Wal-Mart

For several years now, my college roommate and I have been on an expedition. A survey, if you will. We have traveled through Missouri, Illinois and Washington on said journey and we have far, far higher aspirations.

We are in the process of doing a world excursion of Wal-Mart.

That's right, I said it. Wal-Mart. Or, for my Southern/Midwest readers, "the" Wal-Mart. =) And if you're my mother, "Wally World."

Whenever we go on a road trip, we feel the draw, the need to stop in every Wal-Mart we see and mark it off our list. (There's really no list, but I was trying to create an image for you.) I can't count the number of Wal-Marts we've been in together, but it's definitely at least 10. We loves the Wal-Mart. I honestly cannot remember where I bought shampoo before Wal-Mart came to Federal Way.

I do remember, though, my first Wal-Mart experience. Vividly. I was 8. Maybe 9. (Ok...so it's not that vivid.) Anyway, it was a family trip to Tennessee to see, well, the family. My grandma Dorothy lives in LaFollete, TN and there it was, like a beacon of hope on a hill. Wal-Mart.
When we got the first Wal-Mart in Washington, my family drove down to check it out. We even took friends with us.
And when you're in college, 45 miles away from the nearest anything, Wal-Mart takes care of you. When you need snackage or have to start a project at 2am and run out of toner, Wal-Mart is there.
It has taken several long, hard years to get a super Wal-Mart in the Puget Sound area. But we have one. When it becomes a 24-hour super Wal-Mart, I will do a hapy dance in the store, in front of those shiny, UFO-esque security cameras.

Why did I just randomly bring up Wal-Mart? Do I miss the BoMO one? Yes, a little. But that's not the real reason. The real reason is because I keep meeting people who hate Wal-Mart. I know! That's ridiculous! Who hates Wal-Mart?! Actually, a lot of people. And they are all here in the Great NW.

And I've been comtemplating this. Why do people in Washington (and probably OR an CA to be fair) hate all that is good and right? Because people are different, the answers vary. Here are a few that I've run across in the last couple months:

"I don't like Wal-Mart because they are taking out the Mom and Pop stores."

"I don't like Wal-Mart because there are so many people in there at a time. It's like a zoo."

"I don't like Wal-Mart because while there are 87 checkout stands, only 4 are open at a given time."

"I don't like Wal-Mart because I think Target/Fred Meyer/other stuff is better."

These are just a few of the reasons I've heard. Someone that I chatted with today said it was a "class thing." I have no class, so it doesn't stress me out. =)

I am fascinated by people that don't like Wal-Mart. Do they not like reasonably priced and easily accessible products? Maybe not. Whatever the reason, Wal-Mart will mostly likely stay in my heart. They already have most of my wallet, so why change it up now? Don't worry...I won't.

Thanks Wal-Mart; you've always been good to me. Even through the rough years with our love/hate relationship, you were rock-solid. And I appreciate that.




(To any member of the Sam Walton family that reads this, I really think I should be a spokesperson for your corporation. At the very least, I should receive some kind of reward for how much I promote your store here in Washington. Thank you. That's all.)

Music for the Soul

As I drove down the other day (wishing it would get to be at least spring already!!) I popped in a new CD (Sara Groves, "Tell Me What You Know"). The windows came down (a little), the music went up and I rediscovered that there is just some music that settles in my soul like a warm breeze.
Before the days of iPods and iTunes there were days when I knew exactly what CD I wanted to listen to and when. I would come home and think, "Ah yes...this is a Rascal Flatts day." Or "Hmmm...the only thing that even sounds alright is Bonnie Tyler." Now, I have shuffle and skip and I can bounce from CD to CD without even missing a beat.
But when I heard the sweet melodies of Sara Groves, I realized that no matter what happens with the future of how we listen to music, I will always need some CDs. And for your reading and learning about me pleasure, here they are =) :

- Pretty much anything by Caedmon's Call. I will always need Caedmons. Good days and bad; sunny or rainy; stressed or blessed - Caedmon's has my heart for the long haul.
- Sara Groves "All Right Here". I tell ya - that CD makes me more and more self-aware and God-aware than I thought possible.
- James Taylor's Greatest Hits. I like his CD's in general, but I like having the majority of my favorites convienently located on one CD.
- Watermark self-title. The first Watermark CD I owned. I've listened to it for so long it's scratched and dinged, but by golly, I'll listen to it until I can't anymore. Then I'll just go buy another one.
- Andrew Peterson's "Clear to Venus" and "Behold the Lamb of God".
- "You Are Super! All Girl's Mix" made for me by Annie Monette. All done by women who are strong and capable and want to know their God better and love others more. I don't know 1/2 the artists on there, but I love it just the same.
- Shane and Shane's "Psalms". I currently don't own this CD b/c mine broke. But when I can, I'm buying it again. There is really nothing better than listening to the Psalms (with some Hosea and Isaiah mixed in) done in song - the way they were meant to.

Some music is just the music to your soul. These are just a sampling of mine. Pretty much, if any of these CD's are in and I'm jamming to them, you could get away with anything. (Please don't try it though.) =)

Stories You Didn't Hear in Sunday School

"A Sermon Series"

So I've been thinking a great deal about what I would preach if I were, in fact, preaching somewhere. Which I'm not (don't worry my ultra-conservative Baptist readers =) ). And while this wouldn't be my "series opener", I think that this collection (see above) would be so much fun. Here are my ideas; let me know what you think.

* Judges 19: Israel's Compromise = A Concubine's Calamity
(don't worry - no more alliterations)

* Judges 3.15-30: Assasination of Magnanimous Proportions

* Genesis 34: Deception, Treachery and Murder: Your Typical Family Story

* Deuteronomy 25, specifically vs. 11 (b/c it's my favorite): Laws Who Wouldn't Want to Obey?

* Judges 4: Women Who Rule

* Judges 11: Be Careful What You Offer

*Genesis 38: Caution on the Side of Er (get it? It's really "err on the side of caution", but his name is Er. It's funny....)

* 2 Samuel 16.5-14: I actually have nothing for this b/c I've never read it before...right now

* Ezekial 47.1-12: Life, Temples and Other Mysteries (gotta love a good POG reference)

* Mark 5.1-20: Jesus and the Demons: Battle for the Naked Guy

* Matthew 1.1-17//Luke 3.23-37: Genealogies are Fun!

* Luke 14.25-34: The Cost of Discipleship

* Acts 5.1-11: You Know Where Liars Go...

* Acts 8.4-26: There's Only One

* Acts 27: Who Doesn't Want to Hear About a Shipwreck?!

And finally:

* Pretty much the whole book of Revelation - good stuff, but you'll never hear about it in SS