~ Thursday Ten ~

Ten Things I Would Empty My Purse For

1. God - I love to give during offerings. Nothing beats the joy of giving to meet someone else's need! "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." ~ 2 Corinthians 9:7

2. My family and friends - I never withhold assistance, as long as I have the means to provide. I do my best to help family and friends in need. Sometimes giving is more than financial, too. Sometimes it's an item, time or a kind word. "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,' When you have it with you." ~ Proverbs 3:27- 28

3. My children - I love giving to my children. I love meeting their general needs as well as blessing them with occasional gifts. Sometimes it's a new pair of shoes for my daughter or a new set of Legos for one of the boys. I typically spend on them before I spend on myself. 

4. Charity - I guess this could also fall underneath the giving to God banner, but since most charities are their own entity outside of a house of God, I put them here. One of my favorite places to donate to is CitiHope International. Maybe it's because I worked with them for awhile, know the staff personally and love them and their mission. "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." ~ Matthew 6:3-4

5. Gifts for others - Ask my husband. I go nuts over buying gifts for others. There are often times when I find myself longing to have more income simply so that I could bless more people with gifts. Whether it's a birthday, Christmas or any other special occasion, I can never get enough of giving gifts! "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." ~ James 1:17

All right, if I can get just a little selfish now...I'll let you know what I like to buy when I can. And, I'll confess, occasionally I overspend on these things (but not most of the time).   

6. Books - I love to read and I love to write. Books are my favorite thing to splurge on. I can't get enough of them. Since I've started taking writing seriously, as a career, I've been increasing my library of books about writing and resource materials. Because of that increase, I've started using my local library more and borrowing my fiction reads from there. Although, once in awhile, I still buy a fiction novel or two...Oh! And I still purchase non-fiction books, mostly about marriage, parenting and family issues. Since that's what our ministry focuses on.


7. Coffee - A writer's best friend? I just love the taste and the smell! It must be decaf. I usually get a Grande. I like hazelnut, pumpkin spice or anything mocha for flavoring. One sugar and a splash of cream, please!


8. Shoes - I love shoes! I only have 19 pair. Half of those (at least) are black. Some are comfortable. Some still give me blisters. Some I can only wear for a half day, as my feet die in them. Rarely do I purchase my shoes at Wal-Mart, Target or Payless. I watch for sales at JC Penney's, Sears or a name brand outlet store. Why spend the same price on cheap shoes, when you can get them on sale and have comfort? I wish I had more shoes...


9. Scrapbooking/Craft Supplies - Did I mention that Hobby Lobby is one of my favorite stores? I can spend hours in there. I love scrapbooking, photography and all things crafty! 


10. Movies - I used to spend tons of money on music CDs. Now, I find myself at the bargain bins in the Wal-Mart aisle, hunting for $5 movies to add to my collection. Just last week, I picked up a copy of Breakfast at Tiffany's, starring Audrey Hepburn. I keep watching for Casablanca to show up in the bin, so I can gift my husband with it. Watching movies is our favorite way to unwind at the end of a long day. I scratch his head; he massages my feet. It's relaxing...