1 Chronicles 22-24; Proverbs 28:15-28

Thursday's Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 22-24; Proverbs 28:15-28

The first day of summer!

Warning. There are people out there who want to steal your summer enjoyment by making you start thinking about fall. Resist them. Do not reward their greed and insensitivity. Retailers of course are the worst offenders. I avoid malls as much as possible in July and August. Even though the temperature outside may be in the nineties, they are already dressed for cold weather.

I cannot, however, avoid going to my own mailbox. Although I am somewhat accustomed to retailers who are one season ahead of reality, I am not ready to adapt to those who take the next step. Earlier this week, while it was still spring, mind you, I received in the mail a catalog for autumn 2007. Here's the advice I sent to them:

Note to Home Decorators Marketing Executives: I would like to suggest that you reconsider your timetable for releasing catalogs. When I went to my mailbox earlier this week, it was one of the most lovely days you can imagine. Beautiful beyond belief. Clear blue skies. Not too hot. Not too cold. Can you imagine then how I felt when I looked at the mail and found your "autumn" catalog? Trust me, I was not in the mood to open it, much less purchase anything from it. Here in Michigan we savor spring and summer. We do not like being reminded of cold weather to come when we are just beginning to warm up. The good news is, in the race to be the first retailer to start selling products for an upcoming season, you win. The bad news is, sometimes it does not pay to be first.

Click here if you would like to join me in telling Home Decorators that they do not create good will (or increase sales) by trying to rush through seasons before they even start.

"A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished." —Proverbs 28:20