Thank God Friday - Fish, loaves and salvation!

I love fish and loaves!  I love the way that God just amazes me! 

As I told you before we had $55 in our food fund for 9 days and I needed meals to feed these Turkey Bottoms!  So I took some of my own advice and implemented my meal plan that I discussed in Get Your Grocery On and started shopping my pantry.  As expected I found a few packages of noodles, flour, sugar, potatoes, dried beans, some canned veggies, some chili beans and a few odds and ends.  Next I inspected the freezer and found plenty of ground beef, a few roasts and even some green beans that we froze.  The fridge was a little bare, but I did find a few eggs and some milk... and a few moldy leftovers that will be no help at all.

I began shaping a plan. 

The roast, some beef broth, a few potatoes, flour, salt and eggs... I almost had everything I needed for beef and (homemade) noodles with mashed potatoes.  Add some green beans and viola!  The only thing I wanted was onion soup mix to throw in with the roast while it cooks in the crock pot. 

Ground beef, diced tomatoes, chili beans, chili powder and again I had almost everything I needed for a pot of chili.  Tomato juice was added to the list.  I knew that an onion and green pepper would really help step it up and added that to the other side of the list ... the wishful thinking side!

What to do with lots of ground beef and potatoes??  One of Hotsauce's favorite meals is potato wedges with taco meat and cheese.  I had everything I needed except the taco seasoning and cheese.  I hate buying cheese.  It's more expensive every time I go to the store.  But, I LOVE eating cheese so I knew this would be a bit of a "splurge" item.  I also knew that I could make the taco seasoning, but honestly I've tried two different recipes and it just doesn't have the flavor I'm looking for... in other words both have been blah-city!  And taco seasoning is pretty stinking cheap so I went ahead and added it to the list.

We will also be having hamburgers and homemade potato chips.  The following night meatballs with roasted potatoes!  Then eggs, pancakes and fried potatoes.  So 5 out of 6 meals planned so far have potatoes and all cooked a different way... and all ways that we love!  No complaining kids here!

I needed 3 more meals and found almost everything I needed for Lasagna.  Again I needed cheese.  So I added a note to the grocery list that I would need enough cheese for two meals.  So that's 7 meals.  I needed 2 more meals for supper.  And I needed quick, simple meals because both were going to be on nights that we had to be out of the house by 6 pm. 

Macaroni and Cheese baby.  Both meals.  I will add ground beef to them and buy boxes of cheap store brand mac and cheese.

So I hit the store with my list in hand and I paid just over $22!!  That leaves $32 and some change for anything else that comes up!  Honestly I'm praying that we will have leftover cash.  Just like the basket fulls of fish and loaves that the disciples collected when Jesus fed the 5,000. 

Every week day hour moment of our lives is a moment to thank God for what He's done for us.  He cares for us on an individual level and as He builds His church He wants you to know that not only does He care about your finances... but He cares about your heart.  He cares about your soul.

While I spend the majority of this blog talking about our financial makeover what I really hope that you will find is that our journey is more then about our bank accounts.  Our journey is a daily walk with the Creator of the universe and the Author and Perfecter of our faith.  Hotsauce and I believe with all that is in us that we have fallen short of the glory of God.  We have made horrible decisions in our lives ... mostly out of selfishness and thinking that our way was better than God's.  We have found forgiveness and acceptance at the throne of Christ.  He knows exactly who we are and how we've fallen into temptation and while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  That gives us great hope and a reason to be thankful every moment of our lives.  Whether in want or in plenty we know that God has provided for the salvation of our souls through the death and resurrection of His only Begotten Son. 

And while I am excited to share the many blessings that God has poured on us through our Total Money Makeover I would be ashamed if I never invited you to know Christ as your Savior. 

 

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Romans 10:9-10

My hearts desire is that everyone who reads this blog will know the love and the mighty provision of the God who created them for a purpose. 

Enjoy your Friday and be sure to take time to be thankful!