God has challenged me to write about how He will supernaturally pay off our mortgage in 5 years. I am a homemaker, my husband is a teacher, and we have three children. Our mortgage balance at the start of this blog is $97,802.62 with a projected payoff date of May 11, 2035.

Sounds foolish, huh? The Bible says that, "...God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;..." So I am choosing to be foolish and trust Him. He's never let me down before.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Running on Empty

Last night we visited some friends of our family, just to hang out and celebrate Christmas with them.  While we were there they gave us back some empty canning jars that were previously filled with jam and applesauce.

Today I went downstairs to put the empty cans back into their storage bin.  Looking inside the bin I thought,  'Wow.  This bin was nearly empty at the end of fall.'  But now it is filling back up with jars enjoyed by either our family or other families.  The empty jars make me anticipate the season in which I can fill them up all over again.

Getting back the empty jars reminded me of the gift of giving to others.  Yes, it takes away from what we have, but still we live in anticipation of emptying ourselves of ourselves so that we can give again.  Why?  Because God provides joy with giving!  We look forward to seeing a need met, a wish fulfilled, and a burden lifted because He has done the very same for us.  What a blessing it is to live this life running on empty!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

The Second Time Around

On Tuesday we signed paperwork to refinance our mortgage loan with a different bank.  By doing this, we are paying only $12 more each month and the term of our loan is only 15 years as opposed to 30 years.

The reason that we were able to do this with so little effect on our monthly payment is because of interest rates being so low.  Our new loan has an interest rate of 3%.

This is actually our second time refinancing.  The first time we refinanced it was from a standard mortgage to a line of credit (LOC).  We did this because, at that time, rates for LOCs were low.  I remember sitting in the bank office and not understanding much about anything that was being said, the paperwork that we were signing, or the fact that our interest rate may vary.  We were in debt, and trying to save some extra money each month.  My understanding was that doing this would help us and that was all I needed to know.

This time around, I was at the kitchen table with Ross.  The representative went through our paperwork, similarly to how the other one did with our LOC, but this time I felt in control because I understood the terms that she was using.  Ross and I had gone through the school of hard knocks to get out of debt.  As graduates, we were no longer intimidated by money money matters--and boy did it feel good!

When I shared with a friend that we were going to refinance our home, she asked a question that made me think.  "Why are you refinancing when God's going to pay off your mortgage in 5 years?"  Her question arrested me.  Even to hear her say 'God's going to pay off your mortgage in 5 years' stunned me because it made me feel like she believes it more than I do.  There are two things that God showed me as I was pondering her question:

1. I need to believe that He will do what He says He will do
2. Refinancing makes sense because it saves us money while we wait

At the end of our time with the bank representative, she shared that what we were doing was smart because it cuts the term of our loan down to 15 years and will save us a lot of money.  I let her know that yes, we were thankful for the shorter term, but that I am trusting God to pay off our home in five (now four) years.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Road Rave

Our car has been overheating.  Today I called AAA to tow it from our house to the mechanic.  Little did I know that God had a divine appointment in store for me.

The driver arrives, checks my id and membership card, all of the routine stuff.  He tells me that he woofed down his sandwich to come, because my call was right in the middle of his lunch break.  I thanked him for doing that.  We make small talk about where he lives and about his family.  After talking for a while, I bring up someone I thought that we may have as a mutual acquaintance.  He tells me that he knows the person, and I let him know that we go to church together.

We talk about Wyoming, because one of his kids live there, and my brother-in-law used to live there.  Then he shares that he and his wife may move out that way to be closer to their kids.  He tells me that he owns some land out there that his wife doesn't know about.  "I've learned to always be prepared," he tells me.  I ask him if this was because of his past (he shared earlier about an ex-wife) or if that's how he's always been.  He tells me that he's always been that way.  He feels that it is important to always have something 'set back' that he could live off of in case, God forbid, something should happen between he and his wife.

From there, he leans back on his tow truck and gets comfortable.  He tells me that being brought up Catholic, a lot of the Bible was not shared.  In short, he was brought up with lots of rules (his "mom's" Catholic religion) and discipline (his dad's military background).  But it didn't sound like there was much grace.  He said that he has his own way of doing things.  I asked him what that way was.  "I treat other people like I want to be treated.  I try to do the right things."  "That's the Bible," I said.  "That is doing things God's way."

We talked a little bit more about God and then he ended the conversation by saying that it was a pleasure meeting me.  I told him the same.  Walking back into the house, I was overcome by how God was just plopped right into the middle of our conversation!  Bam!  Just like that.  Why was this guy sharing all of his business with me like I was his best friend?  Because of the authority of Jesus.  "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  Colossians 1:15-17

Why should I be surprised when God takes a conversation in the middle of the road and makes it His own?

Friday, December 14, 2012

Personal Finances Personal Freedom

This morning Morgan and Hunter were packing up for school while listening to the radio.  A commercial came on where a man talked about getting people out of mortgage debt if they called his number.  In the midst of the man talking Hunter says to my husband, "Dad you could be like that guy, helping people with their debt.  Well, you already are that guy because you already do that."

It struck me that our children understand the ministry that we do.  When we first started counseling people about debt issues, we kind of kept the kids out of it because people don't necessarily want other people knowing their business in the first place.  There's a lot of shame and hurt that comes with money matters.  However, eventually we'd let them know when we had a meeting that we were going to talk to this or that person about how to manage their money.  They just see it as a matter-of-fact thing, it's ministry like anything else.

On this same note, I recently made the decision to publish my book (see post here) with Olive Press Publisher.  Words fail to express the significance of this decision.

The manuscript was completed two years ago.  I have sent it out to acquaintances here and there who have requested to read it.  The book never failed to catapult the reader into a season of change.  Because of the words that I wrote, they were compelled to handle their money differently.  WOW!  

The book is called Personal Finances Personal Freedom.  'Personal' because this isn't just a how-to book.  'Personal' because this book is about me, about us, about our family, and what God did to get us out of consumer debt.  'Personal' because it shares our history of managing money poorly.  The beauty of it all is that I wouldn't change any of it.  Our past got us to our present, which I am loving.  Our youngest son was sick at home for an entire week.  If it weren't for our past, I would not be at home available to care for him.  It brings me such joy to be able to share with others the peace that comes with managing money more wisely.

*I will keep you posted on the progress of the book.  As of right now the projected completion month is March.*

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Naughty or Nice

Today while I was upstairs getting ready for church, I heard a noise downstairs.  Didn't really think too much of it because my mind was elsewhere.  Shortly afterwards, our middle son Hunter comes to the bedroom door asking if I can come downstairs.  I tell him not right now because I am getting ready.  He tells me that he needs to show me something.  I ask him to bring it to me.  He says he can't.

Then he proceeds to explain--last evening Ross and I wrapped gifts and put them on the fireplace under the stockings.  Because he saw the wrapped gifts down below, he felt his stocking to see if there was anything inside of it.  In the process of doing this, his stocking holder, which was made of ceramic, fell from the mantle onto the nativity scene, breaking itself and one of the wise men.  As he explained what had transpired, I saw his face was flushed, heard his voice was trembling, and noticed that the tears were starting to fall.

Two months ago, my response would have been naughty.  I would've been angry with him for touching my beautiful decorations instead of keeping his hands to himself.  I would've reminded him that we already had one broken stocking holder that had to be repaired a couple of years ago, and now we have two.  That was then...but this is now.

Today I was nice.  I told him it was okay.  I told him that it was just stuff and stuff is not what's important.  During this time of year when we get so focused on stuff, Hunter needed to know (and I needed to be reminded) that stuff is not the reason for the season--Jesus is.  To yell at my son about a broken wise man is just not wise, man!  I thank God for the grace that he has been teaching me about in these past couple of months to prepare me for this moment and other moments that are to come.