Well, well, well.....

Just when I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel....here comes another train! But I'm alive and well and that's the most important thing to me, period! Sicilia had to have surgery in March, broke my heart that it happened. She swallowed a few plastic bags, a screw, and a few other pieces of junk. It was at the time I changed her dog food. I changed it back to her old food and nothing thus far (PRAISE GOD). It cost me $1500 to get her fixed! It was so worth it though. If I never started this debt journey, I would have never been smart enough on how to arrange the financing on it. I told them to put $500 on CareCredit (which I was approved for) with no interest for 6 months. Then after the 6 months, I will just make an arrangement to pay the vet office every month until it is paid off. I had to have new rotors on my car, which that cost $253 (Thankfully, 6 months no interest).  So I am basically back over $2400 in debt, BUT I am learning how to be patient and frugal with everything. I am using more coupons, getting less gas, less groceries, etc.

Now, on to the other news that happened in March right after Sicilia's surgery (how convenient, right?), I find out my job is moving to Fairburn, GA (which my commute will change from a 7 mile commute to a 47 mile commute-one way!). So at the end of this lease, assuming I am still there and everything is ok with God :) I am moving to the southside of Atlanta. I feel I am done with this area and it is time for me to move on with my life and let God show me new avenues so I don't drag the OLD stuff behind me and I start all fresh and new. It's exciting but scary at the same time. I am ready for a nice new fresh start and ready for God to show up and show out!! So after I inquired about breaking my lease or transferring to another complex, they decided it was convenient for them to charge me the pet deposit I owe them, $300. UGH! *gasp* *choke* Rachael and Keith are talking about moving to Louisville, KY after their lease is up in November, as mine is as well. So lots of changes which make lots of things exciting but scary at the same time.

I just need to keep seeking God in all of this and let him show me the way! So whoever out there is reading this, please pray for my safety and God's will on my life.

January 30th, 2011

I am at almost $2200 in debt as of now. I have paid off a credit card as of January 7th! I was really excited about it too. It was $180 and I paid it off all at once, by listening to the still voice of God telling me to. After I paid it off, I was stressing over gas, groceries etc. I got $15 of gas (@ $3 a gallon) and $24 of groceries! The snowstorm came Sunday night, so I was not able to go to work Monday OR Tuesday. So, I only needed gas for Wednesday and Thursday because I get paid on Friday. THANK YOU LORD!! Now, why can't I use that example moving forward? I didn't pay my tithe this week, which I feel extremely guilty about. I don't understand why either because He has grace and mercy on me. I don't miss that often and when I do, I feel all this guilt. I guess it's because my love for God is so strong and He's never left me before, so why am I mistrusting him now? Bills got overwhelming and I didn't have enough left to pay everybody so I figured I would skip out on the tithe so I could pay my other bills. Now, I don't have enough for groceries and that's going to cause me to pay for groceries with my credit card. I THINK NOT SATAN! I have food in my household and I just have to keep trusting God to get me through this week. I have an abundance of everything, sometimes I just don't feel it sometimes. This year, I'm going to be DEBT FREE!! GET OVER IT SATAN! So, my plan is to pay one of my credit cards half the balance then call them and cancel the credit card. The last payment will be due by the time it is paid off. So, that will be 2 cards down, 3 to go. Firestone (which is $750) will be paid for a few months since the interest is so high on it then it will be back to another card that has to be paid off by October. Orchard Bank and a very small balance (below $100) credit card shall be paid off soon as well. Oh, and I owe Thrivent (my life insurance loan) somewhere around $560 and I am hoping to have them paid off as well, but the others are a stronger priority because the interest doesn't accumulate like it does on a credit card. I also owe Sharon $200 for my sofa bed-couch. I would like to have that paid off by March, but I'm not seeing how it's going to be done if I have to have another credit card paid off before April! *sigh* This debt is making me crazy. I never realized how poor I really am until I started paying debt off like this. I feel like I am paying it off in chunks (which is a good thing) but it is OHHHHH so painful to do. I can't wait to find out what it's going to be like paying my car off next. Speaking of car, I have been paying them like $250 instead of the $318 payment so that's going to build up and hurt me too. But I HAVE TO KEEP PRESSING THROUGH!! 2011 will be my year!! If I don't have it all paid off, at least MOST of it will be paid off and I will feel so free again!! COME ON GOD!! LET'S DO IT!! This will be YET another testimony I have to share with others after this journey is over! GOD YOU ARE AWESOME!! Thank you for the many blessings! Open my eyes and show me how to pay all of this off. You are the only one that can make this possible. I know it's a struggle, but how else can I remain faithful if it's not a struggle? You said it would never be easy and you also said you would never leave OR forsake me!! AMEN!!