I came to work today and all the lights on my half of the room were dead. So the whole day I felt like it was time to go since all the lights were off. I was a bit bored today. I finished my work too quickly...doh! I keep telling myself to enjoy days like this cuz as I get older, I will only get busier. So with the extra free time I decided to check on the status of my new laptop for work. Since they are going to travel me, I need a laptop. I say, cool. Anyways, checking the status online shows that they received it a week ago and the status has changed from Pending to Resolved to Closed to Internal Use. Internal Use? What does that mean? Does that mean they just get to mess around with my PC until they see fit to give it to me? Sometimes I think the service center just wants to mess with me because I left their organization over 5 years ago. It didn't sit well with everyone. What did they expect? That I would stay a PC tech after I got an engineering degree? Ha ha. Anyways, speaking of leaving the organization, I heard through the grapevine that my old functional manager just found out I left his organization to go to the one I'm in now. Just found out??? That was 3 months ago! On top of that, he took it personally and got angry and went on some tirade because of it and actually called a meeting for the remaining members in his organization. I am dazzled by how I can cause such waves. If I was so significant, why did they dump me in a hole of a cubicle on some lame project so they wouldn't have to worry about me? And why get mad? I went to him first telling him I needed something better or I was going to leave. I told him I could only last about another month. I didn't get a call or an email or any ray of hope since that conversation. Yeah, so I left your organization, are you really surprised? Sheesh. Anyways, if you check the archive, I did say I could upset some upper management by doing this. The alternative was quitting so I don't really care. I have to laugh though when I think that these guys thought I was still working for them all this time. You would have thought they caught this when they realized I didn't need a performance review from them.

Anyways, on to better topics. I got a new daily Bible which I like alot. Sometimes I want to read the Bible, but I don't know what to read so it's kinda cool to be told what to read. I figure I can do that for a couple years. The challenge to having a daily Bible is you become aware of how many days you missed reading it. I'm always catching up it seems. I'm about 2 weeks behind. Each day is split up in 2 chapters from the OT, 1 from the new, and a partial Psalm and Proverb.

Anyways, I've been reading the story of Joseph and also studying Daniel on the side with my core group. There are a lot of similarities between those two. Both were forced to live in a pagan land. Both were godly men under the authority of ungodly leaders. Both interpreted dreams. Both remained faithful to God despite hardship caused by it. Both received tremendous blessings from God despite their hardships. It brings to mind that many of us are in situations like theirs every day. In the working world, you are most likely under the leadership of ungodly people. Daniel endured much hardship for his faith, but God blessed him through all of that. I've become so familiar with these stories I look at it from beginning to end as a whole, but much can be learned from looking at the story through the eyes of Daniel and Joseph.

Imagine your brothers just sold you into slavery, what now? So much for having a normal life, but then you get bought by someone who treats you well and puts you in charge of his affairs. Things are turning out ok, until his wife frames you and you get thrown into prison, what now? I guess you're going to rot here for the rest of your life. But then a ray of hope as you interpret dreams for the Pharaoh's butler and cook. The butler is going to put in a good word for you. You'll be out soon. A month goes by, two months, a year, two years, three years, how long must I wait? I think the butler has forgotten about me by now at least the jailer gives me free roam in the prison. The next day Pharaoh summons you, you interpret his dream, and you're free, not only that, you are made second in command of all of Egypt. The point is if you could look at your life complete like a story like we can with Joseph, there would probably be very little reason to be concerned with the day to day struggles in life. Joseph lived a very good life but the beginning of his life was pretty rough. If you just focus on the early part of his life, you think, what a crappy life, how unjust and unfair, but if you look at his whole life, he had a very good life. But our lives aren't a whole story we can read. We only know the past. Sometimes experiences from the past can get us through ones in the future and sometimes we just have to rely on faith. Not every Christian has a great life and for some it doesn't get any better until they die, but God promises eternal life with Him. If you look at your story as your entire eternal life, there is no struggle too difficult to make your life bad. But it takes faith in God's promise to look to the future and it is so foolish to be tangled in the present yet so easy. Another cool thing about the daily Bible is I read this passage in Matthew. I can imagine God saying to me, "Oh Kevin, you of little faith, why did you doubt?". The stories of Joseph and Daniel never spoke of their ambitions in life. Joseph never whined about being sold into slavery or being put in jail. Daniel never cursed his bad luck for being plucked from his own land to live in a pagan land that conquered his nation. Just think how upset you would be if the USA got invaded by some Middle Eastern country and conquered us, then they moved all of us out of our homes to Iraq and changed our names to Mohammad and Saddam. That would be a terrible change in life. Think how that would affect all of your hopes and dreams. Joseph and Daniel never sought their ambition, but just remained faithful to God. I can't help but think how I want to live my life that way. This is my new challenge.