A lucky penny?

Today I got to have a little "me" time with a massage due to a membership that Stephen bought for me as a 30th birthday gift in September. I thoroughly needed some down time and definitely enjoyed it... the lines on my face from almost falling asleep on the table were proof of my appreciation. I also ran a few errands while Jilly napped and played with Daddy.

While I was out, I came across a penny on the ground. As usual, I checked to see if it was face up and I had a scene from Grease pop into mind: "See a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck." WOW, I've seen that movie too many times. :)

I thought, "HMPHHH, we sure could use some good luck, I ought to grab it." But something stopped me. Yes, this all sounds like it happened really slowly and you are thinking, what is her deal about this penny, SHEESH?!!

Well, something just struck me while I grinned about this encounter with a heads-up penny and left it there for someone else to find. God's in our corner. No preaching, no soapboxes, no exaggerations... there is NO way Stephen and I should be making the day-to-day living that we are doing right now. The stay-at-home-mom-retired-youth-minister and the unfortunately-laid-off-still-job-searching-man are unbelievably surviving with keeping on top of bills (including a mortgage that is the amount of 2.5 weeks of unemployment checks). The math really doesn't add up.

Yes, we are in a much *healthier* financial place than a few years ago. Many debts paid off. Savings built up. Side business earnings doing well. I thank God for the things that led us to the sentences prior to this one. We really became a team and tackled spending, debt, wants & needs, worked hard and depended more on the One we should have been hanging onto all along.

No, things are not perfect. Texas Children's Hospital may hate us for a handful of Jillien's eye surgery bills that are just going to have to wait a little while longer. I spend a lot of time planning coupons and meals... and it doesn't always work it out the way we'd hoped. We still struggle with daily wants vs. needs. It's not perfect because we're not perfect.

Our families have our backs but other than FABULOUSLY AND GRACIOUSLY taking us out for meals or bringing us food to break up the monotony, we haven't had to ask for much other than support, encouragement and prayers.

The math just doesn't add up. Granted, the Hailey household isn't *known* for our super-duper mathematical skills anyway. :) But that penny today reminded me that God is bigger than. Yep, I meant the sentence to end there. God is bigger than. God's in our corner and the story about the loaves & fishes is our story too. Thanks be to God. "Eh-meh." Amen in Jillien's words. :) P.S. Here is an adorable picture just for your enjoyment. HA! She loooves to color now and it's so cute to watch!