13 Hours of Rain

There is no shortage of causes to give to. Take our faith community for an example. Just in the last couple of months, there have been financial appeals for at least five different fundraising campaigns. Each cause has been advertised from the pulpit and deemed worthy of patronage. All of this is in addition to the general budget the organization needs to raise to meet operating costs. Step outside of the church, and another wave of giving opportunities hits. Disease research campaigns. Red Cross appeals for earthquake ravaged Nepal. Environment and green funds. Political party donations. Local sports clubs. School fundraisers. Sponsor-a-child agencies. Then, on top of all that, are the financial needs of extended family and friends! There are some days I feel overwhelmed and stretched in my giving. Other days I feel guilty that I'm not giving enough. I am a huge advocate of generosity, especially as a resident of a "first world" country. I acknowledge that I ...

It started with my monthly budgeting routine. Checking bank statements for accuracy. Balancing our accounts. Viewing our credit card statement for any errors.* Then I found something suspicious. A strange charge to some banking corporation in Ireland. A red flag was raised in my mind. I called your Dad over and asked him what this was all about . "Did you make the charge? The charge was made today. No? Are you sure that this has nothing to do with our anti-virus software? No? Okay. I should contact the credit card company right away? Okay." So I made the call. Agent 1 thought it was strange. I was forwarded to security. Agent 2 wanted me to check if it was our anti-virus software annual renewal. Apparently, the company likes to use European financial institutions. I called your Dad over and asked him again, "Can you check your 'junk' e-mail? Ohhhh. It was them. Sir, it's okay, it was our anti-virus software company after all. I apologize." I hung ...

I'm frustrated. You know the definition: feeling or expressing distress and annoyance, especially because of inability to change or achieve something. Yup, I am there today. I'm frustrated over my seemingly mundane existence. Wake up. Cook meals. Wash dishes. Do laundry. Clean house. Track debit/credits. Clean house, again. Go to bed. Repeat. It goes on and on and sometimes I just WISH I was doing something smart. I'm frustrated over money and how I wish I didn't have to track what we spend. The cost of everything continues to go up and there are days I wonder if I've got this budgeting thing all wrong. This week I need to stretch $50 for groceries without swiping the credit card. Don't panic readers, I am not a charity case at all. We do have some emergency savings. And technically government subsidies were deposited into our account very recently. However, I want to pretend it doesn't exist as I need that cash for some added expenses next month. Regar...

There is something about attending a Missionary event. You hear stories of the "front lines", so to speak. Miracles. Healings. Life changing conversions. The Power of Prayer. Oh, I know not everything is glorious overseas. My short times in such contexts have illustrated the hum-drum of everyday-ness. Yet, there was an expectancy that God will do something to draw people to Himself. Shouldn't we in North America have the same expectancy? Last week I heard a missionary speak. She commented on the apparent disconnect between displays of God's power in developing countries and affluent countries. She concluded that we probably don't see many miracles here because we are too self-reliant. We don't need God. We are not desperate for Divine intervention. There is always some financial system, some medical institution or some person who can help us out. Thus God shows up where He is truly sought. And often that is where the poorest of the poor reside. Yet, ther...

Now you kids might be getting the impression that I believe that all material stuff is evil and all Christians should live a radical life of sacrifice that removes frivolous pleasure from our daily existence so we can fully devote our lives to the pursuit of selfless spirituality. No, not true. Sort of. Is it wrong to be wealthy, to own the recreational vehicle, to possess a spacious modern home in the suburbs filled with stainless steel appliances, to holiday once or twice a year in the Caribbean or Mexico, and to drive two to three new vehicles? It might be. Or not. I asked your Daddy questions along these lines yesterday. Specifically, I asked if there were examples of rich Christians in the New Testament. I knew that the Old Testament was full of wealthy faith-filled individuals such as Abraham and King David. But what about the New Testament? Your Daddy informed me that Joseph of Arimathea was wealthy, the man who provided Jesus’ followers with a grave for Jesus’ burial. Y...

Money's on the brain today. I'm working on the taxes. And I am thankful for (1) your Daddy, who is parenting you two while I crunch numbers and (2) that I actually enjoy crunching the numbers. I am old school, though. No computer program. Just paper and pencil. I kind of like it that way, since our taxes are relatively simple (plus I don't like spending money on tax programs). I am also thankful for my stay-at-home status, because it allows me to be an nice deduction for your Daddy's income tax form. This reality positively affects our return. :) And here is another commercial that makes both your Daddy and I laugh: Interac - Be in the Black . I tried to upload it, but for some reason, couldn't. Anyway, I am thankful for Interac. It does keep our day-to-day spending in check.

It is time to update on two previous topics: Kitchen Renovations While the goal of completing our kitchen renovation at the end of last year was not met, I am pleased that we are almost done (and everything thus far was paid in cash). In January, our backsplash was tiled by a professional. And while the price-tag for the work was a steep, the task was completed in two days (as opposed to many frustrating days if we did it ourselves). We have a few more items to address in this kitchen of ours to complete our “low budget” overhaul, namely: 1. Paint lower cabinet interiors. 2. Repair one warped cabinet door. 3. Repair the ceiling around new pendant lighting. 4. Re-stain kitchen window castings. 5. Install new blinds/drapes. 6. Replace current garden door with something more aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient. 7. Add high stools at peninsula overhang. Banking in the Now In September of last year, I was compelled to drastically reduce the use of our credit ca...

I presented at my Mom's Group today on the topic of budgeting. Here is my introduction to the session: Let me begin with a disclaimer or two. I do not have any professional training in the area of budgeting. I do not have any degrees in accounting, finance, and business. I’ve never worked in a bank, therefore, I will not be able to give you any advice on how much money to save for retirement, which mortgage is best, or what your financial portfolio should look like. Truthfully, if you claim to know the answers to these questions, do tell me (for free). However, I am not completely useless, rest assured. Budgeting is a hobby for me, believe-it-or-not. I actually get excited, and a bit anxious, at the beginning of every month as I sit at my computer crunching numbers for my family. And even though I come to you with no formal credentials, I do humbly stand before you as a testament of the many lessons God has taught me about money through my 39+ years of life as a daughter, siste...

Our consumer-driven society inadvertently promotes the “give to get” message. The “get” is used to motivate the “give”. I’ve witnessed several examples over the last couple of weeks. Give to the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign and you might get at gift card from a local business. Give to the food bank via your school and your class might win a pizza party. Sadly, this message isn’t just used to encourage charity. It has been extended to behaviors that are just expected as citizens of our country. Are you respectful at your high school? Well, what-da-ya-know – good job! Here is $5 from your school cafeteria to indulge on fries and gravy. The other day, you, my daughter were showing exemplary grocery store behavior. I affirmed you, “You listened very well in the store today. You were a great helper. Thank you!” “Then, can I get a candy?” you asked. “No. Not today. Just because you are doing the right thing doesn’t mean I need to reward you every time. You are expected to show good b...

This month we are trying something different: banking in the now instead of the tomorrow. Oh, it is nothing new, really. I used to operate like this in my single days. But then the lure of credit cards with reward programs persuaded me otherwise. While I never gave Visa the joy in collecting any interest payments from our bank accounts and I always payed our credit card bill before the 21 days of grace were up, I probably spent more than I should have some months. Why? Because I didn't have to pay for it immediately . It was not until last year that my credit card habits started to bother my conscience. Up to that point, I felt proud of the fact that the credit card company was paying me to use their plastic. I received stuff for free, even after paying my annual fee. Free fuel. Free flights. Free hotels. Free is good, right? My perspective started to change after I read a blog post penned by my sister. Her and her husband cut up their credit cards after a series of events, o...

Dear Reader, Yesterday, the topic for consideration in my Mom's group was Life Insurance and Wills. Our morning started with a Mom sharing her brush with death a few years ago. She had an unforeseen brain hemorrhage. Her outlook on life dramatically changed, for the better. She miraculously recovered from the ordeal. Since then, she has embraced living with grace and thankfulness. Life is a gift to her. Her story was amazing. Following the presentation, two professionals, an Insurance Broker and a Lawyer, offered information sessions on being proactive in providing for your children in the event of a death. Their talks got me thinking. I tend to be a planned sort of person. As parents, our lives are insured to provide something for those we leave behind. Our mortgage has insurance so that our estate would not have to cover that expense. We have a Will that appoints executors, guardians, trusts, etc. Seems good, right? But here is the problem. How much insurance is enough? $...

It began with a lemonade stand at a friend's garage sale. Much to my disappointment, only a few quarters were collected from the sales. Apparently two cute kids was not enough to tempt more adults to enjoy a cool citrus refreshment. Regardless, my daughter brought her little treasure home. I added more quarters to the sale and laid out ten coins in front of her. "How much of this should we give to Jesus?" I asked. She studies the shiny caribous on the table and sets aside four. "Good for you! You are being quite generous!" Wow, giving 40% of her income away! I thought. Should I advise her to only give just the minimum 10%? Or a more risky 20%? Hmmmm... I decide to let her take the lead and move on to my explanation, "When we give to Jesus, we are giving to places like the church. Or we use the money to help the poor. Or we send money to our Compassion child. What are some ways you can give to Jesus?" "I could give it to MOPS," she o...

Over the past two years, I have encountered several situations in which I have had to be totally honest with friends, family, and colleagues. It's been difficult and liberating. There is something freeing about being truthful, even if it results in hurt feelings. Though, I am not sure why I have experienced so many consecutive moments where truth needed to be disclosed... Maybe God is challenging me in my misplaced need to please others? Maybe His desire for me is to be true to who I am instead conforming to what I think others want me to be? Nonetheless, here are the lessons I have learned (and continue to learn) while relying on God's courage to be real, authentic, and honest in my dealings with others. When a negative pattern continues to emerge in a relationship or working environment, approach the person who directly offended you and express your true feelings. It may help to place your concerns on paper before talking to others. Often, most problems are due to mis...

I have a quasi-hobby called budgeting. At the end of the month, I get a little giddy {and a bit nervous}. I pull out my laptop, open up my color-coded Excel document, and start punching in digits... Please join me at Our Journey Home for my monthly contribution to Family Friday . Your support is appreciated!

Endless circling. Waiting and wondering. Thinking, thinking, thinking. Trying to solve that perpetual problem but not finding a satisfactory solution. More circling. More waiting. More thinking. And praying. A holding pattern, that's what I'm in. Just as a pilot awaits instructions from air traffic control as to when and where to land his or her aircraft, I anxiously listen for God's guidance in more than one area of my life. I believe moving to this new community has been one of the best decisions of my life. (I can't believe I just wrote that!) Leaving dear friends and family behind has actually aided me in gaining new perspectives on certain issues that I thought I had already resolved. In many ways, I believe I am in a better place mentally and physically than I was two years ago. Mentally, I am less influenced by the materialist voices of my society and culture. Physically, I am a few pounds shy of the weight I was in grade twelve. :) I attribute these positive c...

Should I sell cherished, sentimental, hardly-worn clothing and jewelry and give the money to the poor? Should I let go of dreams of a brand-new kitchen and complete a low-cost, "just paint the cupboards" renovation to free up funds for developmental projects in third-world countries? Should I adopt international children to address the call to look after orphans and widows? Should I sell my spacious home and move to a more humble abode so I can be less in debt and more free to give? Should I stop purchasing Christmas gifts for my family so I can gift others overseas with farm animals or clean running water so necessary for their survival? Too many questions. I'm scared of the answers. But I must ask regardless.

Hard to believe!? It's past February 1st already. I'm not one to make New Year resolutions. Maybe I've become cynical in my old age (te he) and secretly believe that it will all come to naught in a month or two (well, I guess the secret is out). But, I find it amazing how God is impressing new direction in my life in spite of my reluctance to make official goals. In a way, He is resolving His ways into my thinking and I can only give the Holy Spirit credit. Spend less. Give more. We recently purchased a new vehicle. The acquisition was costly for us, but my husband and I believed it was wise to invest in quality over quantity (i.e. one good reliable vehicle instead of two mediocre ones). Ironically, spending more on a vehicle was the impetus to re-evaluate our budget and trim extra expenditures. I've been trying hard to watch the sales and purchase items at a lesser value. I'm attempting to eliminate wants and focus on needs, which is much more...

It started with a comment from a mom in my community. We were talking about Registered Education Saving Plans. And one of the moms mentioned she allocated the entire Universal Child Care Benefit towards her children's RESP accounts. I gulped. And panicked inside. "I'm hardly contributing anything," I thought in horror. My words came out defensive, "We can't give that amount. We need the money as a single income family." The women nodded in understanding. Then my mind started whirling. Are we budgeting appropriately? Or are we spending recklessly? Am I depriving my children of needed savings? I recently came across a helpful document by the Barnabas Foundation which outlined 10 Financial Principles from the Bible . The principles are listed as follows: God owns it all . We are just managers! Giving is essential . This goes beyond money and material possessions to include time and talents. Allow for margin . Do we consciously set aside time (and mon...

"No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide," (Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club , 1996). Okay, so I watched the movie Fight Club with my husband the other night. Now here are ALL the disclaimers before I write about anything else. #1 This movie has several disturbing scenes that do not meet my approval. #2 I could not have watched this movie in a theatre since I'd be subjected to stuff I rather not view. I probably would have walked out. #3 DVD's are useful. We were able to skip the profane and enjoy the storyline. Disclaimers aside, WOW! It has been such a long time since I've watched a movie whose message scintillated in my brain many hours after the final credits flickered by on the television monitor. I am not sure where to begin in dissecting the many impressions overloading my mind. Thus, here is one. Our lives are controlled by advertising. Advertising has the ability to overwhelm us with fear, distract us from deeper...

First, I would like to wish all my readers a Blessed Easter . May you have a wonderful time with family and friends as we celebrate Christ's Death and Resurrection. And now for my current thoughts... Oh Chocolate Cake! Lent season ended on Palm Sunday and now we are well into Passion Week. I have mixed feelings about how these last 40 days progressed. I was generally faithful in avoiding desserts, my selected "fast". Though I must admit I indulged in my children's birthday cakes. Too much, probably. Since my expected company was unable to come for my daughter's birthday, I ate pieces of chocolate cake for several days in a row. Not good. But I couldn't bare to see it chucked (since my husband is not much of a cake eater). And I do not like eating previously frozen cake. Thus, next year, if I choose to give up something in the food category, I will need to select an item that I can completely forgo. Like peanut butter. Oh how I LOVE peanut butter. That wou...