Ways you can help in a time when money is tight

If anyone knows what tight is our family does. Pictures are a great thing to have but not necessary to carry on life. Several people have said, "Angie I wished we could help but we just don't have any extra" .

Being a budget minded person and a mission minded person I have taken a look at our own lives and ask can I find extra?

Here are some examples of how must people spend money outside of the normal bills each month and the amounts we are spending.

Lunch after church - $25 - $30 4 times a month Pizza on Friday night - $20 - 2 times a month Starbucks - $3.50 - $4.50 2 times a week Drive thru at McDonalds - $10 - $15 4 times a month A case of Dasani water - $8.00 2 times a month Watching a movie - $30 - $40 for the average size family

Total spent - $312

Alternative

Eat at home after church- $10 4 times a month Pizza on Friday night bought at Walmart $12 - 2 times a month Make your own coffee at home - $1 2 times a week Eat before you leave so you don't need to go through drive thru at McDonalds - $5 4 times a month Nestle bottled water (the same water as Dasani) - $3.00 2 times a month Rent a movie from the library  - free with library card 

Total amount spent -  $98 and you still get to have everything and can still donate $25 to missions

This is not to make anyone feel guilty about spending. It's your money and you can do with it all you want. The point is that God wants us to be good stewards of our money and when it comes to giving it seems we never have enough to give but when it comes to other things there is always enough.

In this economy we all need to look at our spending and ask if we are living how God would approve. We all have to cut back but sadly the church gets hit the most.

Can you give up lunch after church twice in a month and donate that money spent to help others share the gospel?

What changes can you make in your life that could save you money that would be better spent increasing the kingdom of God?

Just something to consider. I'm challenged to change things are you?

God bless,

Angie

My Prayer to you...

I know over the last year I could not have made it without the prayers of each of you.

In church Sunday during worship as we song my favorite song I thought about each of you and how God has used you to lift me up and help me keep my focus.

The words below are from the song Healer by Hillsong. I am praying them for you today.

Take a moment to mediate on the words and then listen to the song. It will encourage you.

God I thank you that
You hold our every moment
You calm our raging seas
You walk with us through fire
and Heal all our diseases

We trust in You
We trust in You

We believe You're our Healer
We believe You are all we need
We believe You're our Portion
We belive You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all we need

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands....

These are the words that get me through the day.. I hope you will allow this song to minister to you and get you through the tough times we all face.

Click here to see the video and hear this song.

Allow God to love on you today with his words.

Angie

Keeping your eyes on the Lord...

Around the same time we decided to adopt the girls last year one morning during my quite time God took me to the story of Peter walking on the water.

At the time we were going through a testing time and that story spoke to me greatly and I heard the Lord specifically tell me to remember that story as I go through the adoption for the girls.

Today talking with two of my friends God brought that story back to me as they were asking how I was doing.

My answer is this.

Right now I am in the middle of the Gulf Coast and Ike is 100 miles away from me.

Just like with Peter the water was all around him and the storm was fierce. That's how I feel these days. One day all is well and the next day a storm blows in.

Saturday the girls went with Isamar's dad and they will stay for 7 days. Pray for their safety.

I can allow that to cause me to sink in this storm or I can stay focused on the Lord and his promises. The enemy would like for me to start feeling that rain and wind on my body and he would love for me to just give up.

No matter how fierce this storm gets I refuse to take my eyes off God's promises. The rain might be pouring on our heads and the wind is pushing me to the left and the right but I will refuse to take me eyes off of the Lord.

How are you doing in your storm? Does the waves that hit you knock you down or just push you over?

Don't get me wrong this is a Category 5 storm we are going through and just like Peter some days my feet starts to sink but because of my friends who are praying for me and encouraging me and God's reminder of His word I immediately get my focus and the sinking stops.

I encourage you today if you are in the middle of a Category 5 storm to hold onto God's promises and remember that He makes EVERYTHING and HE has the POWER to stop the winds and the rain. It's up to you..

Please continue to pray for our family as we walk through this storm and wait patiently on the storm to pass and my girls to come home where they belong.

God Bless,

Angie

Are you a Jesus "Potato"

Yesterday during my pastor's absence our youth pastor filled in.

I love hearing Pastor Paul teach. He's funny and he's real. There's not a lot of that "Holier Than Thou" stuff going on. He's not ashamed to show us who he really is and that makes me feel right at home.

He was talking about "Full Yet"?

The point of Pastor Paul's message was are we feeding ourselves daily?

He challenged us by saying for anyone who wanted to eat on Sunday and never eat again all week until the next Sunday he would buy their meal. Isn't that so true of most of us?

We go to church on Sunday and eat a full course meal and we make it last all week until we return again. If you have a Wednesday service and you go, you're just getting a drive-thru burger that night I bet.

I was really challenged by Pastor Paul because for my entire walk with the Lord I have had a hard time reading my bible. I don't like to read and it makes me sleepy so trying to read the Word is even harder since it doesn't make a lot of since sometimes. I am truly starving myself to death some days. How about you?

Are you getting the food (Word of God) that you need to fill your body with the knowledge that gets you through life? Me, I live on a Happy Meal most weeks but I can say I have been working on it a lot lately and doing better but I have a long way to go to get to that steak dinner every day.

For those of you who are eating a full meal daily, what are you doing with it? Are you a "Jesus" Potato? Do you sit inside your house day after day and do nothing with what God has feed you with or do you share it with others and use the knowledge he gave you to help others?

Have you ever thought about starting a neighborhood bible study or maybe take a baby Christian and disciple them and show them how to eat a full course meal daily?

Just something for you guys to chew on....

Thanks Pastor Paul for giving me the desire to eat more daily.

God Bless,

Angie