So, after getting pretty well taken in by some humanist heresy last week, I'm marinating my brain in Romans. This helps. A lot. I may just do this for the rest of the year.

Oh, yeah. In case anyone cares, I have some traditions with my Bible reading, and some big blocks of, "Hey let's study something." Advent, I spend with a purpose. Last year it was memorizing Luke 2:1-20*. I then go on from there to do all four gospels between Christmas and Easter, and start Acts right after Easter. And, when I can, I do the chapter-a-day thing from Proverbs (which is great for life-advice, but doesn't really mention Jesus all that much). But somehow, I'd gotten thrown off the path a bit.

So, yeah. Romans. SLOW Romans. And I definitely needed this.

In other news, I'm working on packing. Recent events that one has heard about in the news mean that necessary measures must be taken where I live, which doesn't change much about my day-to-day living, but does mean that no one can drive on base if they don't work here. This puts a small snarl in the next part of my plan (go God for that - I realize this REALLY wasn't about me, but He seems to have this thing for reminding me that, no, I cannot in fact see every possible eventuality and prepare for it. That's why I rely on HIM.), as I was planning on getting my stuff to a vehicle just outside. My friend and I may be schlepping it the mile to the gate. Sigh.

This is where I get mocked by the Soldiers and Marines.

Another area of discipline has presented itself - my Kindle of which I am so fond allows me easy access to Amazon, when I have wireless, and easy download without that pesky shopping cart that shows a final total before purchase. I currently have 2 cents in my checking account. This is not how I anticipated going into this move. All right, so I also wasn't expecting my taxes to be so much this year, and I definitely wasn't anticipating the government's financial tie-up. I do HAVE a savings buffer for just this reason...but after those two, it's not much. I am learning.

This summer will entail multiple transitions. May alone will entail much transition. But, if God's cool with it, by the end of summer I will have completed the next phase of my educational training (the ones after can be done from the ship), joined my ship, and be off on deployment. This will be the first year that I won't be with my family for Christmas. I know there are a lot of other considerations, but that's the one that gets me. Christmas is kind of a biggie with me. And I know it's only May, but with everything that's gone into the last few months, it feels as if the holidays should be coming up again.

In good news, I have WONDERFUL friends here., and I only wish I'd gotten to know them sooner. Sunday, we went for a walk to the next community over and had lunch at a Cuban/French restaurant, and went to Walgreens. I realize this doesn't sound like much, but on base, you always know exactly what's available in the grocery store. It never changes. There are seven kinds of cereal. Seeing a box of Honey Comb was a gasp of freedom.

It is a bright and lovely day outside, and I finished H.G. Wells "Time Machine" today. This was once described to me as a very dark book - it might say something sad about me that I found it only cynical. I do agree with the premise that without challenge, we would lose skills and intelligence that no longer served us, but I disagree with the author that we'll ever reach a point of existing without adversity. This is not me being hopeless - I still think we should work to overcome everything that currently faces us, but part of that rationale is that I believe MORE is yet coming.

I AM getting cynical. Well, perhaps a balance, since I think we're capable of overcoming a fair amount of the illnesses and social imbalance that presently exist. Natural disasters, I got nothin'. I think we can get better at predicting them, and thus preparing for them, but keeping them from happening? Nah.

Also, I think Man's got to keep from getting too big for his britches, and retain some sense of awe in the face of something too great to be controlled.

I may have a chance to get some laundry done, and I found a Rascal Flatts album that had gotten stuck in some random corner of my laptop. So, that's all good.

And tonight, I may sleep again.



*This year, I might do something with the prophecies about Christ in Isaiah, which would be a cool study project. Or, I might have all Scripture driven out of my mind by the amount of new stuff I have to learn on deployment, and just get to do Luke again.