Monday, April 21, 2008

Answered Prayer car payment

If you read my last post, you may have felt my discouragement. But, I asked for a reminder of God's greatness, and He provided it. It was our decisions that put us into our financial predicament, but in all of our faults, God is merciful. We purchased two vehicles last year, borrowing for each of them. Last October, when we took our leap of faith, we tried to sell the car. No success. Over the winter, we tried again. Still no success.
On April 16th, with no money and no prospect of getting any very soon, we faced two car payments due on April 18th.
What to do?
We have no choice, but to trust in our Lord.
Don spent about an hour alone in prayer, and returned to say that we should sell the car.
We had tried to sell it before with no success. So, we left it up to God.
I asked, What should we do?
Don suggested that Craigslist is free to post on so let's start there. It was after dinner on the 16th, and I posted a short little blurb about the car, didn't even post any photos.
We got three calls within the next hour. The next day, someone came to look at it. By the evening of the 17th, we had a check in hand. By noon, on the 18th, the car was paid off, and the van payment made. God had brought us a buyer, who wanted that exact car, and was willing to pay exactly the amount that we needed.
Now, because we have not always followed God's ways, but for many years lived by worldly standards; we not only have a car payment, but also a few credit cards and a mortgage. So, I sit here today, sharing what God has done, and looking to the first of May when the house payment is due. Though, I am no longer discouraged, but now I feel bold enough to say, I look forward to seeing what God has planned for that.

If you would like to know more about us and our ministry - please visit vacationeducationbooks.com

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

It is Wednesday April 16th, 2008 and I am discouraged. I want to be the voice of encouragement, but today I am afraid. I need to be reminded of the greatness of God, of His promise to provide. I am not afraid that He will not keep His promises, but I am afraid that He will ask me to keep my word. I said I would follow Him anywhere He asked me to go, that I would do whatever He called me to do, speak words He gave me to speak, wherever, whenever, however He asked, I would.
We put our house on the market last October when Don left his job. It was an offering of faith. A show of our willingness to give up anything, even our home, to follow God. We thought He would sell it right away and show us where to go next. He didn't.
We started selling everything we own on Ebay and Craigslist (we figured that was God's provision to us, we didn't really need it, and we couldn't take it with us, but it could certainly help to pay the bills right now.) Then, we saw an opportunity to sell items for others on consignment. We thought God was showing us a way to stay here in our home, work together, and minister to other families about how little they really need. We thought God would shower us with financial blessings through this ministry. He didn't.
We registered, paid for and attended conferences and events to showcase and market Vacation Education books. We believe that our books are a ministry to families as we help guide them from traditional schooling into real life learning using the one or two weeks out of the year that are the only chance many families get to be together. We thought God would bless that immensely, making every show a 'sell out show'. He didn't.
We said yes to many requests on our time, particularly at church. Don is organizing a Passover festival. I am on the nursery schedule and expected to direct VBS this year. We are also serving on our church's stewardship board, and supporting and encouraging other family ministries. We thought God would see how hard we are working on things at church, on listing and selling on Ebay, on keeping up with the kids academics and that He would provide financially for all the things we hadn't gotten rid of yet, and make things a little easier on us. He didn't.
Over the winter, we put the car up for sale. We thought God would bring a buyer right away. He didn't.
So, we still have two vehicles. We thought that since God didn't sell the car right away, that maybe He wanted us to keep it for some reason and that He would provide the money to make the car payment. He didn't.
Things have not gone the way we thought they would go. They have gone according to God's master plan, which most certainly is much greater than mine.
But, here I am today, I paid my last $6 so that Tyler could have a book to work through for Cub Scouts. There is 1/8 of a tank of gas in the van. I owe $550+++ to the gas company as I am still trying to catch up on the winter bills. The car payments are due in two days, the house payment is due in two weeks, then the whole process of monthly bills and no income begins again. I have no money to make the payments, and I have no hope of any money coming in to pay them.
I thought God would make it easy to trust Him. He didn't.
We put the cars up for sale again, both of them this time. There aren't many places we need to go, although we won't be able to get to church without a vehicle because we would have to cross a major highway, something I'm not willing to do with five young children. The house of course is still for sale, although we've had no prospects thus far. We've been working on cleaning and clearing out and purging again, but even if we sold everything in the house, I don't know how it would ever be enough to make it, and eventually the stuff will run out too.
So, all we can do is pray.
I said at the beginning that I am afraid God will make me keep my word. When we put the house up for sale, I said that my prayer would be that God either sell the house or show us how to pay for it. I just didn't want to be foreclosed on. But, I also said, I would do anything, go anywhere, anyway, anyhow that God asked me to. His plan, not mine. So, what if His plan is for us to lose the house, not give it up by selling it, not keeping it and keep paying for it, but to lose it? What if His plan is to lose the cars? Not sell them and pay them off, but have them taken back? Will I be able to keep my word? I've never NOT paid a bill in my life. We are struggling to pay the gas bill, but we are paying it, and everything else is paid up as well. But, what if the money doesn't come? What if the loans are called? What if they take the cars and the house and put us on the street? What then? Will I be able to keep my word then? Will I still trust God then? Would you?

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

tax refun scam please beware

Hello, friends and family,

This is an unusual topic for my newsletter, but I feel like I need to send this out. Over the past few weeks, I have received a phone call several times. It is always a different person, but the same storyline. They tell me that they are calling from the Federal Government about my tax refund. They proceed to explain that I have a $500 tax refund coming.

(Now, if you follow the news at all, you already know that the US government does have a plan to send out refund checks, so this might sound somewhat legit)

Next, the caller tells me that I can get my refund tomorrow as a direct deposit to my bank account.

Sounds great, right?

So, all I have to do is tell them where I want the money deposited....



Here's where things get funky....



I'm not giving out my bank account information over the phone....



Are you?



How about someone you know?



Do you know anyone who might be desperate enough to hope that they might actually get the money?



Do you know anyone who is vulnerable and trusting enough to believe this caller?



After receiving this type of call this morning, I contacted the State Police who said they were already aware of the scam, and the most helpful thing that I could do would be to spread the word.



So, while this doesn't have anything to do with homeschooling, or traveling, or any of the things I normally write about... I do want to share this information with everyone I care about.



It may seem obvious, but these people would quit if it never worked! So, please, don't give your bank account information to anyone who calls you.



Blessings to you all,

Corinne Johnson, author, vacationeducationbooks.com

Friday, April 11, 2008

Daily Bread

This is just a quick post as I am thinking about our daily bread. I heard recently that when we worry about our daily needs, then we act like orphans. It is like a baby who turns automatically to his mother's breast because he knows that is where his provision is. This is how we should be when we turn to God for our daily provision. What if our toddler turned from the food we offered and went out into the street to find his own food, his own clothing, his own shelter (I'm not talking about the twenty or thirty something baby that still lives at home, but babies, infants and toddlers). What kind of parents would we be if our baby was out on the street searching for food? How then does it make our Father look if we go out on our own, apart from our Father, in search of our daily bread? If your child took the attitude of 'my father says he'll provide, but I'm going to go out and get my own food anyway, because what he has provided is not good enough for me', how would that make you feel? How then, do you think your Father feels when you go out and say, 'my Father says he'll provide for me, but I'm going to go out and make my own way anyway'? Is it that you don't believe that He will provide? Or is it that you think what He has provided is not 'good enough' for you?
The Lord has promised to provide, and He keeps His promises.
Our life right now is the perfect example of that. Every bill paid just in time, every meal provided just in time, and every day, He lays more provision at our doorstep. Literally.
We of course are working on our book series and traveling to share our experience and speak to others about homeschooling, parenting and leaping out in faith. But, all of that costs more than it makes, so we have no choice but to trust in God for the rest. He is a great, great God!
Don started selling things on Ebay to clear out our house and to make a little extra money. Then, friends and family started donated items for us to sell. Then, others began to inquire if we could sell for them. It turns out we can. Although we were not sure what God was asking of us in this, or how it fit into the plans that we had already made, we saw that this was a blessing, and we said yes.
Then, the blessings began to overflow into our home. We now have more inventory waiting to be listed than we had in our house before we began to purge.
We still don't know day to day what God will call us to, we only know that we will always say yes, and no matter how big that leap seems to be... we trust that our Father knows just what we need and that He will provide abundantly.
We pray that our life and our faith will be an example to those who are afraid to do what God asks of them. Whatever story the world is giving you... "... the voice of truth tells a different story, the voice of truth says DO NOT BE AFRAID."
Okay, not such a quick post after all, but if you are still with me.
I would like to invite you to visit our website www.vacationeducationbooks.com
and to visit our Ebay auctions. At Ebay, go to advanced search and search by seller, we are dcscte.
Corinne Johnson, author, vacationeducationbooks.com