Taking delight in and praise for The Simple Things in life.

Small things bringing me joy this week:

• Josh Garrels’ Pandora station. The perfect calming mix as background music for editing, as well as plugs in a few old hymns here and there to enliven the heart.
• Andy and I are thinking of moving this fall as our lease expires (we’ve had the same little home since we got married three years ago) and it’s been a week of dreaming about an updated space. I started a pinterest board to keep track of ideas for an updated office space. Want to see what I’m dreaming up?
• Reminiscing about my journaling experience.

“I like this one honey, look,” I said, flashing Andy a picture of the dress I was viewing in an online catalogue. “Hmm. Yup, that’s a nice one” he said, glancing over for a second and a half. “Yup, I like it. It’s $200”. “Mmm….that’s nice. WAIT. What??!” We both burst out laughing–not because I was sarcastic about the dress–oh no, I was entirely serious about that–but because his response was just like that straight out of a movie. But his surprise also reminded me: oh yeah, we don’t spend that much on clothes (at least, not in this season). This has been a week spent dreaming about some of the changes that might be coming upon us soon. It’s been super fun gathering inspiration online and dreaming about an updated space (as well as what I might want to add to my closest, obviously), but there was this truth that followed me all during the week: “Be content with what you have”. The words are from a passage in the Bible: Hebrews 13:5. It wasn’t at all that I was feeling guilt about my exploration on the internet searching for new inspiration and ideas for what might be the next stage of life, but more so that I was experiencing a prodding in my heart to remember what really matters. You know, it was funny shooting the photo for this week’s Simple Things having an idea of what I wanted to write about. Really, I’m going to use a pair of brand name high heels??! But then I thought, ha, that’s funny. They’re so very pretty, but, in the 9 months I’ve had them, I haven’t worn them once. Material is fun and such a great way to express who we are as individuals, but I’m convinced (and reminded over and over this week) that happiness isn’t found there, and I was touched reading the entirety of the passage those few sweet words came from:

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. Hebrews 13:5