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Prayer update- prayer still needed

Hello!

2:45 PM, 2007-May-24 .. Posted by LittleHouse

I am not sure what you are saying? They took all your money? How could that happen?

I will pray that the Lord above will send you a peace. I hope that this will not ever happen to you again how scary.

Keep us updated

Blessings,

Ma

Hi

4:06 PM, 2007-May-24 .. Posted by Jen

I will be praying for you. Its scary when everything is so unknown, but remember the Lord knows the end, and He will take care of you. My husband and I did credit counseling and paid off our last debt 5 years ago! Thankfully you had emergency funds to fall on, even though it stinks to have emptied it. Again, I will pray for you.

I've been admiring your blog for sometime and even added it as a favorite. I love and strive for the simple homestead life that you have created for your family.

Praying for you,
Jen @ http://gracioushomemaking.blogspot.com

Untitled Comment

4:12 PM, 2007-May-24 .. Posted by Lynne

Amy,
If I understand your message, there was a financial judgment that you had to pay in total today, and to do so took every penny you had in savings. Is that understanding correct?
Now you don't have money set aside when future bills (property tax, car insurance) come in at a later time.
It's really sad that you did the right thing by getting professional help, and the professionals didn't give you the full picture of your situation.
I have known other people in your situation, and the good news is that they struggled, suffered, and in the end they worked their way out of it. It can take years, but it can be done. You can do this. There is no amount of money owed that cannot be whittled down over time.
This may sound very distasteful right now, but the people I know who dug themselves out did it by downsizing, sharing just one vehicle in the family, and taking on weekend/evening hours (in addition to their regular employment) and using that extra money to pay down the debt down. I have known stay at home moms who provided childcare for working moms (often just 1 or 2 kids) and used that money totally on debt payments.
I know 2 dads who work a day job and work at Home Depot 2 nights a week. One has credit card debt, the other had his benefits and pay cut at work (union airline mechanic), and now he can't pay his family's heath care insurance without the extra income.
The only other option is to spend less, and I get the feeling that you are now very frugal and careful with your spending, so there may be nothing left to trim there.
I admire your honesty about your situation, and maybe sometime later in your blog you can warn others about how a situation like this can evolve and what you have learned about money management. I think you have a lot of knowledge to share.
I listened for years to Larry Burkett on Money Matters (now Crown Financial) on the radio. Larry always gave excellent biblical advice on money management. I think the only place he would differ from you is that he taught that excessive debt should be repaid before tithing. All of his advice was biblically based, and I can't quote the scripture like he did in this area.
He also was very firm in his belief that the great commission will be fulfilled when all Christians tithe, so he defintely wasn't one to dismiss tithing lightly. The whole purpose of his ministry was to teach Christians to follow biblical financial principals, get out of debt, quit spending so much of their income on interest, and get on a budget and into financial control so the family could comfortably tithe.
One thing Larry believed that influenced me the most is that with God's help, Christians can live as well on 90% of their income as non-Christians can live on 100%. I absolutely believe this to be true. He also always said that he didn't believe God was an accountant, and that money is a reflection of your heart, and that is what really matters to God. Living in the world as a Christian means paying your debts, and this sets an example to others about Christian honesty. I think this describes you perfectly.

Financial

10:30 PM, 2007-May-25 .. Posted by Anonymous

Oh Amy,

This is a tough place I am sure. Know that I am praying with and for you. God has a plan.. just sometimes it would be helpful for us to see the other end. I wish I could give you a hug right now!

One day at a time sweet Jesus, that is all we are asking of you. Lord help Amy today, show her the way.. One Day at a Time!

Blessings!

DJ ( http://dj-chocoholiclife.blogspot.com/ )