Today I feel thankful. I feel thankful for all that I have been so blessed with. The past 2 months have been some of the most stressful of my entire life. Financial problems eat at me. But in the very back of my mind, and deep in my heart I know we will be taken care of. I have been more reliant on the Lord this past month or so than I have in very long time. For this I am grateful for struggles. They are worth it to build my relationship, and help me remember where all my blessings really come from again. I forget often. And really, I am so blessed. Everyone is healthy, happy and safe. This is enough.
I am just so thankful that for the last year we have been saving as much as we could, I can't tell you how that has and is saving us! It's crazy how fast that money disappears....but I'm glad we had any to begin with. Just another reminder of how inspired our church leaders are, telling us to live within our means, to save 3-4 months worth of income, food storage, etc. Food storage isn't just for catastrophe's, they will come in great use to us if someone looses a job, gets sick and can't work, or maybe just the cost of living in general rising so fast, our income can't keep up. What do we really NEED anyway? Definitely not all that the "world" makes us believe we need. When we get back on track I am going to do better, simplify, save more, spend less, give more. My Dad says (this is not doctrine) "if you want to double your income, double your fast offering". I believe this- to an extent. We used to give much less...as we've given more generously we have seen tremendous tremendous blessings. I have such a testimony of tithing and fast offerings. I have this testimony because I trusted, I chose, I gave, and my testimony was built, it continues to grow every time I pay it. The Lord will never leave us to fend for ourselves. He will always help us find a way. This is what keeps me going.
I have felt like from the beginning of this mess with Jaspers work that in the end it will be better. We will be on the path we're supposed to be on. I would like it to end sooner than later though. :)
Anyhow, I just wanted to share those thoughts...I know so many many people are going through financial problems. People are being laid off left and right, having to foreclose their homes, businesses are suffering with the recession. I hope you can all hang in there!! My thoughts and prayers are with you! Maybe we can all look for ways to help those around us instead of just thinking of ourselves. I will try much harder this year!
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14 comments:
It can be so hard to look at things this way, I'm so glad you are!
It's so hard to trust, at first...but then it's easier once you're doing it! You just trust, do your part, and then quit worrying, I guess.
You are splendid, darling.
You have such a great attitude! We, too have been struggling financially and I would imagine that the struggle is not yet over. (unless we win some money somehow or have a rich relative that we don't know about!) But really, in the large scheme of things, how much does money really matter anyways? That's what I tell myself when I get overwhelmed and stressed out about our finances. I admire your courage to share, it inspires us all. :)
First off -Amen to everything you said. I know SO MANY going through this exact thing right now. We too have lived off savings for quite a while & have definitely had many moments I dipped into food storage so I wouldn't have to go buy groceries. Our prophets are very inspired and hopefully ALL of us have learned something from this. I'm grateful too for trials-I've learned more in this past year than any other in my life! I've learned above all that if my family is together & we are healthy than I could not ask for anything more!! My faith has strengthened more than I could ever imagine! We can all hang in there together! Hugs!
Jen,
I know what you are going through. We have been going through the exact same thing. I've been so thankful that I can at least feed my family and put clothes on their backs. Things got pretty rough for awhile. We recently received some money from Spence's birthmom's passing. We felt so grateful to her because it came at a much needed time. When we sat down and paid all the bills we couldn't believe how far we had actually gotten. I think that having to sacrifice and penny pinch was to prepare me for getting that money! In the past I would've gone out and just blown it all at the mall or something. But now I am still more careful with the spending and still looking at ways to cut back. Sure, we have spent a little on getting things fixed that needed it (like cars and carpet) but are still trying to be so careful and just save it. This economy scares me. We are going to boost back up our food storage. I also have a testimony of tithing and service and believe in the blessings that come from it. I know that the Lord is watching over all of us and we will be blessed. Amen! :-)
My cousin just started this blog about finding ways to cut back and save.
Jen, as always I admire your attitude. It really is so important to follow the counsel of our church leaders and save! Even if nobody loses a job or gets sick and can't work, unexpected things ALWAYS come up(grrr, taxes!).
I panic a tiny bit reading your post and your comments seeing that everyone is needing to pinch their pennies these days. But your good attitude is encouraging. And the doubling the fast offering non-doctrinal advice, I love how that stuff gets around. :) We're crossing our fingers and praying and wishing on stars that my husband keeps his job. He's hated the job from day one (maybe day two) but it's been a huge blessing working with his school schedule, allowing him to set his own days and hours, offering us a better deal than the one we put on the table when he was negotiating returning to school full-time. After the talk at work the other day mentioning layoffs, he told a friend at work that he only has to work there 240 some odd more days (before graduation and moving), but he'd like to work there all of those 240 some odd days.
We do learn from our trials. I am hopeful this one will be a short lived trial for you and your family.
I use to double our fast offering. Jim did not know. He just paid what we agreed on to pay. Then I would slip another payment in.
Just last week, I was trying to figure out why thing had gotten so difficult for us. I thought about the fast offerings and that I had not been slipping in my double payment. So I started that again.
It has not made a big difference in the check book yet, but it has made all the difference in my heart. I know it will all work out, for you and for us. m
You know how much we love you guys, and how hard we are praying for you. I love this post, and it is so well put. I have be amazed several times in my life (as I shared with you on the phone today) that somehow money shows up when we need it. It's never MORE than we need (wouldn't that be nice), but when we can't see our way out of it, the Lord does provide. I love your testimony about tithing and fast offerings. I pay the fast offerings at our house, and it is a blessing every month to try to determine what we really can give.
I am inspired by your challenge to be more generous. Thank you!
Jen,
You have such an amazing and optimistic attitude. I am inspired by your strength and testimony. And I love the last part about thinking of others..if we forget ourselves and help others, the Lord will remember us in our time of need. Stay strong. We will all get through this tough economy. I am also grateful for inspired leaders of the church who have taught us to save, build up food storage, etc. And if we follow their counsel, the Lord will do the rest... Hang in there! You are in my thoughts and prayers.
One Word.... "Amen"
Jen, thanks for sharing such a beautiful testimony and amen to every single point you made.
You are an inspired woman and I can tell you come from an inspired family.
Financial problems are hard! but "money comes and goes" and the other blessings you mentioned are not only enough but priceless!
That's a great attitude to have! I love it! Carlo, last fast Sunday, told me to make the check out for far more than usual. He said, "It has to hurt a little. It needs to be a sacrifice." We did it and no miracles have happened but I sure feel like the Lord is happier with us. It's a great feeling! I'm praying for you and others in your similar situation. Thanks for sharing that!
Thanks for the inspiring post! Again, your faith is an example to me of how to live with faith that all work out. You are always such a great reminder of that to me.
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