Temptation!!

Uh-oh, the wrestling match has begun...the iPhone comes out today, and I am trying to talk myself out of buying it, which should be easy because I don't need it (for anything other than making today ridiculously cool). I repeat, I do not need the iPhone. Not one little bit. Seriously. Ignore my eye twitching.

Up until today, I was doing great in the restraint department. However, there have been problems.

1) I got paid today.
There's enough money in the bank. I've been really good with my savings lately. Normally a great thing, unless you're trying to talk yourself out of a splurge purchase (of what just happens to be the sweetest gadget on the planet right now).

2) Brian, who is already camping out in front of the ATT & T store just offered me a spot in line via text message.
LOSER! I am trying to be responsible here and Brian, my pastor, my spiritual leader, (who I thought cared about my spiritual development) offers me the chance to do the thing I've been fighting to talk myself out of. Why, man? Why?

3) Stephanie said that if I wanted it, I should get it.
Why would she do that to me?? Doesn't she know that we're saving up for our wedding and that I am trying to exercise financial restraint?! Why would she facilitate my foolishness like that?

Huh.

Seriously, though, I know it's all my choice and whatever decision I make (and, by extension, any consequences) will be mine alone, but still...

...crud.

I heart our volunteers!

You see what this is? It's an apple topped with peanut butter and honey bunches of oats.

It only sounds gross because you haven't tried it yet. A few weeks ago these little beauties started showing up in the greenroom at church in between services, and I am now hooked.

Many thanks and shout outs to our volunteers, who make food that makes me happy!

A short thank you note

Dear ______,

I want to write you to say thank you for what you said to me yesterday morning. You most likely had no idea of the impact your comments made, so I think it's fair to let you know that you helped change the course of my day yesterday.
Sometimes the gap between who I am and who I want to be gets bigger than I think I can handle, and the lack of forward motion on my part at times really tempts me to wonder if I'm really meant to be doing what I'm doing. I know that what we're going after as a church demands a certain level of excellence, and my internal response to a lot of what comes my way is often less than stellar, despite my best efforts.
That you were able to notice some measure of worth in my attitude tells me two things I really needed to hear:
1) I'm a little more than useless, and
2) God has to be at work, because no way on my own am I capable of the grace you accused me of showing. :)

So if God is with me (which he always is), then, like Troy says, I have no right to quit. Thanks for reminding me of that.
:)