My least favorite season is Winter, although even that has it's advantages... fires in the fireplace, hot chocolate, and holidays... but after a few months of it, I'm done. So it's fortunate that I live in North Carolina, where we have very definite Winters, but just when you start saying "I'm really sick of Winter", signs of SPRING pop up! Yes, Spring is Coming!
January 20th.................. ....February 7th
January is our coldest month, and the last 2 weeks have been really cold (for us ~ I know you Michigan and Wisconsin-ites laugh!), in the teens at night and not getting out of the 20's some days. The house is cold, the car is cold, everything is cold, cold, COLD! And Gray! Fortunately, I'm married to a Gardener, and after years of watching the garden bloom, I know the order of things... Daffodils and Crocuses come in February, Thank the Lord! They are a visible sign that the days WILL get warmer.... and longer... and that Spring is just around the corner. We are by no means done with Winter.... it always goes this way, we'll have a week or two of beautiful weather... it's supposed to remain in the 70's most of this week.... and just when you think you are DONE with Winter, there will be another cold snap - or two. So I know there will still be some wintry days ahead, but I also know that very soon they will be consumed by the sunshine of Spring. Such a hopeful season! One of Dan's favorite Bible verses is "Teach us to Number our days, Oh Lord, that we may gain hearts of Wisdom".... I think approaching Spring re-inforces that message... that if you take things one day at a time, you will appreciate each day for what it is, and really appreciate those beautiful, colorful, warm, and sunny days, when they get here.
Now, this may seem like a clunky seguey, but the other thing that is dominating our lives these days is this course that we are taking at Church:
We're on our 3rd week of this class, and I highly recommend it. The books are great, but if you can find a class to attend, it's even better. The course is 13 weeks, and while we can't be debt-free at the end of that time, we are being given HOPE that we will be debt free eventually. The course really gives you the tools you need, and with chapters like these, they grab your attention! At the very least, taking this course, together, promotes communication about money... between couples, if you are married, and if you are single, it helps you take responsibility for your actions, and also encourages you to develop a mentor in the area of money.
Most of us know what to do to be financially healthy... the problem is, we don't do it! "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result". The course is facilitated by
a couple at our church, but the major component of the class is a video session by Dave Ramsey each session. He is very entertaining as well as brutally honest. Then there is a discussion afterward. We'll keep you posted how this goes, but we are very encouraged that we are taking the right steps for our future.
So after a week of cold and gray, I am enjoying seeing the sun and the crocuses popping up, and I'm looking forward to our class tonight!
