Evaluation – August 10, 2023 (206/365)

I feel I should write something. It’s been a while.

What’s been going on? Oh, not much. Just been busy is all. Off the top of my head, a couple of partners and myself have moved forward in starting a venture which we believe would add great value to the community – and, let’s be honest, it’ll add great value to us as well, if you know what I mean.

But it’s not like I’ve been investing wisely, constantly. No, in the weeks prior to this post I’ve also had to suffer losses – not necessarily from bad investments, but from my sabotaging myself. Let’s just say greed is enough to make a high-potential investment a bad one. And while I’m at it, let’s also remember that there is a certain level of tolerance you have to settle with yourself when it comes to considering other investments – as in, how long can you tolerate your capital ‘out there’ before you get back what you put in?

That’s right, there’ve been a lot of lessons between the last post and this one. And I’m supposed to share all of them, but really, all I could say is that it just feels good to get out there and get your hands dirty. Sometimes you push yourself to do it, but oftentimes it’s the world that has to push you (or my Mom too, actually) for the wheels to start turning, and turning constantly.

Clarification and movement work together. You clarify as you move, and you move as you clarify. I hate using that word ‘clarify’ to be honest because it’s been coined by someone else whose work ethic I question (to sound nice about it); a quick visit to Google suggests that I could use ‘simplify’ – and I couldn’t think of a better word. See, the same person once told me that I shouldn’t use the term ‘keep it simple’, but as an alternative, he said we should use ‘simplicity’ – and it just makes me laugh to this day, what in the blue hell was the difference between what I said and what he said?

Anyhoo. Simplification and movement work together. You simplify as you move, and you move as you simplify.

And speaking of movement, have I been moving as I spoke of during the beginning of the year?

Have I been moving to exponentially higher heights, because of Christ? I’d love to get into more detail, but I will say yes.

Have I, personally, been moving to deeper depths, establishing a stronger foundation? With regards to church, I think I’ve established with myself and hopefully to the rest of the congregation that there’s no sense of moving without establishing a foundation. Here’s where I’m led to share what I believe is a principle in boxing – You obviously aren’t kicking in boxing but your feet are just as vital as your hands, in that your feet place you in a position to strike or to avoid a strike, and the stability starting from your feet define just how powerful your punches are. Up until recently, I’ve been writing as part of my de facto 365 project – I haven’t been writing these past weeks, sure, but see, I see in my absence, and in my moving, what is essential and what can be given less priority. The congregation has been moving the same way.

Have I been moving forward? Have I been moving wider? Considering what I’ve been sharing, I’ll say that by the grace of God, and through the finished work of Christ, every day is a day moving forward, and every interaction is one in the name of moving wider.

I dunno, I could keep going but I’m pretty blanked out right now. Or maybe I have other things in the noggin that I’d like to do.

Whatever the case may be, this is just me checking in and saying that God is still good, if not better than ever, as the stakes get higher. God is still faithful, no matter how certain or uncertain things play out to be, and no matter how hairy things can get. God will never leave us, and this has kept me together in all things, that I may see His goodness, and/or others would see His grace as well.

I hope to be sharing again, even if it’s going to be this short. As far as I know I’m behind on my daily quota, and I hope to at least get back on track, and God willing, when time and circumstance permits, I’ll finish before the year ends.

As part of my staying accountable regarding exercise, I’ve been taking videos of my workouts, and posting them on YouTube – and every other day on Instagram. But on the end of each video I’ve been sneaking in a Psalm reading.

I’ll end with today’s reading, Psalm 58:

Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?

Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;

your hands deal out violence on earth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb;

they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

They have venom like the venom of a serpent,

like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

so that it does not hear the voice of charmers

or of the cunning enchanter.

O God, break the teeth in their mouths;

tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!

Let them vanish like water that runs away;

when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.

Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,

like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.

Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,

whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

Indeed, the gods of this world are broken before the God of all gods.

Hope to share again very soon.

Until the next post, God bless you.