HARMLESS THOUGHTS

Well, I did it. I went for the Vonage thing. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we did the high-speed internet thing, and now, since we have that, we are doing the Vonage thing. The cost of these two things combined is about $20 less than the cost of our phone bill, plus we were paying $9.99 a month for our dial-up. Which means we are saving about $30 a month! So now we have unlimited local and long-distance calling, high-speed internet, basic cable TV (which we didn't have before), and all of the really cool features that Vonage has. If you were thinking about Vonage, I would strongly suggest it, but before you sign up, e-mail me and I will send you a referral e-mail. (I think that I get free credits or something, and I think that they give you a free month, I am not really sure.)

Well, on Thursday, we moved 49,000 pounds of stuff. You heard me right. 49,000 pounds! But we did it in one day, granted it was a long day, but we kept it in one day. This guy had 1500 boxes, and most of them weighed over 75 pounds each. He was running a business out of his basement. He was doing something with mugs and other glass ware. But we moved it all! Oh Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! When you need something moved, you know who to call! My back hurts.

This is a little old, but I finally figured out how to post a little bit of something from a friend down-under. Here it is: Internationally known Matt Harmless, is mentioned in Australia! Thanks again Rodney!

...pray every day, and you'll grow, grow, grow. Who remembers that song? I can remember singing that in Sunday School as a kid, but I was thinking about this song today. I know that it seems so simplistic, but I think that there is great truth in this song. I have noticed that when I miss Bible reading in a day, that is the day that I will have the most struggles. It is like I need it. Like I can't survive without it. This morning I was reading through I Peter chapter one, and for some reason, I focused in on vs. 13 which says, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled..." And then all day I had opportunities to put that verse into practice. Specifically the first part, "... prepare your minds for action..." So much of what we struggle with is in the mind, and I was trying all day to prepare my mind for action. The King James version of this passage states it this way, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober..." God...

So, I am standing there the other day, taking a break, and sipping on my diet Mountain Dew... ...and my employee (Paul) says, "Typical fat man, drinking a pop." I think that I am paying him too much. What do you think?

As I have mentioned before, my summer job is a furniture mover. I actually like the job. It is a nice change of pace from being a teacher, and it is also my summer weight-loss program. Some teachers do summer school. Some take vacations. There are many that have a trade that thy work at to make ends meet. Me, I move furniture and drive a big truck. But the longer I do this, the more I find things that really bug me. The other day I mentioned one about things being sticky. Today I want to mention one about being ready. I am tired to going to people's houses and they are not ready for the movers. I am talking about stuff not being in the boxes. Now, maybe they have some emotional attachment to their house, but I don't! In fact, one of my major goals when I arrive at a house is to get the job done as quickly as possible... and leave! I don't want to be mean about it, but when it is moving day, have your stuff in boxes.

I am currently reading through I Peter, and I noticed something interesting in the first chapter. It is something that I have noticed before, so it isn't something new to me, but I have been thinking about it and wanted to share with you. In the first chapter, there is this focus on salvation. But the interesting thing is that each time the word is used, it is future tense. Even though this is written to Christians, who supposedly have already been "saved" there is still this future tense, as if it is something to look forward to. But if you think about it, that is what salvation is. It is not something that happened to you in the past only, it is past, present, and future. In Philippians 1:6, Paul states, "Be confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you, will (continue to) perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Can you see the past, present, and future in this verse? He began it. He is currently performing it. And He will continue this...

"Skin grows back." This little bit of wisdom is usually quoted while carrying a large dresser through a narrow hallway, or through a doorway, or while slightly stumbling down steps. It means that when you carry something, keep your hand around the corners that might bump into a wall. Instead of damaging this nice piece of mahogany furniture, you will only peel the skin off of your knuckles. The furniture is kept whole, and the skin, well... it grows back.

"Why does God bother giving light to the miserable, why bother keeping bitter people alive, Those who want in the worst way to die, and can't, who can't imagine anything better than death, Who count the day of their death and burial the happiest day of their life? What's the point of life when it doesn't make sense, when God blocks all the roads to meaning? The worst of my fears has come true, what I've dreaded most has happened. My repose is shattered, my peace destroyed. No rest for me, ever--death has invaded life." --Job Have you ever felt like that? I know that I have. Different things can bring on profound sadness in different peoples' lives. I think that participating in the human race opens us up to this kind of sadness. Through that passage we must go. The groans of our hearts will cry out until the day that we die and stand before the king. Oh, may that day come quickly! (This is a portion of Job's first speech, as found in Job 3. Rea...

After I graduated from Highschool, there were a few of my teachers who told me that I could call them by their first name. I think that I tried a few times, but I could never get myself to do it. It just seemed wrong. In fact, to this day, most people who are older than me, I still call "Mr." or "Mrs." Whatever their name is. Maybe it is how I was raised, or maybe I just have trouble with change... I don't know. I have even noticed that there are teachers that I have worked with that I won't call by their first name. Whatever it is, I know that some small part of it is a desire to show respect. Well, now there are students who I have taught and now they have graduated. And I am trying to get them to call me Matt. Some of them are taking to it really quickly. Last week I spent some time in Orlando with some of my former students, and I am not sure how it happened, but I suddenly became Uncle Matt. And that is OK with me. See ya later kiddies!

There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard And no song that I could sing but I can try for your heart And our dreams and they are made out of real things Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart Like why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it's so hard? It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together It's always better when we're together We'll look at the stars when we're together It's always better when we're together It's always better when we're together And all of these moments just might find their way into my dreams tonight But I know that they'll be gone when the morning light sings Or brings new things for tomorrow night you see That they'll be gone too, too many things I have to do But if all of these dreams might find their way i...

High speed internet, that is... What did you think I was talking about?!? The cable guy showed up just late enough so that when I complained to the people at Charter, they gave me a $20 credit on my account. But I am not sure yet if that 20 bucks is enough to make up for my lost day! I waited here from 8 in the morning till 5 this evening waiting for the guy to show up. My lost time has caused me emotional distress, I think that I should sue!

Well, we did our first move of the year. I was a little excited about this move. I am usually excited about moving anyway. It gives me a chance to do something besides school, or school-related work. It also gives me a chance to lose a little weight. But I was specifically excited about this one because it was a youth pastor. But I was sorely disappointed. During the course of my moving career, I have done some fairly interesting moves. And I have also done some really nasty moves. I am not talking about messy, or stuff that is out of place, I am talking about dirty. The move today was that way. Things were just plain old dirty. Not taken care of. I don't want to be judgmental, but how you take care of your home says a lot about who you are as a person. My perception of this youth pastor was affected by the condition of his things. Our things do not belong to us. They are God's things, and we are simply stewards of His possessions. So it really isn't about how we take care ...