MY Precious Etch-a-Sketch

      Always wanting more and more is never enough. Nothing makes us want something more than your neighbor, family or friend getting something new. A car, house, phone laptop. Admit it soon as you see the latest greatest laptop or ipad you look down at yours and realize you are now a proud of owner of a Etch a Sketch. Some of us get so consume by our wants its like "Smeagol" now is living through us "my precious". But like with him many times once we get something we have wanted so long we wish to be free of it. I know its not just me with the "case of the wants" from a 7 course meal at Golden Corral  when its about 2am (why is legal to show restaurant commercial after hours) to seeing others having things or going on vacations.

The Word clearly states our problem
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

I would like to think, believe that I just want to be content with my walk with God. And if anything just give me Wisdom to live my days as Solomon requested. But again that thought doesn't hold water when a want is before me, not a need but a want. These wants are usually enjoyed for a period of time like a child with a Christmas toy. I will soon be "needing another want". And as for the state of contentment, that changes monthly if not weekly when bills come our way or the billion dollar lottery is advertised and you realize you have a better chance of finding Bigfoot in your backyard. But hey maybe God is going to grace you this one time with this "jackpot"

And of course we promise to use the majority of the winnings to make the world a better place. And use the money wisely. Sure we may suck at it now and be in debt and spend more on self than others but that will change when we have millions (See: sarcasm). Just a note to self: God does indeed bless us and that is to be a blessing to others.
So this issue comes more alive to me during the holiday season when we turn Thanksgiving day into a brawl for a new TV or toy. And for my wife and I we have a sons birthday to celebrate just a week before Christmas. We have discuss how to go about this and one suggestion was to buy for him only on his birthday and very little or nothing on Christmas so he can be taught the real reason for Christmas and buy for others who have little or nothing. The problem with that is between family and friends he may get "everything and then some" for his birthday and he wouldn't even realize he didn't get gifts for Christmas.                                               
God this is a struggle for most of us and it shouldn't be. You indeed have place before us an offering of the most precious gift in the world. And yet whenever we find ourselves wanting more its saying that Your gift does not satisfy. This time of year may our hearts truly look to you and may others see in us the contentment that this world could never offer but found only
Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches,but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. - Proverbs 30:7-9

You are so rich, Merry Christmas....

Recently I came across a article about a local homeless shelter in the Tri State in need. They are in need of food supplies, money towards a new grill. That of course was bad enough but it was also stated that 12 kids live at the shelter and in the midst of all those needs I wonder about those kids and how they are spending their holidays? What are they waking up to Christmas morning? Obviously I know this goes on by the thousands in bigger cities. But to me in a small community it just seems like this should be "taken care of" from a few dollars from individuals to the churches throughout the area this Rescue Mission should never be in need. I know of 4 churches in the area that have built "gyms" for outreach opportunities. If loans and checks can be written out for such surely this Need can be taken care of as well. This also goes on a personal level in how I spend my money and many times think nothing of it. Although I have read the stats, figures several times its still hard for me to realize I am a rich, very rich according to the majority of the world. According to the World Bank low income people in the world, percentage of people in the world that make $825.00 or less, 37 percent, a year. $825.00 a year or less, 37 percent. Next, lower middle income, up to $3,000.00 plus, 38 percent. So that’s about 5 billion people right there living on less than $3,000.00 a year. Now, you’re in the upper middle class of the world, up to about $10,000.00, that’s 9 percent, and then the highest incomes in the world, $10,000.00 or more, 16 percent. It’s interesting, if you just kind of get in your mind maybe your salary. If you keep taking the salary higher, you make $25,000.00 a year, you’re in the top 10 percent of the world’s wealthiest people. You make $50,000.00 a year, you’re in the top 1 percent of the world’s wealthiest people, $50,000.00 a year. Average annual American Christian household income, $42,409.00, $42,409.00. That is in the top 2 and a half percent of the richest people in the world.
Today, over a billion people live and die in desperate poverty and live on less than a dollar a day. Just to give you a little glimpse, that’s 700 million in slums, 500 million on the verge of starvation, 93 million beggars, 200 million children exploited for labor. We say poverty, desperate poverty, what is poverty? What does that represent? Lack of food and water. Over a billion people on the planet today who do not have access to safe drinking water. Illiteracy, huge illiteracy rates in places like India and Africa. Inadequate medical care, disease. You’ve got a disease like AIDS, there are 6,000 people who die every day in Africa of AIDS alone. And then you’ve got easily curable disease and sickness. There are millions of people this year who will die of diarrhea. They will die from it. Brain damage. It’s one of the most devastating pictures of poverty in the world, permanent brain damage. Most of your brain development, 80 percent of it happens in the first two years of your life, and if that is not provided for, enough protein and nutrients, then your brain is deformed for the rest of your life.
Over a billion people in desperate poverty, close to two billion others living on less than $2.00 a day. That’s close to half the world living on what you and I would pay for French fries for lunch. It gets worse. According to UNICEF, 26,000 children will die today due to either starvation or preventable disease, a disease like diarrhea or pneumonia or malaria, 26,000…And those numbers unfortunately just stay numbers for most of us. If you are reading this do indeed enjoy the holiday season and if you love to buy gifts for others, then by all means go for it but may season by season our excessiveness lead to blessing others and even or should I say especially those who have little or nothing and simply could not give back in return. And may your joy be found that its truly better to give then to receive, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to you! I Certainly haven't kept up with the blogging. Again it would help to have comments to keep it more consistent. But the last 2 weeks have been a bit busy to say the least with a newborn son coming into this world. But more on that later (I'm sure)...After a "Merry Christmas" or Happy Holidays (for the PC People?) the first thing usually people ask "is what did you get"...a week later or perhaps even a day later we could follow up with do you feel different or better ? I certainly don't have a problem with gift giving its just the extreme we have taken it to. At one time this meant a time for family and friends and a few gifts at best. Now its black Fridays, and sales on behalf of a baby in the manger. We actually have people trampling one another to get to the latest toy on sale. I believe all of us can learn from a child when he gets a present. This little one can find just as much if not more pleasure in the wrapping paper and the box. And we could learn from this in letting the simple things, the things we take for granted be what comforts us but not just doing the holidays but everyday. Christians have taken this season out of context if not more than non-Christians. God sent Jesus to get messy. And ever since this Jesus dives right into our mess to offer us grace, mercy, comfort, correction, love, life. Check out: "He Came To Get Messy" on YouTube or SkitGuys.com its worth 4 minutes of your time during this time of the year. By the way tell some one today, you love them, give them a hug, take time for family and friends and show thanks to God who has blessed you to bless others..,if nothing else say hi to your neighbor and wish them a Merry Christmas!