Life has been hectic around here, so I apologize for not keeping up with the blogs on parenting!  Now that school is out, homeschool conferences are winding down, and the garden is planted, maybe I can be more consistent with my writing!  I’ve had quite a few people ask us how we survive on a limited income with a large family.  As I wrote in March, you learn very quickly to rely fully on God.  However, there are a few other secrets that we’ve learned over the years. 

As many of you have probably figured out by now, it is important to live within the boundaries God has placed you in financially.  We have had to learn this the hard way, but are so glad that God is patient with us.  It is vitally important that we buy on a cash basis and not on a credit card basis.  With a cash (or debit card), once the money is gone, it’s gone.  In the past, we’ve sadly learned that we buy much more when we pull out that lovely little plastic credit card.  We then get into a vicious cycle of not having the money to buy the necessities because we are having to pay off those dreaded credit cards.  Even though it’s sometimes painful to use a cash system, it’s so much more peaceful in the long run.  It’s also important to have a budget to go along side of your cash system.  It’s too easy to spend the money on extras if the bills and monthly allowances aren’t written out in black and white before my eyes.  When I know I only have a certain amount to spend on groceries, I’m much less likely to grab those processed foods, snack items, etc.  Instead I head for the cheaper meats, beans, bulk grains, etc. so that I can stretch out those dollars.  I learned very quickly in life that it is now necessary to get the brand names on groceries, clothing, and cleaners.  Generic brands work just fine.  Many items such as cleaners, for example, can be made at home and are much healthier for you anyway.   I’m also much more likely to take the time to cut out and use coupons, browse the paper for sales, and shop at thrift stores when I know that the money has to be stretched to the max. 

By the way, thrift stores are our favorite shopping centers.  We RARELY buy clothes or household items in a regular store.  I can find almost everything we need at garage sales or thrift stores for a fraction of the price of a new item.  Most of the gifts we get for the children for Christmas are also gotten at garage sales or thrift stores.  I start shopping the day after Christmas and I keep at it until the next Christmas, so the children have learned to give me those wish lists early.  God is so amazing in allowing us to find our children’s “desires” in this way.  And yes, they are almost always brand new still in the packaging.  I still remember how excited I was when I found the exact Lego set my older son wanted at Goodwill.  It was valued at $150.  I got it brand new, still packaged, for $5.  That’s only one of the amazing examples of answered prayer and careful shopping!  When we don’t find what we’re looking for, we take it for granted that God didn’t deem it as a necessity.  Amazingly enough, we seem to do just fine without it!

I encourage you to try living without those credit cards and other means of borrowing.  Instead, aim at living with what God has given you.  You’ll be so glad you did!  By the way, God’s Eternal Masterpiece has several excellent books by Dave Ramsey and Larry Burkett which can aid you in your financial endeavors.  Just click on the financial responsibility link on the left sidebar at www.godseternalmasterpiece.com.

As the economy is worsening, I can’t help but think about all of God’s blessings poured out on us throughout the years.  No, they have not been millions of dollars.  They’ve been in the form of godly kids, peace in the home, joy throughout the hardships, food on the table, clothing on our backs, etc. 

Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore, I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; or yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than food and the body than rainment?” This passage goes on to talk about how God cares for even the birds and flowers of the field.  Won’t He care for us even more? 

God has seen fit to reinforce this lesson to me many times throughout my life.  I’ll never forget the 3 years when I was in Jr. High/High School. My dad was without a pastorate for those 3 years and had no regular income coming in.  God supplied for our family of 6 in amazing ways by giving Dad odd jobs.  We’d go to church and find boxes of food sitting on the coat rack with our name on it.  Anonymous money was passed on to us - and the list goes on.  My youth leader bought me my very own Scofield Bible (which I still use today) and my Sunday School teacher took me to the mall in Des Moines to buy me my very own brand new dress outfit.  Those memories are etched in my mind forever.  Was the food always what we wished we had?  No!  We had lots of tube biscuits, bacon bits, a little wild game (which is not my favorite!), and canned foods.  However, did it fill us and keep us from getting hungry?  Most definitely!

God again reinforced the lesson of relying on God for our needs when my husband was in an elevator accident in 2001.  Because his back was fractured, his right foot was crushed, and his wrist was busted, Jesse could not work for almost 3 years.  We had five children during those 3 years and had a mortgage and all the other normal bills to pay.  God showed us on a daily basis His unending care and love for us.  I can’t even begin to tell you how many times we’d go to the mailbox and find an anonymous money order or cash in the mailbox.  Our utility bill would be paid, someone would call and say they had a pig or half-beef for us, someone would drop off clothes for the kids, a gas card would be passed on to us, etc.  God was so good!  I’ll never forget the day I ran out of laundry detergent.  Because our little boy was suffering from a skin disorder, the doctor had recommended we use Dreft or another skin-sensitive detergent.  I had just laughed and told him that it wouldn’t be possible to do that because those detergents cost a small fortune.  Ah - me of little faith!  My children prayed for the detergent while I half-heartedly did.  That very afternoon, I got a call from a man in our church who owned a trucking company.  He said that he had a truck that had a pallet of Dreft detergent in it that got damaged.  Could I use a bunch of Dreft?  The next hour was spent on my knees crying before the Lord asking him to forgive me of my lack of faith in his care.  For the next 18 months, our family’s clothes smelled like a baby’s as we used all that detergent. 

I also remember the time I was so hungry for fresh fruits and vegetables.  That afternoon we got a phone call from someone who had a lot of extra potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and varied fruits.  Could we use some?!!!  They brought over enough to last us through the winter months.  Do we have a God who cares for even our smallest desires?  You bet!!

As this year continues, it is vitally important that we remember that God will take care of us even during the tough economic times.  We may have to do without those special vacations, foods, up-to-date clothes, etc.  However, we can be reassured that God is right there with us each step of the way.  He does care for us and He will give us what we need.  When the going got rough for us, I’d turn to 2 things - my Bible and my journal.  God’s Word was a constant source of encouragement as I poured over His promises to us.  I also kept a written record of all the blessings God bestowed on us during the times of hardship in our lives.  Now I can look back at that whenever I’m discouraged to help me in recalling God’s showers of blessings on our family.  Our children can also read it and be reminded of God’s provisions.   Proverbs 3:5,6 reminds us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths”.  May I encourage you to keep your eyes focused on the Lord and let Him show you His love during these times of hardship.  God has great lessons planned for you and you can one day look back and say with confidence, “God is SO GOOD”!

We have various financial guides and devotionals available to guide you through the tough time in your life.  They are available at www.godseternalmasterpiece.com. 

Becky, God’s Eternal Masterpiece