Interractive Blogging!

I'm not sure yet about the rules regarding ending a blog, but I'm sure I just broke the rules about starting one by talking about the end. Anyway, I know my last blog came to a lovely, gift packaged ending leaving everyone, including me, feeling like life was just right. Because of the extremely elated emotions you may have felt after your last experience with this blog, I felt it necessary to forewarn you that this post will not end that way. I don't actually know exactly how it's going to end, but I know it's going to require input from someone besides just myself.

But let's get to the point. I went to work yesterday, and was intending to make the deposit for the church. I would've had it done on Monday, but as we all know bankers hours don't always coincide with life hours. They were closed for Columbus Day. The plan was to drop off the deposit on the way to work. Google maps (I used to MapQuest but they completely trashed my route to Burlington when I was moving down, so I switched, to support the WalMart of the internet) told me there was a mini-bank in a Harris Teeter grocery store on my way.
(Another aside: that paragraph looks like a product placement heyday).



Unfortunately my late departure made it impossible for me to stop by the bank and still get to work by 1PM, when I was supposed to start, and since I only get to work 2 days a week and this is my second week, I really should be making a good impression right now. I was a little frustrated, but I moved on. After I figured out that this paticular bank branch was open until 7, I decided I would just go out on my half hour lunch break at 5 (apparently they don't provide dinner breaks, too many after supper nappers). Another plan was made.

5 finally comes around and I get out as soon as possible because I have to get there and back in time to heat up my lunch and eat it, at least that's what my frugality was telling me. I'm driving along thinking that I'll surely see the store any minute now since everyone at work keeps talking about how close it is. It takes a few minutes longer than I would've liked, but I arrive at the store and head inside. After walking completely around the store twice (keep in mind it's only groceries, so it's about half the size of your typical WalMart), I come to the conclusion that I should probably ask someone where in world the entire bank service desk is hiding.

The teenage guy bagging groceries proves to be as uninsightful as you might expect from a bagboy. Knowing how it feels to be a rank and file employee, I thought I would offer him the benefit of the...who am I kidding, I was in a hurry and grabbed the first person with an apron. After waiting at the customer service desk forever (a minute in real time), the manager informs me that the bank I am referring to is in a Harris Teeter on this road, but it's not this one. It's another three miles down. Question 1: Why are there two Harris Teeters within three miles of each other? Walmart - yes; Starbucks, - of course; McDonalds - mmhmm; Exxon - why not; Harris Teeter - absoutely not. Question 2: That's really it, I'm just so re-frustrated at this point I thought it deserved two.

Being the ambitious, ambitious in this case meaning stubborn, person that I am, I decide I'll see how long three miles takes to drive on Friendly Road. It's already 5:15 and I know this is a bad choice, but I wasn't ready to make my break a complete bust just yet. My stomach is also grumbling, but the grumbles coming out of my head supercede my better judgement. We all know what happens here, I drive til I feel like I could be in Texas, probably a total of a mile and a half, before I realize that if I'm going to get back to work anywhere near 5:30 I have to turn around now. Final results: no bank, no deposit, no lunch, no happy feelings.

Let me add before finishing that during part of this escapade I was on the phone with Morgan, my always kind and understanding girlfriend. Having recently been aggravated at a situation while talking to her, which also had nothing to do with her, I realized that releasing those emotions by being short with her was not the way to go. I think I managed to be relatively kind, if somewhat quiet during this conversation, but I couldn't help but wishing I could just snap out of that frustration. I know as well as you do that those feelings of irritation that just boil inside end up doing no one any good, and usually end up creating further annoying or even hurtful complications because of my reactions in the moment.

I've been reading in my Bible and thinking recently a lot about my thoughts. During the past few weeks I seem to have had a barrage of bad attitudes and callous thoughts come against me, and they don't reflect anything I believe about people, about the world, about anything. I know part of this is an attack of the Devil, and I've decided it's time for all of it to stop. It's just not worth it to give any credence to any thought that doesn't encourage me or those around me. Decision made, now how do I make it happen? Thoughts seem to be so uncontrollable, even unpredictable.

I've read and am holding fast to Paul's guide to right thinking (Philippians 4:8), and I've seen that the key seems to be in the preceding verse:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.

Beyond my understanding the Holy Spririt has been renewing my mind and making my joy complete again, even though nothing has changed physically, and I will never fail to praise and thank Him for always taking my cares upon Himself. I still want to know something though. What do you do when those thoughts, whether it's frustration, depression, even lust, begin to flicker like a growing flame inside?...No really, you, what do you do? I know we all have different ways of getting back to those noble, pure and right thougts. So I want you to tell me how you deal with it, or if you even know how, or if you just let them sit and fester until they go away.

You might say, "Dave, isn't it a bit early to be trying to make this interactive. Let's face it, you only have two posts and three followers." Yes, yes, I know all that, but I'd like to start something that could carry on in later, perhaps more well-read post. I want to give everyone the chance to learn something from each other. So whether you've been reading since the beginning (last week), or you just found this blog randomly, please let me know how you deal with those mind-wounding thoughts that always take over so quickly. I'll start...