To illustrate how I love Aldi, and how much it's saved us on the increasing cost of groceries, here is a look at my receipt today. If you shop regularly, than you know the average cost of these items at a typical grocery store. This is without having to worry about coupons or special sales, which I find to be a headache. The Aldi brand cereal and other foods are just as good, if not better, than their brand-name counterparts.
Organic soymilk: 2.19
Organic Almond Milk: 2.79
Aldi Honey Brunches of Oats: 1.79
Aldi Shredded Mini Wheat: 1.99
Aldi round "Ritz" crackers: 1.79
Feta cheese: 1.79
Bag of lentils: 0.79
Bag of brown rice: 0.99
2 pre-made pizza crusts with sauce: 2.99
Block of cheddar cheese: 1.79
Pure Vanilla Extract: 1.99
Spices: 0.99 each
Olive Oil: 2.99
White flour: 1.99
Mushrooms: 0.79
Almond butter: 4.99
Box of instant couscous: 1.29
Bag of 10 organic Gala apples: 4.99
Carton of organic grape tomatoes: 1.99
Bag of 5 sweet onions: 1.99
Bag of 8-10 russet potatoes: 2.99
Avocado: 0.49
Strawberries: 1.69
Can of green beans: 0.49
Can of organic pinto beans: 0.69
Can of Aldi "Rotel": 0.49
Cucumber: 0.49
Can of wild Alaskan salmon: 2.39
Aldi tortilla chips: 1.19
Hormone-free gallon of milk: 3.19
Medium bag of peanut M&Ms (yum): 2.35
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
February 20, 2015
January 23, 2015
The Science of Budgeting
I've finally gotten our family's budgeting system down to a science. I've used a zero-balanced budget since graduate school and have tried multiple different ways of working it. The biggest roadblock I found was expenses that were not regular- that came up twice a year, or every three months, or here and there. Things you knew you needed money for but didn't know exactly when or how much. It was stressful to have an expense come up that you suddenly had to scramble and find money for. I used to try to save money for different varying expenses but it was always hard to keep track of how much I saved and for what without my eyes crossing.
I didn't want to do a new, or updated, budget every month. I wanted one budget that we could use all the time, and only needed to update if something major changed. The question was how to make a catch-all monthly budget with expenses that weren't monthly expenses (say, a quarterly utility bill, or Christmas).
About 6 years ago, we took out 8 separate savings account- our 'sinking funds', from a primarily online, high interest-earning (for a savings account, that is) bank. Back then it was called ING Direct; since then it was bought out and renamed to Capital One Direct. Anyway, these were no-hassle savings account that you can transfer money to and from your regular checking account online (ours is Bank of America), there aren't monthly fees or rules, and you can set up automatic transfers. We designated each savings account and named it for a different purpose (e.g., travel, gifts, insurance). I estimate how much we spend on each category per year, and divide it by 12. Each month, that amount is transferred to its savings account. Whenever the expense comes up (say, a car tag fee), then I transfer the money from its saving account to my checking account. It is a great way to keep track of how much money you have for what areas, to save up for something down the road, and to keep your budget from running you over.
For things like travel, car maintenance, gifts, etc. we have to guess how much we think we will need each year. Just because we have a fund for it doesn't mean we always have what we do need. For example, our medical fund never has what it needs because it's always being depleted. And Ben still drives his 96 Oldsmobile because we can't replace it (and he likes having a ghetto-rigged bumper, let's be honest), BUT it helps us keep things sorted out and gives us goals. So, for example, we try to spend no more than $300 at Christmas. That includes family, friends, kids, gift exchanges, teachers' gifts, etc. So divided by 12, that's $25 a month. Then I figure we have approximately two baby showers/birthday parties/weddings each month (lots of baby showers among our group), so that would be another $40-50 or so. Soooooo each month we transfer $75 into our 'gift' fund. Does it mean we always have money for what we want? No. But it does help us balance things out a little bit better, particularly around the holidays.
These are our sinking funds. Remember, regular monthly expenses can be figured into your monthly budget without these. Our regular monthly expenses include our mortgage, gas, groceries, personal items, children (diapers, clothes, etc.), power/internet/gas bills, life insurance, and money that we gift to missionaries/ministries/churches. The sinking funds are specifically for expenses that vary or that we don't use each month:
1. Travel (family visits, vacations, etc.)
2. Car (oil changes, repairs, replacement, etc.)
3. Insurance (car insurance, property insurance, tag and registration fees)
4. Gifts (weddings, showers, birthdays, Christmas)
5. Home Maintenance (calling the plumber, furniture, etc.)
6. Emergency Fund- Dave Ramsey-style.
7. Medical Expenses- medication, doctors' visits, ridiculously high family deductibles that you have to meet every year (*cough).
8. Miscellaneous expenses: this includes as many extra expenses that we anticipate will come up each year- things like school supplies, our quarterly garbage bill, Homeowners Association dues, our computer backup program, haircuts, school registration fees, Continuing Education for my license, etc. Everything I can think of- even if they are not big expenses. Anything that might stretch the budget a little bit. We add up the total predicted cost for the year (for all expenses) and divide by 12. Then each month that amount is transferred into the "Miscellaneous" account. So when I need a haircut, I already have that amount set aside and I don't have to figure out where to take that money from. I have labeled on my spreadsheet what 'Miscellaneous' includes, so I don't forget what we actually budgeted for and what we didn't. We have something like 10 different miscellaneous expenses included, and it's easy to forget how much you saved and for what.
Like I said before, our budget is monthly. In graduate school I used to get paid monthly, so it worked out perfectly. But most people get paid bi-weekly, and at first that REALLY messed me up. So I found a system where each month's paychecks are deposited into our savings account, and then at the end of the month, that total amount is transferred to our checking account to be used for the next month's expenses. So on February 1st, I transfer all of our paychecks from January to our checking account, and we use this money for the month of February. This has been the most effective budgeting method for us. Mentally, I feel more comfortable using last month's paychecks for this month's expenses.
I didn't want to do a new, or updated, budget every month. I wanted one budget that we could use all the time, and only needed to update if something major changed. The question was how to make a catch-all monthly budget with expenses that weren't monthly expenses (say, a quarterly utility bill, or Christmas).
About 6 years ago, we took out 8 separate savings account- our 'sinking funds', from a primarily online, high interest-earning (for a savings account, that is) bank. Back then it was called ING Direct; since then it was bought out and renamed to Capital One Direct. Anyway, these were no-hassle savings account that you can transfer money to and from your regular checking account online (ours is Bank of America), there aren't monthly fees or rules, and you can set up automatic transfers. We designated each savings account and named it for a different purpose (e.g., travel, gifts, insurance). I estimate how much we spend on each category per year, and divide it by 12. Each month, that amount is transferred to its savings account. Whenever the expense comes up (say, a car tag fee), then I transfer the money from its saving account to my checking account. It is a great way to keep track of how much money you have for what areas, to save up for something down the road, and to keep your budget from running you over.
For things like travel, car maintenance, gifts, etc. we have to guess how much we think we will need each year. Just because we have a fund for it doesn't mean we always have what we do need. For example, our medical fund never has what it needs because it's always being depleted. And Ben still drives his 96 Oldsmobile because we can't replace it (and he likes having a ghetto-rigged bumper, let's be honest), BUT it helps us keep things sorted out and gives us goals. So, for example, we try to spend no more than $300 at Christmas. That includes family, friends, kids, gift exchanges, teachers' gifts, etc. So divided by 12, that's $25 a month. Then I figure we have approximately two baby showers/birthday parties/weddings each month (lots of baby showers among our group), so that would be another $40-50 or so. Soooooo each month we transfer $75 into our 'gift' fund. Does it mean we always have money for what we want? No. But it does help us balance things out a little bit better, particularly around the holidays.
These are our sinking funds. Remember, regular monthly expenses can be figured into your monthly budget without these. Our regular monthly expenses include our mortgage, gas, groceries, personal items, children (diapers, clothes, etc.), power/internet/gas bills, life insurance, and money that we gift to missionaries/ministries/churches. The sinking funds are specifically for expenses that vary or that we don't use each month:
1. Travel (family visits, vacations, etc.)
2. Car (oil changes, repairs, replacement, etc.)
3. Insurance (car insurance, property insurance, tag and registration fees)
4. Gifts (weddings, showers, birthdays, Christmas)
5. Home Maintenance (calling the plumber, furniture, etc.)
6. Emergency Fund- Dave Ramsey-style.
7. Medical Expenses- medication, doctors' visits, ridiculously high family deductibles that you have to meet every year (*cough).
8. Miscellaneous expenses: this includes as many extra expenses that we anticipate will come up each year- things like school supplies, our quarterly garbage bill, Homeowners Association dues, our computer backup program, haircuts, school registration fees, Continuing Education for my license, etc. Everything I can think of- even if they are not big expenses. Anything that might stretch the budget a little bit. We add up the total predicted cost for the year (for all expenses) and divide by 12. Then each month that amount is transferred into the "Miscellaneous" account. So when I need a haircut, I already have that amount set aside and I don't have to figure out where to take that money from. I have labeled on my spreadsheet what 'Miscellaneous' includes, so I don't forget what we actually budgeted for and what we didn't. We have something like 10 different miscellaneous expenses included, and it's easy to forget how much you saved and for what.
Like I said before, our budget is monthly. In graduate school I used to get paid monthly, so it worked out perfectly. But most people get paid bi-weekly, and at first that REALLY messed me up. So I found a system where each month's paychecks are deposited into our savings account, and then at the end of the month, that total amount is transferred to our checking account to be used for the next month's expenses. So on February 1st, I transfer all of our paychecks from January to our checking account, and we use this money for the month of February. This has been the most effective budgeting method for us. Mentally, I feel more comfortable using last month's paychecks for this month's expenses.
August 7, 2014
Things I'm Loving
I'm loving a lot of things right now! Here are some of them:
If you get short of breath everytime you have to spend $15 on a cartridge of razors, this will be music to your ears. For only a few bucks a month, the Dollar Shave Club delivers a razor cartridge to you in the mail (free shipping) every month or every other month. You can choose from two blades, four blades, or six blade razors. The handle is free. And the razors are awesome. I do the three blade once every two months, because they last for-eeeeeever.
Puddle jumpers are a seriously revolutionary flotation device for kids. Kind of like arm floaties on steroids. They can keep a kid completely upright in the water without any assistance. The girls love to swim around the pool in them, and since they are virtually un-tippable, my anxiety level of managing two toddlers in the pool at once is nill.
Cocoa powder. There is something called dry shampoo (or cornstarch for some) that, when rubbed into greasy hair, can transform it to non-greasiness. Unfortunately this only works well with fair-haired beauties. Dark haired girls like me end up looking like a gray haired granny. I've always been super jealous of people who can use this trick, because I only wash my hair every other day but the strands around my face can get greasy. Now I pull them back in barrettes while I sleep, and if I need to, I rub in well some cocoa powder (plain, the unsweetened stuff) into my hair and roots and it absorbs the grease. And I don't look like a granny.
I found this app through an add on Facebook that I actually clicked on (a first). It's awesome. You can send a high-quality postcard right from your phone, using a picture in your photo stream. I only recently got a smart phone (I was using an old flip phone for years until I inherited a used iphone and switched to a plan that was the equivalent of what I was paying for already- score!) Tangent aside, you can send all sorts of personal cards with fun photos.
Aldi is my grocery store savior. With the cost of food rising exponentially, I have been able to avoid marking up my grocery budget by adding Aldi to my weekly shopping trip. Originally I started going there because they have milk free of growth hormones at the same price as hormone-filled milk at other stores. Then I realized the great deals they had on other items. So far, their store brand has been excellent (only one dud- I don't recommend the baked beans). We now get their generic cereals (they taste great), canned veggies, frozen foods, dairy products, etc. On average they are 30-40% less than the grocery store. Crazy I know. You just have to get used to the self-service (self-bagging and grocery carting). They also have great deals on produce. It depends on what's in season, but most of it is locally grown and they have organic options on and off. For a while I got a huge bag of organic apples for 5.99 and a whole box of organic grape tomatoes for .99. I will say that they keep their produce out for a while (at least at our local store), so you have to make sure it's not on it's way out when you buy it or you will end up with a spoiled vegetable in a few days. Oh, and they taste fantastic. The strawberries were the best I had all season. Ditto on the grapes. We usually hit up Aldi first and then finish at Kroger. You can't rely only on Aldi since they don't carry all the traditional grocery items and their stock varies from week to week.
Our wedding dresses. Can't wait for the family wedding in a few months! Our whole family is going to be in the wedding so it should be a lot of fun! (This is my dress but not the actual color, though I do love this color)
Charleston, land that I love.
Good Reads for Kids
My new job!
I got a part-time job working for a private child psychologist! It took a long time to get there but I finally reached my destination. I had been praying for a part time flexible job, doing what I love, one that would contribute financially to our household, and where I had the potential of working more later in life when the girls go to school. Scripture supports a woman helping support her family financially if it doesn't interfere with her role of caring for her household and teaching and nurturing her children (Proverbs 31). I wasn't willing to compromise on the child care aspect. I wanted something where I could drop them off at school and pick them up or be there soon after. This job is one that I can do while the girls are in preschool and, if I am a little late, their teacher agreed to keep them at the school until I can get there (which shouldn't be long at all). Once the girls are in public school, I can head to work right after I drop them off and leave before they get finished. I can basically set my own schedule and schedule clients whenever I am free. I feel like God has given me so much favor!
My Book Club
Things I am NOT loving right now:
Lawn mowing and weeds in our yard and garden. We are about to throw in the white flag and surrender. NOTHING has helped rid us of them.
Inflation
Cockroaches
Medical bills
September 1, 2012
One great month
This has been, without a doubt, the best month in the last three years. Not only did Ben finish school and secure a great job, he also passed his boards AND we put an offer on a cute little home that was accepted yesterday. It's hard to believe all this happened in just a couple of weeks.
Originally Ben was only considering positions in primary care, specifically ones that provided loan repayment as we had to completely provide for the last two-and-a-half years of tuition and expenses while caring for Anna. Obviously not an easy thing to do with a family. We hate owing money to anyone and knew it would be difficult to pay that money back in a timely fashion. However, Ben interviewed for a great job in nephrology and we felt like it was the right one to take. He turned down three other job offers, all of which would have provided loan repayment. Despite the difficulty of the decision, we feel the job in nephrology will be a wiser investment of our time and will be better for our family in the long run. We are anxious about having a student loan, and know it will require a lot of hard work and continued simple living to pay it off, but we went for it. Neither one of us expected to stay here! We had it in our minds that we would be leaving this city, perhaps even leaving the state, yet here we are, ready to stay for years to come. I am excited for what the future holds.
Another exciting piece of news is that I landed a part-time position working for one of my favorite child development websites. I get to consult with parents and provide services all from home with good pay. I never thought I could find a real, stay-at-home job that didn't involve selling something or starting my own business, none of which appealed to me. But here God dropped a wonderful job opportunity in my lap, gave me favor over hundreds of other applicants, helped me get through many nerve-wrecking interviews, and provided something that hopefully I can continue for years to come. I am very excited, very nervous about how I will juggle up to 20 hours of work plus caring for a toddler and a newborn, and exceedingly thankful for an opportunity to use my professional skills.
Oh, and to emphasize the fact that it's been a great month, check out what Anna did this week!!!!!!
So proud of my baby!
February 5, 2012
Provision. And Renewed Hope.
God has been doing some really cool things in my family lately.
A few posts ago I mentioned how we had exhausted our savings and would be relying on student loans until Ben graduates. How little faith I have, and how much I underestimate God!
If you haven't been reading about our journey for very long, a brief recap. When we made the decision for me to stay home with Anna last March, we lost the only income source we had since Ben is a full-time student and, because his program is time-intensive (70 hours a week total of class/study time), it eliminates the option for him to hold a part-time job. So far we have financially made it all the way through this February.
Well, God is continuing to provide for us. We found out yesterday we would be receiving a tax refund more than 3 times what we expected. At first I thought it was a mistake. After all, I was on payroll for only 4 months in 2011 yet our refund is more than twice last year's. But thanks to some cool circumstances, our refund will possibly be enough to stretch three months. On the horizon we also have a potential for one more month's expenses. If all goes well, that would carry us through June. Then we would only have 2 to 3 more months left before Ben graduates and can start working. I'm confident that God will come through for those months, as well.
That is a year and a half of God providing for our family's monthly costs. Without an income. Without taking out extra school loans for living expenses.
Disclaimer: I should make clear here that I do not advocate for making an unwise, risky decision simply because it is what one wants, such as quitting your only source of income, buying something you can't afford, etc..... and then 'trusting' God to provide. That's not trusting God, it's manipulating him (and he doesn't respond to well to it). We try our hardest to avoid this common pitfall. We were open to whatever God would have us do back when we had to make the decision. If he wanted me to go back to work so we would have a steady income, I was willing to go back and trust him to provide the kind of care that our daughter needed. If he wanted me to stay at home with her, I would resign and trust him to provide. If I had had my choice, in order to satisfy the practical side I would have probably attempted to work part-time until Ben graduated. But alas, God's plans are better, and we heard him clearly tell me to quit my job. The whole job. When it was time to make the final decision, Ben had a vision of me handing in my resignation letter. We had a deep peace about it. And it has been the most amazing decision. Easy, no. Amazing, yes.
That aside, recently I was tempted to apply for Medicaid because I qualify for it and it would save me the $135 monthly share for my participation in Samaritan Ministries (my alternative to health insurance right now- great option by the way). But I never felt fully right about it. After all, if we are purposefully choosing a path in order to rely on God, then how is that relying on him? The day after we did our taxes, God whispered to me that while there wasn't necessarily anything wrong with applying, trusting him was a much better, surer thing than relying on the government. It is an opportunity to know Him better. Oh, how right he is!
I had started to lose my hope, my vision, for provision and other things in our family. I was resorting to making things happen in my own strength. He has reminded me how great it is to choose to believe Him.
As I was swinging on the playground today while watching my beautiful daughter play in the grass, a timely song popped up in my ipod- Robbie Seay Band's "Song of Hope."
I am filled with more lightness and joy than I have felt in a long time. The fruit that comes from trusting Him.
A missionary once told me that if you are not believing God right now for something that only he can come through for, then you are not living the best he has for you. I had lost this. Yet God, in his lovingkindness, drew me back to Hope. To Him.
A few posts ago I mentioned how we had exhausted our savings and would be relying on student loans until Ben graduates. How little faith I have, and how much I underestimate God!
If you haven't been reading about our journey for very long, a brief recap. When we made the decision for me to stay home with Anna last March, we lost the only income source we had since Ben is a full-time student and, because his program is time-intensive (70 hours a week total of class/study time), it eliminates the option for him to hold a part-time job. So far we have financially made it all the way through this February.
Well, God is continuing to provide for us. We found out yesterday we would be receiving a tax refund more than 3 times what we expected. At first I thought it was a mistake. After all, I was on payroll for only 4 months in 2011 yet our refund is more than twice last year's. But thanks to some cool circumstances, our refund will possibly be enough to stretch three months. On the horizon we also have a potential for one more month's expenses. If all goes well, that would carry us through June. Then we would only have 2 to 3 more months left before Ben graduates and can start working. I'm confident that God will come through for those months, as well.
That is a year and a half of God providing for our family's monthly costs. Without an income. Without taking out extra school loans for living expenses.
Disclaimer: I should make clear here that I do not advocate for making an unwise, risky decision simply because it is what one wants, such as quitting your only source of income, buying something you can't afford, etc..... and then 'trusting' God to provide. That's not trusting God, it's manipulating him (and he doesn't respond to well to it). We try our hardest to avoid this common pitfall. We were open to whatever God would have us do back when we had to make the decision. If he wanted me to go back to work so we would have a steady income, I was willing to go back and trust him to provide the kind of care that our daughter needed. If he wanted me to stay at home with her, I would resign and trust him to provide. If I had had my choice, in order to satisfy the practical side I would have probably attempted to work part-time until Ben graduated. But alas, God's plans are better, and we heard him clearly tell me to quit my job. The whole job. When it was time to make the final decision, Ben had a vision of me handing in my resignation letter. We had a deep peace about it. And it has been the most amazing decision. Easy, no. Amazing, yes.
That aside, recently I was tempted to apply for Medicaid because I qualify for it and it would save me the $135 monthly share for my participation in Samaritan Ministries (my alternative to health insurance right now- great option by the way). But I never felt fully right about it. After all, if we are purposefully choosing a path in order to rely on God, then how is that relying on him? The day after we did our taxes, God whispered to me that while there wasn't necessarily anything wrong with applying, trusting him was a much better, surer thing than relying on the government. It is an opportunity to know Him better. Oh, how right he is!
I had started to lose my hope, my vision, for provision and other things in our family. I was resorting to making things happen in my own strength. He has reminded me how great it is to choose to believe Him.
As I was swinging on the playground today while watching my beautiful daughter play in the grass, a timely song popped up in my ipod- Robbie Seay Band's "Song of Hope."
I am filled with more lightness and joy than I have felt in a long time. The fruit that comes from trusting Him.
A missionary once told me that if you are not believing God right now for something that only he can come through for, then you are not living the best he has for you. I had lost this. Yet God, in his lovingkindness, drew me back to Hope. To Him.
The Lord is my shephard and I want for nothing.
Psalm 23
July 16, 2011
Yesterday
Yesterday the weather was perfect- overcast, warm, and breezy.
Yesterday I had a million and one things I needed to do. But I sat outside our apartment, watched the trees, and felt the wind in my face. Nothing could make me happier... except my beautiful little girl sitting in her seat next to me. She fell asleep (she likes the fresh air) and I marvelled at how beautiful and wonderous she is. And how good God is.
Yesterday, for a little while, all my burdens seemed to disappear. And everything was as it should be. Quiet. Still. Peaceful. Beautiful.
And God whispered to me, "This is how it always is Lisa, when you abide in me. Because this is who I Am."
Sure, life went on again rather quickly. Anna woke up ravenously hungry and needed to eat. I needed to start making dinner and clean the kitchen.
But yesterday's moments are what life is all about. I feel so glad that I chose to experience them with my little girl. Despite the financial sacrifices and the lifestyle that Ben and I can't afford to live, I will have so many of these moments saved up in my true bank- the only one that really matters. We may not own a house anytime in the near future, or a nice car, or go shopping or dining out for fun. We may frequently turn down invites because we know they aren't wise ways for us to spend the little we have. We may not dress the most stylish. But...
I. Feel. Rich.
Yesterday I had a million and one things I needed to do. But I sat outside our apartment, watched the trees, and felt the wind in my face. Nothing could make me happier... except my beautiful little girl sitting in her seat next to me. She fell asleep (she likes the fresh air) and I marvelled at how beautiful and wonderous she is. And how good God is.
Yesterday, for a little while, all my burdens seemed to disappear. And everything was as it should be. Quiet. Still. Peaceful. Beautiful.
And God whispered to me, "This is how it always is Lisa, when you abide in me. Because this is who I Am."
Sure, life went on again rather quickly. Anna woke up ravenously hungry and needed to eat. I needed to start making dinner and clean the kitchen.
But yesterday's moments are what life is all about. I feel so glad that I chose to experience them with my little girl. Despite the financial sacrifices and the lifestyle that Ben and I can't afford to live, I will have so many of these moments saved up in my true bank- the only one that really matters. We may not own a house anytime in the near future, or a nice car, or go shopping or dining out for fun. We may frequently turn down invites because we know they aren't wise ways for us to spend the little we have. We may not dress the most stylish. But...
I. Feel. Rich.
December 27, 2010
$29,000 God
Lately, we've had a string of financial burdens come upon us... things that are costing us a great deal of money- Ben's school fees and supplies after a previously-promised government loan was retracted because (surprise) the government ran out of money, very high health/dental care bills (hello Baby), and work on our ageing car. With me being the only wage-earner (a humble one at that) and knowing I will be out of commission soon, I've started feeling the dreaded 'weight' of doubt trying to creep up a little with each new found surprise. For some reason, it was easier for me to trust God to provide in India when we had nothing, than it is for him to provide for our family here in America. Maybe that is because things here are so expensive and unpredictable. Maybe it's because of the media's fear-mongering attitude. Maybe it's my desire to have things under control, to not only know the "if" but the "how", and in advance. Maybe it's the enemy trying to get his grimy little hand into my recent determination to really trust (see past blog post). Perhaps it's a little of all these things. Whatever the reason, I'm thankful that God is loving, patient, and kind, even towards my lability.
My friend Erica recommended a link to this blog post, and it was quite timely. Maybe it will be for you, as well, with whatever is going on in your lives.
The $29,000 God
A few months ago, my five year old, McRae told me, “The biggest number I know of is 26.”
At the end of her understanding of numbers was the number 26. In her mind, that was really how big numbers come. If you wanted to describe how far the moon was from earth, probably about 26 miles. Want to say how long it felt to wait for Christmas to get here? It was like 26 minutes! Number of pieces of candy she estimates she got for Halloween? 26.
It’s her biggest number. Until that is, I told her about 27. And blew her mind.
She’s not great at “sizing” things. But that’s OK, she’s 5. She’s pretty sure fairies are real. She’s convinced every dog in the world would like to meet her. The other day at Costco she saw a man with a white beard and proceeded to yell to everyone in the store, “Santa is shopping here today! He. Is. Here. Today!!”
That’s OK behavior for her. She’s just a kid. She’s little. But oddly enough, she’s not the only one who tends to get sizes all twisted. She’s not the only one who tends to “under size.” In fact, I think lot of us do that, especially when it comes to God.
I learned this last year when the Stuff Christians Like community raised money to build a kindergarten in Vietnam. On a random Monday, I asked readers to help me raise $30,000 and that honestly made me nervous. It’s weird to ask for money. It changes your intimacy levels. It’s like actually holding hands during couples skate at Roller Kingdom in Hudson, Massachusetts. Sure, you might skate around in circles with Stacy Valentino listening to Bobby Brown’s “Tender Roni,” but holding hands is a whole nother level. (That example got really specific and 7th gradery.)
But it’s true, asking for money is awkward, which is why pastors do the money disclaimer when they preach. They start their sermon by saying, “I never normally preach about money, I never preach about tithing, except today.” And that’s always the Sunday your neighbor or coworker finally agreed to come to church with you. Your friend always comes on the money Sunday or the day the mime group, “Gloves of Love” is there to perform.
So I was anxious about asking for money. And I honestly thought it would take us 6 weeks to raise $30,000. But if you’ve read this site for a while, you know that was not the case.
We raised all $30,000 in a matter of 18 hours. It took us less than a day to complete the entire campaign and I realized I had been like McRae with the number 26.
Here’s what I essentially said to God before the project started:
“God, you are massive. You are huge. You made the universe and created all space and time. You are without end! But, you are slightly less big than $30,000. You’re like a really solid $29,000 God. And that’s awesome. I mean that’s pretty good. I think you’re almost all powerful, you’re just not $30,000 powerful.”
Have you ever done that?
Have you ever been faced with what felt like an insurmountable challenge and in the midst of that, you’ve worshiped a really small God? Have you ever prayed something like:
“God, you are gigantic. You rule the universe. You’re just not as big as my college application process. You are slightly too small to handle that.”
Or
“God, I love you. You are massive and supreme. You are huge, except you’re not big enough to handle my divorce. You are smaller than this experience.”
Or
“God, you are like the real He-Man, you are master of the universe! You are so big and so all knowing, except you probably don’t know how to handle my job search. You’re big, you’re just slightly tinier than my unemployment.”
No one would actually prays those words, but that’s what flows from our heart when we allow doubt to set up shop. That’s how we live when we feel like we’ve got to force things to happen or they never will. That’s what happens when we under size God.
The truth is, God is bigger than $30,000.
God is bigger than a divorce.
God is bigger than unemployment.
God is bigger than a teen daughter who swears she doesn’t love you.
God is bigger that money problems.
God is bigger than our biggest dreams.
And I thank God that he is. I think sometimes we want him to be pocket-sized and manageable. I’ve heard people say things like, “I want a God who can explain to me why bad things happen to good people.” I understand that frustration, I do, but here’s the thing. I don’t want a God who ever has to fit within my understanding. I don’t want a God who is limited by mind and my experiences.
I want a big God. A God that spans generations and space and time. I don’t want a God who needs my approval or comprehension to do something big. How we as a people have lost a sense of the mysterious when part of the trinity is the Holy “Ghost” is beyond me, but we have.
This holiday season, as the birth of Christ is remembered, let’s celebrate our big God. Let’s honor a huge, wild, unable to be controlled by our small minds God.
He’s bigger than that thing you worried about or dreamt about.
I promise.
Jonathan Acuff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Everything in life is a tool. Just a tool in the shaping and molding of our lives and hearts. Just a tool to bring us to our knees once again and lay things at His feet and rest in the hope that He has never and will never leave or forsake us. So often I may not be sure of the ride I'm going on, but more than sure of the love and care of the Driver. That really is enough to hold on to." A.W.
My friend Erica recommended a link to this blog post, and it was quite timely. Maybe it will be for you, as well, with whatever is going on in your lives.
The $29,000 God
A few months ago, my five year old, McRae told me, “The biggest number I know of is 26.”
At the end of her understanding of numbers was the number 26. In her mind, that was really how big numbers come. If you wanted to describe how far the moon was from earth, probably about 26 miles. Want to say how long it felt to wait for Christmas to get here? It was like 26 minutes! Number of pieces of candy she estimates she got for Halloween? 26.
It’s her biggest number. Until that is, I told her about 27. And blew her mind.
She’s not great at “sizing” things. But that’s OK, she’s 5. She’s pretty sure fairies are real. She’s convinced every dog in the world would like to meet her. The other day at Costco she saw a man with a white beard and proceeded to yell to everyone in the store, “Santa is shopping here today! He. Is. Here. Today!!”
That’s OK behavior for her. She’s just a kid. She’s little. But oddly enough, she’s not the only one who tends to get sizes all twisted. She’s not the only one who tends to “under size.” In fact, I think lot of us do that, especially when it comes to God.
I learned this last year when the Stuff Christians Like community raised money to build a kindergarten in Vietnam. On a random Monday, I asked readers to help me raise $30,000 and that honestly made me nervous. It’s weird to ask for money. It changes your intimacy levels. It’s like actually holding hands during couples skate at Roller Kingdom in Hudson, Massachusetts. Sure, you might skate around in circles with Stacy Valentino listening to Bobby Brown’s “Tender Roni,” but holding hands is a whole nother level. (That example got really specific and 7th gradery.)
But it’s true, asking for money is awkward, which is why pastors do the money disclaimer when they preach. They start their sermon by saying, “I never normally preach about money, I never preach about tithing, except today.” And that’s always the Sunday your neighbor or coworker finally agreed to come to church with you. Your friend always comes on the money Sunday or the day the mime group, “Gloves of Love” is there to perform.
So I was anxious about asking for money. And I honestly thought it would take us 6 weeks to raise $30,000. But if you’ve read this site for a while, you know that was not the case.
We raised all $30,000 in a matter of 18 hours. It took us less than a day to complete the entire campaign and I realized I had been like McRae with the number 26.
Here’s what I essentially said to God before the project started:
“God, you are massive. You are huge. You made the universe and created all space and time. You are without end! But, you are slightly less big than $30,000. You’re like a really solid $29,000 God. And that’s awesome. I mean that’s pretty good. I think you’re almost all powerful, you’re just not $30,000 powerful.”
Have you ever done that?
Have you ever been faced with what felt like an insurmountable challenge and in the midst of that, you’ve worshiped a really small God? Have you ever prayed something like:
“God, you are gigantic. You rule the universe. You’re just not as big as my college application process. You are slightly too small to handle that.”
Or
“God, I love you. You are massive and supreme. You are huge, except you’re not big enough to handle my divorce. You are smaller than this experience.”
Or
“God, you are like the real He-Man, you are master of the universe! You are so big and so all knowing, except you probably don’t know how to handle my job search. You’re big, you’re just slightly tinier than my unemployment.”
No one would actually prays those words, but that’s what flows from our heart when we allow doubt to set up shop. That’s how we live when we feel like we’ve got to force things to happen or they never will. That’s what happens when we under size God.
The truth is, God is bigger than $30,000.
God is bigger than a divorce.
God is bigger than unemployment.
God is bigger than a teen daughter who swears she doesn’t love you.
God is bigger that money problems.
God is bigger than our biggest dreams.
And I thank God that he is. I think sometimes we want him to be pocket-sized and manageable. I’ve heard people say things like, “I want a God who can explain to me why bad things happen to good people.” I understand that frustration, I do, but here’s the thing. I don’t want a God who ever has to fit within my understanding. I don’t want a God who is limited by mind and my experiences.
I want a big God. A God that spans generations and space and time. I don’t want a God who needs my approval or comprehension to do something big. How we as a people have lost a sense of the mysterious when part of the trinity is the Holy “Ghost” is beyond me, but we have.
This holiday season, as the birth of Christ is remembered, let’s celebrate our big God. Let’s honor a huge, wild, unable to be controlled by our small minds God.
He’s bigger than that thing you worried about or dreamt about.
I promise.
Jonathan Acuff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Everything in life is a tool. Just a tool in the shaping and molding of our lives and hearts. Just a tool to bring us to our knees once again and lay things at His feet and rest in the hope that He has never and will never leave or forsake us. So often I may not be sure of the ride I'm going on, but more than sure of the love and care of the Driver. That really is enough to hold on to." A.W.
April 7, 2009
How Rich Are You?
Ever looked with envy upon the richest people in the world? How rich are you?
Check out this site for a reality check- and insight into just how far your money can go! Click HERE
January 13, 2009
I leave tomorrow.
(READ LISA'S POST FIRST! IT'S THE ONE BELOW THIS ONE.)
I (Ben) leave tomorrow morning and will be gone for 8 days. This morning (Tuesday) I was pretty tired. I had woken up at 4am (not planned) and decided to look at airline ticket prices again. The night before I had found a decently priced ticket, but did not have peace about it. I felt God had something better in store for me. This morning, the same flight was available but for an even better price. Rather than try to figure out if I had peace, I decided to go ahead and get it. Twice, I filled out all the information only to find out and pressing the "Purchase" button, that the seats had already been sold.
So lying on the floor 30 minutes before leaving for work, I told God, "Well, I guess I'll be fasting and praying again." I felt God say, "It's not necessary for you to fast." I thought, "Alright. Great, then I won't be tempted for taking the credit for what you're going to do." Then I felt He said, "Ben, do you trust me?" I said with a sigh, "Yes, I trust you." I stood up and honestly felt like I did trust Him. That afternoon, God provided a $1,000 donation. So within a 24-hour period, God financed this trip.
And not only that, but He even answered a "luxury" prayer. I told God this morning, "God, you are wealthy beyond imagination. I don't want to fly Spirit Air! (All the cheap flights I had found were with Spirit.) I don't want to brag about how awesome You are and then tell people I got a bottom of the barrel flight with Spirit. Please, please give me something better." I'm flying Air Canada:)
I (Ben) leave tomorrow morning and will be gone for 8 days. This morning (Tuesday) I was pretty tired. I had woken up at 4am (not planned) and decided to look at airline ticket prices again. The night before I had found a decently priced ticket, but did not have peace about it. I felt God had something better in store for me. This morning, the same flight was available but for an even better price. Rather than try to figure out if I had peace, I decided to go ahead and get it. Twice, I filled out all the information only to find out and pressing the "Purchase" button, that the seats had already been sold.
So lying on the floor 30 minutes before leaving for work, I told God, "Well, I guess I'll be fasting and praying again." I felt God say, "It's not necessary for you to fast." I thought, "Alright. Great, then I won't be tempted for taking the credit for what you're going to do." Then I felt He said, "Ben, do you trust me?" I said with a sigh, "Yes, I trust you." I stood up and honestly felt like I did trust Him. That afternoon, God provided a $1,000 donation. So within a 24-hour period, God financed this trip.
And not only that, but He even answered a "luxury" prayer. I told God this morning, "God, you are wealthy beyond imagination. I don't want to fly Spirit Air! (All the cheap flights I had found were with Spirit.) I don't want to brag about how awesome You are and then tell people I got a bottom of the barrel flight with Spirit. Please, please give me something better." I'm flying Air Canada:)
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