Its is well

It Is Well

Kristene DiMarco

Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard

Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well
Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
It is well with me

Far be it for me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see
And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of sea

So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name

It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

Tanya Brown

quote

Found this quote and found it pretty interesting.

"Don't worry about meeting the right people. If you meet with God, God will make sure you meet the right people at the right time. After all, there nobody that he doesn't know." ~Mark Batterson

New Toys and God's Abundance

Troy has been telling me about this guy called Dave Ramsey for a long time. Actually when I first met Troy, he was leading a bible study by written by Dave Ramsey. You could do a search for Dave Ramsey to see what he's all about if you don't already know. He's basically a financial advisor who has a radio program and writes books and speaks at conferences.

With all that being said, I'm hooked on this guy, Dave Ramsey. I listen to his radio program nearly every day at work via Dave's website. And needless to say, I'm working on getting out of debt, which I feel is God's best for my life.

Troy is working on getting out of debt too, but unfortunately I'm a little more hardcore serious about cutting back and living like a minimalist for a couple of years so that we can be completely debt free (including the house) in 5 years. In all reality, it will take us a bit longer unless a miracle happens. There are some incidentals which need to be paid (examples: braces for our 2 older kids, tires for the car).

So here are some steps we're taking to get the ball rolling:
#1 We've cut off our cable
#2 We've signed up with a different internet provider who has given us faster speeds and lower monthly payments
#3 We purchased an antennae for local TV shows
#4 We've purchase a Roku (streaming internet box) at a reduce price with Playon, so that we're still able to watch the Nascar races when they are playing on ESPN, instead of a local network
#5 We shopped around for cheaper insurance (both home and auto)
#6 Not that this counts, but we both are trying to get life insurance so if something were to happen to one of us, the other would be financially cared for. (I have to laugh because I'm having some issues getting life insurance because of all the traveling I've done in the last 5 years: Tanzania, Romania, Dominican Republic, & Nicaragua) They seem to frown upon the fact that I travel outside of the US so often. Who knew?
#7 I've been a coupon queen for quite a few years now, but that's just a consistent way to save money on groceries, shoes, clothes, and eating out
#8 We're working towards living on one of our income, and putting the other income all towards debt and mission work. Allowing God's abundance to flow through us, instead of stopping it for our personal gain.

Here's are my personal obstacles: I keep finding these deals which I can't seem to not purchase:
#1 I got a Archos G9 80 tablet for $40. The normally sell for $170.
#2 I found a Logitech Tablet Keyboard for Android 3.0+ for $18 at Target today. It normally sells for around $50. So I'm $58 into my tablet/keyboard combo, but now I have the capability of updating my blog, sending emails and keeping up better with my calendar in less time and effort than trying to use my phone. I'm really pleased with this little tablet and this full sized keyboard. I'm using it to type this blog update and it's AMAZING. But now I'm good for a while again without any new gadgets. :-) We'll see what the next item is that I can't live without.

So what are you doing to be more financially responsible?

Daily Challenge #36

Give...

That word just keeps floating around my head this morning.

Give what?
Give to whom?
What will is cost me?
What's in it for someone else?
Who has been praying for me to give?

Troy and I recently went on a mission trip to Nicaragua. I don't have any photos uploaded yet, but once I do, I'll be sure to add the link. We kept a blog while were there, so you can check it out here. The trip continues to capture my heart. From the people we met to the places we visited - there's just nothing like it. We met some people who sleep under the stars - they possess nothing but a few sticks used as cornerposts for their homes. We gave food to the less fortunate ("less fortunate" an understatement!) Yet the people all seemed content, even full of joy to share with us. As Americans our lives are so full that we miss the joy and contentment of life - just living should be enjoyable.

Again I hear a voice in my head saying, "give".

The Lord's prayer requests of God to give us our daily bread. Do I really depend on God to give me food? I have more than enough food in my kitchen to last weeks. Do I expect God to deliver me from temptation? I question that one, too.

One thing I do do, ask God to help me be a giver - to be generous with all I've been given. As you have received, freely give. My heart's desire is to know how to give... and what to give... and to know that God, the giver of all good gifts, will be honored by my giving. God gave us His one and only Son. He has blessed me with 3 sons. Why me - to have 3 amazing sons? Am I giving to them what they need to be givers of life and love and compassion and hope and charity and food? I want to raise up 3 passionate men who know God, the Giver of all good gifts, that they may give to all without finding fault. That's one of my deepest desires.

So, what are you giving? Who needs what you have? Do you believe that you're intended to give to others, and there is great JOY in giving? When is the last time you gave to someone in need? It may be overdue.

Find things to give. Seek out someone who needs God's grace. Give mercy where it may not seem justified. Give forgiveness to those who don't deserve it. Let something go.

Let this thought capture your heart: "It just might be more important to be kind than to be right."

Nicaragua Updates

Just a quick update from Nicaragua. You can read some updates on this blog:

http://nicaraguamission2012.blogspot.com/

Daily Challenge #35

What do you think about when you hear "Salt Life"?

Someone has taken those words and commercialized them, and they are making a killing at it! We see cars and SUVs with Salt Life window decals nearly every day. I think about Christ telling His disciples to be "the salt of the earth". Is that what the "Salt Life" is all about? After checking the website for Salt Life, I don't think that is what is meant. The skulls on the logo indicate to me that Christ's "salty" advice is not what they are emphasizing. But whatever the "Salt Life" window decals mean, I'm convinced that "Salt" and "Light" go together. Humor me for a minute.

Can you imagine going to the beach in the dark? Would seeing the partially clothed bodies have any appeal? How about listening to the waves but not being about to see them? Would that be a place you would want to go to on vacation? Personally I believe it's the light that gives the "Salt Life" so much meaning. But what do I know?

Maybe I can create a website and window decals which say, "Light Life". Think I could make a million dollars?

So the challenge is to think about the "salty" advice of Christ. What are you seeing with your eyes which draw your thoughts to Christ? What do you look at which pulls your affection away from Him? Next time you see a "Salt Life" window decal, you might think differently about what it means to you. Are you living the "Salt Life"?

Luke 11.34  Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.

Matthew 5.16  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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Nicaragua or Bust!!!

Hello,

Hope this email finds you well.

This last weekend our pastor was talking about how Jesus went to where the need was the greatest. He didn't wait for people to come to Him. This thought really set me thinking about our upcoming mission trip. Troy and I will be traveling to Nicaragua next month with City on a Hill United Methodist Church. We'll be co-leading the trip with another couple named Anna and Todd Mixon. We can hardly wait to see what God has in store for us in central America.

I've attached a letter, illustrating a few of things we'll be doing while were there. Please take a minute to read through.

We can use your prayers while we prepare for the trip and all the while were there.

Thanks in advance,

Tanya

Daily Challenge #34

What do others do for you that speaks clearly, "I love you"?

This is what Troy and I have been figuring out for each other. Troy does many things around the house, but that doesn't really express to me that he loves me. And I do things for him, but the message gets lost in the busyness of life. His "love language" is different than mine. Partly this comes from that fact that he's a guy and I'm a chick, but even then, we are very different.

When he helps out with the kids, that really helps me to know that he cares about the kids, and frees up some time for me to do other things. Parenting on the same page speaks clearly the Troy loves me and cares for me. (Crazy how love can be communicated!)

So what speaks "I love you" to you?

Your challenge is to make a list of these items. Troy was given a list of 61 items. If he could do one of these items every day, then he would be set for 2 months. Some are pretty hard to accomplish, but others would take very little effort. Some of the items he definitely would score lots of brownie points if he would do than more often!

Share the list with your friends, spouse, kids, anyone. It may benefit someone to know how you feel loved the most.

For me, I like to spend time with people - one on one communication. Anything we can do together, that's the key for me.

Daily Challenge #33

So my life got really busy all of a sudden.

• Been blessed with a new job which is a longer commute and more responsibility.
• School began for Michael & Alex - the older two kiddos. Carson is still hanging out at daycare.
• Carson is getting potty trained - (this is tough one for him!)
• Carson has moved from the crib to his racecar toddler bed.
• I've been selling lots of items on craigslist. 
• Trying to plan for Troy's birthday which is  2 weeks away.
• Preparing for a mission trip which is in 6 weeks - still trying to get our letters sent out.

So, what's going on with you? What's been happening in your world?

So your challenge: do something which has been on the back burner for far too long.

For me, I need to 1.) create and mail our support letter for the mission trip and 2.) write a couple letters to friends who have had some crazy life experiences.

Daily Challenge #32

Been slacking on getting out this Daily Challenge. Please accept my apologies for that.

Troy and I have been running everywhere! Welcome to summer insanity, right? Oh well, I'm sure we're not the only ones going through this craziness.

So our challenge today is to take a moment to sit back, relax and take a breather. Take at least 7 minutes to decompress.

Sit still. Let your muscle take a moment to relax. Focus on mind on something other than work, irritations, expectations, etc. Focus on a word: "Dreams". What would you really like to do? Where would you really like to be? 

We've had some good things happening in the Brown house in the last couple of weeks, but these good things are causing us to scamper around like fools. I need a breather, a true breath of fresh air.