Before I discovered minimalism and connected it to my faith life, I would often make purchases based on who I wanted to be in the future. I wanted to get outdoors more, so I bought hiking boots, a tent, and camping gear. I wanted to present myself as more put-together,
Note: This is a guest post written by Ashley Glader, wife and mother to four. When she’s not nannying for adorable toddlers or playing taxi driver for her kids, she enjoys writing and speaking about the dancebetween suffering and faith. My mom used to make the best birthday cakes. I
My life is not what I thought it would be. I don’t mean that my life is bad, or that I’m extremely unhappy—far from it. I love my family and friends. I get to interact with a wide range of people in my jobs, and the work is interesting. I
It’s no secret that marketing and advertising folks use psychological strategies to get us to buy more stuff. One of the ways they do this is something called price anchoring. What is Price Anchoring? Price anchoring is when a price for a product is shown with higher prices around it,
Note: This is a guest post written by Tim Brown, pastor in the ELCA serving parishes in Chicago, IL and Raleigh, NC. He currently serves in the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop as Director for Congregational Stewardship Support where he creates and curates relationships and resources to help Synods
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
In my regional area, a local radio station has a segment that they do during peoples’ regular morning commute called “Ghosted.” Someone calls in who recently went on a first date and inexplicably hasn’t heard back from their date (they were “ghosted”), and then the hosts of the show call
Ah, the new year is here. Whether you are making New Year’s resolutions, assuming natural changes that will happen solely because it’s a new year, or stressed out by another year, it’s here, and it’s already started. Most people start the new year with good intentions, only to find themselves
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,
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