Excess and Creativity

Over the past 2 years we've trimmed a lot of financial fat in the Gascho home. It hasn't always been easy, it's almost never fun, but it has been totally worth it.

It seems like I've had a LOT of conversations with friends lately about money- or about how money is hindering them from chasing a bigger dream. I get it... I TOTALLY get it, and let's be honest, there are times in life when we work a job we don't like in order to bring in the money we really need. There are times when that is necessary and very much God's will for that season of our life. But if we stay in that vein of honesty, we have to also admit that there are times we work jobs we don't like in order to have "stuff" we really want, or to be able to maintain a certain look or status. There are times we cling to what we know, because we fear what we don't know, or what others may think. For whatever reason, this really rubs me wrong... and I still do it myself.

At some point we choose to become the person we were created to be, or to languish. I feel like a lot of people I love are choosing to languish for the sake of money or the perceived security it brings. I could go back to teaching full-time. Some of you (especially those who support our church financially) may think I should. ;) It would certainly help our finances. It would free Cody up to take a smaller salary. It would provide health insurance for our family and we might not have to pinch our pennies quite so much. I would probably enjoy being back in a professional environment more frequently. But here's the thing... (the thing I have to remind myself of) staying home with my kids is something I have ALWAYS wanted. I'm a better mom when I'm not working. I use more of my time in service to others when I don't work out of the home, and I feel confident I am where God wants me for this season of my life. (disclaimer: I don't think every mom should stay home, and there are many women who balance both phenomenally... I'm just saying I don't.) More than that, my security is in Christ alone... not my bank account, or the freedom to buy cute jeans on a whim, or to plan for amazing family vacations to exotic locations, etc. (and just FYI, "exotic" at the moment would be Myrtle Beach to hang with the Viele's, I MISS MY FRIENDS!!!)

I'm not there yet, but I'm trying to learn to cut the excess and be more creative with what I do have... and I have a LOT. It's crazy, but it took me focusing on how to live with less in order to realize that I still have WAY MORE than I need. I hope in the next few posts to share a few of our more recent experiments with ya... be on the lookout for our homemade laundry detergent recipe and a way to watch great TV for free. :)

How about you? Are you living fully or languishing? Are you stretching a budget, and if so, how?

P.S. Just realized this was post #100 for me. Probably should have talked about something more momentous, or done some kind of "looking back" type of deal... oh well. :)

Thank You!

In 12 days Cody and I will board a plane and head to Atlanta, Georgia for the 2010 Catalyst Conference! If you have no idea what that is, click here to see the official Catalyst website. I am looking forward to this on SO MANY levels:

• I get to be "alone" with Cody (and technically a bunch of other people) for FIVE days. That's the longest I've ever been away from the boys, but I feel like it'll be ok thanks to Skype and cell phones. I'm looking forward to setting aside the mom hat and focusing on being a wife and friend to my husband for such an extended period of time.
• Cody's been to Catalyst before and he always comes back excited. Having had so much responsibility for our church plant over the past year and a half, I am looking forward to seeing him encouraged, inspired and refueled.
  
• I've never been to Catalyst, so I'm excited to see what all the fuss is about and hopefully get a little encouragement, inspiration, and refueling myself. ;) Plus, it'll be so nice to finally REALLY understand what he's seen and experienced. I'm hoping it'll make me a better cheerleader if it inspires new ideas or greater risks in chasing whatever God has for our future.
  
• I'm looking forward to making new memories with my best friend. Sometimes we get in the rut of talking about the kids and our to-do lists, and we forget to create new memories and share new experiences. Whenever we get away together, we always come back with new things to laugh about, new inside jokes, and new memories to look back on fondly.
• I'm excited to see what God has in store through this time away... in any area imaginable or unimaginable! I'm looking forward to hearing all the things these amazing leaders feel led to share, and hoping to grow and be challenged.

I could keep going, but you get the idea. So, with that said, I want to say thank you. If you're a part of Praxis Church, whether local or a long distance supporter, thank you! (click here if you want more info on Praxis) It means so much to know our Lead Team sees the value in sending Cody to conferences like this one, and even more to me that they see fit to send us together. Your love and support makes everything we do possible, and has been one of the greatest rewards for chasing this crazy dream God gave us. *T*H*A*N*K**Y*O*U*!*

More from Ki on marriage...

So, I was told the following scene occurred as Cody was tucking Ki into bed last night...

Ki: where were you all day?

Cody: well, first I had to do a funeral, and then I married some people... well, I didn't marry them, but I helped them get married.

Ki: Oh good. Cuz if you married someone else, mom would literally kill you.


(my boy knows his mommy... ha ha ha)

Ki's getting married?

(Ki and Jessie 2 years ago)

So, we dropped Evin (our foster son) off to his first grade classroom, Ezra off to his 2nd grade classroom, and then Malaki and I went on to his preschool class for a little open house, meet and greet, dealio. I had agreed in advance to pick up my friend Bobbi's little girl while there and take her home with us for the day. When I got the two little munchkins in the car, the conversation went as follows:

***
Jessie: Ki, are we still getting married?

Ki: Of course.

Me: Um, why do you two want to get married?

Jessie: So we can be brother and sister forever!

Me: Uh... getting married doesn't make you brother and sister, it makes you husband and wife.

Ki: Like you and daddy?

Me: Yup.

Jessie: OOOOH!!! KI! WE CAN HAVE PETS AND BABIES TOGETHER!!!

Ki: Yeah, well, what if you see another boy and he's very beautiful and you want to marry him instead?

Jessie: Lucky for you I don't care about those sorts of things. I'm yours forever.

***

Then she asked me for some gum. :) I was laughing so hard. Absolutely HILARIOUS! I'm not a big fan of the whole, "who's in love with who" in elementary school thing, but this was just too funny to not share. ;)