Pre-Holiday Purge

I have been very motivated to clean out my cupboards and closets these past few weeks, so I thought I better go ahead and do it before I change my mind! Before the holidays, we usually go though our things and donate extra food, clothes, and other misc. things we aren't using to the food bank or to charity. I think it is a good thing to share with others especially before we get more around the holidays. Maybe there is a needy family that you know of. What a wonderful example for your kids to have the chance to share with others. It helps keep things in your home under control as well as give to others who aren't as fortunate as you are. Each year as I go through our things, I realize how blessed we are to have a home to live in, food to eat and that my husband has a job he enjoys. I know there are those out there who have had some tough challenges this year and hope things will work out better for you in time. We found out recently that we will have some unexpected expenses that we weren't counting on. As I thought about this, and how we would work everything out, it was hard to see something positive about the situation. But, as I took a few days to think and ponder about it, it helped remind me that the challenges we face help us to learn and grow and happiness is not dependent on what happens in our lives. It comes from within. The greatest joys are not dependent on how much money you make or have in the bank or how big your home is. There is so much to be thankful for, but sometimes it takes us a little bit of time to see the blessings. As we approach Thanksgiving, I hope you will be able to see the many blessings you have even with the challenges you are facing. We can't change what happens to us in many cases, but we can choose to have a good attitude through it.