I love the news on Yahoo. The story bursts are exactly as short as my attention span. Often you can tell the whole story by the headline. Like this recent one:

Shopping in Lousy Mood Will Cost You.

A quote from the LiveScience article sums it up:

Participants who were feeling blue and also had a high level of self-focus were the biggest spenders.

This combination, sad and high self-focus, likely causes individuals to devalue themselves and their current possessions. The result, (researchers) say, is an increased willingness to dole out more for material goods, presumably to enhance the sense of self.

Today, I'm hearing the siren call of irrational spending. When feeling down-in-the-dumps, there's one place that calls my name. Goodwill. There's always something fun to see, try on, consider, and buy. For years I've justified my Goodwill habit as actually superior spending, since it's 10% of the expenditure of a typical trip to the mall. My kids have caught the Goodwill fever. Recently Caroline needed spring clothes and requested a trip to Goodwill. She said, "Look, Mom, we filled a whole cart for the same price we'd spend on one pair of jeans at Limited, Too!" Like mother, like daughter.

Sensible spending is important. But emotional, need-to-feel-better-so-will-shop is a trap....no matter where you end up spending.

The Sad Shoppers article debuts in the June edition of Psychological Science magazine. But it's not news. Isaiah 55:2 says: "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

Next time you feel blue and dissatisfied, take it to The Big Guy. Ask Him to show you true satisfaction. It's a free gift from God. And hide your car keys. The feeling will pass...and the peace will last.