The Gazebo part 1

I am pretty sure this is the gazebo

If it is we may be able to get a new cover

stock image

shows the finials
they are the SAME!!as the fence He provided for the garden extension.
It might need a bit of spray paint and a little repair for a piece was broken off when Steve dismantled it.

I did not attend my American Sewing Guild Meeting.
I was sent to another meeting.
We had just a lovely morning save the heat on my darling.
Everyone helped.
Jeriann her Husband and her BIL offered helped to Steve and I .
What a lovely hostess offering cold water
and a few grains for the kids to feed her free roaming chickens
as they sat on the grass in the shade.
The cutest little bante rooster too.

Gazebo Gift

In the shade
by Donetta

Beautiful Cupola
Commands a wide view
Look into me and I you
Admitting light
Air we breath

Fear we flee
Drew near you to me
Souls quenched

Common ground
Covering with it's delicacy
Crowns the arbor of infinity
Unity flows from the cup
Vaults the assembly
Approach choose the right
At peace
How bright is your light?

Belfry of iconic value
Rung to set the time
Query for souls
Not the campanile who stands alone
Unattached from others
They totter as leaning Towers
Life amplified sounded through
His divine expanse.

Cathedral frees captivity
As children rest in shade
Tender hearts
Openly share
Life all around
Walks soften in her form
Tender faced
I gazed at you

Listening ears with hungry heart
Removed yourself
To gain
Truth spoken
Oh Summerhouse that welcomed me
Your freestanding open generosity

Uprights hold the towers form
Though tarpon frayed and weather worn.

So came near to me this earthen form
Like me a little weather worn
We reaped the life so tenderly
We heard... bells did tole
For strangers once upon this land
Now called from every corner
Come join the congratulations choir
Sing under gazebo shade.

So quenched a soul
Who found another
To speak of all this wonder
I thank you
Delighted in the moment
Our paths did cross
Upon this earth

For all we give for all we are worth
What is it then but to love another
It is they who become a sister or a brother.

There are times in our lives when asked of us is something we most love to give. Today quipt= (quipt (via) Extremely clever idea) a gift of words...Things are not important it is hearts that matter...


ga·ze·bo (g-zb, -z-)

n. pl. ga·ze·bos or ga·ze·boes

1. A freestanding, roofed, usually open-sided structure providing a shady resting place.

2. A belvedere.

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gazebo [gaz-zee-boh]

Noun

pl -bos a summerhouse or pavilion with a good view [perhaps a pseudo-Latin coinage based on gaze]

Word: Gazebo

Definition: A freestanding roofed structure usually open on the sides.

Open structure, supported by columns and covered with a column-supported roof.

A freestanding, roofed, usually open-sided structure which provides a shady resting place. Usually square, hexagonal or octagonal shaped. If on the roof of a house, it is called a belvedere.

bel·ve·dere

Pronunciation:

\ˈbel-və-ˌdir\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Italian, literally, beautiful view

Date:

1593

: a structure (as a cupola or a summerhouse) designed to command a view

bel·ve·dere (blv-dîr)

n.

A roofed structure, especially a small pavilion or tower on top of a building, situated so as to command a wide view.

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[Italian : bel, bello, beautiful (from Latin bellus; see deu-² in Indo-European roots) + vedere, to see, view (from Latin vidre, to see; see weid- in Indo-European roots).]

For other uses, see Cupola (disambiguation).

The open cupola of Faneuil Hall (built c. 1742) in Boston, Massachusetts

In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like structure, on top of a building.^[1] Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.^[2][3] The word derives, via Italian, from the lower Latin cupula (classical Latin cupella from the Greek kypellon) small cup (lat. cupa) indicating a vault resembling an upside down cup.^[4] Cupolas often appear as small buildings in their own right. They often serve as a belfry, lantern, or belvedere above a main roof. In other cases they may crown a tower, spire, or turret.^[3] The chhatri, seen in Indian architecture, fits the definition of a cupola when it is used atop a larger structure.

Bell tower

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

For other uses, see Bell tower (disambiguation).

A bell tower (also belfry) is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in continental Europe, it is often named "belfry". Elsewhere, the term "belfry" refers strictly to the part of the tower which contains the bells. Thus some bell towers have no belfry. The occasional free standing bell tower may also be referred to by its Italian name, campanile. Old bell towers may be kept for their historic or iconic value, though in countries with a strong campanological tradition they often continue to serve their original purposes as well.

Bell towers are common in China and countries of the related cultures, where they may appear both as part of a temple complex and as an independent civic building.

A new friend

Welcome Jeriann
It was a pleasure to share hearts and minds last night on the phone. Those answers to your questions of my journey can be found on the side bar. A Life Restored...There are also some lovely Ladies and Gentlemen on the side bar the links are hot just click on them. Like you and I our hearts have touched each others lives too.

Folks this sweet Lady and I met last night through Craigs List, her generous heart... we will be going in the morning to get a gazebo for the garden a free gift. Life is rich this way...the hearts that we contact. I love what this wonderful soul said to me tonight.

Hearts matter more than things. Oh yes a resounding yes! That gazebo was just Gods way of bringing two folks together to share the beauty of life. I have a new friend! Who has a beautiful soul. We spoke for an hour and a half! Just met too.
It was so much fun to speak of those things holy.

Happy Friday!

Good Day to everyone.
It has been a day of sewing for me.
The blouse is finished. My Man took the day off today and we are all just taking it easy. The popular term is a "staycation".
He has too many accumulated vacation hours. So he worked a 14 hour day yesterday and stayed home today.

We did our large bulk shopping our bread flour, pastry flour, whole grain wheat to grind. We also got bulk sugar and such. Lots of fresh produce.
It was so wonderful not to really have to lift anything. We have those large food buckets I purchased when we got the water tank some time back and I have been awaiting this day some time. I am talking about 25 and 50 pound bags of these staples to set pantry for all the bake goods. Now remember I bake every thing from scratch, make my own mixes for convince.
So do you see some posts on this ahead???????
This afternoon while sewing great pleasure is being found in listening to a book on tape called

The 7 habits of highly successful people.
a very good book!

MUST READ OR AUDIO BOOK it.

We took a nice ride out to the farm lands early this morning chasing the free stuff listed on Craig's List....it was gone when we got there but the kids got to say hello to a horse. It was nice to get out together.
We are just chilling out.

My Mr U. Got a job offer part time at home in the office with his children and his wife at home :)!
...with this fellow I spoke of that is going to help a lot!

YA!
Answered prayer!

In addition he is now having the opportunity for overtime at his regular employment.

YA!
again thank you for your prayers.

It is a gift that we have tasted a
very little bit
of the great suffering that is going on around us in this economy.
Many of you , many all over have and are really suffering.
Commpassion is intensified in the struggles of so many.

I love that our little family is given this chance to gain humility and to understand and to respect the resorces that we are so very privlidge to have.
The kids have gained so much understanding
I JUST LOVE THAT.

It is however a thrill to have the pantry grains stocked and we are still going to act as if we do not have this bit of extra so that we do not squander it.

The kids have all they need for school for now.
We want for nothing.

God is so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was talking with Him about how good He is just because he loves us and not just because of all we "GET".

In want or in need he is good simply because He has loved me and holds my heart so tenderly. He pursues me and desired my presence. We all need to be needed and He does need us...He needs to be loved too.

Thankful Thursday

Summer time is the theme for the day...
Join us over here


How good it is to be loved the balance is a marvelous thing.

Now even though I got a very healthy stress relieving belly laugh out of the comment my Sister made about it being illegal to work folk so hard as I do...
I got her point.

I know she is right in some respects the health issues and the stress of such a heavy load is life (literally) consuming.
However it is also life giving.
If I do not keep a full life I will not be doing as well as I am at maintaining my mental stamina. Yet it is a bit over the top, with a sick husband it has fallen for me to carry his load a little more in the yoke.

I was telling her how I had totally forgotten that I had gone through all that testing sometime back and had proven out that the issues with my brain matter was not early onset dementia. It was NOT.
Kids I forgot that I even had that testing!
I got so full of fear about the Altimeters threat that I just crumbled.
These lesions and migraines in the white matter like to play silly tricks on me.
It was when I was in prayer that God showed me doing all those tests and the Doctor saying that I was so very highly intelligent and really making such a point of it. I saw in the memory of it her face.

Now what ever the little dance is that the demilenation/brain injury is causing well that is something I live with.

Every day is new.
HA!
Well sometimes that "ha"
turns to tears, heart ache, fear, embarrassment and grief.
I get so heated in it that...
the summers hot and burning me with self pitty.
It has been a hard thing to be so bright and not to have a recall or ability at times to pull up those things I want out of this little ol data bank. Then I do yes get to feeling sorry for myself, frustrated with the remnants of whats left of who I am.

There in come the assault!
The weapons formed against me. Forgetting what is before me pressing on into it without the memory of what I know in HIM just splays me open.
And I will tell you that is very frustrating and I am guilty I think of turning my face away from Him a bit and just trying to cope through it.

Coping alone is survival and I think I have been in that former old familiar survival mode here for a while sorry if you stepped in it and I hope ya all can wipe it off your shoe
:)


This morning I awoke to a clean kitchen
I walked away last night to tend to driving that little kid home.
Spending time with each of my own on my arrival home and just living guilt free.

Guilt free with gratitude I received the help I really needed.
My husband did the dishes.
We worked on the counters together before I had left.I was able to walk into the kitchen after my 2 hour work out in the garden.
I walked into this.
I received this without feeling guilty for the help...without feeling embittered because I needed it...without feeling like an imposition to my lovin husband...or a bad Proverbs 31 woman to see the My man at the sink working.
Funny guy he said this morning joking with me
" Now don't mess up my clean kitchen"
To which I replied
"So just how then are we gunna come up with anything to eat?"
With a rye smile we both gave a little chuckle

We walked out one end and I the other to go out to tend to the earth.
We bidding each other a good day and a hug.

Well here is where I left off this morning.
The beds are made and it is nearing time to seed.
There is yes earth to move and the soil amended.

Alright then thankful for summer.
The uniform of summer in the garden.
Now I drank a good 16 oz of water and that yellow bandanna recycled it all.Ha
The earth has been moved and the lumps clumps and bumps turned into a nice soil. It is being filled each day a bit. Just got to hot and tired by 8:30 to go any further and it was time to tend the children.

The girls said thanks and that Ruby is glad to be home.
No eggs yet...these little bantie chickens are wanting some greens.
We were diligent to wait the week out. Spent nothing all week as to keep true to task on the budget. I am so looking forward to some greens myself.

It is good that in the midst of the heat we can find a shade.
Like the chickens enduring the heat till they all but go lame.

I too am grateful that under the heat of the molten that the dross is rising up out of me to get skimmed of a bit more.
Summers time is a time of intensity that is often needed to get us ready for the fall. The soil had to get all dug up cleaned and ready. Soon to have amendments that restore it to it's full potential.

So I suppose the fall is coming in several weeks.
By summers end on my face I fall humbled and thankful to see that even I who have known Him so intimately can be tipped over to let that dross dribble off me caught with me sweat cloth to wipe it away from my brow.

good evening.

Good evening
My sister called today she is back East spending some time with her grand baby.
She was telling me that she was a bit concerned I am working too hard.

She really gave me a belly laugh with this line....

"It illegal in most states to work people as hard as your working....."

Funny thing is she is dead serious.

oh I just laughed so hard.
She caught me at a moment when Dove who had her arms literally extended caught her "wing" on my glass of clear soda...Oh what a MESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all over the counter clothe, the face of the cabinet and the shelves inside those cabinets and the towels on the shelves in the cabinet and the floor and the drawer and the 50+ icing bags hanging on the inside of the door...I thought ............errrrrrrrrrrrrr double arg!!!!!!!!!!
My sister said "I'd be angry ! don't apologize..."
I always feel bad about getting angry like I should not get mad , hold it in and think I need to be better than that, than to get angry. Part of that promise to be different than it was for me as a kid. I think trying to keep that promise really stresses me out!
:)

Hay my Mister is getting better! each day.

He went by to see that job. It actually could turn into several little jobs over time. That could just be the thing to help us.
Over time was hinted of at his work today.
I'd miss him, it would be great for school clothes.

Hay you intercessors join me will ya...
little girl went home tonight (she was here all day)
Her mom had to tell her about a suicide a friend of the family.
The mans dad just had a malignant brain tumor removed and is ready to be released in a day or so. Now they have to tell the man his son killed himself.
The little girl...well there are is a lot of stress apartment lease is up and they are out in a few days...Little bit is having a bad tummy...Join me will you...
thank you.

Ruby went to be with her sisters

Sweet Ruby girl revived and stood this early morning by noon she was walking and had eaten her food.
I sent her out to join her sisters in the coop.
This early a.m. Mr U. and I moved the coop up on to the patio and set some pine shavings down for them.They are all active. Looking better molting yet not that there is much left to molt. Still a little concerned over them.

Now I neglected to say yesterday that we got a call on Sunday.
Mr U.'s brother called he has a fellow who needs my guys skills to do a job for him.
My darling went over there last night.
Took the camera and has it today too.
:(>
the job is a lot of work for a little
Then perhaps it will be less work for the second one.
Work is work, that same day we had asked God for a little part time work to pad up the budget.

God is Good every day!
Remember to ask!

Thank you for all your prayers.

We have a batch of muffins baked, a loaf of bread, whole chicken in the hot oven it is now going 1:00 p.m. power down. With the chicken finishing up in the hot oven turned off. If you do this make sure that is is all but cooked through just to use it to tenderize. It has the apricot glaze on it and the potato's too.

I saved $100.!!!!!!!!!
last month on electric
Compared to the year before same month (it was even hotter this year) .
Time of use plan shut it down after 1 pm for us here. All oven and laundry,dishwasher and such work in the morn. Follow the sun...close East windows in the morn and West windows closed in the afternoon. Use light from the windows not the switch and hang the laundry on the line. If it is a softness issue remove from line when slightly moist...then pop in the dryer. If it got dry already just add a wet hand towel.

My keyboard is acting up over and over I'll bid you a good day.
Thanks for your kindness to Ruby.
(that was my mothers name)

Please pray

Hay folks we got a sick bird tonight.
She was not standing when I found her.
Looked up any possibilities, that never looks good lol

Kids are pretty distressed.
I cooled her down and gave her water
She was so distressed.
I rubbed her belly after a while when Dove approached she noticed an egg laid.
It was very very soft shelled. Not a good sign. We were delighted however encase it be that she be bound.

We would really hate to see her pass, and as for the flock the idea of contagion is not a pleasant one to say the least. Most of the birds were molting and that may be all it is but....I am concerned over them.
That would be a real hard thing on the family.

Gratituesday

Join us here

So Ladies and Gentlemen
I have been sewing today...yep
Just need to put a zipper and the binding for the arm holes
Feeling creative and still is a marvelous thing.

My husband has been pursuing my heart attentively the last couple of days and it is like being in a waterfall looking through the prisms and the light shines in the calm of the cave behind the falls. That safe cave where it is cooled by the silence in the midst of the roar.


Stones cool as those who have set foot to that path with me have helped lead the way. Bound no more to the doldrums that held me captive the other day.

Bravery exalts the weak and courage does not falter.
Having confidence in the tasks before me.
Today my heart does not waver and quake.
For this yes the fall on my face sorta
"thank you Lord for lovin' me"

I want to keep walking that path.
Just had to crawl through a few of those crevices

A life Plan

Creating a life plan by Michael Hyatt
over at Musings of a Minister

This is something that really interest me. I have done a goal listing of 1 month, 1 year 3 years, then 5 , 10 and so one but this is really much more intricate.
Living intentionally is a way to live fully.
Often folk will say to me that they do not understand how I do what I do. Well I look to the dreams, desires and goals . This life was too hard won to let the days slip by meaninglessly.
Cliff from Musings of a Minister is the husband of Charlotte one of the delightful women I met at the tea held for us local bloggers. She is a beautiful soul freed of legalism and that is always a joy.

Tackle it Tuesday

Good Morning!

We tackled one of the garden grown watermelons...
I have kept them refrigerated in the garage refer

Dove grabbed the camera

The seeds of the Moon and Star melons are very large and full bodied.
The children were asking Why in our home grown melons are there seeds.

My Tackle is to continue to teach the way of life
This time in regards to the foods eaten.

In responce to Dash I spoke of how the SEEDLESS melons are of little life use after eaten once.
We however will have been able to have eaten many times off of one melon by harvesting the seeds and saving them.

Daddy Man came in after supper and after the desert to ask of the melon on the counter.
They were all looking forward to enjoying it.
He spoke so kindly to the children of the efforts I had made to fix the supper.
He praised my efforts to grow our melon.

It was Dove who then took camera to hand to document these things.
She told us mainly her father...to smile wide this is going on moms blog she anounced.
She was proud of me.
She was impressed and full of gratitude over the melon.
She was so loving to me and so impressed by the live given in the melon and the seed that will live on.
Although I have saved well over 100 seeds from the other melon.
We set up another paper towel lined plate and saved the seeds from this one.

Next year with further education on care of the crop our melons will be even better.

Teach your children well that they may live long.
It may not be easy but see the rewards weeks later.
She was proud of the food that was home grown.
She gained her lesson.
I am pleased.

p.s.Dove asked if I were going to give the seeds to others so they could grow them also and save the seeds as well.
Wise kid!
Let me know if you would like to plant some and I will mail you a few seeds.
We can exchange address over emails

Menu Plan Monday

Hello! A little late but it is good to be finished with the menu.
Today after doing my budget and the lead in adds on the produce...(man I miss the garden)...The menu was finished.

Creativly after doing a review of the pantry adn not really wanting to heat the house this is what was created.

a cowboy supper :)
when you name it something cool that provokes an adventure it really sets a tone.

In a pot
A can of Progreso lentil soup
1 cryo pack of sweet potato soup
palm full of diced dehydrated onion
bit of Basel
and a good 2 cups of finely chopped left over broiled steak.
(this steak was that gift from the grocer when I cut my hand)

Cowboy tortilla
I did not want to heat the oven...
(not the authentic Mexican)
1 1/2 c water
1 c wheat flour
1/2 c corn meal
1 egg (I use powdered egg white) hens are too hot to lay

made them like a pancake in a tiny bit of peanut oil on very high heat.

The family raved! Ha!
had to keep a straight face on that one.

Here is an old time trick I do every month or so.
Now remember all meals are cooked from scratch and we do not really eat out.
In other words do not freak out when you see a pound of butter cut up.
This is a convenience to just grab a tea. of butter as a cube.

keep it in your better dish as a cold item it just lifts easily off the plate to use to cook with.

Snacks they are only half left after the dinner bowls were all but licked clean in anticipation.

Diced up the apricots and let them to rest in OJ overnight.

The pineapple pasta is out of this book.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...

Outside my window... The sun is bright, the grass is tall and lanky in need of a mowing. The chickens sit quietly in the shade.

I am thinking... How encouraged I am with Dove. She went thought her flash cards so well! Only the 9's and the 12's were an issue after all this time!

From the learning rooms...
Esteem Builders on Affiliation this morning shook out that Dash felt terribly betrayed by Dove letting out a secrete that hurt him when other kids found out. I have to handle that one delicately.

I am thankful for... Effort that yield results and forgiving children. Prayers of the many who are backing me up as I walk on in pursuit of all that is called of me.

From the kitchen... Reheated pasta for lunch and a menu to prepare.

I am wearing... :) I am still in my maroon night gown it is noon.

I am reading...Eldala by Michele Gregory, gardeners encyclopedia and a post about setting a life plan.

I am hoping... To relax and accomplish peacefully

I am creating... A blouse for myself that has been untouched on the sewing machine for over a week.

I am praying...To keep Him as my center

Around the house...I let the dogs in and the floors really show it! The kids are playing and Many tasks call me.

One of my favorite things... navel orange eaten in the tree...with birds joining me on the branches.

A few plans for the rest of the week... gaining school supplies, looking through what we have to make due and not need to purchase as much. Doing daily flash card. Esteem builders for the kids. Spending a lot of time equipping them emotionally for school. Going to the bank and the post. Working more on the earth out in the garden to get ready. Perhaps a little rest. Setting down on paper some goals and objectives to better get a center of purpose.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Asking questions of the kids is really helpful to get inside who they are.
I might like to type all these out and make a game of flash cards.
It would even be cool for adult friends.

Spiritual Sundays blog

Spiritual Sundays

join over here

I have been asked to participate in a meme
These are the thoughts of the current day.
May they support and hopfully inspire.

I think that the length of my husbands illness with the thyroid I have found myself now going "oh no wonder!" to all of the idle and seemingly lazy days when I could not get from him the help I needed and just pulled it up out of me. Now I see that it was his illness that was being so, not his heart. I now have a much greater understanding of what I/he was dealing with. I found myself at times angry at him...
The things of many a marriage that is the basis for that line in our vows
"In sickness and in health" Wonder how many marriages are lost in The effects of illness in relationships. I know coming out of the nightmare of abuse recovery that this man of mine more than respects those vows that he made some 27+ years ago.

The Book of Common Prayer

I, take thee,
to be my wedded ,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish,
'til death do us part,
according to God's holy ordinance;
thereto I plight thee my troth.
(Thereto I pledge my love).

Recently while attending a meeting of several Believing Christians I was very nervous of concern over judgments and was uneasy after I had shared about my journey. Silly I suppose. Many times over my long life span in churches I have been very wounded by pastoral staff who had no or little personal understanding of such things and I think I just sorta remembered (in feelings way mainly) how I must of appeared to them.(that based solely on a limited understanding of the blank stares and such) I know that what God thinks of me is most assuredly the truth.
I thought of how beautiful all of them looked , so well cared for...I really have not taken time to care for myself due to the responsibilities I have. So I took some time. :) Now my hair smells like sulfate (I colored it myself) yuk will be glad when that goes away. I like my hair better now. I have tried so hard to grow out my bangs in part to save our family funds. This is a tight time for so many of us. We lost our 25+ career 5 years ago and have managed to keep our home. Keep the kids cared for. Last year alone we had over 14,000 in out of pocket medical co-pays. I know of a fact that we are not alone .Needless to say God provides we are just really working hard to meet goals of staying debt free and being able to raise the kids with needs met.

I have a great deal more optimism's than my spouse and dealing with that pessimism is very wearing on me. Every day I see Gods hand directly meet our needs. My husband however every day is panicked and freaks out over finance. I have so been reducing everything I can to be able to see my husband be able to have some of his/our dreams of travel , means for our retirement, kids education and future met. He gave up so many dreams fulfilling my/our dreams to bring the children out of Russia. I am struggling to get more and more independent and live as simply as I am able. I grind flour, grow a large part of our food, raise a few chickens, cook every meal from scratch, and tend two special needs children and right now an ill husband . Just tired, just tired.

Sorry I ramble.
Sorta just opening my heart

You see if we share our weakness we then can pray for one another.
So hear...The I am .

I am open real and raw. Worn and trusting and waiting seeing/to see the glory of His working all these things out.
I see my sweet man feeling a little better this morning well not feeling but he sounds better. We both have horrid headaches. We both love and trust God.

Men however real men who care about the future of their families care about providing for them and the future needs. Some men just take it all on and find themselves fearing the future. This is the case of so many many men (and women) right now in our times.
Our men (and women) need our support and prayers our encouragement and our commitment to help in every way we can to that end. Yes of course trusting in Gods provision is right and imperative.

Ladies/Gentlemen come on lets us all pull together as do our part in the provision and be as Ruth and start gleaning those fields unashamedly!
This worldly view of shame is robbing us all blind. It makes us judge one another and ourselves. We look down upon those of us who out of necessity need to do so...We all ought to do so out of simple respect.

The temptation is to look at ourselves as if we should be embarrassed for getting off the wheel of consumerism. We have to call it "GOING GREEN" or "ECO FRIENDLY" we ought to have been green and friendly all along and not need some excuse to do so without shame. So now under these titles we can find a sense of pride...What about these efforts being made under a sweet humility?

We make excuses and give our self permissions to disrespect our means that God has provided through the income that he has provided and the jobs we have are taken for granted.

It is but by the grace of God that any of us even have what we have.
Humbly please respect the blessed lives we are so very privileged to live.
No it will not be easy...Being debt free takes great humility, even in the circle of the church. Debt is the excuse to save face. Just hold that face up high Yes it is hard it really is! I must hold my face up high.
Non of this..."I deserve to splurge" yet even in that the balance can be hard to find if rigidity sets in as it is temping for me to fall into.

Sober minded means looking honestly...If I go to tea is it within the budget? It was for me if it were not then I would have to say no. If we need to say no we need to be able to do so without being pressured into doing things we ought not.
So I hold you/me accountable to support one another in doing what is right. Make it easy and less temptatious to your fellow and to yourself...

choose what is right
:)