Dear Journal Letters # 2 (time, blogging, spoiling children)

Dear Journal,
I'm on this computer a lot earlier than usual because we got in real late last night. We didn't start school at our regular time of 6:30am. I have really enjoyed blogging. It has been a while since I've found an activity that I enjoyed this much. Writing down my thoughts has been good too. There's only one problem with this new hobby. It's additive and time consuming! I have really debated on how I can have the cake and eat it too. So for right now I've decided to blog only at night after everyone has gone to sleep or moments like this. I'm hoping this will keep me honest about how much time I spend on this activity, since a tired and weary body is less likely to waste time. We also started logging ourselves in and out of the computer. This way everyone knows how long they have spent on it.

Here's some thoughts about moderation and stewardship. Yesterday we went to a really nice birthday party for a 2yr. old. It was held at an elementary school, with access to the gym. It seemed they had over 20 boxes of pizza, plus chips, cake..! That's a lot, but my husband's side of the family is large. His mom had 11 kids! The birthday boy had a pinata, a beautiful cake, and so many gifts. My kids had a ball. As I sat there and watched the baby boy open his presents (with help from my girls), some very real questions came to my mind. Is it good to give a child all its heart desires in the name of love? What will it do to the surprise element as he gets older and really knows what's going on? These are questions I face every year as my kids have birthdays and celebrate Christmas. It could make them ungrateful, self-centered, and unsatisfied. I realized early in our years as parents that there is something good about waiting for those things we truly want. Why wait if you can have it now? Because it causes us to discern between the things we don't want. It causes us to appreciate them, and take care of them. It also causes us to learn that things that are worth something don't come without a cost. Whether they cost money, time, sweat, sacrifice, diligence...etc.
Jimmy reminds me every once in a while that less is more.
LESS IS MORE ..less is more. More time, more space, more money, more of the attributes that money can't buy, more freedom from the bondage of things. Less is definitely more!