Well I can’t seem to get my computer to turn on. BooHoo. I will change my settings and let you comment freely, so far in my brief blog life I have yet to run into a comment I haven’t “published” so what the heck go for it, that way if I can’t get to computer for a few days your welcomed comments won’t be hanging out in my e-mail.
We went to the Ballard district today to absorb some Scandahoovian culture after the Specialty Bottle and Atomic Boys. Sorry, no pictures, I didn’t think I would have access to a computer today and we took the camera but forgot to grab the batteries. A sorta crummy week goes worse. But we’re laughing and having fun anyway.
Specialty Bottle is down in the industrial area and is a distributor of smaller special bottles and jars although they do have a gallon and a half gallon jar and the same in juice jugs. But for the most part they have twelve ounce and less various little bottles and jars in cute little shapes. So when we go into the jam, garlic sauce or healing hand lotion business we’ll be steady customers. but until then we’ll partake of their offerings infrequently. Next door we found Commercial Plastics and oh boy when Dirt’s ship comes in my pantry is gonna be too cool. (Hip not cold). They custom make plastic (duh) bins and display stuff.
But over the water and on up the hill to Atomic Boys for some retro candy for Tricks for Treats next Friday. Every once in a while when the kids (and dad and moms) get tired of the grab bag offerings of trick or treating, we do a in home thing we call Tricks for Treats. The families get together and everyone has a few selected special candy offerings and the kids have to go around the room and do silly little puppy tricks in order to get a treat from the adults. So of course some of us love your basic politically incorrect candy, like candy cigarettes. Nothing ghoulish or naughty just cancer causing. Atomic boys also has toys you haven’t seen in a while like Tiddly Winks, rubber horseshoes, Gumby and Pokey and too many in my brain to remember. I wasn’t there for games, so out the door, in the car, back over to the center of Seattle and on up to Ballard.
Because my computer is fried and I didn’t have time to look up specific store’s (they were on my now fried computer) address and directions on Rebecca’s I just got directions to the general area of Ballard. When we arrived at the intersection that Google maps felt was good enough for Ballard the only sign of life was a nice enough fellow waiting for the light to change so he could cross the street, well I held him up for directions to a Scandinavian shop and he gave us directions to two, in opposite directions. But we had already come so far for a once a year opportunity that we certainly were not dissuaded by opposite directions and so we hit both stores and even more.
But I’ll be running into South Tacoma after all because lutefisk in the Ballard district is two bucks a pound more and korv is twice the price of Parkland Meats. So it is good that my computer is fried and I only have time on this one to post this update, because I’ll be running into town early tomorrow before gathering and my moments are precious tomorrow.
The Scripture on my mind last night and today is from Ezekiel 36:22-32. Its long and there is much more to it than just what is here. I won’t comment too much, but know that this for me is my prayer right now for so many in my life including myself, and the present day Church. I believe that we muddle “being in, not of, the world ” in order to reach out with looking so much like the world in order to “speak to them” that they are hardly impressed by the transformation that “Christ in us” is to wrought. I welcome God, nay I beg God, to rend my stony heart from me and give me a new and soft one, that I may shine like one of many thousands and millions of stars in the universe as the word of life is held out in a beautiful beckoning for the Glory of God.
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.
” ‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel!
Have a delightful evening and a terrific prayerful weekend, I am sure I won’t be back with the blogging until late next week sometime, if then.
