Values.

My friend, Wren (who went to Europe with me), asked me for some advice while we were on our trip. She will be going through something pretty soon in her life that I have gone through in the past. She wanted to know how I made it all work.

“Well,” I answered, “People spend time and invest themselves pretty much only on things they value. So this new situation will work---if you value it.”

Seeing different parts of the world shows you that people value different things. Some of it is cultural, some of it is geographical, some of it is economical, whatever the reason there are about 40 million things a person can value on this planet.

I sat looking at these different things and couldn’t help but ask myself what it is that I value.

Do you feel like you know what you value, or is it all some vague inclination you don’t think about much?

Some people run around in life seemingly flitting from one thing to another. I have wondered before whether they care about any of it at all.
Some people claim they value certain things, they just don’t have time to do them. Or they say that something is important to them, but their lifestyle would never reveal that.

When I worked in the wedding industry it is safe to say that I also worked very closely with the alcohol industry. I was always so shocked when I would get those parties that never even asked what their bar-bill was. They had racked up thousands and thousands of dollars that night in an alcohol tab, and without even looking at the bill, or asking me what the final tally was, they would just hand me their credit card. And smile. And say they had a great time.

America was supposed to be in a recession, for goodness sakes!! Weren’t people supposed to be spending less money, watching their pennies? I asked myself this question all the time, dumbfounded.
Then I thought, “Maybe these people are watching their pennies----in other areas of their life. Areas they don’t value as much. They value this; they will spend money on this.” Time and time again that concept was reinforced in my brain, so much so that today I am absolutely convinced of it:

                                PEOPLE SPEND MONEY ON THAT WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.

People put effort into things they believe in.

If they don’t believe in something, value something, care for something, it gets no attention, no time, no money, no care.

I always come back from a trip and ask if something that happened to me, or if something I saw, will change who I am. Will change what I value. Should some things change what I value? Is somebody else doing life better than I am?

I am still thinking over these things. Processing how lessons learned will transcend cultures and pre-set ways of doing things in my life. But I want you to think about it:

 What is it you value?

What do you say is important to you?
And if you say something is important, does your life actually give evidence of it being true?
I have made a little list and such things like, “My relationship with Jesus,” or “Family, both natural and chosen,” or “Experiences that shape my character” or “Beauty” all come on my list. I can see it evidenced in where I live my life, spend my time, and give my money.

Here is a little challenge for you: take a look at your credit card or bank statement; write out for one week how you spend your time (don’t plan how you are going to spend your time, just keep track of what you actually DID) ; take an inventory of the activities you involve yourself in.

Do you like what you see? Are you happy with the values your life shows?

If not, my only advice is to pray; get in the Word and pray. Only Jesus can change hearts, and he usually only changes willing hearts.

As hard as these lists may be to look at, be honest. Come busyness or recession or vacation or daily life, we spend time on what we value. We spend money on what we value. Typically no more, and typically no less. We must never believe the lie that what we value can somehow be different than to what our lives give evidence.

~~~
In Ireland, my friend Pete told me we were going to be staying at a B&B that was "quaint."
I wonder if Northern Ireland has a different definition of the word than we do here in the States.

Fortwilliam. Not quite what I would call "quaint."

Fortwilliam has curtains next to his front door.

Fortwilliam has gardens and Thoroughbred horse stables behind him.

Fortwilliam makes girls really excited for breakfast.

Fortwilliam makes this butter-loving girl very happy about the Irish butter on her bread.