Woohoo! We just sold Ken's Jeep, after months of having it listed on Craigslist (it's free to list it there). Kathryn is a little sad. She didn't think she'd be upset, but she says she's going to miss "Sarge", named after the character in the movie "Cars." Our Durango has been named Buddy because that's the name of the golden retriever on our license tag. {smile}
I'm excited because this is all part of some changes we started making about a year ago, and much of it was due to reading "Money, Possessions, and Eternity" by Randy Alcorn. It's a rather fat book, but there is also a shorter version that hits all the main points called "The Treasure Principle". I haven't read that one, but a good friend of mine did, and we discussed the differences of the two (and I read reviews of both!). I highly recommend reading one or the other--or both. If you do, however, and if you're willing to hear what God has to say to you about our culture and how we view our possessions, then hold on to your hats, because you may be in for a ride. It was not a comfortable book to read, but it was great.I'm telling how it's affected us, but I'll leave the full explanations to Randy Alcorn. For us, this hasn't been a sell-everything-we-own-and-become-foreign-missionaries kind of thing, but I expect this to be a gradual and continuing process. The first big change we made was to "officially" tithe on every single bit of income we get (yes, on the gross income) rather than the sporadic hit-or-miss giving we'd been doing previously. We also committed to give a bit extra for missions; where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21) --so if you want to care more about something, start putting some money there and you'll start caring more. The tithing thing was a big deal for me personally. I had always rationalized that since we aren't supposed to have debt, then I should try to pay stuff off before I started tithing. Wrong. Tithing is a tangible way to show that I trust God, and to acknowledge that EVERY single thing I have is because God provided it. It was a leap of faith, because on paper, we shouldn't have enough money after tithing... but we do, and writing that check BEFORE I write out the other bills has really helped me grow in faith.
We already live in a fairly modest house, and it would not be smart financially to try to buy something else because we got a great deal on this house due to the fact that it had sat empty for a long time before we bought it and it needed a lot of work (mostly cosmetic). But our cars were something we did have to reconsider. We had already begun thinking about adoption, but we had no vehicle that would hold more than four people. So, we sold our most valuable car--my nearly perfect, super low mileage Volvo--and bought a used and cheaper Durango that seats seven comfortably. Good move financially, but it still left us with some debt from the Volvo loan. [Side note: we will never, ever have another car loan.] So we put the Jeep for sale, too, but it has taken a long time to sell. Finally we sold it, which allows us to pay off the remainder of the Volvo loan--yippee! That makes for less debt and one less monthly payment. Dave Ramsey would be so proud. {grin} Becoming a one-car family was definitely something we had to talk and pray about, because it sure isn't convenient. We live in a very affluent area, with quite a few neighborhoods in the half-million and up range, and lots of gorgeous vehicles. Being a one-car family is counter-cultural (to borrow a phrase our pastor uses) and it will be an adjustment, but that's just because we're not used to it; most families had only one car back when my mom was growing up, and they did just fine!
We've made a lot of little changes, too. For instance: I don't color my hair anymore, I gave up my weekly Starbucks, I rarely buy new clothes, Ken takes his lunch to work nearly everyday, and we scaled way back on birthday and Christmas gifts. We're trying to prayerfully consider how much we spend and what we spend it on. Like Jesus tells us, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” It's not as easy as it seems like it ought to be, but I'm trying.
