New Drinking System

I have had these photos of our new drinking system ready to share with my readers for quite some time, maybe even months. I just can never find the time to post all I want to blab about. However, my Bible reading this morning inspired me and, so, here they are! Aren't they refreshing looking?

My original intention to blabber about these water bottles was to share how times change. I am actually dumbfounded at myself. Having bottles of water in my fridge is something I would have never EVER done before. I've often thought to myself in years past how I could never do something so wrong.

1. First, it costs so much more money and is such a waste of money. Really, there is water right from the tap and ice cubes in the freezer. Or put a pitcher of water in the fridge to keep it cold, right?

2. Second, it is not good for the environment to be using these plastics so much more. Of course, we do recycle them, but I am sure that even that is bad for the environment in some ways as it probably uses energy unnecessarily or creates pollutants in the process of reprocessing.

So, something I would previously NEVER do, we are now doing. Why did I give in and change my values? I just love this Bible verse and have shared it on my blog before, but it explains me so often.

Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

1 - again. We used to always keep a pitcher of tea and koolaid in the fridge. I was alway frustrated because I would always find them empty as it was just too difficult for my men to remix them and put them back in the fridge. Life with four men! Sigh!

Now, however, that they are older, they just do not even seem to be drinking anything out of the pitchers (they prefer glasses of milk) and I end up throwing the contents out because they go bad. So, I discovered that there are a huge variety of these flavor packets now available in the stores. They even have vitamins and other good stuff in some of them.

So, I wanted to try them and, lo and behold, they actually got drank! Does it not seem silly to be throwing away the contents of a "system" that is right, rather than utilizing a "system" that works that is wrong? I gave in and we now keep the bottles stocked in the fridge and a basket of packets on the table.





2 - again. Also, as a way of justify how I feel about doing what is wrong, I have discovered that Nestle has changed their bottles. The bottle on the left is much harder and stiffer and will not bend when touched. Their newer bottles are very flimsy and easily cave in when touched. They must be using less plastic in them. So maybe we are not hurting the environment as much? Yeah right.

Please comment and tell me that you are like me in that your values change over time?

Onto the inspired point of my post. I was reading my Good News magazine this morning (do not bother to google for it, they do not have a website and really need to get one), one of my favorite magazines. It's a Lutheran (LCMS) thing. The magazine directed me to read the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18.

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Now, the real point of this parable is that we are all not deserving of God's grace. Both men did not deserve God's forgiveness, but the first went to God to talk about himself and how he was better than everyone else with a lot of pride and confidence that he was already righteous. The second man humbled himself and asked for forgiveness. The second man went home justified.

But what struck me was where the first man prayed "God, I am not like other men" and I wondered, do I ever do this? So, I reflected. Of course, I run to God and complain to Him when "other men" offend me. God wants us to do that. He wants to hear our pains and help us through them. But do I ever come to God as if I am better than others when I complain about others? Certainly not. I do not believe I ever do. Or do I?

So, I reflected again. I needed to observe some of my particular prayers as a specific example to see if I ever do this. What came to mind? Those stupid water bottles! (Henceforth my inspiration to get this posted.)

As always, my men are a source of constant surprises. Now, rather than finding empty pitchers in the fridge, I am finding half empty water bottles about the house that "no one" put there. (Yes, we do have that unseen person in our house with the name of "not me.") In addition, I find surprises of colorful powders smeared on the table or counter when someone misses the bottle when pouring in a packet and thinks that rubbing the spill with the hand to make it less visible is the best way to clean it up.

I do not believe I pray as the first man and look down on my men when I complain to God about them. However, do I make the effort to look at them as forgiven when I pray? Probably not. I need to do that more. Of course, God has already forgiven them for the little surprises they leave me (Eph 1:7). The problem is, I have not. Which leads me back to remembering that in my complaining, I should be asking God to help me forgive others, not to change them.

There! I've done babbled again. Anyone read all the way down here? If so, leave me a comment as I would love to know your thoughts!