march was an interesting month. we found out that we didn't receive any financial aid for bryan's last year of school. so, we had a long talk, went over some things in our budget and buckled down. more importantly though, god and i had a really awesome heart to heart.
can i just say that all that stuff in the bible is actually true?! he is the god of all comfort and the great provider who loves us so much. i haven't forgotten that his true and perfect act of love is all i need, and yet he continues to provide more!
god is also the greatest, most gentle and patient teacher. he has been teaching me a bunch about his generosity and being open-handed with our money.
the morning before we received our financial aid notification, i was sitting in church, listening to the message and god asked me to give a certain amount to the summer missions trips. i said okay and talked to bryan about it as soon as i got home. he agreed to this and then we found out that we didn't get any financial aid. isn't god's timing funny? we wrote the checks, even though it was hard. that whole week, god tested our generosity. he kept reminding me of the countless times we've benefited from the generosity of others [you know who you are!], and we both felt overwhelmingly that we should open our hearts and bank account to those in need.
it has been such a blessing to follow god's leadership in this area. especially because i have had a particularly tight grip on our finances, especially since we decided to move to iowa city. but when has god ever not provided for his children?
i've been insanely encouraged by all of you i've talked to, or who commented on my last blog, or sent me emails of encouragement. thank you, thank you, thank you!
sorry for the long, heart-exposing blog, but it happens every once in a while!
here's our financial update for march:
tuition for 2011-2012 school year: $9,654.00
savings at the end of march: $1,100.00
difference: $8,554.00
percentage saved: 11.39%
percentage left to save: 88.61%
we have progress! can't wait to see what God does!
Glad you were able to hear what God wanted you to do and obey even though it was difficult. It's so hard to know what to do in those situations--giving is good, and staying out of debt is good, too. Praying that God provides the rest of what you need to pay for school!
ReplyDelete