Couples – Blessings Multiplied

As I was thinking about the various books I have read over the past few years “The Millionaire Mind” by Thomas Stanley came to mind. In this book Stanley explains the research he did on how America’s wealthy got there. You don’t need to make a substantial amount to be smart with your money. Living a flashy and fancy lifestyle isn’t what it takes to be wise with your finances. I found it fascinating learning more regarding the millionaire “mindset” and the questions he asked in his research.

Our family has been trying to stick to our budget and be more responsible with the blessings we have been given. We are by no means millionaires but we feel it is important to always continue to learn and grow. My husband and I listened to the audiobook version of this book together. If you are trying to wrap your mind around finances this is fun book to read or listen to as you work through the process as a family. I encourage you to communicate and pray as a family as you go on this journey together. When we were first married it became very clear that Jake and I had different patterns and views on finances. Taking the time to listen or read these types of books together helps encourage and strengthen your relationship while providing a positive outlook on finances. What works for one family may not be doable for the next family, however, we all have been giving many blessings in life. We still continue to make mistakes, pick ourselves back up, and learn from the lessons God continues to teach us. We want to purposely chose to be wise with what we have been given so we have more opportunities to share with those around us.

Brina and Karlie Delivering Goodies — Brina & Karlie Delivering Christmas Gifts to our Neighbors

We had a blast on our Christmas Baking day last weekend but I think the biggest joy came when we delivered the goodies to our neighbors. Once the girls realized that we were not giving every morsel of the baking goodies away they were excited to share. I think they were worried that we did all the baking and they wouldn’t be able to taste any of it. Although, they definitely got their share of sampling the day of the event.

Sunday afternoon we put the baked items into gift bags, added a photo mug of the girls full of candy, put in a Christmas Card with the traditional annual picture we give to the neighbors, and tied the packages with ribbons to deliver. The girls got bundled up in their coats and mittens to help me deliver the goodies. We have 6 neighbors on our street. Most of our neighbors are retired couples that enjoy seeing the girls and getting their annual card with a picture. I found out the hard way the one year how much the yearly pictures meant to our neighbors when we didn’t give out Christmas pictures and one of our neighbors showed me her refrigerator with pictures of the girls from every Christmas. Oops!

Karlie Delivering Gifts — Karlie carrying the next gift!

Brina Ringing the Neighbors Door Bell — Brina rang the doorbell!

It was cold and windy day delivering the goodies but our street is pretty small and we were so excited about handing out the presents to those on our street. Only 3 of the 6 neighbors were home or answering their doors on a Sunday afternoon. We headed back out on Monday to hand deliver the rest of the goodies, but it wasn’t until later in the week we were able to successful hand deliver all our treats to the neighbors.

The amazing blessing came when we delivered the presents. Seeing the smiles, joy and gratefulness on the faces of our neighbors made it worth all the time and energy it took to put together the packages. It is a wonderful blessing being able to share with others. Not to mention it opens doors into the lives and hearts of those on the street near you. We look forward to more opportunities to share with our neighbors.