I would like to take this time to reflect on the last year and all the blessing that have brought me to find this satisfying simple life.
I started this year not understanding the need for this satisfying simple change in my life. I spent more money then I made. I worked 40 hours a week and could not pay all my bills. To top all this off I was still in the middle of a divorce that had lasted since 2003.
My bills piled up faster than I could pay them and I was threatened with garnishments if I did not find a way to pay them. I was ready to give up on everything. I went to my ecclesiastical leader (Bishop of the LDS Church) and I asked for a bit of help in the finance department. I explained to him I have been looking for a job closer to home since 2009. I have a job. I pay most of my bills they just add up to more then I make.
Prayer and Meditation can be a life changing thing. In my case it has been small steady steps in a way different directions then what I thought it would be. I wanted a new job more then I could speak. I was praying for a new job. I needed more money! I needed a job closer to home! If you speak on long suffering I felt I was living it. In 2009 I graduated with my Associate’s Degree from Provo College in Criminal Justice. Like most people at this time, I found it hard to find a job. I was blessed with a job but one that I felt I was grossly under paid for. Two years I have applied for every job that was in my field. I have gone on more then 40 + job interviews. Each time I was sent a letter stating they loved that I applied but they offered the job to someone else. That was until spring of this year. I started to think maybe I was looking at this whole situation wrong.
In May of 2010 I knelt down to pray one night. I got this overwhelming feeling of peace. I knew the Lord was ready and willing to help me all I had to do was ask for it. "Dear Lord, I want to be content with what I have. I want the things we have to be enough for us. For the boys to get what they need and for me to feel like I am providing great things for them. I want to feel satisfied with everything I have. I don't want more then my fair share. What I want is peace with what I have. Please make it so we are okay financially. So I can provide for the family without begging any longer. Please take away my feelings of guilt. I am still going apply for jobs. I am still going to go on job interviews. IF you want me to have that job please provide it for me. If not I understand there is a bigger picture for me. I put all my trust in your hands and I leave it to your will to help us get through this very very tough time. Amen."
As I fell asleep that night I thought what did I just do? Why didn't you ask for the job you just interviewed for? Why would you just ask for contentment? Silly girl the Lord will never answer such a silly prayer. Why did you waste such a golden opportunity? I fell asleep.
The next morning I woke and felt better than I had in a very very long time. I was not overwhelmed with the daily chores. I was able to get to work on time this particular morning. The kids almost seemed well behaved. At work I played music and started to sing along with it was I worked. The day went by fast and I felt refreshed in a job well done. I got a call from my long time sweetheart, Krik that night. We talked about starting a garden in Mapleton.
I had just started doing Bountiful Baskets on Saturdays at my home. This brought in fresh fruits and veggies each week for us because I opened my home up to it. I would always have food in the house for as long as I was doing this.
Krik and I, talked about how to be self sufficient and how I could start. Canning food was a great way to start. I could make homemade gifts, I could learn how to sew, and I started my garden these were just a few things that jumpstarted me into this great adventure. Then I feel off the wagon. That is when I decided if I write about it, I could stay on the straight and narrow. I started this blog. I called it the Satisfying Simple Life because that is what I wanted. A life that was simple and satisfying.
I needed the right attitude to achieve this goal. I needed to be taught how to stretch a dime into a dollar. I was on the right path and I knew it. I was cooking at home. I had stopped eating out every night. I was working hard to keep up on the house work and find contentment in my life. I started couponing and making my money work for me instead of working for my money. This change has taken time, organization, and patience. Especially Patience!
The next big change came when Krik and I got married in Oct of this year. I had to make this wedding nice yet simple and cheap. I achieved this by making items for it myself, setting up jobs to work off deposits, finding students who needed internships, and a much more.
Then came combing the household under one roof. We found a house in Orem. To say the least I was not sure about moving out of my beloved Mapleton. I was not sure I could handle this move with all the changes this last year. However over the last two and half months the boys have adjusted very very well. They love this new house. They are doing chores and working as hard as they play. Because of this move I have cut 1/2 my drive time. I am home in time for dinner most nights now. For the last few years Krik and I have struggled because we were in two separate households. Because of us combining our life and homes we are able to save money.
In Nov just before our move Krik had a heart attack and had a triple bypass. I have taken a lot of time off due to his illness. I with a cheerful disposition took care of my beloved husband. While off work my van broke down and again we have money issues due to the fact of repairs. But the Lord blessed us with such great blessings we had the money saved for it (the exact amount of the repair to say the least). I must reassert my thoughts again though. I thought badly when the van broke down because that money was supposed to go on my family for Christmas. Why on earth would it break down right now? I went back to my I need a new job mode. I am reading the good books again and I am praying for contentment in my time. I started immediately feeling the love that the Lord has for me and the family.
Now Krik is starting heal I am back at work. I am feeling a bit guilty about leaving him home all alone with the boys.
I know the Lord has blessed our family this year. Does it make it any less hard, no! However, I have been given the tools and skills so I can manage with whatever life throws our way. My family is my strength. We as a family can overcome anything. I know this to be true.
I want to leave you with what I have learned this year. My life is 95% attitude and 5% hard work. With a positive attitude you can do anything and achieve greatness.
Happy New Year! Hope your resolutions are as great as you are.
I started this year not understanding the need for this satisfying simple change in my life. I spent more money then I made. I worked 40 hours a week and could not pay all my bills. To top all this off I was still in the middle of a divorce that had lasted since 2003.
In May of 2010 I knelt down to pray one night. I got this overwhelming feeling of peace. I knew the Lord was ready and willing to help me all I had to do was ask for it. "Dear Lord, I want to be content with what I have. I want the things we have to be enough for us. For the boys to get what they need and for me to feel like I am providing great things for them. I want to feel satisfied with everything I have. I don't want more then my fair share. What I want is peace with what I have. Please make it so we are okay financially. So I can provide for the family without begging any longer. Please take away my feelings of guilt. I am still going apply for jobs. I am still going to go on job interviews. IF you want me to have that job please provide it for me. If not I understand there is a bigger picture for me. I put all my trust in your hands and I leave it to your will to help us get through this very very tough time. Amen."
As I fell asleep that night I thought what did I just do? Why didn't you ask for the job you just interviewed for? Why would you just ask for contentment? Silly girl the Lord will never answer such a silly prayer. Why did you waste such a golden opportunity? I fell asleep.
I had just started doing Bountiful Baskets on Saturdays at my home. This brought in fresh fruits and veggies each week for us because I opened my home up to it. I would always have food in the house for as long as I was doing this.
Krik and I, talked about how to be self sufficient and how I could start. Canning food was a great way to start. I could make homemade gifts, I could learn how to sew, and I started my garden these were just a few things that jumpstarted me into this great adventure. Then I feel off the wagon. That is when I decided if I write about it, I could stay on the straight and narrow. I started this blog. I called it the Satisfying Simple Life because that is what I wanted. A life that was simple and satisfying.
I needed the right attitude to achieve this goal. I needed to be taught how to stretch a dime into a dollar. I was on the right path and I knew it. I was cooking at home. I had stopped eating out every night. I was working hard to keep up on the house work and find contentment in my life. I started couponing and making my money work for me instead of working for my money. This change has taken time, organization, and patience. Especially Patience!
The next big change came when Krik and I got married in Oct of this year. I had to make this wedding nice yet simple and cheap. I achieved this by making items for it myself, setting up jobs to work off deposits, finding students who needed internships, and a much more.
Then came combing the household under one roof. We found a house in Orem. To say the least I was not sure about moving out of my beloved Mapleton. I was not sure I could handle this move with all the changes this last year. However over the last two and half months the boys have adjusted very very well. They love this new house. They are doing chores and working as hard as they play. Because of this move I have cut 1/2 my drive time. I am home in time for dinner most nights now. For the last few years Krik and I have struggled because we were in two separate households. Because of us combining our life and homes we are able to save money.
In Nov just before our move Krik had a heart attack and had a triple bypass. I have taken a lot of time off due to his illness. I with a cheerful disposition took care of my beloved husband. While off work my van broke down and again we have money issues due to the fact of repairs. But the Lord blessed us with such great blessings we had the money saved for it (the exact amount of the repair to say the least). I must reassert my thoughts again though. I thought badly when the van broke down because that money was supposed to go on my family for Christmas. Why on earth would it break down right now? I went back to my I need a new job mode. I am reading the good books again and I am praying for contentment in my time. I started immediately feeling the love that the Lord has for me and the family.
Now Krik is starting heal I am back at work. I am feeling a bit guilty about leaving him home all alone with the boys.
I know the Lord has blessed our family this year. Does it make it any less hard, no! However, I have been given the tools and skills so I can manage with whatever life throws our way. My family is my strength. We as a family can overcome anything. I know this to be true.
I want to leave you with what I have learned this year. My life is 95% attitude and 5% hard work. With a positive attitude you can do anything and achieve greatness.
Happy New Year! Hope your resolutions are as great as you are.
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