Habit Halftime:

According to S. J. Scott, author of "Habit Stacking: 127 Small Changes to Improve Your Life" There are different types of habits, with different purposes. The most prominent type of habit is the Keystone habit. This is a habit that changes your life, and influences many parts of your life. One example of a keystone habit is 30 minutes of exercise a day. This simple habit makes a person more health conscious in general. It also improves energy levels which influence work performance, mood, and so on.

Other habits, however, are just as important, and can be used strategically to build upon those keystone habits. Another type of habit is a Supporting habit. This is just what it sounds like. If a keystone habit is exercise, for example, then packing a gym bag, or filling water bottles might be supporting habits to make that keystone habit more automatic, and less of a chore.

Still another habit cited by Scott is the Elephant habit. The title of this type of habit is less familiar unless you are acquainted with the hypothetical question "How do you eat an elephant?" To which one would give the proverbial answer: "One bite at a time." Elephant habits are those "bites" small steps towards large goals like learning a new language, or some other learning challenge. It doesn't necessarily need to be academic. I, for example, am in the habit of reinvesting a portion (a small "bite") of my BTC mining proceeds towards more hashing power, in the knowledge that compounding is an amazing mathematical force of nature (you may use my Genesis mining code for a 3% discount if you're into mining--see code in Crypto-Corner).

Musical Offering:

*Not a dry eye in the house! Adios Noninos is a piece of music that is for the most solemn of occasions. It was literally the swan song of the composer, Astor Piazzola's father, according to Wikipedia. It's just a powerful piece of music!

Crypto-Corner:

My Genesis mining code: WszEOH. Want a tip for mining? Buying mining power is just like buying anything else. The larger quantity you buy, the cheaper it gets. But you have to do a little number crunching to find where the break points are, and I've included the those break points for SHA 256 (BTC) below:

• .2---2.25 Th/s = $150 USD/Th/s
• 2.5 Th/s = $139 USD/Th/s
• 5---10 Th/s =$140 USD/Th/s
• 15---100 Th/s = $130 USD/Th/s

Why is this important? Well, I'll get into that in the next post, but basically it helps you strategically if you are planning a "big move" in mining versus a series of incremental moves. It can save you a bit of money if you plan it right.

Scripture of the day:

Proverbs 21:30 Context

27The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? 28A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly. 29A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way. 30There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. 31The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

Thoughts on this verse: Today I had one of those moments, those 'check myself' moments. I admired an individual known for their diligence in work, and for very high intelligence. Maybe you've had these moments too; a favorite singer, or a sports hero, but for me it's usually people who are very smart, and/or those who have excellent work ethic, and this individual had both.

In spite of this I felt a check in my spirit when I listened to the things he was saying regarding G-d, because while he did acknowledge G-d, he had the notion that the pursuit of G-d is primarily an intellectual one, rather than a spiritual one, that requires an element of faith. Faith need not be blind. Many intellectuals, C.S. Lewis and Lee Stroebel being two very notable examples, did use their intellect as a means of seeking G-d which task is the duty of us all.

But ultimately, faith, that critical component of trust, is necessary. The "counsel of the L-rd" in scripture is that enticing "words of wisdom" do not save. Fearing G-d, hating evil, humility, these are the things that lead us to the path of faith. That path leads us to the cross of Christ, the Messiah. And from there we rest, and pursue The Way, and take on the "light burden" of Christ's servant nature.

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Note: This is the first of a series of posts set in this format. I hope to gain a regular readership using this style of post formatting. Please comment if you like this style, or have suggestions for improvement. The goal is to treat the post like a mini-magazine that becomes a regular habit for people to read. I may start including snippets of short stories or puzzles of some sort, or funny videos just for a laugh.