We started this blog a LONG time ago. We wanted to keep track of our debt payoff progress to help keep ourselves motivated and to hopefully inspire others to pay off their own debt. We started out strong and thought we would have everything paid off within a few years. Well, a few years has passed and we are still a long way from completing our goal. We have moved, changed jobs, and then moved and changed jobs some more. Paying off debt is hard when you don't make enough to actually pay off that debt. We are finally at a place where we can start chopping at that debt and it feels pretty good.
Today, we paid off another $1000!
That's a lot of money. Unfortunately, we have another 37ish of those payments remaining to get rid of it completely. I want to encourage those of you out there to keep pushing forward. Whether you are trying to pay off debt or stuck in a place in life you aren't thrilled about, keep moving. If I have learned anything over the past few years it's that you can't stop moving forward. Even if you just make really small progress, that's great. Something is better than nothing.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Friday, May 15, 2015
God Never Gives Me what I Want
Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you got everything you wanted? If you haven't, now is your chance. Think about everything you want RIGHT NOW. Maybe you want a new car, house, more money, or all of the above. Maybe you want a better spouse, kids who actually obey you, or a job you love. Maybe you want a brand new life. To just hit the "restart" button so you can make all the right decisions and never feel that heartache again.
Maybe you are very content with your life and you don't want anything. If that's the case, maybe you should want honesty because you are a big fat liar.
Life would be pretty great if you had all those things, right? I mean, is it TOO much to ask of God to give you just a few things to make life a little bit easier and a little more comfortable. How does He expect you to have "joy without ceasing" when you have had so much pain in your life? You pray and pray, but nothing. All you can hear is your voice bouncing off the walls and echoing back to you, reminding you that your life sucks and nothing you ask for is given. Isn't God supposed to give you the "desires of your heart"? What's the point of being a Christian if your whole life is full of struggle and pain?
I have realized something lately. Now, this may not be true for you, but it sure is true of me. If God were to actually give me everything I asked Him for, I'm not even sure what my life would look like. I know, for a fact, I would have the attitude of a spoiled little kid who's parent's never say no to him. Right? We never look at parents and say, "Oh, you should give that kid EVERYTHING HE WANTS because he is 8 and knows exactly what is best for him." If you have ever said that, well, you will be a terrible parent.
All I can see is this exact moment and the moments that have passed. I can't see into the future at all. I am standing in front of a few trees saying, "This is what the other side of the forest looks like!" When, in reality, I have no idea. However, I pray like I can see the future. "God, please give me this job. This job is PERFECT for me and Steph." How crazy is that of me to pray? I don't know anything! I have prayed for about 10 different jobs in the past year (seriously) and, thankfully, He only said, "yes" to one of those jobs. And the "yes" He did give me, the job is NOT what I thought it would be. When will I learn, that what I think I want the most in life, is usually wrong and I should be constantly thanking Him for not giving me what I want.
For some reason, I have been thinking a lot about Paul recently. He mentions having a "thorn in his side" that God won't remove. Paul prays a couple times, but God only says, "My grace is sufficient for you". Paul was an awesome guy who loved Jesus a whole lot and changed the world. God allows this "thorn" to stay with Paul to keep Him humble. I think it is safe to say we all have at least one "thorn" that God does not remove from our sides.
Maybe you have a crappy job. Maybe you have a spouse who can't seem to figure it out. Maybe you have cancer. Maybe you have a ton of debt that you can't seem to get out of. Maybe you can't have kids. Maybe you don't have a job and can't seem to find one. Maybe you have a million little things that have added up.
Maybe you should stop praying for God to fix your life and realize He is all you need. That wanting an easy life is a stupid expectation and not realistic.
I'm not saying you should never pray for anything. What I am saying is that we need to stop the thought that if God were to give us this or take away that, our life would be perfect and wonderful. That is just not true. Our reason for approaching God with wants and desires should not be to make life easier because is just not possible.
This world is not our home. God does not promise an easy life. The verse, "God will never give you more than you can handle" is misinterpreted ALL the time. God will give you a lot more than you can handle. In fact, He will only give you stuff that is beyond what you are capable of handling. Get used to it. People don't change and grow through the easy. We don't pray the most when life is the best. God wants every bit of your life and the only way that can happen is by Him stripping away the things we rely on instead of Him.
God's grace is sufficient for you.
There is one prayer that God will answer. There is a prayer that God will always say, "YES" to. It's the prayer of asking God for more of Him. If you think God never answers you, start praying for more of Him and see what happens. I can't promise it will a bunch of awesome, easy things (it most definitely won't be), but I can promise He will say yes.
Maybe you are very content with your life and you don't want anything. If that's the case, maybe you should want honesty because you are a big fat liar.
Life would be pretty great if you had all those things, right? I mean, is it TOO much to ask of God to give you just a few things to make life a little bit easier and a little more comfortable. How does He expect you to have "joy without ceasing" when you have had so much pain in your life? You pray and pray, but nothing. All you can hear is your voice bouncing off the walls and echoing back to you, reminding you that your life sucks and nothing you ask for is given. Isn't God supposed to give you the "desires of your heart"? What's the point of being a Christian if your whole life is full of struggle and pain?
I have realized something lately. Now, this may not be true for you, but it sure is true of me. If God were to actually give me everything I asked Him for, I'm not even sure what my life would look like. I know, for a fact, I would have the attitude of a spoiled little kid who's parent's never say no to him. Right? We never look at parents and say, "Oh, you should give that kid EVERYTHING HE WANTS because he is 8 and knows exactly what is best for him." If you have ever said that, well, you will be a terrible parent.
All I can see is this exact moment and the moments that have passed. I can't see into the future at all. I am standing in front of a few trees saying, "This is what the other side of the forest looks like!" When, in reality, I have no idea. However, I pray like I can see the future. "God, please give me this job. This job is PERFECT for me and Steph." How crazy is that of me to pray? I don't know anything! I have prayed for about 10 different jobs in the past year (seriously) and, thankfully, He only said, "yes" to one of those jobs. And the "yes" He did give me, the job is NOT what I thought it would be. When will I learn, that what I think I want the most in life, is usually wrong and I should be constantly thanking Him for not giving me what I want.
For some reason, I have been thinking a lot about Paul recently. He mentions having a "thorn in his side" that God won't remove. Paul prays a couple times, but God only says, "My grace is sufficient for you". Paul was an awesome guy who loved Jesus a whole lot and changed the world. God allows this "thorn" to stay with Paul to keep Him humble. I think it is safe to say we all have at least one "thorn" that God does not remove from our sides.
Maybe you have a crappy job. Maybe you have a spouse who can't seem to figure it out. Maybe you have cancer. Maybe you have a ton of debt that you can't seem to get out of. Maybe you can't have kids. Maybe you don't have a job and can't seem to find one. Maybe you have a million little things that have added up.
Maybe you should stop praying for God to fix your life and realize He is all you need. That wanting an easy life is a stupid expectation and not realistic.
I'm not saying you should never pray for anything. What I am saying is that we need to stop the thought that if God were to give us this or take away that, our life would be perfect and wonderful. That is just not true. Our reason for approaching God with wants and desires should not be to make life easier because is just not possible.
This world is not our home. God does not promise an easy life. The verse, "God will never give you more than you can handle" is misinterpreted ALL the time. God will give you a lot more than you can handle. In fact, He will only give you stuff that is beyond what you are capable of handling. Get used to it. People don't change and grow through the easy. We don't pray the most when life is the best. God wants every bit of your life and the only way that can happen is by Him stripping away the things we rely on instead of Him.
God's grace is sufficient for you.
There is one prayer that God will answer. There is a prayer that God will always say, "YES" to. It's the prayer of asking God for more of Him. If you think God never answers you, start praying for more of Him and see what happens. I can't promise it will a bunch of awesome, easy things (it most definitely won't be), but I can promise He will say yes.
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