My husband made a decision that affects my whole family – without talking to me. Every fiber in my body wants to knock him in the head, but that would be wrong (it would, wouldn’t it?). IF he had talked to me, I would have counseled him differently. The trouble is that he DIDN’T talk to me. He made the decision on his own and now I have to live with it.
To add irony to this insult, I am leading a bible study that is focused on control – how we have to let go of control on many things (like husbands) and focus on the things in our own lives. I had just bragged (always a BAD sign when dealing with scripture) that I no longer had issues with control. Then the phone call came, and all I wanted to do was control (manage, salvage, fix) the situation.
Instead, I took a note from the upcoming weeks study and tried to respond with God’s love and God’s knowledge. It’s not easy, when every atom of the flesh is crying out “have you lost your mind?” There were not a whole lot of words I was able to form. I think I mumbled something along the lines of “okay.”
The good news in all of this is that I am forced to confront the fact that God is my strength. God is my provision. God is my peace. It’s a good thing, too. Otherwise, my husband would be sleeping on the porch with the dogs. 
October 17th, 2007
Just when you think you’ve got it all under control, someone pulls the rug out from under you. There is nothing more frustrating than working hard to balance your finances only to have the unexpected plunge you towards darkness. There are some hard things that you can do when the money squeeze happens unexpectedly (lost job, death, sickness, etc).
1. Call your mortgage company (and any other places that you might have debt). Many have a hardship exception that will allow you to wave a couple of months’ worth of payments. This alone could be a life saver.
2. Sale off the luxury items. Do you have an extra car? Do you have some boy toys – like a four wheeler, a boat, or a motorcycle? Maybe you have lots of jewelry that you don’t wear anymore. Sell any item that you don’t need. Not only will you have the money from the sale, but you will save on insurance and other miscellaneous expenses.
3. Give up the little things – because they can add up quickly. This means no more eating out, no more coffee stops, and no more cable. Sorry, but tough times call for even tougher measures (particularly painful during football season).
4. Take what you can. There will be opportunities to work that you might normally pass over. During this time, every penny will count. Take the jobs that come before you until you make or find the job that is for you.
Just like there are things you can do, there are also things you don’t need to do.
1. Don’t panic. You are not the first person to face a crisis and you won’t be the last. The ones you not only survive, but over come, are those that remain calm in the storm.
2. Don’t whine to everyone you see. This will be one of your first instincts – resist with all your might.
3. Don’t give up. Like I read once, “tough times never last, but tough people do.” You may not be able to get rid of the problem, but you can find a way to manage it.
4. Don’t give in. There will be enough external pressure coming at you to cook a roast – stay focused, calm, and looking for the silver lining. By keeping a positive outlook you will be able to keep the nasties at bay.
It is possible to survive what ever life might throw at you. No matter what the situation might be, it will always be worse for you because you are the one going through it. Take some tough steps, do what you know to do, stay positive, and you will overcome!
October 17th, 2007
