Blessings

I'm a planner. It keeps me sane. Especially where money is concerned. Our income is a set amount and I know where the wiggle room is, so it's fairly easy to look ahead and figure out what needs to be saved for. I've been setting aside money for Steve's birthday since July, I'm already planning Christmas presents, you get the idea. It helps to have a plan when you're on a tight budget. I've also learned throughout my marriage that Steve sees it as a sign of respect to him that I stay within our budget and don't "surprise" him with spending. Okay, sometimes I still struggle with this one, but anyway...

The reality of a tight budget, though, is that you can't plan for everything. Something will come up that I've forgotten or didn't know about, and we have to get creative or do without it. I used to think the "do without" option wasn't an option, especially if it was something small. I'm not talking about a Caribbean cruise, but if I wanted to spend $100 on new Fall clothes for Bella, I didn't see the big deal. Thankfully, God has humbled me, inspired me, taught me...and taught me some more.

On to our blessings! As I was looking ahead at the next few months and planning for things that would come up, I knew we didn't have money for Halloween costumes. Now, this isn't really a big deal in the grand scheme of eternity, but since having children, I have come to LOVE Halloween! We didn't really do it as a kid, so I enjoy dressing Bella up even more! I was originally thinking about convincing Bella (bwahahahaha!) to be Fancy Nancy, but a store-bought costume wasn't an option. Enter God, Grandma, and Cinderella! When we were in Ohio for Labor Day, Mom gave us some princess dresses that she had found at a garage sale. There was a Cinderella dress in beautiful condition, and I knew right away that it would be our Halloween costume! I put all of the other dresses in Bella's playroom, and kept the Cinderella dress on our closet so that it wouldn't get ruined. Bonus: Bella just happens to be a dead-wringer for Cinderella. Not sure how I would have pulled off Fancy Nancy's red curls!

This scenario has happened over and over! I already have all of Bella and Evelyn's Christmas presents, and 90% of it is hand-me-downs from friends whose kids had outgrown the toys. It is a wonderful gift to see how God provides for us, even beyond our needs to our "think we need." I had a friend give me a bunch of sweaters that she didn't want anymore, and it came right at the time when I was looking at my closet and feeling a little stuck in between maternity clothes and not quite fitting into my pre-Evie clothes again. Whitney has passed down a ton of baby clothes from Charli that I got to look through for Evie and then pass on to other women the clothes we couldn't use! It's a blessing to give when we have received so much!

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:28-34