Letting Go Again

In March Cole and I continued to look for ways to trim our spending. We changed around a few things. We tried to give up cable only to find out that quiting Cable only saved us $20 a month on the bill since we had TV, Phone, and Internet bundled. But we did change to a basic package and saved a bit. We did a lot of the little things like adjusting your programable thermostat to conserve energy. But here is where I really learned to let go and it made all the difference. Selling the Camaro was big for me but now, I was looking at selling my truck and buying an economy commuter greenie machine. I hated the very thought of it. Remember that new job I got that paid more money. Here's the catch. It is 53 miles away. That's right I do 106 miles roundtrip 5 days a week. Do the math on getting 20mpg buying mid grade fuel or getting 40mpg buying regular. I remember actually praying asking God to work it out so I could keep the truck. I sure am glad that God has a sense of humor with his people because I am sure he had a good laugh at that.
It was about this time I picked up the book by James Bryan Smith about the life of Rich Mullins. I learned some things there about material wealth. Rich referred to it as the "stuff of earth." I was inspired by his ability to rise above the stuff of this world in order to move closer to his Savior. God used Rich's example to soften my heart a bit. I really didn't come around though until April.
In April I received a letter from our church inviting us to a dinner meeting at which, Pastor Barry Cameron would be speaking. The dinner was a few weeks away and the church had just started a sermon series titled "Live Free." It was a series of messages about managing your money. I learned things like, "God owns everything, I am just a trustee of what he has given me" and "God doesn't need my money, He wants my heart." The messages continued the softening and opening of my heart. They showed me practical ways to put Biblical Principles about money into practice. They took the approach of teaching people how to manage their money according to the Bible and not guilting them into giving. The logic being if we manage our money well we'll want to give! It's true and it works.
The church offered Barry Cameron's book "The ABC's of Financial Freedom" after one of the services and I grabbed a copy and read "his model" for getting "Freed Up," and it made sense to me. Barry would be ticked if I didn't correct myself. It is not his model, it is God's model. He just does a nice job of presenting it. It also made me believe that we could really do it. When we went to the dinner I was very excited to see, hear, and meet this man who paid off his mortgage with 3 teenagers in his house on a pastor's salary in just 2 years. I listened to his story and I shook his hand and looked him in the eye. There was no catch, no sales pitch for his latest book, no huge inheritance that allowed this to happen. He was real! Not only was his story amazing but, his church's story of a debt free ministry and all they are able to do in serving their community because they are debt free. In fact, Barry tells a story of being so determined to pay off his mortgage that he took a 5 dollar bill he found in his desk to his bank to put towards his mortgage and the teller thought he was nuts. As we talked I could see sincerity of heart in his face. He just wants others to experience the relief he and his family have enjoyed.
Shortly thereafter Cole and I went to a dealership and traded my 2008 Tacoma TRD 4x4 for a 2008 Toyota Yaris. Ya know what! I was glad to do it. Do I miss that truck? Yes! But would I do it again? You bet. Check these numbers out. In one night we got rid of $11k in debt. We still owed $19k on the truck. I thought that was about what the truck was worth and they actually gave me more for it. Go figure. The car we were looking at had a blue book over what their first offer to me was and after the whole transaction was over we only owed $8k on the Yaris. Even better, with what I would save in fuel alone was enough to make double payments on that $8k 3 year loan. Having already told you how many cars I've owned, you can imagine I've gotten pretty good at dealing for cars. This was the easiest purchase by far. We barely negotiated. Turns out the saleman misquoted the price of the car and they stuck to it anyways. We were in and out fairly quickly. I personally believe that was God blessing us for being faithful to what He asked of us. Again, I am not here to debate theology. We took the payment we were making on the truck already, plus the fuel savings and a little extra we trimmed from the budget and set a goal to pay it off before the end of the year. I'll let you know later how we did with that goal. Those that know me already know the answer anyways. In one night we dropped $11k in debt and trimmed our spending by $200 a month that we then put into paying off the debt. When we let go of the "stuff of earth" to reach for the principles of God, it paid off and we are better for it and God honors our efforts.

Letting Go

So, I've got a new job now, and I am making more money so, everything is better now. I mean all we really need is just a little more money right?? Shortly after starting the new job in February 2010, Cole's car decided to die. The engine blew. At a tick over 100k miles the engine gave it up. We had maintained it well. Cole was religous about oil changes. The car still looked like a new car. Through no fault of our own but, a factory defect, we now had to come up with several thousand dollars to replace the motor just barely out of warranty. How does that old phrase go, "It's always darkest before the dawn." We had a little bit of savings enough to cover half the repair and the remaining went on the credit card. Not a great way to start off. Looking back on it a year later I can see this was God teaching me to let go. Let Him take control. Trust that He knows what is best for us. I didn't really get that at the time.
Originally this blog was to be about the restoration of my 1968 Chevy Camaro. What happens next is what determined that the blog would cease to function in that capacity. Last February my Camaro was in a body shop having major cosmetic surgery to get it back into shape. I had owned it for a few years and had only driven it a couple of times before it all came apart for the makeover. I started feeling the Holy Spirit nudging me. I tried to ignore it but, the desperate situation forced me to at least listen a bit. I knew I had to give up this dream. We needed cash and quick. The thought of a few thousand dollars on our credit card was stressing us out. The problem was who wants to buy a car that is literally in a thousand pieces spread over a couple of different locations. I put in a call to the shop owner working on the car. I told him the situation and that I was willing to make someone a good deal. In a couple of weeks the car was sold for just a little more than what we needed to pay the credit card off. No interest or fees even accumulated on the card. A mechanic working at the shop decided I was offering too good a deal to pass on. Some might say this is just coincidence or luck but, I tell you this was God's way of showing me I could trust him. Cole's car was fixed, my garage was cleaned out, and while our savings was mostly gone we still had two cars to get to work with and no credit card debt.
I cannot begin to tell you the stress that came off of me when the Camaro was gone. I didn't realize the pressure I had put on myself to finish the project. Like most car projects, we lost a fair amount of money on it and I feel a bit ashamed of the waiste of resources, but the stress was gone. It was a stress off Cole's mind too. She wanted to be the supportive wife and back her husband's dream but, inside it was hurting her. She tried hard to share in the dream. More than once she was up to her elbows in grease. Did I mention what a fantastic lady I married!
Well, with this we were off! God proved to us through this situation that we could trust Him with our money and I thought that would be it. I showed God I was willing to let go of something that I had put before him in my priorities and now he'd be done "messing with my stuff." I was wrong. Once you give your heart to God, He takes it and makes it home. His Spirit was about to get me to do something that I would have sworn I would never do. . .

The Spender and the Saver

In February of 2010 I was reminded of the debt that I had been forgiven. The magnitude of the Grace of God was overwhelming to me. I neglected to mention one thing about inviting Christ into your life and that is, He COMES. In the form of the Holy Spirit of God. The Spirit is that gentle prodding you may feel about a certain situation in your life that God may want to change. It may be big or it maybe little. If you have been a follower of Jesus for awhile you know that our sensitivity to this prodding of the Spirit is sometimes lessened and sometimes heightened in our walk with God. Mine had been dull for quite some time. In February, it was heightened when it came to how I managed the family spending. My wife, Cole, is a saver. She has always been that way. Coming from a household that didn't manage money well and didn't have much of it to manage she learned early on to spend wisely and save every chance you get. I, on the contrary, was raised in a very conservative financial home that was financially secure. My dad who owned a small business, had a quote above his desk that read, "Mind the penny's and the dollars will watch themselves." He taught me how to budget and even warned me often against borrowing money but, I had to go and learn the hard way. Needless to say, I am the spender in my household. To fully make this point, we've been married 9 years and in that time I have owned 7 different cars. Get the picture? My wife, is an amazing testimony to God. She was patient. While on the inside my spending was messing with her perceived security, she never nagged. She patiently prayed for me and waited for God to show up. She up to this point in our marriage had managed our money. She was well aware of how I was waisting it. Did I mention it was my jobs that came and went and hers stayed constant? I know I mentioned that she was in church and I had not been for over a year. Faithfully she followed God as best she could while her husband wandered about aimless and depressed. She lead me by example back to God. Not by nagging or manipulating. In truth, there was a strain on our marriage but Cole rarely mentioned it. I, being a typical guy, barely noticed until God removed it.
The Spirit got my attention when I received a new job. The money was as good as I had ever earned and coupled with Cole's earnings we would make more money in 2010 than in any other year of our marriage. As Cole and I looked at the budget we made a decision. With God's Spirit doing the pushing we determined to be purposeful about the use of this new found income. We set a budget and began to stick to it. In years past when we received a raise we would just spend it where ever. We wanted to be productive with it this time. Having learned over the previous 3 years that jobs can come and go we wanted to make the most of the opportunity while we had it. I did not yet know that God was behind it all. I still thought this was me learning to be responsible and that I was still in control. Cole's prayers were about to be answered and God was about to show up in a major way!

The Secret That Shouldn't Be

What is this secret that shouldn't be. What if I told you that you have a debt bigger than your credit cards or mortgage or car payment. It is so large and you continually, hour to hour minute by minute add to it's balance. To paint the picture more clearly, you have absolutely no way of paying this debt off. You can't even slow it's growth. It is larger and grows faster then the national debt of the US. Worse yet, if the account isn't settled before our earthly lives end, the penalty is an eternity separated from God in Hell. What threats have your creditors used against you? Any this severe? Before we can begin to talk about car payments and mortgages and credit cards, we have to come to terms with this monster debt hanging over our heads keeping us in bondage. The bondage is our sin. Not a popular term in our culture. I am not afraid to say it. I am a sinner! Guess what so are you! That's right I said it. You're a sinner. We all are. No matter how much good you do in your life you will never be able to get this account closed out. You are in way over your head.
Now here is the secret that shouldn't be. This debt that we have, can be forgiven. Your account can be stamped "Paid In Full" today! Here is the answer. The ONLY answer! "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son. That who ever believes in Him will not die but, have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It's right there in your Bible. Put your faith in Christ. This is the only safe and secure place to put your trust. IRA's, Careers, People, and yes even Government will let you down. God had a plan from the beginning of time. Heaven demands perfection to gain admittance. NO EXCEPTIONS! Well since we know in our hearts that we have sinned how do we reconcile to God. God, who is just, showed us grace. He sent His son, Jesus, to earth (Remember the real meaning of Christmas). He lived a perfect and sinless life at the end of which He allowed that life to be nailed to the cross. He gave up His life for us (Good Friday, anyone??). But the secret isn't over yet. 3 days after this He rose to life (Easter). This is not metaphorical. It is literal. There were witnesses that saw His body and touch His wounds. When He rose He conquered death and created the way for you and I to be saved from the debt of our sin. I know what you are thinking, "Yeah, that's a good story for the kids but, come on . . . ". Think about this, many of those witnesses who saw him and many more who didn't, have given their own lifes in defense of this story. Who dies for a lie? I am not here to argue this point. That is not my purpose. But before you can hope to be free of whatever financial burden you are carrying you must first come to terms with Jesus Christ. Who is He to you? Truthfully, I pray that if you gain nothing else from our story posted at this blog at least come to grips with Jesus Christ. He was/is God and He did die and rise again for us all. While you might find some of the future posts helpful. What good have I done you if you gain some financial insight from our story yet, lose your soul for all eternity? God is and always will be my source of security in this life and the next. Until you put all your faith and trust there, money will continue to stress you out. Recognize God as the source of everything you have.
If you want to accept Him as your savior simply pray this prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I acknowledge my need for you. You alone can take away my sin debt. I thank you for your sacrifice made for me. I trust you and want you to come into my life. You are my Savior and my God."
If you prayed that prayer congratulations, the largest debt you have ever owed has just been forgiven. Your account is now and forever"Paid in Full" through the sacrifice of Christ! Every sin in your past, present and future is coverd. That is the amazing grace we often sing about but, seldom accept.

Where It Started

Let me start at the beginning and let you in on the secret of the Live Free Journey. Back on January 1st of 2010, when everyone was starting off on their resolutions, I found myself stuck. I really wanted the next year to be better but, I didn't know where to start. 2009 had been a year of wandering. I had a job and I was thankful for it but it did not have much of a future. The economy was in the tank and so was I. I pursued all kinds of things to try and find fullfillment. A new truck helped for a minute, but it didn't last. The new wore off and it used a lot of fuel for someone who wasn't making a whole lot of money. I went away to the country for a weekend but, my restlessness followed me there as well. I knew I was depressed, my wife knew I was depressed, even the dog knew I was depressed. I was standing on the threshold of either a new start or a very quick decline into deeper darkness. In a moment of guilt or utter frustration I made a decision.
I decided to start by returning to church on a regular basis. My wife had been going to a church near our home but, I hadn't been going with her. She seemed to really like it. Looking back now returning to church seems like such an obvious answer. Certainly one that a life long Christian and church attender should have picked up on much sooner. You see, I had gotten lazy and guilty in my faith. Essentially I was telling God, "I don't want to be around you right now. I want to try my own ways and when I get things straight I'll come back to you."
The church we attended, West Ridge Community Church, was quite a bit different from the church I'd grown up in. At first, this made me very skeptical but, after a couple of weeks I began to open up to it. I really loved the music. It reminded me of the music of my childhood. My father loved Rich Mullins. And Rich's music was in the background of a lot of my childhood memories. Come to find out the Pastor in Charge of Music was a good friend of Rich's that spent a good deal of time in music with Rich. Hence the memories it spurred in me. These memories led me to a study of Rich's life. There is a whole lot to discuss there. I'll cover it in a separate post.
It was in this Church where God began to soften my heart. I began to see a small glimpse of what I was seeking. The church was very laid back and it was easy to slip in and slip out without drawing attention. No one knew who I was and therefor had no expectations of me.
The church's attitude about money was different from what I had heard elsewhere. They talked about God not needing your money and that He wants your heart. They often said they didn't want you to give unless you had reached the point in your faith were you WANTED to give and could do so gladly. Well since I wasn't happy about giving, I didn't! Instead, I turned my attention to the music and the message (occasionally). But before too long something in me began to change in a big way. The change led me a bit closer to the Secret of the Live Free Journey. Here's a clue. . . It's Not About Me!

Change of Purpose

As 2010 has now passed into the history books and 2011 has arrived, I have decided to once again attempt to maintain a blog. So much happened last year that I have decided to repurpose this blog. Originally it was going to be about automotive topics and particularly the restoration of my Camaro but, in light of what has occured in my life I am changing the topic. Last March my wife and I embarked on an expedition of sorts. The ultimate end of the quest being a life without debt of anykind. Yes, including mortgage free living! The inspiration came from the life story of Rich Mullins as told by James Bryan Smith in his book "An Arrow Pointing to Heaven." The way Rich lived his life made me want to change mine dramatically. As so often happens when we ask God to do a work in us, He answers. With God's help and direction, as well as, wisdom shared with us from Pastor Barry Cameron of Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie,Texas, we decided the first change to be made was to become more purposeful with our resources and to get "Freed Up." We set a goal of being completely debt free in 7 years. Over the course of the next couple of posts I will take you from last March of 2010 up to the present day. I'll share our sucesses and failures along the way. You will see how far we have or have not come. Then I'll continue to mark our progress for you and let you see how we do. I hope this may be an encouragement to all who follow along and that it will inspire them to examine their own finances and decide to gear up for their own mission to be debt free.
As our country slowly climbs from the economic down turn we should all examine how we can strengthen our financial positions but, more than just that. We need to answer some questions along the way. For example, "Where does our hope for the future lie?" We have certainly seen where it should not be placed (Jobs, IRA's etc). Where do find security in life? Follow along and you'll get to see how we have decided to anwers these questions and you'll get to see how it goes for us. Lord willing in 7 years we'll be debt free and you'll know that it is possible! With God all things are possible (Math. 19:26b)!!