The Italians have a saying: dolce far niente. It means the “sweetness of doing nothing.” Basically, it encourages people to spend time not doing much, just enjoying themselves. This concept may seem completely foreign to those of us who live in the United States. Consumer culture and productivity culture are
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for [God] has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 When I was a child and into my teen years, my family didn’t talk much about money. I grew up
We are now into the Christmas and holiday season– and for better or for worse, gift giving is often a part of celebrations. Simple gift giving can be, well, a gift. When consumables, experiences, charitable giving, or limited material gifts that have been mentioned as wanted or needed are given,
While living our lives, there are so many things that feel super important in the moment– but when we look back later, we realize those things weren’t that important after all. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are things that we don’t think are that important, but then
I was doing some work on my laptop recently, and an ad for a clothing company popped up: “Hey, shopped 30% off yet? Our generosity won’t last forever. “ Seeing that ad, my work came to a screeching halt. Not because I wanted to run to catch that sale, but because
Note: This is a guest post written by Cassandra Roberts, self-proclaimed hype girl, recovering perfectionist, and kindred spirit of curious people. Growing up impoverished with wishes granted by March of Dimes and Angel Trees, I dreamed of having “enough” stuff. Then, my problem became the collection of stuff. I’d said no
Imagine: You’ve had a long day. You’re exhausted– mentally, physically, and emotionally. You pass by a convenience store on your way home. You go in, and buy yourself something sweet for after dinner. It’s not much, but it feels like a little pick-me-up after a tiring day. We’ve all probably
Hush, little baby, don’t say a word,Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird. If that mockingbird don’t sing,Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring. If that diamond ring turns to brass,Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass. If that looking glass gets broke,Mama’s gonna buy you a billy-goat. If that billy-goat
For those of us who live in North America, a big event last month was the total solar eclipse on April 8th. Folks who lived in areas in which the partial eclipse (or the full eclipse, called the path of totality) could be viewed– or could travel to an area
We are bombarded by advertisements for products every day. Although the actual number of advertisements we see each day is up for debate, it’s no secret that we come across ads all the time. Scrolling through social media, using an app on our phones, watching YouTube, watching movies and TV