lifesong
Everyone needs compassion
Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations
Saviour, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender
Shine your light in
Let the whole world see
We're singing, for the glory
Of the risen King
Jesus, Shine your light in
Let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory
Of the risen king
Monday, November 27, 2006
-10:13 pm
*Blissful sigh* I just got home from a very satisfying and fruitful shopping expedition with my mum. It's our annual year-end spending to supplement our wardrobes etc. Robinson and John Little's having this 20% discount/rebate thing for members and we've been down twice to buy stuff. Today's the last day. Though we didn't exactly splurge or purchase that many items, the things we did buy cost quite a substantial amount each. New black and white floral print skirt! Whoopeee. Finally a pretty, neutral skirt that I can match coloured tops with. (:
Mummy was very happy too with the good harvest, (: despite the pain of parting with cash (invisibly- she used her credit card, which is even worse- you don't see the money going out). Like mum remarked at the end of the day,
spending money is easy, fun, exciting, exhilaration and rewarding (temporarily, until you realise you might have overspent). But
earning money is so difficult. Every time I contemplate spending, there's always this stressful tug-of-war going on in my head. I hate to feel guilty for buying something's that's more a want than a need. And, it's not like my parents are rich either. There are always better ways to spend that amount of money used to buy clothes/accessories/gadgets etc. I always feel guilty when spending my parents' money. Though they may agree to buy something I want, after the purchase is done, this niggling sense of guilt somehow plagues me for a while. Is this abnormal?
Anyways, there needs to be a balance (as always) in spending and saving. One can't hoard up treasures on earth which you can't bring to heaven with you. You never know when you'll die a miserly millionaire with this huge amount of $$ stashed somewhere unused, wasted. It's quite sad to live a life of near poverty because you save like a compulsive obssessive hoarder, depriving yourself of the joys of life, things the Lord made for us to take pleasure in and utilise. God will provide.
Of course, we need to work hard and save as well. I'm not saying that a spendthrift lifestyle is right. Or that you don't need to save- just not to the extent that you miss out on the things that God means for us to enjoy. I'm saying that spend within your limits, for your needs and maybe wants, if you can afford just a little indulgence. We need to be good stewards of what God has given us. (:
Anyhow, I've caught the shopping bug for a long time now. In the past, I was able to pride myself on hating to shop. I used to shop like a man- go armed with a purpose, zoom in on my target purchase, buy it and leave. But now, oh dear. Everything catches my eye. Saw this really cool fitted jacket with a great cut and design but it costs 80 bucks. I'd love to have it in my wardrobe but well. Haha. It blows the top off my budget extravagantly.
Will miss shopping in Malaysia with it's Year End Sale this year. Youth camp clashes with family holiday and my parents are going ahead without the three of us. But thank God they've allowed us to go for camp. Somehow. I never would have imagined mum doing that but she did. Would miss spending time with the family as well. But just one encounter with God is worth so much more than 5 days of shopping, water theme parks and fun. Looking forward to camp... can't wait can't wait! (: (: (: (:
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