The Abundance Of Stuff!

When we first started coming to Wesley Chapel, Florida, it was the mid 1980’s and there wasn’t very much here other than a convenience store and a few gas stations. There wasn’t much traffic and in fact one of the main roads (Bruce B Downs Blvd) was so dark and deserted that some of our friends refused to drive it at night. If you happen to cross BB Downs & RT 56 in the next few years you will notice today that there are five lanes on each side of that intersection. This nostalgia is to bring you to today and how far we have advanced in bringing modernity to this part of the world.

In downsizing from two houses to one, we have been frequent visitors to both the Salvation Army and battered women’s shelter near Dade City where we have donated many things that I call “stuff”. As I waited recently to unload our stuff, I also thought of the irony that the very same day, I waited in line at Sam’s Club so I could get more stuff. I would prefer to wait in lines at Costco but that is 30 miles away in Brandon so we only go there a few times a year to get stuff.

This came to mind as I opened the latest information from World Vision (www.worldvision.org) and Heifer Intl (www.heifer.org) as they asked for help for some people whose net worth is the clothes on their body. They don’t need X-Boxes or Wii’s or i-touches. They could use a goat, a cow, a heifer, or clean water. In fact, you could even give gifts like that instead of candy, jewelry, or clothing to friends and family who then would not have to stand in line at Goodwill to get rid of some stuff to make room for your stuff! Another great idea for Christmas comes from another Financial Advisor here in Fl, Barry Moss. Take one more Christmas card and send it to a soldier who would love to hear from you! Write a brief note of thanks and send it to:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

Luke 12:15 (RSV) “And he said to them, Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Monday Morning Message Sent 12/7/09

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