Lets all face it, times are tight, the market's tanked and I just want to know what you have cut out that hurt, but then really, it didn't. You know, like ripping off a band-aid; you really don't want to do it initially, you get through the sting of it and find out the skin underneath really needed to breathe anyway. So, have you ditched the DVR, sliced the Cell phone, more home cooked and less take out, less lessons for the kiddos, more veggies from the garden, more stretching the dollar while tightening the purse strings? How have you done it, 'cause we're all doing it. Answer me these questions, be honest:
- What have you given up? and
- Do you really miss it?
Question for the future... What would you do with $100? I want creativity with this one.
My answers:
We have really given up buying stuff for the house. We used to go get little things here and there for the house to make it more "homey" or more organized. Over the last 6 months we have hauled out about 4 truck loads of "homey organization" crap and it feels GREAT! Less is more. We've planted a garden and it is like a growing work of art, as well as a work in progress. We've decided to use our tax rebate to stock up on food storage and peace of mind in that regard. We are looking at the way we spent money and it was the same with time, mostly budgeted, but with holes here and there. We are being more careful with both, and it has brought a new sense of awareness of how much we spent on unimportant things, or at least now they are unimportant. I'm going to bet that we were all financially overweight and can stand to lose a few excessive habits, and get fiscally fit. Share how to do it and how you feel about it. By no means is this to be a downer question, but positive the-glass-is-half-full question. Thanks
This past week has been full of miracles. I won't share them all because they are so personal and tender, but I cannot ignore the fact that through this tragic time in my family's lives we have witnessed miracles that come only through experiences such as this. My personal testimony is there is no denying that our Savior Jesus Christ wants us to have joy in this life. I am so grateful for my Savior and for the peace he offers if we will accept it and have faith that all these things will be for our learning and experience. When we are faced with trials in our life we find out what we're made of; what we beleive, what we value, what we love and who we are. I have been somewhat on spiritual "cruise control" for the last while and and Ben's passing has caused me and my family to slam on the brakes, swerve and really take note of our surroundings and also to check the map (my silly analagies). So much of what we want to see isn't on the map of life, but I have had a witness of peace that the plan of salvation and happiness through our Savior Jesus Christ is real and applies to me and my family and each individual here. Affected by this is my attitude towards my blog. I actually had scheduled 5 posts on Thursday night before the accident and I was so proud of myself for being so "on top of it" and now I read them with new perspective and I want to start them over, so they'll come out, just different, and better. I'll quit rambling now, but I am so grateful for the growth that comes through life's challenges, and hopefully I might even be grateful for the challenges, but now I'm just... working through it.
