To Shuffle or Not To Shuffle?
TODAY’S LAUGH: DaHusband and I loaded several of our favorite CDs into our multi-CD player, as musical accompaniment for an evening at home with friends. Then I hit “SHUFFLE.”
I was about to press “PLAY” when he stopped me. “Why ’shuffle’? Why not just let the CDs 
play in order?”
“I always shuffle,” I said. “I love it when ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?‘ pops in after a Sibelius symphony that’s sandwiched between an old hymn and a little Wynton Marsalis. I just like music!”
“Well, I like it too, but doesn’t it make you nuts, jumping around like that?”
“Nope,” I said, “I guess I just like living on the edge…” (Oh yeah. I’m a maniac.)
TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: To shuffle or not to shuffle–that is the question.
I always hit “SHUFFLE.” I like the idea of being surprised, even if it’s just by the next sound track. But the world is full of “non-shufflers” who prefer to know, as much as possible, what’s coming next.
Some of us are linear, rows and numbers kind of people. Some of us are blobs and splashes types. We’re not “right” or “wrong.” We’re just wired differently, so we can help each other.
Like one daughter says, “Mom, it’s like God put you and Dad together to make one ‘normal’ person!”
We do balance each other. When I’m shuffling along, my non-shuffling mate helps me focus on what’s really needed. And when he’s mired in angst over life’s unpredictables, I can encourage him to relax and shuffle along with the flow.
So who are you–a shuffler or a non-shuffler? Who in your life balances you out? And who do you balance?
Bless one another by providing someone–family, friend, coworker–a little balance today, and letting them do the same for you.
Until next time, I’ll be shuffling along…
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THIS WEEK’S GIVEAWAY: I confessed my shuffling, blobs and splashes approach to life in the 
chapter called “Getting My Act Together” in Confessions of a Prayer Wimp. (That’s the book with the cool pink fluffy slippers–and no, I don’t own them, OR those gorgeous ankles, unfortunately!)
This week’s winner may choose the “Wimp” or When Did I Stop Being Barbie & Become Mrs. Potato Head? or When Did My Life Become a Game of Twister? as a gift for yourself or a special woman in your life. (Mother’s Day is May 10th.)
TO ENTER, use the CONTACT MARY link and put BALANCE in the subject line. And if you want to share a little about whether you shuffle or not and who balances you out in life, I’d love to hear about it!
(One entry per verified email address and US shipping addresses only. Winner will be selected at 8:00 PM CDT on Monday, May 4, 2009.)
LAST WEEK’S WINNER: Marlene Adelmeyer. Congratulations, Marlene!
on’t know what we four-seasoned sisters have to endure–that most disconcerting spring ritual: facing all those little spring and summer clothes after a winter of hibernation and a cold-weather survival diet of dumplings and gravy. (How can clothing shrink in storage?)
When Did I Stop Being Barbie & Become Mrs. Potato Head? had me at Martha Stewart’s mercy.
In Confessions of a Prayer Wimp, the promise was “we change lives with 3×5’s!”
THIS WEEK’S GIVEAWAY: Has your life story been “revised” by forces beyond your contol? (”Right foot red! Left hand blue!” Yikes!)
THIS WEEK’S GIVEAWAY: To help you make your decisions, When Did My Life Become a Game of Twister? includes–along with all the fun–a “Life Issues Worksheet.” To enter to win a free copy of the book for yourself or a friend, use “CONTACT MARY” with “DECIDING!” in the subject. I’ll draw the winner on Monday April 13, 2009 (8 p.m. CDT. One entry per verified email address and US mailing addresses only. Thanks.)