Money....Money....Money....

 Money has been on my heart a lot lately. Lack of is probably one of the reasons.. :-) Another reason is this...I'm a tightwad! I'm not a "cheap" person ..I like to call it "THRIFTY!" I would rather spend very little and sleep well at night than to overspend and stress out about it. My son just opened his first bank account...I have been a tad bit concerned because he has an ATM card now. (I think they are evil! lol Ok  not really evil but way too easy to swipe!) If you have to go to the bank to get out cash to go to the store to use the cash...it takes effort. An ATM card on the other hand is more than happy to be readily available to use at all times...any given moment...during weakness...no time to think...just swipe away! I sound a bit crazy don't I? But you know deep down it's true.. :-)


Don't get me wrong..I heart my ATM card :-) But I have to keep myself in check. Checking the account says a lot about priorities. I received this devotion today and it is too awesome to not share.


I think when it comes to money...It controls us. People lie, cheat, and steal for money. They fight over it, they kill for it, they end relationships over it. I know that we need it to survive and that people work very hard to make it and deserve the nice things they work for but when it takes over your life and you can't be happy without it...it's a problem. I'm just like everyone else, I want nice things, I want to be comfortable, I want the occasional mani-pedi, but I am ok when I have money and I'm ok when I don't. 

If you are still reading this...I may have lost a few people...lol  Just know that it's not a bashing money blog..It's a be happy in your circumstances blog.  So, what does your checkbook say about you??


Read on... :-)

What My Checkbook Says About Me By Glynnis Whitwer

"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." Proverbs 11:24 (NIV 1984)

Imagine walking into church one day to discover all your financial information on display. Your check register is copied as a bulletin insert. Your bank statement is in the pastor's PowerPoint presentation and his message is based on how you spent your money last week. Some people would sprint out the back door, horrified at the thought of their spending habits being exposed!

The way we handle money - how we earn it, spend it and give it away - shows what's important to us. A peek inside our checkbooks will tell what we value.

In the early years of my marriage, our checkbook definitely revealed the truth about what I valued and trusted ... and it wasn't God. My husband wanted to give 10% of our income to the church, and I continually talked him out of it, bargaining the percentage down with the promise of increasing it over time.

My lack of faith (in God and my husband) screamed through the entries in my check register.

Years later, I finally gave in to my husband's repeated requests to tithe. Sadly, it wasn't with serene faith and confidence. Rather, I secretly believed I'd be able to say, "I told you so" once and for all.

Imagine my surprise when God proved Himself faithful in spite of my unfaithfulness.

I learned a life-changing lesson: God can be trusted. Listening to great sermons didn't teach me this. Hearing how God answered my friend's prayer didn't teach me this. I had to learn it for myself. And one of the best ways to experience God's trustworthiness is to trust Him with our money.

Though many of us are uncomfortable talking about money, the Bible has over 2,000 verses referring to it. God knows that how we manage this necessary part of life is important to being an effective Christian because we practice obedience in an area few see.

Holding on to our money with an open hand shows we trust God. He's given us everything we have: our health, our jobs, our homes and our financial resources. Giving back to Him shows we trust that His Word is true, and we trust God to provide for our needs.

At the very heart of the whole issue of giving money to God is whether or not He can be trusted. The answer is "yes!" God can be trusted! Today, through the grace of God, my checkbook lines up with my words.

Dear Lord, You are worthy of all my trust. Forgive the times I doubt You and choose to trust myself. Thank You for giving me another chance to obey Your request to give with a generous heart. Help me to be a woman who lives out her faith in her checkbook and with her words. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Enemy is on my path!

I had to share a great message that really touched my heart. I am working on a new bible study through Proverbs 31 ministries. It's from the book "An Untroubled Heart, finding faith that is stronger than my fears".

I am the queen of Bible studies! I love starting them, I get excited weeks before they begin, I can't wait to feel refreshed and renewed!!!  I get through 2 weeks and I fall behind...my days are overloaded with appointments..I'm tired after work...I get discouraged and then I struggle to catch up. I will say that I DO eventually catch up but during the catch up phase...I feel disappointment in myself and wonder if I should even bother signing up anymore. So where is the refreshed and renewed feeling that I was so excited about????

It comes...just not during the catch up phase....It comes at the end.  So if you feel that you shouldn't sign up for Bible studies because you aren't sure if you can finish them.....Do it! You WILL be glad in the end!

OK sorry for the rant there...:-)  So I started this new Bible study a few weeks ago and boy do I need this one right now! I'm separated, have an ill child that is home bound, working a lot, dealing with home issues with mold, seriously I could go on and on.. I would like to say that I'm some mighty wonder woman that never cracks under pressure but that would a complete lie! I'm human! I'm cracked in more pieces than Humpty Dumpty! :-) But with me...I can be put back together again.....I want to share this awesome message in my Bible Study! I hope it blesses you in whatever you are going through the way it has blessed me!

During our journey through life, we will encounter the Enemy on our path from time to time. He can show up in different forms such as trials, fears, broken relationships, discouragement, failures, and temptations. yet our Lord has provided a way for us to stand guard against the Devil's tactics. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7) You and I can guard against the Devil by remembering that Christ conquered him on the cross. Satan no longer holds us in bondage to fear. When apprehensions come, our faith falters. We stand guard against the Devil remembering God's words are true. "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5.) 

Resisting the enemy is another way to guard ourselves. While he still has the power to tempt us, we can experience victory. As we submit to God and believe His truth instead of doubting it, the Devil will flee. Finally, we must "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes". (Eph 6:11). When we dress ourselves each day in God's armor, it acts as a hedge of protection that keeps the Enemy from showing up on our path and burdening us with hardships.

Good stuff! We know the Enemy is on a constant mission to break us down...we need to stand firm and know that God is much bigger, greater, and stronger than the Devil! The battle has already been won for us!

"You never did let go"

Good Morning Y'all! 

I read a poem on a blog today and thought....really? Was it written for ME? 

Once you read it, you may also think it was written for you too. I think we tend to want God to take care of everything, when we are upset we want Him to take the pain away, when we are in need we want Him to provide but how many times do we try and handle everything ourselves? It does not come natural for us to give ALL of our problems to God and not stress over them. It's not natural for us to have total faith that He has everything under control. However, that does not mean that we can't do it or that we shouldn't do it. It takes drawing close to Jesus and reading His Word daily. No doubt, it's my biggest struggle ...but one day I will able to say....It was my biggest accomplishment! (it can be yours too)

Just as my child brings his broken toys

with tears

for me to mend,

I took my broken dreams to God

because He was my friend.

But then...instead of leaving Him

in peace

to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help 

with ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back

and cried,

"How could You be so slow?"

"What could I do, My child?" He said.

"You never did let go."

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.