My Feathers Have Been Ruffled

This is a repost that challenged me as I read it again. Enjoy!

The other day I was perusing my infinite list of blogs, reading, enjoying myself, and probably drinking coffee, though I can't be sure (so don't quote me on that). Nothing too earth shattering arose, and I was okay with that. Until I read through K. Syrah's latest post over at Shoes Never Worn: "The Indie Writer/Indie Author."

Darn you, K, for ruffling my feathers.

(She does that sometimes, so if you're into that sort of writing, you should really check out her blog.)

Anyway, K was writing about being an Indie author, and ended her post with a quip that made a lot of sense to me, but made me kind of mad:

Of course, I say that because at this moment, money isn’t an issue, and if one has a full belly, and all the bills are paid, it’s easier to be righteous.

Now when I say that K made me mad, I really just mean she rattled my cage. Because frankly, I'm dealing with this right now, and I was mad that she brought it up and threw it in my face, as if it were no big deal. Don't mind the fact that it's completely illogical for me to be mad at her - after all, she has no clue that this is something I'm wrestling with right now.

Here's the deal: I've really been struggling with trusting God in my finances. This is something I've always taken a little pride in, because I don't want to care about money, so I let God take care of it. Typically, our budget doesn't add up and more goes out than comes in. But at the end of the day, we find ourselves blessed by God for trusting him with our cash.

Lately, though, things have been getting a little tighter. And suddenly, I start wondering. I start doubting.  

Does God care? 

Did I do something wrong? 

Is there a certain ritual I need to perform to fix all of this?

And suddenly, I want to take matters into my own hands.  

You see, that quote I posted from K really shook me because I've found myself beginning to back down from what I so firmly believed when I "had a full belly and all the bills were paid."

I've always believed in God's provision and frankly, He's always one-upped me when it comes to finances, always doing more than I could ever expect. However, lately, it seems like God has all but disappeared from managing our money. And suddenly, I want to stop giving radically. I want to start saving back our money, keeping it for ourselves, instead of supporting our beautiful Compassion children.

But then I'm reminded of my calling:

Give to those who ask.

Don't turn away from those who want to borrow. 

Don't store up treasures on earth.

Don't worry about your life.

Don't worry about tomorrow.

Give, God says. Don't worry, He reminds me.  

Give. Don't worry.

I guess it's no coincidence that when Matthew pens those words, he talks about radical giving first and then says not to worry. It's like he knew what his readers would be experiencing as they read his admonition to give without hesitation.

I want so badly to be able to keep giving and enjoy it. And I'm trying. I haven't given up on God, and I guess I've just come to terms with the fact that God is still taking care of me. I'm just being selfish and I want more. Because, obviously, I deserve better. I'mentitled to his blessings. He owes me.

Wrong. Double wrong. In fact, that's all a bucket of lard.

I need nothing more. I deserve nothing better. His blessings are his to give, not mine. And God owes me nothing. In fact, I'm sure it's the other way around. I owe him. A lot. Everything, in fact. And so I keep giving. I keep trusting. I keep hoping. And along the way, I'm trying not to worry, because, hey, what good has worry done any of us anyway?

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Questions: Did that quote from K hit home with you? Can you relate to my struggle here? Or do you struggle with trusting God for other things, beyond money? What are you having a hard time trusting God with today?


If you enjoy what you've read, I'd appreciate you subscribing to Life Before the Bucket and sharing this post with your friends. Thanks a million for reading! 

Make Money, Money

This is a repost that I think you'll benefit greatly from. Enjoy!

If there's one thing we're all sick of hearing about, it's money. "In this economy..." isn't just a catchphrase anymore; it's an excuse more common than "My dog ate my homework," mostly because we can't afford to have a dog anymore.

Maybe the new excuse should be, "The economy ate my homework." 

Maybe not. It was worth a shot.

Either way, we're all looking to make some money, and it seems like none of us ever have enough of it. Either we're in debt from student loans, credit card payments, car payments, or we're stuck working a 9-5 job paying minimum wage at McDonald's. Money is something none of us really like, but all of us want (and need if we're going to live).

The funny thing about money is that there's about a million ways to make it. You can mow lawns, paint houses, do paperwork, serve food, be a personal trainer, or just about anything else you can think of and make money from it. Money isn't as difficult to come by as some people make it out to be. This is why I want to present you with a way to make a little extra cash today.

For real.

If you live in the United States or Canada, have an internet connection, and are looking for a few extra dollars a month, then this is for you. 

Maybe you've heard of it, and maybe you haven't. Either way, it isn't a scam. Through Swagbucks, you earn points (aptly named "Swagbucks") and then you redeem those points for prizes. Most people that use Swagbucks, though, use it to earn free Amazon gift cards. And if you've ever used Amazon, you know that gift cards to their website are about as valuable as someone handing you cold, hard cash.

I know it may still sound like a hoax, but you've got to use whatever trust you have in me right now to hear me out. I've made over $100 in Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks, and I hardly broke a sweat. Actually, I doubt that I sweated at all. It's pretty simple stuff. They have a million ways to earn points, including something as simple as searching the internet using their search engine. A couple of minutes a day could earn you a little extra spending money!

So at this point, I'm sick of sounding like a used car salesman. I just want you to check Swagbucks out and see if it's for you. If not, that's okay. But don't knock it before you try it! And if you want to help me out with my goal for 2011, you can start by clicking on this banner and signing up as one of my referrals!

So there you have it! A quick and easy way to make a little extra cash! It won't make you rich by any means, but making some money while surfing the internet is better than making none! Check it out and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: The links above are my referral links, which means that if you sign up through them, you'll be helping me out. And who wouldn't want to do that?

... ... ...

Questions: Did you try  out Swagbucks? What did you think? What are some ways that you make a little extra cash?


If you enjoy what you've read, I'd appreciate you subscribing to Life Before the Bucket and sharing this post with your friends. Thanks a million for reading! 

On Being Fair

I was just thinking about Daylight Savings Time yesterday and how much I loathe it...

A few days ago, my wonderful wife went to the laundromat. She's a brave soul, to say the least. I guess she doesn't want us smelling like skunks at school, though, so it makes sense. And because she was busy making sure nobody stole our clothes, I was left alone to run some errands.

The first thing you need to know in this situation is that the idea of me "running errands" (a.k.a. going to the store) is a terrible idea. I don't know my right from my left at the store. My wife does all of the shopping and does a mighty fine job at it. Why mess with a good thing?

In this case, though, desperate times called for desperate measures. You see, I ran out of coffee Friday morning. And although my wonderful wife brought me a cup from the Kwikshop down the street, that wasn't going to cut it past that morning. I can't help it - I tend to be a coffee snob most days.

So I braved the journey to Dillon's, where I proceeded to walk to the wrong end of the store for the coffee. After finding my way back to the aisle of liquid gold, I started searching high and low. For what? you might be asking. Well, you see, coffee buying is an art. It takes time, precision, a good eye, and patience. Okay, so maybe it's not that difficult - I just make it that hard.

Seriously, though, I did have to look pretty hard for some coffee that I could purchase. You see, Goal #62 on my 111 in 2011 demands that I look high and low: I'm only supposed to buy Fair Trade coffee this year.

So what's the big deal with Fair Trade? Well, think of it this way...

I have something I want to sell that I've hand-crafted. Let's say I built a time machine and I'm trying to sell it (YES!). I search high and low for people to buy my time machine, and since I'm ignorant of the market for such things, I latch on to the first buyer I can find. The company offers me what seems like a pretty fair price, so I take it, happy to have made a few dollars so I can feed my family.

In the process, I think this whole time machine business might actually be viable, so I decide to build another. Except it seems like, oddly enough, that I have even less money than I did before after I finish building my second time machine. Something isn't quite adding up here...

But I sell the second one to the first buyer because, once again, I need to feed my family. And again, I go to build another time machine with even less money.

So maybe the time machine example is a bit outrageous. But you get the point. If I build time machines, but have no way to know how much they're selling for, I have no leverage. And frankly, putting food on the table for my family is much more important to me than anything else, so I'll take any offer I can get for those things. People can take advantage of my family and me without me ever knowing.

This is where Fair Trade comes into the mix. If I decided to begin participating in Fair Trade time machine building, I would be given a reasonable, sustainable offer on the work that I do. There's a global standard set so that people can't rip me off. This allows my business to become more sustainable while allowing me to feed my family. Heck, this might even let me send one of my kids to school this year instead of staying home to help out with those wretched machines!

Per the Fair Trade USA website:

Most small-scale coffee farmers live in remote locations and typically have no access to the world market, nor knowledge of trends in their industry. Farmers often sell their coffee at a fraction of its worth, which leaves them unable to invest in sustainable farming methods and forces them to lean heavily on their own children of help. When children are required to work, instead of going to school, the cycle of poverty perpetuates.

Now I realize that counter-arguments exist. And I don't have answers for all of them. But here's what I do know:

• I'm one the richest people in the world.

• With great power, comes great responsibility.

• Thus, I must consciously choose to be responsible with every dollar I spend, because every dollar is a vote for something. If I am lax in my responsibility as someone with such great power in this world, somebody will be impacted, and most likely not for the positive.

My line of reasoning may seem futile to some, but I believe that true change begins with one person. If I, as on person, choose to vote with every dollar that I spend, instead of passively spending and hoping everything turns out alright, change will eventually come. I believe that choosing to spend my money responsibly is better than choosing to ignore my responsibility. Especially as someone whose belief system says to care for the poor and the oppressed.

Now I'm not really one to beg, but I'd ask you to at least consider what I'm talking about here. Consider what you're voting for with every dollar you spend. Consider the impact of your spending habits. Consider the fact that you could effect positive change in the lives of others simply by being more aware of the products you choose to buy.

Here are a couple of resources to help you in this:
Better World Shopper 
Fair Trade USA 

Question(s): What do you think about the idea that every dollar you spend is a vote? Have you ever considered responsibility in your spending habits? What's something tangible that you can do this month to spend your money more responsibly?

A Response

I had a breathing test at the doctor yesterday that showed improvement from last time! Now if I could just figure out why I keep waking up so early...

So, as I mentioned yesterday, God is being awfully funny this summer. And the fun just keeps rolling.

Here's the deal: I wrote a week ago about how I was starting to doubt God because things were getting a little tight in our bank account. He had always provided money from very unexpected places before, but this time, I wasn't sure he was going to pull through.

"Maybe those were just flukes - not God."

I pondered.

"Maybe I haven't been 'faithful' enough."

I reflected.

"Maybe he doesn't want to help me out again."

So I prayed.

And prayed. And prayed some more. I was sick of the racing thoughts, of the hypothetical situations. I simply wanted resolution so I wouldn't have to worry about money anymore (because I never had before).

And then it happened. God answered. Not audibly, but actively. His actions spoke words that I never would have expected:

"Adrian, I'm still here for you. All you needed to do was ask, and you did. Thanks for continuing to rely on me in times of need and times of abundance."

I mean, maybe that wasn't God's exact thoughts - in fact, I'd bet it wasn't. But that's a piece of the message I received as God answered my prayer last week after I wrote about my struggle. And for those of you who wonder about details, allow me to be stray from being politically correct and share with you some details of how God provided.

After God provided, we now have literally 50% more money to spend on food this year. And that's huge, because the money we were spending before, we didn't really have.

After God provided, we had a "bill" of sorts that was completely eliminated.

After God provided, we realized that we could completely give back the student loans we had to take out for Kalyn this semester. We don't need a dime of it.

After God provided, we realized that we're suddenly in abundance. We can not only provide for ourselves, but for others' needs as well.

I've shared this in the hope that you'll see that God is good and he does want to be there for you. Whether you lack money, warmth, a place to stay, love, comfort, or anything else you can think of, God wants to be there for you.

Let him today.

How is your relationship with God? High? Low? Non-existent? Are you in love with him or bitter with him? Why?

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else)! Just drop me a comment or send me an e-mail!

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! And while you're at it, find a way to "follow" Life Before the Bucket!

My Feathers Have Been Ruffled

This post is part of my weekly Time for Honesty. I do my best to share something that's on my heart that is honest, sincere, and transparent - something that will get you thinking and get you to be honest with yourself.

The other day I was perusing my infinite list of blogs, reading, enjoying myself, and probably drinking coffee, though I can't be sure (so don't quote me on that). Nothing too earth shattering arose, and I was okay with that. Until I read through K. Syrah's latest post over at Shoes Never Worn: "The Indie Writer/Indie Author."

Darn you, K, for ruffling my feathers.

(She does that sometimes, so if you're into that sort of writing, you should really check out her blog.)

Anyway, K was writing about being an Indie author, and ended her post with a quip that made a lot of sense to me, but made me kind of mad:

Of course, I say that because at this moment, money isn’t an issue, and if one has a full belly, and all the bills are paid, it’s easier to be righteous.

Now when I say that K made me mad, I really just mean she rattled my cage. Because frankly, I'm dealing with this right now, and I was mad that she brought it up and threw it in my face, as if it were no big deal. Don't mind the fact that it's completely illogical for me to be mad at her - after all, she has no clue that this is something I'm wrestling with right now.

One Question

This sickness is kicking the crap outta me. If you're into praying, I'd appreciate any long/short/quick/impromptu prayers you could say for me. Thanks in advance!

Today, I'm not feeling my best. But I want to leave something for you here, because I love you and don't want you to think I've abandoned you. So today, I've got one simple question for you:

If money were no object, where would you be and what would you be doing right now?

My answer?

Hopefully I'd be in a hospital, getting my lungs fixed. I realize it's a process, but hey, if money is no object, then maybe things would get done a little quicker. Ya know?

Let me hear your thoughts and answers to this question! Would you do something crazy? Or would you be somewhere vacationing? Or helping out somewhere? No answer can be wrong! Leave a comment and let me hear about it or e-mail me!

Let Your Money Do the Talking

I took some Tylenol before I went to sleep last night and I woke up feeling like I had been drugged. That can't be normal.

How rich are you?

No, seriously. Think about it for a second.

Think about the value of every single dollar that you earn.

It's hard to see when you're sitting next to the Joneses, who actually own the money-printing factory downtown, but trust me when I say these words: if you're reading this, then you're richer than you know.

Don't believe me? Check out this website. Just do it.

Here are my results, in case you were wondering (since this IS my Time for Honesty this week):

Now, granted, I don't feel like I'm in the top 12.5% of the wealthiest people in the world. But how I feel doesn't negate the fact that I am. And as a member of the group of the richest people in the world, I feel responsible.

Modern Day Slavery

I did end up fishing yesterday. Caught some good ol' fashioned water, moss, and sun.

So let me go ahead and clear the air right now. This post isn't going to be about slavery in any way, shape, or form. Or about trafficking, which is definitely the modern day equivalent of slavery. Or about the NFL, since apparently, some guys think it's slavery to work for millions of dollars a year. 

Riiiight.

Really, the title was just to get you here and get you reading, and it worked, didn't it? I promise it's relevant, though, so while you're here, you might as well keep reading!

Here's what's going down: today, my wife and I, along with another girl from our school, are starting our internships (or "DFEs," if you want to get technical - see this post for more details). Today, we begin our 400 hour trek through the summer, working for free. 

I sort of feel like Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness (which is a must-see if you haven't already). Except I don't have a kid. Nor do I forget to pay my taxes. And I'm not nearly that good looking. Minor details. But I definitely have the whole "I'm working a full-time job for free" thing going for me.

Can't you see the resemblance?

Make Money, Money

This post title may indicate that I'm into Bone Thugs N Harmony. Let me assure you now that I'm not.

If there's one thing we're all sick of hearing about, it's money. "In this economy..." isn't just a catchphrase anymore; it's an excuse more common than "My dog ate my homework," mostly because we can't afford to have a dog anymore.

Maybe the new excuse should be, "The economy ate my homework." 

Maybe not. It was worth a shot.

Either way, we're all looking to make some money, and it seems like none of us ever have enough of it. Either we're in debt from student loans, credit card payments, car payments, or we're stuck working a 9-5 job paying minimum wage at McDonald's. Money is something none of us really like, but all of us want (and need if we're going to live).

The funny thing about money is that there's about a million ways to make it. You can mow lawns, paint houses, do paperwork, serve food, be a personal trainer, or just about anything else you can think of and make money from it. Money isn't as difficult to come by as some people make it out to be. This is why I want to present you with a way to make a little extra cash today.

For real.