Three years ago, I started dreaming about writing a practical, “how to” book about budgeting. I have always loved finances and I really love helping other people with their finances, I love problem solving, and bringing God into the mix of everything. I feel like God has just given me this little niche where all these different elements of my interests converge and it just flows. I remember going to coffee with my Dad and telling him all about what God was stirring in my heart concerning writing a book. It felt like a huge dream, ridiculous with a one year old running around, but I just knew that God was in it. Well, then came a very hard pregnancy with Ava, a difficult first year with her with food allergies and sleepless nights, and weight gain problems. Follow that up with a bout of pneumonia, another hard pregnancy, and just the fatigue of the first year of baby… and here I am. Three years later and still with the same dream in my heart.
Three months ago, my darling Matt said to me, “Baby, you have to get that book out. (I think he was tired of being the only “beneficiary” of my budgeting ideas 🙂 ) Why don’t you start a blog and just use it to get your book written?” Well, something just sparked in my heart and the next day I started “Budgeting For a Better Life”. For once, I didn’t obsess about the title, or the details, I just went for it because just starting was a mountain. I knew if I got hung up at the beginning it would just derail my dream once again. So I have written almost every day for the last three months, sometimes until 2 in the morning and I really have just poured out my ideas, my heart, and even things that God has laid on my heart… and I have written my book. Or at least I have written the skeleton of my book.
This morning I was running, and the Lord gave me an idea for another book, and at the same time I felt Him just stirring my heart to get this book done. However, I am at a point right now where I only have a limited amount of resources in terms of the time that I have to give. I really feel like it is time for me to begin to focus on pulling my book together and I don’t feel like I can do that and continue to blog the way that I have been blogging. Soooooo…. I am not quitting blogging because I really do enjoy it, but it is going to have to look a little different from here on. I am probably going to post a little less frequently, and they will be shorter because I am going to give myself a time limit. However, I will also post entries if I write additional sections for my book. I know that there are some topics that I didn’t adequately cover in this blog that I may revisit and post as I do. I also feel like I still have so much to say and a blog is such a great outlet for it. Yet, I know that I need to shift my focus right now. I just can’t carry everything in the time that I have.
Anyway, I covet your prayers and I thank all of you for all of the comments, emails, and encouragement that you have given me these last three months. I feel like I have made new friends, and been blessed to help some people. You all have helped me write my book. Hopefully, I will be able to reach many more people through this book and help them to discover the freedom that budgeting brings. So, I will be around, maybe not everyday, but I will still be writing everyday… but you might just have to wait for the book in order to read it.
God bless and I will see you soon,
Tracy