Letter To My Investors: A Farce

Dear you, 

Recently I quit my job and became a musician. And though this might seem like a desirable lifestyle, doing whatever you want whenever you want has its drawbacks. For instance, it isn’t always easy to know what you want – and this can bring stress into an already haphazard unpredictable life. Additionally, when wanted things are decided upon, it is a fact that many of these ‘desirables’ cost money.

In light of this, I have devised a plan that is called ‘My Plan,’ and it involves me finding a way to make money from home. The plan goes a little something like this: I ask you if you know of any way for me to make money from home, and then you tell me if you know of any way for me to make money from home.

And then, hopefully, I make money from home.

Your input, dear reader, is wildly appreciated.

Steadfastily on, 
MJ

A Forever Stamp is Forever

It’s true, my friends: there is a way to defeat the laws of economics.

Yes, gas prices are continually on the rise.

Yes, an average of 27 people with master’s degrees are applying for bachelor level positions: the job market is shady at best.

Yes, the price of stamps just went up…. Or has it?

I just found out that when they say Forever, they mean FOREVER. It’s called the forever stamp: stamps that will never expire, will never require “additional” postage, and (for these two reasons alone) will always be in style. “You mean I can use these stamps FOREVER? No matter what the cost of postage??”

YES.

Imagine having an endless supply of gasoline at the rate of $3.89 a gallon. Sure, that seems expensive now, but when gas rises to over $5.00, an endless supply at $3.89 is gonna sound downright economical. Well this is what they’ve given us in the postage world, if by “endless” you mean as many stamps as you happen to have on hand before the rates go up again.

Which means I’ve got a good, endless supply of nine FOREVER stamps just waiting to be stuck to an envelope and mailed across the country…. AND I JUST SAVED NINE CENTS.

D’joo Know the Capital of Alaska?

Well, I’m in Tok, Alaska.  That’s right.  TOK.  It kind of sounds like it looks, but then also….  not really. Currently I’m taking a road trip with my friend Kris to Juneau – but did you know you can’t drive to Juneau? You have to drive through Canada to Haines (which I’ve done once before, oddly enough) and then take a ferry to Juneau.Of course we’re having a killer time. It’s 15 below outside. There’s just nothing for miles and miles and miles in this state. And when I say miles, boy do I mean it.   MILES.  If you’ve never lived in Alaska, well then, you’ve just never lived. Not in Alaska at least…Anyway, I still think the greatest marvel of this story and really the point of this post is that they have wireless internet for FREE in Tok, Alaska. Yep. Fast Eddy’s Restaurant and Motel has free internet. You can’t get free wireless internet at Starbucks – or most of corporate America – but by golly somehow Fast Eddy’s manages to pull it off without going fiscally under. I’m pretty sure I’m afraid to touch the sheets at Fast Eddy’s. I’m probably going to sleep in a sleeping bag. 

Things I Want: A List

(In no particular order…)

1. Pumpkin Pie. I’m going to make one…

2. Auto Start for my vehicle.

3. To know everything about everything.

4. Time.

5. Perfume. Specifically: PURE. I don’t know who makes it, but I’m running out.

6. Season 7 of Gilmore Girls on DVD.

7. Vacation! To somewhere warm and tropical.

8. Change. Not because things aren’t good the way they are, but change is equally good. I want adventure and I want to be out there experiencing all that life has to offer! Oh, that I were as brave in reality as I am in my dreams…

9. Books. And lots of ‘em.

10. To play and write music. And I want it to be good.

11. Holidays and snow!

I’m gonna be rich..

I was balancing my “checkbook” yesterday.. (just a fancy word I use when what I really mean is my computer calendar/bank account/credit card statements). I started doing the calculations, projections, I’m on a roll… paying off my car and realizing I’ll have $3,000.00 in the bank by the middle of December!

BOO YAH!

So I’m excited, put down my computer and start working on my Old Testament read through… when suddenly I’m reminded of how horribly inconsistent I am with tithing lately. So instead of continuing to be a lazy bum, I get back online and sign up for automatic payment of my tithe. [sidebar. Does it still count as tithing, as WILLING sacrifice, if I'm not consciously writing the check myself every two weeks?] And I’m feeling pretty good because I know the Lord loves a cheerful giver and I’d do better to tithe and trust him than to try to hoard it all for myself. (Besides, I’m gonna be rich by the end of the year…)

And I go back to my “softledger” to update for my tithing. And I realize. I did all my calculations wrong. Wrong. Dead wrong.

I will not be rich by the end of the year.

You know what though? I’m still excited about giving to the church and being a good steward of my money. I’m excited to start seeing my debts paid and being able to invest in a “home” someday. I’m excited for all of it. And even though the more consistent tithe paying could very well mean a more consistent lack of money – I know that God is not bound by “laws of nature.” And I’m super excited to see what he’s going to do with it all – with my heart, my money, and my life.

It all belongs to him anyway…