I am so excited to be on this 3 month journey to contentment and I’m excited to share a little bit about it with you all! In 2015 I attended the Pursuit Conference and heard Nancy Ray speak on a contentment challenge she started in hopes to save money and find her contentment in the Lord instead of material stuff. I came home from the conference knowing that I needed to spend some time studying what the Bible says about contentment (which led to me also studying joy and peace – two things I feel can go hand in hand with contentment) and do a little challenge myself. I went about a month limiting what I was spending, but it quickly faded as Christmas approached and I started buying gifts for everyone.

After another Christmas season of over-spending and being surrounded by so much materialism, I knew I had to start 2017 with a commitment to complete 3 months of the Contentment Challenge. With every Christmas sale, I found a “need” to get something – so while I was “saving money” getting things on sale, I was spending it unnecessarily! That on top of Amazon Prime purchases during late night nursing sessions…it got out of control. So this time, instead of doing a mini contentment challenge on a whim, I have spent a lot of time writing out my goals and guidelines for what I want this challenge to look like this time.

I’m excited to let go of the things that do not truly fulfill me and instead seek a life of finding fulfillment in Christ!

• Limiting myself to 3 play dates per month that cost money (gymsport, children’s museum, etc) – because I don’t want to “punish” Em by keeping her from some of the things we do to get out of the house and meet up with her friends. And trust me, we will be doing plenty of free play dates as well!
• Allowing myself 4 days a month of paying for a sitter (1 for a date night and 3 work days)
• One social media free weekend per month (would love to do more, but I don’t want to set a goal I might not keep so we’ll see how this first month goes and maybe by month two I’ll try to do two weekends without social media)
• No online shopping (already deleted the Amazon app from my phone)
• No “I’m bored, let’s go to Target or TJ Maxx” shopping trips
• No fancy drinks at Starbucks (black coffee only) and only allowing myself to get anything from there if I have a gift card
• Unfollow all the shops I currently follow on Instagram to avoid the temptation to buy – I debated this one for a while because I still want to support all those small businesses, but instead I decided to just write them all down so that I can have their info if/when I need to buy something
• Spending time purging anything and everything I don’t need around the house (from clothes to tupperware!)
• Read more (also one of my 2017 goals) on simplicity – I hope finish Grace Not Perfection and Present Over Perfect during the challenge
• Memorize scripture on contentment…I’ve chosen these verses to memorize throughout the challenge:
  • 1 Tim 6:6-7 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”
  • 1 Tim 6:17-19 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
  • 2 Cor 12:10 “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
  • Phil 4:11 “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”

It’s a little intimidating, but I couldn’t be more excited to be on this journey! Although I definitely already almost bought something on Amazon YESTERDAY (it has just become too easy and second nature to buy something…anything whenever you want). Did I want that new morning devotional? Yes! But do I need it right now? Absolutely not, I have several other devotionals I can use in the meantime during this challenge! It’s not like it was a bad thing to purchase…it’s one that would help me grow in my faith, but it’s not something I need right now, and I am determined to stick to my rules and follow through with this challenge to the end.

I would love to hear if any of you are also doing this challenge or would like to do it with me!! Shoot me an email (info@alisonmishphotography.com), and I will send you some more information about how to get started and about a Facebook group that Kat Schmoyer started for those doing this challenge in 2017!

Once again, Happy New Year! Here’s to finding contentment in the things that truly matter this year!