Inspired by Shaun King, I decided to clear my conscience a bit.

In our culture it is very tempting to focus on what we don’t have.

My house is never big enough. What am I talking about? I don’t even have a house. I am jealous of everyone who does.

My gadgets are never new enough.

My smile is never white enough.

My skin is never clear enough.

My car is never sleek enough.

My TV screen is never wide enough.

You get the picture.

What’s my point you ask? I want to take a minute to confess my own insecurities and to encourage us all to be use what we already have and be thankful that we have even that. Shake what the good Lord gave you until it loses the beat! Focus NOT on what we don’t have and instead make the most of what we do.

Take an orange for example. Once you have squeezed the juice from it, cut out the ‘meat’ and put it in your garden for compost. Then take a zester, cut those peels and season tonight’s dinner with it. Make the most of what you do have.

Very simply – I want to encourage you to use what you already have doggone it.  Shake what your mama gave you.  Ride what the Lord provided you until the wheels fall off!  Take your eyes off of what you don’t have and focus on how you can squeeze every bit of value out of what you have right now!

Confession: I don’t own an iPhone. I have a Palm Treo but don’t have a data plan so it is little more than a digital address book. I don’t have a Macbook Pro. I have a two year old Macbook that has sticky keys and dirt all over the palm rest. It barely holds a charge and even has some burned out pixels. I watch TV shows on hulu.com because I don’t have cable TV. I think I have made my point, right?

Look, if you have all the latest, greatest toys. Rock on! If you have a pimped out Chrysler 300 with dubs and a stainless grill, ride it playa’. As for me and my house? Well, we are just going to make due with what we have and be thankful for the roof over our head and the food on our plates.

For further study: Matthew 25:23