Ethan Allen on an Ebay budget

You know how there are times when you really want something (a tangible something), and you think about it and think you really should have it, and then you see someone who has lost something that REALLY matters and all of a sudden the thing you wanted is meaningless? I (Becky) had one of those moments this week. The details of the story really don't matter, except that I keep reminding myself "In ten years, when I am (hopefully) wiping noses and all that, will I really care if I had ? Nope." "If I found out tomorrow that Patrick had terminal cancer, would I care if we could buy a house with a fireplace? Nope." Phew.

It's Easter week. Tonight in youth, there was a presentation of the time leading up to Jesus' death and what he chose to do with his time, and a point was made that I found really intriguing. If I knew that I had a day to live, I would not choose to go off to a quiet place by myself and pray. I would soak up every remaining moment with my husband and family and friends. I would see life completely differently, of course, but it would not once cross my mind to get away by myself. I would immerse myself in people. How human of me is that?? I don't really have anywhere else to go with that.

If you don't ever listen to Ben Stuart's Breakaway podcasts, I truly believe you are missing out.

I would like to share with you something that God has done for us. I have honestly typed this numerous times and erased it because it feels like bragging. But that's not my intention. Patrick and I, as you all know if you have read our earlier blogs, took the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class before (and a couple weeks after) we got married. We decided to really try to make wise decisions with our money. Since that decision, God has seriously guarded our money. It is absolutely crazy. One of our first purchases was a kitchen butcher block type thing. We invited our whole small group over, and we absolutely did not have nearly enough counter space to put food for 14 people. So we decided to buy this butcher block, went to the store to buy it, they didn't have it. We didn't have time to shop around, and I was actually really disappointed because people were coming over!!! Then we found the exact same one for half the price, basically unused, on Craigslist.

When we started looking to rent or buy, things miraculously fell into place. I kid you not, miraculously. We intended to look to rent, and then this place to buy fell into our laps. It was this dirt cheap place, needed some fixing up, and we absolutely fell in love with it. We left, took about an hour (yeah... only an hour... dumb.) to think about it, and decided we actually really might want to make an offer. We called our real estate agent, and (you are not going to believe this) the place had been on the market for I think like 8 months. Between the hour that we looked at it and decided to start talking about an offer, a person went in and offered cash and bought the place. Whoa. We were like "ok, I think that's a definite sign" and looking back it was a huge blessing. We did not need that house, and if we had bought it we would be stuck in it right now. Also, when negotiating the rent for the townhouse we live in, we planned to only rent for 6 months and then buy. (I don't know why we were in SUCH a hurry.) So we went through the whole contract with the lady and said 6 months, and then like 3 days before we were supposed to start moving stuff in, she said forget it I'll only do a year. WHAT a blessing! She lowered the price even more to do it for a year, and now that it's been a year we still need more time!

Our most recent example is another blows-me-away type. Patrick has wanted a desk for awhile. He wants a 'man room' and that was our guest bedroom/office. But the sparse furniture in there really didn't quite give off an office vibe. The "desk" was super tiny, so we started looking around. He found one that he wanted at Ikea, and I went and looked at it. He had gone before me with the intention to buy it. I said I really just wasn't comfortable buying it right then, and we left. I found the desk for less than half the price on Craigslist, listed with a bookshelf. Patrick emailed the guy, and he said he would sell it without the bookshelf but wouldn't lower the price. We said no thanks. A few months ago, a friend of our parents had mentioned getting rid of some (very nice, expensive) furniture. We didn't give it much though because we really hadn't budgeted to even spend the Craigslist price of this kind of furniture. We didn't think we could offer them anything close to what the furniture was worth. Well then a couple weeks ago, they said they would give it to us. Yes, you read that right... GIVE it to us. This amazing, beautiful desk... given to us.

It just continues to amaze me that the more patient we are, the more blessed. The more we remind ourselves that we don't really HAVE to have these things, the more we are blessed. Again, I don't want you to read this and think "well woo hoo, lucky you. you have stuff." That's not the point. We are so very thankful for the blessings we have received from being so diligent with our decision to make wise financial choices.

Happy Easter week! I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon and get off work early on Friday so I don't have any more full days of work this week and I am pumped.

Love you! Seriously, though. Love you.