stuff.

I've realized I have wayyyy too much stuff.  Most Americans [in my opinion] live a life of excess, including myself.  I mean, how many t-shirts do I really need?  And am I ever going to use all 20 bottles of Bath and Body Works lotion, shower gel, and body mist sitting under my bathroom sink? [No, I'm not.]  After taking multiple boxes of clothing, shoes, and random items to Goodwill, I've decided that I really need to think about my purchases: their versatility, usefulness, and necessity.  Is what I'm buying even practical?  Things don't bring happiness, healing, or salvation.  After all, I can't leave this world with anything, anyway.

We brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it.

1 Timothy 6:7

I feel like I'm always looking for the next thing to buy.  I am a frugal person [I only purchase things on sale or with coupons], but all this stuff, even at a good price, is not always justifiable.  I am blessed to have a closet full of clothes, shelves stacked with books and DVDs, and cabinets stocked with foods.  Blessed more than I deserve. A lot of Americans are.  I need to make sure, though, that I don't seek these things more than I seek the One who created them; that I don't praise the blessing more than I praise the blesser.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise...

Psalm 48:1

As I pack up items for Byron's and my apartment, I'm constantly coming across sweet little notes he'd written me in the past, filled with Bible verses and words of encouragement.  He's the best and I love finding little surprises [for the second time]!

Not much better than finding sweet little love notes.

It's intersting how I feel convicted about my actions and habits at times when I wasn't even really aware of them.  I'm enjoying cleaning out the things I don't need [and I am not a pack rat] -- it's freeing in a way to decide to get rid of something simply by choice.  The Lord's blessed me in more ways than I can count; I have more shoes in my closet right now than some people will have in a lifetime.  I don't think God wants me to feel guilty, but just to remember than I've been blessed so I can be a blessing to others . . . not to live a self-centered life filled with a bunch of junk.