Bad Joo-Joo:Fast Track Your Way to Cosmic Fail!

     So, I have this idea that I have lovingly termed Bad Joo-Joo.  I consider it worse than bad luck, because luck implies that there wasn't anything you could have done to either cause or prevent it, that's just the way it was meant to happen.  However, Bad Joo-Joo is self-inflicted.  Think Good/Bad Karma-- just more fun to say!  You know it's wrong, but you do it anyway.  You reap what you sew.  Fairly straight forward stuff, I think

     I will not steal.  Not just because I want to avoid the inevitable Joo-Joo, (which would be reason enough) but because I don't want something I didn't earn.  I also will not keep money I find.  I will either make an attempt to find the owner as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary Bad-Joo Residue, or I will drop the money into a charity somewhere, thus laundering the cash of its Mal-intent Mojo. I've discovered that found money, if kept, will end up costing you far more than what you initially found (or stole).  A better example, an acquaintance of mine found some money in the floor of a local business.  He was fairly pleased with himself because had found it (It was $100 I believe), and he claimed that he didn't look for the owner because someone would have lied about it or some such.  I felt that if someone had lied about the money's ownership, then they were simply more deserving of the Bad Joo.  I warned him repeatedly to drop it off at a local church, but he laughed, basically called me a Loon, and shoved the money into his billfold.  I'd done all I could do.  Subsequently, his television ceased all function without warning, his car wouldn't start, and a whole laundry list of other costly, inconvenient mishaps which he later blamed on me.  Hey, I told him to launder it!

     I suppose that there are certain instances where keeping money might be a literal Godsend.  Like if you pray and ask God for help during financial hardships and a manilla envelope full of cash ends up in your mail-box.  For example, around Christmas I started praying to God to ease my financial burdens.  We'd just brought Tempe home and we had spent some of our Presents Fund on things for her, which we hadn't planned on needing for another month.  Two days before Christmas, we received a check from the Hubby's previous place of employment, which they claimed was left over from his 401K rollover or some such.  It wasn't a lot, but it was certainly unexpected since he hadn't worked there in over a year.  I believe that God not only heard my plea, but he chose to answer it.  I felt so blessed!

Christmas 2011

       I try to teach my children not to take things that don't belong to them.  More accurately, I try to teach Connor Lathan not to take things that don't belong to him-Sissy isn't physically capable of thievery just yet.  I know that all kids go through that "Sticky Finger" stage, but it's something I'd rather avoid altogether.  Connor takes money out of my purse for his pretend cash register every once in a while, but I always know where to find it.  It' just a little inconvenient when you go to the store and attempt to pay for your stuff with money you thought you had. He's not being malicious, but he's also not being courteous when he neither asks to play with my wallet nor puts my money back when he's done ringing up his toys.  Like his toe-nibbling, it's a work in progress. 

    So, my thought for you today is this- do the right thing!  It might not add riches to you booty chest, it probably won't make you very popular with your greedy friends, but you'll feel better about your decisions and receive more blessings in your life for your trouble. Also, you'll be putting some good Karma in the bank and avoiding the Bad Joo-Joo!