This morning, I heard a tidbit of a report about those people who had stood in line, some for days, so they could be the first to own the new i-phone.  I like my i-pod and some day, I think it might be nice to have an i-phone, everything in one place type of thing.  They interviewed on man who said, "When you want something, you do anything to get it.  You just have to have it right now."

Really!  Is that what he is teaching his children.  If they want something, does he really give it to them "right now."  We are not entitled to instant gratification.  If we were, those that repented would be instantly transfigured.  No matter how we try in our modern world to have instantaneous responses, that is not the way of this earth.  The seed must be planted, the sun must shine and the rain must fall and after days or weeks, the seed slowly begins to grow.  After a summer of weeding, nuturing, watering,...a harvest comes. 

I earn the money for the things I want.  I safe until I can pay cash for them.  My credit cards are payed off monthly.  If I can't afford it, I don't buy it.  If I can buy it and I think it is too expensive anyway, I go without.  The only things I need to exist are water, food, and the love of my family.  Everything else is frosting on the cake (I don't like cake without frosting anyway). 

Jeremy worked for the welfare office for a while as a food stamp case worker.  He was often amazed at the people who came in to get their food stamps with $80 artificial nails, big fancy cars and one guy who had a 7000 sq ft house.  It reminded me of a bishop who told me of a man coming in and asking for assistance because he had lost his job.  The bishop told the man he would come buy and visit him later that evening to talk about it.  As he drove up to the house (which the man had just purchased), he saw in the driveway a large SUV with a new car lisence in the window and the box for a new flat screen TV at the curb.  The bishop went into the house and suggested the man sell his new SUV, the flat screen TV and get rid of the cable and the unlimited texting plan for each of the children.  At first the man was upset (and I am sure his family was).  But they were obdient to the bishop and began to cut corners.  They were able to stay in their home and live off their savings and did not receive assistance from the church.  The man told the bishop it was the best thing that had ever happened to them.  The children all had part time jobs to help out and felt closer as a family. 

What do you have to have, right this minute.  The newest techno gadget?  The newest tweet?  The most recent post on facebook?  Come on...give it up.  We all survived when there was only one phone in the house at it was connected to the wall. It was luxuious if the cord was a 20 footer.  People made millions on wall street.  Dates still happened.  Friends still got together (actually face to face, in person), and children let their parents know they were going to be late. 

The most important thing in my life is my family, their health and welfare.  Our relationship is going to last an eternity and is worth working on everyday and is much more important than the latest i-phone.