Lessons from an Ice Storm

Friday morning I left Wal Mart (see previous post) and attempted to head for my mom’s with her groceries. That’s when the “fun” began. A little backdrop here. I left my house at approx. 6:50 AM. The last thing I heard on the news was that it was pretty bad out there and anyone who needed to go out should be extremely careful. OK, duely noted, and away I went. In the time I spent at Wal Mart, and waiting to get into Wal Mart (see previous post) a state of emergency was called, and with good reason. In fact the entire Indiana Toll Road was closed for about 3 hours.
As I approached the “hill” or “pit” on old 20 (locals know what I am talking about.) I was flagged down and told to not go that way as about 20 car had piled up at the bottom due to the ice. “Ok, no problem I’ll just swing through the neighborhood, back past Wal Mart and go around on level terrain.” I forgot the hill (not near as big as the one on 20, but big enough) at the back of the neighbor hood. As I crested the hill in question I saw two cars stuck at the bottom. I couldn’t stop and wound up near the bottom of the hill. After several attempts at both ends of the hill, and about a half hour, I realized I wasn’t going anywhere until some of that ice melted.
Man that burned me up. I had about 75 5htings that I needed to get done before going to our family Christmas weekend and sitting someplace not being able to go was NOT one of them. Fortunately I got stuck almost right in front of some friends’ home. They took pity on me and took me in. God used those two hours to sow me/ remind me a few things:

1. All my plans really don’t mean much. I am subject to circumstances I cannot control
2. God kept me from harm and property damage in a pretty cruddy weather situation
3. Relationships are WAY more important than “to dos”
4. I don’t prioritize very well
5. God will use bad situations to create positive outcomes (we just have to look)

These are the things that I need to resolve to look at in 2009… Am I where God wants me, doing what He wants me to do, and is my life pointing others His way. The rest is just details.

Customer Service ???? at Wal Mart

So the van is WAY overdue for an oil change… I decide that “sliding” over to WalMart the morning after Christmas is the way to go. The auto service department is scheduled/ advertised to open at 7 AM. The weather is pretty crummy (see the upcoming post on that one) but I make it with no problem. I arrive at 7:05 an find that the sliding glass door entryway of the department is not open. I look inside to see two service reps getting the cash register ready and they signal “just a minute” to me. I stand and wait for several minutes I begin to deal with a bit of personal frustration.
After several phone calls and one of the service guys walking to the front of the store, a manager arrives and unlocks the door at 7:23… yep almost 20 minutes standing outside. This just after seeing a report on the news before leaving the house abot how the stores are looking to drum up any business they can. The very worst part was that the manager, who could see my impatience and frustration I a sure, quickly turned and left the area before the door was even opened. GRRRRRRR
Then after the wait I step to the counter to order up my oil change and find out that the price of the oil change (basic/ value package) I got just a few months back has now increased in price approx. 80%. Double GRRRRRRRRRR. At the old price it was about $3 more than I could do ti myself, well worth it. Looks like I’ll be going back to changing my own oil. Out of options for the weekend, I bit the bullet and payed the price. Other than getting my mother’s grociries, this trip to WalMart was as frustration as they come.
In a world where companies are supposedly vying for my loyalty and dollars is it too much to ask that at the very least the doors get opened when advertised. And when a mistake is made, that someone at least say, “we’re sorry”? I know that this was just the beginning of a few things that God was trying to teach me on this particular December 26th … but man it was maddening.

Link Dump 12/29/08 -- Last Edition of '08

Free Ebook: Thriving on Less - Simplifying in a Tough Economy

Looking To Invest Right Now? 5 Basic Investing Tips For Any Market

Heal Farm sells the 12 bird roast for £665

British atheist declares, "Africa needs God."

Your End-of-Year Personal Inventory: 6 Signs You May Need an Accountability Partner

What Lessons Can We Learn from A Charlie Brown Christmas?

Karl Rove Blogs About Bush’s Reading Habits

Best. Fans. EVER!!


Mainstream Media Seems Indifferent To Persecution Of Christians

Let David Allen Test Your GTD IQ [GTD]

Everything You Need to Know How to Do in Windows [Windows]

Playing Board Games Boosts Important Skills [Mind Hacks]


How to Use Your New Digital Camera [Digital Photography]

REPORT INSIDE THE GAZA WAR: IDF says worst is yet to come

Rod Parsley Ruins Christmas

Acai Berry Diet: Miracle or Hype?

Mr. Obama Goes to Church--Rarely

Kurt Warner

Love’s Pure Light

Reasons To Have Hope You’ll Change

Read through the Bible in a year with new Bible Gateway reading plans!

A NEW YEAR'S PRAYER FOR 2009

Ten for the History Books from 2008

Something to Ponder ... Andy Stanley

"In “church world” we can go for generations with no momentum, and no concern over the lack of momentum, as long as we can pay the bills. As long as we can pay the bills, a lack of momentum is not a heartbreak!Momentum is very disruptive in traditional churches. It breaks the systems. There will emerge an invisible dynamic that will emerge to press down the momentum….because momentum disturbs.If you have momentum, and you don’t know why you do, you are one stupid decision away from killing it."

-Andy Stanley

Gift Ideas for Clueless Husbands,,,

My guess is that if any of you fellas out there used these ideas yesterday; you'll be on your way to the stores today to find a suitable replacement.

Something to Ponder ... Robert Frost

By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day.

—Robert Frost

John Piper: Do You Connect to God by Santa or Jesus?

Something to Ponder... Charles Spurgeon

Now a happy Christmas to you all; and it will be a happy Christmas if you have God with you. I shall say nothing to day against festivities on this great birthday of Christ. We will to-morrow think of Christ's birthday; we shall be obliged to do it, I am sure, however sturdily we may hold to our rough Puritanism. And so, 'let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavend bread of sincerity and truth.' Do not feast as if you wished to keep the festival of Bacchus; do not live to-morrow as if you adored some heathen divinity. Feast, Christians, feast; you have a right to feast. Go to the house of feasting to-morrow, celebrate your Saviour's birth; do not be ashamed to be glad; you have a right to be happy. Solomon says, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white;

and let thy head lack no ointment."
"Religion never was designedTo make your pleasures less." Recollect that your Master ate butter and honey. Go your way, rejoice tomorrow, but in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem; let him have a place in your hearts, give him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived him, but think most of all of the Man born, the Child given. I finish by again saying,

---"A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL"

-- Charles Spurgeon

Stille Nacht -- The Legend of Silent Night

Santa Clausen delivers

In a script that could have been written as a fairy tale Jimmy Clausen led the Irish to victory in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl. 22-26 passing (I believe 3 were dropped), 401 yds, 5 TD including 177 yds and 3 TD to Golden Tate. Adding up to a 49-21 Christmas Eve massacre of a Hawaii team that never appeared to get off the bus.
This is the ending to the season that needed to happen. Closure for the seniors, validation that a healthy offense can be dangerous, plenty of building blocks for the upcoming year, most important: the over hyped bowl losing streak is now dead. We don't have to talk about the 1994 Cotton Bowl any more.
Were there some issues? sure. While I like the confidence with which we performed, I found many instances of what appeared pure arrogance distasteful. There is never a reason to act that way, especially when your team lost to Syracuse about a month ago. The offensive line still did not appear to be able to " go downhill" and run at will. We need to be able to gain consistent yards on the ground to become an elite team again. BCS caliber defenses will not allow to you to throw deep every time its 3rd and 9.
We need to take this victory, cherish it for what it is, and look forward to what appears to be a potentially bright 2009 season. GO IRISH!