Kapachino

How I Spent My First Month’s Pay

• Gave my tithe to my church
• Paid a huge chunk of money on my credit card bill
• Car insurance and phone bills
• Miscellaneous gas and food
• Donated to my four monthly charities (Compassion, Tabor College, support for two friends who are missionaries)
• Bought my cousin’s wife a baby shower gift
• Bought the CD Ampersand by Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken
• Paid to have my address changed on my driver’s license
• Premarital counseling

• Bought Coldplay tickets. Yes!

Still have some to spare! I’m liking this “real job” thing. Even though it does wear me out, it’s also very fulfilling. I had the option of taking the holiday off, but I chose instead to work to save up more personal time. I was a little jealous when David texted me at 11 a.m. saying he had just woken up. I responded, “Do you realize that you’ve had a full night’s sleep since I got up this morning?” I didn’t have much sympathy when he told me he was still tired!

Busy weekend ahead of me, and I hope to have much to report at the end of it!

Bubba’s On His Way Out

I posted yesterday about my ignition problems with my car before leaving for work. Then I went to my car to leave, and my key wouldn’t turn at all. Short story: my wonderful fiance picked me up and took me to work, I had my car towed to the shop, took the bus home, and my car needs a part replaced and won’t be ready until Wednesday or Thursday. The whole deal will probably cost me around $500.

I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not to get it fixed, because my car is a 1999, it’s beginning to have more and more problems, and I’m sure it’s not worth a whole lot. But I decided to go ahead and put this on my (ever-increasing) credit card bill and wait until I start my job to get a new car. This way I can shop for a deal, get the car I want, and not put so much stress on myself at the moment when I need to be studying for finals.

In related news, I started reading Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace today.

My mom is graciously letting me borrow her car until I get mine back. All of these things that are going on with me lately are stressful but I will say that I am learning a lot of life lessons and I am grateful.

Happy Monday

Hey there,

Thanks a bunch for your comments on our pictures. They make me happy. Sorry about the lack of posting last week, but it was a stressful one, as the next few probably will be as well. I passed a test last week that I was nervous about, but I have another, more important one today. It’s our exit exam and we have to get an 85 to pass. It could go either way for me, so I’m just going to do my best and see how it turns out. If you think about it, say a prayer.

I let Friday go by without publishing a very special happy birthday to my brother David, so I want to say it now. He is halfway to 50! As a present I got him two cases of Red Bull, and if you read his blog you will understand why. He is addicted - and I will go ahead and say obsessed - with energy drinks. And now he’s got my fiance on the same path. Oh, well, it’s better than being addicted to many other things!

I am house/pet-sitting this week, but I had to leave Cleo at home because last time I brought her there were some casualties in the form of wooden chess pieces and a rug. I’m looking forward to getting paid tomorrow, and then I can focus on how in the world I’m going to come up with rent for May. I graduate in less than three weeks, I start my job in less than two months, and I get married in less than six. I’m trying to keep looking forward. My life is wonderfully full but it is so easy to get caught up in the stress of the moment.

The stress of this moment is that I need to pass this exit exam. And so I must leave. God, be with me!

“If The Going Gets Easy, You May Be Going Downhill”

This is the sign this week on the billboard of the church that I live near. Yes, it’s very cheesy but it actually encouraged me today. Because, my friends, the going is not easy for me at this moment. I am enormously stressed with many things.

First of all, money. I am broke, not to mention in debt. David has already proven his love for me many times over, but in the last month he has compounded that by giving generously to me in my time of need. We say that it’s “our money” now, because we’re trying to change our way of thinking before we get married, but until we share the same checking account it’s going to take some swallowing of my pride to accept so much.

So I have cut my spending down to almost nothing lately. I take the bus to the medical center and catch rides whenever possible. I don’t eat out. Heck, I don’t even buy groceries. I’m going to eat our cupboards bare. (Although yesterday I splurged and bought cereal, because I just couldn’t live without it anymore.) Also, I am working as much as I possibly can. This is tough because…

…I am also enormously stressed about school. We have about three weeks left, and they are not taking it easy on us. Not that I’d expect them to, but I really wish I could just focus all my attention on my board exam. However, I have a paper, a project, an exit exam, and finals to conquer. And lately I have not been doing as well as I need to be on my practice exams. It’s very hard to find time to do all this when I need to be working in all my spare time.

I am worn down. Weary of worrying about where I’ll find the money to pay my bills, of skimping in every area possible to save money, of always having work to do for school, of not having a day to just relax without feeling guilty.

I know this is the time when I need to give everything to God. And I do, every day. Some days I start out great and then end up stressed again by the end of the day. Some days (like today) start out horribly but somehow end up OK.

But I’m going uphill, headed for something good. Thanks for sticking with me.