I’ve broadened my list of impressive accomplishments. Yes, that’s correct, I, Jennifer Nemer, operated a power drill over the weekend. And let me just say, I enjoyed it very much.
In the process of helping a friend redecorate her apartment, and borrowing my dad’s drill, I was elected to create a hole in the back of a T.V. stand for a VCR cord to pass through.
Needless to say, my friends who witnessed this task were quite entertained. Laughs were shared and cameras flashed as I intensely focused on the project.
However, I now completely understand the whole man and tool thing. The power one holds in the palm of their hands…the adrenaline rush from the danger involved…the feeling of a job well done upon completion…in Tim Taylor-like fashion, I say to my fellow carpenters, “arrgh, arrgh, arrgh.”
***
In California last week they passed a law banning the declawing of cats.
Can I just express how ridiculous I think this is, even though I’m sure it will be quite some time before this type of law would ever spread to Michigan? And yes, I am a cat lover and (part) owner of two.
First off, declawing isn’t a cruel act when done in the development stage of a cat, and not cruel if the cat will be kept indoors for its life.
Secondly, are there not more important issues we could be focusing on?
And, thirdly, let’s have some consistency to rules we decide we want to make. For example, we can kill our cats, or nicely said, “put them to sleep,” but we can’t declaw them. Makes sense. Or, if I can go even farther, we’re allowed to abort our babies, ending the life of another human being though unborn, but declawing our cats is so cruel.
What’s next?
***
I recently heard this story of twin boys who were given up for adoption when they were born, and unfortunately, found themselves separated as two different families took them into their lives.
Both grew up in happy families but never knew each other. Juan grew up in a loving Hispanic family, while Amall in a loving Middle Eastern family.
One day, after years had passed by, Juan’s family received a letter from Juan’s twin sharing details of his life and family.
Juan’s mother said to her husband, “I sure wish Amall would have sent a picture along with the letter.”
“Why?” Juan’s father said. “If you’ve seen Juan, you’ve seen Amall.”
***
A special thank you to Sailloon Woodski for the thoughtful letter and gift. It uplifted me on a day when I was feeling melancholy. Your kind words as well as the effort you put towards doing this kind act mean a lot to me. It is very much appreciated.
***
I’ll leave with you a verse, or actually verses, for the week. This passage, found in Philippians 2:5-8, has really been speaking to me these last few days. They were part of a memorization plan out of a study guide I’ve begun reading as part of a new church class I’m taking. The study guide, “The Mind of Christ,” by T.W. Hunt and Claude King, I recommend.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Who would think a grocery store could be so complicated?
I mean it appears as if it should be a simple outing, going to a grocery store.
They are never hard to find. Groceries stores are all over, in nearly every town. Some towns, like Clarkston, even have more than one.
Once inside a grocery store, there are large painted words for everyone to see that directs a shopper to various locations such as the Deli or Bakery.
There are signs hanging from the ceiling within each aisle, telling one exactly what is available in that aisle.
Yet, how come every time I go to a grocery store it is never an easy affair?
To help you understand better, I do not grocery shop on a regular basis since I live at home with my parents and Mom does that.
So, when I go to the grocery store it’s because I’m stocking up for a weekend trip, looking for an item to satisfy a craving, or getting treats for a special event.
For example, I was recently in charge of getting donuts, as requested by the birthday girl, for a celebration for a co-worker.
Getting donuts, how difficult could that be?
I decided to go to Farmer Jack, who, I found when all was said and done, has excellent donuts.
First task: finding the bakery.
I’ve been in enough grocery stores to know where a bakery should be located. They’re never placed amongst the aisles in the middle of the store. No, they typically find their home along the walls of a store. The tricky part, though, some grocery stores have a deli and a bakery adjacent to each other, some do not.
Farmer Jack does not, I found. So, of course, as I normally do in a grocery store, I wandered.
If only I had stopped for a second, as I entered the store, to look and think, ‘Where would the bakery be?? it could have saved me from this needless meandering. Because as I approach the bakery, I see the door I walked in was closest to the bakery. But, alas, I walked to the other end of the store to find my department, only to walk right back to where I came from.
Now I am finally standing in front of the donuts. I need a box to place them in, but, as I shuffle through at least 10 piles of boxes, I’m not finding a box big enough to hold a dozen.
Annoyed that I need two small boxes instead of one large box, I take the wax paper and grab my first donut.
I really feel I should have placed tissue along the bottom of the box for sanitary purposes, since I’m paranoid that way. I struggle to do it one-handed as a messy donut is in the other. Then plop, into the box the donut falls. Now I’ve messed up the frosting as the yummy treat lies upside down.
And here comes two other customers who also want donuts. ‘Go away, these are my donuts for the moment, you’re in my way,? I’m thinking. But I deal with them anyway.
Okay, so I’ve managed to get six donuts in the box, though I’m not happy the donuts are rubbing against each other and smearing the frosting off. Now I can’t get the lid shut. I have to rearrange to get them to fit better.
Let’s jump to the check out. As I’m standing in line, with one person ahead of me, I think, ‘Oh no, do I have to go back to the bakery to have them price my donuts??
I mean shouldn’t the large donuts cost more than the small donuts? Shouldn’t the cream or fruit-filled ones be more than the plain?
I ask the cashier about the pricing system. She gives me a weird look, and simply asks how many donuts I have. I tell her a dozen, as I’m thinking, ‘Why do I ask such stupid questions?? It seems all donuts cost the same. Who knew?
I laugh to myself as I head towards the car with donuts in hand. I hate the grocery store. Why is it the only store that makes me feel like an idiot every time I go?
But what can we learn from this experience? Here’s what I came up with:
1. Open your eyes. Stop and look for the bakery.
2. Make do. Be happy you have two small boxes to put the donuts in, instead of none.
3. Share. There are going to be other customers who want the donuts too.
4. Don’t be such a perfectionist. The donut frosting is gonna get messed up.
5. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Who cares if the cashier looks at you weird? Ask as many stupid questions as you want.
So, I reflect and use this experience to grow as a person.
Until the next grocery store adventure…

I remember a day when it was only the Always or Tampax commercial to make your cheeks turn red.
Now, advertising topics range from Viagra to medications for sexually transmitted diseases and so on.
But those things I’m forced to be an adult about. It’s what is blatantly put in my face, that is of an inappropriate nature, that I’m having a problem with. In fact, I find it offensive.
It seems lately I can’t sit and watch a television show I’ve deemed acceptable to watch, without being forced to watch commercials, particularly previews for the upcoming fall lineup, I don’t find acceptable.
Now, when I’m in control of the remote, this isn’t a problem because I typically channel surf during commercials, and watch two or three shows at once. When others are around, though, that usually doesn’t happen.
So I’m forced to watch a preview for NBC’s “Coupling.” It’s a more risque “Friends,” where they’ve all slept with one other — guys with girls, girls with girls and guys with guys, which they highlight on the promo. Another commercial for the show featured a man in woman in bed talking about attractive freckles in private places.
Then there’s “Las Vegas,” another new NBC show, this one promoting the fact it’s a city where anything and everything does happen. So, naturally, the preview revolves around sex at one point showing a couple in an elevator, where the woman admits to security personnel she knows she’s on camera.
FOX’s “Skin” debuts this season and is all about the pornography business. Particularly it focuses on a forbidden romance between the child of a pornographer and the child of a political figure. The preview shows the couple intimately.
FOX’s “Temptation Island,” returning for its fourth season, has been advertised this year with having more “lust, desire and passion” then ever before.
I’m tired of these ads that glorify sinful living. The you-can’t-have-fun-in-life-without-sex-drinking-and-general bad behavior commercials. (Beer commercials are great for this, too.)
There was a time when all previews were made to be acceptable for all audiences. I know if you go to the movie theatre the trailers still say that, but what’s shown is a contradiction. (Note the “American Wedding” trailer where the star, Jason Biggs, has a dilemma with pubic hair.)
What I find disturbing is these advertisements occur at any time, anywhere. For example, the inappropriate “American Wedding” trailer was shown before “Tomb Raider 2,” a video game-inspired movie intended for younger audiences.
The television previews for the fall debuts I’ve seen shown as early as 7 p.m. It used to be that more adult-oriented commercials and programs wouldn’t air until after 9 p.m., when it was expected kids would be in bed.
Now, I know there always has been and always will be television shows and movies that push the envelope or go over the limits. That doesn’t make all shows and films bad. There are plenty of diamonds in the rough, so to speak. All you have to do is be wise concerning what show you will watch and what others you won’t.
But I, as a Christian, don’t want to be forced to see and hear things I don’t think are appropriate, especially when it comes to a commercial, something that should be relatively harmless for viewing. I wish the previews were truly suitable for all audiences.
FOX’s “Paradise Hotel,” has a warning before the show begins and upon returning from commercials. (I got this information from someone I know who watches.) The warning, which I’ve also seen on the commercial, states the show is intended for mature audiences because of its sexual nature. The previews I have seen have never shown anything I’ve thought was inappropriate.
Watching late night television, I saw a commercial which began with a warning that it was for mature audiences, so that gave me the opportunity to turn.
This is all I ask.
As a born again believer, I am to be careful at what I allow to go before my eyes.
“I will set before my eyes no vile thing,” Psalm 101 3.
In Psalm 119:37a, the Bible says, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things.”
For television, I can only foresee things getting worse. Before the day comes when I can no longer watch television because of its blatant offenses, I’ll simply complain about it in The Clarkston News. It helps me feel better.

“Let’s have a garage sale,” my brother said to me this past weekend.
Like most college students, Dan wanted some extra cash. Not to mention rid his bedroom of some needless clutter. (Though, believe me, in his room, it’s not gonna make a dent.)
Seeing as I, too, could use some extra money, with a vacation, bills, Christmas, birthdays and more to pay for this fall, and also need to clear out some junk I’ve been hoarding, I agreed.
So, the two of us began rummaging through our belongings looking for sellable items in our garage sale, planned for this upcoming weekend.
I knew I had a lot of stuff, but, wow, I was still surprised by it all.
I look at some of it and think, ‘What was I thinking? I liked this? How?’
For example, I found a lamp, from Target, clearance, for $4.99, within the past year. It’s a lemon. Literally, shaped like a lemon, bright yellow, with a green little leaf, on a short, silver base.
I had to have it. It was so cute. I mean, I have no use for it now. But, it’ll look cute in my home someday, in my kitchen. So, I bought it. It went directly into storage in one of my eight large bins of crap in the basement.
I actually had forgotten about it, until the garage sale search began. You know what? It’s not as cute as I remembered. And I doubt I will ever use it, especially by the time I own a home, I’m sure my tastes will not acquire a lemon lamp. So garage sale, it is.
Besides things I might want for my home someday, I also hoard things I think might be worth something someday — like collections from youth.
I’ll admit I was a part of the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys (never N’Sync!) fan craze.
Sidenote….For those of you thinking, ‘Collections from her youth? Isn’t Backstreet Boys a recent phenomenon?’ Okay, so I was 23 and liked a boy band whose main audience was pre-teens, get over it.
Anyways, between NKOTB and BSB, as they’re known by their fans, I, without embarrassment, admit I have stashed away a good collection of related items such as…
A complete set of NKOTB pins: some of individual shots of Donnie (my fave), Jordan, Jonathan, Joey and Danny, others of group shots. These I obtained from an early ‘90’s concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills and subsequently wore, scattered about, on my winter jacket, wearing them proudly as I walked the halls of Brandon Middle School.
Oh, the horrors of middle school life and what was thought to be cool. I can’t believe I wore Hammer pants too, (based on the crotch to the knees look made famous by rapper MC Hammer). Sorry, back to reality…
When it comes to BSB, the collection encompasses a complete set of, still wrapped, figurines, sold through a Burger King promotion, of each member, Kevin (my fave), Brian, Howie, A.J. and Nick, styled as comic book heroes.
Now is any of this stuff going to be worth anything? Most likely nothing of any consequence. My comic book figurines are currently going for $4 each on Ebay. So, it gives me hope, but unfortunately means I’ll hold on to this stuff for a little bit longer.
I, also in my sea of belongings, have things from childhood I can’t bear to part with, but obviously don’t use; things I plan to pass on to my kids such as various books, etc.; clothes that I hope I’ll fit into again; and on and on.
But wasn’t it the Lord who said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-20 NIV)
Mmmm, convicting.
Next time, I’m at the store and am tempted to buy a lemon lamp or whatever stupid thing it will be next, I plan to pause and ask myself, where are my priorities? Are my treasures in the right place?
Are yours?