Live Simply

Live simply that others might simply live. ~Elizabeth Ann Seton

Income Tax money was inserted into the bank account yesterday, and I was amazed at myself for once not having a big list of needs and wants.  I had one thing I asked Ryan for and it wasn't even for myself.  There is an outfit at the Children's Place that I would like Brody to have for Easter.  We have plenty of money, but we do not buy expensive clothes for our child.  He has clothes from his grandparents, clothes passed down to him, or clothes that are on sale (he has GAP clothing but it's because I bought them from the season before on clearance).  I desire for him at an early age to learn he can still look nice without having expensive clothes.  I'm sure there might be a day he will ask "why?," and I will gladly show him pictures of children who have hardly nothing.  If our family can dress nice for a lower budget, then we can help clothed others. 

Learning to live with contentment and simplicity has been and is still a long journey for me.  It is my nature to love things.  After a few years into marriage, my husband Ryan introduced Dave Ramey's Total Money Makeover to me.  We needed to live on a budget, and there were some credit cards that needed to be cut in half.  For months, I could not hardly stand to hear Dave's name because my precious hubby would remind me often "Well, Dave says..."  I knew Dave was right, but I was so selfish and just wanted to do what I wanted to do.  I submitted to hubs, but I did grumble about it.  Ryan set up a budget, and when money from a category was gone it was GONE!  As Ryan kept up with every penny that was spent, I began to see just how much money was wasted.  I was a horrible steward of our money, and I would have never realized it if I hadn't seen it all out on paper in front of me.  We got out of dept and finally had savings just in time for Brody to be born.  He was born three months early weighing 2 lbs., and he soon became known as the 1/2 million dollar baby.  That season in our life would have been even more difficult had we not had already been practicing out in our lives on just what we could live off of.  I don't even want to think about what a disaster our life would have been if we hadn't been having a budget every month.  I'm so thankful for an amazing husband who leads our family in the right direction even in the moments where he had to pull his struggling wife along.

I used to curse Dave's name,

but now I can't wait to tell others about how his program can help give them financial peace too!

My spiritual gifts are hospitality, encouraging, and giving.  I love to give to people.  I cannot give how God has called  me to if I'm not taking care of the money He has put into our lives.  It would be hard to love my neighboors proparly if I had stacks of credit card bills that had to be paid.  As a christian, I'm called to tithe 10% of everything I have, but giving doesn't stop there.  There needs to be sacrifical giving too. You know the best parts of this week were the many moments God allowed me to give of what we have to several people.  It has really been a wonderful week because I got to do what God has called me do.  I'm happiest when I'm doing my purpose. I don't write this to say "yeah me," I write it because it is important to make sure money is well spent. How many meals could I feed people with the money that would be spent on going out to eat at a nice restaurant one time?  How many children could receive medicine for the cost of a mani-pedi?  How many children could go to school for the price of a football ticket?  How many shopping trips would add up to giving an orphan a forever home?  How many television shows could I cut out to go spend time helping a widow? 

I not saying we should never buy or go do anything fun.  There just needs to be balance and perspective.  We will go on vacation this year but we will also go on a mission trip.  Brody will eat a few Happy Meals from McDonald's this month, but we will also sponsor a child through Compassion International this month so that Monica can go to school and be fed through their Nicaraguan program.  I'm just seeking simplicity for our family's life so we are able to help people.  I want to store up our treasures in heaven and not here on earth.  There are going to be days that my selfish self will stumble, but I will continue to strive towards simplicity. 

So as I'm charging into each day with my Carpe Diem attitude, may I seize the day with our family's finances too.  May our journey of this life have just enough baggage.  :o)