Well, I haven’t given much of a health/ fitness update lately (or done much blogging generally… so maybe this will be an holistic post); I am trying really hard to transition right now. Like everyone facing the rising prices, and issues in the economy, our family’s rent situation has exploded to the point that I’ll need to either take on an additional part time job, or change careers entirely. Of course as we all know, gas prices have skyrocketed as well, so in addition to the [frankly astronomical] increase in rent, just getting to work is becoming much more expensive.

I’ve been training BJJ, and Judo (got my family doing Judo, and have been able to participate off and on with them as well the BJJ), though I seem to keep getting injured. I may have broken my ankle a couple months back – right after I recovered from a broken rib (I tried to convince myself it was just sprained, and didn’t go in to get it x-rayed, but as it has now been a couple months and still occasionally hurts I’m thinking it probably did break somewhere). About the time I was able to get out on my ankle again I started having pain in my shoulder (which has grown more and more severe). I’m doing physical therapy for it now, and the P-Therapist, of course, recommends that I take some time off of the martial arts training (what a kill-joy, right? :P).

Anyhow, so I have been looking to get work in writing, and voice over work (both of which have been life-long dreams of mine), but other than some volunteer/ amateur projects have not yet made enough money or gotten the right gigs for it to be a very needed part time job (though if you happen to have work in those areas, feel free to let me know).

But we are trusting the Lord for our situation; a short while ago I had felt led to read Mark 4, as I did so I began to wonder what the point was – the early verses of the chapter are parables about how we receive the Word of God: seeds scattered on soil.

BUT, the final story in Mark 4 is the story of Christ stilling the storm. He and the disciples get into a boat to cross to the other side when a great storm arises suddenly. The storm is so severe that even the seasoned fishermen in the boat with Jesus are convinced that they all will die in the severity of the storm. But in the midst of this violent storm, Jesus is asleep. All the crew of his disciples are panicking, the Lord is sleeping.

I realized that we sometimes feel like the Lord is asleep to our situation. We are in the throes of great struggle in our life, and we wonder where He is, does He know what is happening to us? Does He care? Is He even with us at all? But He is; for those of us who follow Him, who have cut covenant with Him, He is ever with us as He promised that He is ever with us, yea to the very end of the world (Matt 28:20). So it is not a question of whether He is with us. Nor is it a question whether or not He cares.

The disciples succeed in waking the Lord, and in their terror and helplessness cry to Him:

…”Lord carest thou not that we perish?”

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still.” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
-Mark 4:38b-41

So here we are: the world is in an all out storm; we each individually find ourselves in possibly precarious situations, and our immediate hope is not to be seen.

But as I think back, I recall this testimony in the fairly recent past: I lost my job at the time of the initial shutdowns of the COVID pandemic… and God paved the way for me to write my second book (which you can find here, and I believe was timely and essential for the situation we all are going into). My living expenses were covered, and I was able to work on it full time. In the global crisis, the Lord provided a secret place, a sanctuary in the midst of the storm, and gave me a work to do.

When I recall that the Lord is with me and bring to mind the fact that He is known to help and deliver in our lives, I am encouraged. I will not perish in the storm, the Lord is with me. If He seems to be sleeping, it makes no difference; He is with me.

Do you have that hope? Do you know that whatever your situation, the Lord is on your side to save, help and deliver? You can be sure of it – as I am – if you cut Covenant with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Be not afraid, have faith.