just getting started

weather man (or woman)

being a weather man/woman in phoenix, az, has to be 1 of the easiest jobs in america. this week has been a little exciting around here since we've had a few days in a row of rain. usually the forecast sounds something like this: "today is going to be sunny, tomorrow, sunny, thurs, friday, & saturday - sunny. in fact, all next week will be sunny."

so are you like me? do you check the weather every morning to make sure that you can handle the day? is your favorite segment of the evening news when they show the 7 day forecast?

i think i figured out why that's so important to me. i want to know what tomorrow holds. i want to be able to be prepared for what i'm going to have to face in the next day (or 7 days). i remember growing up in the mid-west and getting totally ticked when the forecast said it was going to be sunny, in the low 80's & it ends up being cloudy, damp, & in the mid-60's!

2 important verses that i'm reminded of today is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord..." & Matthew 6:34 "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it's own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

as much as we want to plan, organize, administrate, manage, manipulate, control... we can't. we can't even plan how to handle the weather tomorrow! we need to remember, God has the plans for us & the ability to make it happen. the best thing we can do is live out Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

i wonder if i should have grabbed the umbrella.

watch out!!

ok, so during my lunch today, my wife & i made a quick run to a store to pick up a few things. ends up that they didn't have much other than some discounted wrapping paper. melissa handed me 2 rolls & asked if i'd go pay for them while she kept shopping. me being the incredible husband i am (in my own mind), i went & got in line.

what i didn't realize was that the line snaked down an isle away from the 3 open checkouts. i found who i thought was the last lady in line & stood behind her. now here's where it got interesting. what i failed to notice was the lone shopping cart that was piled high with items just 3 feet behind the lady that i thought was the end. as i stood there, "gramma jones" showed up & dumped more items into what i deduced was her cart. then she pushed it forward into the the "buffer zone" between me & the lady ahead of me. asked if she was in line before to which i received a look very similar to the 1 linked here. she eye-balled my 2 rolls of wrapping paper & then gave me the look "pfft, rookie."

it's Christmas time. i love Christmas but absolutely hate shopping during this time of year. right away, i could feel something mean rising up inside me towards "gramma jones." call it maturity or experience or both, but i realized after a moment or 2, i need to watch out for myself during this time of year.

you and i are the only ones that can forfeit our peace & joy. no one can take it away so watch out!

if you use a PC...

i know the feeling...

"Green" Christianity

i hate fads... but i love cool things. like i love that chuck taylor converse shoes are back - again for the 3rd time?

have you noticed how everything is going "green"? now we have "green" Christianity! i was doing some reading on stewardship and came across the Wikipedia article on this subject.

i have to be honest, i'm not that good at being "green." i recycle a few things @ home, we use those cfl light bulbs, but i don't feel like jumping on the "fad" yet.

i think it's because of all the "tree-huggers" that i'm a little resistant to really jumping in full force. if i go "green," does that mean i have to grow dread-locks & quit showering? probably not, but...

i think it's interesting that some very visible Christian leaders have made such seemingly polarizing statements regarding environmentalism. rob bell did the best job of getting Christians to have to address the issue. in his book, velvet elvis: repainting the Christian faith, he says that we as humans are supposed to be environmentalists by the assignment that God gives in Genesis 1:28.

so where do you stand on this hot-point?