Archive for October 1st, 2007
It is impossible to please God without faith.
That’s a scary statement. To know that nothing I do, think, or say is of value if I don’t start with faith.
It makes since – faith is knowing something is true without having proof. Faith is resting on God even though the evidence is not there – yet. Faith is believing before there is something to believe in.
It doesn’t make it any easier.
There are things in my life that I have felt led to do but have avoided like the plague. Pare of the reason was my own selfishness – I didn’t want to give up doing what I WANTED to do even though I knew the things I was suppose to do would make my day much better. Part of my hesitation comes from my own fear – of what has happened in the past even if the end turned out to be a blessing.
There is no excuse for me not stepping out in faith. God has proven Himself in my life time and time and time again. I know He is faithful. I just have to close my eyes and choose to believe what I don’t see.
Thought for the day: With God, there is nothing that is impossible.
Mark 10:27 “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘with man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Suggested Reading: Hebrews 11
Lord, help me remember that there is nothing in my life that You will direct me to do that YOU won’t complete. Grow my faith to step out boldly in obedience to Your will.
October 1st, 2007
It dawned on me this morning just how peculiar I seem to the people around me. It’s not just that I dance to the music in the grocery store or that I let people go in front of me, even on a hectic day. It’s not that I see life through rose colored glasses – although that does make everything a little softer. It all comes back to the fact that I see beyond the moment.
There is a bigger picture than right now. There is more to the story than just this line. Focusing on one point will keep you from seeing the ending.
I’ve always wanted a large family – I mean, like baseball team large – and I was more than willing to pop them all out myself. The problem is that pregnancy and I don’t get along. I produce LOTS of pregnancy hormones – which is good for the baby but makes me vomit for the first several months. It stresses out my husband to no end and puts a strain on all those around me who pitch in to care for the children and the house. Add to those complications additional complications that I have had and it would be selfish of me to put my husband and my children through the anguish.
Would it be fair to say that my hopes had been dashed? It would be, but they aren’t. They’ve just been re-directed. I am blessed beyond words with the children that are in my life and I take the stewardship over them seriously. I may not be having more physically, but the story is far from over.
Maybe it’s not normal to look for the silver lining, but I don’t really care. If being peculiar means I find the positive in what most would call negative, then so be it. I’ll proudly claim the role. There are too many amazing blessings in every single day to be focused on one minor negative.
October 1st, 2007
Today is the first day of the month. We got a raise AND I’m making more money writing. It would be easy to say “why worry about a budget – we have plenty” or to add lots of new items to our budget. Instead, I’m determined that we will stick to our original budget and move the savings into an account all its own.
1. I will write down every penny we spend. I bought a ledger to be able to keep up with all the monthly expenses by category. I have already marked in that ledger what is allotted for things like groceries, gas, etc. Every time a check gets written or a card gets swiped, I will record it in that ledger. You can’t save money if you aren’t aware of what you are spending and where you are spending it.
2. I won’t spend money that isn’t in the budget. That means that if I run out of grocery money then I have to make do with what is in the pantry (it’s not like the pantry is any where close to empty). If I see the perfect shirt on sale, it will have to wait. I don’t have money in the budget this month for mommy clothes. If I don’t feel like cooking – tough. I’ve laid out a menu for the month and there is no excuse for not putting the food on the table.
3. I will put the extra in a savings account. I always SAY I’m going to save, but if I leave it in the general fund then I’m generally going to use it. Today I am going to open an account specifically for this money.
4. I will continue to push my writing so that more money continues to come in. My goal is that I will be earning the same paycheck as my husband. If we continue to set all that money aside then we will be in a position to pay off our mortgage in the blink of an eye.
5. I will set aside certain funds from my writing for my writing. Anyone who works from home knows there are expenses that will come up. I have determined that all money I make from print work will go specifically into my writing account. That way any expenses I incur I can pay.
Our budget doesn’t have to expand just because our income expands. We have been living a good, comfortable life over the last year. Instead of throwing the new money away, I am going to work harder to make sure that money makes its way into savings.
October 1st, 2007
