Morning, furnaces, Jeremy Piven, and blessing.





At 11:3o last night, I was wide awake. Painfully awake. The past 3 hours spent hooking up a "worry free, easy to install" programmable thermostat to our 1960 dinosaur furnace. Everything worked. Except the fact that when the furnace kicked on, it was blowing cool air. No heat. Crud. I hate when technology fails. Especially when my manhood and skills are involved. I knew a call to the professionals was coming.





6:30 a.m. -- blankets are warm. The air is not. The furnace kicked on to keep the temps at a brisk 68; it was 66 and dropping. Cool air does NOT warm. Crud, x's 2.





7:15 -- out to start the cars -- I had a suspicion Team Escort might not start, based on yesterday's poor performance. Turn the key, you know the sound...battery dead. Crud, x's ??? We jump the car, and on the way to Firestone I call Kohles and Bach to come take a look at the relic living in the basement. 10 minutes later, this guy is coming to my house:

Not the real Jeremy Piven, but throw a Cubs jersey and attitude on Jeff the service man, and he's got a rock star Halloween costume. 50 minutes later, and a fee not so bad, the furnace is kicking out blessed warmth; I've been rescued again, and am not going to hesitate to call on Jeff at Kohles and Bach anytime! Firestone got Team Escort back into action, and a small fee (ha ha) later I am at work and thinking.

I made a decision this morning -- this is the stuff that makes me CRAZY. I am driven to madness by the failings of such things. But driving across town, I realized that this stuff does not diminish the goodness of Jesus. It is stuff, it is money. It should not, CANNOT change my perspective on life. Will I let this stuff wreck my joy, impact how I live out what I believe? Today, I say no. God is too good, He is too real, this stuff is too minor to let it squash me. I hope that He is so big for you today that come what may, you can be resolved to not let the stuff of earth compete for your attention, affection, and joy.