The "Thanks, Not Cranks" Challenge

But there's more than one challenge going on for me, as in "how not to hit the 'publish' button when all you have typed is 'The' in your post title."

Yes, I just did that. So if you received a subscription notice about my clever post, "The," now you know the story behind the story.

Give me a break; I've only been at this blogging thing 5 years.

OK, back to the "Thanks, Not Cranks" Challenge.

Yesterday, one of our pastors brought an awesome sermon about gratitude to a group of people feeling very cranky about frigid temps on a Sunday morning.

Not that I complained. (See yesterday's post for a disclosure of a total lie.)

At the end of the talk, he passed out purple rubber bracelets to everyone willing to participate in the challenge, which is:

Try to live 21 days complaint-free. Any time that you express a negative thought, you switch the bracelet to the other wrist. The goal, of course, is to change your way of speaking/thinking.

I was kind of hoping he'd ask us to snap other peoples' bracelets when we caught them complaining, but no. He is a kill-joy.

And there goes my bracelet right now to the other wrist. Dang.

At least Pastor was honest enough to say that after the first time he delivered the message, he didn't get much farther than four blocks away before he had to make the switch because he noticed gas prices were up on the way home from church.

Ouch.

I don't know if I can make it 21 days complaint-free, but I hope it will help me catch my thoughts, take them captive, you know.

Actually, the harder challenge for me might be wearing this thing for 21 days because I don't do jewelry well (even if it's made of rubber). I tend to feel it all the time, which makes me crazy.

[Switching bracelet now.]

When I come in from work or church or some event, after the shoes come off, I head directly to my room and get the jewelry off. I've been this way my whole life. I got used to the wedding ring, but a few years ago when I started going to the gym, I didn't want to bend it, so I took it off. Ever since then, it drives me crazy, too.

[Not switching. That was merely an addendum to the previous jewelry complaint.]

So if you catch me here or on Facebook whining, feel free to "clear your throat" and gently suggest that I stick with the program.

And I will be ever so grateful.

Happy Monday!

PS: Does this bracelet my hand look fat like a gnarly old tree trunk with roots?

Oy. Switch!