I’ve heard my husband say, “everything’s going up but a man’s wages”, numerous times and while things have gone up the past 2o years, I don’t think it can compare to current times.
As many of you know, my husband is a cowboy and a cowboy’s wages are pretty slim pickins’. It’s no big secret either, it’s just the way it is. We’ve had hard times and we’ve had REALLY hard times but we always get through it. I’m not afraid of being poor but it does get tiresome to always struggle. And when you add kids into it, well……..
For the longest time I would feel sorry for us, asking why can’t we get ahead or why we do others have more good fortune than us. It’s so hard to save money when you don’t have any left to save, you know? Several months ago, I told my husband we needed to tithe more. Of course he was resistant because we don’t have that much extra to give but I explained my conviction for it. Through these same months, we have had several expensive situations come into play for our family. We’ve also had money coming in unexpectedly from a place or two. I was whining about how every time we get a nice chunk of money, something happens and we have to spend it all. And then my good friend said, “On a more positive note though, at least you had the money to pay for those situations”. And she was right…While we may have been unfortunate in some instances, we were blessed in others.
No matter what the new year brings, I’ll be content as long as me, my family, and God are one.
Proverbs 24:3-4
Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms shall be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I know the day-to-day struggle is difficult, but you are rich far beyond the bottom line of your checkbook — as you already know. Have a Merry Christmas, my friend!
A Cowboy's Wife says
Thank you Tara, I keep trying to tell myself that.
Erica Mueller says
It is said too that you’ll spend what you have. If you have an extra $200/month it somehow gets spent, even tho you made it through the previous month without it. This is why budgetting… knowing where every cent of your checks will go before they come in, is so important. It’s kind of like your Tithing. You’ve dedicated to set that aside, so spending it isn’t an option and you get by on what’s left.
We do what we have to do.
My husband takes a MAJOR pay cut starting in Jan. At first it was really scary because it meant his check no longer paid for our rent/utilities. But, in the past 3 weeks since we’ve known we’ve budgeted, taken on extra side jobs and more than made up the difference. We’re not going to be comfortable or have extra, but we’re going to make it and I think we’ll be stronger because of it.
A Cowboy's Wife says
If it wasn’t for my blogging, we would not make it. Budgeting has helped and we plan to do more in 2013.
Prayers for you and yours!
Vicki says
We have this same conversation at our house. This morning my dear hubby read psalm 73 to me and we busted out laughing! In the new living translation it is David complaint about the fat cats getting richer while we still struggle! Too funny! So the same conversation has been going on for years! Keep your trusin God Lori. We may never be rich or even comfortable, but God will provide for all our needs! He has kept our family fed and clothed all these years and I have no doubts who is my provider. Certainly not the one writing the paychecks. Thank goodness!!
Mary Beth Elderton says
I know the kind of times you are talking about, When I look back, I think your friend is absolutely right. Just when I’d get some unexpected chunk of money or manage to get ahead a bit–wham–something would happen. The good thing was that that bit of money was there to get us through. I also look back and see that having struggled makes me really appreciate things in ways that people who have it easier don’t even see.
A Cowboy's Wife says
I agree that our struggles have made us more appreciative of everything, including each other. There are some hidden blessings in these hard times. ;)
Sunnie says
Dont I know it, its been real crazy around here! My husband is a truck driver, the semi bills are so high! Much bigger then our household bills. Well, he has his own rig and he c ant truck any more becuase the plates are $2500, thats yearly. He is a hard working man, and things always work out, but its been a long one this time. We took in our three nieces and nephews who were in a very bad place from my sister, they came with some random clothes. We love the chaoticness (its actually not a nut house, they get along pretty good and we have rules and a schedule that I have to stick to for my sanity!) and there is so much love here! he ages are 2, 7,7,8,9 my girls are 7 9. We went from a family of four to seven! Thank God we just happened to buy a big conversion van in the summer, (not knowing anything about this!) I cant loose these kids, maybe you can pray once that they stay. This is the third time for them, anyways times are super tight here! And living in the country I cant leave the house becuase of gas. But I do know how to make a dinner go far, and a menu plan helps big time!
Tracy @ Hall of Fame Moms says
God wants us to trust Him. My mom has said (I don’t know how many times) –
You can never out-give God. ;)
Brandi says
Really, really, really needed to read this today! Thank you for posting, Lori. No matter how much we want to be in “control” of things, we aren’t and never will be. God is in control, He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He provides for our EVERY need…and for that I am so thankful. Praying that you and your family have a blessed Christmas and new year! :)
Cindy C. says
I had a divine attitude adjustment a couple years back that was dramatic to me. It probably wouldn’t have been a big deal for anyone else, but it really hit me smack between the eyes. We made a conscious decision for me to be home many years ago. Things were always tighter than most of our friends, but we managed. Then, he lost his job and we were 4 1/2 years without regular work. At one point during that time, everyone online was talking about school clothes shopping and I was feeling sorry for myself one night doing laundry. Just ONCE in their life, I’d like to be able to just take my kids clothes shopping and get everything they needed. All of a sudden it hit me, doing all this laundry, God had blessed us SO much with clothes from hand-me-downs that I’d never had to shop for much. I mean, for all 4 of our kids…clothes, “pressed down, shaken together and running over”. I just didn’t want to see it. Great post, Lori!!!
Lauralee Hensley says
I know that when I complain about money issues and others having more than us, my husband says things like, “Really you have to say we are blessed. Our son has rarely been sick or hurt enough to have to go to a Doctor.” He’s right, to the Dr. once for chicken pox and to the Dr. once for a broken arm. I mean he wasn’t living at the Dr. office like I was when I was a kid. I mean my folks constantly had to take me due to really bad ear infections and other childhood viral diseases that I always seemed to get very ill with. I mean I really didn’t even need to take my son to the Dr. for the chicken pox, he had a mild case, but I had to get a Dr. excuse to be able to call off work to be able to stay home and look after him. My employer, well actually the supervisor on duty that weekend was a real pain. Though I hadn’t called off any that year, she still made me get the excuse simply because it was a weekend call off. The emergi care clinic that was open that weekend was like, we really don’t want people coming in with these illnesses if they are not sick enough to need a Doctors care because the illness could be spread to others in the clinic that are already immune compromised with ear infections and such. I explained why. Yet, they were happy that I went inside first and told them I thought my son had chicken pox. They didn’t let him come through the waiting room to expose others. They had us come in through the back door and took us to a non patient room to give him a real quick check over. Then they gave my husband the chicken pox vaccine because he’d never had the chicken pox as a child. They were actually more worried about my husband then my son. They told my husband to stay away from our son while he still had a fever, even though they gave him the vaccine. Besides my husband had to work that weekend too. So, I think about all the Dr. bills and medicines we could have paid for compared to other people, and we saved lots of money there. So my husband likes to think the tithe in our situation pays for our son’s health.
Natalie J Vandenberghe says
I believe if you tithe, the Lord will bless you.
cassie l. says
I know my husband and I grew up in a family with “less” and our parents with even “less”. I wonder if they (our parents) feel that we are “struggling” like they did b/c even though we think it’s a struggle, I know that we have more today as a family than my family did growing up? (that totally made sense in my head — )
Anyway, I wondered if you had ever heard of this blog: To Love, Honor and Vacuum/ http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/ I’ve been going through my reader and just read a post (from sometime in December I think it was) about saving/spending and how to save more. I thought I’d mention it as the author is a Christian woman and every post seeks to examine issues from a Christian and/or Biblical perspective. I will warn you that she has a LOT of posts on sex — having more and better sex, which is what drew me to the blog. It may or may not be a blog you are interested in, but I know you had mentioned that you are continuing on building your faith. And I can say that I don’t always agree with the stuff but it always makes me think.
Carla Smith says
Love your page! I also have been trying to tithe more. My husband is a hobby Cowboy i guess u can say because he has a full time paying job But we love our horses and he is very committed to roping and training … God bless you :)