Marketing Mania

I've been struck the last few weeks by the sheer quantity of advertising that I receive.  We don't even have TV - our antenna was struck by lightning last summer and we haven't replaced it - but between radio, Internet, email and regular mail, I hear or read about things someone's trying to sell me almost constantly.  Whether it's the Kindle Daily Deal ("this best-selling book for only $1.99!"), the Best Buy Daily Deal ("this best-selling laptop for only $349.00!"), the Summer Black Friday Sale at Herberger's ("120+ Doorbusters!") the Science Museum's Pirate Ship display ("only here until Labor Day!"), or the Minnesota Orchestra's Sommerfest ("these four concerts for only $99!"), the items that would make me happy or the experiences that would make my life complete beckon enticingly from every surface in my home.   I tried all summer to bring the children to the Pirate Ship exhibit at the Science Museum.  I know we would have enjoyed it immensely and learned a lot, but we chose to fulfill our year-long obligation to take them to Target Field for a Twins game instead.  Now, with David's wedding only a week away, I regretfully understand that it's not going to happen.

What has struck me most, however, is that if I didn't hear or read about these things, I would have no regrets.  I didn't dream about the Pirate Ship display or the Sommerfest concert or the best-selling book or the laptop before I saw the advertisements.  The lack of any or all of them does not impoverish my life.  God didn't create me so that I could experience all the fun, happiness or luxury America offers.  He created me to live in loving relationship with Him and with others.  Sometimes fun experiences can contribute to building loving relationships, but they certainly aren't necessary.  Last night we ate supper and visited with friends while we made 150 hamburger patties for an event at church.  This virtually free evening, not advertised in any marketing ploy, built our relationships with these friends as much as any expensive event could have done.

What's the solution?  I don't know.  But I am looking with a more jaundiced eye at the flyers, emails and pop-ups that pop up.

Rearranging (Again)

One of the recurring tasks in this now-decreasing household is the rearrangement of our stuff to fit the existing space.  Joel moved to Mankato on Friday, thereby reducing the number of live-in children to the number of bedrooms upstairs.  So on Thursday night, the men tore down the bunk bed/storage combo and hauled it down to the office.  We moved clothes around and settled in to another new arrangement:  Daniel in the "solo" room, Andrew and Philip sharing the "duet" room, which is really two rooms in one, and Sarah in the same room she's had for years (with Michelle for a while) and redecorated last summer.  We'll find a double or queen bed for Daniel's room; he and/or Sarah will be bumped for guests, including our newlyweds.  Also, when Joel comes home he'll have a good twin mattress on the floor and possibly even a place to put his clothes - unlike David, who has had to sleep on the couch and keep his suitcase in the bathroom.

Andrew started making, with Pete's help, a new shoe shelf, much smaller and less bulky.   Our laundry system has changed also; we used to sort the clothes from the dryer into personalized laundry baskets, from which each person would fold his own clothes while we watched a movie or TV show.  Now, however, we're rarely all home at once, and I find it relaxing to fold the clothes myself while watching something.  I removed the laundry baskets from their shelves and replaced them with the blue plastic hole-y boxes that formerly contained the shoes.  The four boxes will be catch-alls, one for each remaining kid.

And so begins another chapter in the never-ending saga of reorganization as the seasons of family life change yet again.  :)

All Things Work Together

On Wednesday as I was running the till for the 4-H Foodstand at the County Fair, I started to run out of $1 bills.  I sent up a quick little prayer - "Lord, send me some ones."   My next customer, Jodi B (the local head of 4-H), handed me eight ones to pay for her meal.  Prompted by the Holy Spirit (maybe?), I told her, "I prayed for ones because I'm running out."  She laughed and replied, "And I was saying, 'Please let me have enough to pay for this whole meal!'"  The Lord uses everything in an intertwined fashion.

Last night one of our children made a little speech telling us that our advice had been followed in a certain area.  (Usually I'm quite specific but this involves others so I won't mention any details.)  I cried happy tears, because I've felt discouraged recently - first, that the kids aren't listening to the Lord and second, that they aren't listening to their dad.  So God answered both those fears in a single incident, plus granted that child a great experience in trusting Him.

Romans 8:28 assures us that "all things work together for those who love God and are called according to his purpose."  I saw the truth of that this week.