Christy,
That question is so tricky…

I read an article recently from, I think it was People magazine. This family of three in CA were living on 38,000 a year, while the husband/father was making 200,000 a year. The difference was given away to charities/churches/etc.

Our culture really isn’t wired for simplicity or frugality, and I’m learning I’m certainly not. As Sarah said about what is “gospel.”
Google – “planned obsolescence” and “perceived obsolescence” to see what dictates spending.

How much of the 2+ trillion dollars of debt Americans have has a little something to do with a large percent of our bills (& foreclosures, bankruptcy, living paycheck to paycheck, etc)?

What if Americans were debt free and lived more simply???
Ha ha…but what if?

You figure you could do those things for yourself that you mention (house, emergency, etc), and help out so many others (here or abroad).

Liz and I are just making little “baby steps.” She loves that movie!

Cheers.

In my experience it has always been a lot harder not to spend money that I have than not to spend money that I don’t have. (If you can wade thru all the double negatives, I hope that makes sense!! I keep trying not to split infinitives due to this crazy anal professor I had in college . . . sheesh, drives me crazy!)

Also, something that my brain slowly began to absorb recently is the concept of social justice being championed by the church. I’ve been reading about church history and different events that have taken place down thru the centuries. One of the remarkable qualities of both Frances of Assisi and Deitrich Bonhoeffer was their casting off–or at least writing about it in Bonhoeffer’s case, as his were stripped by the government–of material possessions. Boenhoeffer even went so far as to say in his _Letters and Papers from Prison_ that “the Church should give away all its property to those in need. The clergy must live solely on the free-will offerings of their congregations, or possibly engage in some secular calling. The church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving.” I found that intriguing . . .

I think you hit upon a really good point when you talk about the heart.

SO here’s a question for you: let’s say a family after tithing, basic bills, insurance and groceries has a few hundred dollars left over every month. Does the family save it for vaction, fix up the house, give it away to someone in desperate need, invest it, save for upcoming emergencies like car breaking down, etc., have a new baby, get cable and a cell phone, or go to the dentist?

I’m fasting chocolate for Lent, which previously I probably ate every day. Maybe next year I can give up the cigars too….

Seriously, it feels like I am going through detox…others who have done the same probably had similar experiences?

Cheers.

Cigars huh? I’ve already got a few in my humidor, but our thinking is that we need more!

Here is a good post from a great blog on fasting:
http://www.scriptoriumdaily.com/2008/02/11/biblical-fasting/

Cheers.

I empathize with giving up cigars. :(

What makes it difficult is that here in America, we are immersed in the consumerist value system. We’re inundated with it’s gospel. We actually made our household TV free (and I no longer subscribe to magazines) since the marketing is just a reminder of what I’m trying to get away from.