(Saturday March 21, 2020. This post was written almost a week ago and many thing have changed in the last week. I will be writing another post soon about what our world and our lives look like now. This is already somewhat out of date, but the sentiment is still valid.)
This post is a combination of a couple of Facebook posts I have written recently concerning the state of our world right now…or The Cards We’ve Been Dealt. I apologize if this is a repeat of something you’ve already seen.
There won’t be a lot of financial stuff in this post. From time to time, I will write about things affecting more than just our money. Although, what is going on around us is definitely affecting our money.
A Little Preview of the Next Post
Before I get into this, let me assure you I will get back to writing about money. It’s been a while since I posted, and I’ll tell you right up front, you will not see my posts coming through on a consistent basis. Us bloggers are supposed to post every week or 2 weeks at the most. That’s just not happening in my life! Retirement, hobbies and my family obligations just don’t give me a nice, smooth predictable schedule. And that’s OK.
My last post was about budgeting and included a sample budget spreadsheet. The next post will be about the WHY of doing a budget and then one on some of the HOW’s of doing a budget.
Now Let’s Get Back to Those Cards We Were Dealt
I’m writing this post on Sunday, March 15, 2020. I was supposed to sing as part of the worship team this morning, but didn’t because I have a cold. The video at the bottom of this post is one of the songs I was practicing this week. It speaks of our Jesus who walk on water, speaks to the seas and stands in the fire beside us.
In the last few weeks, our world has turned upside down. I believe we have seen more changes to our lives (due to COVID-19) in a shorter period of time than in all of history. The effects of this disease fall across a wide spectrum. At one end, devastating loss of loved ones. The other end is personal inconvenience. We don’t know how long these inconveniences will last. We don’t know if one of our own loved oneswill be affected tomorrow. We DO know that nothing can separate us from the love of GOD if we are in Christ Jesus.
Even if you are not a Christ follower, there is one thing you cannot ignore. These things have been predicted. I have a good friend who teaches a class on how the Bible has, with 100% accuracy predicted the future. The Bible talks about the increase in frequency of wars, natural disasters and pestilence. This is not the first disease crisis our world has faced and it won’t be the last. It’s just the one we have to deal with TODAY.
Praying For Each Other
Sunday, March 15 has been set aside as a day of prayer. ( added March 21 – We should be in constant prayer for our families and our world) We all need peace and wisdom in these trying times. I want my Facebook and Website family (some of whom I’ve never met face to face) to know I’ve got your back. I am and will continue to pray for you, for your safety, your wisdom and your peace. I hope all of you who are part of this family will be doing the same. We need each other, even if we have to be socially distant.
Next to the last thought
Watch the video below. The producers asked people to send in their praises and their prayer requests. Some of these are highlighted in a video behind Chris as he sings. You can hear the audio on some, but not all. For most, you don’t need to. It reminded me that my inconveniences are NOTHING compared to what others are facing. The one that hit me the hardest was the young boy, probably about 4 or 5, who is battling brain cancer….FOR THE 3RD TIME! We all need to keep our lives in perspective and be in a constant attitude of gratitude and not fear.
Last thought
As of this weekend, most, if not all, nursing homes and assisted livings are on lock-down. This means no outside visitors. The facility my mom is in has also started a general quarantine of all residents. This means they cannot leave their rooms. So, no activities, no contact with other residents and their meals are being brought to their rooms. This kind of isolation can be devastating. If you know ANYONE who is in a facility, please be diligent to call them…often. Most of our elderly already feel forgotten. This won’t help. And if you have an elderly neighbor who probably shouldn’t be driving anyway, offer your help. Some of our neighbors don’t need to be getting out in their cars every day to go to the store in hopes of finding toilet paper and milk.
