The Pursuit of Happiness

I don't desire happiness. Happiness is pleasure derived from a situation. Happiness depends on what happens. If there are any mishaps, happiness is not present. Perhaps without happenstance, I would be hapless and not happy.

I desire peace. Peace does not depend on circumstance. Peace surpasses situations. I can have peace in a crisis. I cannot have happiness in a crisis. (This does not mean I cannot be joyful in a crisis. True joy springs from Peace, not Happiness.)

King David wrote "Seek peace, and pursue it". Chase it. Hunt it down. Wrestle for it. Do not cease the fight without receiving it. Seize it. The Pursuit of Peace.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ said that those who listen to His words and put them into practice are like the man who built his house on the rock. When the storm comes the house still stands. Those who do not practice what they hear from Him are compared to the man who built his house on sand. When the storm comes the house falls.

Happiness is a house founded on sand. Peace is built on a rock.

Torrential Downpour Blues

So I can go on Seeqpod and cue up a whole album and listen to it whenever I want (assuming I have internet access, which is more often than not). What's the difference between that and downloading the torrent?

It is as though the value of music rests only in excellent packaging. Otherwise, there is no need to buy music ever again.

The exception is under the radar indie music, which is significantly less accessible.

Thoughts?

I'll Be Wonderin' On

From J A Thompson's The Bible and Archaeology:

"A later writer in the Bible described this first journey of Abraham as one in which 'he went out, not knowing whither he went' (Heb. 11:8b). Recent research suggest quite strongly that it is not in a physical sense that this verse must be applied. There were well-trodden trade routes throughout these lands and we have no reason to think that Abraham left the usual roads when he made his journey. We should rather interpret this verse in a spiritual sense, namely, that having set out at the call of God, he did not quite know where this response was likely to lead him in the end."

Well. I do appreciate this. Perhaps if you've read that text before, you've pictured Abraham rather clueless about his surroundings, and wondering around till he found something. It's good to be reminded that this educated man knew a lot about the world around him. Though he probably knew about Haran, and He probably knew about Palestine, he walked his journey listening to YHWH's guidance, step by step.

This is encouraging to me. I know about the world around me. I know about the music business. But I'm still pretty clueless as to how it will all play out successfully. One step at a time. Listen, hear, follow.