Day two-hundred-forty-three

Today was a good day, better than I've had in a few days.

First, I want to apologize. With all the work-related stuff going on, I feel that once again, the blog has taken on a tone of complaint. I have certainly used this blog as a format to vent my frustrations, but I never wanted this to be a place where I just spew all my frustrations on whoever reads this. I wouldn't want to read anything where all the writer did was complain. I'm sorry.

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I've begun gathering information toward finally getting my first credit card. After getting some good advice from my friends Aaron and Rudy, I texted my friend Joshua to ask his advice. This turned into a nice, long telephone conversation that allowed us to play catchup with each other. He's been trying to get a credit card and has already begun doing the legwork. He's given me a lot of information and a couple of people to talk to; now I have work to do. Pray that God would grant me patience and diligence in turning care of things.

It was good to get caught up with Josh. I'd been thinking about Josh and Samantha lately, and how they had been doing. It's so early for me to lose touch with people, and I needed a little encouragement in that moment. It's a good reminder of what someone once told me, that the love of God is most clearly experienced when it's share with others.  

Day two-hundred-forty-two

Now that I've had some time to think about things (plus a night's sleep after a long week), my attitude about finding a new job has changed. Last night, while talking things over with my sister Laura, I realized that part of my deep desire to quit had been rooted in anger. Now that I've had time to calm down, I still do want to change jobs but not with the same desperation as last night. I want to find a job where I can best use the skills I have and enjoy what I do. I just wish I knew what that was.

Anyway, pray that I would be patient and diligent in searching for a new job, in staying with the job I have presently, and that I would wait on God to do His will in His time. This last point in particular is a big one for me. I struggle with impatience, and this is a time where my patience is being tested.

I've begun looking at some leads on Craigslist, but prospects at the moment aren't great. I'm glad I at least have a job, which does improve my chances of getting hired somewhere. So much of the jobs bent posted are for telemarketers or for drives for Uber. I would do the Uber thing, but I don't have a car. As for telemarketing, I would hate having a job where my income depended on trying to sell things I wouldn't buy to strangers who don't want to hear from me.

I'll post updates on my job search as things develop. Again, I ask that you pray for me in this present time.

Day two-hundred-forty-one

I need a lot of prayer right now. I've been saying for a while that I want to change jobs, and today, I've finally been motivated to really start looking for a new job.

This has been such a busy week and I'm finally home. I'm so glad I have Monday off, as I certainly have no desire to go back after only a two-day weekend. Today was the first day all week that I didn't run the room, and it's a blessing I didn't, as I think I would've possibly snapped and stormed out. There have been several occasions where I've had to resist the temptation to walk out, but today was the first day I've actually told anyone.

We are starting to have the same problems with first shift; namely, the lack of urgency about staying on top of things. Jeremiah has told me this is a problem that permeates the whole first shift, and I believe it. I feel like I'm working way too hard for too little and it's because others aren't working as hard as they ought to.

We've been promised changes are coming almost as long as I've been working in digital, which will be seven months September 10. I'm just getting to a point where I'm tired of promises and I want to see changes. Personally, I'm at a loss as to what changes could be made apart from changes in management, which Jeremiah implied to me could be happening soon. Whatever the case, I'm ready to make a change of my own.

The thing is, I don't really have a personal issue with anyone in particular, but I'm still frustrated with the way other peoples' work is negatively affecting my own. I'm just tired of it.

Please pray for me as I begin looking for another job, that I would be patient in searching for another job, and that I would be patient in remaining where I am now. Pray also that I would, as the Scriptures say, wait on The Lord and His timing in all this.

I've said this before, that I don't like writing about work. This time, it's because I need the prayer.

Day two-hundred-forty

It's a little after 11:00 pm as I write this. I am home, as I didn't feel like I had it in me to stay for overtime. My recurring stomach problems have returned and I was starting to get a headache. At least there's no more overtime for the week and we've got a long weekend ahead.

As a side note, out of a possible eight hours of overtime this week, I accumulated four-and-a-half. I personally don't care that much about overtime, and this has been a tiring week. I didn't sleep too well last night and I need to get my rest. At least Ana returns on Tuesday.

I thank God for sustaining me physically through the week. Today has been our first truly busy day all week. Our cutting machine was running again, so I had to ratchet my energy back up after a day so slow that I was able to run the room by myself. God is always good to me, and may I always be reminded and grateful for His goodness.

Tomorrow, there's going to be a collection for Christina as she prepares for her uncle's service on Tuesday. I pray that God will sustain her through this, and that He might draw her to Himself. Keep her in your prayers, as I have been.

Day two-hundred-thirty-nine

Came into work today to find the cutting machine down and partially taken apart. All of our digital work has been sent outside, apart from what was left from before the machine went down. Someone said it might've been for maintenance, though Guillermo said that it's the first he's seen anyone do maintenance work on the machine since he started on it last December.

Whatever the case, it's been another incredibly slow day; so slow in fact, I've been able to run the room myself today. I'm not even sure I'll need to stay for overtime tonight, which is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I would rather not work the extra two hours. On the other hand, I guess I got used to the idea of working the two hours and anticipating the overtime pay. So far, I've managed to avoid being sent to work in the warehouse since Monday night. Let's see if I can make it two for two.

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Now, I want to get away from work itself and talk a little bit about a coworker of mine.

I've mentioned Christina before, and I believe I've mentioned her uncle who fell ill and ended up in the hospital. On Monday, he passed away in Arizona. This has been a difficult week for her, as both her uncle and a female relative have passed away on the same weekend, and her very best friend has also just suffered a stroke.

I had the opportunity to talk to Christina about what's been going on as she's struggling to make sense of it all. She told me that she had been praying about all that's been happening, as it's been so much for her. She is Catholic, so pray that God would open her heart to His Son and draw near to her in this  difficult time. She told me the company is supporting her in the form of donating flowers for her uncle's service, which is admittedly generous. I told her to let me know if she needed anything.

This is really the first time I've shared my faith in Jesus with anyone I've worked with. Pray that if it's The Lord's will, that a seed may be planted in in Christina's heart, from which He may bear fruit in her.

Day two-hundred-thirty-eight

I decided that I would try to post today, even though I said I might take the next few days off.

It seems likely that we'll have overtime tonight, but thank The Lord, today was not the unparalleled disaster I thought it would be. I'm not sure what's happened, but we haven't had the backlog of work that I expected there would be, considering they did not get the digital printer running again until about a half-hour before I clocked in at 2:00.

Ironically, it seems like we've been able to stay ahead today. The overtime has been so that we can get everything out by the end of the day on Friday. With the long Labor Day weekend, we are going to lose a day of production. Hopefully, I won't have to go into the warehouse.

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Update 10:33 pm- Ken, the third shift digital operator, came back from his vacation tonight. He's been printing for the last hour, and when I went on this last break, Guillermo was still cutting. I'm not sure that there's enough to stay out of the warehouse entirely tonight, but I can at least put it off a while.

Now, I'm just taking my last break of the day, drinking as much water as I can to stay alert, and hoping and praying that I get home safely on my bike.

Day two-hundred-thirty-seven

This has been a weird day, and it's shaping up to be a long week.

Firstly, the big printer in digital has been since first shift. I heard from our manager Mervin that we won't be printing until 10:00 am to noon tomorrow. Seeing as how they were working on the machine since before I clocked in, we'll be at least a day behind in digital.

Secondly, we had a meeting about an hour ago where we learned that we will have two hours mandatory overtime every day through Thursday. Maybe once or twice have I worked a full two hours in the more than six months I've been here. It's never been mandatory, either.

Pray that God will sustain me physically and spiritually through this. I knew that this was going to be a busy week, but I didn't know it would be this busy, nor could I foresee the problems we would have in digital.

I badly need to trust God in all this, and all I can see is how angry I'm getting with Him, when I don't need to be and I have no right to be. Pray for me, that God would soften my heart and grant me patience.

Also, until further notice, this blog may be off through Thursday. I'll let you all know.

Day two-hundred-thirty-six

Just a brief post for tonight. Another round of prayer requests:

-I've not been feeling so good the past couple of days. Pray that God would physically sustain me through the week ahead. 

-Pray that my sister Laura would be able to find another job. The job she has now is proving to be both more physically and emotionally demanding than she had anticipated. 

-Pray for those who are either starting or returning to seminary in the fall. I've come to know a few guys in seminary and I've learned that it's extremely demanding, even under the best of circumstances.

-Pray that The Lord would continue to cause me to grow spiritually. I realize that it can sometimes be deeply discouraging to deal with a spiritual issue where you seem to be struggling to grow. Pray the I would trust God in this and, as the Scriptures say, that I would "be of good courage, and wait on The Lord". 

What's your prayer request, if you have one? 

Day two-hundred-thirty-five

For the first time in a month, I've had no plans on a Saturday. I got to take care of some thing like shopping for t-shirts and stuff, and taking care of some yard work.

Okay, for the first time (I think, I can't recall), I'm linking to another blog. I don't recall exactly how it found this blog, but it's become a favorite of mine. It's called Everyone Nods: The Dragnet Style Files. I am a huge totally non-ironic fan of the 60s Dragnet series.

For those not in the know, Dragnet was a police procedural set in Los Angeles, famously based on real cases, using the famous line, "The story you're about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent." Of course, you may have heard of its' famous theme music.

Wow, I'm getting link-heavy today.

Anyway, the show gets dinged a little today for its' dated nature. Besides the fact that police procedures have changed since the late 1960s, the show has what many would consider a dated view on drugs, especially marijuana. Also, some people are put off by its' overtly conservative viewpoint.

However, show creator/star Jack Webb could be accused of idealizing, but never romanticizing, police work. The show makes the clear point that breaking cases and solving crimes takes hard work, long hours, and sometimes chasing leads that go nowhere. There are no socially awkward geniuses who have some vaguely-defined disorder that is always labeled Asperger's syndrome, but somehow piece together clues to catch the serial murderer of the week. No reckless cops who play by their own rules and are neverending headings for their captains; one of the common themes of the show is the rules are the rules for a reason, and that straying outside of them just causes trouble.

I'm not a fan of cop shows in general, but Dragnet captured my imagination, I think, in large part because of Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday. He's loyal, dependable, driven to see a case through the end, but he's also a straight-shooter who, in his own dry way, demonstrates tremendous empathy for people, criminal and victim alike if their situation warrants it.

Plus, it practically invented the modern police procedural. The whole idea of depicting actual police me those didn't begin with CSI, which isn't actually very realistic in the first place. It trly started with Dragnet.

Day two-hundred-thirty-four

The week is done, I'm home, and I'm about to sit down to to some tacos and Macho Nachos from Del Taco.

Tomorrow morning, my coworker Ana takes off for Vancouver. I hope she has a good time. For me, it's going to be the first time I've run the digital room shipping for a full week. I've run the room before, but only for a day at a time. I'm praying for strength and patience, and that God will provide the help we are going to need.

Meanwhile, we've worked with a girl named Jhoana, who just started last week. My coworker Jeremiah asked me in a very serious matter how she worked out. I said that she was hardworking, quiet, helpful, but willing to ask questions when she needed it. I thought he was joking, until I found out that he is now legitimately in charge of hiring new packers.

This may also explain why a girl who's been with the company for a few months hasn't been around for the last two weeks. There was a rumor that she was let go, or that she got sick. I was not aware that this girl had ever been a problem. We had worked with her in the digital room when we needed extra help and we never had any problems with her. I don't really know all the facts, so I shouldn't speculate.

On another work-related point, I just found out that my brother had his first shift at the Del Taco where he was hired, today. Also, my sister a Olivia begins her new job at the barbecue place tomorrow. So, for the first time in several years, almost everyone in the house is working. This is a tremendous blessing for Dad, as it will ease the financial burden that he's been under. I think we're all grateful for this.

Day two-hundred-thirty-three

Just a quick post, for some praises:

- my brother Joe was able to get new shoes for 85 percent off their original price. God meets our needs in says we don't expect.

-I found out today that my sister Olivia did get hired by the barbecue place and that she starts on Saturday. It's an answer to a longstanding prayer, and now we pray that The Lord would draw her to himself.

-Things went well at yesterday's meeting, and everyone spoke what they needed to say without anyone getting upset.

Now, some prayer requests for next week:

- Ana is going on vacation next week, so I'm going to be running the digital room myself for the whole week for the first time. Today started out very busy and we've already found out that Monday and Tuesday are going to be similarly busy, and we'll need extra help. Pray that God will sustain us and grant us the strength to do what needs to be done, and that I would trust Him in those stressful moments.

Day two-hundred-thirty-two

I'm home. It's been a long day, but a good day. At least, I'll have some more overtime on this pay period. And I get paid overnight, which is good too.

Thankfully, today's meeting went well. It was a real answer to prayer. Our manager, Mervin, said he wanted to avoid/get rid of a "culture of blame". It's not doing the digital department for everyone to be blaming each other. Also, he wants us to bing any issues to him, as he told to the effect that we can't solve problems we ignore. It was encouraging to hear a manager who at least sounded determined to improve our system of working.

Hopefully, as Mervin continues to get acclimated to how things work, we'll continue to improve. We need more help, especially as we get into the fall and toward the holiday season, and Mervin is working to persuade our warehouse manager Josh to hire at least a couple more people. The company just hired one new girl in the warehouse, but she might've been a replacement for another girl I haven't seen in a couple of weeks.

I have to wrap this up. I need to get to bed earlier than I did last night.

Day two-hundred-thirty-one

Tired. I don't want to write about work today, but I have to.

I need prayer for tomorrow. Ana and I have to come in a half-hour early to have a meeting with ou new supervisor, Mervin. We've started having problems with first shift again, and it's time we find some sort of resolution. Pray that I would speak the truth in love and patience, and that I would be a diligent listener. My patience with my job is starting to wear thin.  

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Update 10:59 pm- I'm home now. I've had time to stop and think; I think God is trying to show me how much my patience needs to grow. It needs to grow very badly. It seems like nothing lately has tried my patience the way work has done so. Pray for me in this.

There is some good news on the work front for my sister. She had an interview yesterday for a local barbecue place that seems very interested in hiring her. They seemed like they were very impressed with her. We're hoping and praying that something comes of it. She also interviewed for a boba place that turns out to be run by a lady who goes to our church, and Olivia recognized her from when she used to work in our church's nursery. Let's see if The Lord does something there.

Day two-hundred-thirty

Less than an hour after I got into work, I was already facing the prospect of overtime. Generally, I turn it down, but it looks like a lot of work was late from first shift. We have to pick up the slack whether we want to or not. I need to get this post up early since there's the possibility it'll go up late if I wait to do it until I get home.

Anyway, it's back to work for me. My brother should be starting his new job at Del Taco shortly, and my sister is trying to get hired at a couple of places in our area. They both contacted her yesterday to do interviews even though it was Sunday. She did not expect to hear from them so quickly.

It reminded me of the time last December when I applied to a pharmacy the week of Christmas (which was on a Wednesday) and I got an email asking for an interview that Friday. I didn't expect to he's from them before the following week, or maybe even until the New Year. So not only did I have to prepare for an interview sooner than I anticipated, I had to do it on less than three hours' notice, from when I first read the email. It is perhaps needless to say that I walked or of that interview knowing I didn't get the job. It did teach me that if I'm looking for a job, I need to be prepared if and when the opportunity for an interview comes.

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Update 8:37 pm- I don't think I'm having overtime tonight; it seems like we're feint caught up on our work. I just hope I'm not speaking too soon. I pray that The Lord sustains us through the rest of the day.

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Update 10:32 pm- I'm stating until 11:00. Thankfully, the Subway down the street is open until midnight. Pray I get home safe.

Day two-hundred-twenty-nine

Okay, I don't know how I did this, but I seem to have screwed up the number of the day. Today is the 229th day of the year, but I thought it was the 228th. This means that somewhere in the past, I've inadvertently missed a day somehow. Whatever the case, I'm going through the days to see where I missed up.

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Okay, I've looked back through the blog archives and I can't figure out where things went wrong. Oh well. Maybe no more naming things after which the day of the year.

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Last Friday, I had a realization about myself (yes, this is what I've been saying I would write about since Friday). I've been praying that God would show to me the hidden sins in my heart.

And He showed me. Boy, did He show me.

He showed me how much I resist God, that I resist yielding to His will and that I resist being patient with Him, even as Scripture reminds us to be of good courage and wait on The Lord (Psalm 27:14). It was made quite clear that I had been fighting this.

If you have never prayed that God would root out those sins so deep you don't even realize they're there, I would advise you to be prepared to learn some very unpleasant, even painful, things about yourself. Don't let this discourage you. I'm actually trying to encourage you to do something that is for your good, as God corrects His own children, and that that correction can sometimes be very painful.

Also, don't dwell on the sins that come to the surface. Confess and turn from them, and trust on God's faithfulness to forgive (1 John 1:9). Be mindful of God's faithfulness to forgive and be grateful, remembering that God has forgiven those sins, even as you yourself were unaware of them. Let that also be a motivation to keep confessing and turning from that sin.

Day two-hundred-twenty-seven

Today was a good if very busy day.

The day was spent helping Aaron and Jennifer get moved out of their apartment in North Hollywood and into their rental house with Rudy and Eneida. I don't know exactly how many trips we made back and forth between the two locations, but it was at least four times. Still, when Aaron brought me home not quite two hours ago (its 8:47 pm as I write this), he thought he still had one or two trips back to North Hollywood to get the last of their stuff and to do some cleaning.

It's been a long month getting ready to move in, but it's almost done. The house now needs to be put into order, but it doesn't have the pressing issue of time. Also, Aaron wants to take the opportunity to start getting rid of stuff. I'm personally inclined to start getting rid of stuff before moving, but they didn't really have that luxury.

Still, things are wrapping up. Aaron already has work to do for the new semester in seminary. While I think I would consider going back for something I really wanted to study, I'm really glad that I'm no longer in school.

I did get to talk to Aaron about my getting a credit card. He recommended getting one to but something I regularly purchase (in my case, stuff for lunches for work) and set myself at a limit that works for my budget, being mindful not to treat a card like unlimited funds. I'm going to ask a few more people for their thoughts, to gather wisdom for their knowledge and experience.

In reference to yesterday's post, I'm going to hold off until tomorrow to write about what I had in mind. I'm still praying about it and mulling it over in my mind.

Day two-hundred-twenty-six

Sorry, no blog today. I have something I could write about, but I need to pray about it first. Come back tomorrow.

Pray that tomorrow's moving day goes well. Also, pray that I would continue to grow spiritually as God searches out sin in my heart. I was seriously confronted by it today.

Day two-hundred-twenty-five

Today was a good day, in large part because of a visit that came about so late last night that it really qualifies as early this morning.

Eneida brought little Abby by the house, as mom and I have been anticipating seeing the baby. Abby is a sweet little baby with a head full of soft, spiky black hair who doesn't look only seven weeks old. She definitely looks like her daddy Rudy. I've held babies before, but for the first time, I've held a baby who was so still and quiet that she fell asleep in my arms.

It made me think about being a parent someday. I don't know if I ever will, but I find myself thining about these things. I don't know if I'll be dating someone this time next year, or if I'll be engaged to some woman. I pray that God will prepare me for these things, if He wills for me to be a husband and father.

I needed the reminder of God's goodness to us. What I finally realized is that where I've been struggling is in accepting those reminders of His goodness with thankfulness and humility. I pray that God will continue to work on my heart, in cultivating true gratitude and humility in me.

Day two-hundred-twenty-four

I'm been thinking of how the blog has been going thus far, and I've come to the conclusion that some changes are in order.

I've said numerous times that I hate the name of this blog. It sort of comes from how I used to tell my friend Joshua that I didn't want to be "that guy". Everyone has an idea of who "that guy" is, the guy you shouldn't trust, the guy who isn't any good, especially to women. I've never liked "that guy", and never wanted to be "that guy". Of course, with the name of this blog, I have, in a sense, become "that guy".

Where am I going with this? I can't change the name of the blog, otherwise it would change the URL. If that's the case, it might as well be another blog. I've been thinking, therefore, that when the year ends, I may retire this blog and start a new one. This blog has been all over the place, in terms of content, quality, and my willingness to work at it. I don't exactly regret choosing to blog daily, as it's kept me motivated. That said, there have been times (more times than I care for, really) where I literally just posted prattle to meet a daily deadline. I would gather produce quality work and perhaps that might mean posting less often.

I guess it's pretty clear that for as long and as continuously that I've been writing, I still have so much to learn. I'm really still figuring a lot of things out, and this blog has been a help. I just want it to be better.

Day two-hundred-twenty-three

It's a late one tonight. I have nothing prepared.

My brother and I are talking about bad things in television shows. Namely, we're talking about the laziness that seems prevalent in children's programming. There does seem to be this idea that because a show is for kids, people don't have to work as hard on it. My brother cites numerous series on the Disney Channel as examples. I think he can't admit that he actually likes these shows.

If I want to get this posted by midnight, I'm not going to go on much longer than this. I'm tapped out for content tonight, and I don't seem to be doing well under the time constraint. Let's try again tomorrow.

Day two-hundred-twenty-two

Keeping it short and sweet tonight. After riding yesterday's high of writing my first movie review, I find that I must return to the old standby subject of work.

Due to the outright laziness of workers on the first shift, we've been saddled with almost a day's worth of work for the last three hours of today. We're not going to get it all done, though Ana and I have drawn an hour's overtime to get as much done as possible.

Some kind of change needs to be made, because first shift is giving their work any diligence or sense of priority, and second shift pays for their "efforts". The problem is that no one seems to know what that change must be, but it seems to need some effort of instilling a sense of priorities in first shift.

Whatever the case, I find myself increasingly drawn to the idea of getting out of this job, ASAP. My dissatisfaction is growing, and it's not helped by the idea of having to work harder because of someone else's laziness. The solution seems simple to me: the company needs to start making changes, and maybe that includes some pink slips.

Day two-hundred-twenty-one

I promised that if I went to the movies today, I'd come back with a review. I don't get to the movies too often, but if I go more, or at the very least I happen across something that grabs my attention, I'll start writing about it here.

I managed to catch a matinee screening of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie this afternoon. A good crowd in the theater, with a mixture of adults and kids, everyone seeming like they were there to have a good time. The only odd thing was that I wound up seated next to an old woman in a wheelchair and her female caregiver. Occasionally, the woman would say something audibly, but would she said was indecipherable; I honestly don't know if she was speaking in a foreign language or if her speech was garbled. Whatever the case, neither of them seemed like the audience for this movie and they wound up leaving early. 

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Honesty time. I've started writing tonight's post before I've really gathered my thoughts on the movie. With the combination of a looming deadline for tonight and wanting to give an honest assessment of Ninja Turtles, I'm finding it a little difficult getting started. Give me a minute.

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Okay. I'm ready.

Most people have a general idea of the Ninja Turtles' story: four teenage mutant turtles are trained by their mutant rat master in the art of ninjutsu and are named after four Italian Renaissance artists. The movie keeps to this general origin while tweaking it to fit a general theme of "destiny", or rather, that the characters bring each other together through some heretofore unknown connection. Some have complained about this, saying that it is too convenient for the plot. I'll admit that it's extremely convenient, but not in any way that detracts from the movie personally

Another point of contention for some is how the Turtles have been physically rendered, with many expressing a preference for the old puppet suits used in the previous movies, plus the rather rougher look they've been given. I appreciated the willingness to push the Turtles in a more realistic, textured direction. The use of CGI also allowed the filmmakers freedom of movement to expand the Turtles' repertoire of fighting moves that the old-style suits could not do.

The movie is rather all over the place in terms of character. The four Turtles' personalities are spot on. Leonardo is the leader of the group, Donatello is the resident genius, Michelangelo is fun-loving, and Raphael is brooding and ready for a fight. Master Splinter is somewhat tougher than in previous iterations, both in his training of the Turtles and his ability to handle himself in a fight. Indeed, this is the first time Splinter is depicted actually fighting in any of the live-action films. The same cannot be said for the villains, billionaire Eric Sachs (William Fichtner) and the Shredder, who is supposed to Sachs' mentor, but functions more like his hired muscle. Throw in a variation on the "take over the city/rich villain trying to get richer" villain plot, and it pretty much covers the film's single biggest problem: the villains and their plot are nothing new, so they just function as set pieces for the Turtles to come in and fight. 

Megan Fox, who is admittedly not a very good actress, offers up a decent performance as the Turtles' human friend, news reporter April O'Neil. She actually carries much of the movie and functions as the audience's entry into the world of the film. As a reporter who was likely hired for looking good on camera over anything else, April tries to break the story of the Foot Clan's reign of terror over New York City, and Fox believably conveys the frustration of trying to be taken seriously while chasing down an increasingly incredulous story about vigilante turtles. Will Arnetr, who plays April's cameraman Verne, gets some stuff to do during the two largest action pieces of the film, but beyond that, seemseant to function as comic relief that the film doesn't really need. This is not to  say that the movie is ha-ha funny, but most of the film's humor is mines from the Turtles and their personalities.

So now the big question: would I recommend this movie? Yes, if you're a fan of the Ninja Turtles and want to see something late as the summer starts drawing to a close. If you're not a fan, this movie is not lately to change your mind or make you any sort of Turtle concert. If you're a fan of spectacle and aren't expecting too much, check it out. If you want something meatier, this is not the movie for you. 

Day two-hundred-twenty

I'm glad this day is almost over, then again, I'm glad this week is almost over. I'm fighting the urge to mentally check out before the end of the day. I'm on my last break as I write this, so I have less than two hours left. Now to quit writing about work before this paragraph gies on any longer.

I was planning to go see the new Ninja Turtles movie tomorrow, but it looks like that's probably not going to happen. The time won't work out, as I've been invited to Aaron's house to get. Ore work done and hopefully finish it up. Anyway, I'm going to try and see the movie on Sunday. If I do, anticipate a review on that day.

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Update 10:25 pm- The week's work is done, and I'm sitting in the employee kitchen with a few other people basically running out the clock. It looks like it's going to be a finishing-up job tomorrow , which is good. I think Aaron and Jen are actually due to move in either nxt weekend or the week after. Anyway, it's going to be good for everyone involved to just get it done.

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Update 11:13 pm- I'm home. Glad this week is done. May The Lord bless a late meal and the weekend ahead.

Day two-hundred-nineteen

At lunch right now. I'm glad the week's almost over. It feels like it's gone by quickly, but each day has seemed like they're dragging.

I don't want to talk about work today. I wrote a whole back about how I didn't want to keep doing that, but I find that I've fallen back into the habit. Therefore, I'm going to try to put down something other than work. Not that there's much to write about work anyway.

By that turn, there hasn't been much work to writing, at least for me. Other than the occasional bits of editing, what you seen and read is just a first draft. Part of the reason is the fact that I don't have a lot of time do any major revisions. Another reason is that in all the writing I had to do for school, I never practiced the method of writing and developing multiple drafts. I would get good grades in doing things my own way, although I'm sure I probably cultivated some poor habits for it.

As I sit and think about it, this is really been a journal for me, a daily records of my thoughts and experiences. I've been doing this for over seven months, and I've only now made that connection. Maybe it's because people tend to think of journals and dairies as being something private. This has been very public, more public than anything I've ever done before.

Day two-hundred-eighteen

This week seems like it's going by fast. I'm at work on my last break as I write this, and I for one am glad that the day is almost done.

I find that more of my thoughts are occupied with the idea of finding another job. I was very blessed to find this job, but I feel myself being prompted to move on. If I so chose, there are opportunities to advance within the company. The main reason I haven't taken advantage of those opportunities is that I simply don't like working here very much. The printing business is just not what I want to do with my life.

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Update 10:59 pm-I'm home now, and I'm gale to be here. I feel fatigue pressing on my head someone is pressing g my head with their hand. I'm not going to stay up much later since I have to be up early. It's going to be a busy morning. Still, I get paid overnight tonight, and I'll be able to take care of some things. May we trust God to provide for us and meet our needs.

Day two-hundred-seventeen

Okay day. I just found out today that they've finally made me a regular employee; all this means is that I've begun accruing vacation hours and now get paid holidays. I've been waiting for this to happen, as I knew that I could begin accruing hours as soon as five months. At least I don't have to wait a full year.

Other than that, there'My brother had an interview yesterday to be a shift leader at Del Taco. He thinks his chances are good, as he was a shift leader when he worked at McDonald's a few years ago. I hope he gets it, for all our sakes. He needs to be contributing to the household finances, and it would just be good for him to be working in general. Plus, he's been taking courses in learning to do machining work, using to use CNC machines, etc. I prayed that God would light a fire under him, and it seems like He's answered that prayer.

So there's one story of answered prayer. Let's see what ends comes down the pike.

Day two-hundred-sixteen

It's almost the end of lunch and I've had some trouble starting today's entry. I'm a little concerned that I'm growing lethargic about writing. Certainly, there are days where I really have to force myself to write something, if only to keep going.

I feel slow today. There's not much work due today, so we can take the opportunity to get ahead on our work. That said, I feel like I'm not getting much done.

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I'm home now. This day has both dragged on and moved by quickly. I woke up early this morning (9:00 am, which is early for me).

When I'm at work, I find more of my thoughts drifting toward finding another job. I don't really know for sure what I want to do, but I think I want to try something else. While I've come to like my job (somewhat), I've not fallen in love with it. That's really why I haven't pursued learning to run a machine, which would constitute a promotion. I could definitely use some prayer for wisdom and patience about finding something else.

Day two-hundred-fifteen

We've broken 4000 views. Thank you to those who've hung with this blog, though Lord knows why.

Doulos started up again today. We're starting to wrap up our examination of the armor of God as laid out in Ephesians 5. In particular, we learned about the sword of the Spirit, which is the Worx of God. We learned how Jesus skillfully used the Word to combat satanic temptation in Matthew 4 and 16. In battling temptation, we ought to articulate what the temptation is, that we may be able to effectively combat it throughout the use of Scripture, be it specific verses or biblically-grounded idea. It's a motivation for us to stay in our Bibles and to keep searching them; it definitely is for me.

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We received an unexpected blessing. My cousins brought us some groceries, which we haven't been able to get for a while. God has been meeting needs in a number of unexpected ways. It has taught me that while I appreciate being a blessing to others, I need to learn to be gracious when receiving blessings. I haven't always been as I should. The truth is I probably have rarely ever been as gracious as I should be.

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I almost didn't write a post today. I'm noticing that it's starting to get harder to get started writing. I'm thinking about maybe cutting back to posting less often. Of course, I've talked before about doing just that and it proved to be a lot of hot air.

Day two-hundred-fourteen

I'm thinking of taking tonight off. So, let me just say, I need prayer. Pray that God would cause me to grow in the areas of patience and trust. I realized that the two go hand in hand, trusting God and waiting on God to do thighs in His time. I must confess I have resisted these things in the past, but God showed these to me. I pray that God would continue to cause me to grow and that Hus love would abound in me.

Day two-hundred-thirteen

Today, I'm going to lay bare a piece of my soul. I've been reluctant to be so open with this blog about personal things, partly due to discretion, partly due to the still difficult process of opening up to others. So, what I'm about to say I do with some trepidation. I say it that someone else who may be struggling with this may find some encouragement.

Recently, I asked The Lord in prayer to show me areas of sin in my life in why I was perhaps unaware, even if it hurt. That happened today.

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Update 8:31 pm- I've thought and prayed about it, and I decided that I'm not ready to talk about what I had planned to write about. I need to think and pray about it some more. Come back tomorrow, and we'll see what's happened.