So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore?

I am sure that the title caught your eye right? Well if you didn't know already it's a book title. I just finished it actually. THE MOST AMAZING BOOK I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME! I really don't even know where to begin on how/where it has touched me deeply.

I will start by saying that I haven't been to church in a very long time. Not years but still a long time. We always come up with excuses too....reasonably good ones.... It seems to me that none of it matters anymore. The guilt of not going ate away at me, but obviously not enough to get me to go. I do devotions, my husband is WAY more faithful at it than me, but we also do them as a family most every night together.

I am being honest here so hear me out. I know everything I was feeling was bad. After reading this book I now have a better understanding of why I felt the way I do. It's not near as bad as I originally thought. I have a hunger for something more out of "religion" and you don't get that from an "institution." And don't get me wrong I am by no means saying church is bad...it's very good actually...but we were going to church for things church couldn't give us. No church can give you what Jesus gives you everyday. A RELATIONSHIP with Him. It's a personal thing. We were frustrated with church so long ago for reasons that we not the church's fault. Opening your heart to hear Jesus speak is something no one can tell you to do. Living your life for HIM is not something to be learned from another person...

What I took from the book is that so many churches press the fact that if you don't fulfill their obligations you wont be blessed or you aren't close to God. I believe that has been my struggle this whole time. I don't have time to do everything you seem to be "required" to do. I have three small girls and a husband who really do require my time. I know there are families who are a lot bigger than mine, but it's not the same for everyone. There isn't a formula that is going to get you to heaven. There isn't a checklist you have to cross off to get in God's good graces either. The personal relationship between you and God is just that personal. What is good for someone else is not always good for you or vice versa.

I am not perfect. I do not know the bible front to back. I struggle with what is right and what is wrong. I make BIG mistakes everyday. I disappoint God with most of my thoughts. I don't pray as often as I should. I am selfish. I am condescending. I gossip. I covet. I know ALL of that is wrong. I know that I am not worthy of God's forgiveness. I have it though because of what Jesus did for me. That is not something church can give or take away from you.

I want to go to church now. I want to surround myself with people who want a real relationship and not a list of obligations. I want to REAL relationship with Jesus. I want to trust in HIM not in church to get me through the day, the week or even the year. I want to learn. Just because you go to church doesn't mean you are "spiritual" or your guaranteed a ticket to heaven. Jesus didn't really talk about church as a place to go, but more as a living relationship with HIM and fellow believers.

OK so I know most of this is just my opinion and most probably wont agree with anything I have said. That's OK read the book for yourself so we can talk about it. I would love to hear different views. So if anyone is wondering if I will ever go to church again....... The answer is YES! I want to go more now than I ever have before. I just now know the reason I should be going and what I need out of it. I had it all wrong before.....That's why I was always so frustrated! I didn't know I needed a real relationship with Jesus not a church!



So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore
Wayne Jacobson and Dave Coleman

It's Here!

So finally after discussion after discussion Chris and I FINALLY came up with our game plan to beat our debt! I know I said I was going to post like what...2 weeks ago? Well I had to read more of Total Money Makeover before I could get the "steps" together. So here it is:

Baby Step 1
Save for our $1,000 Emergency Fund

Baby Step 2 (a)
DEBT SNOWBALL! $18,000

Baby Step 2 (b)
Save for a down payment on a house $20,000? (not sure on exact amount yet)

Baby Step 3
Save for our 3-6 month emergency fund. $10,000

There are more steps after this like saving for retirement and college funds, but for now this is a what we are going with. WHEN we accomplish this the rest WILL come so incredibly easy! Our goal for Baby Step 1 is by January 1, 2010. The reason being is because we are going to "practice" sticking to a budget for the next couple months even through the holidays. We are going to start 2010 paying debt. I have a goal for the $18,000 to be paid off in 36 months. I would love love love it to be paid off in 24 months but that would be like $750 a month...I don't know about that in reality, but God is definitely on our side for this so it is possible. Then baby step 2(b) should be about the same amount of time. Baby step 3 will take half the time or way less since I will be able to work full time by then...LOL So all in all I am guessing that when Chris is 35 and I am 33 we should be ALL DONE with this. That's 7 years! Seems like a long time, and it is but we will only be in our mid 30's. We could be in our 50's and just learning this. Some family members of mine as well as parents of friends are in their 40's - 60's and not doing so well. Foreclosures, living in apartments, no retirement is not where I want to be then. I want to live like no one else now, so I can live like no one else later! Thank you Dave Ramsey!

Being his helper....

* My husband and I are reviewing all of our finances and are going to post our plan later this week! Thanks for being patient!

I have been reading Created To Be His Helpmeet for probably the 3rd or 4th time now. Each time I have read it I have taken something different out of it. The first couple times I read it I thought Debi Pearl was a crazy woman and no WOMAN could ever live up to that and those standards! For those who I have never read it it's about what God created you ro be and what the bible sayd about it!

I do really well during and shortly after I read it. Then satan gets ahold of me and I start nagging at my husband. Then it gets worse and worse until we both blow up! Which obviously was not that long ago since I am reading it again! LOL Anyway I literally just read something in the book that I don't remember ever reading before and I believe this may stick with me forever. Give your husband over to God. YOU WILL NEVER be able to change him! NEVER. Let God handle it and just love him with everything you have because that is pleasing to God. You will be rewarded that way. Sounds easy enough right? Obviously not or the divorce rate wouldn't be so high.

"But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." 1 Corinthians 11:3

"For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body." Ephesians 5:23

I am making it a goal in my house that I am going to follow this. ;)

;)

This is such a wonderful Friday! Beautiful weather! Amazing family! Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

CPF Again!

Here is an old post from Christian Personal Finance that is just VERY encouraging! Called 250 Bible Verses About Money!

Christian PF

Ok so I love love love Christian PF! I have read this blog for well over a year now and Bob ALWAYS has amazing posts! Wish I would have learned from him more, but all water under the bridge now. ;) Like todays for instance................... Happy Reading

Bad Decisions/Finances

Well I don't even know where to start. I am drowning....... My chin is just above the water but I am losing momentum and I am sinking.... You ever feel this way? Well that is pretty much how my week started.


I just never had the kind of parents who taught me about finances. And of course neither did my husband. We have made some seriously silly decisions about money in the past 10 years. The last 5 together and the 5 previous seperate. We came together with baggage and proceeded to make it worse!


Well earlier this year we decided we were going to file bankruptcy and "start over!" We both thought that would sovle ALL our problems. We have not done that yet. I never really told anyone about it much. I knew it was a horrible thing to do, but I have no other choice right? Well the beginning of the week my thinking was turned upside down. I was told that would be the worst decision ever and before I do anything STUPID I better do some more research. I did.... And here I am writing about it.


I found that statistically my hubby and I would probably divorce during the process because it's highly stressful. (We wouldn't of course) It's pretty much blasphemy in God's eyes. Lastly, it's not really over after 7 years and it's not as easy as it sounds. There was more but this was the jist of it all.


So, we decided that bankruptcy is not for us! Thank-goodness right?!?! We are just going to pay it all off on our own! What is so funny about this whole situation is if you know me you know I am a frugal girl through and through. This is just silly and I know better! I squeeze dollars out of pennies. I am going to take that approach and pay off everything! My goal in 5-7 years is to have all our debt/collectors paid off! The only debt I am willing to have after the 5-7 years are up is a mortgage. PERIOD! We don't have a morgage now becase we rent, and now we will be doing that for a longer than previously planned.


I called the 3 credit bureaus and requested my husbands and my credit reports. When they arrive I am going to here on this blog journal through this process. They said about 10 days for arrival so bear with me until then. You will be as curious as I am to see what the actual amount owed to everyone is! I am excited to begin this fullfilling journey the way God would want me to. He was not pleased with us getting into this situation, but he will be pleased on our process out!

♥ Tuesday ♥

This is definitely one of my most favorite days of the week! This is the day when I meet up with 3 of my friends at the awesome coffee house called Brew-Ha! It's our bible study. We are currently going through a book called Knowing The Bible 101! A very basic overview of obviously the bible. Sometimes you need to get back to the basics and remember what is important. At first it seemed silly to me since I felt I already was an expert on the basics (funny it was my idea to do this book)! I was to wrong! We are in chapter three and I feel transformed already. We have such a good time getting together. We have learned so much from each other, (or maybe just me) I don't ever want to stop! The four of us are so completely different, but yet somehow the same. I am curious on their take of the bible study, but that is mine.

Menu Plan Monday August 31!

Sunday -Corn Chowder and Fresh Bread (crock pot)
Monday -Spaghetti and Garlic Bread
Tuesday -Mexi Pizzas and Mexi Rice
Wednesday -Broccoli and Cheese Soup (crock pot)
Thursday -Pizza
Friday -Tater Tot Casserole
Saturday -Leftovers/Out to Eat

Faith/Family

We have been wanting to move out to the country for awhile. We are NOT in the position to buy a house due to poor choices in the past.(We are working on it though) I really want a garden, I want a clothes line, I want quiet. I want my girls to be able to run free without me worrying what the neighbor kids are talking about. I want a Homestead. But, we have to rent for the time being. There is a house exactly perfect for our needs for rent about 4 miles out of town! PERFECT...I already said that I know. Downside...It's just about 100-150 over monthly what we can afford. UGH! God knows best though. He ALWAYS does. If it's meant for us there will be a way. If we wait and be patient for our Lord's time this may come out to be not so perfect and something better is waiting for us in the future. I need to keep telling myself that....PRAY PRAY PRAY

Decisions Decisions

I have always wanted to blog. I have tried it out a few times but never really had the time or a reason or really a theme in mind. Well tonight it came to me! God opened my eyes. This is who and what I am! This is what I do! Why don't I share it with everyone? I talk about faith, family and frugality all the time. In almost EVERY conversation I have it leads to this. I by no means am saying I am an expert on any of it! Not even the slightest bit worthy really. This is just who I am and now I am going to easily share it with everyone!