Making mistakes
What if the thing we avoid the most—making mistakes—is actually what we need most to grow? 

Noah's Blog - Musings and stories
Recent content on Noah's Blog - Musings and stories
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We're judged by our worst
I’ve observed that in pretty much every area, we’re judged by our worst, not our best. It seems that there is something about the “weakest link in the chain” that says something about who we are or where we’re at. 
 For instance, in a portfolio, you’re often judged based on your weakest work (which is why you have to be careful to include the peak of your…
Seeing through the moment
I think we’re all familiar with the true statement that “relationships are built on trust.” 
 One way that you trust in a relationship is seeing through the moment to the person inside during a disagreement or bad day. You trust that despite how grumpy the other person is right now and despite whatever hurtful words they say in this moment, you trust who they are and that…
Short story: George and the Mineshaft
Here’s a short story I wrote in 2024. A young man named George goes looking for his father with his friend Harold in an abandoned mine shaft and discovers what he least expected. Suitable as a children’s story or as something to read in a quiet corner and ponder. Realistic fiction. Teaches forgiveness, mercy, and righteous judgment. Moved here from the old /books page. Enjoy. :) 
 A…
The best place to be
The best place to be is in Yahweh our Heavenly Father’s hands—to be in His will. 
 It’s the best place to be because then, no matter what happens around you or to you, you can know He is there with you. 
 Definitely a comforting thought, isn’t it? :) 

I broke my writing streak, but that's okay
So, yes, there’s now a gap in the posts this year. Yes, I did break my long streak of writing a post on this blog everyday without missing—but that’s okay. 
 November 15th, 2025 to April 8th, 2026 is 144 days, so I wrote 144 continuous posts . That’s certainly the longest I’ve ever consistently blogged everyday thus far. 
 One thing I did gain from this was to…
Using LLMs to write texts and emails?
I don’t think it’s good to use LLMs (also known as “AI”) to write your texts and emails. There’s something very twisted about the idea. 
 Personal digital writing is already a step removed from the meaning and benefits provided by writing personal, handwritten notes or letters. I don’t think we need to make it more so. 
 No one really benefits from a…
'Can't' isn't a good excuse
It is easy to look at a difficult situation you’re in and blame it for why you “can’t” do this or that thing that you know you should. But really, even in a different situation there would likely be the same problems, just with different scenery (because that’s just life). 
 Generally, the “can’t” holdup isn’t due to our situation or…
He changes hearts
One of the clearest evidences for the validity of the gospel is how it changes hearts and lives. The Messiah, of whom the gospel speaks of in the Scriptures, changes hearts. 
 All the knowledge and counseling in the world can’t change and heal a broken, wounded heart. But He can and does . 
 Medication and drugs don’t truly change a person. Maybe outwardly and temporarily, but…
What commitment means
Committing to something long term means you’re signing up for the bad days, the struggles, the days when you don’t feel like it. It’s not conditional, it’s always. It’s not an if, it’s a how. It’s not based on circumstances or feelings, it’s based on responsibility and discipline. 

Parallels of Passover and the Messiah
The Messiah is referred to as the Passover lamb many times in Scripture: 
 
 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed the Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 
 
 1 Corinthians 5:7 
 
 
 
 The next day John saw Yahushua coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of Yahweh who takes away…
Childish vs. childlike
There’s a difference between being childish and being childlike. 
 From what I see in Scripture it would be good if we cast off childishness and keep (or regain) our childlikeness. 
 
 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 
 
 1 Corinthians 13:11 (KJV) 
 
 
…
Short story: A llama coincidence
Another short story I wrote based on the prompt: Write a short story that includes the sentence, “The llama couldn’t resist trying the lemonade.” Enjoy :) 
 Josh, a little boy with blonde hair and rather dirty hands, was sitting at his lemonade stand at the end of his parents driveway. His stand consisted of a small white table with a huge paper sign taped to the front…
Every work of art is saying something
As an artist, it’s impossible to not “say” anything with the art you produce. In fact, if you’re staring blankly, unsure what to draw, paint, sculpt, or write, you’re probably dealing with an uncertainty of what you want to say. Thus, asking “what am I trying to say with this?” is one way to try to get unstuck. That’s how fundamental the question of…
How much of our anxiety is self-imposed?
No doubt life is stressful, but it’s hardly an uncommon occurrence to find yourself or someone you know anxious in one way of another. Should it really be like this? No. 
 I wonder, though, how much of anxiety is simply self-imposed ?—from unrealistic expectations, from comparing ourselves to others, from stressing about things we cannot control, from discontentment, from trying to…
Everything is a choice
Everything is a choice. Even not making a decision is a choice. 

Halfway commitment?
Commitment isn’t something you can do halfway. 
 Saying “I’m more committed” is technically not really saying anything at all. Either you’re committed or not (which, at that point you’re essentially just “interested”). 

Be happy and joyful now
If you can’t be happy and joyful right now—with the situation you’re in now, with who you are right now, with what you have now—you will never be happy and joyful. 
 Things and events never produce lasting joy and happiness. 
 It is easy to get thinking that “if ____ happens or when ____ happens, then I will be happy and joyful.” 
 The…
Short story: Olives ‘n Blessings
Here’s another story I wrote based on the prompt: Write a short story that includes the sentence “He had just started eating his salad when he realized there were no olives in it.” Enjoy. :) 
 There once lived a little family in a cottage situated near a swift flowing river in the midst of a woods. The family worked hard to garden and raise cows for food, but it wasn’t…
Short story: Canyon Rescue
Here’s another short story I wrote based on the prompt: “Your character is young, easily embarrassed and self-conscious. The story begins on a cliff. The theme is: a race against time.” Enjoy! :) 
 The wind whipped through the canyon like a tornado, gathering the chalky red dust from crumbling arches and cliffs and spreading it relentlessly across the red soiled plains below.…
Discipline requires looking far
I read an interesting perspective where the author stated that our self-discipline is directly related to where our eyes are looking. Thus, the further we look ahead, the easier it will be to wade through all the daily “dread.” 
 It is difficult to be disciplined over a long period of time with a short-sighted view looking only at the here and now. Discipline requires realization…
Rushing isn't ideal
Reminder: 
 Rushing to do something isn’t ideal. 
 (Ask me how I know :)) 

Live now
Instead of planning to live later, do it now. It is easy to get the thought that tomorrow will be a better day to start truly living, when really yesterday was the best day. 
 Don’t fret, though. Today is still the second best day to begin. 

What is this site?
Short answer: sharing my musings and some stories. 
 Long answer: 
 Maybe it seems pretentious to be writing hundreds (literally) of posts on my convictions, opinions, and thoughts on things. I want to make it clear that this micro-blog is just that: me sharing my thoughts and experiences. 
 I don’t claim to know everything or be 100% correct on everything. But, I’m sure…
Going into debt is a really bad idea
Obviously I’m not a financial advisor, but I don’t think I need credentials to offer a lot of good reasons why going into debt is a really bad idea. 
 This is as much for myself as for anyone else. Lest I or anyone should get the idea that taking on debt is an option, consider the following points: 
 
 Debt enslaves you 
 
 
 The rich rules over the…
Ebbs and flows
Life seems to have ebbs and flows. I’m learning to live and work during the ebbs and flows. 
 If you take a step back, you can sometimes see them quite vividly. 
 Creativity and inspiration especially have rather wild ebbs and flows. Sometimes the well is overflowing, and sometimes it’s dry and crusty at the bottom. 
 There will be ebbs and flows, so it’s best to…
Life lived in-between
We tend to think of our life in terms of the highlights, achievements, and big events, but our life is more made up of everything we’ve lived in-between. 
 The struggles, the little moments, the daily grind, the mundane habits, routines, and actions that we don’t think much of—these are what make up most of our lives. 

Thoughts on grief

 Grief is the price we pay for love when someone passes away. 
 Grief means we really cared about someone. 
 

A clear, closed door
If something that you’re considering doing violates Scripture, it’s a clear, closed door. 

Unnecessary complexity has a cost
Unnecessary complexity has a cost. 
 Take this blog for example. I’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible, both design-wise and in how it is built. 
 It uses a simple, custom HTML and CSS Hugo theme. 
 Really, nothing else is necessary for such a simple website. Anything else would be unnecessary complexity. 
 By keeping the technology for this website light, avoiding…
Revising posts
I guess this my notice that I fully reserve the right to revise old posts. 
 And why not? The majority of my posts could be considered “evergreen” anyway. So, if I find a way to explain something that I talked about in a prior post better, I’ll probably do it. 
 I’ve been uncertain about editing past posts, but I see that it can only be a benefit that this site is…
An interesting shift
Even though I rarely pay attention to the news or happenings (and maybe that’s why it’s clearer for me to see), it’s hard not to see that there is an interesting shift taking place (in the USA at least). 
 It is interesting to me how all of a sudden so many celebrities are getting married now, rappers, and musicians are going towards more family friendly lyrics and themes,…
Short story: Bike Horn Greg
This is a short story I wrote based on the prompt: Write a short story inspired by the sentence “He lived in constant fear of being abruptly fired.” Enjoy. :) 
 Greg had a job. At his job, the company made and sold bike horns. He liked his job for the most part. However, he lived in constant fear of being abruptly fired. He was always afraid of hearing those terrible words from his boss.…
Every story is about relationships
Put simply, all stories are really telling about relationships. 
 Whether it’s relationships between people, people and things, people and animals, or any other combination—it really boils down to telling the growth of a relationship. 
 Stories are about conflict and change. 
 What changes a person? 
 Usually other people. 
 So, we see the conflict and change of the…
Why are you moving?
Typically there are two main reasons someone moves. 
 
 
 
 Moving towards situations, people, opportunities, and/or environments. 
 
 
 
 OR 
 
 
 
 Moving away from situations, people, opportunities, and/or environments. 
 
 
 
 It helps to determine which one is your reason (maybe both) for moving when considering taking that step.…
Write plans in pencil
Not surprising to say, but life hardly works out how you think. 
 I once heard, Write your plans in pencil, Yahweh will write your life in pen. 
 I had written some “plans” in pen in a small notebook at the beginning of the year. Today I reviewed them and, no surprise, how things have unfolded in life barely match what I wrote on paper. In hindsight, it would have been better…
Short story: Mew dogfood
Here’s a short story I wrote based on the prompt: Write a short story inspired by the sentence “He wondered why his dog didn’t like the new dog food.” Enjoy. :) 
 Alex had a dog. But it wasn’t just any dog. It was a very particular dog. Alex’s dog was a terrier named Hudson. From the time he was a puppy Hudson appeared to have an extremely specific schedule…
Too short
Life is too short to not : give it your all, serve Yahweh our Heavenly Father, and maintain good relationships. 

Convincing truth
If someone is truly seeking the truth, we don’t need to fret over convincing them of the truth ourselves . 
 Yahweh will lead the seeking heart to truth in His time, not ours. 
 This is the beauty of a heart open to the truth and a faith in Yahweh that isn’t focused on seeing “results” all the time. 
 Of course we share with others, but we don’t need to be…
No undo, redo
This is your friendly reminder that there’s no undo or redo in life. 

Once
This moment only happens once. 
 This present is a gift from Yahweh. 
 Each moment passes and fades into your history. 
 Each moment, just once. 

The anxious octopus
“The Anxious Octopus” is a gag comic I drew, mainly to remind myself to trust Yahweh and not get anxious about “accomplishing things.” 
 It features an octopus who is clearly sweating and anxious about not being able to get everything he wants to get done accomplished. 
 The deeper meaning of the comic has to do with how the octopus has eight limbs while we have…
Simplifying concepts
Having been working since the beginning of the year on writing and illustrating my first independent book for children, the idea of simplifying concepts is really relevant. 
 It is interesting how in trying to simplify abstract concepts into words and pictures that a child can understand, it has forced me to learn a lot about the topic and dig deeper than I wouldn’t have otherwise. 
…
Computer programming, simplified?
To many, computer programming and software seem a bit like “magic”. I know it was for me before I learned (now over five years ago!). 
 Somehow, someone writes all this funny text that seems incomprehensible and builds complex software applications that can do anything from capturing a photo to online shopping. 
 How does this work? 
 Well, I’m going to challenge…
Making history
History is being made every moment in your life. 
 You don’t have to be a leader or famous person to make history. 
 Impacting others, touching others’ lives with the life that Yahweh has given you—that changes and makes history. 
 Are you making your history count? 

Are you willing to be a fool?
I recently heard the testimony of Keith Green, and what really stood out to me was his self-imposed question. 
 
 Am I willing to be “a fool for Messiah”? 
 
 (Paraphrasing his question in my own words) 
 
 
 Once he could answer “yes” to this question, then he became a believer. Prior to his turning point, he couldn’t and wouldn’t…
Solomon's ask
Today 1 Kings 3 came up on my phone for the daily notification I receive via Bible Notify . It was good timing to reread this story again. 
 
 3 And Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon…
Intellectual humility

 Intellectual pursuit apart from intellectual humility is fruitless. 
 
 Unless we have humility, we’re not going to get very far in our intellectual pursuits. 
 Part of intellectual humility is being able to respectfully disagree with someone. 
 It’s not about giving leeway or conceding your position in the disagreement. It is about having the humility to…
Science, faith, and belief
There is a prevalent thought nowadays that science holds all the answers and there is no need for faith/belief. However, practicing true science requires one to have beliefs and there are many things that mere observable science cannot give answers for. 
 In similar thread to my musings on logic , I think it’s wise to be humble about ourselves and our human limitations. 
 The idea of…
Relationships are your wealth
Most people’s number one regret on their deathbed is that they wish they would have spent more time with their family, that they would have invested more in their relationships. 
 Lately Yahweh has been showing me that the quality of our relationships is the true measure of wealth. 
 
 Prioritize family and relationships. 
 Say sorry often and be quick to forgive. 
 Mend…