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So, if you know me at all you’ll know that I’m optimistic in nature. So lately I’ve had that mix bag of happenings but I see the good in everything.

The other day I was driving to an account in Zanesville, Ohio. While driving my 2003 Saab 9-3 flashed up on the Info Display “Gearbox Malfunction”. So I made it home and the car had some major issues. I contact MAG (Midwestern Auto Group) the ONLY SAAB DEALER IN CENTRAL OHIO. So, I figured I was going to get hit with this huge bill. So, I was pretty depressed when I pulled it in.

The Service Manager came back in and said the following:
The car needs the following:
- 2 Recalls Fixed
- 1 Optional Customer Satisfaction Campaign
- The Saab Emblem is Peeling
- and obviously the reason I took it in, the transmission problem

By this time I’m ready to just pass out from beginning to get sick and all this horrible information about this car.

Now, the silver lining… MAG was where the car was purchased – the car had 3,000 Miles left on its warranty. They called today and I’m going to get a brand new transmission covered under warranty. However I’m going to be without a car for 3 weeks.

Thankfully the VanAtta family loaned us one of their cars. My mom is taking their car and I’m driving around my mom’s 2004 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE.

Then I am really sick. The good thing though is it has caused me to slow WAY down. So I’m getting rested while being sick which is good.

That’s all going on right now. Some more things are going on but I prefer to save that information for later.

Night,
- J -

So, I’ve come to find that I enjoy musicals (go figure since I love to sing). This weekend RENT: The Motion Picture arrived thanks to NetFlix. Now, I know that it deals with subjects that I’m not really that “in touch” with. However, I personally look past the movie into what it should inspire you to feel and some interesting things that it makes you think about.

The opening song which is one of my favorites is, “Seasons of Love”. The opening line to the movie is:
“525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear, 525,600 minutes, how do you measure a year?”
The movie made me think how I “measure” a year in my life. There are so many things that you can use to measure life and the song says to measure it in love. Now, I of course think that as a Christian should we not measure of lives in love?

Then you have the tag line of the movie “No Day But Today”. I think about that and think how we should live for today. I believe that is also Biblical as it does say, “Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

I was driving to a friend’s house tonight and the following lyrics caught me,
“Forget regret or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way, no day but today”

Sometimes I make decisions that I regret. Then I have to remember that they’re all part of a much bigger plan. Each decision good or bad helps form my future and helps me walk that path that God’s set out for me.

So just thought I’d share that small thought about RENT. I highly recommend it (warning, there is some harsh language). I already purchased the soundtrack off of iTunes… I’ll be buying the movie soon.

Well, need to get to bed, church tomorrow.

Night and God Bless,
- J -

I must say that I’m am SO thankful that this week is over. It seems like the entire week just spiraled out of control. I just got used to getting up each and every day this week and feeling like it was going to be crazy, and it was. Then to top it all off the wonderful snow… yay (if you can’t read the sarcasm… then… well..) anyways, so that was wonderful trying to make all my appointments today sliding around and avoiding absolute maniac Honda drivers on the freeway (ask me about that one…).

This week consisted of normal drama which I come to accept and deal with. It reminds me of a song by Bowling for Soup called, “High School Never Ends.” So very true… Sometimes I wonder if the drama is worth it, but we won’t go there because if I voice my opinion it will start this huge offline and online bashing session… which I don’t feel like dealing with. Then we had work and the overtime and the weather and everything else… All of it together = a week that I’m glad is finished.

So, this weekend began with Hope and I getting together and watching movies at my house (thank goodness for Netflix). She took off and I’ve been surfing the net, catching up on myspace messages and listening to music. Tomorrow will consist of staying home and cleaning then meeting up with KG and JG to hang out. Sunday will consist of church and hopefully membership class in the evening. Then another week of work, I’m so excited!

Well, I’m off to bed. If I think about it I’ll try and get on here and post again tomorrow.

Night,
- J -

So, in the past I’ve been like search result 3 – 5 on Google when searching for ‘John Massie’ (no quotes). For the heck of it today I threw my name in google to see what would happen. I am now the #1 search result.

I feel a little bit more famous .

Later,
- J -

So, ever feel like you wish you could take your day and just restart? Like somewhere in life there was a start menu (or Apple menu ) and you could select restart. That’s how today is.

I’ve been working since before the butt crack of dawn and every time I get two steps ahead I have 15 more things piled on top of me. I foresee some L O N G days ahead of me. It also seems like everything around me is going wrong. Incorrect billing, incorrect bank stuff, incorrect information in work orders and the list could just go on.

So, I work a whole lot today and finally end up at my house around 2:30ish to eat lunch (yes, lunch mind you). I fix some spaghetti and sit down to calmly sit. Then as I’m finishing my last bite of food, my Nextel phone gets paged 5 times, in a row. I guess one of my clients has machines going down like flies… go figure. So that’s more stuff that I have to get done.

Then I look at the clock and think, “It’s only 3:00 pm?” So I did what any blogger would do when they can’t deal with their feelings… but blog! So here I sit.

As I was sitting in my office God quietly placed a song in my head that I would like to share here:

In Christ Alone Medley
Phillips, Craig and Dean

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are still, when striving cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpmess made
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorn by the ones He came to save

Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sins curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope

In Christ alone I place my trust
and find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope
Is Christ alone

No guilt in life no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry till final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

That song is a daily pray that I strive to live up to that “Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.” It’s been hard but I have a reassurance that God’s with me.

I finished my book “When God Winks at You”. When I get a moment to breathe I’ll be writing a full blog entry on that book. My short review, “Go get it and read it, you won’t be sorry.” I feel that it’s been very interesting how God’s placed me in two different church services and had me hear two very similar messages.

The first sermon of the year at Highland had to do with Hope, Joy and Love. It also talked about your life and placing hope in your life allows you to have joy and love and guiding your life through the year. Then by a slim chance I ended up at Vineyard of Marysville and I wasn’t even supposed to be at that church last Sunday, but I was. I saw Shawna and got to re-connect with Derek and Casey, all of much which long overdue. I heard a message from their pastor that had to do with direction in your life.

So, I don’t know… it just seems like God’s getting ready to move me in this journey I call life, but I’m still not sure where. So keep prayin for me and leave me some comments!

In Christ Alone,
- J -

I saw this at a client site hanging up. I found it on the net and wanted to post it for those who work in an office…

BLAMESTORMING – Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.

SEAGULL MANAGER – A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.

ASSMOSIS – The process by which people seem to absorb success and advancement by sucking up to the boss rather than working hard.

CUBE FARM – An office filled with cubicles.

PRAIRIE DOGGING – When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people’s heads pop up over the walls to see that’s going on. (This also applies to applause from a promotion because there may be cake.)

MOUSE POTATO – The on-line, wired generation’s answer to the couch potato.

SITCOM’s – Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids or start a “home business”.

STRESS PUPPY – A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.

PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE – The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

ADMINISPHERE – The rarefied organisational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the “adminisphere” are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve. This is often affiliated with the dreaded “administrivia” needless paperwork and processes.

404 – Someone who’s clueless. From the World Wide Web error message “404 Not Found,” meaning that the requested document could not be located.

OHNOSECOND – That minuscule fraction of time in which you realise that you’ve just made a BIG mistake (e. g. you’ve hit ‘reply all’).

So, I was talking with a friend today when I realized that on the 30th of this month… I will have owned this house for one year. I think of a lot about what my mom and grandma has told me when I moved out. I had a lot of people not believe in me and expected failure. Thankfully by God’s grace that this has turned out better than I could ever imagine.

I heard a song that I felt fit this year in review. I grew up without a father so I personally think of the words my “mother” told me. Much of what this song talks about is exactly what my mother and grandma have told me and what my heavenly Father has assured me of… When I hear this song it reminds me of my family back “home” (ok, across town…) and I wanted to post it as I was thinking about them tonight.

Welcome Home (You)
Brian Littrell

When I left home to be who I am
Some people said “No Way”
But I laid it all down, gave everything
In my head rang the words that my father said

You’re never far
I will be where you are
and when you come to me
I will open my arms

Welcome Home, you
I know you by name
How do you do?
I shine because of you today
So come and sit down
Tell me how you are
I know son, it’s good just to see your face.

When I look at you holding my heart
I will give to you all that I have
Son I know there’ll be times
You will feel all alone
I will share with you the words my father said

You’re never far
I will be where you are
and when you come to me
You can bet I will open my arms

Welcome Home, you
I know you by name
How do you do?
I shine because of you today
So come and sit down
Tell me how you are
I know son, it’s good just to see your face

Said I’ve been waiting for that day
Just to feel your warm embrace
Your love has shown
I will never be alone
You will welcome me home

I’ll forever be
You will say to me
Welcome Home, you
I know you by name
How do you do?
I shine because of you today
So come and sit down
Tell me how you are
I know son, it’s good just to see your face

When I left home to be who I am
Some people said “No Way”

So, I feel very “off” today. I got up this morning, and I was just a few minutes later than I have been getting up. It seems like that short amount of time has just thrown me so far off today. I can’t think, I feel like I’m getting nothing done (but for my co-workers reading this, I did get work done, lol), I feel so disconnected and I feel like God’s trying to tell me something.

I feel like God’s trying to get my attention. I just can’t seem to find the words to say or what to do so figure out why I am feeling this way.  So I was driving from account to account when the following song came on:

Boston
Augustana

In the light of the sun
Is there anyone
Oh it has begun
Oh dear you look so lost
Eyes are red
And tears are shed
This world you must have crossed

You said you don’t know me
And you don’t even care
Oh yeah
She said you don’t know me
And you don’t wear my chains
Oh yeah

Essential yet appealed
Carry all your thoughts
Across an open field
When flowers gaze at you
They’re not the only ones
Who cry when they see you

You said you don’t know me
And you don’t even care
Oh yeah
She said you don’t know me
And you don’t wear my chains
Oh yeah

She said I think I’ll go to Boston
Think I’ll start a new life
I think I’ll start it over
Where no one knows my name
I’ll get out of California
I’m tired of the weather
Think I’ll get a lover
And fly him out to Spain
I think I’ll go to Boston
I Think that I’m just tired
I Think I need a new town
To leave this all behind
I Think I need a sunrise
I’m tired of a sunset
I hear it’s nice in the summer
Some snow would be nice

Oh yeah

Boston
Where no one knows my name (yeah)
Where no one knows my name
Where no one knows my name (yeah)
Boston
Where no one knows my name

I have not been able to get that song out of my head since. I know that I do relate to the chorus and I even posted a tag from the song as the subtitle to the blog. Now, I don’t live in California nor do I want to go to Boston.

I don’t know, I just felt compelled to post, put some of my feelings on my “digital paper”. So, I’m going to get off here, ODE Project tonight.

God Bless,
- J -

Here are the first lines of each month in 2006 from this blog and my former. So, I’m stealing this from Joel who stole it from someone .

January: “Happy New Year!”

February:  “So I painted last night… and I get to paint today. What joy!”

March: “So, I felt much better when I read the comment from Heather. Sometimes it takes something like that to make you wake up and realize what and why you blog.”

April: “Today has been a great day! Well, minus the rain, strong winds, and early morning storms.”

May: “And so begins another day…”

June:

“I am now at www.johnmassie.com.
The site is live, check it out.
Catch you on the flipside,
- J -”

 

July: “I know, I haven’t posted in a while.”

 

August: “Well, here I sit on a Sunday evening, at the iMac. I know, the last time I updated was a while back. So, I’ll give you the cliff notes update on my life.”

 

September: “I want to say that I am a mere simple mortal man.”

 

October: “This week hasn’t been so great. The weather, people, events… it all has sucked, and I’m so tired of it.”

 

November: “So, I changed the theme, it’s what’s been on my heart.”

 

December: “Only in my house could you be listening to iTunes on shuffle and hear…”

 

I noticed, that it seems to take me until the 13th of every month to update. Strange… lol. Well, gotta run, just thought I’d put something quick on here.

 

God Bless,
- J -

Well, welcome to 2007. I pray that God blesses this year and guides me as I walk my journey this year. I look back on all that 2006 brought and I’m very excited to begin a new chapter in 2007. May God be with you all this year.

God Bless,
John C. Massie