A Leap of Faith

He hated his job. Every Sunday night, he'd feel sick to his stomach. He knew he didn't want to return to the same school district the next fall, but our first baby was due in a month. We always planned for me to stay home once we added kids to our family, and were committed to it, so the sole responsibility of providing fell to him.

His principal pushed him to sign his contract for the following year. "This is how it's done. Sign the contract. If you get another job, we'll let you out of it."

But Kevin told me, "I can't do it. It's not right to sign a contract knowing you're not going to honor it."

The principal thought he was nuts. "You've got a baby on the way!"

A big part of me agreed. I wanted him to sign the stupid thing, knowing he'd at least have a job if he couldn't find another position. But I found his stance noble. And honorable. And I admired his commitment to staying true to his word. So I followed his lead, but not without fear.

He began the search immediately, looking at teaching jobs and a church position. By the time any firm offers came it was July. The church wanted to see how we clicked with youth group kids and asked us to work with them on a trial basis for three weeks. Meanwhile two schools offered jobs and needed an answer within the week. Our son was two months old and we only had another month of money coming in.

Pursuing the church job required a leap of faith--turning down two other positions without a guarantee he'd be hired. As crazy as it sounds, I don't remember feeling scared. I should have been! If my own children were faced with the same situation, I'd be a nervous wreck. I'd be pushing for the sure thing. But we felt confident we had what the church needed so we followed the Spirit's prompting, took the plunge, turned down the teaching jobs and agreed to the trial period.

We believed God had a plan, and He gave us the courage needed to carry it out. And what a plan it was--we've been at that church 21 years now, enjoying wonderful relationships and opportunities.

And yet I wonder if faced with a similar situation today if I would have the same courage. Would I be able to turn down the sure thing and trust God to work it out now? It's not that He hasn't come through. There have been other financially stressful times, of course--medical bills from a having a new baby and a child facing a serious illness in the same period, owning two houses for seven years, raising four kids on one income. As we speak I have to tell myself not to hyperventilate with two kids in college, four people on our cell phone plan, a kid in braces, and five cars and five drivers on our auto insurance. In our entire married life, we have BOTH worked full-time for only one year.

It hasn't been easy, but we've seen His hand. He's provided. He's gotten us through some bleak years. I guess it's important to remember He will give us what we need to carry out His plan. He will supply the wisdom, the discernment, the courage to help you follow whatever financial path He deems necessary.

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

God has been very faithful to the Boesiger bunch and He will be to you too. If He calls you to take a leap of faith, He'll give you what you need to jump.

Are you willing to trust Him with your money situation? Have you taken a leap of faith?

Read more Marriage Monday posts at Chrysalis.

Financial Contentment in Marriage

Today's Marriage Monday topic takes me back to the early years of our marriage. Both still in college, I worked part-time at a grocery store and for our local public schools. Kevin gave a bazillion piano lessons. Money was extremely tight. We thought we hit the jackpot when we found enough change in the couch to buy a Sunday paper.

But we were so happy.

I thought Danny's Song our theme song.

And even though we ain't got money
I'm so in love with you, honey
And everything will bring a chain of love
And in the mornin' when I rise
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes
And tell me, everything is gonna be alright
Now nearly twenty-five years and four kids later, our financial picture is much better, but we're in the midst of braces and cell phones and driving teens and college and committed to living on one income to follow God's call on our lives. The song's relevance to us has never dimmed. I look at my husband today and those words come flooding back.

And even though we ain't got money
I'm so in love with you, honey
And everything will bring a chain of love
And in the mornin' when I rise
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes
And tell me, everything is gonna be alright
We may not have material riches, but our relational fortune is staggering. I AM so in love with him. Still. Years of scraping by have been tough, but I'd rather have him and no money than wealth without him. We've learned to trust God together as we rely on Him to meet our needs. We've learned to work hard, to hold each other up, to find joy in the simple things and celebrate the victories. TOGETHER.

The key to financial contentment in marriage is understanding the treasure of your union. New clothes and fancy cars and exotic vacations are nice, but they're only fluff. The gold is the relationship we share EVERY DAY, the way he belly laughs at my silly comments, the familiar body in my bed every night, the knowing looks from across the room, the man who chooses me first, each and every day of our lives. You can't put a price tag on that.

And even though we ain't got money
I'm so in love with you, honey
It is love that warms me to sleep every night, love that gives me security, love that brings joy and encourages me to be all I can for God. Love joins our hands and goes with us beyond this life into the next. Love never fails.

God has blessed us beyond measure. Our cup overflows. No amount of money can compare to the riches of my marriage. Dwelling there keeps me content, no matter what our financial outlook.


Want to see how others approach finances in their marriages? Visit e-Mom at Chrysalis for more on money and marriage.

Another Way to "Earn" Money

I don't make any money.

I am completely reliant on my husband to bring home the bacon. Can I confess that sometimes that bothers me? It's not that my husband cares at all about how I spend the money he brings home. It's not that I don't get any say in how it's distributed. He hands me the checks and I take care of them. What gets under my skin occasionally is that I don't contribute to our family's finances at all.

I know my worth is not based on the money I bring in (Good thing!), and I know the work I do is important. I would have found a paying job a long time ago if I wasn't convinced I'm following God's plan for my life. My husband tells me all the time he thinks I should keep doing what I do, but I'd be lying if I said I don't feel tinges of insignificance sometimes for my lack of bread earning.

I remember feeling my "value" acutely when we were getting life insurance. The agent was very nice about pointing out how much money it would cost my husband if I were to die and he had to replace the services I provide, yet the life insurance policy we have on him is five times the one we have on me. What does that say to you?

Last week as I painted my daughter's room, I lamented to myself again about my lack of contribution to my family's financial resources when an encouraging thought made one of those cartoon light bulbs glow above my head.

I may not MAKE any money for my family, but I sure do SAVE them some. Isn't that almost as good? I SAVE my family money by cooking meals at home, by taping the drywall and taking care of the painting in Drama Queen's room myself. Collecting and keeping track of the coupons from retail stores has saved us hundreds of dollars. Why on Saturday alone, this tactic kept $57 in our bank account.

Saving money for them is a way of earning it, don't you think?

So this is for all you stay-at-home moms who get to feeling unimportant because you don't earn a paycheck. What you do matters. You are a vital part of your family's well-being even though you never deposit a check with your name on it. Your efforts to SAVE money for your family is another way of earning it.

Ten Tips for Frugal Living

Wow. I gotta say this is a tough topic for me. I was going to skip it entirely, but thought it the chicken's way out.

I don't think of myself as a big spender. I'm pretty conservative in my purchasing habits. My husband tells me I make up excuses for NOT buying things. Is that a nice way of saying I'm a tight wad? Hmmm. But I'm not sure I'd call myself frugal either. I rarely buy clothes that aren't on sale, but I don't do the thrift store thing either. I remember my mom scanning the grocery ads for what was on sale and planning meals accordingly. I regret to say I didn't inherit her skill and tenacity in that either.

But my family has known what it is to scrimp and be careful with our money. So I'll take a crack at it and share some things that have helped us.. Here's my random list of tips for frugal living.

(Drum roll, please.)

10. Plan meals ahead of time.

9. Buy groceries once a week.

8. Ask yourself before buying something, "Is this a need or a want?"

7. When we road trip to activities for our children, we save TONS of money by packing a lunch to eat on the way. Our kids think it's fun and much healthier too.

6. Make spending money a game. How many days can you go without buying anything?

5. Do home improvement work yourself and gain valuable skills at the same time. I've really enjoyed doing all the painting (learning some cool faux techniques) and even some drywall taping at our house.

4. Find cheap entertainment by visiting local art galleries, taking long walks or hitting the matinees at the movies.

3. Plan family nights at home with homemade pizza and videos.

2. Take advantage of grandparents' willingness to watch your kids. It's good for you and builds wonderful relationships that enhance your children's lives. (Our kids have the best grandparents on the face of the earth, willing to take them at a moment's notice. THANK YOU, Mom, and Mom and Dad! You have blessed us greatly! What would we do without you?!)

And my number one rule which may get me kicked out of the frugal living club:

1. Never, ever sacrifice people or relationships for the sake of pinching pennies. If this is extravagant, then I want to go down as loving others extravagantly. If faced with the choice of having lunch with a friend or saving money, I'll always opt for lunch. I'd rather spend my money on gas to see people than build up a savings account. People always come first.

Whew. I did it. Who knew I had it in me? I have to give a big thank you to e-Mom for stretching me today! For more tips on frugal living, visit her at Chrysalis.