My day started with a reminder that I have a very unhappy lower back. When I arrived at my laptop to being the days work, it promptly displayed the “Blue Screen of Death”. We then walked the kids to school and got to talking about our city with our neighbors. Roofs are covered in tarps. Jobs are lost. They are going to build an 84,000 square foot call center right next to our development. The upcoming school levy is probably the most important vote ever.
Then I got home and read all of the headlines…..
Anyone else need a little “Serenity Now”? If you’re like me, then take a few seconds and enjoy this clip from Seinfeld. I think it just about covers it.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5513mXmQbw4]
Serenity Now… Insanity Later. 🙂
Thanks for the giggle break. I needed it!
Also, quick note to let you know I will be opening a new site soon. If you have a moment read my latest post for explaination at sharing notes.
Blessings,
Roxanne
It is tempting to focus on the types of things that you mention in your post today and get overwhelmed by them.
Always pause to look at the positive side. I’ll use your post contents for examples…
a) lower back – you’ve got over the counter medication in the short term, and health insurance for a doctor visit
b) storm damage – it was limited, not as bad as Galveston, and homeowner’s insurance to help pay for repairs
c) jobs are lost – our economy is always changing. From rural to manufacturing, manufacturing to service economy. Central Ohio’s unemployment rate is currently 6.1% – which is actually not too bad. Most economists consider unemployment rates of 5% to 6% as normal in any job market. It’s called “frictional unemployment” – people between jobs for any number of reasons. Other counties in Ohio (Meigs and Morgan) have a 10% unemployment rate.
d) jobs are created – the 84k call center next to your development. Businesses don’t usually invest in places they don’t think are worthless. Employees get paid and pay taxes. This is a good thing!
e) school levy – yep, it’s important. I usually don’t vote for any tax increases (the principle is if you feed government, it will grow), but I’m up in the air on the HCSD tax levy. Upside: we get to decide. In many societies there isn’t a choice.
But in all of this…
Ultimately we are never in control.
God is. Always has been, always will be.
And He knows our needs, and tells us not to worry.
Matthew 6:25ff…
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
One thing that I did a number of years ago is stop watching the TV network news. It’s a source of worry, IMO.
Mud Puppy – so much truth in that little statement.
Roxanne – Thanks for the update. I read your post on why you’re moving to WordPress and it inspired me to make a few changes on my blog as well. I guess we can never be too careful. Crazy as that is.
Mike – All excellent points. The neighborhood rant was me posting what my neighbors were saying this morning. The only thing I might say different is the thing with my cranky back. Short of a miracle that places a disc between L4 and L5, there is no medicine (legal at least) that can bring that thing back. Surgery is too risky for me. It is what it is as they say…
Well Aaron everyone needs a day to blow off steam. So, being the Seinfeld fan that our household is try the Festivus Holiday.
Just need a silver pole and we’ll have a “festivus for the rest-of-us” 🙂