The Keener Way

    Okay, so it is February now, and the Gregorian New Year's Day is a ways behind us. Though according to the lunar calendar of Jewish Torah, the first day of Nissan is on March 30 this year. And according to the Persian Hijri calendar, one of the most mathematically accurate solar calendars of all times, the new year is on the vernal equinox, which will fall on March 20 this year. Which means that, either way, I still have a month and a half till the new year begins, because I like poking holes in Rome. Plus Persia had better mathematicians. But I will still refer to Gregorian dating for public communication for the sake of communication, even though it is less accurate.  Anyway... In 2024, I set 'Sanctuary' as my word of the year. In original etemology, this is defined as a sacred or holy place. Over time, the word became broadened to any place of refuge. So how did the year go for me in light of this? The year started with a trip to Louisiana in January, where I spent...

Some time ago, a very dear friend and sister in the Lord got me started on picking word for the year at the new year. So with today being January 1st, I started thinking about what my word was going to be. As I was thinking and praying about it, the number 73 passed through my mind. When it comes to scripture, there are a few books that have 73 or more verses in a chapter. Numbers 7, Psalm 119, Matthew 26, and Luke 1. But there is only one book with 73 or more chapters, the book of Psalms. So I turned to Psalm 73. Here, a man names Asaph speaks of how he almost slipped up. He became envious of the wicked, the boastful, the proud, because as far as he could see, they were not plagued with troubles like Asaph and the other righteous men around him. Asaph says "I've cleansed my heart and washed my hands in vain, because I have been plagued all day, and rebuked every morning." And this is so relatable these days. But even more relatable is what Asaph says next. Basically, he ...

  Happy January 1, 2024! One of my friends and sister in the Lord asked me the other day, "What were the highlights of this past year?" I have no short answers. This last year has been insane. At the start of the year, I felt like my word for the year was 'Selah', which we can't prove with 100% certainty, but we think it means "praise the Lord" How did the year line up? Well... January: I traveled solo all the way to Florida, I experienced the ocean for the first time in over a decade, and for the first time completely of my own free will. I found myself in a sticky situation where my actions caused some hurt to a very good friend, but that led to a long late-night discussion where we really opened up a lot more with each other and agreed to talk things out whenever one of us managed to hurt the other. February: I got a part time job at a gun shop. My maternal grandma died, the last living grandparent I had. When I watched my mom and uncles closing her c...