Being Good Stewards

In this day and age where we are constantly fed images of "perfect" homes and "perfect" lives through the media it is very hard to resist the urge to spend far more than we really need to on things that don't really matter and in reality don't bring us much closer to attaining that "perfect" life. There will always be one more thing, one more must have item.

I am prone to pouring over these pictures of beautiful homes and trying to see what would work in ours. If I am not careful this can lead to a feeling of discontent and longing for more money and more things. That is when I need to step back and be grateful for what I do have. However by reading these magazines and studying ads I know what to be on the look out for in the second hand stores. I have been able to find almost everything I have wanted for our home by being patient and waiting to find a really good sale like our living room rugs that were marked down and then on an unadvertised sale for 75% off the already reduced price or finding it at the second hand store.

Recently I was on the look out for a full length mirror and I found one tucked behind some tables in the second hand store an paid only a fraction of what one would cost new. Now on my list is a swag for over the mirror in my freshly painted entryway.

Another area besides the media that we can get pulled into spending more than we need to is through our friends. Thursday morning my friend told me she was making some cute new winter curtains for her kitchen. This got me to thinking about my valances in my living and dining room. Some of you may remember my post about them. I love them. I was so excited to get them and they are lovely. But when I was talking to my friend and hearing about her new winter curtains I was suddenly not so thrilled with my floral valances with winter coming and I was thinking about how much nicer it would be to have a more wintry pattern that flowers for the coming season. I was still thinking about this when I went out later that day. I found some lovely fabric at the second hand store that would do very nicely and it was only $6 for several metres and was a very good quality fabric with a beautiful pattern. Oh I was tempted but you know even though it fit my criteria of being a really good deal I did not need it. I love my curtains, I was very blessed to get them and they are just fine for year round use. Winter curtains never even occurred to me until I was talking to my friend. I am grateful for what I have and the money I would have spent on new fabric is better spent on things we do need.

I am not saying that we shouldn't talk to our friends about things they are doing to make their homes nicer for their families on the contrary I have been so inspired and encouraged by this and by reading others blogs. I just need to be careful to evaluate the things I do or buy and make sure they are right for us. It is easy to get swept up in the idea that I NEED that or I MUST do that so it is important to step back and evaluate whether it will really benefit my home and my family or whether it is wasting money or time that could be better spent elsewhere.

Blessings,
Liisa

Artwork from www.allposters.com