If you are wondering if anything has changed or happened since Saturday, I thought I would give you an update.
This weekend has been full of tears, prayers, questions, and…. unexpected blessings. Your prayers, offers of support, and encouragement have helped to bring us peace as we travel down this path, following God but not knowing exactly where He will take us. However, whatever happens in the next few weeks, it is nice knowing that we have support.
One decision was made this weekend. We are putting our house up for sale. This is a HUGE leap of faith considering the status of the real estate market in our area, but we know that if this is God’s will, our house will sell without a problem. When it does, we are not certain about the next step. Our hope is that we will clear enough equity to pay off our debt and then rent a home. If we are not able to pay off our debt, then we will probably live with my parents… at least temporarily.
Several people have voiced their concern over our decision to return our cats to the SPCA. I have to admit that I am stunned over the amount of compassion you guys feel towards our feline friends as some even insinuate that we should choose to feed them over our children. We do love the cats and regret that we can no longer afford them. Our decision to return them to the SPCA (a no-kill organization) is an effort to provide them with a home where they will receive the physical and medical attention they deserve as sweet companions. Honestly, I think our tuxedo cat will be relieved. The kids have been making her nuts lately.
We are still awaiting phone calls to see if we can negotiate lower payments but even if we see a reduction in our monthly expenses, it will not be enough for us to stay here.
This is the first home we have owned. Our children have all learned to walk here. It will be difficult. But what if God is doing all of this because He has something better waiting? What if the lessons we are learning will be used to help others? What if by sacrificing for a little while, we see a greater reward in the future?
Regardless… TODAY we have everything we need.
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
~ Matthew 6
Girl…Your journey is just beginning and I know that there will be a wonderful story (possibly a book??) for you to write on this experience. As for the cats, I totally understand the need to do that. They will be happier in the long run. The decision to do this is an emotional and personal one. I hate that there have been some negative comments in regards to that situation. It’s certainly different for each family.
Keep giving God the Glory!
Thank you, Leonora. I do hope that our story will be able to help others… but a book? 😉
We have made arrangements to take the cats back on Wednesday and it will be extremely difficult. They have been so loving today. As if they know. I know I am imagining it.
I heard a pastor once say that God allows smaller storms into our lives to save us from larger, more catastrophic storms. Knowing you, I believe you and Bill will continue to look for God’s blessings during this storm. Praying that God will grant you wisdom, discernment, and comfort.
Thank you, Beth. Those are the exact prayers we need. 🙂
it is great to know that there are some who will still follow God no matter the situation. blessing to your family as you go through this difficult time. thanks for sharing and realizing you have your needs met. the best to you and your family.
Amphorra, I appreciate your kind words so much. I promise that we are nothing special. Just a couple of cracked up pots that God put back together and decides to use despite our flaws… and I have MANY. LOL
we all are penny. in so many ways i can relate. i too had to step back and let God work. in the mist, i gained a beautiful son at what i thought was the worst time possible. blessings abound for you and yours. u have ur needs so He is present and working.
have a great rest of the week and let Him do what he does best.
Thank you, Amphorra.
I already made my 1st order thru you for Amazon and my mother is on board with her ordering also 8)
Glad to hear that the Lord is speaking to you…he has the plan…just follow it 8)
Thank you, Melissa! How very considerate of you! We appreciate that so much.
No kill shelter. That makes me feel 100% better about having to return the cats.
Im sorry maybe you shouldnt have been spending beyond your means for so long. If you choose (which you did) to bring that many children into the world you should have thought about ways to support them. If you were truly in need there are services set up in each state to help those who are in real need. There are so many who go without each and every day and there are so many with NO place to turn. You clearly have options and are just taking the easy way out and begging others for handouts. What makes you more important than the single parent who has no support system and no one to rely on for income so that she can sit at home and troll the internet all day??? If you REALLY wanted to cut back expenses then why do you still have internet access? Internet surely isnt free. And what about your cable, cell phone and other frivolous expenses? You had to have known you were in a financial bind for awhile. Why did it take you getting denied by your debit card company to see the wake up call? Im sorry but it is absolutely ridiculous to feel entitled to beg and plead for handouts from others when you clearly were extremely irresponsible in getting yourself into this mess in the first place!
Hi, Dylan. Thanks so much for your comment. It is unfortunate that you obviously do not know me. I invite you to be a more active reader so that you can get to know me better, but for now, allow me to give you a few details: We have no cable or satellite or anything besides an antenna. (Have not had that since 2003.) We have no cell phone bill. We have no expensive cars. We do not have an expensive house. We do not have credit cards. We do not go to the movies. We only go out to eat on birthdays or when someone offers to treat us. We have been living without the things that society says we MUST HAVE for three years.
We are committed to paying down debt from the mistakes we made before we were married and early in our marriage. We also have debt from Autism Therapy bills that insurance did not cover. Those commitments take 33% of our budget each month.
We are a family of six living on a fixed income of $38K a year. We DO qualify for WIC. We CHOOSE to not apply for other services because we feel BLESSED beyond measure to have what we have, knowing that everything is not actually our’s but God’s.
We do have internet because it is necessary for the businesses we are trying to grow in order to bring us further out of this situation so that we can be more generous in the future. Speaking of, you mentioned single mothers and eluded to homeless people… if you will look through my archives, you will find that we often sacrifice from what we have to give to those who are less fortunate than us. Currently, we have homeless blessing bags in our van so that we are prepared to give at a moments notice and several boxes prepared to donate to a local women’s shelter. After the tornadoes last year, we emptied our stockpile and donated six huge boxes of items for relief. Again, we are very aware that we are blessed.
As for our children, Bill and I were never supposed to be able to conceive. The first two children were after rounds of fertility treatments. The third was wanted but a surprise. Our fourth was a complete and total shocker. But I won’t take your time with the details of my health history and how the doctor said that I could not have possibily conceived when I did. Sometimes, you just accept things as God’s will.
I have never asked for a handout from my readers, never begged for help. Any affiliate marketing on my blog is available as a service. I try to find offers that interest my readers and no one is obligated to purchase, click, or subscribe to anything.
Again, I appreciate your comment so much and please, visit regularly so that you can get to now me better.
Hi Dylan. I think that you have failed to get Penny down. She is an AMAZING woman who makes sacrifices that most people are NEVER asked to make. She has a budget, lives within her means, and thanks God every day for each and EVERY blessing she has been given. Provided you have read this and past posts regarding her mortgage, you would have seen that her mortgage DOUBLED! I dont know about you, but if our mortgage doubled my family would NOT be able to afford our hoe either, and we like Penny, have only one income about the same as theirs. I dont know of many people who would be able too. I hope you check back regularly to get to know Penny and her community!! SHe is a blessing from the Lord, who, unlike lots of others, practices what she preaches.
“Amazing” might be a stretch, Elaine, but thank you very much. I’m just a cracked up pot trying to let God hold me together, to make me usable for His glory.
You are precious and I know you guys live in a situation much like our’s. Praying God would bless you tremendously.
I should also disclose that I have been acquainted with Elaine since she attended one of my very first Pampered Chef parties about 8 years ago. My! How time flies!
Way to go Penny. That is a very Christian way to handle a comment that could otherwise be misconstrued as rude and uncalled for. You are obviously not expected to explain anything to your readers and yet your response was without anger or malice. I will continue to keep your family in our prayers God bless.
Thank you, Tammy. Bill and I really feel that with wisdom comes responsibility. Our goal is to use the mistakes we have made to teach others. If I can help anyone avoid the struggles we have each day, then my work is done. Thank you for your prayers. 🙂
you mean you get credit if i click on your amazon link ,,,,,,,,,AWESOME I WILL TRY TO MORE OFTEN AND they is just no comment for ignorance some people just want to be hateful thanks for all your help
Yes, Jo, and thank you. My links will cost nothing extra. You will not even be able to tell a difference. I even get a commission when you use gift cards. I love being an affiliate for Amazon. 🙂
Many people don’t realize the economy we live in and the fact that our pay stays the same (or decreases) the cost of living is going up from electricity, gas, insurance, oil and food. I know many people in our area that bough houses they could well afford and then had their taxes double in only a couple yrs taking away any play they had left in the budget. Also medical bills can drown anyone. We payed a large amount weekly for a plan that on paper covered what we needed but they have so many loopholes we got denied even for yearly check ups at times. You have to do what fits for your family to make it work outsiders have no right to criticize.
Personally I think the fact that that may of my friends can not refinance their mortgages because they lost there jobs and because they have not missed any payments is the sad part of our society. You can no pay your mortgage for a year and break a deal with the bank to forgive part of it and get lower rate but yet you can not say I am having trouble because If your up to date they won’t work with you. As for aid well around here I know because I have checked if you make more then min wage then you won’t qualify for much even though my state has one of the highest cost of living.
Very true, Rebecca. So many people have worked so hard (much harder than us) to avoid these situations only to have the economy or the housing market turn upside-down on them. I know for us personally, our income has dropped over $7,000 in two years due to the BP Oil crisis and the economy affecting Bill’s side jobs. Then, our mortgage payment has gone from $700 (in 2010) to $1550 (last Friday). All we can do is focus on the fact that we have everything we need for today and to let tomorrow worry for its own.
I pray God will pour out his blessings on you!
My husband and I support my mother and my 2 children. One is on the ASD spectrum and the other just started having Petite Mal Seizures. Regardless of family size–we do all of this on a 42k a year salary. ASD therapy is currently not covered by our health care insurance. While my daughter’s medical issues are covered–we still have bills coming in. My husband and I had a horrible mortgage and we lost our house. It was because of the medical bills and the mortgage. You see.. I wasn’t supposed to be able to have kids and one day I found out that i was pregnant. I was 33 years old. I can not truly work because of my son’s needs. We do not qualify for public assistance and frankly, I wouldn’t take it if we did. In the last 5 years, I have learned to garden and we make everything from scratch. I have a prepaid cell phone because I need one for traveling to my son’s appointments. When we lost out house my dad was gracious enough to give us his–but that’s not free either. We live in a rural area because we had no other choice and we drive cars that are about 22+ years old.
While I understand where you are coming from–thinking that all families like us just sit on our butts and surf the net. I assure you that there are people who sacrifice everything just to be able to provide for their families. I spend hours preparing food rather it is out in the garden or for a meal. I have perfected grocery shopping to a T– My clothes are all second hand. We do not buy new unless it is warranted. I think that you need to understand that life throws curve balls and it doesn’t always go as planned. Just five years ago we were a dual income family who could buy the world–or so it seemed–and frankly–despite our recent years of set backs. I choose this life.
Jenna, I love your story! Living a frugal life is definitely a full time job and I can appreciate your sacrifice so much. I pray that God would bless your stewardship in an unexpected way. 🙂
Oh, Dylan you speak without thinking. You have no idea of what this woman and her family have gone through the past 2 years. I know and I understanding. She is frugal and never ask for anything. I give things out of the principal of, paying it forward. I once gave my minivan to a couple who needed to take their child to Birmingham. The child had cancer and their cars would not make it all the way. Your heart must have been broken somewhere down the line for you to act and think the way you do. If you are not a Christian, then think about going to church and seeing what true Christians will do for their friends. If you are a Christian, then the alter is open right now for you to cry out too the Lord for understanding and patience.
Thank you, Sandra! You know I adore you, right? You are truly the most generous person I know. Well, second most generous. PennyMom has you beat a little bit. 😉
Is it okay to note that Sandra has known me (in a face-to-face way) for 20 years? Geez… now I feel old. LOL
Dylan, have you thought about asking the Lord to come into your life? He will give you Joy beyond all comprehension, and a compassion and a love for others! Penny is making all of the right choices, because she knows Him personally! I love the scriptures she gave us from Matthew 6! Ask Him! You can have a peace that surpasses ALL understanding! He wants a relationship with you Dylan!
I am nothing. God is everything. I pray there will be less of me and more of Him.
Thank you, Lynda, for your compassion. 🙂
Penny, I’m not quite as Chrisitan as you are….If I said to Dylan what was really on my mind you would probably block me from your site and I don’t want that, so I will simply say, she should practice “judge not lest ye be judged”. People who are all holier than thou and speak without knowing the full story are to be pitied. I think they want to feel superior to someone and this is their way of doing it. I think the travesty is that someone who devotes his LIFE to teaching our children cannot be paid enough to support his family…That is the shame. The other shame is to allow insurance companies to NOT cover ALL costs related to Autisim. I’ve been that single mother who needed help and I had a support system of family and friends and now I try very hard to be a blessing to others. It makes me so happy when I can help someone who needs it. I have been so blessed that I am joyful to share what I have with others. I hope I am imparting that sense to my son as well. Since I have worked all of my career with the Army and or the Veteran’s Administration I support programs that help soldiers and vets, but I am thankful for folks like you who are just getting by yet being a blessing….and I will NEVER order from Amazon without clicking through your link!!! I hope Dylan stays and gets to know you so she can see what a blessing you are!!
Thank you, Vicki. You are too precious to ever be banned from my website. I appreciate you and the efforts you try to make to improve the situation of those around you. 🙂
May the Lord continue to use the broken pieces of your lives to create a Mosaic in which all may see His glory! Keep your chin up, let the negative roll of your back, and walk by FAITH, not by SIGHT!
GOD IS BIGGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great big Sister in Christ Hugs,
~T
Keep preaching, Tonya! Thank you for the encouragement. You would have loved to see us about an hour ago when Let it Rain by Israel & New Breed came on the radio and we “got our praise on.” Bill stopped and said, “You know, this time last week, we felt pretty defeated.” Now, we have hope and peace and are looking forward to whatever God has planned, no matter how uncertain it is.
~*~Much Love~*~