Welcome, May!

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The past few weeks have been stressful. Training new employees, dealing with difficult customers, not sleeping well, not exercising (I’ve gained 20 pounds in the last two years), getting through family drama (two life-threatening events in the same day, 2000 miles apart: my dad’s heart attack in NM and a 9 year grandchild starting the rest of his life with Type 1 Diabetes) . . .  My CrossFit lifestyle withered into oblivion when I lost my job at the University in 2020, as Covid got going. Deep depression brought me to a standstill as I took a few months to try to reset. Since then, my physical status has been on steady decline. Now my daily schedule looks something like this: Work 3-11 pm (on a good day), Go to bed at 4 am, get up between 10:30 am and noon, get booted up and go back to work. If I get one day off a week I’m fortunate. At least I don’t have to work all night for now. That was the worst.  So I haven’t had time or energy to do much, even read, much less write. And since my

Ash Wednesday

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Ash Wednesday is the day many show an outward sign of repentance before God by wearing an imposing application of ash on the head or in the hair. This is derived from the biblical practice of mourning over sin “in dust and ashes.” What does it mean to mourn over sin?

Consider the question in light of A.W. Pink’s thoughts on the Apostle Paul’s inspired teaching, "The sorrow of the world works death." (2 Corinthians 7:10):

“Just as surely as happiness is the attendant of holiness--so misery is the certain result of sin. The sorrow of the world is not occasioned by mourning over sin as sin --but over the retribution which sin brings.

The sorrow of the world does not arise from just views of sin, nor does it proceed from any concern that God has been offended. It does not lead the soul to God in true penitence, nor to turn to Him for consolation.

When the worldling's dream of earthly happiness has been dispelled by misfortune--he feeds only on the sour bread of self-pity and unblessed woe. The sorrow of the world debilitates the body, disturbs peace, impairs the mind, and breaks the spirit. There is no contrite seeking unto God on the part of the suffering one--but only a fretting and murmuring against Him. ‘Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores--but they refused to repent of what they had done.’ Revelation 16:10-11.”

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Finished Reading: “De origine et situ Germanorum [On the Origin and Situation of the Germans]”

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