tuesday is a long day for me.  i got up yesterday at 4:30, did some things at home, drove to beal bank where i’m working (i just agreed to work for them through january, btw).  was fasting so i took 30 minutes for lunch walking up and down the stairs and praying.

took off at 6:00 pm and drove to cfni.  worship was wonderful at the tuesday evening experience – gabe (the worship leader) took his hands off the wheel an let god drive the thing.  i didn’t catch the speaker’s name (he was a past dean at the school) but he had a really encouraging word about trusting god.

then i played guitar at the prayer room.  had great conversations with megan b. and tim h. afterwards.  got home about 12:30 and fixed a big bowl of spaghetti and marinara sause (i was hungry).  ate a couple slices of bread with butter while waiting for it to cool slightly.  then at some point i fell asleep, fully clothed, shoes and all, on top of my bed covers, and woke up at 6:30 this morning.

threw out the spaghetti.

one goal i’ve had a long time is to have my finances so “in order” that it wouldn’t be a big deal if i posted them on the internet.  not that i necessarily want to do that, but i want everything i’m taking in and spending to be legitimate and the way it should be. 

pretty much i’ve stunk at everything having anything to do with finances.  i’ve taken classes,  written budgets, and it’s all fallen apart in a couple weeks.  i would like to completely do away with all of it – just let someone else handle it.  can i do that?

i had quite a few posts mostly about skating so i started a new blog – martyskates.wordpress.com – and moved them there.  with that done i re-read my february post about david barreby’s book and thought i’d ammend it some.  as the book has gone on it’s become one of the more thought provoking things i’ve read recently. 

one of the chapters in my pictures from the kingdom book-in-progress is called “borders of the kingdom”.    it’s about the fact that god draws a strict boundary around those who are his and distinguishes between them and those who are not.  i hadn’t thought deeply about the topic in a while and berreby has stirred me up in that direction.

this weekend it was

• jeremiah chapters 8 to 25
• completed: 50 battles that changed the world- william weir
• first 2 chapters of: revolution ym- ron luce
• first chapter of: us and them; understanding your tribal mind- david berreby

both luce and berreby make some good points and, imho, also miss a few.  luce is candid, at least, about the perspective he’s coming from.  berreby, otoh, is like chasing a madman who’s carrying an armload of gems; sometimes he drops something valuable – otherwise it wouldn’t be worth the effort.  he can also be smug in a way i find most annoying. 

[update 2/25/2008] i find it very strenuous to read an author who’s world view differs significantly from mine.  filtering takes a lot of effort and doesn’t allow opportunity to relax and enjoy.  every assertion has to be scrutinized with: “what is he actually saying?”, “why is he saying it?”, “is it true?”  strenuous doesn’t mean not-worth-doing.  often i enjoy or learn a lot from an author who’s perspective is quite different from mine.  it’s just more work.]

what’s challenging to me about ron luce’ book is that his apparent focus is quite different from his stated focus.

last night i laid down and got back up about 10 times between 10 and 4.  i was shivering from chills, i was sweating, and my nose was running constantly.  i finally stuffed a tissue in my nose and got to sleep.  when i woke up it felt like it was really late, but the clock said 8:01.

i do feel rested though and the nasal drainage has stopped.  i think the fever is gone too.  i can feel a lot of the drainage made it into my throat and lungs, so that may take a couple days to clear out.  when i cough my whole chest feels sore.

still, i’m much better than these last two days.  i’m going to spend the day reading and relaxing.  i have an avband practice tonight, and we’re playing an “accoustic” gig tomorrow night at aaron’s church.

i’m feeling rather terrible today.  head ache, nasal drainage, muscle aches, a little fever – flu, i think. 

so i’ve been alternating between water, juice, and herbal teas for the last 24.  i made hummus earlier in the week and set aside mashed chick peas and pita bread to make falafels.  i didn’t really feel up to the task today, but they were so yummy it was worth it.  comfort food, middle eastern style!

i’m sick with something.  maybe flu, maybe just a bad cold.  dunno.  i feel terrible!  fever, runny nose, nasal pressure headache.  i noticed something coming on about noon yesterday.  since then i’ve used a box and a half of tissues.

it’s been at least a year, maybe two, since the last time i was ill.  i make a terrible sick person!  i feel like crawling under the covers and not coming out for 3 days.  i’d like someone to feed me soup and warm tea and say “awwww!  poor marty!”

i have a brother who had a detached retina.  they cut a hole in his eye, drained the fluid, stitched the retina in place, and filled his eyeball with gas.  even with the meds he said the first few days were screaming pain.  now they say there’s liquid accumulating and they may have to operate next week.  that’s serious.

one of my daughters has passed out several times recently and they drew about half of her blood to test her for every conceivable condition known to mankind.  we’re still waiting for the test results.  that’s serious.

i have a nephew who has a neural / developmental sickness for which theres no known cure.  that’s serious.

my deal?  i’m just a wimp. 

some weeks ago i started observing sabbath.  i was reading in isaiah where it’s fairly explicit that this is important to god.  so i’m doing it.  and… it’s nice!  i’m not just taking the day off, i’m attempting to “keep it holy”.  so it’s my big bible reading and prayer day.  last saturday i did go to a friend’s to help him out.  but this one my plan is to again stay at home and relax.  i’m looking forward to it.

if you were checking in here from time to time, please note that i’ve moved my main blogging to fierybones.wordpress.com.  i’ll mostly post more trivial things here; passing comments, notes-to-self, etc.  i’ll also, as time permits, be writing in martytech.wordpress.com and martymusic.wordpress.com.