Hello… My name is Joel Klampert and I am a shop-a-holic. Let me explain myself before I lose my mancard. I love shopping! Ok…That didn’t help much.
The truth is I am very good at shopping. I am amazing at making sure we never pay full retail on anything. I have learned all the tricks and have bookmarked all of the websites. What I love most though about shopping is buying things for my family. Let me break it down for you.
My Wife: I love my wife very much and I want her to want for nothing. I find great joy taking her out to dinner, buying her new clothes and shoes and taking her and the kids out for fun. An example of my savvy is I recently bought her an amazing pair of $150 shoes for $39. Folks it takes years of training to be that good!
My Kids: Growing up we didn’t have much money. I had toys and clothes, but I wasn’t able to get somethings I wanted. As a matter of fact 5 years ago on my birthday my sweet wife gave me a 25th anniversary edition of optimus prime because she knew we were never able to afford it. I am still waiting for the full Thundercats set though. When Kelly and I had kids we made sure to make holidays and birthdays big because it was so great to see our kids so excited. At the same time we have taught them and make sure to instill into them often that God wants us to help others.
Just today though my little girl and I were at walmart and I bought her an inexpensive “my little pony” figure. It was not a holiday or a birthday. I just wanted to bless my little girl because I love her
My goal is not to spoil my family. My goal is to in anything I can make sure I can bless them. I fail at this often, but this is my goal.
One of my favorite songs that I am leading is Jeremy Riddle’s “Furious”. In it there is this line:
“He lavishes His love upon us
He calls us now, His sons and daughters
He’s reaching out”
I love that picture. There is a God who doesn’t need to go to the store. He holds ALL the treasures of this world and He lavishes His love upon us.
The Bride: God loves the bride. His church. He loves to have the bride on His arm and show the whole world how great His church is. He takes great joy in blessing His bride.
The Sons & Daughters: Matthew 6:28-30 says “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you?” God does for us exactly what I do for my kids. He makes sure He is by our side in the good times and bad. He spoils us with the riches of His love. He gives us what we could have never afforded. Grace and Mercy. He is constantly pouring out His blessings over His children.
Our God. Our Father. The Bridegroom. He Lavishes
