“If our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them.” - C.S. Lewis

This quote from C.S. Lewis has been running through my mind today. At church last Sunday our senior pastor spoke to us about “more” – specifically giving more in all areas of our lives (our money, time and talents). It is a joy for Ryan and I to give to others, but I don’t know that we financially give at a level that is as stretching as it should be – I think we generally don’t “feel” or notice we don’t have the money from our tithe, missionaries we support or other charities we give to. God has really been convicting me of the comfort level I have developed in expending our financial margin for personal enjoyment and comfort. I say “I” because, thankfully, I am married to an awesome man who would be content and happy living in a box and wants for nothing. I on the other hand tend to encourage using our margin on frequenting fun restaurants, taking vacations, and – my personal favorite – Starbucks . My prayer for the past week has been that God would increase my desire to use our financial margin on Kingdom work instead of my own comforts and desires.