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.

Batter Up!

It really has been a summer of watching ball games.  Joel and Daniel played slow-pitch softball for four different teams - two in the Men's League on Monday nights; one in the Co-Rec League on Wednesday nights; and the Svea Gold Team in the Church League on Thursday nights.  Sarah played fast-pitch softball for the Willmar 18U (age 18 and under) team on Tuesday nights, and joined Pete and Andrew on the Svea Bronze Team on Thursdays.  Philip played on the Willmar Twins, a 5th- and 6th-grade team with Willmar Community Ed and Rec.  They practiced on Thursdays and played games on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Except for the church teams, I watched only a few of each softball team's games, but saw most of Philip's games in the last three weeks.  Getting everyone to the right field at the right time provided some interesting exercise in car coordination.  This week Sarah and I stayed home from a Sioux Falls bridal shower for Callie because between meetings and ball games, we needed the extra drivers and car.

Attending and chauffeuring shouldn't cause a problem, but I try to catch up on so many household areas during the summer that going to a ball game every night feels like a chore instead of a privilege.  Cooking has fallen by the wayside, for supper anyway; we've eaten in Willmar (before or after games) far more than usual.  Reorganizing cupboards and systems, purging photo collections, catching up on albums, working on 4-H projects, keeping the kids productive, preparing books to sell, practicing for an August program and tying up loose ends on the spring school work join the usual daily or weekly chores of cooking, cleaning, yard work, money management, exercise, weightlifting, laundry, church activities and ball games to make the summer feel like an exhausting whirl instead of a relaxing vacation.

On the positive side, lots of opportunities for discussions on sportsmanship and excellence have arisen.  The importance of practice and the difference between "illegal" and "unethical" has been demonstrated.  Everyone has made their share of blunders and bloopers, and hopefully learned a little more humility.  And Svea still has the best fans!

His Needle Does Not Move

This phrase - "His needle does not move" - is repeated regularly by a pastor who is counseling us over the phone.   He's referring to God the Father, who, just as the needle of a compass does not move from true north, loves us exactly the same no matter what we do, AND who approves of us exactly the same no matter what we do.  I have trouble believing the latter, because I don't approve of people I love no matter what they do.  But the pastor's point is that none of us has any righteousness in ourselves; "all our righteousness is like filthy rags," because even the best deeds we do are tainted by impure and even wicked motives - a desire to be paid back, to be recognized, to earn God's love, to earn His approval, to prove I'm better than others, to manipulate others, to ....well, you get the idea.  For me, it really is all about me.   So the only righteousness we have in God's eyes is Jesus' righteousness, earned on the cross and given to us freely.  "When He looks at me He sees not what I used to be (and still am) but He sees Jesus," as the song states correctly.  The pastor encourages us to embrace our sin by freely acknowledging sin whenever and wherever the Lord points it out to us, and repenting of it in true humility.  Then we are free to thank God for His forgiveness in Christ, and trust Him that He is working in us to will and to do His good pleasure.  We don't have to try to keep the law or do good works; we simply trust that God is transforming us, and keep walking with Him.  I don't get it all yet, but it does make a lot of Scriptural sense.  More later on how He plays it out in daily life.  Praise God that "His needle does not move."

Busy by Choice

Several things I've read lately have pointed out the trap of busyness and consumerism.  Companies and individuals sell Americans on the idea that more activities and more stuff lead to happiness, and that every person deserves and should strive to attain happiness.  Of course, Jesus talked quite a bit about happiness, but he usually promised that we would gain it if we gave up trying.  "Give and it will be given to you," "He who loses his life will find it," "Happy are you if people persecute you," and "Do as I've done and you'll be happy" sound quite different than "Have it your way," "Just do it" and "Have a Coke and a smile."  Regarding busyness, our prayer group affirmed that whenever we tell people, "Oh, we're so busy," we get nods and smiles and admiration because we're doing so much to make ourselves or others happy.  When is the last time someone replied with "Shame on you - slow down!" ?  

I do believe, however, that if I were able to say to someone, "I'm very relaxed; I only have one thing to do today," I would also receive nods, smiles and admiration - along with "HOW did you DO that?"   I may be able to achieve this in the summer, so that's my new goal - to reach a day with only one thing to do.  For that to happen, I have to finish:

1) History and speech from the spring
2) Reorganization of a number of areas in the house (getting rid of stuff!)
3) Culling and sorting of pictures and videos, and catching up on albums with the kids
4) Wedding preparation
5) County Fair projects completed
6) Program for Prinsburg prepared
7) And I'll have to be caught up on laundry, meal preparation and house cleaning

Sounds daunting, but I believe the Lord would smile if I could focus an entire day on my identity in Him rather than my identity as a "doer."

Warm Weekend

Although the weather cooled down slightly, to seasonal temperatures instead of the sauna we've endured for two weeks, our hearts were warmed by many special events this weekend.  First and foremost, David & Callie spent several days with us.  On Saturday evening, Pete & Kari walked eight miles with the lovebirds and we all exchanged life stories.  What a delight!  There are few things as interesting as learning where someone has come from and what makes them tick.  Much more remains to be learned about Callie, but we certainly know her much better now.

Jeremy & Susan Beebout, Lydia, Elyza and Abigail arrived on Friday for the noon meal and stayed through Saturday breakfast.  They shared stories of how the Lord is providing for their work and their family in Niger, and the children enjoyed playing with the kitten and our big kids.  The Willmar swimming pool provided relief from the heat, at the same time the north wind brought cooler air.

On Saturday morning, several Svea ladies hosted a bridal shower at the church for Callie.   The generosity and warm welcome impressed her.  She got some cool stuff too!  On Sunday morning, Grandma Dee played an arrangement of "This is My Father's World" on the oboe for our special music - beautifully done!  Grandpa treated us to brunch at the Oaks after church - more delicious food.  After naps at home, we swam and went tubing at Scott's with succulent bratwurst and angel food cake for supper.  The swimming pool water feels like a child's bath water, contributing to our Warm Weekend.  Thanks everyone!