curtains-budgets-blessing

I have no idea how to choose curtains. Do I want them formal or casual? Sheer or extremely private, or something in between? Striped, floral (my kind of floral... not "grandma floral"), modern, textured, with valence, no valence, tassels, no tassels, *sigh*. We still don't have curtains up in the front room or the back doors. We finally did put up an extra plain white shower curtain (fabric) that has grommets, so it is easily tacked up and taken down during the day... so at least we have some privacy in the evenings. We are on an extremely tight budget, so it's hard to find something you like, that you can actually afford.

Speaking of budgets, I think they're a great thing. I grew up having a lot (now that I have my own family, I realize that). And I am so thankful that my parents were (and definitely still are) so generous. I didn't get everything I wanted, but definitely all of my needs and much more were met. It wasn't atypical to eat out many times a week and be given $20 for a movie and dinner with my friends most weekends. And shopping was pretty much whenever I "needed" something. Now that we are a young couple, with one modest income, and a child, and our own house, (thankfully, no car payments and only one very tiny student loan), I can only imagine how most people end up in such a mound of debt! I am so thankful to my husband who has an incredible desire to see his family prosper and be blessed, and to sow in this season in order to reap a great harvest down the road.

How do we do it? We eat out very rarely. I'm talking, maybe twice or three times a month (including fast food) and that's usually for dates! I have a strict budget for grocery shopping... if I get to the checkout and it's more than we budgeted for, the last few things don't get bought (it's usually those little extra things you don't really need anyway). Eating at home with our family has SO many benefits, from building a foundation with our children and our relationship as husband and wife around the dinner table, growing conversation skills within our family, encouraging one another, not to mention it's so much healthier. The Home Experience And I've grown to be a pretty darn good cook, too! We also sit down periodically and review our budget, make changes where we need, and apply them. Budgets sure have given this impulse-buy prone-shopping-and-eating-out-loving wife such freedom to buy what I feel I need to, but never have to worry about displeasing Philip. That sounds so prudish, but I love knowing that I am honoring him with the "bread" that he works hard to bring home. We also are faithful in tithing to our church and the Kingdom of God, because we know God desires to bless us, and it is His anyway! It's not a sacrifice to give Him 10% of our income.
Malachi 3:8
“ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘ In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings."
People don't realize that when they don't tithe faithfully, they are robbing God of what is already His!
Malachi 3:10
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it."
How amazing! Blessing so great that there will not be room enough to receive it! Doesn't everyone desire such a blessing from God... the giver of everything and anything wonderful and good!? Philip and I have seen such awesome blessing in our life, and we believe that part of it is because we've been faithful in giving back to the Lord's house. Read The Blessed Life by Robert Morris... it will literally change your life. It did ours.

So there's what's on my mind at the moment. That and how much I love avocado. yumm...