addendum

Additionally, God just showed confirmed what he'd been telling me, through something to which I'm listening. Thanks again, God.

more insight

Today, I'm grateful for some light; God showed me where I've been hypocritical, and that light, that knowledge, informed a decision I made--not an easy one, but one nonetheless. I don't think God demands that much from us, but he does demand that be be consistent, that we live our professed beliefs. I also thank him for his patience as I come more in line and especially where I swerve off into the ditch. God's got great patience. :) Thanks, God.

insight

Wow--so I just called Kenneth Copeland Ministries' 24-hour prayer line, and they helped me get more enlightenment on an issue than I had gotten in the last two years. Thank God for KCM!

more blessing

Well, today I found a deal on some Polk Audio speakers at Circuit City, 1 day before they shutter their doors forever. They're just satellite speakers, good for fleshing out the home theatre--anyway, I thought they were $59.00 each. That turned out to be for the pair, and when I got them to the counter to pay for them, they were $40.00. For two perfectly good Polk Audio speakers--the displays that had been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long. I count myself blessed that God showed me these--He does that--gets me stuff I've been waiting for and wanting for a long time at a price much lower than I'd expect. This is the kicker, though: it's low enough that I'll still be able to pay a certain musician couple for services rendered without it affecting me too much. So it's almost like having your cake and eating it, too. And I think this is where I want to consistently be, or even in a better position: to be able to pay what's owed or make equitable arrangements and still indulge occasionally. Thanks, God, for the icing on the cake. :)

Oprah's advice on money

Oprah, on her website, noted that she is not her income, that she lets money serve its purpose and that she does not serve money. She also noted that she realized at 17 that if you can get paid for doing what you love, every paycheck is a bonus.

I find this reflected in many other people, such as Steven Spielberg, who, I think, made a comment to the effect that he does what he does because he loves it. It makes sense if you think about it: Oprah, Spielberg, Steve Jobs and so on probably don't need the money. They just love what they do, so they keep doing it. I think it's not for the money. That's key. It's for the love of what they do. I even know people (one a great friend from college, another a doctor for whom I worked--you know who you are) who don't make a lot of money who do what they do despite being able to make more in another version of what they do because they love what they do, so it's not just millionaires and billionaires about whom I'm speaking.

Now contrast that with Joe Salariman, as somebody called him, who goes to work from 9-5, Mon-Fri and complains and just marks time. Maybe his dreams have been dashed. Maybe somebody told him they were impossible. Maybe the 9-5 job route was just easier. Now, I'm not speaking of those who have the 9-5 and are happy in it. I'm speaking to the discontented, to those who know in their heart that there is more out there, that they are not doing what they're supposed to be doing, and I'm suggesting that they/we find it and work toward it. Myself, I've found this as well. I make enough, thank God, to be catching up on financial stuff, but that discontent is still there, that I'm still not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, but the comforting thing is that I'm working toward it, so I'm about halfway between where I was and where I'm going.

See, as most people have heard, anything worth doing is worth doing well. Also, anything worth doing is going to cost you something. One has to make an effort. Million-dollar paychecks probably would not be deposited in either Spielberg's or Oprah's bank accounts if they had not put forth some effort somewhere along the way. Oprah noted that she gives energy to her work and that that energy comes back, some of it in the form of money. I think the same can be said for Spielberg and Jobs, Richard Branson, Person XYZ. The financial dreams, or any dreams, are not going to just come to fruition without any effort on our part. Same for Joe Salariman's paycheck. Whether following your dreams or just putting in time, you have to put forth effort.

The question, then, is this: if you compare the costs and benefits, wouldn't it be more efficient to put the effort into something you love?

What do I thank God for in this? Insight.

Things I'm grateful for today

Things I’m grateful for today:

1) Great price on some great speakers. I probably won’t do better. I prayed, and got agreement in prayer that, God willing, they'd still be there from yesterday to today (it was at Circuit City, which is closing and didn't have a lot of stuff, so there was a better than average chance they wouldn't be there) and yet was okay if they weren't--speakers are not the stuff of life, after all.

2) Extra hours at work at the Apple Store. When I was to leave and go get my speakers, I was asked to stay, but i hadn’t had my lunch, so we. I agreed I’d take an hour and come back and work a few more hours. So I did that--the speakers are partially paid for just by the 4 1/2 extra hours I worked. I’m also grateful for a very good day at the Apple store--things didn’t start out so well, but I think they finished great. Also, yesterday, I got some kudos at work at the Apple Store, complimenting me, so that was also nice and thoughtful of them. It makes me want to do even better for them. Rather like a dog who gets rewarded is more willing to do the trick than he might otherwise be.

3) Some younger, but of age, girls at the bookstore invited me to a hot tub party. I doubt they were serious, but it’s nice to be asked, even if I’m old enough to be their father.

4) Finally (almost), I’m grateful that the computer I have still works well, four years after I got it. It’s showing very few real signs of slowing down. I might name it “Bunny” because it’s like the Energizer Bunny--it just keeps working. :)

So, thanks, God for all that plus the prayer time. Lately, I've been going through the concordance and looking at the times it shows the word "love" and looking up those verses, writing down what they mean to me, what I learn from them. God's showing me some things, some consistencies. Thanks for that, too, God! :)

building up

So I've had a couple of encouraging comments about the blog lately. Thanks to those who made them. Those comments help. As ever, I thank God for the people who made those comments and for moving on those people to make them (assuming he did).

I'm also grateful for an application called "Remote" that goes on my iPod Touch. I just found out I can control iTunes on my computer from the next room without even being, necessarily, in the line of sight. A sort of like being able to get Wi-Fi in one room whilst your Wi-Fi transmitter is in the next room. Technology rocks. Thanks to God for pointing this cool app out to me (hey, he's the God of the small just as he's the God of the big).

One other thing: God's given us a great day around here weather-wise--nice and gray but not raining (though I dig rain) and quite warm. And I don't even have to go out in it yet. Thanks, God. :)

-Sean

today

Today, I'm grateful to God for people who look beyond the surface. :) One of the ways God protects us is by surrounding us with people who look beyond what's obvious to find the truth, whatever it is. That helps.

thanks

So here’s something really cool for me to give God thanks for: I will be getting some back pay I was owed, and with it I’ll be able to pay OFF, not just DOWN, at least one credit card! Praise God for that! Thank You, God!