a matter of the heart.

Happiness is not determined by what one has or lacks. Genuine happiness is developed in the heart and radiates from within. I have come to realize that unhappiness is then an issue of one's heart. If I choose to harbor anger or frustrations in my heart, that anger will eventually overflow onto those around me, instead of showing them the love of Christ. The gospel of Luke states that, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of the evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45 ESV)

Simply choosing to cultivate a joyful and contented heart obviously won't fix the problem overnight. It must be a daily choice in which I deny my own selfish whims and fears and allow Christ to live within me. This Christmas season, my prayer is that Christ will continue to teach me to store good treasures in my heart, and not evil ones. There are many situations that arise in my life that I have no control over, but I resolve to dwell only on the good things, giving the things I cannot change to God and trusting that He will work them out for good. 

I hope that you also will choose to allow God to fill your heart with joy and peace and contentment this holiday season, as we reflect on the wonderful gift of His son.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

-1John 1:9 ESV

~Bethany S.

my latest bargain.

Here are a few snapshots of my new bookcase...

In case you missed the previous post, I discovered this little gem at New to You, a thrift store in Old Town Clovis, for just $15. 

I can't wait to fill it with all sorts of lovely books. :)

-Bethany

Wednesday..

This weekend, I found some rubber stamps at a vintage shop in Old Town Clovis. They reminded me of how much I enjoy being creative so I bought them. This brings us to today...

I decided to check out Michael's stamp section to pick up some ink since I've been dying to test my new stamps. I quickly became sidetracked by the large stamp selection, my mind wheels spinning at all the amazing craft possibilities if I owned just a few more. The 40% off sign only reenforced that. After much deliberation, I selected a set of alphabet stamps, a "handmade by: (fill in your name)" stamp, and a chocolate brown ink pad which claimed to cost just $1.99. Well the stamps rang up at full price and the ink pad rang up at $3.99. Great. So now I'm holding up the line asking why nothing is ringing up properly. The cashier acts like I'm crazy but finally sends someone to do a price check. She claims though, that the add only applies to Christmas stamps. No, pretty sure the 40% sign didn't specify but I nod politely and wait patiently to be proven right, which I was. The price checker returned with the 40% off sign that the cashier tried to make me believe I had only imagined. So she was forced to give me the stamps at a discounted price. However, after much more foot-dragging, the price checker couldn't find the $1.99 ink pads. She claimed that only the black ones were that price and my "gold" one was more expensive. I actually had chocolate brown ink. And unless I'm completely insane, each ink pad was in a separate basket with the price labeled directly on that basket. She didn't even bother to bring me the cheaper ink, which I would have gladly taken. Frustrated, I simply purchased the stamps and left. The price checker and cashier didn't even offer any sort of apology for putting me through all that trouble. Needless to say, I am no longer a friend of Michael's. And, I still have no ink for my stamps, which was the whole reason for shopping there.

On a brighter note, I found a bookcase today at a thrift store for a mere $15. It's made of real wood, not particle board, and it's a lovely espresso color. I had to carry it out of the store by myself and drive really slowly the 3 or 4 blocks back to the apartment so it wouldn't slide around in the back of my car but it was worth it. Now I am waiting for Nick to get off work and see my latest amazing deal. 

<3 Bethany.

amazement is...

"...If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them."

-Psalm  40:5