Balance: The Path to Contentment

There is no doubt that we have been blessed, but we are sharing in the current financial challenges. On a day when the stock market plummeted again, I can't help but feel unsettled. However, the Scripture that I hang onto, day in and day out, is Philippians 4:6:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

The word I focus on is "everything." There are opportunities to save, to enjoy, at just about every turn in life. I try to save whenever and wherever I can; but if the opportunity presents itself to spend time with good friends at a restaurant, I'll be careful in what I order. If a new business in our downtown community is just getting started, I'll buy from them once in a while because their presence contributes to the neighborhood's character.

When I first started this blog, I was on a spend fast. For a year I basically bought nothing for myself--no new clothes for a year. I embraced couponing and started stockpiling. Now I buy an occasional piece of clothing, oftentimes from consignment stores; and since I have gotten accustomed to the cycles of sales, I am not as inclined to go overboard in buying specials.

My daughter gave me a blog revamp for Mother's Day. It has taken this long for me to contact the designer and get it online. To use a house analogy, my old blog looked like a used mobile home while I like to think of this new design as a cozy cottage.