A Variety of Moods

I can't stand it when people are incompetent. My wife constantly reminds me, "There's no incompetence in heaven." Sometimes that's a little comforting. I know that sounds judgmental and (a little) arrogant, but you know what I'm talking about - when someone around you does something so completely stupid because they're just not paying attention to what they're doing, or because they don't care, or...they're incompetent. This weekend, we were leaving the hospital the afternoon after my niece was born and we were driving out of the parking garage. It costs $1 to get out - there's a little machine just inside a gate that takes your dollar then lifts up the gate and lets you out. So I tried to put a dollar in, but it wouldn't work. No matter how I turned it or straightened it or crumpled it, the stupid machine wouldn't take my dollar. Then I heard the lady in the car behind me yell, "The gate's already up!" Oh. Oops. They must not leave the gate down during the day on the weekend. I think I hate it most when I'm incompetent.

I used the word serendipitously in an e-mail yesterday. It made me happy. (I looked it up later to make sure the word existed and I used it right.)

I was excited today when a friend at work gave me a small bag of antelope jerky. It saddened me to realize that I have no self-control when I ate the whole thing in about half an hour.

Why doesn't Alabama have any in-between weather? Last week the highs were near 90 degrees. This week the highs are around 60. A few days in the 70s would be nice.

Last week I saw a Cadillac pickup truck. Why do you buy a Cadillac pickup truck? Who's going to haul something in a Cadillac pickup truck? I just don't see the point. Today I saw a Cadillac station wagon. For some reason that just seemed inherently wrong.

Continuing with the theme that God gave us our gifts and talents to use for His glory, I was listening to the local Christian radio station - 88.1, WAY FM - and they were giving away a children's DVD. I normally don't try to be the "8th caller" or whatever, but I still had the phone number in my cell from last week when I tried to win tickets to a concert my wife and brother and sister-in-law talked about going to anyway, so I thought, I'll call for my 3-year-old daughter. When I heard the ringing, I got nervous and almost hung up (I knew I'd say something stupid if I got on the radio) - then I heard "you're the 8th caller!" So I said the obligatory stupid things and they took my name and I stopped by the radio station during lunch and picked up the Veggie Tales movie, Lord of the Beans. It was about using our gifts, not for ourselves, but for others. I think I'm beginning to get the picture.

Quote of the Day
Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.
-Jesus, in the famous Sermon on the Mount