Money and values

Church was incredibly practical today. It was about money.

Times are tough right now and a lot of people are suffering financially, losing jobs, losing homes; the government had to do that big bail out.

The sermon was about trusting God and being wise.

I'm so grateful to God for my husband and I's financial situation. If it weren't for the training I've been blessed to receive, I would not have had the sense to be able to be where we're at right now.

As we were driving home John & I talked about it. We just married 3yrs ago. Because we'd both sought for years to be debt free and live simply we came into the marriage with something to offer the other financially and we both had good jobs. We'd considered buying a beautiful (ego feeding) home in the area where I'd been living at the time. We'd looked at houses for months but neither of us had a peace about buying those homes so we didn't. Instead we moved up to this mountain paradise that God had for us and purchased an very modest home (the prior owners had used it as a vacation home) built in the 60s. The home has a lot of charm and appeal and the location is over the top - we go on a trail out our back door that leads up into the national forest. This home was modest enough that we could just plain buy it so we don't have a mortgage.

Now that the market had gone down the house wouldn't be worth what we paid for it but we aren't worried because we're not making payments anyway. After I by faith quit my job and moved here and took some time to be home with my sons for a year and a half, God opened up a job with a much shorter commute than I used to make. We've been able to do some work on the house, bit by bit, as we've had the money, to make it even better to live in. We continue to not be financially stressed and to have money to give to others.

This is a legacy I hope to pass on to my children.

One of my son's closest friends parents have a gorgeous home, new cars and their son always has the latest fashionable clothes. Whenever this son wants a specific video game or new type of cell phone, he gets it right away. Initially my son questioned why we don't have all that because he found it all so desirable. I explained that those aren't the things that matter most to me and I try to build my life around what really matters. Initially my son didn't get it. So I pray and hope that my example makes an impact.

Lately, my son is starting to come around. He's starting to see that it's important to have enough money so it's not always a stress and worry and it's important to work hard at something you enjoy, but that stuff really isn't all that important. That people are what matter most.

In a culture that is so dominated by money and things and how everything looks, it is challenging to live differently. I pray that God in His grace and goodness would continue to help me focus on what really matters. I pray that part of the legacy I leave for my sons is one of placing value where it really counts.