Faith to Finance
My friend Lyman used to work for an organization called Faith to Finance. I always thought that was a clever name. Back then I was teaching people how to manage budgets and trying to help people get out of debt. Fast forward to now and besides the house, I'm looking at about a $9k debt of my own that keeps growing. Physician, heal thyself.
Yesterday I got a ticket for $300 for the unregistered truck sitting outside of my house. The tow truck will charge me another $100. I thought they had to give you a warning first. Stupid farm boy.
When you think about what I've done, it makes sense. I had a good job with decent pay and decided to quit to work part-time on comission-based pay. It was a good idea and I don't regret it - take a year to simplify and wait for something more in line with my gifts/interests to come along. I want to find something to give several years to and quit bouncing from job to job, even if the bounces seem to be in the right direction.
Somewhere down the road, simplification turned into buying a motorcycle, a junky $500 truck (now impounded), and most recently a 2001 S10 for $6k. All the while, not quite getting the job done to balance the checkbook, thinking work would pick up and everything would be fine.
It's a charmed life, really, when your big problem is less than $10k in debt and you live in your house for free because of the rent your roommates pay. I'm aware of this. Feel free to stop reading and tell me what a baby I am.
Charmed or not, I got a little stressed about cash yesterday when I got that ticket. I saw a couple of elders at my church and asked them to pray for my finances and did the same thing this morning with my roommates.
Wouldn't you know that at 9:30am I got an unexpected call from a guy who needs about $40k of marble polishing done. I checked the place out this morning and I'll put the bid in tomorrow afternoon.
This is all signficant because I'm trying to get to South Africa soon, but hate the idea of putting a trip like that on a credit card. I will go either way because I think that's what God wants and it's all his money anyway. But I was encouraged this morning to get this phone call and an opportunity to put a dent in my debt. Makes me feel kind of dumb for doubting God.
Whether I get the bid or not, I think it's just a reminder of who pays the bills around here.
3 comments:
yeah.
i had a $41 dollar ticket on my damn truck this morning, too.
i might be able to find reasonably cheap accomodations/contacts for you through the Nazarene grapevine. You know my parents both work in and around South Africa.
PS- when are you going there?
joel erland
hey ryan,
you have always been, and continue to be, an excellent writer. i am rather enjoying your blog--as well as your thought process. too bad i'm not so prolific; nothing too much on my site these days, but I did get to sit in the 4th row, directly behind the guy who clocks the pitch in the diamond club section at a phillies game recently. i'll post my pix of the ticket one of these days. they give you wait service and everything there, just like you are in first class...talk about charmed life....
hey ryan,
you have always been, and continue to be, an excellent writer. i am rather enjoying your blog--as well as your thought process. too bad i'm not so prolific; nothing too much on my site these days, but I did get to sit in the 4th row, directly behind the guy who clocks the pitch in the diamond club section at a phillies game recently. i'll post my pix of the ticket one of these days. they give you wait service and everything there, just like you are in first class...talk about charmed life....
Post a Comment