"Rich societies ... seem to be in the grip of a collective psychological disorder. We react with alarm and sympathy when we come across an anorexic who is convinced she is fat, whose view of reality is so obviously distorted. Yet, as a society surrounded by affluence, we indulge in the illusion that we are deprived. Despite the obvious failure of the continued accumulation of material things to make us happy, we appear unable to change our behaviour. We have grown fat but we persist in the belief that we are thin and must consume more. Perhaps we blind ourselves  to the facts; perhaps the cure seems more frightening than the disease; or perhaps we just don't know there is an alternative."

Clive Hamilton & Richard Dennis, Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest NSW, Australia, 2005, pp.8-9

"Godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6

Make godliness and contentment the priorities on your Christmas list this year.