"When I look up at the heavens
that have been formed by your hands,
the moon and the stars
that you have set in place—
What is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man, that you care for him?"
Psalm 8:3-4
“We are slow to master the great truth that even now Christ is, as it were, walking among us, and by His hand, or eye, or voice, bidding us to follow Him. We do not understand that His call is a thing that takes place now. We think it took place in the Apostles' days, but we do not believe in it; we do not look for it in our own case.
God beholds you. He calls you by name. He sees you, and understands you, as He made you. He knows what is in you, all your peculiar feelings and thoughts, your dispositions and likings, your strengths and your weaknesses. He views you in your day of rejoicing and in your day of sorrow. He sympathizes in your hopes and your temptations. He interests Himself in all your anxieties and remembrances, all the risings and fallings of your spirit.
He encompasses you round and bears you in His arms. He notes your very countenance, whether smiling or in tears. He looks tenderly upon you. He hears your voice, the beating of your heart, and your very breathing. You do not love yourself better than He loves you. You cannot shrink from pain more than He dislikes your bearing it; and if He puts it on you, it is as you would put it on yourself, if you would be wise, for a greater good afterwards.
God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission -- I may never know it in this life but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.
Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me -- still He knows what He is about.
Let us feel what we really are--sinners attempting great things. Let us simply obey God's will, whatever may come. He can turn all things to our eternal good. Easter day is preceded by the forty days of Lent, to show us that they only who sow in tears shall reap in joy. The more we do, the more shall we trust in Christ; and that surely is no morose doctrine, that leads us to soothe our selfish restlessness, and forget our fears, in the vision of the Incarnate Son of God.
May the Lord support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in His mercy may He give us safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at last.”
John Henry Newman
Late last night stocks took a decided turn lower.
The Dollar started slumping around 4 AM.
And gold ralllied sharply.
Silver, along with a few other key industrial metals, turned lower in sympathy with stocks.
As I have mentioned a few times in the past, when I was during multivariate regression analysis of the precious metals and other things, it was apparent that unlike gold silver has about a 50% sensitivity to economic conditions.
The VIX is very rangebound.
My gut hunch is that today was just some preliminary shenanigans ahead of the stock option expiration on Friday.
I didn't see any particular news. But I may have missed it.
Stock option expiration this Friday, and a Comex precious metals option expiration next week.
If Israel invades Lebanon there is going to be a battle royale in the Mideast. Ukraine is also on a slow boil, but I don't think they stand a chance unless the US gets far more involved. Same with Israel most likely.
All exogenous events worth watching for their mispriced risk factors.
Have a pleasant evening.
