I'm sure we've all heard sermons about not storing up treasures on earth (Matt 6:19) - we need to focus on our eternal treasures instead. This is a real struggle for me, though. I like stuff, particularly craft supplies. But I've been feeling very convicted of that lately - these items are an idol that I need to address. How sad that I'm more familiar with my catalog of stamp sets than God's word. And I'm spending much more time contemplating how to arrange all the supplies than the state of my heart. I guess this is sort of a prayer request, too, as I figure out how to balance these things in my life. I do believe that God has given me the gift of creativity and I really enjoy crafting, but I need to be more mindful of its importance.

I also need to watch this when it comes to our children. I didn't have a horribly depraved childhood or anything, but I was definitely very much aware that I didn't really fit in (my parents are very tight with their money and have no fashion sense, so consequently I was generally about 10 years behind on clothing trends!) I don't want our kids to be fashion plates, but I also don't want them to be singled out over something so foolish when they'll already be facing ridicule for their beliefs. Does that make sense? And just because I didn't get many things that I wanted as a child doesn't mean I need to fill our kids' room with stuff. Parenting is difficult enough as is - dealing with each child's individual needs and personality - without my injecting my own issues into the mix. Not that they can be completely taken out (hey, I am the mom!) but I need to get over myself. To quote one of those cheesy bumper sticker/keychain sayings: Let go and let God.

I know I'm rambling a bit, but I just need to get this out. I pray that God will help me be content IN HIM, not trying to fill my wounded, selfish heart with silly bits that are only going to get broken and thrown out.

I Timothy 6 has some very sound advice on wealth, and verse 6 totally sums it all up: "But godliness with contentment is great gain." And then in verse 11, we're told to flee from all the craziness, but "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." THESE are the things I need to be spending time on.

Perhaps I should stamp something with this phrase for my kitchen (JOKE!!)

Sharing our struggles is what this forum is about! It helps others who may be struggling with the same issues know that they are not alone.

With regards to your gift of creativity, it is truly a gift from God! Not too many people can just come up with such beautiful hand-crafts as you! So what are you to do?

I recall in I Corinthians 14 where Paul is exhorting the Corinthians about the gift of tongues. At the end of the chapter, Paul says that the gift of tongues is certainly a wonderful gift, but if it is not used to edify the church, then it is much better to have the gift of prophesy, as prophesying brings understanding of God to those who hear. In essence, let us use our gifts that God has given to us to edify and encourage one another.

I believe you do that with your crafting...You use it for your craft projects at MOPS and you use it to encourage others in your thoughtful cards. You use it to beautify your home, etc...

Yes, I am sure it must be a challenge to put aside your crafting to meditate more on God. Afterall, crafting is so much fun and using it to serve others gives you a good excuse to craft. Yet, the awesome fact about God is that He is faithful to help us when we earnestly desire and seek Him!!!
Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Psalm 9:10 (NIV)
10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

With regards to your children, I was once expressing to a friend my concern about not being able to provide the best living conditions for our child[ren] because of our financial situation. She reminded me that the stuff doesn't matter. Our greatest concern should be the condition of our children's souls and how we demonstrate godliness to them. I was encouraged by this particular friend because she has 13 children and before her husband got his present job as a lawyer he was just a manager at McDonald's, struggling to make ends meet. They don't have much, but she expressed how God was faithful in always providing for their needs which reminded me that God has always been faithful to us in sufficiently providing for all our physical needs too. If our children are made fun of because of their lack of stylish clothes, may our teaching of God's love to them make them remember that the more important acceptance is from our Father above rather than the acceptance of men (or in this case other kids), and I hope that God would help give them courage to stand firm in faith and be confident to know that they are loved regardless of what they look like on the outside or what they have. I can't say I've exemplified this because DearDaughter is only 14 months old, but we have another friend/mentor couple who were confident in their biblical teaching of their children and when their oldest daughter was a teenager, they didn't worry about her at all because they knew that her faith was strong enough to withstand the peer pressure. She was actually quite confident in her faith that she was a leader of her peers to do good rather than a victim of peer pressure.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (NIV)
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Anyway, thank you for reminding us of how easy it is to get caught up in the stuff of this world rather than keeping our hearts and minds of our inheritance and glory in heaven. Sometimes eternity just seems so far away and Satan just uses that to his advantage to challenge God's children. But thank God for His faithfulness in the giving of His Word and Spirit to keep His children on the narrow path to eternity and thank God for prayer where we can express our need for help!

Thank you for sharing 1 Timothy 6 and especially v.11. Yes, those are the things we are to pursue and again PRAISE GOD that we don't have to do it on our own, but we have God's help to leave unrighteousness behind and to pursue and follow after His righteousness!!!