- “Western society has sold us the idea that material possessions define you. But the truth is that little defines you but you, and that these “things” do not lead to long-term contentment, but often to the opposite. The majority of us, through our work, trade our time for money, which we then use to purchase things. It can feel like you’re just spending paper bills or numbers on a bank statement, but the truth is that whenever you buy things, you are literally spending your time. You may not realize this, but when you buy things, you are valuing these purchases as much or more than the time it took you to make this money. Time which could possibly have been better spent with your loved ones, enjoying life, helping others, and doing what is important to you. And once you realize this, that money is your time, you start to view money differently.” It Starts With You: The 3 Great Thoughts That Can Change Your Life By George Sourrys May 23, 2017 https://www.goalcast.com/2017/05/23/it-starts-with-you-the-3-great-thoughts-that-can-change-your-life/
- “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie
- April 2, 1996 – Tuesday – Quito Ecuador…”We next went to Marcelo Mosquera’s house. Let me tell you about him. He got his right arm blown off to the elbow and 3 fingers and half of his left hand. He did it working in the Jungle. His wife left him. He never gets hired because of his physical impairment, so it’s very hard to get a job. The government pays him 150 mil sucres each month (about 60 bucks a month) as a retirement pay. This month he has no money at all because after getting it, he was robbed on the way home. He’s had to go 2 days without food, and today he finally was invited to eat by Elder Howard and another friend. With all these trials and problems (by the way, he lives in a one room house and basically all of his possessions (gas stove, bed, TV) were all given to him) he still works soooo hard in the church work. He sold almost all his possessions last November to go to the Lima, Peru Temple. He’s the Turubamba Ward Mission Leader and magnifies his calling sooo much. He reads his scriptures and is active. He serves others. He’s an example for me. The thing was, after telling us his situation, he testified of his love for Christ, cried while doing it, and then went looking for things to give things away to us. He gave my comp stickers. Just seeing his situation, he has all the reason to complain and be selfish. But rather he serves others. He is so awesome. I’ll be like him. I left 5 mil sucres on his table. I hope he can make good use of it. I left from there repenting of my selfishness, and of the times that I’d whined for material things. How lost I was. I’ll pray for him.” – Clinton Brown Missionary Journal