Going off the deep end

So tonight was our last night of Financial Peace University. For those who are unaware of what that is, head on over to and take a look. Dave is all about getting people out of debt. Yep I'm gonna talk about money on my blog-one of those taboo subjects that no one talks about. However if anyone knows me personally I have a knack of speaking without much reservation.

Taking this class really came at a perfect time. However when I know that God is involved it will always be perfect timing. The past few years have been kind of hard on my family, but this past year has been the most difficult on the financial front. While I'm quite well aware that things could be much worse-it still doesn't make the present circumstances any easier. Our family has been experienced much frustration, confusion, anger, stress and tears. I know that all of these things have come to a front because the fact is we need to change.

So often we become so content in our circumstances even when they are just living day by day "surviving". For years I've had a yearning in my heart that we were built for more. I was becoming restless in our situation, feeling that I was getting "stuck" in the day to day.

Last April we went up to visit Spud's family and made a visit to my hometown church that was having a relaunch that day. We both left feeling that maybe that is where God wants us to be. It was the first time in our entire marriage that we both felt that God may want us somewhere other than where we already were. So we started looking at what that would take to get there-and the task began to overwhelm us. I know that if God wanted us there He would make it happen-but as the year went on it seemed to slip farther and farther away.

The main hurdles we have are 2 houses to sell, and lots of debt. Yep I said it-lots of debt. And yep 2 houses-the rental which as been on the market for months and hasn't sold and our current house aka the money pit. And as I took these classes I realized that maybe for the time being our job was to take control of our money situation. One of Dave's main phrases is "Live like no one else, so that later you can live like no one else." The more I thought about it the more I realized that we were supposed to move back in the rental house. Now this house is small. That's what I hear from everyone and I'm not saying I disagree. But as I watched pictures from a guy's mission trip to Haiti in church on Sunday- it hit me that if I can't make it work in my small little house then I have a problem. I started looking at all the "stuff" I have...so. much. stuff. Why do I feel the need to keep all of this stuff. I'm a borderline hoarder and it's SO hard for me to let go. But as I look at everything that has led up to this point, I think that is part of the lesson. Does it mean we have to live there forever? No. Does it mean that we are not supposed to move home-not necessarily. But it does mean that I need to start realizing that I need to stop holding so much weight in my things and get more control over our situation. It's a lesson in priorities. When it comes right down to it-it's just stuff.

So my purpose in writing all of this is to set a backdrop to our journey- and what I learn along the way. It's gonna be hard...so very hard. But sometimes we can't truly discover what is really important until you have to let it go.

If you have stuck with me this far I commend you-and I hope you join me on this crazy journey and I will try and make these shorter and less fragmented. But I can't make any promises.