Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

-Melody Beattie

It is my desire to have an attitude of gratitude in whatever situation I am in. I want to appreciate what I have and find the positive in all situations. I have the Lord with me and in my heart which is all I need.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Spending Fast: Conclusion

Well my spending fast has been over for a few days now and (besides food) I have only bought a $2 shirt for Mike from the thrift store and a book for 35 cents. My goal of saving money was not accomplished due to some medical expenses, but I was able to reflect more on where my money was going. I have also decided that spending more on local foods and products is important and the best way to support my local economy. This fast has been a good experience and probably won't be my last.

Spending Fast: Week One

Well I have officially been on my spending fast for over a week now and in some ways I feel like I have been cheating. You see I have still been letting Mike take me out to dinner every so often and to the movies this weekend. However, my war in this fast is against things, not food and experiences and I have succeeded in not buying one single piece of material goods! Actually its been fairly simple not buying anything (its only been a week though) and its made me stop and think about needs vs. wants, and the part I play in over consumption in this society. I have a front row view because I work in retail and I see up close and personal just what people buy and how much they spend (at least on jewelry and accessories) and that helps my perspective, but also frustrates me because I feel I am making my living in the very industry that I am questioning.

The point of this process for me is to save some money (although that has been hard because I have had to go to the doctor twice this week), and to reflect on how I am using the finances the the Lord has so richly blessed me with. I feel I want to be more reflective when I am spending money and to try to buy locally made products or products that I know have been made with fair wages and goods. I feel a little overwhelmed, a little frustrated, and little bit hopeful. I am prayerfully trying to figure out where I stand and where my boundaries are when it comes to consumption. I want to stop wasting my money and time on things that I do not need and this spending fast has helped to give me insight on my own frivolous and selfish habits.

Spending Fast

Since I had an unexpected expense last week (my car battery died) I have decided to go on a spending fast to replace the extra money that I spent. I am only allowing myself to buy food for the next two weeks. I am actually really excited to see what happens and what I can learn through this experience.

I have been reading a lot lately about the biblical concept of money (i.e. it all belongs to God and He blessed us so that we can turn and bless those around us and further His Kingdom) and also about poverty so I have become pretty irritated with my own waste and greed when it comes to material things. I am just beginning to wonder how much more money I could be giving away and using to help those around me if I just simply stopped buying new things all the time. I am covinced that materialism is a sickness is this country and very easy to get caught up in because it is so normal. I am trying to slow down and reflect on my own habits and beliefs when it comes to material things and not just accept what society tells me. It is my prayer that the Lord would use the next two weeks to work in my heart and show me how I could be using my finances to Glorify Him!

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to do it. "

-Proverbs 3:27

"Keep your life free from the love of money,

and be content with what you have."

-Hebrews 13:5

"He who gives to the poor will never want, but he

who shuts his eyes will have many curses."

-Proberbs 28:27

"Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

-Matthew 19:21-26

A Repurposed Dress

So I got the urge to make an apron today, but I didn't really want to spend any money on it so I used a dress from the garage sale pile. It turned out pretty good. I don't have a picture of the dress before, but I ended up just cutting the top off and cutting a piece out of the back. Then I made ties out of the scraps. It was pretty simple. It makes me wonder what else I could redesign and reuse...

Paint-By-Number

I've completed my first paint by number and I love it. I already bought another one! I think this is the only way I am going to be able to paint anything with detail. I know you can tell its a paint by number because there is no blending, but I tend to like this style. :)