A Few Branches Short of a Tree ...

As-Not-Seen-On-TV Christmas Tree
(Our family tree--we are missing a few branches. Literally.)
This weekend I was in charge of teaching the lesson in our Women's Sunday School class at church. The lesson was focused primarily on putting our love of God before our love of the world. (PS: the materials are all prepared for us, we just have to read, pray, and do our best to encourage discussion in class.)

But my point! 

I felt like the timing of this lesson was so valuable for me. 

As I look at my own life, I see so many places where I put my priorities on things that aren't long-lasting or super important.

And this post isn't meant to be a statement about "the world," "humanity," "the neighbors" or anyone else's way of living and making sense of their time/contributions on Planet E.

I'm just thinking out loud here--about ME: 

In what ways do I put my love for things, ideas, money, lifestyle, etc., before my love for God, peace, and humanity?

 To be honest, there are so many ways. Almost too many to count.

 And if I spend too much time thinking about the whole 43 years I've been alive, this pretty much overwhelms me--and I think, "Look how out of balance I've been. I'm such a jerk."

 So, I'm trying not to do that; instead I'm trying to see how I can course correct my present and future.

And I'm also trying to make sure that Dave and I are the kind of parents who raise kiddos who have their priorities focused on being generous, grateful, and humble. (The kind of kiddos who are happier when they put spiritual things before worldly things.)

 Anyway, my second point!

My friend Janae was at the lesson on Sunday and she made a comment that I so related to--she said that sometimes we look a magazine, TV show, or social media site and we see other people's lives and we think to ourselves (and I'm paraphrasing), "WOW, I want THAT. I wish my life was X, Y, or Z. We get kinda extra focused on the world of things, money, status, education, titles, etc."
I SO agree with Janae--that as AWESOME as it is to share our lives with each other online, on tv, and in print--sometimes, the effect is that we feel "LESS THAN" others. And that gets us thinking more and more about the world, more and more about our wants, more and more about how "unfair" life can be. And ultimately less about God, love, and the good we do feel daily.

 I don't know about you, but I can tell you this: there are very few times when I read something on Twitter, in a popular magazine, or on Facebook and think, "I feel a lot better about myself NOW. I'm so glad I read/watched that."

 So, for me, I think the most important thing I can do as I try to put God first in my life, is to fill my heart with gratitude.

 And maybe, just maybe, stay away from the places that make me feel jealousy or envy. And maybe, just maybe, I can work on feeling happy for others when they have good fortune/happy times in their lives.

 Those seem like the places to start.

Today.

I hope as you read about my life and family (our experiences) here on the blog, you know that I try my best to keep it real. I don't want you to ever feel "less than." Because truly, we all have our challenges and our limitations. Life may not be equally hard or fair for us all--but it definitely takes us each for a pretty dramatic roller coaster ride. Lots of highs and lots of lows.

 I am grateful for my family. I'm grateful for the connection I feel to other people as I learn more about life.

 And most of all, I'm thankful that I was able to teach last Sunday and remember this really important lesson: 

 It's best to love God more than we love things/the world/fame/status/Elvis, etc.







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