Christianity Oasis Forum

[megandee]

Hello, This is my 1st day with the Christian Counseling Program. As all you know, that have been thru it, I'm Just supposed to enter my thoughts for today. I would imagine my thoughts on why I'm taking this counseling.
Well, here it goes. I'm a 40 year old women. I became a Christian when I was 9 years old. So, if I can do the math, I've been a Christian for 31 years. Becoming a Christian at such a young age I would say, that I have done most of my sinning after I was saved. Thankfully, I have always been forgiven and made anew, when confessing my sins and turning away from them by God's power. Thank you Jesus for paying my debt to make forgiveness and renewal possible.
Well, like many people, I've been thru many hardships, trials and temptations. As the Bible promises, God has always worked them out for my good because I love Him and I'm called to His purpose.
I won't go into all the hardships and miracles that the Lord was done for me because I could write a book about them. Thank you Jesus for always being faithful.
Throughout my life, especially in the last ten years, I have struggles with depression. and a lot of health problems. God has given me good doctors and has help me get a lot better.
I know we are going to have trials and hardship for our remainder of our time here on earth. Especially, if we try to win other to the Lord. The reason being is Satan doesn't like us being effective for the Kingdom. and as I have said, I have had many hardships my whole life. Then again God has really blessed me thru these hardship and answered many prayers for me. One of the things that I'm trying to say is that I feel that my forties are going to be full of blessings and prosperity for His kingdom. I have been forty now since Feb. 2 of this year. And the hardship that I would like the Lord to heal me from is financial hardship.
Well, my husband and I confess that we have sinned by spending more than we make by using our credit cards. See our 16 year old niece by adoption came to live with us this past summer because her mom, who is Bi-polar and has learning disability had to spend 4.5 months in jail. We have been helping the two of them since we meet them about eight years ago, when I taught Steph(niece we adopted)in 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School. See, at the time what I did for employment was child care because we were trying to have children. A few years ago when I found out we couldn't have biological children, we started the adoption process. That became too stressful and too expensive. We lost some money that we already had paid the agency. That was the start of our financial problems. Well, the kids I was caring for all started all day school,so my services weren't needed their anymore. So, for about the last five years we have been living just on my husbands income. I have just done some odd and end part time jobs here and there. So, starting this last summer when my niece began living with us we used credit cards to pay for her school supplies, clothes, parties,Drivers Ed.,and this and that. I thought I was going to get a job and be able to pay it off. I must say that my husband and I also spent money on ourself on stuff like his race car hobby, and I bought some collectible dolls. We justified it by saying that in our 11 year marriage we never really did any nice stuff for ourselves like vacations or stuff like that, so we thought we were entitled to treat ourselves a little. after all we had been through a lot, which there wouldn't have been anything wrong with buying ourself stuff except we used credit cards. Of course as we were spending this money, we didn't realize how much our credit card balances were adding up. In our 11 year marriage we have always been very financially responsible, so we have always had very good credit. Very good credit meant having a lot of money available for us to borrow. Well, I did get a job in Jan. this year with an in home care service. They just opened in Dec. and started seeing clients in Jan. The problem is I have only had one client for one week in Jan. He was a single man needing care after his surgery. Well it's normal for business to be slow when you first open business. Margaret,the owner of Visiting Angels, said she has been talking to a lot of people in the last couple of weeks, so hopefully she will have work for me very soon. I have also put my ap. in at a couple of other places with no offers. The McDonald's by my house is hiring right now. I'm supposed to go talk to them on Monday.
Well, my husband and I have been to credit counseling and they recommend bankrupsy, which we would never have thought in a million years that we would ever do. We are ashamed to say that we are more than likely going that rout. I know God has forgiven us because we have confessed, and we cut up all our credit cards and are seeking counseling to live within our budget. So, my hopes and prayers are to get a job, have good health and live in the budget that God gives us.
I just want to conclude by saying, that I feel that it wasn't God's will for us to have biolocigal children, because we have helped with a lot of other children. Especially, our niece, Steph, and her mom. God has answered a lot of prayer concerning them. Linda, Steph's mom, has been doing real well since out of jail. She takes her bi-polar medicine, which makes a huge difference. Steph has always been a great blessing. She is a committed young Christian, and does real well in school. Who knows, maybe someday I will get to go to China to get a Great-Niece, because a few months back Steph wrote out her goal list. After college and marriage, she wrote adopt from China. That is where My hubby and I where going to adopt. I thought that was sweet. Who knows, only the Lord knows the future and the plans He has for us.
So, part of what I want to get from this counseling is not to stress over finances.Also, to trust God to provide and thank Him for His forgiveness. By His power, learn to spend only the money He gives us, and not use credit cards. His will be done. Amen.

[mlg]

Megan welcome to the counseling steps sis. You have begun a great journey of enlightenment, and your walk with the Lord can only be strengthened, and your worries less. May I share with you that I know many people who have found themselves in financial struggles including myself at one time. See credit cards aren't what most people think. When received in the mail, you feel like you have hit the jackpot, but then when it comes time to pay them back, with huge interest rates, it's a major financial impact. I also know many who have had to file for bankruptcy, but just remember it's not the end, because your debt will be cleared, and you've already asked the Lord to forgive you for not being a good steward of the money, so now you can let it go and move forward. You should be proud of yourself for recongnizing that their was a problem and cutting up those cards, and now trying to rebuild your financial position.

As for children, I know what it's like not to be able to have children. See, the good Lord blessed me with my daughter, but then when my ex and I wanted to have more, the doctors told me I couldn't. I have made my peace too with this situation, and have accepted that God is what I need to carry forward forever.

Bless you for doing the steps megan.

luv ya lots

[---]

Hello Megan welcome to the 14 day counseling program, Have faith that things will work out and dont think that you will have to file for bankrupcy just know that God can do things that we never thought possible.When you think about your financial problems imagine yourself without those financial problems and know that you can take it with Jesus you can stand no matter what may come your way your life is in his hands. And also when you think about those problems remember that you have your husband and your niece and hang on to that love and i will keep you in my prayers oh and by the way my mothers birthday is feb 2nd also.