Making the best of it

I've decided to make the best of things.  We don't have much money and there's rarely anything left after bills are paid and food is bought.  However, I can still make the best of things.  I can beautify our home with the things we already have.  Some things will take creativity (and pinterest) to come up with but it can be done.  I don't have to wait with a woe-is-me attitude.  I've got things at my fingertips I can use.  I really love when you can take something you would throw away and make it beautiful.  That's what God did for me after all.  He made me beautiful when I wanted to give up on myself because all I saw looked worthless to me.  All I saw was a mess.  But God already had a picture of how beautiful I would become with a touch from the Master's hand. 

My heart is so thankful for all I have.  Physically; my healthy able body, my family, staying home with my children, my home, materials to make and improve things, and a creative mind to design with.  I'm also thankful for all He's given me spiritually; redemption, restoration, peace, joy, and my latest gift, calmness of spirit.  These are the true riches in life. When I discovered that statistically speaking we are among the poor it took me awhile before I realized it was true.  If I'm so poor why do I feel so rich?  If statics say I have so little, why do I feel so full and blessed beyond measure?  Why, because my God doesn't care about statistics.  My God is greater then anything in the universe and the gifts He gives are better than anything on the planet.  Our scales of measuring are wrong.  Just because someone is "poor" doesn't mean their life is downcast or empty.  Your income bracket doesn't measure how smart you are.  In the case of my family, we made a choice to have me stay home with the kids to raise them set apart for the Lord and school them with God in the center of their education.  Though we have to give up some material possessions, the rewards and treasures in these children far outweigh anything we may be without.  God is faithful to meet our material needs. 

So my attitude has changed to thankfulness and making the best of what I have.  Just in time to because the onslaught of materialism is on its way.  It comes with the Christmas season.  If you struggle with not being able to get things for people that you want to, take an inventory of the heart and see if their isn't a greater gift you can give them.  Personally, I enjoy spending time with my friends.  Time is something people give sparingly.  Maybe an extra dose of love.  More hugs ( I love those too) may carry them further then the gift you would have bought.  Let's keep our focus where it should be.  On God and our family and friends.