Stuffitis

Today I went yard perusing. There might be a more common name for it, but that is what I call it. My purchases equalled $5 and I probably spent $6 in gas.

I was searching today for pictures or wall decorations for our house. We've lived here 15 months and I have some decoration; however, I find it to be so expensive I thought yard sales might be an option. We have 9 foot ceilings so curtains have to be longer (meaning you can't buy them at Wal-mart) and pictures have to be larger to cover enough wall to not look dwarfed.

I actually purchased an organized for my scrapbooking addiction ($1) and a movie ($2) and game ($2) for church.

I had a yard sale about a month ago. It was amazing to me at how many professionals there are out there. One couple told me they have three storage buildings full of stuff. He was trying to talk her into buying a purse, but she told him she has about 10. He said occasionally he takes a load over to the flea market and sales it. He buys to resale but ends up keeping most of it.

So why are we fascinated with stuff? I remember being about six and standing up to sing in church with my one and only pair of patten leather church shoes and thinking about how Krista Crowe has a different pair of shoes for each week and when I'm older I'll be just like her (and I do have a boat load of shoes). Not realizing my foot was still growing and going to church three times a week didn't necessarily mean I needed more than one pair of church shoes.

I think this scripture http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:19;19:21;%20Luke%2012:33 says it well because as a nation we are truly storing up "treasure" on earth and then trying to sale it for a profit to buy more stuff.

I'm as guilty as anyone of doing this. I think a mindset of living more simply with less stuff would be beneficial to so many. Maybe our challenge should be to store up treasure in heaven and store up memories on earth?