The Pursuit of More

It seems that I am daily reminding my children to be thankful for what they have rather than constantly asking for more. It is easy for me to remember each wonderful thing they have been given and the reasons they should be beaming with joy.

After all they have three meals a day PLUS two snacks, clean clothes, a warm house, and a dog. They even have tablets, videos games, toys, and get to go to fun places and enjoy the leisure of life. Why in the world would they think they deserve more?!? They aren't beaten or verbally abused and we actually love them.  I mean how spoiled can you get.

Now excuse me as I fall off my high horse and face plant into the ground.

I have recently recognized that I too am in the pursuit of more.

For some reason I believe having more is a source of security.  You know financial security. Let's pause! Financial planning is not a bad thing.  It is actually a very good thing, but I am not referring to financial planning.

I am referring to a financial obsession that causes worry and anxiety and chokes out the enjoyment of living on purpose and through faith. Purpose and faith don't equate to stress and financial burden. It is the lack of belief and attitude of worry that causes anxiety and often looks at every circumstance without contentment.

So in reality, burden is just the path that I chose, and I have just realized this. Instead of taking the time to list the things that I am thankful for, seeking to grow in my faith, and dig deeper into living with purpose, I have been bound to asking for more. Gasp! More ... more ... more!  My thoughts seem to go: if the savings account could just hit this amount, if I could just have all my bills paid for the next 3 months without relaying on savings; if there was just more in the kids' college account.

My thoughts should be:  I am thankful that I have savings, my bills are paid, and my children have money set aside for college. More importantly I am thankful for a Savior that sacrificed His life so that I can be restored. I am thankful that my God will supply all my need according to His riches in glory.

Again there is nothing wrong with wanting to add to what you have, increasing your skills, or financially changing your family tree for the better. It is the heart of the pursuit that counts.

Thought provoking:
When is the last time you have stopped and really assessed all you have? Is there more you can do with what you have already been given?  Would more really be enough?

Gratitude and the pursuit of God. That's what truly fulfills.



On a side note: You will find affiliate and other general links within my blog. I work hard to keep them relevant and useful. One reason I use affiliate links is to support the daily activity of a non-profit children's program. Check out The Cool Table to learn more.  If you use Amazon to make any purchases please bookmark our link and painlessly help support the cause.

A Messy Lesson

Most times, my home is clean and in order.  It's not right or wrong, it's just how I am.  Maybe I obsess a little, but I have learned to embrace it.

Recently I have been working on some home projects and mess was inevitable.  I embraced it because I knew progress was underway and there would be an end to the chaos. This made me think about life. Maybe some of life's messes are evidence of progress that I should embrace rather than run to clean them as quickly as they are created.

What about you, is there some evidence of progress that you are resisting? Would a change of perspective help?

Check out rare photos from the scene.

I understand this is silly, but the lesson is SO real!

Life gets messy but it could be because there is progress underway!

On a side note: You will find affiliate and other general links within my blog. I work hard to keep them relevant and useful. One reason I use affiliate links is to support the daily activity of a non-profit children's program. Check out The Cool Table to learn more.  If you use Amazon to make any purchases please bookmark our link and painlessly help support the cause.

It Starts With Step One

What keeps one from living out the purpose for his/her life? Maybe it is fear, apathy, loss of passion, or something unmentioned. Maybe there is uncertainty about the process, or the grand plan just seems too far out of reach. From experience, what I have found is that misery often finds itself rooted in living a life off track from the heart's desire. For a time, outward success can be solace to quite the heart's desire. If the outward success does not line up with the heart's desire to fulfill a greater purpose then eventually there will be an emptiness.  Now please understand that I am not against success.  Social and economic success is a great thing, but time and time again I have heard stories and seen lives that were just incomplete or lacking luster because life was being lived chasing someone else's idea of success which is what I am referring to.

Recently I posted "What's Your Dream?" with the intention of hearing from the readers about dreams and goals for their life. To date, I have had NO response, bummer! This could be because of a number of things but certainly not limited to the following: no one is reading the blog, it was a really hard question, or the answer is too personal. 

A few thoughts: 

I blog not because of the number of readers but because writing is one of the things I love.  So I'll continue to share anyway. Thanks +Jon Acuff (may you learn the art of Google+).  I understand the question was a difficult one because it challenged me as well. I had to rethink some things and uncover some goals that I had buried. Dreams can sometimes be very personal.  The more sacred we find them, it seems the more we try to protect them.  Maybe there was a time you revealed a dream and it was mishandled.  I get it! 

With those realizations, I would still be honored to hear your dream; however my desire is not necessarily for me to know your dream, but for you to know it and find encouragement to live it.

Do you know what you really want to do in this life? Take away the measure of success that the world places on tasks and search the heart for what fulfills you.  Now make a commitment to do one thing today that gets you a step closer to that purpose.

And as I always say ... if you haven't read START you should!

Living the dream starts with step one! 

Shante