Oh Summer...

I love how you are full of promises of adventure and excitement. 

You remind me of childhood and what it's like to hope, dream, soak up the sun and the excitement and newness of what tomorrow holds.  

Every summer day is a new adventure.  

A day to read a book under a tree.  

To gleefully cannonball into a pool.  

To slab on the coconut-scented sunblock.  Then re-apply. 

To laugh, play, get a tan, share quality time with those you care about, to grill.

To enjoy freeze pops and tropical snow. 

To wear flips flops and sport brightly painted toes. 

I am so looking forward to you, summer.  Here's to another great one.

Reasons why....

Walking in the doors I can barely hear myself think with the clicking, clanking, noises of the blue world.   "Where's my list?" I think to myself while simultaneously thinking "The quicker I get my goods the better."

Phil would kill me if he knew. Shhh, he'll never read this. 

Hunching over her cart, a mother of three is scolding one of her sad-faced children, telling her to "shut on up, you ain't getting no cereal!" I quickly walked by the rowdy bunch and smiled an empathetic smile at the denied child.

Standing completely upright, resembling the ten and two driving position, I push my cart around the corner almost hitting several people until I get to the next aisle.  That's where the most amusing couple stood near the frozen chicken nuggets squawking about how expensive the frozen rib meat (we don't care call it real chicken) would be.  "I've got it" she torts.  "You best have it.  I don't want to be all embarrassed 'bout not having 'nough money once we got to the register."

The twenty items or less line had me waiting for what felt like days.  So long was the wait that not only were the prices being rolled back throughout the store, but also the eyes of the lady behind me.  She might have been more frustrated than myself with standing still for so long.  She should be used to it as I'm sure she's a frequent shopper.   Myself, on the other hand, had not purchased an item from the blue world in months.

Quickly, I realized I wasn't in red world any longer.  There are guests in the red world and customers in blue world.

And these are just a few reasons why I loathe Wal-Mart.

Visits Home

The more I change, the more they stay the same.
Each visit home is a realization that I am not the person who left Massachusetts six years ago.
Anyone who looks at my comments on MySpace circa 2004-2005 knows that I was a crude, dirty-talking, foul mouthed, Jesus-bashing, rude, miserable "Masshole."  Sorry I had to go there.  I had little more than just my self to live for and it was evident.  When you put yourself second to Jesus, life really takes a turn for the better.

Just last week I shared a story with my home group from my recent trip back east.  While home, a conversation took place between my brother Jeff and myself.  He started it.   We talked of religions and how different each really is.  He then said "You know which one I really can't stand?" Which? "Those born-again's!"  I let him tell me how awful born-again Christians are, how they shove bibles in peoples faces, how your life before being born-again is total washed away and how your previous life and actions no longer exist.  It was hard not to get angry or laugh in his face.  Nonchalantly, I told him that I was "born again" three years ago in March of 2007.  He got silent.  I explained that while it may appear my life before is no longer it's my sins that were washed away by the blood of Jesus.  That I have never shoved a bible in any persons face, nor would I.  That I choose to live my life like Christ lived his life. He got quiet again.  The conversation shifted to another subject shortly after.  He noticed a change in me.  The next day, while driving, he mentioned how he doesn't have a foundation in his life/family.  That he's created his own foundation in his family.  I said "Sadly, most people build their own foundation."  

Just living for Him and like Him shows how different a person is.  Visits home are a reminder of the old me while being more grateful for the reinvented, Christ-loving new me.