Best way to make it rain?

Wash your car of course! My dad always used to joke about this growing up because it always seemed to be true for him...he'd spend the afternoon detailing his car (aka his midlife crisis) and it would pour later in the day. Apparently I've borrowed that special gift from him. I had my car washed today (though, lets be honest...I didn't personally detail it, I ran it through the gas station's car wash) and then looked out my window this evening into the rain. Oh well, maybe everyone's cars needed to be washed too.

Recently I've been reading a new trilogy called The Hunger Games and have become completely entrapped in this world. I finished the second one this afternoon and am now lamenting that I work all weekend because I'll have barely any time to spend with the third. The premise is this: It's an undisclosed period of time in the future and North America is now a country called Panem that consists of a capitol and 12 districts. Seventy-four years ago the districts tried to overthrow the capitol and failed. To punish them, each year the capitol forces each district to randomly draw the name of one boy and one girl between the ages of 12-18 to compete in the Hunger Games, which is a televised fight to the death with only one victor that everyone in Panem is forced to watch. The victor's district then receives foods and goods for the rest of the year, which are desperately needed because the districts are extremely poor. In district 12, a twelve year old named Prim's name is drawn and her sister Katniss volunteers to enter the games for her. This is where the first book in the trilogy starts.

A lot of people look at me weird when I try to describe the premise because they think it sounds like some sort of futuristic Lord of the Flies. But it is nothing like that. (And for the record I hated Lord of the Flies. That book will forever inspire memories of my English teacher Mrs. Dunlap talking about Piggy dying and how the crustaceans form a halo around his head because he was The Christ Figure. Apparently every single book of literary significance had a Christ Figure. Who knew?) These books grab you from the beginning and even when you think you've figured out one or two of its secrets, there's 3 more you don't expect. They are found in the teen fantasy section, but don't let that fool you. There is blood, starvation, torture, and death. But you want to fight for these characters and you become extremely invested in their outcome. I'm just starting the third and I can only imagine where it goes. So if you need an exceptionally engrossing read this summer...definitely pick up The Hunger Games.

My roommate and I joined a small Christian study group through a church she's been attending on occasion. Unfortunately with my work schedule I've missed about as many meetings as I've been able to attend, but so far we're really enjoying both the subject matter and the company. This past week was one that I had to miss because of work, so I thought I would take a minute and reflect on what I thought was an interesting question posed the week before. But I'm going to open it up for all belief systems and just mention the most basic idea behind it. What 'body part' prevents you from being your best self? Is it your mind? The way you view the world with pride or self importance? Is your mouth and what you say to others? You really could find an example for any part of the body. But as soon as the hands were mentioned, I knew that was my weak point. More specifically, the things that I do, or don't do, don't always line up with the person I want to be. I always have the best intentions in my mind, but I don't always take the time out of my day to act in accordance of my thoughts. I decide the fact that I feel a certain way should show enough about who I am, I shouldn't have to take time out of my day to turn good intentions into a physical act. Or sometimes it takes the flip side. I do something I know does not represent the person I want to be, but physical temptation has always been a weakness of mine and I decide the fact that I know its not right should partially make up for the actual act.

So thats my new challenge. Try and make my physical actions line up better with what I know is the right thing and the person I want to be. What about you? Which 'body part' is your personal hurdle?