Happy Friday!
My van died this week. It was on hospice for quite some time, but this week it kicked the can.
It is hard to believe that 5 years ago after we finished paying off 80K of student loans in 2.5 years, something wild happened…
My longtime friends and mentors were upgrading vans and felt led by the Lord to give us this van. I was just blown away by that kind of radical generosity!
So for the first time in our married life, we are van shopping. We will just be rolling with what we have in cash, so it won’t be luxurious, but that is ok.
I will keep you posted on the van saga, but I want to encourage us both to just pause and remember all the ways God has provided in the past, that you and I may have already forgotten.
Here are some Ideas for Intentionality about remembering….
Ideas for Intentionality
Quote: “His past faithfulness is always an indication of His future faithfulness.” -unknown
Book: I finished the Elisabeth Elliot Part 1 Biography, Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, and it was so good. I am not sure if I would read it while I am pregnant (Is anyone else sensitive to certain movies or books when they are pregnant?) Whenever I read biographies, it is humbling to zoom out and see how God weaves threads together in our lives to make something beautiful, even in hard circumstances like Elisabeth losing her new husband. But she didn’t forget God’s past faithfulness. Even when she didn’t understand what God was doing, she still trusted and obeyed.
Children’s Book: Ok, I know I have told you about this book before, but I can’t stop talking about it. The perseverance of this family amid hard circumstances is awe-inspiring. You see the unlovely become lovely, before your eyes. My kids reach for it time and time again for snuggle-up read-alouds and I know it will be a gem in your family library too!
Paying off debt: It was a wild ride paying off 80K in 2.5 years! It was hard, rewarding, and unifying for our marriage. If you have any debt you would like to pay off, here are 5 ways to pay off debt fast + our debt-free scream on the Dave Ramsey Show. I can’t recommend his daily podcast enough when it comes to motivation to keep going on the marathon of paying off debts.
Artwork: Remembering and celebrating our kid’s artwork is so special. I am grabbing a couple of these for the next few paychecks to put around the house. Our kids will feel so loved to see us treasuring their hard work and I like that these frames open up and store other artwork too.
Family Fun Camera: I know this looks like a teenager’s camera, but I have loved the little Polaroid pictures they take. These pictures have been gems already as the kids get bigger. We use this film and I like these little magnetic frames to go on the fridge. But these are fun and colorful too! And this album would be a sweet gift to fill up throughout the year and to gift to grandparents.
Sending love,
Lana
P.S. Send me any ideas you have for this weekly email. Podcasts you have loved, quotes, books, or any recommendation at all. I would love to hear from you!
Pregnant P.S. First-time mama, Justina emailed me this week and said:
“Learning how to confront my fears surrounding childbirth led me to have the most amazing birth experience I had only dreamed of. I thank God every day for bringing Lana’s course into my life as it truly led me to labor without fear.”
So happy for you Justina!
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