More thoughts on contentment..

I have been thinking about this idea of contentment. Folks have very different ideas on what this word means to them. I feel like I have definitely turned a corner on this one. I spent most of my life associating the word content with laziness, "resting on your laurels", lacking drive. My generation grew up seeking wealth. Most of the people I knew growing up came from upper middle class families. I wasn't aware of struggling families, I am sure they existed, but I was certainly blind to it. I never collected clothes for the needy, worked in a soup kitchen, or donated gifts to families at Christmas time. How could I grow up so blind to the needs of others?

Who knows, I'm sure my own family struggled a little from time to time, but I never knew it. My parents were always frugal, but we never lacked necessities. My friends and I grew up dreaming of awesome careers, huge homes, incredible vacations, perfect families, filled with all the fun money could buy. We all went chasing after the dream. Many of us have owned businesses, experienced varying levels of success and failure. Some moved to big cities, done the whole big house, flashy life thing. We weren't content, to be content would leave to much on the table. We had to have it all.

In retrospect, we could have made some different choices along the way. Life, and I believe, God, is teaching me what is really important. I have come to the realization that these life lessons, while often painful, are not punishments, they are a guiding hand, trying to get me back on course. I am very thankful for this renewed perspective.

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The Sky is Blue

I want to thank all of you who lift my family up in prayer. I thank all of you who give us encouragement. I try really hard to see the cup 1/2 full, and most days I do. I was feeling a little down last night, but today is a new day. Blue skies remind me of how much I am loved. Have an awesome day friends. And.....on a side note.... Go Viewpoint Patriots!!! We are in the playoffs! Wooo Hoooooo!

Networking can be expensive!

I went to a cool women's networking meeting the other night. It was with an organization called Heartlink . It was at some one's house. An awesome dinner was served. Tables set, lovely hospitality, and about 20 very interesting women were there. We each got 3 minutes to introduce ourselves and tell a bit about our business's. Most of the women knew each other already. Many of the women present had business's that sell through direct marketing. Most of the big ones were represented, and a few new ones I had never heard of but found interesting. There were also women with other business's like insurance, legal services, printing, etc... It is great to meet like minded people, and I can definitely see the benefits of attending regularly. The bad part however, is it leaves you wanting to go shopping! All of a sudden, I MUST have the new mango cutter from Pampered Chef, and I am yearning to freshen up my candles, and I NEED a hole new wardrobe from CABi . ...

Believing isn't so hard

Why do I believe what I can't see? That is a valid question. I get it from well intentioned people just trying to understand our differences I guess. I'll try to answer as best as I can. The college years especially, are a time of exploration. We think in a less inhibited way. We behave in a less inhibited way. We ponder, and process, and get emotional about issues we think are important. It is definitely an important step in the process of maturing. I too, explored, pondered, got emotional, and was uninhibited. I remember especially being passionate about the right to a woman's choice. I never took the idea of abortion lightly. I held the hands of a few friends along the way, as they made that very difficult choice. I praise God that I was never faced with that decision, I am not sure what I would have done at that stage of my life. I would like to think I would have chosen life, but I can't say for sure. I don't believe that ab...

The Sky is Blue

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