come on and we'll try, one last time.

so i just read something the other day that said that most accounts of women getting kidnapped or rapped occur in the parking lots outside of grocery stores...

I BLAME MEIJER!!

in fact i am almost positive that Meijer is the reason for this statistic!
when poor, innocent, stressed out women have to run into the 24 hour grocery store late at night (after 11pm) they will find a sign on all of the entrances (except for the ONE door on the far left) that says the door is locked...sooooo, of course as a woman walking alone in the dark i will park as close as possible to this one door and go inside!

well that's all well and good, except then i go to check out. now ironically enough all of the registers are closed except for the 4 down at the opposite end of the store as the ONE unlocked door that i entered through...as i walk allllll the way down there muttering under my breath, wondering what sense that makes, considering i have to now walk alllllll the way back down to get to my car, i check out and start the hike....

BUT NO! when i get to the door i entered, i find ANOTHER SIGN! this one stating that a fire alarm will sound on my exit! here i am...a woman shopping alone at midnight with eggs in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other with no way out! so i head backkkkkk down the the other end of the store and AWAY from where my car is parked.

but of course! the OPPOSITE door is the ONLY door that you can exit from! well how smart! make the woman walk the length of the store OUTSIDE in the DARK! i couldn't think of a better plan to lower that statistic!! and of course that convenient system is needed at night to help control the severe amount of people entering and exiting by moving them in a circular pattern...i mean, whoever thought of that was genius!!

...now before you start getting on my case about just never going shopping alone at night think about this. what about the lonely woman wearing her waitressing apron with a bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand at checkout? what about the old lady coming in to shop because she likes the solitude it provides? what about the single mom that has to work nights because she doesn't want her children to have to live without her there during the day?

come on Meijer! get it together...

if you're listening...sing it back.

in this life it's easy to think
that everything happens, but nothing
comes easy. we give what we can
but we take even more,
there is nothing for certain
but true love at the core.

doubting is easy, for the faint of
heart. without challenge and pain there
can come no true beauty. in the heat of
the battle we must look up above
our Savior is mighty, he prepares us our sword.
he gives no greater weapon; the power of love.

when doubt creeps inside don't let hearts
melt in fear. believe in the Savior
moving throughout us here. find
hope in the power sent from up above,
don't give in to the dark that dances about,
He has prepared us well, for God showed us love.

reach out when it's easy, when your
heart overflows, with the goodness
bestowed by the Savior who knows
your innermost prayers and the bleakest of
hearts. so reach out when you're lonely,
find love in the dark.

there is no greater power and no greater
gift, given us by the Savior, but it's
so often missed. when the feelings we
knew become sadness unplanned,
we must reach for God's love
found curled up in his hand.

when we lay in the palms of the one
who has made us, we can rest in His
love for no one can defeat us.
there is comfort and strength and we
suffer no more for we know that it's
love. He is love at the core.