Enough

For Lent this year I gave up shopping. I wanted to give up something that would truly be a sacrifice to me. Boy was it ever! I had no idea how much I shopped and how much I spent. Now, I would like to say that I'm reformed and budgeting every penny that comes in ......but I'm not. When Lent ended I went shopping!! I dropped a ton of money....any money I had saved by not shopping during Lent is gone.

Then

came

the

guilt

and it was a beautiful thing. I've never felt guilt over shopping quite like this.

Then I had

Enough.

Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity

This is a book study that Steven's church is doing and for the first time in a long time I feel pulled to go to church. Already I've grown so much spiritually by reading this book.

Every time I go clothes shopping at Kohl's I drop a good $100.00. It doesn't matter if I'm looking for something specific or not. Tonight I went to Kohl's to buy a few things for spring. I figured I'd spend about $100.00. As I went in I felt a little ting of guilt because I didn't really need anything but I had planned to go shopping at some point this week. I said a little prayer about not going out of control. I had a cart full of stuff...probably a couple hundred dollars worth. I went to the dressing room and tried several pieces on and they were cute but you know what! I only bought one thing! ONE!!!! and it felt good.

God is good and helps us to have self control even when we think it's impossible.

Lord, help me to be grateful for what I have, to remember that I don't need most of what I want and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity. Amen.