When God Says Keep a Stiff Upper Lip

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Man. Sometimes it's hard to be a good sport.

Tom bought a new car, deciding to finance it rather than wait for funds due him October 26th. Our financial adviser (with whom I often disagree) said Tom would be crazy to do it any other way.

Well. When Tom drove to our bank for a cashier's check, he discovered we have less money than we thought. At home, I went over the checkbook, found a couple of my mistakes, but still am unconvinced that the bank hasn't made their share.

So basically, we are back to living like much of our country--paycheck to paycheck. Back to where we lived for decades. #@$!#$ It positively rattled me to put some of our emergency fund into our checking account. But at least we do have savings this time.

Tom promises he'll sell some of his musical stuff and at year's end, there'll be an extra check from his job.

Oh, it's hard not to fume. And I confess, I've done some major fuming (no 'A' for me on this test), not to mention a little crying when I, this dark morning, whispered good-bye to our car which served us faithfully 14 years and could've gone another 200,000 miles (according to certain sources).

Believe it or not, I had to remind (and convince) myself that our car won't feel hurt, abandoned, when Tom trades it in today. (Too many Disney cartoons?)

So no more redecorating purchases for awhile. No more books from online. No more thoughts of buying another house. Although... there's this one (in a good neighborhood) which is such a low price, that we'd have leftover money to both repair the house and our bank account--

But Tom insists it has no curb appeal. (I'd like to know what you think. Well, truthfully, if you agree with me that it's fine and just needs a little love. heh.) 

All I know is most rooms need only cosmetic attention, like this dining room whose large window looks out to the backyard:

Love that! And can't you just imagine that room after I'd get a hold of it, perhaps making it a bit like this?--

Okay. Enough whining.

There are people starving out there and at war or facing hurricanes and our country's a divided mess and my problems are ridiculously small in comparison. I know, I know.

But I just thought I'd share what's going on 'round here in case you are experiencing something similar.

I get it.
I understand.
I am empathizing with you.

And I'm so incredibly thankful that God gets it, understands and empathizes with each of us. 

May we all allow Him to keep us hopeful, cheerful, contented and imaginative-with-what-we-already-have in the tighten-our-belts days ahead.

He's so great at that, actually. But only if we've learned how to receive the comfort we seek, rather than race around chasing it over in Futility Land.

"For He knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust."   ... Psalm 103:14


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"Be strong and courageous. ... Do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”   Joshua 1:9

"Don’t let a bad break cause you to settle where you are. Move forward and God will pay you back. Move forward and you’ll come into a new beginning. Nothing that has happened to you is a surprise to God."   ...  Joel Osteen


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Oh, and for my friends who enjoy those odd, quirky documentaries on Netflix (you know who you are), here's another one:

The 100 Years Show

It's relatively short and quite interesting. Lots of awesome photos of her as a young woman, also. Oh, and I prefer her more complicated art pieces over the simpler ones. But then, what do I really know about 'modern art'?


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Free Kindle Books:


Anne of Green Gables: The Complete Collection

Tom Sawyer:  The Complete Collection

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