I actually woke up smiling today, my first thought was this declaration: I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, and I am blessed, not because I deserve it (I don't), simply based on the finished work of Christ. Especially when I don't feel well, or am burdened, I try to set my thoughts on the right path with a statement of faith.
I'm a little DOWN...
Those blessings seemed far away after a few discussions with creditors dragged me back into reality. Yes, we are indebted, and like many of you have less money coming in than the previous years. We definitely had a lapse of faith and good judgment when we used credit to stay afloat during tough times.
Having said all that, I am off to my bible to seek solace because I know this is the wrong thought pattern which will lead me far away from where I need to be.
I'm UP AGAIN, Hallelujah!
I am once again filled with hope! I found myself in Genesis 15 where I had been studying the covenant God made with Abram and his descendants, although he had none at the time. Abram asked how he could be sure that he would actually receive what God promised, and God's reply was to perform the covenant ceremony binding the two of them.
Partway through the ritual, Abram fell into a deep sleep while God showed him the future of his people in a vision; when he awoke, he observed the final step where the participants would pass between the sacrificed animal halves (this was apparently to emphasize that the parties would rather be torn apart than break the covenant). What he saw was a smoking pot and a torch of fire pass through—essentially, God binding Himself by covenant.
Like Abraham, we are beneficiaries of a covenant that seems too good to be true. "But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8)
I am reminded that as promised, Abraham indeed had a child as a result of his faith, and that God made a way when it seemed all but impossible.
The conclusion? I am in covenant with God, who wants me to believe in the impossible.
DAY 4 - Eating from the Pantry
Breakfast was scrambled eggs, sausage patties and hash browns. I made Betty Crocker hash browns from a box because when they are on sale, I can get them for about 30 cents, and they are crispy and delicious. Cost for breakfast about $1.
Lunch was leftovers, no cost.
Dinner - we ate about 1/3 of the Three Bean Chili that I made yesterday. The entire pot cost about $6 to make and it will go a long way. I have all kinds of crackers in my stockpile because it's one of the items you can consistently get really cheap with B1G1 sales and coupons. For instance, I normally pay about 75 cents for a $3-$4 box of Ritz crackers.
Entire day's meals today cost about $4
One Final Thought
I'm so encouraged by what I've been reading and by doing a daily devotional with Neil. He tells me to "quit teaching" when he's satisfied and ready to move on with his day—I get lost in the excitement of discovering new things and lose track of time, where he must earn a living. We're different that way, and it's more than okay; there was a time when I would've been insulted, now, we just laugh.
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