Two Unrelated Thoughts

For some of you this first thought probably isn't a big surprise, but it's rather struck me recently.  I don't know what it is, but I've found that it's rather difficult for me to spend money.  It's not so much that the money isn't in the account, it's the deciding that it's okay to remove that money from the account.  A couple of weeks ago I stopped by REI and bought a few items including a day pack/water pack for some longer day hikes and it took forever to decide which pack to decide.  The big thing slowing me down was trying to decide that it was okay to spend $75 on the pack.  Never mind that between my dividend and gift cards I had over $120.  Tonight I hemmed and hawed forever about buying a new modem for my computer, never mind I needed it for a number of reasons and it was easily within my budget.  Hello Mr. Cheap...
 
Flipping channels the other day I came across an Eminem (or was it D12, I'm not hip enough to know the difference) video.  I have absolutely no idea what he was singing about, but I noticed the anger in his voice.  It struck me that many of his songs are filled with a bit of anger, which made me wonder if he (and other hip hop artists) is writing some of the Lament Psalms of our time.  I love the Lament Psalms, I think Psalm 13 is my all time favorite.  There is something so very real about the anger, frustration, but then there is a realization of the need for God.  It is life wrapped up into one poem.  Hip hop has a way of doing that as well, although perhaps not always so blatantly declaring the need for God's help to get out of the particular struggle.