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Do you struggle? I do

Thank you!

4:45 PM, 2008-Jan-7 .. Posted by Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your trials. I believe it might help others from making a big mistake.

I too have made many mistakes that I am still pay for. I try to use the time of worry to just lean on God. The trouble with my trial is I feel like others keep watching to see if I have repented. Which I have many times. I even had people not speak to me at all because of what they heard. ( gossip is so Bad!)

I am now learning that you need to keep reminding yourself how much God loves you. Everything He does is for your good and His Glory. God is working on our situation Right now!

I will be praying for you!

Ma

Been there!

6:35 PM, 2008-Jan-7 .. Posted by kjprice616

I've been where you are at ... I got very depressed when my husband was getting his Master's degree b/c I was home by myself with 2 very young children in a neighborhood with no young families. We were new in town and I knew NOBODY. I would take my husband's education reimbursement checks from his employer and spend them instead of setting them aside to pay off the school loan when he was done. My husband knew what I was doing, but he was too busy working and going to school. 18 months later when it came time to start paying off the loans, we didn't have that money at all ... I didn't have 1/100th of the relationship that you have with God right now, but he still saw me through - and he will see you through this, too. Trust in Him to know HIS timing!

Kris

God Bless you!!

3:17 AM, 2008-Jan-8 .. Posted by imspecl

Thank you - I don't feel alone in the matter now. I seem to frequently make financial mistakes then panic when they build up. Thank you for the wonderful reminder to rely on God - faith!! I remember in VBS one year teaching the students the FROG phrase. Thank you for reminding me about that too. I'm begining to feel better, stronger and less frustrated. I will continue to pray for guidance.

Michele

Untitled Comment

3:04 PM, 2008-Jan-8 .. Posted by Lynne

Amy,
I am sorry to hear you are still consumed with worry.
Do you really think your DH will let things get to the point where you loose everything? I don't even know him and I can't imagine he would allow that to happen.
Do you have a plan where you know a date as to when this will all be paid off?
If you have been ecomonizing and have made it through two years, it seems like you have your act together and just need time to finish off the debt.
Also, right now you are working part-time and your husband is working full time. If your DH loses his job, you will be in really big trouble, but you would be in big trouble whether you had this debt or not.
I don't mean to minimize your situation, but I know people where both parents are working 2 or 3 jobs, and they still can't make ends meet. If you absolutely had to, you or your husband or both could take on extra part-time work. You could send your kids to public school and work another part-time job during the day. I know you don't want to do this, but if things got really, really bad you could do this.
I don't know if this is part of your problem, but are your expenses going up? I have a neighbor who is an Avon lady and her husband works at the local newspaper in production. Because of increased food, oil, gas, etc. costs (not any new debt), they are finding themselves unable to make it month to month. The mom just took a job working 10 to 2 at our elementary school's cafeteria 3 days a week in addition to her Avon work. She is making $8 an hour. That's an extra $96 a week (before taxes), and right now that is what they need to do. Like you, they are also taking on no new debt and trying to pay down their existing debt.
The truth is that it is next to impossible to support a family on one income, and it isn't all that easy on 1.5 incomes, either. Money is getting tighter for everyone, and at least give yourself credit for realizing you had a serious problem and stopping it before it got worse. I also don't know many people who can get as much out of a dollar as you are. You are clearly doing a lot of things right.
It's funny that you mentioned Job, as this was the topic in my Bible study class last night. The theme of our lesson was that despair can make you bitter or increase your faith. One question we had to answer was if we felt God was punishing us when we have had problems, and I had to answer honestly that any problems I have had I have brought on myself!
I still have great faith that you will make it through this.

To Lynne

6:00 PM, 2008-Jan-8 .. Posted by YPAmy5

Lynne-
You are right that my dear hubby wouldn’t let things get that far—no, that’s how far I let my worry get me!
We do have a plan for paying off all debt except the mortgage- the original plan has us debt-free (except mortgage) in 18 months (it was a 3.5 year plan) but we are not sure about that now because of the creditor that is taking us to court.—I’d like to think that the last 2 years have been the hardest and we just need to hold on a bit longer . . .
As for the children going to public school and me getting another job . . . . we really have discussed that and prayed about it. First, a job that would earn us enough money after daycare costs (Mr. Conductor) as compared to my youth ministry job is pretty much non-existent in our part of Michigan right now. 2ndly, we don’t feel the Lord calling me away from youth ministry or us from homeschooling. We feel very convicted about the homeschooling as well as the youth ministry.
Yes, our expenses are going up- a little here and a little there. We continue to carefully monitor our budget. I am amazed at how God makes a way for us. [I'll share some of that in my next post.]
Come spring we will be needed to do the “caretaking” jobs again and that will be “our second job”. I know there are many others out there in the same boat we are – or are soon to be in it. I hope all that we discuss here will encourage and strengthen others. I know I appreciate your comments of encouragement!
I’m ashamed of how far I let my worry and fear take me off the deep end but in pouring it all out and pondering and praying about it—God has opened my eyes to see it in a new and different way. I am once again regaining my “the glass is half full” mentality.
Thank you for sharing with me- thank you so very much for your encouraging words- they have meant a lot to me. I love what you said about Job- about despair making you bitter or increasing your faith. I choose to increase my faith.
Thank you.
Amy W