out kids. That’ll be it for your friends. Next up is your friends’ kids. Unofficial godson gets married in April. Has his mom’s eyes, but otherwise is a spitting image of his dad on college. Wow this life is short. Hope this isn’t a 737.

Rally don’t want to go. Really really don’t want to go. Not with where the folks are given setting up the house and their health issues. Your own workouts have been stymied with your own issues, so you’re not in the best condition. Least it’ll be cold. First trip without tendinitis, at least for now. 😂

You closed the store this time. No need to burden the folks with it, even though they were probably willing.

Yay. Atlanta. Gonna be a long day.

Sweet, a window seat!

This is not the first time 
You tried to get away 
This is not a party 
Where people know your name 
This is not a classroom 
With teacher at the board 
This is not a game show 
With prizes at the door

Go 
Don’t you go 
Won’t you stay with me one more day 
If we get through one more night 
If we get through one more night

This is not a horse race 
Where winners beat the time 
This is not a funeral 
With mourners in a line 
This is not a sitcom 
Where everything’s alright 
This is not a prison 
With terror through the night

Go 
Don’t you go 
Won’t you stay with me one more day 
If we get through one more night 
If we get through one more night

This is not the first time 
(You tried to get away) 
This is not a party 
(Where people know your name) 
This is not a classroom 
(With teacher at the board) 
This is not a catshow 
(With prizes at the door)

Go 
Don’t you go 
Won’t you stay with me one more day 
If we get through one more night 
If we get through one more night

Go 
Don’t you go 
Won’t you stay with me one more day 
If we get through one more night 
If we get through one more night

This is not the first time 
You tried to get away 
This is not a party 
Where people know your name

Where people know your name

Where people know your name

* * *

So….. what about His Truth?

Perfection. 😂

Spring the things that truly matter. 🫡 Awesomesauce to the best new emoji lolz…

…In so many ways…. 😃

The kind try not to ruffle feathers. The agreeable loathe confrontation.

The meek shall inherit the earth – not the weak.

You’ve been beyond blessed with so many good friends in your life. You’ve long respected that some have different views. What you hadn’t expected was one of them becoming more bitter and calcified against the beliefs you hold dear at *this* point in life.

Whatever. Sick of people taking pot shots at your values; double that from those who say they’re friends.

All those stuck up religious “better-than-yous” who don’t hang out with those not of the ‘flock’? Messed up that that makes sense sometimes; not that that’s you.

Jesus is our shepherd. But He didn’t teach us to be pushovers.

“Ha ha, you have to turn the other cheek”, they say. Swandagoodness. The dominant faith in the west and so many don’t understand it. Patience is a virtue, but even His had limits.

Do not repay evil with evil, nor seek revenge. Both are poison pills of pure copium. But have no fear to chase off the wolves. Sell your cloak and buy a sword, for you are sheep sent out among them.

And sheep don’t need to put up with it either.

This is really not the time for it, anyway.

I hear You. Help me hear more clearly.

Driving I-26 after midnight in the Cougar. 80 mph. Windows and sunroof down. By law one of every three interstate miles straight so they can be emergency runways for the USAF…

Two decades back. Leaned the seat back so you could look up at the stars while cold breeze became a torrent, just so during those straight segments you could blink down and see the road just in case. You were virtually alone on it after 1am back then.

Tough to listem to it while still. Need the wind. Need the night. Need the open road.

Sorrowful, yet loving and hopeful. Tinges of apocalyptic events. Considering spiritual warfare is far more real than you believed it was back then… lyrics are even louder now.

What has meaning? In your life? In the lives of others? What vision of the future would you leave behind?

Do you want others to remember you? If so, why? Loved ones always will, but what of others? What did you stand for to them?

Heading to a funeral soon. One day you’ll be heading to those of your folks. Then your friends. Then one day your corpse will be the guest of honor.

Will you be able to echo 2 Timothy 4:7 then? Would you have fought the good fight when you’d finished the race? Would you have kept the faith?

Wording matters. We fight the good fight. We cannot win it – on our own. We are too flawed. Sinful. Broken. But we will all finish the race. And when we do, what matters the most is whether we kept the faith.

Because in the end… faith is what wins that fight.

Churches. States. Pastors. Governors. Cardinals. Representatives.

All of this world. Good relationships are so important in each. Participation in churches builds fellowship. Participation in civic duty builds strong communities.

But loyalty to God, the Father, and the Spirit is what matters.

So, who will one day fight while we stand still?

Only one place to look for now.

According to the High Command…

Isaiah.