budgeting

yikes!! a post about money. i try to write down what's in my mind and then things often gain clarity. god has blessed us with so much, blessing we don't deserve necessarily. sure we work hard, put in a lot of hours, but why are we so fortunate to have this disposable income? i could have been born in zimbabwe, and not had many rights as a woman, and not much money. i would be struggling to know where i would find food for my family, and probably either fighting aids or taking care of those with aids. instead, god decided to give me an awesome family, an incredible husband, a secure job, a wonderful house, a car, etc. i HAVE to be a good steward with his resources - because my money isn't my money. it's god's. i have to hold it with open hands.

that all being said, life is expensive. you have mortgage payments (or rent), car maintenance, car insurance, gas, house insurance, utilities, food, mutual funds, tithing, student loan payments ... we try to live as simply as possible, but we all have temptations or seasons of having to (or choosing to) spend money outside our budget. it's difficult to make a realistic budget and stick to it. but it's worth the pain and agony. i have found this the best way to keep track of expenditures so it frees up more money to give away. shouldn't that be everyone's goal?? wait, that's a rough thing to say. there is room for savings (part of the budget), but we need to be concerned with the present and the needs we see around us. phew!!

god doesn't want us to be consumed with money, and saving money, and keeping track of every penny spent. he does want us to take care of widows, orphans, the church, the needy. be faithful with what you have. god will take care of the rest, usually through means we didn't expect.