Money Problems

In the Christian community we find lots of people who have found victory in many areas like overcoming alcoholism, drug addictions, pornography, infidelity, etc. Many Christians still struggle with these problems, but not every Christian has ever had them. Some have never touched beer or wine or even thought about having an extra-marital affair. However, I see that it is true that the majority of us, both Christians and non-believers have had some kind of problem with money.

I've found that I seem to run in to tons of people who are currently struggling with money issues--being overdrawn, being deep in debt, wanting to give but not having the funds, unable to afford groceries or their mortgage/rent/electricity bill and more. We all have money, or need money or want more of it regardless of how much we have. We can't live in this society without money--it's just not possible.

Now money is different than credit. Contrary to popular belief, you can operate in this society without using credit cards or getting huge loans for cars and homes. I'm not saying that it's all that easy to do, but it can be done, and when we think about how many problems the mortgage loan industry is in (and we're in because of it), not to mention the credit card industry's death grip on many of us---it would seem worth it to stay away from the trap of easy money with credit and "no money down" financing.

Sometimes even people like me, who have found victory in the area of finances, particularly deep credit card debt, still find ourselves being tempted and giving in to using those stupid plastic cards to get what we want without waiting for the money to be there. Yes, I screw up, a lot. But because I know where it will end up if I don't confess my mistakes and ask for forgiveness from God-- I get back on the road to waiting on God's provision and determine to use more self-control by the power of the Holy Spirit. I hate the consequences of screwing up, and I absolutely love the freedom of not having to make payments every month for something that I've already thrown out or digested (if you know what I mean) or at the very least is worth much less than what I financed it for.

"Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7

Christ said he came to set the captives free--we can't be free if we're offering ourselves as servants to the credit card or finance companies. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Galatians 5:1

We all have to use money, but it's how we use it and how we perceive it (is it our security or our tool?) that makes the difference.

Faithfulness

So, hey, I am in the middle of a very cool Bible study by Beth Moore, and this week's lesson is concerning Faithfulness as an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.

I'm ALSO working on developing a study on finances, geared toward women only, and this week, I'm working on what it means to be a faithful steward or manager of God's money and "stuff." I've done this thing before, and I know what it means to be a faithful steward--but now it just means so much more! For some reason, I just didn't put together "faithful" and "faithfulness" when it comes to the Holy Spirit and all that history lesson from Hebrews 11 and the long list of faithful people from the OT.

Even with finances, we're called to have faith especially when we can't see what God's going to do or even what the final result is of our saving, spending, giving, etc. We're to listen to God and move forward despite our blind-spot and be faithful with what he's given us and what he's given us to do.

I can only be truly faithful if I have the Holy Spirit within me, allowing Him to reign in my life and show the fruit that He brings forth.

Cool stuff.

Now, if only I can keep this one down to 30 minutes when I teach it in the Spring! :) That's for another lesson--the one on self-control.

First Anniversary

This day marks the one year anniversary of my diagnosis of choriocarcinoma and the day the whirlwind of testing led to the whirlwind of learning about and acquiring the medications to be taken at home and the chemo drugs I would be given in the office, the out-patient surgery to implant a medi-port, and the beginning of chemo the very next week.

This day is a GOOD day because that's no longer a part of me. Yes, I still have the scar; yes, I still am left in a different state than where I was one year ago; yes, I still have the medi-port; and yes, I still blame my forgetfulness on "chemo brain." But that's not who I am.

This is a GOOD day because I AM ALIVE! I am able to spend this day with my family and friends. I am ABLE to look back and see what Great things the Lord has done in me and through me. I am ABLE to look forward to days ahead in which God will use what I have experienced to encourage and comfort others facing life-threatening illness---and even more!

"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

Read the whole psalm here... I SO relate to what he's saying. "I will not die; instead, I will live
to tell what the Lord has done."

I turned 34 yesterday. The time I spent in chemo is a little blip on the screen of a long life. My life here on earth is a blip on the screen of eternity--thankfully, it's only the beginning!

Want to know some more great news??? We paid off all our medical bills on Friday-- just before this anniversary!!! God is SOOO Good!!!

Let us be thankful for this day, for the Lord made it! Let us be joyful and be glad in it, too!! You're alive, and God still wants to use you!!

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

2 Let all Israel repeat:
“His faithful love endures forever.”
3 Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat:
“His faithful love endures forever.”
4 Let all who fear the Lord repeat:
“His faithful love endures forever.”

5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord,
and the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?
7 Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in people.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.

10 Though hostile nations surrounded me,
I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,
but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
12 They swarmed around me like bees;
they blazed against me like a crackling fire.
But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
13 My enemies did their best to kill me,
but the Lord rescued me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
17 I will not die; instead, I will live
to tell what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not let me die.

19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!

22 The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, Lord, please save us.
Please, Lord, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, shining upon us.
Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

Prayer Relationships

These past few weeks have been an awesome time for me personally, and it has all come from my time in prayer. Not just by myself, mind you, but of course that is part of it. I've found, through our Women of Hope leaders, two especially dear friends and several others that I love tremendously, and over the last several weeks we have gathered together to pray in large and in small groups. Why do I forget so easily how incredibly wonderful it is to have someone to pray with you on a regular basis? --Not just about things going on in our personal lives but for a purpose other than ourselves.

I remember a dear friend of mine, and unlikely friend I would say (probably 30 years my senior), who encouraged me to lead the women's ministry at New Life Bible Fellowship years ago, before Jacob was born. She committed to join me in prayer weekly as we waited on God for the time I was to step up and continued through the time that she was living in south Dallas. Let me say that I was really not all that interested in having a prayer partner, but I felt like it was something I was supposed to do. There were many days when I would ask God to give me a break and let me do what I wanted to do instead of meeting for prayer, and on occasion he said "ok," but many times he didn't. Want to know why she was such a good friend? Because she prayed with me. She shared her life with me--the good and the bad. She prayed FOR me, too. She knew God and spent time with Him and I could hear it in her prayers when we were together, and I learned so much from her and grew closer to God during that time in my life. It's not anything aside from that really. We didn't go out and do things together; we didn't help each other out all that much; and we didn't have all that much in common except a love for God our husbands and children and the women in our community.

She is what I want to be. I want to be the one who really wants to get together to pray and hold others accountable to do the same--just by being there, praying together, praying for them and their concerns as well as for a greater purpose beyond ourselves.

I feel so close to these ladies that I meet with now because of this prayer time with them--even in such a short time we have known one another. We don't spend hours and hours praying--just about an hour each time we meet. We laugh together, we struggle together, we cry together, and we stand in awe together--before, during and after prayer to our Father.

This understanding of relationships, these special relationships, has got me thinking about my relationships with my children and my husband as well as what things would be like in our church body if more people gathered specifically to pray.....

looks like I need to pray some more.....but that's a GOOD thing! :)

Moments with Kate

Here's one example of a moment with my almost 12-year old daughter:

Yesterday I was talking with a friend, and Kate asked me how I knew this friend. So I explained to her that she used to live close to us and how we met. My friend, in turn, told Kate that she knew who Kate was only because she looks so much like me.

I can tell you this, Kate does not like it when people tell her that we look so much alike!

Kate then explains to my friend that she's going to go Emo and dye her hair black with a red streak or two.

check it out here if you aren't sure what Emo is----
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_(slang)

I proceeded to tell her that I thought it would be cool to dye my hair black too, like hers, if she did it. Oh, the eye-rolling!!! It was great! I really think I will do it if she dyes hers.