The Cozy Chronicles: the practice of being content (part 1)

 

Happy Saturday, friends! I was reading a book this week and was inspired to start a new series here on my blog—I'm calling it The Cozy Chronicles, because being cozy isn't just in one particular season. We can do little things everyday to make our homes into the havens that we desire—and it all starts with the practice of being content. Here are a few things that I have learned over the last couple of decades. 

1. Live within your means. 

Todd and I have been married since we were a very young 19 years of age. It's no wonder why we were poor! We were young, we worked full time jobs, and we didn't need much but a car, food, a place to live, and each other. That being said, we did struggle. We decided to get a credit card to help us out from time to time, but of course it didn't go that way, and we ran the bill all the way up to the limit. When we realized how bad that was for our credit and for our finances in the long run, we cut the card up, paid if off, and lived credit card free until about eight years ago. We now have one credit card and we only use it when we purchase something on Amazon, or for Christmas, and we pay it off at the end of every single month. It's been nice to have on hand for emergencies, too, but we now also have an emergency only savings account. Just that one small act of paying off the balance each month has taken me from having zero credit (which is way worse than bad credit) to have the best credit score ever.

How did we go for so long without credit cards? We lived within our means. If we couldn't pay for something right away, we decided we did not need whatever it was we thought we did. We didn't take extravagant vacations, which is why we camped for so long. We also vacationed with Todd's parents each year, so before we started camping, we went to Hot Springs, Arkansas each year when the boys were little. Later on in time we started taking them to Branson, Missouri each year, but if you ask them, they never knew what they were missing by not going to the beach three times a year. We filled in the other breaks and gaps in their school year with camping, which was our most favorite thing ever. Our favorite memories come from our many years of camping with them! I feel like I should share about that someday, but I'll carry on with the rest of this post.

We didn't shop for things we couldn't afford, and we lived reasonable lives. We didn't (still don't and don't want to) have the biggest, nicest house, and our home decor style is "lived in, comfortable, and cozy" and definitely not "stuffy, brand new, and fancy". We didn't eat out much, we did not buy new cars, I cooked all the time, and I shopped for groceries that were on sale or that went a long way. I didn't work outside of our home for many years, and we decided it was worth the scraping by so that I could be at home with the boys. I wouldn't trade that time at home with them for all the money the world has to offer! We learned that stuff does not equal being happy or content, but that true contentment can only come from Jesus. When He is at the very center of our lives, our whole world revolves around Him, and we don't try to just "fit Him in" when or where the time allows. We taught the boys this when they were very little, so they were raised going to church (almost) every time the doors were open. We still do this today, Todd and me, but so do our sons. I'm so thankful to the Lord for this, which leads me to the second practice. 

2. Comparison is the thief of joy, so be thankful. 

It's impossible to be envious of others when you practice being thankful regularly! To help myself remember this, I use an actual gratitude journal, but it could be a regular journal, a note on your phone, or a page of notebook paper in your Bible. 

The Bible talks about this over and over; I love this verse below from 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Oddly enough, in my Bible reading this week, the teacher and podcaster Tara Leigh Cobble said this: "Remembering God is directly connected to our gratitude and thanksgiving." We had just read some chapters from Psalm, and that was one of the takeaways that she mentioned that day. 

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Because it's impossible to be thankful and to complain (or grumble or be negative in your thinking) at the same time, this leads to the next practice.

3. Be positive in your thinking! 

Have you ever been with someone who complains incessantly? I'm sure we all have, and that type of person is not fun to be around. We all have things to be grumpy about, don't we? While it is good to talk about things with the ones we love most, I think that we need to be careful in doing that kind of thing too much. The more we complain, the easier it is to complain. The opposite is also true: the more we think positively, the easier that becomes. 

4. Make everyday special.  

You have all heard me say how I always have things that I look forward to, and this is how. I try to make everyday special! Here are some things that fill my cup, so to speak:

• waking up early
• spending quality time with Jesus in prayer and in reading His word
• being quiet after a busy morning or day of talking to people in the bookstore 
• listening to worship music
• playing with our dogs

None of these things cost a dime, and yet when I do them, they make my days special. 

5. Lastly, to practice being content, enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

Here are a few of my simple pleasures in life:

• tidy & clean spaces 
• an orderly/organized home that smells good when I walk in
• lighting a candle 
• reading
• listening to music all the time (I have so many different genres of music that I love)
• flowers (either real of faux)
• spending time outside with my dogs when the weather is nice
• reading outside on a sunny day
• floating in a pool on a hot and sunny day
• singing & choir practice
• faithfully attending church services each week
• writing in my journal
• dating my husband
• laughing with Todd

I'll wrap this post up with one of my very favorite songs, the song Jireh, by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. Before you listen, here's a little background information about the name of the song.

In the original language, the word(s)  "Jehovah Jireh" (YHWH-Yireh) translate(s) into meaning "the LORD will provide". A story about this takes place in the book of Genesis, in chapter 22 verse 14, when Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice of worship to God; before Abraham could lay a hand on him, God provided for Abraham a ram in a bush to offer up instead of Isaac. This story is a foreshadowing of Christ and how later on in time, God would provide His own Son to be sacrificed for our sins. 

The reason I share this song and mention all of this background information is because true contentment only comes from the Lord. He provides for us daily, and we can rest knowing that. He is so very good to us! 

I know many of you practice being content on a regular basis; what does that look like in your own life? I'd love to hear from you! I'll be adding to these chronicles in the future, so stay tuned for more. I think this is my third bonus post of the week, and I have one more coming that is scheduled to post later this afternoon in honor of Mother's day tomorrow. 🤣 I don't even know who I am anymore. To say that the Lord is inspiring me to write a lot lately is the understatement of the year. 

I hope you're enjoying your weekend! I'll see you back here later today and then again on Monday. Love to all!

Jenn 🖤