Hello ladies! Today I feel like ruminating on the fresh feelings of a new year. 2011... You know your old when the current year sounds like it's out of a Sci-Fi movie. Hahaha. What a great time to be alive! Jessy's emails are proof that every day the gospel of Jesus Christ grows stronger in the hearts of humanity. I often focus too much on the growing evil and godlessness of our society. The truth is that the good in the world is growing right along with the evil, and luckily, we know the end of the story so why not rejoice?!
I think that general pattern in the world of evil and good growing alongside each other happens in our individual lives. Just when we get comfortable, just when we feel like we're on top of things and can actually succeed in our lives, another hurdle comes along. To me, those hurdles always feel evil. I always think, "I was barely able to scrape over the last hurdle and this new one is so much taller! I'll never make it!"
I heard something this week and now I can't even remember where. (I think it was in my new Brad Wilcox book The Continuous Atonement - let me know if you want to borrow it!) He was talking about the scripture, "Be still and know that I am God." He said that's well and good when you are able to Be Still. But what about those moments when you can't be still. When your human emotions and circumstances (and hormones) make it impossible for your mind to slow down enough to feel that peace? He said that the principle works the same when you flip it around to read, "Know that I am God, and Be Still." That may seem redundant but the spirit spoke peace to me. Almost like it was saying, "Do you know that he is God? Then you can Be Still." No matter what the confusion or the trial I will always know what I know. And because of that I will always have the power to Be Still.
Anyway, back to my original topic. I have been refreshed to remember that the good always grows with the bad and that the good always wins out in the end. That means my feeble attempts at having a stricter budget this year ARE going to make a difference to my family! I already ran out of grocery money for the month (hahaha) so I had to make so bread yesterday for dinner. Looks like we'll be living on whatever's in the freezer and canned goods for the rest of the month. (At least there's still money in the Dates category so we'll have at least one more good meal this month.) Here's to a new year and choices and changes that actually make a difference!
Oh Em, always inspiring. Thank you. I absolutely admire your budgeting efforts. I need to do better, I just figure we have so little to go around anyway that if we can just make ends meet then we are doing ok :) And by the way, a check is in the mail for the wedding present - and who do I owe for Christmas presents??? I'll get to the bottom of this one way or another...
ReplyDeleteYou girls are such an inspiration to me, I hope you know that.
Haha! Detective Lizzy on the case! Amanda is the one who made the books but I don't know how much they cost exactly. I think around 40 each. So maybe around 20 to Manda? I could be wrong...
ReplyDeleteAnd the budgeting has become a necessity! I can't believe how much I've spent on these boys since they arrived!! It blew me away!
Ha, it's amazing how EASY it is to spend money on babies!!! I admire your efforts as well, Em. You are always a shining example of financial organization and smart financial choices!
ReplyDeleteI also loved the visual of the good growing along with the bad in the world. It made me feel like there IS hope for my girls to grow up in this world! They just have to keep the growing-good close, and the growing-evil away. Thank you for your wisdom. I think my sisters are the smartest, most intuitive women in the world.