Road to independence

As some may have gathered from the posts Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Cleaning Recipes and many others... saving money is a big deal for me.

In some ways it's a hobby for me.

In most ways it's a neccessity.

 

Let's face it, I'm a single mother with 6 kids.

I am supporting my children without any help of any kind from another parent!

 

There are bills to be paid, neccessities to buy and bellies to fill.

When faced with that reality when my husband walked out, I prayed.

I prayed a lot.

I also humbled myself to apply for welfare.

I have spent the last year working my way out of the system.

 

I'm getting so close I can smell the freedom.

 

Many people ask how I do it.

Prayer and coffee... that's what I usually say.

 

The truth is it's hard work, long nights, early mornings, an abscent social life and generally makes one weary.

But I have succeeded in not turning my childrens lives upside down anymore than they already were.

I continue to stay home with them, I continue to homeschool them, I have maintined they're "normal" to the best I can.

 

The truth is, I bust my butt to save money everyway I can. I invest what little I can scrape together into things that can be profitable even if it means taking a chance. I run my own business, I provide childcare, I save scrap metal, I return cans for the deposit, I do Swagbucks and InboxDollars, I'm now jumping in with both feet to breeding animals and running a nice little "hobby farm".

 

The Lord has taught me much in this journey. Rarely is anything what it seems. We can all look at another persons life and pretend to know how we could have done better.

Truth is, we have no idea what brought people to where they are.

We have no idea what obsticals are hindering their progress.

We need to set aside the pride and reach out to help one another, even if it doesn't prosper ourself in this world. It will have eternal value.

 

Did anyone see you drop off a bag of groceries for the family who just got laid off? God did.

Did anyone praise you for giving away an item you could of sold, to someone in need? God did.

Did anyone congratulate you for donations to worthy causes? God did.

Did anyone thank you for the time, effort and money used to give food to the homeless? God did.

 

No matter what you do. Big or small. Public or private.

God knows.

God knows that the $1 you gave homeless man on the corner was your last dollar, even if the man seems upset it wasn't more.

God knows what's in your heart.

He knows if you purpose your heart to one set to serve another

Or if you have a heart set to serve yourself.

 

Money is useful. But I'd rather struggle in this life while I lay up treasure in Heaven... I will be spending much more time there than I do here!