My thoughts on "Any Thoughts?" (two posts down)

Okay, let me just preface this post by saying that I would be about the last person that I would ever go to for thoughts on anything financial. Why? Because I have just been totally uninterested in money. I generally don't like to think about money, talk about money, make budgets, etc., etc., etc. And it's NOT because I am super-spiritual in this area. No. I just honestly have had no interest in the subject.

For example, when David and I got married I told him that I would be happy to actually work with him doing tile, etc. (he's a carpenter/contractor), but I never wanted to do his accounting (his mom had done the accounting for his father's business). Also, a few years ago, when a friend was in the process of adopting a child, she read a short biography of George Muller. She told me how encouraged she was about the way that God provided for the orphans financially. I was actually offended by this conversation. "Who cares about the money," I thought. I was really only interested in talking about the orphans. So, be forewarned, and feel totally free to disagree with what I am going to write here...

About a year ago, something very interesting happened. God started talking to me about money. I was reading a book by Heidi Baker called Always Enough, and was challenged by the way that she and her husband, Rolland, trusted God for their daily needs. Then, God told me to read George Muller's biography, and you know what? I was totally enthralled by how God provided for the orphans financially. I was enthralled because George Muller depended on God to be who He said He was. He was George Muller's Father and He provided for Muller on a daily basis, just like a good father would. George Muller lived his life as if what God had said about taking care of our every need was really true!


In the past year, I have been thinking and praying about this quite a bit. I have come to the conclusion that God really can be trusted in the way that George Muller trusted Him. He really will meet all of our needs. And part of what that means for me is that I do not need to "plan" for my financial future. God will take care of it!!! God tells us to ask Him for our daily bread. He also tells not to store up for ourselves treasures on this earth, but to invest in the Kingdom. I am just a baby learner when it comes to discerning my true needs and what I should spend money on. David and I have always valued living simply, but let's be real here--living simply in the U.S. is still extravagant by most of the world's standards. I am committed, however, to seeking God more in this. This has freed David and I up so much to simply trust in God for what we need and give the rest away.

So, I'd be interested in what you all think and are hearing from God in regards to money. Like I said, I am just a baby learner in all of this and I really would love to be challenged by other people's thinking. Please know that I do not believe that I have it all figured out, and there may be ways that God is speaking to you a bit differently, depending on your situation. I'd love to hear about it!

Wordless Wednesday (Kitchen Helper)

Any Thoughts?

"We should remember that up until about 100 years ago, retirement accounts and government-provided social safety nets were not commonplace. For most of history, people were dependent on God and family, notes Steve Rundle, an economics professor in Biola's Crowell School of Business.

"Rundle thinks we've gotten away from that now, and instead we turn to the government or ourselves for security. It's a mentality found in churches too, said Rundle, where there are often financial seminars that emphasize how to manage a nest egg and learn to be financially self-sufficient.

"'There's an underlying emphasis in many of these seminars on becoming totally independent and not needing anybody--including God,' said Rundle. 'And I think this (economic) crisis is showing us the folly of all that.'"

(Biola Magazine, summer '09, p. 22)

Would love to hear anyone's thoughts on this...

Flashback Friday

Awww...look at my little babes.

Please Pray

I am sure that many of you already know (and love!) the Saunders family. God has done, and continues to do many amazing things in their family. They've also, however, experienced many difficulties lately. Their house burned down this past winter, their daughter has a tumor and their son just had surgery (just to name a few). And now dad/hubby/Dwight is very, very ill. Please pray for this precious family. If you haven't already visited their blog, go and let them know that you are praying for them at http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/ I know that they will be encouraged by your prayers, and as you read their blog, you will also be encouraged by their love and devotion to our incredible God!

Chinese song #3

Grace tried to teach me to sing this Chinese song. I'm afraid that I'm a hopeless case, but Lily and Jadon have been learning all sorts of songs from Grace (all of the sudden, she's very into singing for everyone!). I'll have to post a video of the three of them singing. It's very sweet!

4th of July Traditions

Happy Independence Day! I hope that you all had a wonderful day! We have a few traditions around here that make the day really fun. In the morning, all of the kids in our neighborhood decorate their bikes and then ride around the block behind a fire engine! (Last year it was a police car). Then we all meet up at one of the homes in the neighborhood for popsicles and watermelon.

After that, we head over to the neighborhood swimming pool, which the kids love! They have games such as a water balloon toss, dive for the soda can, etc. They also have belly flop, and diving contests! It started to rain at about 2:00, so the swimming was cut a little short, but we still had a good time.

The barbeque that we were planning on attending in the evening was cancelled due to rain. So, we ended up having a couple of families over to our house instead. Grace was giving complimentary hair styles. (Thanks, Meredith, for so willingly letting my girls "style" your hair!).

The rain cleared up just in time for dinner and we enjoyed seeing these beautiful rainbows.

When it finally got dark, David and the big kids climbed up on the roof for our city's firework display. The picture is a little dark, but they sure had fun eating popcorn and watching the fireworks.

I hope that all of you also had a special day, celebrating with your family/friends.