Have you noticed how we consumers are being swayed into buying products by the advertisers? There's a psychology behind what makes us buy things. Maybe those stores and their advertisers are in cahoots to make us hungry enough to buy their stuff!

A few years ago, a lady in my exercise class sold athletic clothing. She told us about her product line and showed us her catalog. The clothing looked very nice, but it was a bit too pricy for me. My other rationale was — did I need to look stylish while working out, or impress anyone? The lady told one of her interested customers about a hot-selling item. She said that it was available in Merlot, but she was out of the Chocolate Brown.

Anyone hearing part of the conversation might have wondered if she was selling something in a bottle, or perhaps some brownies. Someone else in the class mentioned how labels on things had become yummy-sounding. They talked about nail polishes, too — with colors that not too many of us knew existed (e.g., Shrimp, Crab, and Lobster). The younger ladies clued me in, that those names designated various shades of coral. These days, it's hard to tell if we're reading something off the menu at a restaurant, or selecting a tantalizing color.

As I shopped yesterday for a few miscellaneous items, I found myself among a myriad of candles. I enjoyed sniffing those delicious flavors, including: Berry Burst, Vanilla, Tropical Shower, Honeysuckle Cream, Warm Apple Pie, Hazelnut Cream, Apricot Mango, Honeydew, Fresh Petals, Sweet Cherries, and Waterfall. Before I knew it, my mind had taken me to: a garden, a tropical forest, my mother's old honeysuckle trellis, a restaurant, and my own kitchen.

As I showered and dressed this morning, I paid particular attention to the products that I used. My hand soap is Vanilla Sugar & Rice, while my orange glycerin soap is Fresh Melon. My deodorant is Wood Spice. My blush is Rich Berry, and the lipstick that I selected for the day is called Nectarine.

Those advertisers are definitely trying to appeal to our senses, and to our taste buds. They want us to associate a product with a food, so we'll buy it. What an epiphany! No wonder we often struggle with keeping our weight under control! The subtleties are all around us. Delicious flavors aren't just for ice creams anymore — or, cookies, or candies, or other calorie-laden temptations.

I just remembered that I need to get a new box of hair dye today. Let's see, do I usually get Raspberry Crème? Or, was it the Nutmeg Torte, or the Cinnamon Stick? After that errand, I might visit my favorite coffee house (unless I can resist the temptation), and get a Caramel Latte. No, make that a Gingerbread Latte with extra whipped cream. Does that sound good to you?

As we think about sniffing, tasting, drinking and wearing, let's remember some wisdom from the scriptures:

Does that sound good to you?

[Jesus said] "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25 NIV).

[The apostle Paul wrote] So whatever you eat, or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV).