Are We Spending our Valuable Time on What we Value Most?

When all is said and done --- 
the Best Things in Life are Not Things ---

and while I admit many of my posts have been about things, hopefully they have been good things.  

I have taught a variety of  subjects dealing with self-reliance in a variety of formats for 45 years. For the past two years (and over 300 posts) I have shared what I have learned as Simply, Gail---the Creative Cheapskate. 

My goals have been (and still are) to

•  present a variety of helpful, practical and valuable ideas and thoughts in a variety of practical, thoughtful, and engaging ways----with humor added to the mix.  

• provide direction in the areas of  couple-hood and parenthood in these increasingly difficult times; times when time is increasingly difficult to find.

• help you learn how to rely less on commercial products and more on your own ingenuity. 

• offer ideas for getting by in often less than favorable circumstances.
• prepare you for emergencies when our normal resources are disrupted or . . . gone

• make each post valuable to someone---and hopefully many.

There are too many electronic distractions these days that compete for our time.  I try not to get caught up in what I call "the thick of thin things" and I fear for those who spend most of their time in that thickness.

Not all, but most of my most popular posts are the ones on husband-wife relationships and parenting. This is rewarding, because, again,  when all is said and done, family and "real" things are the most important things. 

Food for Thought

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were as eager to fill our souls as we are to fill our stomachs?

Simple and free, yet priceless, things we can do

• Start each day with a nourishing book: Spend a few minutes reading the Scriptures and communicating with your Heavenly Father or whoever your higher power is.
• Conscientiously seek to balance your spiritual intake: Choose the good and the uplifting and the wholesome over the things of little or no lasting value or satisfaction
• Count your blessings and fill your hours with the things that count
• Include large portions of patience, forgiveness and good humor
• Don't ration your servings of compassion, kindness and charity
• Try to eliminate negativity, judgement, gossip and criticism: (One of the quickest ways to lose weight is to take the chip off your shoulder!)
• Weigh your thoughts and values more frequently than your weight
• Make it a habit: Take stock and renew each Sabbath Day, even if you can't make it to a/your house of worship
• View your glass as half full or half empty ---- the choice is yours!

While our world does not know peace, Jesus has promised His peace to each of us.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

                                                                   John 14:15

          I know from personal experience that even when there are things you absolutely cannot change, you can change a lot by simply changing your attitude and your focus.

          I am Simply, Gail and I try to keep life as simple as possible.