To Cold for Goodwill

This one's for those who live in the warmer climates. (And I mean you, Danielle. ;)

It's been a cold January. It's been a really cold January. This is a picture from the local Martin's Supermarket parking lot. The parking lots and roads are ice covered, all laws of courteous driving are thrown to the wind, and everyone is most concerned with nothing more than getting home to their own warm house, or at least making it through the maze of slow-moving traffic to their own destination. You have those going a careful 20 miles per hour, and those trying to whip along at 40 and banking that they won’t hit a patch of black ice.

Yes, the world is a veritable frozen tundra, a wasteland. But what might amaze me most of all is the fact that it is sooo cold there is not a mattress, beat up old couch or defunct television to be seen around the Goodwill drop-off at the end of the parking lot. Normally you will find, at the very least, a three-legged futon dumped below the sign that reads "Do Not Leave Anything Outside the Goodwill Box". Now THAT'S cold!

Not to change the subject, whatever the subject might be, but did you realize that the word “joy” appears 96 times in the Bible? (NKJV) It seems that over this cold month of January, a certain coldness has also come over my heart. I’ve found it more and more difficult to find the joy, even though I have so much for which to be joyful. I don’t know why that is. I mentioned to Tim tonight that what I remember most growing up in church was hearing about being humble, long-suffering, a sinner saved by grace, deserving of nothing because of my fallen condition at birth. Some kind of worm, destined to search for a way out of this hole of guilt in which I was born. I don’t know that’s what I was taught, but it’s what I feel I was taught. Interspersed in there somewhere, I’ve been told that God wants me to be joyful…in a guilty kind of way.

So “guilt” is mentioned 38 times. “Sorrow” is mentioned 70 times. But I find “joy” mentioned 96 times in the Bible. Doesn’t that tell me that joy should outweigh guilt, or even sorrow, in my life?

So, I have decided to spend the month of February pursuing that word “joy” through the Bible, and just maybe see if God has something to tell me about joy in my own life.

Friend Balloon

Katie’s friend came over yesterday evening, following our conversation about Friend Balloon. I peeked out into the living room, asking Katie “Have you seen the balloon?” “Yea”, Katie said. “Where is it?” "I just saw it when "A" walked in, it’s in the dining room somewhere." (The dining room and living room is actually a great-room divided by a sunken living room and a wrought iron railing.) As we relay the story of the balloon to her friend, we spy it coming up from behind the dining room table.

It floats up vertically from behind a chair, then crosses the room slowly in the direction of the couple on the far corner of the sectional. “That’s creepy!” is "A's" quick declaration, echoing Katie's words earlier in the evening. As we watch the balloon, it slowly crosses toward them, up to the ceiling, then floats effortlessly back and down to hover silently over the other side of the sectional as if contemplating the couple on the couch. "A" states matter-of-factly, “If it comes near me, I’m punching it!”. Katie giggles nervously and adds “If I’m left alone with it, I’m taking a knife to it.” The balloon lifts and drifts back up to the rafter, high into the cathedral ceiling separating the living room from the dining room. “I’m going back to the office”, I told them. It begins to sink down, Katie cries “Take it with you” As I reach for the balloon it drifts slightly and Katie adds “If it’ll let you catch it.”

Tooooooo much! LOL

Creepy

Preparing supper tonight, Tim is sitting at the kitchen table working on his laptop. I notice it hanging around directly behind him, just over his left shoulder. “Look at that”, I said. It was a strange sight, that lavender and pink balloon hovering within viewing sight of the laptop screen, yet behind and out of his line of vision. As I moved to take a picture, the balloon drifted up and out into the dining room.

After supper, I began cleaning up the kitchen, I hear Katie exclaim “Look at that! That’s just creepy!” She was half-laughing at the balloon drifting casually in the dining room, midway between floor and ceiling. I laughed as Katie declared, “It wasn’t so creepy when it was up at the ceiling. Now that’s just creepy!” As if hearing Katie’s proclamation, the balloon drifted slowly toward the ceiling. Now Katie was on a roll. “That’s not funny! That really creeps me out! That’s the creepiest balloon ever!!”

I located my camera to take a picture as the balloon drifted slowly toward the door leading out to the garage. It hung suspended, moving vertically down, slowly passing the doorknob and down to the floor, then nonchalantly drifting back up to the ceiling and back toward the chandelier over the dining room table.

I’ve noticed it before. It first appeared at Toni’s baby shower on October 14 as part of the decorations. Since then I’ve noticed it floating on occasion, but mostly it gravitates above our line of vision. Now, three months later, it seems to desire a more substantial family position.

Later, peeking out at Katie in the living room, she asks “Where’s that balloon?” We spot it hanging out against the vertical blinds, snugged up against the chain of the swag light over the table.

Three months… It’s almost become a part of the family. And I think I’ll just let Friend Balloon hang around awhile longer…unless Katie loses her cool and takes a kitchen knife to it in a fit of creepiness.

There must really be some hot air floating around this house, or that balloon is just plain creepy.

7 days...

to high speed! At least to faster speed. Of course anything would be faster than the dial up we now have.

Now this may seem like a small step to most of you. After all, the whole world is now on high speed. Right....everyone except for us "dial-up only" folks who live just on the other side of the road from anywhere. We've thought much about this. After all, I really need to start thinking about a new car. It's really important to keep a keen distinction between want and need.

OK, we need high speed. At last, I'll be able to

...do some shopping online
...be on the internet at the same time as Tim! (whenever I want!...well, except when one of my daughters wants to use it. Which is right now. *sigh*)

to be continued....