here I am...

After being reminded that I haven't blogged in awhile.. I'm here. Life has been happening one minute at a time, minute after minute. Overall things are good. I'm taking two different classes, one is Financial Peace University and the other is the bible study for Fireproof. Both have really changed my way of seeing things around me already.

Financially, we are doing good. The class has gotten me to do a budget, which really opened our eyes to what we were spending. All I can say is WOW. We blew a lot of money. The class teaches you to tell your money what to do, not let it control you. Since doing the budget, and I mean a serious budget.. down to what we spend on gas, groceries, toiletries, dog food... lol.. we have been able to complete baby step one in the program and we are rolling right along on baby step two. We have paid off 2 credit cards and are close to paying off a 3rd. It is a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to see our money working for us, not against us. I have our goal set at being free of all credit cards in the next 2-3 years, and having the house paid off in the next 10 years if not sooner. :)

As for the FireProof bible study, it focuses on relationships. Mostly on marraige, but the principles can be used in others. It has made me think more deeply about my marraige with Patrick, although it is great, there is always room for improvement. This past Sunday, one of our verses to look up was from Proverbs. It talked about what a Godly woman should strive for. It talked about the 'perfect' woman, although that is not possible, for noone is perfect.
Proverbs 31:1-31.. read it.. makes you really think. I want to be more like that woman. Strong, productive, industrious, loving, kind, trustworthy, treasured above rubies or money. It really paints a new picture of what the bible's ideal woman is. It is not the domestic housewife in a pretty apron serving her husbands every whim. It is a much stronger woman, one who had value far above her duties as a wife. It's quite powerful.

This has all gotten me thinking about the things that I was (not)taught growing up. I was never taught how to manage my money or how to be a God-fearing woman, how to be a mother, a wife. Sure I observed a lot, but not really the 'right' things. Even to this day, there has not been a good example of setting priorities and having your family first. My own mother puts her volunteer work ahead of her family. Sure it is a great thing to volunteer, but family should be first and foremost next to God. My mom doesn't have the religion that I do, so I guess that should move family to the #1 priority slot. Her dedication to the ambulance service is great, but at times it feels like she is more worried about the recognition from that than from her own family. She'd rather be a great EMT than a great Mother. Totally backwards to me, but what do you do?
I was never taught how to pay bills, how to prioritize my money, budget, nothing. Well, except for balancing a checkbook, my dad did teach me that. Looking at my entire family, there really wasn't much financiall responsibility taught. My parents did well in teaching me to work for what I wanted, but I was raised with getting loans to buy things then pay for them. Now through FPU I can see that is not the way to go. It only makes you slave to the master, the master being the lending companies. I don't want to be a slave to the master anymore, not to credit cards, loans, or even my own money. I want to tell it where to go not vice versa. :) So far it is working well.

Ok Tiff, hope that works for you as a blog post.. lol.. I could keep going but it is nearly lunch time.