These younger folks would rather buy unassembled pressboard dressers from a big box store for $400, or an inflated priced dresser for $2000 from a designer store instead of going to a thrift store & getting that $2000 dresser, slightly used, for $200….1/2 the price of pressboard junk & it will last for years. It makes no sense to me.
Why buy newfangled junk you got to put together yourself, or fancy my dresser is better than your dresser dressers, instead of quality products at a reasonable or even give away price.
I can tell you why…our society has been sold on convenience & flash. How many big box or designer store advertisements you see in a week…100’s. How many thrift store ads you see…1 maybe. You’re a victim of subtle mind control that you’ll never free yourself of, unless you venture out of the mass media bubble, which is really more like a narrow-barred cell.
You see in a Capitalist country you have that choice, to be controlled…or not. In a socialist or even worse Marxist regime you will have little or no choice.
I guess that’s why those that criticize the old school Entrepreneurial Spirit of the United States do it so aggressively. They are mad at freedom, they won’t admit it, but they want either a handout or to take everything you’ve worked so hard for. That’s socialism & Marxism in a nutshell. I don’t need to write a book on this ridiculous argument…let history teach the ignorant, that includes you Kap. Maybe they’ll see the light, maybe not.
So, in an effort to help the faithful & educate those on the fence I offer the following example of capitalism at work in my own personal life.
I have some unframed prints my mother had in her possession when she passed. They are rather unique & she obviously saved them for a reason, so I went out just today on a quest for picture frames. A web search revealed a custom frame shop, family run, within 3 miles of where I live. Based on my budget, they suggested I try the Life Ministries Thrift shop…about 5 miles away. Going there I got these five frames PLUS the pictures for $40…that’s not a typo $40. The fountain pic & frame was worth that to me. They are all wood, matted & glassed. Frame quest complete.
But I just moved into a new place four months ago & am always looking for a bargain. I have been to the mall a dozen times to get coffee at a locally owned shop there. I like to watch people & their interactions, so the mall is a good place to see all walks of this life. I also see all kinds of ridiculously priced items…a $600 pair of Crocs gets the prize for biggest losing investment someone could make.
It is no secret if you read parts of this blog that I was diagnosed bi-polar years ago. Most of my “episodes” involved heightened activity levels…including buying sprees of illogical intent. So, I offer to my doubters, (which at times includes family) if I was on a “manic” high, I would’ve surely bought something during all those recent mall visits besides just coffee. Nope, nada, ain’t gonna do it…it’s my choice not to, there’s nothing there I can’t get for less somewhere else. Yes, you pay for the convenience of all those stores under one roof. I’ve spent $1000’s on frivolous unneeded items, that felt good & right at the time, but left me empty & broke at the end. I’ve also spent $100’s of dollars where I could have spent $10.
This picture is $20 worth of items I got at the thrift store as well. Look closely that’s two Norman Rockwell mini plates with wall hangers, an owl figurine by Andrea, a Hallmark hummingbird ornament, a painted lighthouse plate (my bathroom is a lighthouse theme), a genuine German beer mug with a pewter lid (to add to my collection) & a honeybee cutting board. I saw a similar Andrea owl at the mall for $50 by itself. My guess, I got about $300 at retail for $20 at the thrift store. Capitalism.
And there’s two things I left out…by buying at the thrift store I support a local Christian effort & I bring new life into items others may discard.
I spent $60 at the thrift store, got receipts & found my frames. I think I’ll leave the pics as they are for now…after all the prints I took to the frame shop are rolled paper prints, hard to flatten & frame & really nothing special.
Be smart, shop smart, get out of your convenience zone, you never know what you might find. Like this picture of one of my favorite finds of the day. It is a Zena hand painted plate of a harbor & boy waiting to go fishing...it even has raised acrylics in a few places. It’s worth the $60 I spent on all this by itself, it was with the items I got for $20…I just didn’t have it in the picture frame.
The Lord works in mysterious ways it is said…but it’s only a mystery to those that have a lack of Faith. The devil, no matter what form, fashion or folly he pretends, works in mischievous ways to deceive you. To have you spend money needlessly; to satisfy your wants at the expense of your true needs…the result…a society living beyond its means, a plastic fasad. With its own dire consequence of interest-bearing debt.
I’ve gone into thrift stores before with $3 in my pocket just to see what I could score. As I was getting the frames, I knew I had about a $40 purchase. With my Veterans discount I figured I’d have a few dollars change out of my 2-twenties. So, I walked over to the book section as several on site witnesses will tell you…I walked straight to the book pictured below, as if I knew it was there.
I didn’t know it was there, but I was guided there. Out of the $60 & change I spent, all the materialistic things are a great value & nice to look at…but this $2 book, that records Spiritual history will provide good reading & knowledge beyond what physical treasures hold.
I carry a Billy Graham prayer card in my slim wallet. I got it in Charlotte years ago when I visited his library & museum. It is a prayer card of Salvation. It is the same prayer at the end of this book that has 101 personal stories from just some of the people Billy knew. There is an account on page 104 from Charlie Daniels…it is a great testimonial to Billy where he says “…I cannot name a public figure I respect more than Mr. Graham.”
That is a role model to follow & even though we come from different worlds & have a different approach in delivering the Lord’s message…the message is consistent. A message to frame your life in Faith & bring Salvation to searching souls. ✨✝️🕊. 🐝🇺🇸
6/21/2023 10:10 PM EST (the longest day) 🙏⛲️
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