Friday's seem to be the State of the Union in our marriage. We work, side by side, making upwards of 70 pepperoni pizzas to feed the hungry students of Troy Christian School. It's often the only time Yasar and I have to just talk.
This past Friday was enlightening. He made the statement, "Five years ago, we were invincible."
Money in the bank.
Credit scores in the high 700's.
Business sales were great.
Waiting until Andrew was 18 months old before adding to our family.
Building a new house.
What a difference 5 years can make. Foreclosure, bankruptcy, infertility, pregnancy loss, stagnant sales at the store. Bank account with nothing in it but moths.
Humility. Teamwork. Empathy. Growth and maturity that can only be earned through struggle. A love for each other that has been proven to withstand. A love for God that surpasses anything we've ever experienced. Those very painful lessons were clearly worth it.
Today, while singing "How Great Is Our God" at church, it became obvious. We've become invincible, finally. We are now invincible with God at our sides.
2 Cor 12:19 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts
3.07.2010
12.01.2009
Stepping Out In Faith
Generosity has been the topic in church these last few weeks.
It's a conviction that's constantly stabbing my heart. It's been a long time since we've had an income to tithe from. I hate not being able to give what I owe, especially to God.
Two weeks before Thanksgiving, God spoke to me. He asked me to believe in Him, to trust Him.
My little cheesecake venture was just getting off the ground.
So I promised Him that every penny I took in between then and the next Sunday would go into our church's harvest offering.
That was so hard. Especially when I needed ingredients to fill incoming orders and didn't really have the money to pay for them. It felt like Satan was tempting me at every turn that week.
But I kept my promise. I walked proudly and tearfully to the front of the church that next Sunday with my husband at my side, our envelope containing our widow's mite clutched in our hands.
I believed that God would bless me for my faithfulness. I believed that it would be a blessing in the form of more cheesecake orders.
And it was. The few days between Sunday and Wednesday were exhausting. I made and sold 24 cheesecakes in 4 days. I am so grateful to God for His faithfulness.
But that wasn't all. I don't necessarily believe in prosperity gospel, but God made a solid argument for it Monday.
The church secretary stopped at the store to give Yasar and I an envelope that was left for us at the church.
An anonymous envelope. Containing $500 cash.
If I could explain the thoughts and emotions that I experienced, opening that envelope. My Father cares so deeply for me. How He loves us!
I know He will carry is through this next test. The one that's no longer on the horizon. It's here.
The store is failing. Whether it's due to the economy, or the new competition moving into town, it doesn't really matter. We've had two of the worst weeks imaginable, and no resources to pull from to make it up. We need a miracle of Biblical proportions to keep the business going.
And I think about the foreclosure, and the fact that our house is up for sheriff's sale, but is not yet on the list. I wonder if this isn't God's timing. His plan. It all fits together a little too conveniently to pass it off as coincidence.
My mom told me yesterday that my dad's got an appointment with the heart specialist this week. That his PCP ran an EKG on him and must have a concern with the results. A few years ago he had a quadruple bypass, and he's an uncontrolled diabetic.
I wonder if God's not setting the stage for us to move back to Pennsylvania.
I trust Him. Whatever is coming, He's shown me in a very palpable way that He's in control.
Stepping out in faith is becoming a habit.
It's a conviction that's constantly stabbing my heart. It's been a long time since we've had an income to tithe from. I hate not being able to give what I owe, especially to God.
Two weeks before Thanksgiving, God spoke to me. He asked me to believe in Him, to trust Him.
My little cheesecake venture was just getting off the ground.
So I promised Him that every penny I took in between then and the next Sunday would go into our church's harvest offering.
That was so hard. Especially when I needed ingredients to fill incoming orders and didn't really have the money to pay for them. It felt like Satan was tempting me at every turn that week.
But I kept my promise. I walked proudly and tearfully to the front of the church that next Sunday with my husband at my side, our envelope containing our widow's mite clutched in our hands.
I believed that God would bless me for my faithfulness. I believed that it would be a blessing in the form of more cheesecake orders.
And it was. The few days between Sunday and Wednesday were exhausting. I made and sold 24 cheesecakes in 4 days. I am so grateful to God for His faithfulness.
But that wasn't all. I don't necessarily believe in prosperity gospel, but God made a solid argument for it Monday.
The church secretary stopped at the store to give Yasar and I an envelope that was left for us at the church.
An anonymous envelope. Containing $500 cash.
If I could explain the thoughts and emotions that I experienced, opening that envelope. My Father cares so deeply for me. How He loves us!
I know He will carry is through this next test. The one that's no longer on the horizon. It's here.
The store is failing. Whether it's due to the economy, or the new competition moving into town, it doesn't really matter. We've had two of the worst weeks imaginable, and no resources to pull from to make it up. We need a miracle of Biblical proportions to keep the business going.
And I think about the foreclosure, and the fact that our house is up for sheriff's sale, but is not yet on the list. I wonder if this isn't God's timing. His plan. It all fits together a little too conveniently to pass it off as coincidence.
My mom told me yesterday that my dad's got an appointment with the heart specialist this week. That his PCP ran an EKG on him and must have a concern with the results. A few years ago he had a quadruple bypass, and he's an uncontrolled diabetic.
I wonder if God's not setting the stage for us to move back to Pennsylvania.
I trust Him. Whatever is coming, He's shown me in a very palpable way that He's in control.
Stepping out in faith is becoming a habit.
11.16.2009
Cottage Industry
What's been keeping me so busy lately?
Why, cheesecakes, of course!
You all know how hard these last few months have been for us. Between the economy, the cheap-o competition moving into town, bankruptcy, losing the house, losing Leila...wow, I'm really glad I'm not one of those people compelled to write an update letter to send with my Christmas cards!
Anyway, I prayed. I want to get this certain game for Andrew for Christmas. And, with no income to speak of, I was pulling my hair out, trying to figure out how.
As always, God provided.
When we built this house, my husband wanted to honor my creative side and spent $2300 on an almost-top of the live oven. And I spent about a year perfecting my cheesecake method.
(perfecting - that's funny. many times they still don't come out perfect!)
I threw it out there on Facebook, asking friends if they would be willing to purchase my cheesecakes.
That was about a week ago. Since then, I've sold 15 cheesecakes, and have another 10 orders behind it.
And I'm happy, you know?
It's so nice to feel like I'm doing something productive. I get up at 5am, plug my mp3 player in my ears, worship and talk to God. My kitchen is so much cleaner.
Of course, it makes it hard to stay on Weight Watchers. But I'm working on that.
So, that's why it's been so quiet here. If you're nosy (I sure am!) and on Facebook, you can look up my menu by searching for "cheesecakes by emily". Leave some input - what do you think would be a great cheesecake flavor? Or just leave a little note of encouragement. Those are always cherished. And while you're there, make me your friend. :)
Why, cheesecakes, of course!
You all know how hard these last few months have been for us. Between the economy, the cheap-o competition moving into town, bankruptcy, losing the house, losing Leila...wow, I'm really glad I'm not one of those people compelled to write an update letter to send with my Christmas cards!
Anyway, I prayed. I want to get this certain game for Andrew for Christmas. And, with no income to speak of, I was pulling my hair out, trying to figure out how.
As always, God provided.
When we built this house, my husband wanted to honor my creative side and spent $2300 on an almost-top of the live oven. And I spent about a year perfecting my cheesecake method.
(perfecting - that's funny. many times they still don't come out perfect!)
I threw it out there on Facebook, asking friends if they would be willing to purchase my cheesecakes.
That was about a week ago. Since then, I've sold 15 cheesecakes, and have another 10 orders behind it.
And I'm happy, you know?
It's so nice to feel like I'm doing something productive. I get up at 5am, plug my mp3 player in my ears, worship and talk to God. My kitchen is so much cleaner.
Of course, it makes it hard to stay on Weight Watchers. But I'm working on that.
So, that's why it's been so quiet here. If you're nosy (I sure am!) and on Facebook, you can look up my menu by searching for "cheesecakes by emily". Leave some input - what do you think would be a great cheesecake flavor? Or just leave a little note of encouragement. Those are always cherished. And while you're there, make me your friend. :)
1.04.2009
There's a Reason Why My Man Doesn't Shop!
Oh, the agony! I'm down with the flu, you know, that yucky achy crap, and I needed my husband to run to the store to pick up some photos I'm sending to my dad. Yasar asked if there's any food-type stuff he needs to buy, and I gave him a list of loss leaders from today's paper.
He came home with what I asked him to, plus a few extras. They must have seen him coming.
Meijer is running a $1 special on bags of Dole salad mix - but he must have picked up the wrong kind and ended up spending $2.99/bag.
Andrew suckered him into buying strawberries, a 1 lb box for $2.50 ("it was on special").
And then, the best of all, a teeny, tiny little box of red raspberries, to the tune of $3.49. Ack! He says, "how can you say no to Andrew when he wants something?". Hmph, glad that's a skill I possess, or he'd eat us straight to the poorhouse with his off-season tastes.
Unfortunately, Andrew dove straight into the raspberries...my kid is no fool. Meanwhile I'm pulling a knit cap over my greasy hair and headed back to the store in my pj's to exchange food.
Lesson learned. No hubbys allowed at the grocery store, especially not with kids. There won't be a next time.
He came home with what I asked him to, plus a few extras. They must have seen him coming.
Meijer is running a $1 special on bags of Dole salad mix - but he must have picked up the wrong kind and ended up spending $2.99/bag.
Andrew suckered him into buying strawberries, a 1 lb box for $2.50 ("it was on special").
And then, the best of all, a teeny, tiny little box of red raspberries, to the tune of $3.49. Ack! He says, "how can you say no to Andrew when he wants something?". Hmph, glad that's a skill I possess, or he'd eat us straight to the poorhouse with his off-season tastes.
Unfortunately, Andrew dove straight into the raspberries...my kid is no fool. Meanwhile I'm pulling a knit cap over my greasy hair and headed back to the store in my pj's to exchange food.
Lesson learned. No hubbys allowed at the grocery store, especially not with kids. There won't be a next time.
1.02.2009
Saving $$$ Eating Out with Andrew
Instead of buying a "kid's meal" for Andrew when we go out to eat, we've been road-testing sharing our meals with him. We just ask for another plate, and divy up the choicest goodies from our plates for him.
The upside to this is threefold - we're saving money, introducing him to different tastes, and providing healthier fare for his (rapidly) growing body. Think about this - you go out to your local diner. Under kid's meals, they have what? Hot dog/hamburger/the ubiquitous chicken nugget/spaghetti or tacos if you're in an ethnic restaurant. And you're likely paying $3 to $4 a pop for something that's overprocessed and probably fried (because they all come with fries, right?).
When we split our meal with Andrew, he's being exposed to different types of food. While visiting PA this past week, my parents, Andrew, and I went to a small diner. My mom, ever the maverick of the group, ordered liver and onions. She asked Andrew if he'd like a bite. He tried it, even swallowed it, before refusing seconds. I held my tongue through this whole minidrama so he wouldn't be swayed by my gagging noises. Gotta say I was pretty proud of him!
The downside? Andrew's five now. The age of independence. He's getting harder to compromise with when it comes to menu selection. While at another restaurant this past week, he was adamant that he wanted a hot dog. We asked the price of *just a hot dog*, and the answer was $3.50. Gulp! He was most unhappy about it, but was required to share my turkey and gravy. He also got the pick of everyone else's plates. I know I looked like the mean mommy to my family and friends, but his healthy eating is very important to me. And our financial future is, too.
Oh, and we're teaching him about drinking water at restaurants. I half-jokingly told my sister I was going to start carrying those individual drink mix packets for just this situation, especially after seeing the bill and realizing that we paid almost $2 for each kid's drink!
What do you do to tame the bill while eating out with kids? And, do you think carrying those drink mixes is ethical?
The upside to this is threefold - we're saving money, introducing him to different tastes, and providing healthier fare for his (rapidly) growing body. Think about this - you go out to your local diner. Under kid's meals, they have what? Hot dog/hamburger/the ubiquitous chicken nugget/spaghetti or tacos if you're in an ethnic restaurant. And you're likely paying $3 to $4 a pop for something that's overprocessed and probably fried (because they all come with fries, right?).
When we split our meal with Andrew, he's being exposed to different types of food. While visiting PA this past week, my parents, Andrew, and I went to a small diner. My mom, ever the maverick of the group, ordered liver and onions. She asked Andrew if he'd like a bite. He tried it, even swallowed it, before refusing seconds. I held my tongue through this whole minidrama so he wouldn't be swayed by my gagging noises. Gotta say I was pretty proud of him!
The downside? Andrew's five now. The age of independence. He's getting harder to compromise with when it comes to menu selection. While at another restaurant this past week, he was adamant that he wanted a hot dog. We asked the price of *just a hot dog*, and the answer was $3.50. Gulp! He was most unhappy about it, but was required to share my turkey and gravy. He also got the pick of everyone else's plates. I know I looked like the mean mommy to my family and friends, but his healthy eating is very important to me. And our financial future is, too.
Oh, and we're teaching him about drinking water at restaurants. I half-jokingly told my sister I was going to start carrying those individual drink mix packets for just this situation, especially after seeing the bill and realizing that we paid almost $2 for each kid's drink!
What do you do to tame the bill while eating out with kids? And, do you think carrying those drink mixes is ethical?
9.01.2008
My Materialistic Son
They say 4-going-on-5 is an impressionable age. I'd say they're right, but may have the gift of understatement. Andrew's a sweet kid, but a bit of a follower. And, like most kids his age, everything advertised on TV becomes part of his wish list. I thought it was bad before, but this past week has shoved him into overdrive.
It all started with the Audi dealership. Hubby had to take his car down to the dealer to get the stereo reprogrammed. And, while they were waiting for the service to be completed, it seems that Andrew got to check out all the expensive cars in the lot. Heck, the nice receptionist even gave Andrew a little Matchbox car Audi to take with him.
Then, to add fuel to the fire, the next day Andrew and hubby headed off for the Disneyland of opulence. Hubby's family is pretty well off. They've got a huge home, expensive cars, vacation properties, yadda yadda. So after a few days of being thrusted into the fire, Andrew came home with a terrific hunger for all things expensive.
Top it all off with a husband who naturally wants to indulge Andrew and give him everything he didn't have as a youngster, and we've got a mess on our hands.
Hence, the allowance.
What we're doing is working with a basic chore chart and star stickers. Each sticker is worth a nickel. If he completes his task with minimum direction, he gets 2 stars, if he needs to be reminded it's reduced to one star, and if I have to hover over him it's a no-pay. I know some of you out there will say how harsh that sounds, or that a child Andrew's age isn't capable of understanding the foundations of finances, but unfortunately this is the life we're living.
Hubby isn't the only one who wants to indulge Andrew, you know. It tears at my heart when Andrew asks for something and I'm left to explain that we don't have the means at this time. I know it's an important lesson, and can prevent him from future heartbreak, but that doesn't make it less painful.
So therein comes Part B of the plan. The 80-10-10 plan. Yeah, yawn, haven't heard that one before, right? But it's something I missed in my childhood, and I wonder where I'd be if I hadn't. I think, if I'd saved 10% of all the money I'd ever made, man-oh-man....
So, go ahead. Flame me if you want. But maybe, just maybe, if Andrew's earning his own money, he'll start to grasp the concept of fiscal responsibility early. I'm hoping, because just today he told me how he's going to "waste all the money he wants when he grows up".
Yikes!
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