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Battling a Materialistic Culture

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I remember when I first understood what the word “materialistic” meant. I was in my freshman year of college sitting in a Sunday school class that was discussing modernist and post-modernist philosophies when I heard the word defined. Of course, I knew people who were obsessed with having “stuff”, but I didn’t know there was an actual word for it. Since that time my eyes have been opened to see the sickening level of materialism in this country. More relevantly, my eyes have been opened to the materialism that lurks within my own heart. For instance, before my husband and … Continue reading →

Teach Your Kids About Materialism

The best financial education you can give your children is far more internal than external. Money habits are skills, but financial good sense is something derived from within. The key process is to help your kids develop a healthy appreciation for money and the things it can buy. Teaching your children to value money and their purchases will greater ensure their success and happiness later in life. Like most things you teach your children, the first step is becoming a good role model. A great place to make this effort is to reduce materialism. In general, this word implies the … Continue reading →

What I Learned from Pots and Pans

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A few days per month I do some cleaning for an elderly woman in my church. For the past few weeks she has been telling me that she had a “special” project for me to do. She mentioned that it had something to do with her pots and pans. I envisioned dirty, greasy cookware that needed serious scrubbing and did not look upon my upcoming task with a friendly eye. I arrived at her house, mentally bracing myself for the unpleasant job. She lined up all of her cookware that needed to be cleaned on her kitchen counter and began … Continue reading →

Humility in Short Term Missions

I struggled to come up with a title for this blog. What I really wanted to call it was too long: What Your Host Ministry Really Wishes You Would Understand Before You Come to Their Church on a Short Term Missions Trip–But They’re Too Afraid to Tell You. (See? Entirely too long. . .) Being in New York City, we are quite a popular destination for the conscientious young person going on a short term missions trip. We have it all: the homeless, drug addicts, teen age pregnancies, the general loopy population (not to mention cool tourist opportunities on your … Continue reading →