Moving is hard regardless of whether you are moving across the country or just around the corner. In my lifetime, I’ve moved eighteen times, and no my family is not in the military. Well, my brother is, but he’s not the reason I’ve moved so much.

As you know, we recently moved 1,500 miles across the country from East Tennessee to the Northwest quadrant of Colorado (aka, High Rockies). We traded one mountain range for another. We’re really hoping this is our last move for a while!

With this move, as in all my other moves, I learned a few tips and tricks. I want to share them with you because moving is hard enough without having to worry about whether or not your stuff will arrive in one piece or not. For us, all of our stuff never arrived. It’s lost in transient and probably sitting on some other family’s doorstep just like the pair of dollar store lawn chairs leaning against my garage door. I involuntarily traded a few expensive items for these little trinkets. Thankfully, we have a decent inventory of our things, so we’ll get reimbursed … we hope.

I don’t want this to happen to you. So consider this a big sister telling you all the mistakes she made in hopes that you won’t make the same ones. These tips will save you some sanity as well as some well earned cash.

Join me over at Stacy Makes Cents where I share 10 tips (including a free printable) for saving time and money when planning a cross country move (or any kind of move)! {Click here to continue reading…}

What tips would you have included on this list?

Yesterday, I explained to you that God doesn’t want your money. I shared my family’s struggles with finances, as well as alluded to a book that helped my husband and I tremendously in setting goals for 2012. Today, I want to share with you the book that changed the way I look at finances.

From Debtor to Better: The Details of Debt and How to Get Out by Barry Myers was passed on to me to read and review.

To be honest, my husband and I thought,

“Not another financial book.”

*yawn*

You see, we have gulped down several financial books – spiritual and secular. We’ve studied how to cut cost, increase income, and budget our cash flow. We’ve invested in retirement, and searched God’s Word backward and forward on what He says about borrowing money. We’ve prayed. We’ve sat through classes. We’ve attended meetings. We’ve talked with friends. We’ve followed all the financial blogs. In short, we’ve been there, done that, and passed on the t-shirt.

But this book. This book. From Debtor to Better stopped me in my prideful tracks. It took the yawn out of my mouth and put me on the edge of my seat begging Barry to continue. As I read, I thirsted … for God. Not many financial books can do that.

Weariness will eat at you. It will grind away at your inner soul, the part that is forgotten when things are going well – when it is well with my soul. Weariness is like an itch that won’t go away. It lingers. It smothers. Weariness churns away and threatens to envelop your entire being. Our current financial condition found Mark and I weary.

However, God’s desire is not for us to grow weary, but instead come to Him, and lay our burdens at His feet. He wants us to turn to our brothers and sisters in Christ and confess our sins, and gain encouragement and healing.

So, maybe it was the current season this book found me in that caused it to elicit such enthusiasm. Maybe it was because I personally know Barry and his wife, Stacy. Maybe. But I really don’t think so. I think this book, From Debtor to Better, captured the heart of God in finances. That’s a tall order – an order I’m glad Barry placed.

What Barry says about From Debtor to Better

From Debtor to Better: The Details of Debt and How to Get Out is not your average get-out-of-debt book.  I don’t just want you to get out of debt, I want you to understand the monster that is debt and be equipped to not only tackle your own debt, but also know how to help others who may be struggling with their own debt issues.

As a financial counselor and former credit card debt collector, I share secrets in this book you won’t find in most other places. There isn’t a fancy plan in this book and there isn’t a complicated system to follow.  I simply tell you what debt is, many of the pitfalls associated with it and what to do to get out as quickly and safely as possible.  If you’re in the dark about how to handle your debt, this book is your flashlight!  Let me teach you how to take control of your finances.

Barry writes in such a way that makes you feel like he is just a caring guy sitting across the table from you and telling you that you can do this! He is also not afraid to hurt your feelings by calling you out for the stupid things you have done to get yourself into the position you are in, but he balances this with plenty of grace! His combination of wisdom, experience and humor make for an effective and enjoyable book that will help you get where you need to be in your finances.

Stewardship of our finances is no different than any other area of our lives God has entrusted to us. But to be honest? I think stewardship of God’s money may be where we need our faithful friends the most.

Barry is that friend. A friend who knows what he’s talking about, but he’s also very honest with you. Barry is a faithful friend – faithful as defined by the Bible.

From Debtor to Better is a must read book. If you’re looking for a fresh perspective, hope for the future, and grace to move forward, then this book is for you.

Right now, Barry is running a special on his book for an introductory price of just $10! I’m not sure how long this deal will last, but I can guarantee you forgoing a couple of lattes is worth it.

By the way, an ice chai tea latte sounds amazing … but I digress. It is worth it. I promise.

In addition, ONE lucky reader can win a FREE copy of Barry’s book, From Debtor to Better! Just use the form below to enter for your chance to win. The winner will be announced on Monday, January 23rd!

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Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the King also rejoiced greatly. -1 Chronicles 29:9

Recently, Mark and I spent several consecutive nights going over our finances. We took ourselves through scripture, as well as used an incredible book as our guide (more on the book tomorrow).

Mark and I are debt free. This means that we own both of our cars – paid cash for both. We have zero student loans – paid off more than $20,000 in less three years. We had a baby, and we paid cash for each and every bill. We don’t use credit cards. We have all the necessary insurances – home, life, health, etc. We’re debt free!

However, this last year was a year of much tribulation. It seemed that as we would overcome one financial hurdle, there would be another financial hurdle. We never felt like we got ahead, and that savings fund we built up? Yeah, it was completely depleted.

Right now, as I type, our bank account has dropped below $1,000. We do have savings, albeit low, we have it. We’re fine. So don’t start sending us money dear sweet mother-in-love. I know you! Sit back and keep reading.

My point is that the end of 2011 left us scratching our heads and wondering two things: 1) How did we get like this? 2) How in the world did we make it through last year?

I have to be honest, and I have to say it outright, we could not have made it through this last year apart from the sheer grace and mercy of God.

At the end of 2010, we set financial goals for 2011. Our theme was give until it hurts. Little did we know at the time what we were saying, at least not to the fullest extent. We thought our past couple of years was commendable in the area of giving. We thought we had already been sacrificing until it hurt. However, we hadn’t, and God had bigger fish to fry than our money. He our pride to deal with, and pride did He deal.

We committed to giving more than the obligatory 10% to the Lord. Mark was convinced that the Lord was asking us to give until it hurt, and Mark was right.

As we look back over the course of the last year, I am amazed.

Did we get to buy clothes? Nope.
Did we get to buy decorations for our home? Nope.
Did we get to go on a getaway together? Nope.
Did we get to buy extravagant gifts for our friends and family? Nope.
Did we have a cushiony bank account? Nope – far from it.
Did we get to eat steak dinner? Nope. But we sure tried.

However, we had all that we needed, and we were able to watch and experience the Lord’s provision.

When our money went to fixing a flat tire, we saw the Lord mold the roofing company’s heart who covered the tab without question.
When our money went to putting new brakes on our van, we saw the Lord provide the next size clothing for Samuel through family.
When our money went to moving expenses, we saw the Lord provide friends who were willing to get dirty, really dirty, to help us get our house ready to live in.
When our grocery budget had to be cut, we saw the Lord fill our freezer full through the generosity of family.
When we had no idea how we were going to be able to cover our tithe, we saw the Lord provide finances from unexpected sources.

Mark and I were far from perfect this last year, and my attitude can be summed up in a word: terrible. Or maybe: selfish. Or better yet: discontent.

So often, I demanded more money. I searched our bank account for an extra few dollars so I could buy the boots I wanted. I scrounged for finances so I could eat out for lunch because I didn’t feel like making myself anything. I whined about not getting to do anything, go anywhere. I complained that none of our clothes fit and all I had were my clothes from when I worked in an office.

Then, when my grandparents would commend us for making sacrifices so I could stay home with our baby, my stomach would drop. I would feel shame, and realize that what they thought I was, I was not. Far from it. I was that person wanting more stuff! I was that person complaining and whining! That humbled me.

Furthermore, when the man of my prayers asked me to track our finances, I didn’t want to do it even though I knew it would serve him. I made excuses and did it reluctantly. I made sure he knew what a sacrifice it was for me each time I had to input receipts and make the deposits at the bank. I mean, I do have a busy one year old! What does he do all day while I’m searching for that rogue penny to make our checkbook balance?

This last year was a year of pruning, a year of refinement, a year of the Lord asking me,

“Do you trust me, or do you trust your bank account?”

Before this year, I would have said that I trusted the Lord fully with our finances. Our money is God’s money after all – we just get to manage it. However, at the end of this year, as I reflect on the twelve months prior, I see clearly that the Lord truly wanted my heart, not my money.

God wanted my heart to reflect the heart of a servant, like David from the Old Testament, who blessed the Lord and gave willingly with his whole heart.

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17

To my amazement, as I calculated our bills and compared it to our estimated income for 2012, there was a leftover amount – an amount that I could not account for. This amount was allotted in 2011. Once our bills are paid and our needs are met, there was $200 a month leftover. Then, it dawned on me, and I fell to my knees … that was God’s money, the money we gave extra – above and beyond. The money that hurt so bad to give.

In my mess, all of it, God got what He wanted. He not only got my heart, but He got my money too.

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This blog is linked to Far Above Rubies.