Adventure...

The money mirror.

The past week I've been trying to figure out how to update our family blog.  I KNOW every LOVES photos, but honestly, in the life of the Bohanans, there's not much going on right now.  I work about 10.5 hours a day, and Shawn is with his nose in the books most days.  so, photos will be few.  But, if you are craving to see at least what I've been working on, feel free to stop by my photography blog here.  I'm currently doing a 30 day photography challenge.  I'm on day 7 today.  

  Since I won't be updating our blog with photos very often, I wanted to write about something that is affecting our lives in a HUGE way.  If you've followed me on Facebook, you know that Mr. & Mrs. Shawn Bohanan have begun our journey on the Total Money Makeover trail.... For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, it's the book by Dave ramsey about finding financial peace and become debt free! P.S., you can get the book cheaper on Amazon:)  

  There are many reasons why Shawn and I have begun this journey and I'd like to share a few with you:

   1.  The borrower is a slave to the lender (Prov. 22:7)  We don't desire to be a slave to ANYONE except for Jesus Christ.  We DO desire to be servant-hearted to everyone though. There's a difference.  How many times have you thought, oh, I can't do this or that because I have to pay bills next week.  Or, how many have thought, i'm NEVER gonna pay off my student loans. They will rule me my entire life.  Or, i will ALWAYs have a car payment?  or maybe an emergency hits and you HAVE to Max out your credit card because you have no money saved?  Prime examples.  It's time to break those chains and take back our Lives.

  2.  We want to Give like no one else-

  A great motivation for us to become debt free is so that as a couple we will be able to invest in the Kingdom of God financially.  Sure, we can definitely do that now!  But, our resources are most certainly limited.  We yearn for the day when a friend of ours says, "I'm raising support for the mission field", and we're able to write a HUGE check.  We want to be able to invest in our children's lives, in our church, and be able to pour out blessing upon blessing because we have been financially responsible.  

  3.  It's God's Money-

   What are you talking about? I don't see God sitting at that desk for 10.5 hours working to get that check!  It's my Right to be able to spend my money on whatever I want. I deserve it. I earned it.  (have you thought this)?

  WRRROOOOONNNNNGGGGG.

Who gave you that job? Who has kept you healthy enough to go to it every day?  Who has placed you in the United States or wherever you are to be able to have the freedom to work?  GOD HIMSELF. "every good and perfect gift has come from above, from the father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17.   We are just stewards of what God has given to us. Does the Lord want you to be intelligent and diligent with the resources he has given you? Absolutely.  So we are on our way to doing it.

4.  Money is a mirror

ok, this one I HATE.  Money is not bad.  The LOVE of money is the root of evil.  The thing is, wherever your treasure is, there your heart it also.  Straight from the Word of God.  How you spend your money REFLECTS (as a mirror does) what is really important to you.  Your attitude about spending money REFLECTS who you really are.  The greatest thing we have learned so far in this short journey is that we are SINNERS. I crave and crave and my material "belly" is never satisfied.  I get a new camera and two months later I want a Bigger, better one.  I NEED this lens and that lens.  I HAVE to go get new clothes, I NEED YOGURT MOUNTAIN NOWWWW!!!  I deserve to go to the movies and have a break.  I can spend MY money like I want.  It's MINE MINE MINE.  I don't care what my husband suggests, I don't care if my spending habits hurt him, it's all about ME.  (are you guilty of thinking like this?  I know I have been.)  

  The good news is, that if you have the Spirit of God living inside of you, you CAN bear the spiritual fruit of SELF CONTROL.  Guess what? You can bear the spiritual fruit of faithfulness.  Practice controlling your wallet and I guarantee it will increase your faith. 

5.  We want to give to our kids and our kids kids.

  It's no secret that Shawn and I want kids soon.  I'm getting older and that maternal nature is kicking in!  The thing is though, that I want to be able to provide for my children- Not only financially, but also spiritually.  I want to be able to teach them faithfulness and responsibility because they have seen it in their own parents. In order to do this, we must sacrifice.  YUCK. no one likes that word. Yuck, yuck, yuck!  We must DIE to ourselves.  ewwwwww. what a thought! We must be diligent.  Ok, jaclyn, stop with all the downer words.  I know, you probably hate me if you've stuck to reading this.  I'm just telling you what shawn and I are experiencing.  the thing is, that we can hold out now for something greater that will be in our future.  That's a biblical principle too.  We forgo participating in sin because we know that there's a greater reward both in this life and in the next.  Why not apply it to your finances?  We can hold out for the next 2 years in order to give Our children security and to be able to provide both them and their children with an inheritance.

I'm blogging about our journey to encourage you, my friends and family, but to also to provide us with some accountability.  Now all of cyber space know that the bohanans are serious about getting smart.  We've been on our journey hard for only a few months.  We've been piddling around on the road for about a year.  It's time to get serious.  It's time to seek the Lord and be faithful.  You think you're spiritual? expose your wallet and see what lies in your heart.  We did, and it was ugly.  But thanks be to God that He can make all things new.  He bear with us in our weaknesses.  He gives us victory in Christ Jesus.  How about you join us on this road?  try it for 30 days and see if you don't notice a difference in your spiritual life, in how you interact with your spouse, and how you feel emotionally about finances. (and no, I'm not being given commissions by dave ramsey;)  )

***as a tag to this post, I'd like to have you note that Shawn is in school, and not allowed to work in the corporate setting, although he is working hard with his schooling!  We are living off of my very small income.  We do have a blessing of some additional cashflow each month through a source that will remain nameless but VERY VERY loved.  But needless to say, we aren't living on much.  The thing is, that you can be responsible with the resources you have.  "he who is faithful with Little will also be faithful with much." Luke 16:10.