I Want a Flat Screen TV

I really want a flat screen tv. Well, lets just be honest, I want my house to look like a Better Homes and Gardens magazine- you know, clean, stylish, beautiful, clean. I would have walls painted something other than white, I'd have curtains that coordinated with the furniture, a couch full of pillows and a kitchen that made others envious with its tile and stylish accents. Wouldn't that just make my life perfect?

Actually I don't think it would. First of all, I have to remind myself that those pictures in Better Homes and Gardens are mostly staged. And even if they are really people's houses, well they probably clean for a week before photographers come with their cameras.

Second, if I had a beautiful house I'd be stressed about keeping up with it. I'd probably blow a gasket when Carter peed on the floor instead of simply cleaning it up and moving on with life. I'd be freaking out over the dishes Colby hasn't put away or the socks Brandon left in the middle of the dinning room floor. I guess a lack of stress is advantage to having a house with a "lived-in" look.

Third, none of those things would really be for me. It would be so that I would look good to others. I was reading Ecclesiastes today and Solomon likens amassing wealth to chasing the wind. Honestly, what does it matter that I don't have a flat screen tv? My old-school one works doesn't it? What does it matter that my car is not very stylish. It runs right? What does it matter that my house is decorated in a fairly bland way? It's filled with love isn't it?

If your house does look like a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, then more power to you. Enjoy it. If I'm going to be honest, having an extremely messy house is just as stressful as having a pristine house that is constantly under threat of becoming messy. I think striking a balance is key. The other key - being thankful for what you do have. Thank you God for my tiny, messy, non-flat-screen-containing, non-stylish, mismatched house, my wonderful family and my bill-paying job.