You know... some of the best Christmas presents are not always found underneath the tree. I found this especially true for me this year.
I'll start with present # 1 my car!
My husband and I have had our car for about 3 years. It's been a great car, nothing fancy, but it always gets us where we need to go. We've not had any problems with it until a few weeks ago. I began hearing this knocking noise when the car was in park and proceeded to get louder as I put it into drive. Now, I know very little about cars but what I did know is that this noise sounded serious and expensive! Knowing this was probably going to be an expensive repair, but needed to be done, Trevor went ahead and made an appointment to get it fixed. We thought our full warranty on the car had expired, but to our surprise and delight, we had 68 miles left until the expiration. Therefore the expense would be covered through the warranty! God is awesome!
Now the second part of this story is that we took the car in to get fixed on Monday, December 20, and did not get it back until yesterday, December 29! Wow, can I say I'm so thankful for my car! Going 9 days without out it has made me appreciate it more.
Christmas Present #2- Rest & Enjoyment:
This present is actually a result of not having my car for a week! Fortunately, because I was on Christmas break when my car was being fixed, there weas no need for a second vehicle. Thankfully, I had planned ahead and had purchased most all of my Christmas presents, except one, (don't worry, I was able to purchase it by the end of the week.. thanks to my husband!) Therefore, I had no need to be out or to go shopping. Although, I must say I'm also very thankful for friends who were willing to share their vehicle with us as we traveled to my parents house for Christmas. I can't express into words how restful and enjoyable my week was. I was able to slow down and take time to really enjoy the true meaning of Christmas. If I would've had my car, I know for sure I would've found a reason to go places and buy things that weren't necessary and I would've missed out on the rest and quiet that was found by staying at home. I guess I've learned that staying on the go is an esy way of keeping you distracted from what's important. It can also keep you distracted from what God maybe trying to speak to you. I was able to unclutter my mind and enjoy rest. My simple week was a blessing from the Lord!
Christmas present #3 Completing our Dave Ramsey class:
We finished our last class on Monday, December 20, and have gained so many valuable tools to help us live financially in a way that pleases the Lord. We are currently working toward baby step #2, which is is the debt snowball. Our goal is to have this completed, being debt free except for our house, in 15 months. We continue to pray and use Godly wisdom as we plan and prepare for our future!
Christmas present # 4 Health InsuranceBack in November, I unexpectedly lost my insurance benefit through my job. As this happened so quickly and suddenly, my husband and I were trying to make some decisions and explore our options. Well, the day I received the news at my job, it just so happened to be the day after our Dave Ramsey class on insurance. I found this to be odd but at the same time I felt comforted believing that God had a plan. Eventhough I was surprised, He wasn't. And actually, Trevor and I had talked about looking into getting insurance apart from my work because it was so expensive. Well, we were able to contact one of Dave's insurance reps in our town and were able to purchase health insurance with her, which was much cheaper than I had before with the same coverage and with dental added on!! WOOT! WOOT! Again, I give all praise to God! He is so awesome that He is able to take our negative situations and turn them into blessings! :)
Christmas present #5 is two- fold: Snow and FamilyThis year for Christmas we traveled to my parents house in SW Virginia (a.ka. snow captial of VA!). We arrived on Christmas Eve and awakened Christmas morning to a beautiful snow fall. Now they already had snow on the ground, several inches in fact, but it was beautiful to watch and it sure did encourage the "Christmas" atmosphere. Now, it became a bit of a traveling issue trying to return home but it still made me warm and fuzzy all over!
While we were at my parents, I was able to see my brother, sister-in-law, and my niece and nephew that I don't get to see often enough. We had such a wonderful time together. Of course it's always fun to watch the kids open their presents. But it was definitely a gift for me just to be with my family. The gifts under the tree will in years be forgotten but the time and memories spent talking and sharing with my family will always be cherished.
Ok, so I had some extra special presents this year! This has definitely been an unsual Christmas but one where I know I'll look back and be able to see God working around me... even if at the time I didn't always see it as a blessing.
I'm praying that you'll see and experience the overwhelming comfort in knowing that God has not forgotten you and that you are placed in the shadow of his wings!
Christmas present #3 Completing our Dave Ramsey class:
We finished our last class on Monday, December 20, and have gained so many valuable tools to help us live financially in a way that pleases the Lord. We are currently working toward baby step #2, which is is the debt snowball. Our goal is to have this completed, being debt free except for our house, in 15 months. We continue to pray and use Godly wisdom as we plan and prepare for our future!
Christmas present # 4 Health InsuranceBack in November, I unexpectedly lost my insurance benefit through my job. As this happened so quickly and suddenly, my husband and I were trying to make some decisions and explore our options. Well, the day I received the news at my job, it just so happened to be the day after our Dave Ramsey class on insurance. I found this to be odd but at the same time I felt comforted believing that God had a plan. Eventhough I was surprised, He wasn't. And actually, Trevor and I had talked about looking into getting insurance apart from my work because it was so expensive. Well, we were able to contact one of Dave's insurance reps in our town and were able to purchase health insurance with her, which was much cheaper than I had before with the same coverage and with dental added on!! WOOT! WOOT! Again, I give all praise to God! He is so awesome that He is able to take our negative situations and turn them into blessings! :)
Christmas present #5 is two- fold: Snow and FamilyThis year for Christmas we traveled to my parents house in SW Virginia (a.ka. snow captial of VA!). We arrived on Christmas Eve and awakened Christmas morning to a beautiful snow fall. Now they already had snow on the ground, several inches in fact, but it was beautiful to watch and it sure did encourage the "Christmas" atmosphere. Now, it became a bit of a traveling issue trying to return home but it still made me warm and fuzzy all over!
While we were at my parents, I was able to see my brother, sister-in-law, and my niece and nephew that I don't get to see often enough. We had such a wonderful time together. Of course it's always fun to watch the kids open their presents. But it was definitely a gift for me just to be with my family. The gifts under the tree will in years be forgotten but the time and memories spent talking and sharing with my family will always be cherished.
Ok, so I had some extra special presents this year! This has definitely been an unsual Christmas but one where I know I'll look back and be able to see God working around me... even if at the time I didn't always see it as a blessing.
I'm praying that you'll see and experience the overwhelming comfort in knowing that God has not forgotten you and that you are placed in the shadow of his wings!
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