It's beginning to look a lot like...Christmas

December...the boys are getting very excited about Christmas...As are we! As we did last year, we have our budget for Christmas gifts and we'll stay within it. It is remarkable however how far we have fallen away from those things that are truly valuable....I was listening to the radio last week and a conversation came on that involved people advocating for....justifying smaller, less costly Christmas. The irony is this...people don't remember the stuff, they remember the time. The time we spend together over Christmas dinner, the time shared at the skating rink. As Christmas time approaches, and then goes....lets spend more time, instead of more money!

Backyard Pirate Ship for the boys!!!

So this is clearly not specifically focussed on financial stuff, however I have done this job and spent relatively little money...(cash of course!) I still have the railing to finish, and to out the horizontal boards on the sides of the boat, and fill up the bottom with mulch, but things are coming along nicely. I can just barely get back there with power tools.

The huge benefit has been the opportunity to work with and teach the boys! They are both quite skilled at pounding nails, and running the cordless drill! We stopped short of learning about the circular saw!

We plan to have a boat-painting party...invite friends and family (kids!!!) over to paint the boat when it's finished. They can bring their favourit colours of paint and go crazy!!!

:J

"I can do it!!!"

One of the phrases that tends to fly around this house from time to time is "I can do it! " Generally it comes from a small child who in some cases can't in fact do it. Why is it our tendancy to struggle forward trying, on our own, to complete things that maybe we can't. In short why do we not seek help for things we can't fix on our own?

We're running FPU at our church right now. Our marketing looked like this....



FPU Packages to local churches = 72

Local Radio Advertising = Yes

Local Newspaper article = Yes

Announcement at Church on Sunday morning = Yes


Class attendance...11

In a city like mine, I hear about the bad economy every day, I know people struggling with finances, I know there are lots more people that I don't know, that are struggling with their finances. Why don't more people come for help???



If insanity is continuing to complete the same actions or activities but expecting different results, are we insane? Is our society so attached to "and for everything else..there's ..............?"



I can't figure it out. I talked recently to an FPU grad from our 1st class. 1/2 their debt is gone! In less than 6 months they will be debt free. OUTSTANDING....!!!!! Why doesn't everyone want this story to be theirs???

I have LEARNED to be Content...

Phillippians 4:10-14

10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ,[c] who gives me strength. 14 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

We just wrapped our first FPU class, and what an experience it was. We are planning to get FPU round #2 started in mid-march. One of the great lessions for me is to learning to be content. I like stuff, I like new stuff, I like nice stuff, however stuff, can and does keep us from great success and peace.

It amazed me when I ran the numbers that my $2 coffee every day could keep me from being able to afford to put my kids in Christian school...do I like coffee that much?

I have, and still am learning to be content with less stuff, and with less expensive stuff, and financially we are experiencing peace. We are also working to pay our house off early!!! What if we were 40 years old with NO PAYMENTS IN THE WORLD???? amazing!

I saw a beautiful new car drive by yesterday when I was driving my used van...I am content. But I have LEARNED to be content.