Day 600 and lessons I have learned

Today is day 600 of our journey and I thought it was a good time to talk about all the lessons I have learned on this journey.

#1: Always, always, always look to the Lord for my strength! When I've wavered and become discouraged, it's because I've taken my eyes off of the Lord.

#2: Pray and read my Bible, all the time, but even more when I'm discouraged. This keeps me focused on the Lord.

#3: Be grateful for what we have and it is a lot: a home, food, jobs, health insurance, a wonderful church, great friends & family, and the list goes on and on.

#4: No matter what, as long as Tom & I have each other and rely on God, we can make it through anything.

#5: Never, never, never give up. Feeling like giving up? Refer back to #'s 1 & 2!

Day 599 and a LONG day!

Well it was one heck of a long day and I am worn out! Tom & I got the grocery and Wal-Mart shopping done tonight though so besides homework, I have the weekend to relax. Yeah! Hope everyone has a great one.

Days 597 & 598 and changed some things around

As you can see, I changed some things around on the blog today. I shortened the debt counter to where it just has the total and added lines with our savings updates on our baby emergency fund and the newly added car replacement fund. Yesterday, I made it through an entire day without bursting into tears so I'm making progress. LOL. Some friends loaned us their extra vehicle which will help make our life much easier as we work towards saving for a different vehicle. I am so thankful for good friends.

Day 596 and trying to hang in there

I had a longer post written, but as I re-read it, it just seemed really negative and down. So, I'm shortening it to this: Please pray for us, specifically that Tom's job goes back to 40 hours a week soon, that I fill my full-time spots with a good reliable family or families and that we are able to put back enough money to purchase another vehicle soon. Thank you.

Day 595 and be careful what you wish for

Yesterday I wished that we knew one way or another about the van. Today we know, and it is not good. As long as I didn't know, I could still hold out hope that it was fixable. LOL. Anyway, the cam is broken, which means a new engine. However, Napa could not find a new or rebuilt engine, which I guess makes the decision easier. Just say some prayers for us, please. I'm feeling very defeated today. I am off to read my Bible and to let the Lord get me through it.

Day 594 and Worry

Sometimes at church, there is a Sunday school lesson or a sermon where I feel like the Lord is talking directly to me through one of them. Today it was both. In Sunday school class, we talked about prayer. One of the verses was from Luke 18 where Jesus shares a parable about praying and never giving up. I've been praying about the van (and asked many other people to pray), but honestly have got a bit discouraged recently since it's been so long and we still know nothing. So that really touched me.

But what really got me this morning was the sermon Gary preached about worrying. It was like God was talking right to me via Gary. Tom apparently thought so too since he started poking me as soon as Gary started talking. LOL. But seriously, Gary talked about what worry does to us:

1. It's destructive. It tears us apart, or strangles us so much that we cannot even breathe (that is so true for me!).

2. It is deceptive. We lose the ability to see life & God the way they really are.

3. It is deformative. It stunts our growth as believers and we focus on everything but God's will for our lives.

So what can we do when the worry attacks us?
First, pray about it!
Lay it all before God.
Let God take care of it!

Gary also shared this quote from Corrie Ten Boom: "Worry does not empty tomorrow of it's sorrows. It empties today of it's strength".