I have not dwelled too much on the Haiti earthquake, but at the same time I am surrounded by news of it. I have prayed for the people of Haiti who are suffering, the people who are trying to help with the disaster recovery efforts, and that God would be present in that country and do a mighty work of revival there. But I think I need to do more. I have been selfish in so many ways. I could easily pare down the food budget, eat less, etc., so that we could give more. I'm not consistent in tithing either, which I know is a big spiritual problem.
God, please be with the people of Haiti. Please comfort those who have lost their loved ones, their homes, and their hope. Please bring peace to suffering hearts. Please provide safety for those who are risking their lives to save others. Please be with the mothers and fathers who are desperate to provide the basic necessities to their babies and children. Please be with the children who have lost one or both parents. And please allow us an opportunity to help in some tangible way.
We are struggling with the decision about what to do for George & Joshua's schooling. We keep going back and forth, and I really want it to be based on what God wants for us. There are pros and cons no matter what we do, and I truly do believe that our children can be salt and light whichever educational choice we make, but we are truly torn right now, and we don't have a lot of time left before we have to decide something.
Lord, please guide us in this big decision about how to pursue education for our boys. Above all we want to do your will, and if you are calling us to homeschool, help us to accept, embrace, and rejoice in that decision and do it to the very best of our abilities, trusting in you to preserve our sanity and help strengthen our discipline. Please provide some clear guidance so that we know what you would have us do.
The last big thing on my mind and heart is our housing situation (which is also tied to our financial situation, which is bad). The home in Lafayette is still up for sale, with the threat of foreclosure looming near. We can't really drop the price any lower without the possibility that the bank will just write us off and foreclose. But we are also unsure of its sell-ability due to the flooding and work that needs to be done to get it up to snuff. We did not make the best decisions with our money along the way, and perhaps had we trusted in God more and denied our selfish desires, we would not be in this situation. But as it is, our credit is probably trashed now and we have a mountain of debt.
God, we need you in this crisis. We are unsure how to proceed with this situation. We cannot afford both mortgages, and yet we know that we committed to paying these house payments. We want to settle our debt the way you would have us to. We also want to get out of debt, as we are slaves to it, and we know that is not what you want for us. Please remind us of your economy and what is important, and please help us to remember to consult you first before making purchase decisions. Help us to depend on you, trust you, and listen and obey.
