Budget numbers are in!

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to posting about the budget but we sorta became wii maniacs--lol!! It has been fun and worth the money spent as we are getting up and moving but most of all bonding together as a family.

If you don't have time to read what I'm sure is going to be HUGE LONG POST than let me give a quick short summary.

The word for our budget is SOBERING, EYE OPENING, REALITY CHECK! Those are what you see when you only look with your natural man eye. But thank God we are not just "natural man" but are also spiritual beings and so when you take into consideration that God plays a very vital roll in our life and is looking for ways to show us He is in control and not to worry than the word for our budget becomes AWESOME, INSPIRING, MIRACLE POTENTIAL, WONDER WORKING OPPORTUNITY!!!

The short version is this we bring home(through being self employed) enough to put together a skeletal budget that includes paying the minimum on all but one credit card and some towards the THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS worth of medical bills. One credit card will be getting a small amount of "extra" to start off our debt snowball.

the basics of basics is what is on the budget, TITHING, RENT, UTILITIES, CAR PAYMENT, GAS FOR THE CAR, INSURANCE FOR THE CAR, MEDICATION FOR ANNIE, CREDIT CARDS, MEDICAL BILLS, GROCERY, AND A SMALL AMOUNT FOR RECREATION ($50 a month for recreation to pay for anything the boys need for T-Ball, zoo renewal, and pool membership) We did increase the food budget as we went through it because John felt that trying to keep it to $160 every two weeks was going to be to hard as we didn't allow for irregular things like razors, shampoo and things along that line that we only buy once a month so now our grocery budget is set at $200 for every two weeks. Things we wanted on the list that we can not do right now are clothing,dental,car repairs gifts including a Christmas budget,blow money.

We can pay everything on this budget and not get behind but we also will not be getting ahead either.God has always made up the difference in the areas we can not budget for and some of the categories we really have no "needs" in right now. EVERYONE in the house is set for spring and summer in the clothing department including shoes. We would love to go to the dentist but there is a free dental place in Tulsa if we have an emergency right now , any car repairs will have to come from the $1,000 emergency fund which we do have right now, and, birthday and Christmas will have to come from bonus money John can withdrawal from the company.

That's the short version!!!! The long of it follows----

God truly is the only way we will be getting out of debt anytime soon. The word tells us to "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding". We will do our part by living within the budget numbers we established and looking for ways to slash some of the utility bills along with grocery savings so we can put more from our own means towards the debt snowball. BUT MOST OF ALL WE WILL BE SEEKING GODS ADVICE AND WISDOM ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. The word is clear that we are God's sheep and He is our Shepard, we hear HIS voice a strangers we will not follow and HE will lead and guide us on the path He has for us.

God is already giving us directions to move to help in the budget. One of the most important one is to seek out new health insurance with prescription coverage. Annies meds are $450 PER MONTH and that alone is the amount keeping us from doing more on the debt reduction. we have a lead through our pastor about a company that provides health coverage to SELF EMPLOYED PEOPLE that would cover pre-existing and give prescription coverage!! Once we get the number and see if we can switch over I'll share the name as I don't want to give out false hope if it turns out there is a waiting period on the pre-existings. God is also given us some leadings on what to do with our Wagoner house concerning refinancing. We are going to ask for financial council and pray some more before we move forward and will let you know once we have clarity.

God can and does daily provide miracles for those who are seeking them THROUGH HIS WORD. God is not moved by "NEEDS" but by faith and so through faith in HIS WORD we expect our miracle to come. NO MONEY WILL NOT START RAINING FROM HEAVEN. But favor and opportunities will. By listening to God through out the day I know I will have the chance for money savings. God says He has made us the head and not the tail,above and not beneath. When others are only hoping for things I fully expect God to show me how to get it! He says in His word that He will give wisdom to those that ask and so daily John and I ask for God's wisdom both for our home and for our business. When other businesses are struggling I expect ours to prosper. Why because the WORD SAYS THAT EVERYTHING WE SET OUR HANDS TO WILL PROSPER!!! and I'm standing on that word. We are tithers and God says in his word concerning those that tithe TO PROVE HIM NOW THAT THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN WILL BE OPEN AND HE WILL POUR US OUT A BLESSING WE CAN NOT CONTAIN. In our budget we did allow for some "giving over and above the tithe" It isn't as much as we wanted but it is seed for sowing. God has a plan of sowing and reaping. We will sow blessings in offerings and reap back blessings,favor and most of all more seed to sow.

If we were to only look at what we could do in our own power than John and I both would be defeated before we even began, but we have a history with GOD and HIS PROVISIONS for us and so there is no fear nor depression concerning our state at this time. One of the greatest things is to remember what GOD has done and remind your self of it. For us God has already provide THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN BLESSINGS IN ONE MOMENT and I'd like to share as a memorial those with you. See I know that in a simple moment God could provide thousands of dollars to wipe out our debt as He has already in times past provided THOUSAND of dollars in money and provision.
The first has to do with Johns business. Since the very beginning of our marriage John had a dream of running his own company. For years he served faithful to one man in his construction company and it looked like this man was going to be the "source" of Johns dream coming true as he always told John when he retired he would turn over his company to him. BUT GOD HAD OTHER PLANS. As it turned out this man was not the source of his dream but a step towards it. See the man FIRED JOHN and it was the greatest thing to happen to us. God provided us $25,000 within the first week John got fired from SOMEONE. See God's provision ALWAYS COMES THROUGH THE HANDS OF MAN. GOD CAN"T RAIN MONEY FROM HEAVEN BUT HE CAN MOVE THE HEART OF SOMEONE TO PROVIDE IT FOR YOU. We went from John being fired on a Friday to having $25,000 to start a business and TWO jobs to start working by the following FRIDAY.!!! We have never looked back and our work has been blessed. Any lack we have had is because of US not seeking GOD"s advice or simply NOT FOLLOWING IT ONCE WE GOT IT! But here we stand NINE FULL YEARS LATER John still working his own business--and that is a miracle as most small businesses don't last more than 5-6 years. God continues to bless us through this work.

The other super natural THOUSANDS of dollars worth of blessing came because of a HORSE. About 2 and a half years ago I was going to the post office in Wagoner and on my way home I drove past a "resale" shop that lines up on main street in Wagoner and I looked over and saw a spring hippy horse. I said out loud to God "God I would LOVE TO GET ONE OF THOSE HIPPY HORSES FOR THE BOYS BUT DON"T HAVE THE MONEY RIGHT NOW. It would make a great Christmas present even if I can't get it right now ( it was turning fall at the time), and since YOU are the one that "gave me my boys" I know that YOU will provide for them as no FATHER gives a gift to His child that he doesn't also provide for so RIGHT NOW I RECEIVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE A HIPPY HORSE FOR THE BOYS. I then simply drove home without finding out how much the resale shop wanted for the horse. Two days later I went to our churches Wednesday night service and had a woman at church ask if I'd like a HIPPY HORSE FOR THE BOYS!! She said she was clearing out her boys toys and didn't need it any more. I said Yes and told her I had just prayed for a horse for them and we both laughed. Then she said to have John bring the truck on Saturday night prayer and they would bring it to us. As she was leaving she asked if we could also use some clothes and we said yes and she said BRING THE CAR TOO as she had a lot to give us so we did. Now I want to say is all I did was pray for a horse and remind God HE had blessed us with the boys and I knew that HE would ALWAYS provide for them. SO on Saturday we showed up with two vehicles and got not only a hippy horse but the entire back of the truck FILLED TO OVER FLOWING WITH TOYS PLUS ! 9 SPACE BAGS FULL OF CLOTHES!!! She had given us all the clothes form NEWBORN to size 5 as I had said I knew a lady that could use the baby boy clothes. Since my boys were both in size 2 clothes at the time I starting sorting through those. I have a dining room table that extends to 7 foot and laid out clothes from size 2 to size 3 before I ran out of room--- I had 7 foot long but 2 feet TALL worth of clothes setting on the dining room table and more bags to open!! I kept all I wanted and gave away a box that was 3 foot squared on size 2 clothes alone. Just with what I could put out on the table I had well over $5,000 worth of clothes and still more to use for later. I gave away over $3,000 worth of baby clothes and size 2 that I didn't need. These clothes were all gymboree, old navy, baby gap, and boutique clothing store clothes. Almost everything came with a matching hat and socks. My boys are still wearing the clothes 2.5 years later!! Like I said we are set for spring and summer for everyone in the house!! The only thing I truly needed was some more size 3 t-shirts and pants for Braden as Colton was VERY HARD on clothes when he wore that size( the boys are now one size apart after being the exact size for almost 2 years!) AND AGAIN GOD PROVIDED THEM FROM ANOTHER FRIEND JUST TWO WEEKS AGO!!!! Now that doesn't include all the toys we got either!! There were tonka trucks that have batteries and do fancy stuff that cost over $50 brand new and we got 3 of them plus about another $2,000 worth of toys ALL WITH BATTERIES THAT WORKED!!! The grand total from that night was somewhere between $10,000-$15,000 In toys and clothing if purchased new from the stores where she had gotten them!! And God did it all because I asked for a horse and reminded HIM HE WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE GIFT HE HAD GIVEN US!! I don't think I'm ever going to get rid of that horse as every time I see it I think of what GOD has already done!!!!

See I know GOD CAN GIVE US A MIRACLE and that is what getting out of debt will be--HE IS FAITH TO PROVIDE AND WE ARE FAITHFUL TO RECEIVE!!!! IN A MOMENT OF TIME GOD CAN DO FOR US WHAT WE CAN NOT DO FOR OUR SELF!!! We will faithfully do our part but we are also standing on the word and expect a miracle!!!