Friday, June 29, 2007
Living Simply and Being Content.
Luke 16:11: If you are not faithful in your use of unrighteous (worldy) wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
Proverbs 22:7: Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
Being content in today's "keeping up with the Joneses" society can be such a challenge. Lots of people are buying things they don't need with money they don't have to impress people they don't like. You have the people out there that feel the need to "one up" everyone. If a neighbor gets a big screen T.V., they go out and get the nice big wall mounted plasma.
The most recent Federal Reserve study showed that 43% of U.S. families spent more than they earned. On average, Americans spend $1.22 for each dollar they earn. American consumers owed a grand total of $1.9773 trillion in October 2003, according to the latest statistics on consumer credit from the Federal Reserve. Thats about $18,654 per household, a figure that doesn't include mortgage debt.
Many studies show financial problems are the #1 reason for divorce in the first 5 years, and is the number 2 reason after 5 years. It's as if we have forgotten what life is really all about. Even though there are slogans that mock the "Whoever dies with the most toys, wins" mentality, that truly seems to be the goal of so many people.
Steve and I started taking a Biblically based financial class at our church four weeks ago (through Crown Financial Ministries) and let me tell you, it is quite the eye opener. We finally set up a budget in class this past week. We have never done this in the past. We have set up a sheet to keep track of our money but never really designated how much we want to go where. I also never really new before how much the Bible talks about money and how to use it. It's just amazing.
So we are starting on an adventure (which to me is filled with trials and all) of becoming completely debt free. We are going to do what it takes to pay off our car as quickly as possible. To set aside an emergency fund with at least 3 months worth of Steve's pay in case he should ever get sick. We also signed up for life insurance this week, in case something happens to Steve or I, that will pay off the house, all debts, and provide enough income for the family to not worry about money for a long time.
We are going to stick to our budget and pay off the debt as aggressively as we can. We are looking at additional income opportunities, and have several good ideas.
For me I think the hardest thing (although I have really done quite well the past couple months) will be to contain myself from buying kids clothes. I love dressing up the kids, but in all honesty they have more than enough clothes and Ava already has her own opinion on what she wants to wear (usually not the same idea I have).
We are really going to focus on whether something is a "need" or a "want".
I'm actually excited to do this because it is going to be a challenge but I also know that it's going to bring us closer as a family and closer in our walk with God. I want my children to appreciate life and what it holds for us. I don't want our possessions to posses us. I don't want my kids to get caught up in the materialistic values and standards that society has put out there today. It is not about what you would do if you had a million dollars its about what you are doing with the ten dollars you have. I want to live simply and be content with what I have, with what God has entrusted to me (which includes my money, my children, and all that I have). We all know that when you die (and we all will) that what we have acquired in terms of earthly values is not going to be important in the least bit, but how we lived and how we used our time here will matter greatly!
Here are some pictures of Gianna from yesterday. She is wearing a dress that was mine when I was little.
(Stats from this article)
Proverbs 22:7: Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
Being content in today's "keeping up with the Joneses" society can be such a challenge. Lots of people are buying things they don't need with money they don't have to impress people they don't like. You have the people out there that feel the need to "one up" everyone. If a neighbor gets a big screen T.V., they go out and get the nice big wall mounted plasma.
The most recent Federal Reserve study showed that 43% of U.S. families spent more than they earned. On average, Americans spend $1.22 for each dollar they earn. American consumers owed a grand total of $1.9773 trillion in October 2003, according to the latest statistics on consumer credit from the Federal Reserve. Thats about $18,654 per household, a figure that doesn't include mortgage debt.
Many studies show financial problems are the #1 reason for divorce in the first 5 years, and is the number 2 reason after 5 years. It's as if we have forgotten what life is really all about. Even though there are slogans that mock the "Whoever dies with the most toys, wins" mentality, that truly seems to be the goal of so many people.
Steve and I started taking a Biblically based financial class at our church four weeks ago (through Crown Financial Ministries) and let me tell you, it is quite the eye opener. We finally set up a budget in class this past week. We have never done this in the past. We have set up a sheet to keep track of our money but never really designated how much we want to go where. I also never really new before how much the Bible talks about money and how to use it. It's just amazing.
So we are starting on an adventure (which to me is filled with trials and all) of becoming completely debt free. We are going to do what it takes to pay off our car as quickly as possible. To set aside an emergency fund with at least 3 months worth of Steve's pay in case he should ever get sick. We also signed up for life insurance this week, in case something happens to Steve or I, that will pay off the house, all debts, and provide enough income for the family to not worry about money for a long time.
We are going to stick to our budget and pay off the debt as aggressively as we can. We are looking at additional income opportunities, and have several good ideas.
For me I think the hardest thing (although I have really done quite well the past couple months) will be to contain myself from buying kids clothes. I love dressing up the kids, but in all honesty they have more than enough clothes and Ava already has her own opinion on what she wants to wear (usually not the same idea I have).
We are really going to focus on whether something is a "need" or a "want".
I'm actually excited to do this because it is going to be a challenge but I also know that it's going to bring us closer as a family and closer in our walk with God. I want my children to appreciate life and what it holds for us. I don't want our possessions to posses us. I don't want my kids to get caught up in the materialistic values and standards that society has put out there today. It is not about what you would do if you had a million dollars its about what you are doing with the ten dollars you have. I want to live simply and be content with what I have, with what God has entrusted to me (which includes my money, my children, and all that I have). We all know that when you die (and we all will) that what we have acquired in terms of earthly values is not going to be important in the least bit, but how we lived and how we used our time here will matter greatly!
Here are some pictures of Gianna from yesterday. She is wearing a dress that was mine when I was little.
(Stats from this article)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
My Poor Little Man!
Mateo Potatoe sat on a wall
and thanks to his sister, he had a great fall
With a tatoo as distraction and a staple gun
The pediatrician fixed his head and brought back the fun.
My poor little man, is truly a boy with all his scrapes and cuts. Thank goodness for Arbonne skin Conditioning oil or he would have quite the scar collection by now. Yesterday while playing in the play place at the mall his sister pulled him off a bench (because she wanted him to come play with her, instead of daddy) and he ended up cutting open his head on a sharp corner of a shoe cubby that is under all the benches. No fun, but luckily a quick trip to our wonderful after hours pediatrician and it was all better. He is such a tough guy!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Funny Faces!
I am trying my best to get photo practice in when I can but lately its getting hard. Gianna has finally hit her clingy stage and if she is awake she likes to be carried. She will only roll around on the floor for so long, so its been hard getting things done lately, but she's so cute so it's okay. Here are a couple funny faces for ya!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
My Hearts Moments
The title for my blog is just so fitting these really are my hearts moments. This past Saturday was such a big moment for us. It was Ava's first ballet class, and it really left quite an imprint in my heart. I know I will hold onto this moment for as long as I live.
It warmed my heart to see her excitement that morning as we got ready and I helped put on her leotard, tights and did her hair in a bun. (The week before we had gone down to the studio to pick up her leotard, tights and shoes. She was in heaven when we first tried them on, in fact she didn't want to take them off. Luckily the teacher helped me explain she couldn't wear her ballet shoes out. We just had to stop at daddy's work on the way home to show him his little ballerina. She was insistent that he needed to see her ballerina clothes. )
The bunch of us (we are quite a bunch now that Gia is here) got in the car and headed down to the dance studio. We thought it couldn't get more exciting as we walked in the building filled with little dancers and their parents, but it did when we ran into Emma, one of Ava's best friends in preschool. We had no idea she was going to be in the same class. Then only a couple seconds later we came across some friends from our church that we had just met through a financial Bible study class we just started taking. Their little girl, Sydney, was also in the class with Ava.
Ava transformed into full ballerina as we put on her shoes (her favorite part of the outfit). I took her in the classroom and she sat next to Sydney and got a name tag placed on her. The classroom has a huge glass window on one wall so the parents can watch. All the parents looked like the paparazzi with our cameras out snapping as many pictures of these "first" moments. It's amazing to me how quickly these moments seem to come. It really seems like just yesterday Steve and I were holding our baby girl for the first time.
We were talking about how we couldn't wait to see her crawl for the first time, say "mama" and "dada" for the first time. The first time she gave us a kiss. Her first "I love you" or " I you" as it was said from her. The first time she walked. Her first moments. The first time she warmed our hearts and made us laugh uncontrollably with her first big laugh at our dog Wyatt. Her first Halloween. I remember talking to Steve about how excited I was for all these firsts and now I was thinking back to how fast this first ballet class had come. They all seem to be creeping up on us so quickly. My first baby girl is growing so fast. So many times I wish I could freeze time and just hold onto these moments just a little longer, because it seems I blink and they are gone. So to hold onto these moments I not only take pictures so I can look at them and reminisce but I hold them in my heart. They are definitely my hearts moments.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Sunday, Sunday.
Well today was fun, not much accomplished as far as housework goes but thats okay. We went and saw the movie "Knocked Up" it was funny and if you liked "40 year old Virgin" then you will like this one too. It is pretty crude though!
Tonight, the Natural Science and history museum had an Open house for members and darn it all, I forgot my camera. We got to meet Stan, the new T-rex exhibit; he's quite cute! We were also treated to free hot dogs, beans, lemonade and cookies. The kids went crazy over the face painting and balloon animals, Mateo got a T-rex and Ava got a butterfly, so all and all it was a pretty great day.
Here are pictures of my Ava's choice of outfit in the early hours of this morning before we had 4 other clothing changes (she likes to change clothes often, Steve is always excited to get home to see who is awaiting him like Belle, Cinderella, Tinkerbell, a ballerina, etc.) After our Cinderella get up she was Mulan. I also took some pictures of them when we got home from the museum to show off their face painting.
I really wish I would have had my camera for the look Mateo had on his face when he looked in the mirror and saw Spiderman staring back at him, it was priceless. Unfortunately my little man as I have mentioned before is not the best at letting me snap pictures of him and thus the reason we have only one of him today. Gia was quite content being carried in my pouch carrier or in Steve's arms. Well I guess thats all for today. Ava starts ballet on Saturday, which she is most excited about, I'll be sure to get pictures of that!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
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