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| Flower for a surprise birthday event for my preschool pastor! |
I have a confession to make.
I thought I was doing well in this aspect of my life, but I realize that I am still vulnerable and I am in need of Holy Spirit's guidance.
Girls and shopping probably go hand in hand for most girls. I am not a crazy shopaholic, and I don't enjoy shopping as much as the majority - whether it be shopping brand names, luxury goods or even something cheap from Forever 21. I always thought of myself as a wise spender, checking out the sale section to see if I can find a good deal and all. Once in a while, I would save up to purchase something more expensive, for instance a designer handbag. So I thought I was pretty good, compared to other girls who are always so anxious to get the next "it" bag or who are always on top of the trendy items. To be honest, I am not a fashionista and I never was.
My perspective changed last year, after coming back from my first mission trip. If you're curious about what I'm talking about, you can look for my old entries from last year by clicking "Mexico missions" on the right side. So, until now I thought I've been doing pretty good with how I spend, especially when it came to clothes, accessories and beauty products. For the most part, I asked my self once, twice, and three times, if I really needed something before making a decision. And, I also gave up on buying a pretty pink wallet from a luxury brand that I've been eyeing on for the longest time. With that money, I figured, I could use it for a much better cause.
Recently, I had a dilemma. I found a pretty wallet that was still from a designer brand, but much cheaper than what I originally had wanted… yet, the price wasn't reasonable for a wallet. In addition, I already have two wallets I use that are in a good condition. But this wallet I saw was just so pretty, I kept justifying that I need it, when I only wanted it. Then I was thinking what happened to myself. What happened to the promise I've made last year? What happened to saving money to help the poor instead? Even so, my desire to have the wallet was too strong. I couldn't resist and I went out the next day to see if it was available in the store (as I saw the wallet online, and I hardly ever do online shopping). Thankfully, the wallet was not available in Toronto, and my sister played a role in convincing me not to get it because it was ugly. But still, it was beautiful in my eyes…
So what happened? I ended up not getting the wallet. I'm thankful that I was able to overcome the temptation of purchasing something that wasn't at a reasonable price, and something that I didn't need. I'm not saying that it's wrong to buy anything expensive. I think it's important to have an option to consider that there are similar items at a reasonable price, and always keep in mind of what you can do with the money that God has blessed us with. Through this experience, I learned that materialism is still an area that I need to work on and pray about.
Girls and shopping probably go hand in hand for most girls. I am not a crazy shopaholic, and I don't enjoy shopping as much as the majority - whether it be shopping brand names, luxury goods or even something cheap from Forever 21. I always thought of myself as a wise spender, checking out the sale section to see if I can find a good deal and all. Once in a while, I would save up to purchase something more expensive, for instance a designer handbag. So I thought I was pretty good, compared to other girls who are always so anxious to get the next "it" bag or who are always on top of the trendy items. To be honest, I am not a fashionista and I never was.
My perspective changed last year, after coming back from my first mission trip. If you're curious about what I'm talking about, you can look for my old entries from last year by clicking "Mexico missions" on the right side. So, until now I thought I've been doing pretty good with how I spend, especially when it came to clothes, accessories and beauty products. For the most part, I asked my self once, twice, and three times, if I really needed something before making a decision. And, I also gave up on buying a pretty pink wallet from a luxury brand that I've been eyeing on for the longest time. With that money, I figured, I could use it for a much better cause.
Recently, I had a dilemma. I found a pretty wallet that was still from a designer brand, but much cheaper than what I originally had wanted… yet, the price wasn't reasonable for a wallet. In addition, I already have two wallets I use that are in a good condition. But this wallet I saw was just so pretty, I kept justifying that I need it, when I only wanted it. Then I was thinking what happened to myself. What happened to the promise I've made last year? What happened to saving money to help the poor instead? Even so, my desire to have the wallet was too strong. I couldn't resist and I went out the next day to see if it was available in the store (as I saw the wallet online, and I hardly ever do online shopping). Thankfully, the wallet was not available in Toronto, and my sister played a role in convincing me not to get it because it was ugly. But still, it was beautiful in my eyes…
So what happened? I ended up not getting the wallet. I'm thankful that I was able to overcome the temptation of purchasing something that wasn't at a reasonable price, and something that I didn't need. I'm not saying that it's wrong to buy anything expensive. I think it's important to have an option to consider that there are similar items at a reasonable price, and always keep in mind of what you can do with the money that God has blessed us with. Through this experience, I learned that materialism is still an area that I need to work on and pray about.
