Email sent to : we_can_help@comcast.com and William_Gerth@comcast.com (information via @comcastcares Twitter account/profile) *Note: I never received any messages back from either of those addresses. Unless they just escalate cases to someone higher up.. What’s the point of publicizing the email addresses on Twitter if they aren’t used?

Wednesday afternoon (5/9)

• Lost connection to home PC around 3PM

Wednesday evening (5/9)

• Arrived home from work at 6PM and noticed no internet or television service.
• Called Comcast
• Comcast CSR could not communicate with my modem/“box”
• He said there was a reported outage in the area and techs were out working on it
• He said he would add my account to the list of account holders that have called in
• He said that I would receive an automated call back from Comcast when they confirmed the outage had been resolved. I made sure to again ask that I receive this call.
• 29 minutes on phone

Thursday morning (5/10)

• Still no service
• No phone call from Comcast
• Called Comcast
• Comcast CSR said that the outage from last night was resolved. They would need to send a tech out to my apartment.
  • Already at work so can’t do Thursday
  • Scheduled for Friday 8-10AM.
  • Had I received a call late Wednesday or early Thursday, as promised, I could have adjusted my schedule on Thursday and been available for a tech to come out.
• 31 minutes on phone

Friday morning (5/11)

• Comcast Tech arrived at apartment around 8:15AM
• Confirmed a Comcast signal was received at the junction point on my floor in the building.
• Confirmed there was no signal from my apartment to the junction point
• Comcast Tech gave me a number to “Custom Cabling” (410-374-3648) and said to schedule an appointment with them to get new wire run from Comcast junction point in hallway to my apartment
• Comcast Tech left
• ~15 minutes on site
• I called “Custom Cabling” and scheduled an appointment for Monday between 8am and 12pm. (I didn’t understand why I had to do this – but did it anyway to get the ball rolling)

Friday morning (5/11)

• Called Comcast
• Spoke with Comcast CSR: “Tanya” (Very nice, also confused about all the confusion)
• Tech has notes “No access to Prem”
• There is no record of me calling into Comcast on 5/9 when I initially reported the issue. Probably why I never received the automated call I was promised (Follow up with manager to report this for disciplinary action. Unacceptable)
• Deeper into ticket the tech referred the case to the Maintenance Department
  • Noted that my location needed a “new post wire”
  • The Comcast CSR said that Comcast’s Maintenance Department handles the wiring and repairs and they would run any new wire.
  • I asked if Comcast uses outside Contractors for wire repair like this. CSR said, sometimes for new setups or if Comcast techs are not readily available.
  • Comcast CSR had not heard of a Comcast customer having to schedule a time with the Contractor directly
  • Comcast CSR setup a phone call with the Maintenance Department who would call me by 12:12PM on Friday to discuss the repair issue further and clear up the confusion
  • As of 1:15PM, no call (1 hour has passed)
• 30 minutes on phone

Friday afternoon (5/11)

• Called Comcast (1:15PM)
• Spoke with Comcast CSR and let her know that I did not receive the promised phone call from the “Maintenance Department”
• She said that the Maintenance Department does not usually talk with customers (I told her this was arranged by a Comcast CSR)
• She said the tech requested a new line run to my apartment
• She said that the “Technical Services” department would call me to further discuss – as they would have more information (knowledge?) than her on the issue.
• It should be within an hour, but I should definitely receive this call by 3PM today (Friday, 5/11)
• Comcast CSR said she would check-up and make sure the call was made
• 13 minutes on phone
• Called Custom Cabling (Contractor referred to by Comcast Tech this morning)
• Asked if they knew what to look at once they arrived on Monday morning
• She said they would analyze the wire from the outside box to the apartment
• Asked for clarification of “outside” – outside of my apartment door or outside the apartment building?
• She said outside of the building from the street to my apartment
• They would re-run the wire (if they could, they would do it that day, or schedule another time to come out)
• I just said “OK” – well see what they say on Monday when they come out – this doesn’t make much sense
• Is it typical for Comcast customers to schedule their own appointments with you?
• Usually the Comcast tech does it, but sometimes the tech will give our business card or phone number to the customer.
• No call from Comcast’s “Technical Support” department yet as of 3:40PM – 40 minutes past their maximum promised time.

Friday Evening (5/11)

• The Regional Executive Office gave me a call today at 5:30 basically saying we’ll talk on Monday.
• According to them the case was closed. (The case may have been “closed” incorrectly by the tech, but I don’t have Comcast service.)
• The gesture is nice – too bad I’ll be without Internet and television this weekend!

So, what am I waiting for? When Cabling Solutions comes out on Monday, what are they going to do? Where are they going to look? Is it going to be days of pointing fingers and scheduling more appointments?

Apparently Comcast Maintenance has already been dispatched – so I’m in their system to replace/repair the line within 2-5 business days from Friday (so sometime next week). This is going to end up being after Cabling Solutions comes out.

Who is paying for this? Certainly not me. Well, except for not having television and internet service for the past 2 days (and most likely this upcoming weekend) – and the time I’ve spent trying to figure this out with Comcast and documenting their dysfunction.

There is a serious lack of communication between departments, tech, and customer, following up on promises, and knowledge of what needs to be done.

Waiting on hold for 20+ minutes for a Comcast CSR

Tulips at Sherwood Gardens in Guilford

Tulip beds at Sherwood Gardens in Guilford

"LOVE" painted in sign language in the Jones Falls Expressway waterway in Mt. Washington Village

Went on a little hike around Loch Raven and had a "picnic" on the water

Neat looking view of the sunset through the brush/tress

Took advantage of the nice weather to take a few bike rides through the twisty country roads

Trees at Loch Raven

Finished the weekend with snowballs on Sunday night.

Also, need to go to some concerts again. Considering I’m now .2 seconds from The Recher, I have no excuses.

Also, it’s spring, so it’s not 3 degrees out anymore.

I, myself, sometimes struggle (sometimes with a little guilt) in balancing the joys of this life and my earthly desires with what God would desire for me. In one of the most lyrically simplest of songs, David Crowder says, “You are my joy, You are my joy, You are my joy, You are my joyyyyyyyyyy” I believe when Christ is our ultimate joy – and at the end of the day, we know, truly, in our hearts, that nothing on this earth will satisfy us more than Christ’s never-ending love and gift of Salvation – I think then, we can be free to enjoy life and grab as many “good feelings” as we are blessed to have available – while always remembering to praise and thank our Provider.

Ask yourself, what gives you a good feeling? And what are you doing with that? Every day, make Jesus and what He’s done for you your “good feeling”, share that with those around you in the way you live – and I believe you’ll find that the good feeling you get from His love is worth infinitely more than the Bugatti and Maybach that Flo Rida is after.

On the way home from work today (well now yesterday) I was heading north on 95.. before reaching the tunnel I noticed, for the first time, a massive building under construction that appeared to be in front of the 1st Mariner Bank tower in Canton. I thought to myself, “how could I NOT have noticed this large of a building being constructed all the times I’ve traveled this road recently?!” For a quarter mile until the tunnel I kept glancing over to this structure – just completely bewildered by its existence. Could it have been some huge push to get the building done quickly? Did they hire an army of people to build this thing in a week?! Couldn’t be. No way.

As I hit traffic at the tunnel entrance, and subsequently crawled through the tunnel, I kind of forgot about it. When I finally made it out of the tunnel and through the toll plaza I gave a quick glance back towards the 1st Mariner Bank tower.

The building that I previously saw in front of the tower was gone!!!!!! What. the. heck?!

A good minute went by full of glances and gears turning in my head.

I felt stupid. This was stupid. I felt foolish. It was foolish to not realize that I was simply looking at this building from a different perspective. I was perfectly positioned to see that big building in front of the bank tower. (This building is actually 2 miles away near the new Legg Mason building in Harbor East). But the angle was perfect! Perfect enough for me to not see reality.

This got me thinking about life… and how a lot of life is about putting things in perspective. And I guess looking at things with a different angle.

What am I worrying about?

It seems like life has blasted it’s lessons at me like a fire hose the past 2 years. Between multiple health issues, loss of a job, maintaining a relationship, having a severely broken heart, living on my own, bills, cars, job. You don’t know how you’re going to handle life until you really experience – and I don’t claim to have experienced the worst of it yet – or be some expert of lifes struggles.

Maybe I need to let go of the reigns a little and continue to let God show me his plans (Philippians 2:13).

The thing is, sure, I realize that I don’t have it nearly as bad as others – my life is actually pretty good on the surface… and maybe my “problems” are pretty trivial compared to so many others… That’s great and all but it’s of course hard to listen to this and accept it as things are happening to you. Everyone struggles differently and responds differently – not necessarily a bad thing.

So where do you draw the line about being thankful for what you have – (OR don’t have) and putting into perspective the problems of the world compared to yours?

My perspective is realizing I’m a messed up person who deserves way worse than I have it… I’m grateful for the mercy and grace of my Creator to still provide me with the life I have – the Savior that took the burden of my sins, my junk… I’m reliant on God to help me through things — while still realizing that things aren’t just going to be handed to me and I have to actually listen to His Will and act on it.

I never ever want to wallow in my circumstances enough that I forget, take for granted, or not tell others the peace and reward that comes from having a relationship with Jesus – both the peace here on earth in the circumstances I’m found in and the peace that comes from knowing my place is set for eternity in heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

Life isn’t easy – for anyone. Jesus never promised that. But He did promise he’d have our backs when we’re lost. I can’t imagine dodging all the obstacles of life without help, hope, and a Light at the end of the road. The Christian life of Faith provides joy and peace – a way out – in a broken world that never seems to give us a break and is constantly grabbing for our attention.

John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

This world is not our home.. We may never get that AH-HA moment here on earth. Our truest joy and understanding will be experienced when we leave this world and join our Father in heaven for eternity. As difficult as that may be, that’s where I put my hope.

Some verses that I’ve found comfort in:

• Psalm 27:13-14: “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

• 1 Peter 5:10: “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

• 2 Corinthians 1:8-9: “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”

• Psalm 119:71: “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”
• James 1:4 (& 2-8): “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Some positive songs I’ve found comfort in:

David Crowder Band – Shadows

When shadows fall on us
We will not fear
We will remember
When darkness falls on us
We will not fear
We will remember
When all seems lost
When we’re thrown and we’re tossed
We’ll remember the cost
We’re resting in the shadow of the cross

Ashes Remain – Right Here

I will show you the way back home
never leave you all alone
I will stay until the morning comes
I’ll show you how to live again
and heal the brokenness within
Let me love you when you come undone

Chris August – Starry Night

From the autumn leaves, that will ride the breeze
To the Faith it takes, to pray and sing
From the Painted sky, to my plank filled eye
He is God of all, He is everything

Gungor – Beautiful Things

Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You
You make me new, You are making me new

Tenth Avenue North – Times

In times of confusion
In chaos and pain
I’m there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame
I’m there through your heart-ache
I’m there in the storm
My love I will keep you by my power alone
I don’t care where you’ve fallen or where you have been
I’ll never forsake you
My love never ends
It never ends

Tenth Avenue North – Hold My Heart

So many questions without answers your promises remain
I can’t see but I’ll take my chances to hear you call my name
To hear you call my name

These are just good reminders that you’re not going through this alone, and although you may not understand why things are happening right now, there is a Father who wants the best for us and knows this is what you need and will pull you through – in His time – if you release the reigns, listen, have Faith, and then act.

Loch Raven Reservoir has one of the best sunset views in Baltimore County

Come and listen
Come to the water’s edge
All you who know and fear the Lord
Come and listen
Come to the water’s edge
All you who are thirsty, come

Let me tell you what He has done for me
Let me tell you what He had done for me
He has done for you
He has done for us

Come and listen
Come and listen to what He’s done
Praise our God for He is good
He has done for me
He has done for you
He has done for us

David Crowder Band – Come And Listen

Standing up from crags and clay
The peaks of earth
In full display
They break the lines
That break the sky
That’s full of life
Full of life

The chaos of creation’s dance
A tapestry, a symphony
Of life himself
Of love herself
It’s written in our very skin

All praises to the one who made it all
Who made it all
All praises to the one who made it all
And finds it beautiful

Soil is spilling life to life
Stars are born
To fill the night
The ocean’s score
The majesty
Of sculpted shore
Mystery

All praises…
Fearfully and wonderfully and beautifully made

Gungor – Crags and Clay