Tuesday, July 22, 2008

look at what you have


my family and i went to dinner at our favorite local mexican place last night. we love it for many reasons. the food, the fact that it's walking distance from our house, tia maria, need i say more?

well, dinner was great, but the best part for me was the walk home. things have been a little stressful lately, and i think as sharon and i look at ways that we can adapt and move into new molds, we've found different things that we can do to cut back...live with less, etc...

i was thinking about all of this as we were walking home (i was even a little grouchy...just a little), i suddenly realized that our life is good. actually...our life is fantastic! and..if not one thing got better, for the rest of our lives...we'd still call ourselves blessed. no need for a nicer house, or a better car, or bigger paycheck. if we just look at what we do have, we'd be happy.

this may seem like a no-brainer for many of you, but this epiphany on the walk home provided me with a whole lot of peace. contentment is a good thing....live with that! :-)

Take care...

12 comments:

Nicholle said...

WOW! Well said. Thank you for that reality check! It is just a matter of how we think of life. Half full or half empty!

An area I definitely need to work in...

Sharon said...

God is good... ALL THE TIME.

Natalie said...

Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books to read concerning contentment in the bible. King Solomon really illustrates that toil, wisdom, riches, status, etc... is "meaningless". None of it will all matter when our time is passed on the earth.
What will matter is our relationship with our Heavenly Father. The Creator of all!
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil- this is a gift of God."
Ecclisiastes 3:11-13

Anonymous said...

The light at the end of a storm is always brillant and brings us through and offers encouragement and hope for a renewed tomorrow.

james said...

Consider the lillies, they dont shop at Mervins, but God makes sure they all look good in their surf suits. (paraphrased)

Sharon said...

HUSH JAMES!

jeramy sossaman said...

glad i didn't say that.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Thanks for another great reminder! There have been times in our lives that I've had to constantly remind my myself that NEED = one pair of shoes, one change of clothes, basic food and shelter... Everything else is icing on the cake... I'm not rich by American standards that for sure, but I certainly have far more icing than cake!!!!

james said...

Me? I was just agreeing?....dang you West Coasters are so touchy!....*sigh* ;-)

Lauren said...

Very true, J. And I couldn't agree more with Sharon's comment. I learned a long time ago, but it has been hammered home with me a lot more in the last couple of years, that God's goodness can for me be seen even more clearly amidst trials as long as I pause and look for it. I am better at inviting Him into my life when struggles remind me how much I need the Lord. And our testimonies of how God has been present and carried us through hard times, those are the ones that are relatable to others, that bring them encouragement, and really show the world that God is good all the time. He will fill our cup every time, all we have to do is ask!

Chelle said...

Thanks. I'll try to be more "half-full" rather than "half-empty."