Where Did Jesus' Money Go?

This post has been a long time in coming.

Jesus had a fund that was up to almost $250 from little things I was cutting out of my regular spending.  And now it's down to close to $6.50.  I'm sure you're wondering if I'm embezzling from Jesus.

Not so, my friends.  Jesus had His first disbursements!

My heart just aches for children with no parents, and for the tremendous cost required to adopt.  I truly believe that Jesus can step in and make it happen for people starting out with no savings to adopt and ending with their entire adoption fully funded.  Through DFC, I've been privileged to meet many people who that is a reality for.  But, I also believe Jesus works through us and He's not going to come down here and start putting money in people's bank accounts to fund their adoptions.  He's going to ask you and me to do it. 

It bothered me that the Jesus fund was accumulating and not going anywhere but my bank account, so I started to pray about where it should go.  And then I learned about this family adopting from Haiti.  I sat at my computer and CRIED as I watched the beautiful video done by their daughter.  And, there was my first answer to the Jesus fund.  Another Haiti family did the same thing to me, so the Jesus fund shrunk a little more.  And then I learned about Second Mile Ministries and they got all the rest. 

I think all of my passions are rolled up into one through this organization.  Second Mile Haiti works in Haiti (can you believe it???).  Here's their mission.....

"Our mission is to provide for the physical needs of sick and malnourished children while empowering their mothers through health education and small business opportunities."

I am ALL over that, baby!  Dignified livelihood.  Children staying with their parents.  Small business opportunities.  Sustainable medical care.  Helping children.  HAITI!!  Yep!  

I can't tell you how sick it makes me to think of a parent relinquishing their children because they can not support them.  Just makes me sick.  As a future adopting parent, I have a responsibility to do something about that and Second Mile Haiti just seemed like the perfect fit.

So, there's my accountability for the day.  :)  So much better than any muffin I'd have eaten at Tim Horton's.  Or donut, or panini, or XL hot tea with sugar........

Tim Horton Withdrawal

There is a dichotomy of feeling that I experience when I post here.

Because my Jesus fund keeps adding up.

I feel a combination of shame over the spending I didn't think twice about before as well as a sense of excitement that simply skipping a few things adds up so fast!

Lastest skips - Tim Hortons and a cake pop pan.

I used to drop Little Miss off at school and run to Tim Horton's. "Yes. I'll have an extra large tea with sugar and 2 fruit explosion muffins."

"That will be $4.36."

$4.36 no more.

Three times a week, at least, and we're looking at nearly $13 a week. That adds up fast.

The thing is, I'm finding my mentality is changing through this. The desire to go to Tim Horton's every time I drop her off is no longer there. Does that mean I stop counting it every week?

I'm not sure.

Either way its a good thing. It means that the Jesus fund is not something that is temporary, (although I have a feeling that the accrual of it will slow as this goes on). The Jesus fund is a heart change that I'm experiencing.

And I'm glad for that.

Any simple luxuries you've given up lately? Please share. Because at this moment, I'm longing for a fruit explosion muffin. :)

Adding Up the Jesus Fund - The First Installments

Last week I introduced you to my Jesus fund.

Here's how it's adding up so far....

After the new year, I decided I was going to have to start dieting. I had gained 10 pounds in a year and was growing out of my pants. And my kids were asking me if I had a baby in my belly, which was met with a prompt lecture on how you never say things like that to Mommy.

One of the ways I decided to go about my plan to lose weight was through walking on the treadmill.

But I am oh, so picky. The treadmill had to be in the corner of the room because it just felt too tacky to have a piece of exercise equipment in the middle of my living room. And I, of course, needed to be able to watch TV while exercising because that is the only way I could tolerate it. And I had to pull the treadmill way out to the middle of the living room to see the TV.

All kinds of problems here.

My solution?

I need a new entertainment stand - one that is flat, with no doors covering the TV, so I can just rotate the TV for my convenience.

I drove to very fashionable and very trendy HQ and prided myself in picking out an inexpensive, yet attractive, flat entertainment stand. We got it all loaded up in the car, smashed right up against Little Miss and drove home - conviction pouring down all the way.

I was purchasing this entertainment table for my own convenience. I didn't need it. I could inconvenience myself by pulling out the treadmill if I so desired. And it cost $183.37. $183.37 that I really didn't think about, and easily justified spending. Enter shame.

So, it never came out of the box. It went right back to HQ and the refunded money went straight into the Jesus Fund.

Installment #1? Check!

I mentioned I've been reading Jen Hatmaker's book, 7 - a project against excess. She has partnered with HELP in the efforts to promote Garage Sale for Orphans as a way to get rid of all the extra stuff we all have laying around and help end human trafficking in Haiti. (Maybe something I would like???.....).

Now, I live in the middle of no where. The summer after we moved into our home I held a garage sale. Saying that it bit would be an understatement. I vowed I wouldn't do it again.

So Amazon is my substitute.

I have a lot of books in my bedroom that I've read once and know I'm not going to read again, so I started listing them on Amazon. Results so far? $6.75.

Installment #2.

It's a start, and a pretty good one, I think. For me, this is going to add up fast.

Do you have any creative ideas for how I can add to the Jesus Fund? Let's here 'em!

photo credit

The Jesus Fund

One of the ideas that came out of reading Radical for our family was "The Jesus Fund."

You know all those commercials that say, "Hey, if you skipped this cup of coffee every day you could sponsor a child!"

And then you know how we all ignore it?

For me, it just isn't concrete enough. Sure I could skip that cup of coffee (tea in my case), but I would just go ahead and spend the money on something else just as unnecessary.

Enter the Jesus Fund. Because I like concreteness.

Now, when I make volitional choices to pass up the purchases I would usually spend money on that I really don't need to be spending money on, I keep track.

Quicken is a beautiful thing. It has helped us really keep track of where our money is going and has helped us allot our money to where we want it to be going and not just where we're spending it.

Quicken has this great feature in which you can "save" money and make an account for it without actually having a separate bank account. They are termed "savings plans".

Well, now Jesus has His own plan.

When we skip out on a regular purchase, we "transfer" money from our checking account to our Jesus fund. We're going to pray about where that money should go as it increases. For now we're just keeping track and seeing what that change looks like.

You get to be my accountability partners and see what is changing in our spending and how quickly this adds up. Part of me wants it to add up fast and part of me knows I'll be ashamed of how excessively I want to spend our money as I watch it add up.

Stay tuned.

PS - If you decide to start a Jesus fund, let me know. I want to be watching you too. :)

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