I did not do well in posting this past week. However, we've still been watching our budget and trying not to make any extra expenses. Casey left for Hawaii this past Tuesday. We are missing him a lot this week, but I know that it is an incredible experience for him.
I was really struck today by the love of the Lord towards me. It has been one year since we left Wenatchee, WA and moved down to Fort Worth, Tx. Looking back over this past year I can see how much we needed a change, how much I needed a change. I've been listening to a lot of sermons by Matt Chandler, a pastor down here in the Dallas area (Village Church in Grapevine). He is going through chemo right now for a brain tumor. He's a young guy, but I think the Lord has given him amazing discernment and wisdom. One thing that has struck me in his teaching is on what he (or somebody else that he's quoting) calls Moral Deism. Basically that if you want to be a "good" Christian here is your list of do's and dont's. It is RAMPANT in the church today and basically it is living under the Law! I may blog on it more a little later as I'm still digesting this one. Anyway, look him up and take a listen.
We have been so blessed over the past weeks. These may seem like little things, but they were a direct provision from the Lord from His people. First, one of my neighbors gave us a meatloaf and some muffins. She does once a month cooking and had these left over and needed the freezer space for the current month. The boys loved the muffins and snacked on those all week. We'll have the meatloaf when Casey returns from Hawaii. Second, we have really needed another dresser. The boys were sharing a small four drawer dresser and they always had clothes everywhere because the didn't all fit. Well, another neighbor is moving and offered us a dresser. It was her grandmother's and it is old, huge and beautiful! What a blessing from the Lord through this special friend! So, we moved all our clothes around so I could use that one and now all our clothes fit! Thank you, Lord! Thirdly, yet another neighbor was moving and gave us some items to clean out their fridge. It was all stuff the boys really like that I don't buy for them! So, they thought it was special to bring home chocolate syrup, gogurts, hotdogs and ketchup (they love ketchup). It is little things, but the Lord knows how much each meant to me, His special care.
Okay, so about the challenge. I had to get a few things for Casey before he left for his trip, that was about $40. Also, spent about another $60 on groceries since I last blogged and then about $20 in toiletries too.
So, did we succeed in not spending more than we made? NO. We went over by about $170, but that was WAY better than May and June! Even though we still spent more than we made it was such a good exercise for me to look at every single dollar and be accountable for every dollar that the Lord gave to us. Casey will work his second job when school starts up again, so hopefully that will close the gap on our finances a little. I am learning to be content and to rejoice in all things. This is good (TIG).
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