I Stand All Amazed....

Okay, so again I stand amazed by the little things that give me hope to keep carrying on with the trials in life.  The stress over the house and other financial matters keeps building.  I've been trying to figure out what we are supposed to do.  We didn't get the rental house that we thought might be the answer to our prayers, and although I've applied at several places in town, I haven't even gotten one call back.

Things have been slightly stressed.

So we decided to get away for a few days and go on vacation.

We went home.

We spent a lot of time with family and at the family store The Chocolate Box.

One day when we were there, Hank started talking to a young man that he had known when he was in our church's young men's program several years ago.  The young man had gone on a mission for our church and while there had suffered terrible carbon monoxide poisoning.  He had been sent home early and fought hard to get back to a normal life despite some terrible health issues.

When we returned from vacation, Hank sent a letter to the mission leader of this young man's mission.  Apparently the man was a warden at one of the prisons with which Hank works.  He wanted him to know that this young man was doing well and recovering.

The mission leader responded almost immediately thanking Hank for the information and the two struck up an email "conversation".  Hank was excited to know that an LDS member could indeed succeed in the strange prison system we find ourselves working for.  The warden said he was actually just getting ready to move next week to another prison complex where he would advance and there was hope.  Hank was told to "keep in touch."

Immediately Hank went and looked up the new prison area.  Funny to find out, it was one of the prisons that had just pulled his paperwork for consideration on a paid move to a lieutenant's position.  I'm not saying anything will happen.  It could all just be an interesting "HUH" moment....but I still stand amazed by the little things in life.

“Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.  (Alma 37:6.)

I truly stand amazed and again have hope that the Lord is truly looking out for me and my little family through the stupid mistakes that we make each day.

Fast & Testimony Sunday

Now, let me start out by saying that I am not a super religious person.  I'm not saying that I don't DEEPLY believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I'm not saying that I don't try and live it in my life and be a better person.  I guess I'm saying that I don't usually talk about it.  In most ways, I don't usually talk about myself much at all if I can help it.

But I wanted to share my testimony today.  Partly because I don't think I could really bare it outright.  Partly because I want my family to know that I do believe.  And partly for myself.  I don't have a very good memory these days.  (Something that frightens me a little...)  So I find myself having to "learn" the same lessons over and over again.  I keep having to relearn my testimony of certain things.

Today, for me, I wanted to share my testimony of fasting.

I have had in the past year more experiences with the power of fasting and prayer than ever before in my life.  I am a little ashamed to say that I used to HATE fast Sunday.  To fast for one meal was not a good experience for me, and I never fasted for more than that.  Two meals was way beyond my abilities.

Well, that's changed.  Remind me sometime to tell you my experience with fasting and the speeding ticket, or fasting and the Ward Break the fast.  Right now I want to share something that happened today.  In some ways, it's such a little thing.  Certainly in the scheme of my stress level, it's not as big as the ticket experience.  Or as "out there" as the Break the fast experience.  But I guess it was the little things and how they all had to work together to answer this prayer today.

Let me start by saying, I've been a little stressed lately.  You all know that I am having problems with our house and mortgage company.  We are on the verge of losing it.  I stress over it daily.  I dream of being kicked out.  I'm a little concerned right now.  (Hey, I've made 3 batches of No-bakes in one week if that says anything.)  I try not to show it but it eats at me.

After reading about how Ken and Sherry paid off their debt this week, I've been thinking alot about money.  I know we need to do better.  A little less eating out.  A little less luxuries.  A little less wants.  With having lost my craft money lately, we've been a  little more tight than normal.  I wasn't making a lot, but every little bit helps.

So when Fast Sunday came around.  I decided to fast about money.  Not really anything more than that.  I probably should have in the grand scheme of things.  But I was hoping for just some general inspiration.  Some idea of how to stretch things.  For peace in getting rid of our house.  For a cheaper, better place for us to go.  Just money in general.

I admit, as I thought and pondered my weekly goals during Sacrament, I made a goal to put every little bit I could towards paying off the dreaded American General loan.  It's our big monkey right now.  I felt at peace about it.  I'm not sure how to go about doing it since there really isn't extra money and I have lost all my craft business money.  But I felt good about the goal.

Now, let me take a side trip here and say that it was not a good night at the Elliott house last night.  Hank came down with some sort of food bug.  He was up all night throwing up and, well, you know.  It wasn't pleasant.  So neither of us slept well.  In the morning, I got up and ran to Walmart to buy him some medicine to help with...THE PROBLEM.  (Hope you aren't too nauseous now and he doesn't kill me for mentioning this to the world, but it really is essential to the story.) 

Yea, I broke the Sabbath this morning and bought some medicine.  I've been trying hard to not do that, but I did think it was a necessity.  My ox was pretty darn sick (if you catch my drift.)  Anyway, while I was at Walmart I went ahead and bought a newspaper.  I bought a local paper and an Indy paper.  Something I don't normally do.  I haven't been good at clipping coupons lately so I haven't bothered getting a paper.  And when I do get a paper, the Indy coupons are usually better so that's what I buy.  But today I bought both.

When I got home, I pulled out the front page to see what Hobby Lobby had on sale today.  Just curious.  Was just glancing through the front section.  So then, I left the paper there and we carried on the day.

Fast forward a few hours.

We went to church and came home.  I fixed the kids our regular lunch of Pancakes and Waffles.  After they were done, Hank came down and decided he felt okay enough to eat.  I made him some eggs.  While I did, he sat at the kitchen table and looked through the paper.  He read the classifieds.

He found a computer.  A good computer for a good price.

This may not mean much to you, but we had planned to buy Henry a computer with our income tax return.  The one that we got him at Christmas wasn't cutting it and had completely shut down.  So we were planning to go and get him a better one.  We had budgeted $500.00.  (I know you're probably thinking "what the heck?" when we are having money problems....but trust me...he needs this for school, and for my sanity.)  So we were going to purchase it anyway.

I almost told Hank to go buy it yesterday.  But the weather was so bad and I was already running kids everywhere.  So I didn't say anything (yea, a rare thing.)

So, when we found this good computer for 2/5 of what we had planned to pay for it, I was amazed.  Then, when Hank called the number, he got through quickly and the "Happy Fairy" on the other line still had the computer and was heading down to Walmart.  He could bring it to us.  We didn't have to wait until tomorrow and take a chance of losing it.

The only thing that went wrong was that I had been prompted to pull out money this morning when I went to Walmart, but I didn't listen.  I wanted to get as much money out of our account as possible so I didn't take a chance of spending it.  So I had thought to take it out and put it somewhere safe until we needed it.  I didn't listen.  I left it.  So when the "Happy Fairy" came, I had to run to the bank.  Not a big deal, but just something else I was prompted and blessed about.

I don't know if you caught the whole story here with all my rambling on (I tend to do that when I'm tired.)  But with all the little strange things that happened today, we were blessed to save $300.00.  This money can now go towards paying a little bit more off of the dreaded American General.  A little bit more towards relieving the stress and debt.  A lot more towards strengthening my testimony of fasting.

So I want you guys to know that I do have a STRONG testimony.  It's taken a lot of need and problems to get me to put my faith in this principle of the gospel, but now, I know it will help me in surprising ways.  And I know that my problems with money are not over.  We still will probably lose the house.  I'm not sure that miracle is in my future.  But as well as my testimony of fasting...my testimony of the Lord's hand in my life is slowly growing too.  And I'm thankful for that lesson, because it's one that is taking me a LONG time to learn.