This morning I am sucking on this jagged pill.
“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving too little away. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small.” -C.S. Lewis
I like this commercial. It helps me teach my family about living beyond our often careless American consumerism.
click HERE to see
Leo Tolstoy wrote,
“If one has no vanity in this life of ours, there is not sufficient reason for living.”
Hm, I am confused by this conviction. Does vanity not produce a sort of narcissism? Am I reading this wrong or is there something to this that I cannot yet see?
A friend sent this to me in an email. I found it so striking that I thought I would post it. I don’t know where it originated, or even if the facts are accurate. However it seems right.
(revision 12/21: it turns out that this post has been very popular. Thanks to a recent blog comment, it appears we have found out where this originated – go here. It looks like a wonderful book and the author deserves credit. You can also see more pictures here)
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Germany : The Melander family of Bargteheide, Germany
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07
Favorite foods: fried potatoes with onions, bacon and herring, fried noodles with eggs and cheese, pizza, vanilla pudding
United States : The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week : $341.98
Favorite foods : spaghetti, potatoes, sesame chicken
Japan : The Ukita family of Kodaira City
Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25
Favorite foods: sashimi, fruit, cake, potato chips
Italy : The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11
Favorite foods: fish, pasta with ragu, hot dogs, frozen fish sticks
Great Britain : The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis
Food expenditure for one week : 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15
Favorite foods: avocado, mayonnaise sandwich, prawn cocktail, chocolate fudge cake with cream
Kuwait : The Al Haggan family of Kuwait City
Food expenditure for one week : 63.63 dinar or $221.45
Family recipe : Chicken biryani with basmati rice
Mexico : The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09
Favorite foods: pizza, crab, pasta, chicken
China : The Dong family of Beijing
Food expenditure for one week: 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06
Favorite foods: fried shredded pork with sweet and sour sauce
Poland : The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week : 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27
Family recipe : Pig’s knuckles with carrots, celery and parsnips
Egypt : The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week : 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53
Family recipe: Okra and mutton
Mongolia : The Batsuuri family of Ulaanbaatar
Food expenditure for one week: 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02
Family recipe : Mutton dumplings
Ecuador : The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week : $31.55
Family recipe: Potato soup with cabbage
Bhutan : The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03
Family recipe: Mushroom, cheese and pork
Chad : The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week : 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
This morning, I came across words from Mahatma Gandhi
“Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and vountary reduction of wants. This alone promotes real happiness and contentment, and increases the capacity for service”
Here is where the rubber hits the road for me. I know that my faith community is planning on raising funds for meaningful ministry in Haiti. It is going to be a christmas push with the tagline, “It’s not your birthday”. In preparation for this I have been talking to my family about what we could do to be a part of this and not make Christmas about us. Although they have been responsive to the idea, we aren’t making much headway other than buying (some would say extravagant) gifts for our kids which is sure to take away from funding Haiti. I am so conflicted about this. I read Gandhi’s words and I want to kane myself. The “me and mine” mentalility is yet firmly planted in my soul… I will talk with my family about this again and see if we can’t redirect. I am going to need their help in deliberately reducing my wants and learn, yet again, what it means to be content resulting in the freedom to serve.
