frugal living: financially, emotionally and spiritually

I had some really brililant words typed out earlier, and then the internet crashed....so now I'm bitter and wordless. 

The basic idea is that I am going to attempt to live on a budget and save some money buy couponing and getting things free.  I'm learning how to live frugally by following the following blogs:  The Rapt Northerner and Money Saving Mom. 

I'm going to attempt to do couponing.  My budget has been cut significantly by taking a minimum wage job of which I only work part time, while also switching to a major university where tuition costs are much higher.  In the past I've been able to use the excess from grants and loans to pay some bills, but that will not be the cast next semester.  So in anticipation of my purse being a bit tighter and in general just some preperation for all things that may lie ahead I feel like now is a good time to put some Prov 31 skills into action. 

So here I go.

I'll let you know how it goes.  I think the hardest part for me is going to be the forethought necessary to live this way as well as the discipline that comes with living a budgeted life.  I'm treating this as a spiritual discipline though, and asking God to encounter me in this change.  If you haven't ever heard of spiritual disciplines, I highly recommend Richard Foster's book "Celebration of Discipline".  Another good one is "The Spirit of Disciplines" by Dallas Willard.

As I hinted at earlier, I believe the seasons are changing in my life and I am trying to adjust to all the new things going on in my world.  I have found myself on a rollercoaster of emotions recently as I'm engaging in a slightly deeper friendship with a good guy friend.  There is a significant amount of ambiguity going on, and I am quite sure I have felt every emotion because of said amiguity.  This has really become an invitation to trust God in ways that my heart was not quite prepared to trust him.  Learning to discern the difference between my hopes, expectations, God's will, and what things are ok to settle on and not feel cheated has been quite challenging.  Needless to say, it has brought up fear, insecurities and old wounds that I was not prepared to deal with on this occasion.  I tie this in with my decision to change my finances around because I believe the idea of living frugally is a way of stewarding what God has given you.  We are called to steward our finances, which I think most people would understand.  I think though, and maybe I'm crazy, that especially in the friendship/dating process there is a certain amount of stewarding our love and emotions so as not to spend them foolishly.  I'm a lover.  Always have been.  I love people wholly and quickly.  I have lived a life of putting the cart before the horse, and feel like I'm now seeing how strenous that is on a Godly relationship. 

I have more thoughts, but I am about to get off work, so I must close and continue this later. 

More frugal thoughts coming soon, until then be blessed!