I have arrived!

I have finally decided to go into high speed internet. I have been on dial-up for about 15 years. Mostly tired of people teasing me. First I had to convince my mom to change because she did not want to go the the hassle of changing email addresses. But once I did it she was fine with it. In fact she said yesterday that "this is so fast it was gone before I could read it." But I think she likes it.

I have much to learn with it. I know I can now look at u tube and watch something without waiting 10 minutes in between each second.

I still do not do much on computers but maybe I will learn more.

Anyways I have arrived, just sayin....

God has provided once again and I have met my goal

Once again I am blessed beyond measure. I set a goal a few months ago to pay off my second mortgage. Today I went to the bank and paid it in full. God has been very gracious and generous to me. So now the house and the cars are all paid in full.

What's the next step? Saving for retirement and working on giving abundently. I think they may conflict with each other but we will give it a try. Since my spiritual gift is giving it should only take a little learning on how to manage the two together.

I could never have done it without the help of my two brothers who came to stay with mom or dad so I could work the extra overtime.

Please understand I am not debt free yet. I still have some bills to pay on but it is coming. Plus my emergency fund was just depleted, so it will take a while to build that back up.

Just wanted to share my good news with you.

story from my father

My dad told me this true story. I know how much you guys love to hear their stories so I thought I would share it with you.

He was a camp counselor one year and the head of the camp told them to find out who in their cabin needed a Bible because there was an organization that offered to purchase them. So he had 1 child in his cabin who said he would like one but his parents could not afford to buy one. So dad went back and told the camp leaders only to find out the organization backed down and would not purchase. So dad felt bad that he told the boy he would get him one so he went to our cabin and took out $5 from mom's purse and was able to get the Bible. He felt really good. He went back to our cabin to tell his wife what he had done only to hear his wife say "I hate to bust your bubble but that was the last $5 we have. I don't know how we are going to have gas to go home or groceries to eat. Well now he really felt bad. So he started walking back to his cabin and some guy called his name. He turned around and this guy handed him $30. He had no clue what had just happened, he just knew that was what he was to do.

I think I have gotten myself in trouble

At work today I was told by my supervisior that I may be taken from where I am now and put doing some things that "they" want done. She said "everyone wants you." I guess because I am such a fast typer and know alot about the programs everyone wants me to do their work. I'm not sure that is a good thing.

Also found out I have to work 40 hours of overtime from last Sat. to the 30th of June. I am off the week of mom's surgery.

Mom appears weak tonight. Maybe she just woke up when I came home or something. She had been pretty strong the last 2 days. Waiting is not her best trait.

The air conditioner on my car broke again. I have an appointment to have it looked at again on Wed. Aug cannot come to soon. That is when I hope to trade it. But of course it is to be stinkin hot this week which is hard to drive home after work.

God is meeting my goal

May is almost half over and I just found out today that God is helping me meet my goal of paying of the car loans. I got an email today at work saying Saturday is a mandatory 8 hour work day.

I am so thankful for my brother who is able to come Fri. to take my dad to his doctor appointment and stay until Sat. so I can work it.

That will make a major dent in the balance due. It won't come till the beginning of next month but every extra money helps.

I am also thankful for Cindy Scribner who has agreed to come take my dad to another doctor appointment on Wed. of this week. I am able to help her and she is able to help me. That's how it is suspose to work.

I talked to a women at church on Sunday who was saying she is in medical dept that she is trying to pay. I susjusted she contact the church to see if someone could help and she said no she wanted to do it herself. I told her in order for there to be a abundent giver there had to be an abundent receiver. For some reason I like that sentence and I am making it my yearly sentence. Whatever that means.

So BC I guess you still have to tell me how the church gets people to admit that they need help?

obtaining a financial goal is all about priorities

I have set a financial goal of paying $4400 by July 2010 in order to pay the 2nd mortgage off. Then my house deed will be free and clear. But how do I do that?

It really is all about priorities. If you set a financial goal you have to make it a top priority. You set your eye on the goal and you put all money toward that bill. That will mean if a friend asks you to go out to eat or you see a really good sale you have to use the word no.

Priority is a really hard word. It is a word that is easy to say but hard to do. Because everything becomes a priority if you let it.

I encourage you to set a financial goal and then watch how you accomplish it.

Agencies that may be able to help the working poor

I have worked for the Family and Social Services now for 26 years in Indiana. I work with people applying for Food Stamps and Tanf and Medicaid. I realize that we have a new level of people out there needing help. So I thought I would share some information about agencies that may be able to help those that do have a job but still need aditional help. Keep in mind the names of these agencies are Indiana names and may be named something else in the state you live in. Also keep in mind that each agency have their own income standards. So it will depend on the income you make a month and the amount of money they have available to help.

Help with utilities:
Community and Family Services-
Project Safe takes applications 2 times a year to help with utilities. Once starting in January for winter heating assistance with utilities and in the summer for cooling assistance. The cooling assistance is like a one time $50 or a fan if you meet the income qualifications.

United Way
If they have funds available they can help pay on utilities or rent one time a year. I beleive you may have to have a disconnect notice before they can help and you have to have not been eligible with Community and Family Services.

Help with child care:
Community and Family Services has a daycare program that can help pay on child care. This program is first available to people on Tanf but also for non Tanf if they have slots available. There may be waiting lists but it is best to get your name on the list.

Help with diapers and clothes for kids:
Family Centered Services occasionally will have diapers available in their closet place. They also have children's clothing. (at least in Bluffton they did not sure about other counties)

Help with prescriptions:
rxforindiana.org is a website that you can enter your income information and the prescriptions you take to see if you qualify for free prescriptions or reduced prescriptions from the pharmacuticals that make the medications.