God's Economy again!

Had a VERY humbling lesson today! My struggle with God's promises is back. Just had some hard times that makes it difficult to hang onto Truth. Wish I wasn't so quick to believe the lies of the enemy over God's Word, but for some reason I am. One of the areas that we, John and I, have really worked on as far as trusting God and believing His promises is in money. In the last year we added two children and a pregnancy and lost a salary. So money is tight at times. We have to get pretty creative for just about anything above and beyond the basic needs that we want to have. Of course, we are still wealthier than 90% of the world! I totally understand that after working intently in Liberia for 5 years. But when you live in America and have the American mentality around you and have to look at what the Jones' have every day, it is hard to not get caught up in it...at least it is for me!

I can tell you many stories of God's provision. And actually, money is not my biggest struggle for trusting God, but eventually, as I continue down a path of doubt or mis-trust, money will become an issue. I was brought up tithing. I understand the concept that it is God's and he is only asking for 10%. John and I have always meant to tithe, but have gone through seasons where we didn't simply because we weren't disciplined to take it out FIRST and by the time we got to write the check the money was gone.

Well, we have been very committed to our tithe and then some, just really trying to walk in obedience and generosity lately. When we were struggling with the discipline, God really impressed John with Malachi 3 that promises God will rebuke the devourer for us when we are faithful to give Him what He asks for. We have had many illnesses in our home this winter which means lots of doctor bills and medicine expenses on top of the pregnancy. Three of the kids and John have had to have dental work done. Then this week, our slab sprung a leak! We are on day three with no water except to turn it on to bathe and wash dishes. We have a VERY high deductible, so we will be coming up with that money.

Over lunch, John and I were both talking about how hard it is to believe God for His promises when circumstances truly point to the opposite! I haven't worried about the money part so much, but there are MANY other promises that I have just laughed at God over for the past couple of weeks! His promises just seem a world away right now in just about every aspect of life!

John was talking specifically about being ready for the last half of the tithe promise to be evident and we can know that the devourer has been kept at bay by our obedience in our finances.

I literally was walking in the back door from that conversation when Ava yells, "Someone is here!" It was a dear friend of mine who was bringing crib sheets that I am collecting for some moms in San Angelo. But before she left, she handed me $100 and said, "God told me to give you $100. I don't know what it is for, but I want to walk in obedience." Now, this friend has had just as many struggles as we have! In fact, we have talked the past couple of weeks about how much our lives are paralleling right now in the area of tests! So the fact that she would be handing me this money made it all the more humbling!

Of course, in tears, I call John and tell him what just happened. It was a tangible hand of God saying, "I hear you! Hang on! Trust me! I am in control! I will bring my promises to fruition! Don't doubt!" My spirits lifted and hope resides in me for the first time in weeks. Not just about money, but about all my areas of doubt! I LOVE that God loves us enough to show up very tangibly through an obedient friend when I'm pouting and refuse to listen. If I don't stop to spend time with Him, He'll just show up at my door step! That doesn't happen all the time, trust me, so when it does, I have to take notice! And believe me, I AM LISTENING now!!! Thank you, God, for sending me hope through a friend who was Jesus with skin on today! And thank you Friend, for walking in obedience! You have helped set my mind back where it needs to be!

Why It's Worth It Now

I am TOTALLY motivated by Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace right now! Why? Is it because I love selling everything in my house that we are not using? Well, I do kind of get a kick our of making a buck or two on things that are just sitting in my closet, but that is not! Why am I so motivated? Well, in the words of Ramsey, "live like no one else now, so I can LIVE like no one else then!"

So here is what LIVING like no one else means to me:

1. Being able bless my friends and family with gifts out of the blue
2. Being able to give to a family that wants to adopt a child in need but is finding it hard to come up with all the adoption fees
3. Being able to go grocery shopping and not feel guilty for buying food!
4. Being able to buy all the extras for my girls' outfits because I can pay cash and have it in the budget!
5. Being able to save for the future in a healthy way (not relying on that instead of God for provisions, but being wise with the resources God has blessed us)
6. Being able to take family vacations and paying cash knowing that we won't be "reliving" the trip every time the credit card bill comes!
7. Being able to go buy the decorations to finish out that one display for Easter or whatever because we have the cash because we are not sending a large portion of our pay check to those we owe!
8. Being slave to No ONE except Jesus Christ!
9. Shopping for the deal just because I love to find a bargain not because I HAVE to!

There are so many more, but those are just off the top of my head today!

Plastic Surgery

We did it! I have wanted plastic surgery for months now! I finally got the guts to do it, but John wasn't so excited about the idea. However, we started Financial Peace University last Sunday, and this time John didn't argue! So after lunch, I got out the scissors, told him to hand over his credit cards, got mine out and we had a big ceremony with the kids...chop, chop! No more credit cards! Woohoo!!!!

Financial Freedom, here we come!!!!

I am determined to see every little blessing that God brings as we walk this path to financial freedom. It is not just about paying off debt or not using credit cards. It is all about walking in obedience to God's word! It is about not being a slave to a lender (Proverbs is FULL of verses about this)! It is about living on what we make, not on what we think we are entitled to make or have. It is being thankful for what God has provided, not wanting more than He has given.

Last Sunday right after the plastic surgery (in case you haven't figured it out yet, the plastic surgery was the cutting up of the credit cards! :) ), I had to deliver a lamp that I had sold on Craigslist to the lady who bought it. She was working at a cupcake bakery right by our house. I was glad to take the lamp to her, but I had a little sadness that I was going to this really cool cupcake place, but I couldn't buy my kids a cupcake.

When I got there, they were about to close for the day. I gave the lady the lamp, and she gave me her money. Small blessing number one: she was going to give me $8 for the lamp, but handed me a $10 and told me she didn't want any change. You may say it is only $2, but to me it was God saying, "see, I am already blessing your efforts!" THEN (blessing number 2:), she asked Ava if she wanted a cupcake! Ava of course, said yes. But it didn't stop there, she asked me how many kids I had at home. I told here there were four total, and she handed me a BOX OF CUPCAKES so all my kids could have one!!!!! That may seem silly to some, but to me it said, "Daughter, I even care enough about your desires that I am providing your children whom I love more than you ever could with a special treat!" It isn't about the cupcakes! It is about God showing me that He was thrilled with my steps of obedience and His encouragement to me that this wasn't going to be a horrible journey of denial and misery....instead it is going to be a journey of seeing God provide for us when there is a need...and even sometimes when there is a totally frivolous want....like cupcakes!