Wednesday, January 11, 2012

I Need It, and I Need It Now!

Lately, my heart has been drawn to a certain thought process in our society. We, as a people, have become so demanding when it comes to getting what we want. This need-it-now society that we live in is costing us our precious time, money, and changing the way we live our lives. This is profoundly changing the way our government is working, and I don't mean positively.
We wonder why we're having to be bailed out of this 'mess-o-money' that we've caused. We have to have the widest streets with the most lanes possible, the biggest casinos, the biggest and best holiday decorations for the White House, the biggest homes; the list goes on and on.  I would continue on, but I'm guessing you don't have time to sit and read this one post for an entire day. ha ha. : ) We, as a nation need to recognize that we need to pause, rewind, and slow down. It seems as if every day on the news, there is a segment discussing starting such and such project that will cost ____million ( or even billion) dollars, which will take such and such years to pay off.
We want to have huge mortgages so that we can have the latest and greatest house. Do I want a run down dump of a house, well of course not. Just because you don't have a huge home that has all the amenities does not make it a bad house. There's nothing wrong with being happy with what we have here and now, and saving up for what we want in the future.
I had the privilege of going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University with my parents at church. It was an awesome program that opened my eyes to the realization that just because I want a nice home of my own someday, does not mean I have to go into debt. After taking that class, I made a commitment to never go into debt (and yes, this means I commit to never having a mortgage or credit cards). I want to work for what I want in life. This may take a lot of waiting and frustration, but I know it will be worth it in the long run. I know what it feels like to have to save up. I would really like to have a bigger car than my current one. Would it be easy to go out to the local dealership and buy one on credit, sure, but I am being patient and putting cash back. And trust me, I 've had a number of people tell me that it's impossible to live life with no kind of debt. However, I find that to be a false statement. The world tells us that all we have to do is throw it on a credit card or  make those 'small' payments you see about on tv, as long as you get what you want.


So, my point of this post is to encourage those of you out there who have committed to staying or becoming debt free. Also, I have a challenge for you. Below are some activities listed that we might normally do, and next to them are things I would like you to do instead. Feel free to add some ideas to the list. I'd love to hear them.




1.) ordering something on-line that you           1.) patience; choose the cheapest and slowest shipping method
would like to have the next day


2.) are in a hurry to get somewhere                2.) walk to your destination, and enjoy looking at God's
so you hop in your car to get there in a jiffy         creation on your way


3.) find an expensive item that you really        3.) Stop!! Go home, find that extra change you've been just
"need" so you throw it on your credit card         throwing in a jar and start saving. It will be rewarding


4.) take the highway to cut down drive time   4.) Take the scenic side roads, unless you're under a time
 for a vacation                                                   crunch. Slow down the pace and see things you might not
                                                                         have normally seen by taking the fast pace.


Focused on Him
Erin

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