Isaiah 38

Sanctify! previewed Isaiah 36-39 on Tuesday night.

Given my recent health issues, Hezekiah's prayer in chapter 38 is particularly timely:

9A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10I said, In the middle of my days
   I must depart;
I am consigned to the gates of Sheol
   for the rest of my years.
11I said, I shall not see the LORD,
   the LORD in the land of the living;
I shall look on man no more
   among the inhabitants of the world.
12My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me
   like a shepherd’s tent;
like a weaver I have rolled up my life;
   he cuts me off from the loom;
from day to night you bring me to an end;
   13I calmed myself until morning;
like a lion he breaks all my bones;
   from day to night you bring me to an end.

14Like a swallow or a crane I chirp;
   I moan like a dove.
My eyes are weary with looking upward.
   O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!
15What shall I say? For he has spoken to me,
   and he himself has done it.
I walk slowly all my years
   because of the bitterness of my soul.

16O Lord, by these things men live,
   and in all these is the life of my spirit.
   Oh restore me to health and make me live!
17Behold, it was for my welfare
   that I had great bitterness;
but in love you have delivered my life
   from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins
   behind your back.
18For Sheol does not thank you;
   death does not praise you;
those who go down to the pit do not hope
   for your faithfulness.
19The living, the living, he thanks you,
   as I do this day;
the father makes known to the children
   your faithfulness.

20The LORD will save me,
   and we will play my music on stringed instruments
all the days of our lives,
   at the house of the LORD. [ESV]

About Prib's Musings

[Updated 4-28-2009]

This blog is primarily a place for me to journal my thoughts on whatever happens to be on my mind. In my about me post, I told about some of my interests and hobbies. My general blogging schedule will be:

  • Sunday: Miscellaneous
  • Tuesday: Health
  • Thursday: Bible study
  • Friday: Finance

...and other times on whatever topics come to mind.

I would also like this blog to be a place where my friends and family that I don't see on a regular basis can keep up with what is going on in my life.

I'd also like for it to be a place where discussion and interaction happens. Up to this point, most of my posts have simply contained a bunch of facts or happenings in my life. I'm going to be posting more things such opinions on current events and reactions to posts in other blogs that particularly interest me. I'll also review books I read, movies I watch, and interesting food I eat.

Feel free to browse the archives, both here and at my health blog (which has been superseded by Tuesday postings).

Pulmonary relief?

A few weeks ago, I was in pretty bad shape so I went to my pulmonary doctor. I was put on antibiotics for a couple weeks, some tests were ordered, and the doctor recommended some respiratory therapy. I also started The Maker's Diet around the same time. I didn't feel 100% at the end of the antibiotics but the lab has been slow in getting results. I have not been great the last week or so but have discovered a few key things:

  • The therapy is helpful. It includes oxygen, a nebulizer with albuterol (a broncho-dilator), and something called "The Vest" which vibrates your chest cavity - theoretically knocking phlegm loose from where it may be stuck. I did all 3 in concert this morning (I just received training on The Vest last night) and felt better upon coming to work than I have in a while.
  • I eat improperly on weekends. It's not so much that I deviate from my diet; it's the fact that I sleep in too late and get my schedule all messed up and usually don't eat enough to keep me going. With so little reserves, this is a bad deal.
  • Exercise is really important. If I intentionally push myself for half an hour or more, I can tell a difference in how I feel for the rest of the evening after a workout. Weekends usually sabotage this too in regards to schedule.
  • Kefir and yogurt, specifically goat-derived, are incredibly good for the gut and quite tasty, especially with some puréed berries mixed in. In general, The Maker's Diet has been helping. If nothing else, my appetite is much improved.

Moved Feeds to Feedburner

I just burned my feeds to Feedburner to allow for email subscriptions. This is a test post to see if people on the old subscription are getting the new feed.

Who is Prib?

[Updated 4-26-2009]

I'm an engineer in my late twenties who grew up in Illinois and transplanted to Southern California after graduating from the University of Missouri - Rolla (now Missouri S&T) in 2004 with my Bachelor's degree in EE. I completed a Master's degree, also in EE, at the University of Southern California in 2008. I work in satellite communications in the aerospace industry right here in the South Bay. I have retained a good deal of Midwestern opinions, tastes and quirks but appreciate the SoCal lifestyle and climate.

I am a hands-on detail-oriented person with an affinity for things mechanical. My favorite toys as a kid were LEGO bricks, and today I enjoy wrenching on my vehicles as a hobby. I also like computer programming, gadgets, photography, and playing the bass guitar.

I grew up in a Christian family and was saved at the age of five. My faith is important to me and I am active in my church, Torrance First Baptist. I attend and appreciate a paragraph-by-paragraph Bible study every Tuesday where we are currently studying Isaiah.

At the beginning of this year, I began diligently tracking my finances and implementing a monthly budget. I have honed the process over the last few months and have come to a pretty well-balanced mixture of savings, needs, and wants.

New layout

Astute observers will note that my blog is looking different. I'd very much appreciate feedback, both positive and negative on the new layout and color scheme.

Look for additional changes coming soon as well...

Spoils from the Torrance Farmers' Market

Clockwise from top left:

  • Ruby grapefruit
  • Sweet limes
  • Strawberries
  • Sage goat cheddar
  • Meyer lemons
  • Heirloom tomatoes
  • Persian cucumbers

Not pictured because it's in my belly:

  • Coffee
  • Crepe with goat cheese, green onions, tomatoes and egg

I'm planning to fix a curried lentil, tomato and lamb stew sometime this weekend. It shall be delicious.

March budget update

Well, this was kind of an insane month budget-wise.

I had unexpected expenses in both needs and wants. My car and motorcycle insurance as well as my motorcycle registration all came due within the last couple weeks. I also spent a decent sum over budget on my car as well - like I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I finally got around to installing my power locks and windows and needed a fair number of parts I thought I already had. I should be able to recoup some of this in the future by selling off everything I didn't end up using.

I was wise did finally add a category for unexpected this month, complete with a $200 allotment. I bought a fancy new (to me) smartphone and some other stuff and this category ended up overspent by about the same amount my grocery category was underspent. I decided to do some manipulation and moved the phone to grocery (this also includes toys and entertainment) since it was more of a gadget expense than a necessary emergency or unexpected expense. Now they're both within $10-15 of estimated/budgeted. Along with my new phone, I decided to get a data plan so that will add $30 a month.

I joined 24 Hour Fitness, which cost $60 up front (no joining fee but you must pay first and last month's membership upfront) and will cost $30 a month but will hopefully pay off in health benefits. After finally getting my chiropractic billing issues straightened out, I decided to cut my chiropractic back to every other week instead of every week. I'll just make sure to stretch more. I do know that regular exercise does help my back remain limber.

I set up some automatic savings plans for my Roth IRA through Scottrade (to be fully funded by December 31), payments toward principal on my student loan, and a fund for future car insurance and registration expenses - both of the latter through ING Direct where I opened sub-accounts specifically for those purposes.

I also received my federal income tax refund, which was sizable. I immediately transferred most of it to my ING Direct general savings account. I'm not going to frivolously spend the rest - I left it in my checking account as a cushion since the car insurance wiped that out.

My goal for April is to have everything come out at or under budget (except savings). We'll see how I do. I still do have that unexpected category for contingencies.