Junk in My Trunk

I actually saw the difference in gas prices go down today! Now I regret filling up the day before, but I didn't have an option since the warning light was on. I ran across some quick ideas on how to increase your gas mileage.

• drive the speed limit
• maintain correct tire pressure
• don't make sudden stops and starts; be a light foot
• plan local trips and condense errands
• keep the car tuned and aligned
• buy gas from busy gas stations, high volume stations that are refilled often have less chance for water, rust, or other impurities in the gas reservoir
• use the air conditioner instead of windows rolled down on the highway
• clean your trunk to reduce weight
• keep a log; track your gas mileage every time you fill up
• walk or ride a bicycle when it is an option

These aren't new ideas; my dad has always promoted most of these actions since I started driving in the mid 1970s. He also taught us to change our own spark plugs, change our oil, and made sure his daughters could also rotate tires (at least I can say I've done it once!) The one hint that seemed new, or perhaps it just speaks to me now, is to clean your trunk to reduce weight. So maybe I do have some items from the women's retreat left in my trunk since February... it was LATE February!! Sometimes I'm as baffled as the next person why I choose to keep some items; other items I'm still not quite prepared to let go. 90% of the time I'm the only person in my car, so the front seat becomes a collection of CDs, books, and jackets - until someone has to ride with me, and then I open the trunk and voila, a new closet.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Help us to live simple, unfettered lives. The fewer things that we hold between ourselves and you, will allow us to set them down and follow you. If we reduce the weight of our worries we can see more clearly the setbacks of others. If we reduce the baggage of our injuries we can more easily carry the ache of our sisters and brothers. If we reduce the excess resentment in our lives we can promote forgiveness more easily between those with whom we are estranged. If we decline to make hasty judgments we can afford the time to greet one another with fresh eyes more generously. If we consume less we can reserve our natural resources and regenerate our lands more profusely. If we cut back on kindness and compassion we will wither and shrink away from the model of justice revealed most purely through the life of Jesus Christ. Let us live freely in your presence, ready to abandon anything that would deter us from becoming whom you have called us to be. Amen.