My greatest delight, my favorite prayer Saturday, Aug 29 2009

I don’t think anything outside loving and knowing Jesus has affected me so deeply as being married to Scott.

My Facebook and blog readers all  know of my love for my man.  But my greatest delight – my favorite prayer was not to be a wife, but a Mom.  (Now of course I could have never been a Mom without being a wife – that’s the way I’ve been hard-wired for 39 years.)

And now – tonight – in just 2 short hours we are going to babysit our first grandchild.

Oh, glory!  Oh, happy day!  Oh, my, blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Elena Grace Baxter – our darling Ellie.  My greatest delight!

Ellie has consumed me since Sara and Chris announced her arrived way back in December.  When we were in El Paso, it was all I could do to keep from spending my entire paycheck on cute baby clothes!  Mexicans adore their children and they make tons of cute, cute, cute things for them.

July 31, she came into our lives.  I’ve not been the same.

Oh, I’ve been polite.  I’ve not “bothered” her Mommy and Daddy daily, nor have I encroached on the special alone times of the other Grandparents.  I’ve done it by talking to Ellie on my computer desktop.  Morning and night I greet her and talk to her.  I tell her how precious she is, how adorable, how smart and how she is a world changer – a history maker.  My favorite prayer – is “Lord bless Ellie, bless her and keep her ever in Your presence.”  (Of course I pray for her parents too!)

Do you wonder why I’m like this?  Ask another grandparent.  Apparently the Lord has done something inside us to make us sort of nuts about our grandchildren.  Every one I’ve talked to makes the same confession, “It’s not that I didn’t love my children, but…………..”  Every one of them confesses to being crazy in love with their grandchild.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or girl.  Doesn’t matter if they live near or far.  Doesn’t even matter if the grandparent actually likes the parents of that child.

So here you go – a picture of our darling Ellie.

Sweeter than sweet!

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Young and Frugal does it again! Friday, Aug 21 2009

I read a blog called “Young and Frugal.”  It’s got amazing insight considering the author is 23.  I salute Daniel and Mary!  Read it and tell me what you think – what are your experiences?

The Opportunity Cost of Home Ownership

Apr.08, 2009 in Advice, Debt, Finance, House, Life, Uncategorized

I was recently called and asked to participate in a Gallup survey, and for some reason I agreed. Eventually, after wading through questions about political beliefs and the economy, the question about my personal happiness came around. I thought about it for a second, and didn’t have anything to complain about. I felt content with life so I answered “Yes, I am happy” and I finished the survey.

After I hung up the phone I kept asking myself, “Am I truly happy?” and “What could I do to make myself happier?”

…and thus a personal journey of self discovery began.

I could bore you with an endless array of what I found about myself, or I could answer it for you in a simple sentence that might contradict the American dream: the opportunity cost of owning a house at 23 sucks.

No, we aren’t hurting financially like many Americans. We bought a house that we could afford, we got a low interest, fixed rate loan, and we put down a good sized down payment (10%). We have an almost fully funded emergency fund, we are both employed, and we live a frugal lifestyle. The issue comes when I look at the opportunity cost of home ownership, or what we could be doing if we didn’t own a house.

The thing about owning a house is that no matter how much financial knowledge you have you can never really account for the opportunity costs of this often emotional purchase that is deemed a “necessity.”

I think about how much money we spend each month on our mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, and HOA dues and I cringe when I think about what else we could be doing with half of that money if we had bought a less expensive house, or even if we were renting. One of us could work while the other focused on entrepreneurial ventures or attended grad school. We could work for a year, save up, then quit our jobs and travel the world for a year. Even if we waited another year we could have saved up enough money to put an even larger down payment on a house, thus lowering the future monthly burden.

I look at our house as the reason why we have to work. I feel like I work a job not because I want to (even though I do), but because I have to, and this feeling of burden makes work seem like a chore instead of a learning experience.

So I challenge you, as you are tempted by a free $8,000 first time home buyer credit, to truly think about how much money you want to spend on a house, and the opportunities that you will give up as a result.

For the record, my wife disagrees with me. Her rational (and mine at the time of purchase) was that we bought a house in which we could grow into and start a family, while this is true, I believe that the only thing that would make me a happier person right now would be owning a less expensive house that wouldn’t feel like a burden.

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The Wisdom of Wolves…. Tuesday, Aug 18 2009

My cousin Beckie sent this to me – I like it.  Don’t know who to give the credit to – but they sure deserve it.

The Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.

One is Evil.
It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret , greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good.
It is joy, peace , love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,
empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

The grandson thought about it for a minute  ……..and then asked his grandfather:  ’Which wolf wins?’

The old Cherokee simply replied,’
The one you feed .’

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Looking for a wife? Here’s help! Thursday, Aug 13 2009

Scott and I know loads of young people – many married, many unmarried.

They all go through the same quandary – how shall I live and prepare for marriage?  Particularly those in countries that stress marriage (even push marriage) as the cure-all to life’s problems do young people have a tough time.

Real pressure is put on those who have attained the “advanced’ age of 25 and are unmarried in these countries.  Even when they are here in the USA – their parents try to arrange marriages for them long-distance.  The parents call it their culture.

Now there are online match-making services – we all probably know someone who has tried it out, even perhaps found their mate.  But is this God’s way?  I don’t think so. It’s sure not Kingdom mentality.

The Bible gives this passage to show young men how to find a wife.

Gen 24:63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening;

And the rest of the story follows; Gen 24:63-67 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her veil and covered herself. The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.  Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her;

Notice that while he went out to meditate ( engaging in thought, devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection) he looked up.

It is only through looking to God, loving Him and
meditating on His Word
that we have success in any endeavor.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

The Bible also says – ” He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.” Proverbs 18:22 (Compare this with Proverbs 31:10 )

So this is not to say you can’t look, shouldn’t look – you must look.  BUT not until you have put God and His Word first and foremost in your life.

The other aspect is to look where you want to find a wife.  Think about the kind of lifestyle you would ultimately want for your wife and children.  Do bars fit in to your picture?  Why begin there?  Why have habits now you would not sustain for a lifetime?

A word to the ladies;

The above scripture is for you also.

It is the man who goes out looking.

NOT the woman.

The woman is urged to “be holy both in body and spirit; to be concerned about the things of the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:34

My heart is for everyone intended to be married is married happily, successfully and that your future is always bright and wonder-filled with the promise of God!  Hope this helps.

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Be SHAKE proof! Sunday, Aug 9 2009

There’s a couple verses that really speak to me sometimes (like 99.99%) and I want to share them with you.

Take a look at the 2 following Psalms for the answers to who can abide with God and how to be shake proof when trouble comes.  How to think, how to respond, how to recover faster, how not to be offended, how to bless and not curse – when stuff happens.

And PS – it will come.

Psalm 15 O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; he swears to his own hurt and does not change; he does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.  He who does these things will never be shaken.

Then look at Psalm 119:165 Those who love Your law have  great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.

Both passages say if you do these things – you will not be shaken nor be offended.

And that my friends, is flat amazing.  Amazing Grace.

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