3 times

The water challenge is winding down and Christmas is gearing up.

My challenge and hope in giving up something water related everyday
was so that we would consider how
fortunate we are to have a basic need
like water
met.

I hope awareness was also brought to how dependant we are
on water , and how difficult it would
be to go without it
for a single act i.e. cooking, showering. washing
or even a single day

As Christmas consumes our thoughts
I hope we as Americans
will not buy into all that we "need"
and realize that we have what we need.

I'm not pointing fingers

I'm looking in a mirror

I have everything I need

and most everything of what I want

 ( Mr. Rodgers says I'm low maintenance materialistically.  A corona, sunset  and family and I'm good --emotionally , well that is a different tale)

So this season our family has decided to skip the big gifts

We are headed to a cabin of a friend in NC for TIME together

No cell phone coverage (hadn't broke that news to the youngin's yet)

No cable

No Internet (wait for the scream  around the 23rd)

Just US.

 

Happy Mouth heads to college next year ,

and our family life will be different.

It all went too fast and

 I am not dealing with it pitifully well.

But that is a whole nother story.

Now we will spend money ,

 its true, on things we want.

But we are systematically trying to wean ourselves from our current reality of MORE

 that we foolishly bought into.

To some our standard of living might seem modest. 

While we live next to the Joneses, we could care less about keeping up with them.

Much less socializing with them.

But we like everyone. spend our money where we want to.

And we are fortunate enough to have money  to do that -Above our needs.

But we are scaling back. 

We simply  do not need.

And it is a wonderful place to be.

I hope that my heart will continue to grow in ways that are pleasing to God.

I hope the girl in the mirror ( and no Michael Jackson lyrics please)

 looks way deeper into the reflection

I hope she sees needs that are yet unmet,

and then I hope she moves her feet-

away from the mirror

and towards meeting those needs.

Dig Deep Give Well has made a huge impact on our family.

Rollercoaster is planning on going next summer to Africa  as well.

We have plans to put in 5 wells next summer.

I hope you will join us in giving a basic need to so many,  and I hope you will consider giving it out of your wants.

That you will trade your wants for an other's needs.

And that each time we look in the mirror our reflection will look a lot more like Jesus than us.

I hope that like the Grinch who stole Christmas

that God will make my heart grow too big big to be contained .

And they will say in

"Wantville" that   her heart grew

three sizes that day.