Perspective

It's very apparent now that Halloween is over, that we are into full Christmas mode as of November 1st! There is Christmas candy, toys, decorations, food, everything in every store you walk into today. My neighbors even got excited and put up their lights for goodness sake! I have been having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit lately. For one, I feel like its only about September and secondly, I guess because it's been hot most days still so it really doesn't even feel like fall to me.

Nonetheless, my side of the family is having Christmas together one month from Thursday since my cousin is graduating on the weekend we normally have it. So I've been having to think about what gifts I need to buy. One major concern is what do they get my kids. Well, I would say my biggest worry is what toys are they getting. What do I have room for in my small house. I don't want this toy because it's so much like this toy that we already have. And maybe they won't like this toy. Etc, etc, etc.

And then I read Kelly's Korner blog today and I have to say I'm a little ashamed. She's on a trip to Ecuador with an organization called Compassion International that helps get kids out of poverty. And here are two photos she posted today.

This is one child's room. It has a wooden board, not a mattress.

And this is one family's living room.

This week I've been looking at all the dark spots on my carpet, thinking that I need to call the carpet cleaners or deciding if my Scentsy wax is the right pumpkin spice scent. Kyle wants our couch to be re-stuffed because it's been slept on too many times.

I am frustrated every night that there's not enough room for all the toys and all the clothes that the kids have. I actually get angry about all the stuff in their rooms. It's so irritating that their pajamas hang out of their drawers and I have to walk over 50 toys to hang up clothes in their closets. I actually had to take all the summer clothes out of the closet to make room for winter clothes.

Man, life is tough.

And then I looked at the rooms in these photos. My perspective cleared right up.

When the hustle and bustle of Christmas starts to get the best of you, stop and think about that little cinder block bedroom with a board for a mattress. A little kid will sleep there tonight.

We just don't realize on a daily basis how blessed we really are!