Been a while

Well, snow is all kinds of fun until you have to work in it. Learned that in North Dakota. Plenty of experience, driving in all kinds of conditions, fortunately. Driving in general is something you’ve actually done a lot more of than you usually think about. Plenty of driving in the north, through blizzards in West Virginia and icy Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana. Well, actually, Indiana was just cold. 14 years ago, goodness…

Well, sometimes it actually does seem that long . This new little Renaissance man career has you doing all kinds of random stuff to make money and it is amazing just how more useful you feel. Needed to replace a door in the lab and your first thought was finished or unfinished instead of “how do I need to go about doing this?”

One client has all kinds of logistical problems that has involved closing a warehouse and they’ve asked if you could help deliver beer twice a week. Why not. Driven U-Haul’s. That insecure kid was a little intimidated by the van because you don’t want to damage it but the moment you got it in gear, experience took over.

Snow in Charleston sends a lot of people home. Most people on the coast have an emergency mode mentally, and conventional wisdom seems to be that sense few people are used to driving in icy conditions, it’s best to stay off the roads. Even those that do know, it’s going to be slow going because of those who don’t. 

You know the drill. Stick to the interstates and main roads. Avoid roads that did not have a lot of sunlight.  Snow melts ice freezes, etc.

It was a lot more fun last time when you got to stay home lol. Taking Bill and Ted out one at a time. Ted did not like it anymore this time than last time, but you still put her in the Tahoe with you and went downtown just to enjoy the sights. 

No need for a carrier; so long as you had a hold of her when it was time to open the door, you were good. And that was fun. Well, for you at least, lolz. She eventually calmed down and relaxed on the backseat. It’s not like you were going that fast. 

Once you were in the Delivery truck, it was a 13 hour shift effectively because of people unable to drive and tractor trailers flipping. Weird because they are the ones who ought to know better. Could always be worse though. 

Until next time, snow. 😃

January

Wow, started so dynamically. Getting yanked back to earth fast sucked. Gigs are humming okay, to the point you have the store on autopilot for a bit. Don’t beat yourself up too much, but you really suck with time management. A for effort, but needs improvement. Okay… C 😒

Throw in four gigs and things are dicey before you get laid out by a stomach virus. Right after you started the 4th one. Januarys aren’t usually too kind to you comparatively, but you keep surviving them; can’t be too bad. Still, not an auspicious start.

Need to find new things to get into. Parasites and Neanderthals keep ruining things you like. Might tune in to the national championship of college football Monday night because your friends team is playing. Otherwise you don’t really care anymore. Nature of the sport has hit an iceberg and will eventually sink. So unbelievably sad. It became a TV show for people who didn’t really cared; not the spectacle for four generations of fans to fill stadiums and relive memories anymore.

There are a few things more infuriating then to try to explain complexity to someone with a one track mind. But 20 years is enough and your interest is just deadened. Could always be worse. Whatever Heaven has, it’s better.😂

Paramotoring seems loads of fun; you need to work harder though, lolz. 

Christmas came and went so fast. Getting that replacement high school ring for Mom was something you had always wanted to do. Finally made it happen. Accomplishments that are now a part of 2024, and therefore the past.

You have never really been big on New Year’s resolutions. Well, no one is. But you generally don’t pretend. Years can have themes though; and that subject to a lot more control. Haven’t picked one yet for this one. Three weeks and who cares? These are your rules.

Theme this year? 🤔

Good question. Think of one…

1994

It can’t rain all the time…

The sky won’t fall forever…

And though the night seems long..,

Your tears won’t fall forever…

…

Not your ‘94.

But they were your 90’s.

And even the goths got it.

Philippians 4;13.

that was 31 years ago. What’s changed?

Lots. Little. Longing. Loss.

But not Love.

NEVER Love…

🕊️🙏✝️

2025

Lots of things brewing.

So much on the horizon.

The hard work and pain has made you stronger.

Your friends see it.

Family sees it.

After decades, you finally just bought that replacement class ring for mom you’d always talked about wanting to for Christmas.

Because you have money to spare.

Because you can handle the physical grind of handling organizing a warehouse with cutting AC vents and hauling around a pallet jack without a second thought.

Because you grabbed 3 week gigs in Nebraska and North Dakota and handled them.

Healthier. Financially. Socially. Spiritually. Attacking every single bad habit with an ounce of anger and ten pounds of faith.

At the mercy of nothing but The Holy Spirit.

Will this be the year it all comes together? Everything? Nope.

You love this feeling. Hunger. For more in life.

Starting every day with 20 pushups. Because you’re going to keep starting every day with 20 push-ups. Because screw you if you don’t start every day with 20 pushups.

Because it’s good for the body and the soul.

So is the year it all comes together?

It’s up to Him.

Because you’re going to rock every single thing you can rock.

And you will fail every single thing you fail.

It’s up to you to make that list as small as possible.

ALL are fallen. ALL fall short. NO ONE is perfect. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US STARVES FOR SALVATION.

Broken. Flawed. Damaged.

So be Resilient. Repentant. Reborn.

Most things aren’t *Signs*. But sometimes something comes along that isn’t one… but still seems to flow.

Needed a haircut. Lady was older, faster, and swung the buzzing trimmer across the sides so fast you had no idea just how short she’d cut.

Top is good. Beard is full. Sides are literally military level acceptable.

And now…it actually works. 😂

You’ll get bit. Start off strong, you’ll have adversity. Bring the Lion out and something will tear into it.

Fear. Always there. Only a fool has no fear.

That’s what the Armor of God is for. And the world around you is ripe for claiming for once.

This feeling… Right here. Right now… is a Gift.

From Him.

Fill the New Year with it.

One day, you’ll be old, tired, and ready to leave the crib. Sitting on the pile of trophies you accumulated during these days.

None of which mean squat in the next life; the one that matters.

But Here. Now. You feel it. Strength. Power. Resolve. Are you where you want to be?

No. Still hungry. Good.

Stay hungry – until there is no need for it anymore.

Be the Lion. Your family needs you. It’s the time you’ve always knew would come. And it’s finally time to pay them back.

Prolly gonna keep the haircut. 😊