One of the things I have realized lately is that less is more.  That is, when it comes to things and housekeeping, and even clothes and shoes, keeping up with a few good things is easier than a lot of stuff.  I understand everyone knows this is true.  But another thing that has become obvious to me is that wealth is in the eye of the beholder.

When we recently built our guest house, I thought we were going to have to purchase a new table, and some new beds, and even new quilts and comforters.  So I started looking.  But everything I liked seemed to be prohibitive cost-wise.  I thought I needed to run off to the local thrift and antique stores and look for some nicely worn gems to put in our new place.  But the more I thought about all of this, the more anxious I became.  What to do?  Bryan said "Can't we just get the table out of the school room and put it in the guest house, and then move the table the computer is on to the spot where the old dining table was?"  "Oh, no,"  said I.  "That won't do...or I don't know, maybe it would... let me think."  The old dining table was my parents' when I was young, and the old china cabinet that matched it was sitting in Bryan's office holding books behind it's glass doors.  Actually, I hadn't thought of it.  Perhaps it would do, and we could move the china cabinet in there, too, for storage.  Turns out, it did work, and when we moved the china cabinet into the guest house, it forced us to clean out Bryan's office.  Then, I painted an old wall shelf that had been part of the old bathroom in the garage, and it became a nice "new" bookshelf in the living area.  We used beds we already had, with quilts and sheets we already had, and I found  a chair out on the property in the hunting stand that got a fresh coat of paint and some new material on the seat and back and is a "brand new" chair.  All of a sudden, I realized the treasures I had already been blessed with and it hardly cost me a thing.

When we were moving around in the military, I got in the habit of praying over things before I bought them.  Sometimes I would forget to do this, and those were the times I would eventually regret having made those purchases - either it would wind up as broken junk, or it would not be as useful as I thought and end up adding to our weight allowance, or just be more stuff in the way.  And oddly enough, the old furniture my parents handed down to me, that I brought into my marriage, - that is the stuff we still have and still use.  Even when we had enough money to throw it all away and get "nice" stuff, we decided rather to save our money and use the stuff we had.  This has given us the freedom to retire to the country and allows my husband to be at home with us.  I should clarify that it is the Lord who has blessed us and it is He who has accomplished this feat for us because He is our provision.

I suppose what I am really getting at is the impression that has been made on me lately to look at what I already have.  There is always the pull to want more of this or that, to feel the need to try to make a little side income or to figure out a way to have some "extras" or to get more animals or involve my children in more extra-curricular activities (which requires more income) or the need to buy something newer or nicer, but not really necessary.    I suppose this time of year, a few days before Christmas, when we are all pondering what to get and how much to spend, etc.,  we are thinking perhaps about those things we may not need, but just want.   It is not the thing necessarily that is good or bad, but rather the fruit that results from our what we do with it.  I am reminded of   1Timothy 6: 7-8: "But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."

So instead of trying to figure out ways to increase our income or dreaming of ways to 'expand," sometimes it is good just to see what I can do with what I have.  I came up with a list of things I could do that would not cost me anything, but would indeed improve the household or streamline things in some way.  Here is the list:  1) clean out the refrigerator and/or your kitchen pantry - you might find things you didn't know you had. 2)vacume out the car (or have the children do it).  3)make playdough for the children and play with them.  4)make soup from a leftover hambone or chicken or turkey bone - using leftovers and making a mineral-rich broth. (You can even add eggshells to the bones as they are simmering to increase the calcium and mineral content - then remove along with the bones).  5)Go through closets or drawers and give away hand-me-downs or clothes you won't use.  6)file all of your bills, statements and receipts and clean out your desk as you do so.  7) re-arrange the furniture in your living room or another room.  Go around your house and see if there is anything anywhere else that would serve better in another room.  8)Tidy up your bookshelves and organize your curriculum - a good thing to do mid-year.  9) Pop pop-corn and watch a movie with your family.  10) Go for a walk or a picnic with the children, even if it is just in the backyard.  11) Stay home instead of going out for an activity that is not necessary, and realize you are saving gasoline!  12) Take time off from some activity or committment in order to re-focus and re-energize on your priorities.

These ideas are just a few things that can be done that really don't cost money, just some time and effort.  Not all of them are particularly fun, but they are worth doing.  Some things, like filing bills and statements and receipts will really bless you and your household when it is time to find a particular bill or receipt.  I just keep my grocery and other receipts in a big yellow envelope.  And when you get in the habit of doing this, it really isn't that hard to maintain.  And then you know where they are!  I used to not do this, but have found that it is well worth the practice when I needed a packing slip for something that was shipped to me over a year ago: finally I found it after two days of sorting through papers and looking for it!

May we be blessed as we consider how fortunate we are to live in this country.  May we be blessed to realize how much we really have, and how to consider those that really are needy.  May we realize that it really is more blessed to give than to receive, and the value of acts of service which can be just as special as a gift of "things."  Hopefully we can all take some time this season to ponder and plan and pray for the next year and to think of those things that we already have and how we can best use them!

Blessings for a Merry Christmas,

Chris