if shara can, then i will too.

i realize it's not 5 yet. but if a coworker can blog, then can't i too?

that almost sounds like a philosophy that will get me into trouble. hum. oh well.

today at work i've been wrapping up loose ends so i can leave tomorrow to travel around the texas panhandle. i am excited. traveling for work makes me feel grown up. and its nice because my work picks up the bill on everything. so it definitely helps out my pocket book!

the point of my travling is to hit up one college fair. but i turned it into an excursion so i could end up and home and have, applause please, my first dress fitting! i am super excited. i would post pics. but i think cody might get upset about that.

sometimes i wonder what all i should post about in this. like if people really want to read certain things, but then i realize i am nosy, and like reading what ever else people will post, so why not post it?!

which leads me to this statement: i think i have decided on a wedding band. i always thought i would want more bling. after all, i did kinda (not kinda. i did) choose a pretty bling ring to begin with, so why wouldn't i want more sparkes? i have spent the past months since we got engaged trying to decide on a wedding band. and cody has loving shopped with me. and only occasionally did his eyes get big when i kept going for the diamond wedding bands. he's good to me, and i know he would buy it for me if i decide on it. but this weekend i finally decided that i just want a plain, really skinny white gold band. that compared to everything else in the wedding world, is really cheap. cody likes it!

part of me is nervous about telling some of my other married friends that have a lot of bling that i'm not getting a diamond wedding band. and i know that is stupid of me and i'm trying to "keep up with the jones..." and part of my reason for choosing the non-diamond band is to not have to compete with the jones.

i've been thinking a lot about materialism since class last week. imagine that, my old testament class has spurred on some thinking. our professor was discussing amos, and he read a verse out of chaper 4

1 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!"

Basically its talking about women who make fun of the poor and are lazy. basically caught up in the matericalistic side of life. and he told a story about one time when he was in the gallaria and he heard a woman talking about the real leather ralph lauren purse she bought on half price, and it was still $800. yikes.

but then he realized that to some, he was in the pasture with the cows of Bashan because he had just spent $30 on a tie.

and so i've been thinking a lot about materialism. and where the line is drawn. because obviously, some one could always see another person as the "cow of Bashan." and i realize that it's partially a matter of the heart. and if my heart is right, is it ok for me to save up and enjoy purchasing nice things?

and i read this this morning from 1 timothy:

3If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

so godliness and contentment comes great gain....

yet if i enjoy saving my money for new purchases, is that suggesting i am missing some sort of contentment? and yet when i chose a plain band that serves the significance without the flair, i am timid to tell people...



i don't think there is a solid answer to my ramblings. and i think it most cases, we all suffer from materialism. we may have different wants, but it doesn't change the heart of the matter.


can you enjoy nice things without grazing the pasture?



and i hope this post was not too confusing or too much for you. i could have lost my readers on the second day. yikes.