This is the country of excess, EXCESS, I tell ya'! We're on a very LEAN budget. I'll be honest, we've made some financial mistakes & had many moments of financial mismanagement...but in our darkest hours...we've ALWAYS had a roof over our head, running water & STUFF up to our eyeballs!
I am really SICK of it. I'm SICK of all the stuff. It's like eating chocolate NON-stop, more & more & more. Gluttony in materialistic form, that's what it is.
It's barely a few days past Christmas.....they have a closet FULL of brand new, UNopened toys. I don't know if they will EVER get a chance to open them much less before their next b-day.
Something has to change.
I am now fully convinced that the MORE we give our children, the MORE UNsatisfied & discontent they will become. It will only breed & feed the lusts of thier flesh.
I have been hearing more & more arguing these past few days. IN theory, all these wonderful, new & tantalizing shiny toys would be keeping them busy right? No. Overwhelmed w/ what they 'wanted'...I believe they begin to EXPECT EVERYTHING they desire & then become gravely disappointed when they do not receive EVERYTHING they have desired. All the while becoming more & more selfish & inwardly focused on self!
And why not?...we have trained them to expect EVERYTHING. I think this is SO destructive to their character & nature.
The immediate intentions are good, well meaning relatives want to show that they love & care by giving gifts. In the long run, though, when you look @ the big picture, the 'intention' is actually very negative.
I was a bit concerned this Christmas that we would not be able to afford to give gifts to our children.....I don't know why! Every aunt & uncle & cousin gave them something. Plus, we got the brand new toys that co-workers had left over in their garages from Christmas's past. Plus I was busy making home-made gifts that I thought they would enjoy. And they did.
So WHY did I fall into that trap of worry? Knowing FULL well that they would be over-indulged?
I am hoping to spend this next year REALLY focusing on GIVING. I want my children to be moved inwardly to show compassion & caring outwardly. I want to focus on how RICH & blessed we truly are, so much that we don't NEED anything & that we can GIVE BACK to others who REALLY have less than us.
People are STILL starving, lonely & hurting the other 11 months of the year too. I want my children to know that & CARE. I am not sure HOW but I am going to focus on 'serving' these people in our community this year.I think it's time to put my FEET where my faith is & I'm bringing the ktbunch w/ me!
We are in the same boat. I refuse to give in to the materialism - my daughter comes from a blended family and so she has 9 grandparents all of whom give her stuff all the time. We only bought her 2 gifts. I wish everyone could go back to basic giving, receiving and just being together. I think the older I get the more I enjoy just being with my family and friends.
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