farmer's market

There’s something about Wednesdays that just brightens my day. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s hump day (midpoint of the week), or perhaps it’s because it’s Alejandros day (Mexican place by work), but I’m almost willing to bet that it’s cuz of farmers market! There’s just something special about farmer’s market that will just make the day better. I like the fact that I can take a break from work, walk out of the lobby and into the mayhem that’s downtown Sac; however, the minute I jaywalk across 9th St (unless you’re a cop, in which case I’d saunter over to the crosswalk and wait my turn to walk, not run, in a leisurely pace across the street) I’ll have stepped into a whole different world. Between the fresh smell of flowers over by the Caesar Chavez statue and the overwhelming array of colors at the fruitstand by the fountain, the experience of the market hits all senses at the same time. There’s a sweet aroma of nectarines as you walk by the first stand, crowded by people picking out white and yellow nectarines, vying and tussling for the attention of the busy fruit peddler. As you keep walking you encounter the vegetables table, with an assortment of greens and reds, zucchinis and tomatoes. The entire time, the smell of kettle corn fills the air, but you can always buy a bag as you head out. It’s not all fruits and vegetables at the market, as the cheese, juice and nut guys all hawk their product to folks walking by the stands. By now my hands are full of bags of peaches, grapes and occasionally some bok choy, but I still swing by the nut guy to pick up some garlic almonds. As I head back across 9th St, I glance back at the world I’m leaving. There’s nothing like getting away from work for a good twenty minutes of locavorism and relaxation. In a week filled with spreadsheets and meetings, it’s definitely been a welcome break. Until next week, there will be other things to keep me entertained, but there’s nothing like the welcome break of a Wednesday farmers market.

stumbling blocks

here's something for ya'll to think about:

"The Day America Told the Truth" – "What are you willing to do for $10,000,000?"
25% - Abandon their entire family
25% - Abandon their church
23% - Become a prostitute for a week
16% - Give up US citizenship
10% - Withhold testimony and let a murderer go free
7% - Kill a stranger

Materialism is definitely a major stumbling block for Christians. Now…I’m not saying that it wasn’t a problem before, as Christ and the early Church dealt with such issues frequently, but that the magnitude of the problem is worsening, especially at a time and age where everything is instant and cable channels broadcast 24 hrs a day to feed the voyeuristic gluttony of a society hooked on bad soap operas and the home shopping network. Our society has come to a point where our successes aren’t measured by contributions to society or strong moral principles, but rather by low much money you have, how big a home you live in, how big your stock portfolio is, or how fancy a car you drive. Many people today (including Christians) measure themselves according to this standard.

I myself admit (shamefully) to sometimes measuring myself according to these standards, losing sight of what is really important. I think sometimes I allow certain things like gadgets, a good job, and other worldly measures of success to separate me from God. I’m not saying things like toys and job security are bad, but allowing these things to get in the way of my faith is obviously not healthy. I’ve vowed to not let material things get priority over God, but the temptations are still there. Every once in a while I find myself thinking that I need a better car, a faster computer, a nicer watch, or a cleaner place. These thoughts may be justified or reasonable, but when I ask God for it instead of praising him for the things he’s already given me, or when I forget to do devotions because I’ve been thinking about these things, they become a distraction from God.

I’ve noticed that many Christians are struggling with the same problems I am. We act nicely towards each other in church but subconsciously (and sometimes consciously) we compete with each other for the best house, or the best car, sometimes even the best answers during bible study. We let these material things dictate our social groups, sometimes judging others by how they measure up based on these trivialities. Sometimes we use these material things in order to make others feel inferior, rather than using such materials to build each other up in Christ.
My point for putting you guys through this horrendously long statement is so that we can all be more aware of this problem and perhaps if you’re dealing with this same issue, we can hopefully pray for each other and overcome this hurdle together.

Alright…now that you’ve heard my opinion, what do you think about the subject?