When my husband and I first got married, we were living off of love. His first good money making job came after almost a year of marriage, and he was making $300 a week. This was in the late 1990's.
I was pretty pregnant with our first child, and I remember sitting in the trailer that we rented for $275 per month and praying that God would give me wisdom. We had to buy groceries, gas to get around, pay bills, maintain our vehicle, and we had a child on the way- which meant more expense.
God gave me the wisdom I asked for and we had our first budget. It may not seem like much to you, but we were living off of $20 a week groceries. I got very creative with Ramen!
When we moved to Louisiana, the budget wasn't as strict. I still needed wisdom, but I didn't know how badly. We were constantly in and out of debt. The moment we got the car paid off we had to buy another one. There were "emergencies" that had to be paid with a credit card. We didn't know any other way to live.
Recently, I borrowed Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey from our local library. This book has made such a difference in our thinking. We are trying once again to get out of debt. But, thanks to the guidance in this book, we have a plan that will help us stay out of debt.
Dave Ramsey gives a lot of tips along with the proven plan to help you get out of debt and stay out. He also has budget helping tips and tools online- my favorite is EveryDollar, his online budget system. If you're searching for something better than living paycheck to paycheck constantly having debt to pay down, I recommend this book.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Oat Groats recipe
2 cups oat groats
6 cups water
3 TBS butter
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and allow to cook, covered, for 1 hour.
Turn heat off, but leave lid on for another 5 minutes.
CROCK POT:
Coat the inside the crock pot with butter.
Place all ingredients into the crock pot and cover with the lid.
Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
Stir, and serve.
6 cups water
3 TBS butter
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and allow to cook, covered, for 1 hour.
Turn heat off, but leave lid on for another 5 minutes.
CROCK POT:
Coat the inside the crock pot with butter.
Place all ingredients into the crock pot and cover with the lid.
Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
Stir, and serve.
Monday, August 3, 2015
I Know This Face (poem)
Where have I seen this face before now?
So familiar, it seems, but I don't know how.
I should remember this face from the past,
But o're my memory a shadow is cast.
There's something remarkable about this face.
Then why should I find it so hard to place?
Did we sit a table? Did we break the fast?
Did he win the race in which I finished last?
Some things like that it's not hard to forget.
Did he blow out fire that I had just lit?
Wait! Now I remember! He's just bowed the knee.
He prays to my Jesus, here, just like me.
A brother, beloved, he has turned out to be!
Memory now has returned unto me.
Now I can place this remarkable face-
We were introduced at God's Throne of Grace.
CLT
So familiar, it seems, but I don't know how.
I should remember this face from the past,
But o're my memory a shadow is cast.
There's something remarkable about this face.
Then why should I find it so hard to place?
Did we sit a table? Did we break the fast?
Did he win the race in which I finished last?
Some things like that it's not hard to forget.
Did he blow out fire that I had just lit?
Wait! Now I remember! He's just bowed the knee.
He prays to my Jesus, here, just like me.
A brother, beloved, he has turned out to be!
Memory now has returned unto me.
Now I can place this remarkable face-
We were introduced at God's Throne of Grace.
CLT
Sunday, August 2, 2015
God's Will For Your Life (video sermon)
As we read through the Bible, we see the lives of men of old who left all to serve God. They walked away from what they had known for their entire lives to start a new life serving the Lord. But how did they know what God's will was?
That is the most asked question- what is God's will for my life? How do I know that I'm where God wants me to be?
The first step in knowing God's will for your life is to know God- to be saved. You can't know where God wants you if you don't even know God.
Secondly, God wants us to become his disciple. We are suppose to take up our cross and follow Him, not walk away and live our life as we please. Jesus said that we are to deny ourselves- deny our desires, deny our wants, deny our ways- daily. You can't know God's will if you're busy trying to fulfill your own will.
Too many Christians today whine about not knowing God's will for their life, but they aren't really searching for it. They don't have a relationship with Him, They aren't willing to do the written things that He's asked of them in His word, so He isn't going to give you more until you obey what He's already revealed.
You cannot know God's will for your life if you are living in sin. Each of us know certain sins that are okay with the world, but are wrong in God's eyes- adultery, fornication, pornography, worldly pleasures, etc. Romans 12:1-2 tells us that we are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice using them to prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. His will is that everything about us is pure and holy.
You can't have any further light on His will for your life if you are engaged in these sins. But, they aren't the only sins. They are the largest and most noticeable, but there are other sins. There are 10 commandments that lists them out boiled down to the simplest, purest form- don't steal, don't lie, don't covet, etc.
There are many verses in the Bible that tells you what God expects from you- those things are His will for your life. In fact, the Bible mentions God's will for your life around 23 times. These are the basic things that He expects from ALL Christians.
So, if I'm trying to live a clean, holy life and I'm obeying God's commandments, what is God's will for my life specifically? You can't go to the preacher, or your parents, or even your closest friends to find that answer. They don't know God's will for your life because it's personal to you. They can help to guide you and pray for you, but you will only find God's will for your life while you are reading His word and praying for His specific will- and He will tell you if you ask Him!
When Saul was struck down on his way to Damascus he asks God two things- who are you and what do you want from me? God has a plan for your life- it's not a puzzle or a secret. He wants you to know His will for your life. As you walk with Him and serve Him daily, He shows you the next step of His plan for your life.
When you pray and ask God for His will He opens the right doors for you. Only one door opens at a time. It is now your job to decide whether to go through the door or not. The open door is God's will- the next step in His plan for your life. But, you have the choice to go through it or not.
Read your Bible. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Pray. Observe the signs that He puts in your life. Seek guidance and prayers from those who have been living in God's will (they might see some signs from God that you've missed). Little by little, step by step, walking through each open door you will look back and realize that you found God's will for your life and you've been living in His will for your life.
That is the most asked question- what is God's will for my life? How do I know that I'm where God wants me to be?
The first step in knowing God's will for your life is to know God- to be saved. You can't know where God wants you if you don't even know God.
Secondly, God wants us to become his disciple. We are suppose to take up our cross and follow Him, not walk away and live our life as we please. Jesus said that we are to deny ourselves- deny our desires, deny our wants, deny our ways- daily. You can't know God's will if you're busy trying to fulfill your own will.
Too many Christians today whine about not knowing God's will for their life, but they aren't really searching for it. They don't have a relationship with Him, They aren't willing to do the written things that He's asked of them in His word, so He isn't going to give you more until you obey what He's already revealed.
You cannot know God's will for your life if you are living in sin. Each of us know certain sins that are okay with the world, but are wrong in God's eyes- adultery, fornication, pornography, worldly pleasures, etc. Romans 12:1-2 tells us that we are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice using them to prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. His will is that everything about us is pure and holy.
You can't have any further light on His will for your life if you are engaged in these sins. But, they aren't the only sins. They are the largest and most noticeable, but there are other sins. There are 10 commandments that lists them out boiled down to the simplest, purest form- don't steal, don't lie, don't covet, etc.
There are many verses in the Bible that tells you what God expects from you- those things are His will for your life. In fact, the Bible mentions God's will for your life around 23 times. These are the basic things that He expects from ALL Christians.
So, if I'm trying to live a clean, holy life and I'm obeying God's commandments, what is God's will for my life specifically? You can't go to the preacher, or your parents, or even your closest friends to find that answer. They don't know God's will for your life because it's personal to you. They can help to guide you and pray for you, but you will only find God's will for your life while you are reading His word and praying for His specific will- and He will tell you if you ask Him!
When Saul was struck down on his way to Damascus he asks God two things- who are you and what do you want from me? God has a plan for your life- it's not a puzzle or a secret. He wants you to know His will for your life. As you walk with Him and serve Him daily, He shows you the next step of His plan for your life.
When you pray and ask God for His will He opens the right doors for you. Only one door opens at a time. It is now your job to decide whether to go through the door or not. The open door is God's will- the next step in His plan for your life. But, you have the choice to go through it or not.
Read your Bible. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Pray. Observe the signs that He puts in your life. Seek guidance and prayers from those who have been living in God's will (they might see some signs from God that you've missed). Little by little, step by step, walking through each open door you will look back and realize that you found God's will for your life and you've been living in His will for your life.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
What Will Your Legacy Be?
Do you ever wonder what will be said about you when you're gone? How will people remember you? Will their words be kind? Will you be missed? Or, will there be a sigh of relief that you're no longer around?
There are people throughout history who have left behind a legacy, both good and bad. I want to look at three who are in the Bible. The Words of the Lord are going to last forever, and what is written about these three men will forever be written for all to read.
The first man is Demas. Demas is mentioned around 64 AD in the book of Colossians. Colossians 4:14- Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
Demas is mentioned with the Apostle Paul. He went around helping to build churches and start the church age with one of the greatest missionaries of all times! He hung out with the right crowd. He worked in the right ministry. He had the right Bible.
But, when he is mentioned in II Timothy around 66 AD, Paul had this to say about him- For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; (II Timothy 4:10a).
What happened? In two short years, Demas went from travelling with Paul and Luke to having that legacy. Somewhere along the way, Demas allowed something in the world to get his heart. He started to love the world more than he loved Christ- that is his immortal legacy.
The next man is only mentioned once in the Bible. III John 1:9- I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
If you read farther down in the verses you'll see that Diotrephes not only kept the Apostle John's letters from the church, but he also forbade the members to have fellowship with certain Christians.
We don't know what position he held in the church, but we do know that he was a proud man. He thought he had the right to tell other Christians who they could and could not hang around. He thought he knew better than the Apostle John. He wanted to be the leader.
The Bible uses the word "preeminence". Colossians 1:18 says that Christ is suppose to have the preeminence in all things! For all eternity, everyone will know that Diotrephes loved himself above Christ.
The last person is David.
Everyone likes to remember David's sin, which will be forever in the words of God, but, David also killed Goliath!
Goliath was a giant around 9 feet 9 inches tall who wore brass armor and defied God and the armies of Israel. No one in all the Israelite army had the courage to go up against this beast of a man, not even the king!
But, David, a simple shepherd boy, knew what God was capable of. He knew that God would give him the victory because he had trusted God to help him when a lion and a bear had come after his flock. He knew that if he went in the power of God, that God would give him the victory.
I Samuel 17:46- This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcass of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
Despite what everyone was saying and despite what the circumstances looked like, David put his trust in God.
David had every reason to let someone else handle this situation. He was only there to bring food to his brothers. He wasn't in the army. He was only a shepherd boy, a child. And yet, he was a man after God's own heart. He loved the Lord will everything he had and that would be what people remembered most about him. All the kings that followed were compared to David and how he followed God with a perfect heart.
I Corinthians 8:3- If any man love God, the same is known of him.
Will you be the one that quit because they found something in the world that they thought was worth more than a ministry with Christ? Will you be known as the prideful Christian who hindered others in their walk with Christ? Or, will you be known as person who loved the Lord with all their heart and followed Him despite the circumstance, despite their own short comings, and despite what everyone is thinking or saying?
What will your legacy be?
There are people throughout history who have left behind a legacy, both good and bad. I want to look at three who are in the Bible. The Words of the Lord are going to last forever, and what is written about these three men will forever be written for all to read.
The first man is Demas. Demas is mentioned around 64 AD in the book of Colossians. Colossians 4:14- Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
Demas is mentioned with the Apostle Paul. He went around helping to build churches and start the church age with one of the greatest missionaries of all times! He hung out with the right crowd. He worked in the right ministry. He had the right Bible.
But, when he is mentioned in II Timothy around 66 AD, Paul had this to say about him- For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; (II Timothy 4:10a).
What happened? In two short years, Demas went from travelling with Paul and Luke to having that legacy. Somewhere along the way, Demas allowed something in the world to get his heart. He started to love the world more than he loved Christ- that is his immortal legacy.
The next man is only mentioned once in the Bible. III John 1:9- I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
If you read farther down in the verses you'll see that Diotrephes not only kept the Apostle John's letters from the church, but he also forbade the members to have fellowship with certain Christians.
We don't know what position he held in the church, but we do know that he was a proud man. He thought he had the right to tell other Christians who they could and could not hang around. He thought he knew better than the Apostle John. He wanted to be the leader.
The Bible uses the word "preeminence". Colossians 1:18 says that Christ is suppose to have the preeminence in all things! For all eternity, everyone will know that Diotrephes loved himself above Christ.
The last person is David.
Everyone likes to remember David's sin, which will be forever in the words of God, but, David also killed Goliath!
Goliath was a giant around 9 feet 9 inches tall who wore brass armor and defied God and the armies of Israel. No one in all the Israelite army had the courage to go up against this beast of a man, not even the king!
But, David, a simple shepherd boy, knew what God was capable of. He knew that God would give him the victory because he had trusted God to help him when a lion and a bear had come after his flock. He knew that if he went in the power of God, that God would give him the victory.
I Samuel 17:46- This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcass of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
Despite what everyone was saying and despite what the circumstances looked like, David put his trust in God.
David had every reason to let someone else handle this situation. He was only there to bring food to his brothers. He wasn't in the army. He was only a shepherd boy, a child. And yet, he was a man after God's own heart. He loved the Lord will everything he had and that would be what people remembered most about him. All the kings that followed were compared to David and how he followed God with a perfect heart.
I Corinthians 8:3- If any man love God, the same is known of him.
Will you be the one that quit because they found something in the world that they thought was worth more than a ministry with Christ? Will you be known as the prideful Christian who hindered others in their walk with Christ? Or, will you be known as person who loved the Lord with all their heart and followed Him despite the circumstance, despite their own short comings, and despite what everyone is thinking or saying?
What will your legacy be?
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