Tough times ahead

Today Bret came home with more bad news.  Time for the pay cut.  With the economy the way it is we are being hit hard.  I am thankful we still have jobs (I have been down that road too) but not sure how ends will meet.  When we seem to be getting on our feet from one thing we are hit with another.  It is a trickle effect when you loose a job or have a pay cut.  Now we have to figure out a way to cut things out of our budget that we can live without. When you are facing a challenge lik this your mind goes in so many directions.  You think first of your own things that you can cut... the occasional movie, dinner, even the frequent trips to Sonic for my soda.  The new furniture you were dreaming of is put out of mind and you figure out how to hide the peeling leather couches, frayed throw rug, unfinished projects and cut back on the things you already are spending money on.  You hate to cut things back for your kids but things like tennis lessons, violin lessons, cable tv and Internet are luxuries we can live without.  We have crossed this road before concerning my car but we have not been able to sell it.  When we have tried to trade it in they will give us less than we owe on it and when we add the deficit on to another car we owe more for a trade in than we owe on what we have.  It has been hard for us these last couple years when I lost my job I was devastated and it took us a while to get back on our feet but we did it.  Than I lost my next job and after that playing on me emotionally for a long time I got another job.  We have worked hard to try to change our ways and not get further in debt and pay cash for everything we have needed or done.  That has worked but now we have this new trial.  We will continue to work hard and be accountable for our debt, work hard for our employers, and leave the rest up to the Lord.  I fully believe these trials will not only hit us  but many others  in some small or large way.  It is how we learn from this and how we react to this that will determine the results.  Will others learn from our mistakes and stay out of debt?  We will learn how to make ends meet on a much smaller budget and become grateful for every little blessing we receive.  You see it is times like this that we learn to be humble and being humble makes us more thankful and I believe kinder people.  So when others seem to have it all we have to realize that we too are blessed.  I have 6 of the best kids in the world and a grand baby on the way, I have a job and a roof over my head, I have people who love and care about me so what more could I ask for.  Like my motto says "THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT YOUR FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT."  Some things are not foreseen or what  we created but I believe the way we deal with it determines a lot.  I still feel blessed and will find a way to make my future bright.