Picking Up Random Stuff and the Problems It Can Cause

This morning, I was in an elevator at the temp agency that hired me and I found a nicotine patch on the floor. As any who know me well (or even if you read the title) could guess, I picked it up and put it in my pocket. It is still in my left front pocket as I am typing this. It has been there for almost 10 hours.

The main question is why? Why did I pick it up? Why did it go in my pocket? Why is it still there now, when I have had numerous opportunities to throw it away?

The answer is very simple: I don’t know. I have no use for it (it’s also a prescription drug, technically; kids don’t take someone else’s prescription). I am not one of those people who automatically picks up litter when they see it. I am, however, a collector of random junk.

It has been this way as long as I can remember, and probably before as well. I can imagine a confused doctor wondering how the baby he just delivered came to be clutching a ball of twine. Although I do not remember it, one of my parents had to pull me out of oncoming traffic because I saw a really neat stick in the middle of the road. For a few years I had a favorite comb that I just so happened to have found in a parking lot.

We have come to the point of the post where you ask: What is he talking about and what it does it have to do with life? To which I reply: You’ve got some nerve, buddy.

My point is that just like the random stuff I pick up, our lives can be full of random things that we don’t really need. Maybe it’s a bad habit, or an old hurt that just won’t go away, or something you did a long time ago that you have yet to forgive yourself for. Chances are that in someway or another, the pockets of your heart contain some worthless, harmful crap that need to be gotten rid of. (That was a metaphor, but while we are close to the topic go get your cholesterol checked)

If there is stuff in your life that is dragging you down, get rid of it. It way be awkward, painful, or gross, but in the end will be worth it.

More Emoticons For Y’all

I have serious things to write about, at a later time. I have ponderings about life, love, and God to ponder at you, but we can do that in a while. Instead right now, I just want to come up with new emoticons. I talked about/created some new emoticons in a previous post, so here we go again.

Emoticons that Signal Happiness

-A nutcracker making Chinese food

-A duck wearing a stocking cap and playing hopscotch

-A wheelbarrow full of puppies with Mexican accents

-A ninja wearing glasses

-A long distance trucker in a muumuu

-Simon Cowell getting hit in the groin with a wiffleball bat

Emoticons that Signal Sadness

-A kitten in an iron lung

-An unemployed lion tamer

-French Stewart

-An entire case of diet energy drinks

I guess that’s it for now. I hope that this could distract you from your troubles for a moment or two. God Bless.

Breaking Out of the Loop

Several weeks ago, my parents and I were driving home from church. My dad was going through the radio stations, settling on a Christian station from Duluth. However, the radio station had other plans, playing a loop of ads for the station. Lots of information about today’s best Christian music, without any music to be heard. Strangely enough, we listened to this for about five minutes before finding a new station.

I bring this up because quite often we each end up in our own loop. For a long time, I talked about how I really needed to find another job, but I never really did anything. A friend talked about how I should move down to the Twin Cities area, both so I could make some life changes and so that I could help him with the youth group at the church he works at. I thought that would be cool, but I kind of let that go for over a year, just sort of talking about it and never making any plans.

Recently I made a big change and I broke out of that loop. Without going through all the details, it became very apparent that God wanted me to let go of a lot of things I was holding on to and to move down to the Cities and so this past weekend I did. I am still super nervous and don’t really know my way around, and there are a lot of things to be worked out, but I am here. I have taken a huge step of faith, and I believe God will be faithful.

Maybe there is some sort of loop you’re in. Break it. That is really about all I have to say right now. Being stuck in a loop is not healthy, unless that loop is constantly being awesome. In that case, don’t break the awesomeness loop.