Laines Letters...Revisited!

30~ We've never paid for a babysitter. I know that's hard to believe, but we never have. We've either swapped babysitting, had my folks babysit for special occasions, or we didn't go. We just couldn't afford babysitters and a night out on our tight budget. Our nights out were very modestly priced when we did go, which was rare, as I've mentioned before. 31~ We buy our clothes at thrift shops or garage sales, or on sale at the stores. We've never spent a lot on clothes. 32~ I've been the family photographer for years. I took photography in college. So our living room is adorned with shots of our kids as they grew up. In 24 years of marriage, we've only had our family picture taken professionally three times. Two of those times was by our church for the church directory, so we received a free 8 X 10 each time. I learned early on that I could save money by taking my own shots of my kids and having them enlarged. I then framed the shots from frames bou

13~ We don't have any cable, so we don't get much reception. But I figure we have saved approximately $6000 in the past 17 years living without cable. This helped pay off our house. Plus, I really don't think we missed anything. My uncle tapes us lots of old shows and movies, which have been so enjoyable. 14~ We also do not have internet access. Whenever we need to use the internet, I use it at the library for free. I keep a running list in my purse of any websites I want to check out. I figure we have saved approximately $2000 in the course of eight years of no internet service, which also was a big help in paying off our house. 15~ I try to keep us as healthy as possible by good food with quality ingredients. "She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar." This verse has so much wisdom socked into it. So I study health, nutrition, and herbs as much as I do stretching our finances. It has saved our teeth, since we don't have dental insura

3~ Pay back all our debts. We paid more on the principal every month to get the house loan paid off quicker. This was our last debt. When we had a van payment, we paid it off in a year by paying more each month. My husband and I did not buy each other Christmas presents that year, our gift to each other was the last payment on the van. We find it better now to pay saved cash for a vehicle, which we did on our last vehicle, rather than a loan, if possible. We also pay our taxes and have the money ready when it is required. "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes: if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:7-8 "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." "The wicked borrows and does not repay. But the righteous shows mercy and gives." Psalm 37:21 So

Dear Sisters, Hi! Yes, the house is really paid off. I received the deed from our bank a few days ago and posted it on the refrigerator with the words, "Paid In Full! Praise God!" It is such a miracle. I know many of you are struggling with tight finances. We have lived with tight finances all of our 24 years of marriage. My husband's take home pay is $29,000 a year with six people living in our household (and a lot of guests ~Smile~), yet for many years it was much less than that. We only live on his income. I know some of you live on even less. In our area of Southern California, our income is considered a low middle income wage. However, I feel so rich. Over and over again the LORD has taught me so much that I would have never learned had our finances not been tight. And I wouldn't have been able to help other women as well. It has been my pleasure to encourage so many struggling in their finances, because I know that struggle. I also feel that the LORD is teachi

Dear Homemakers of God, "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God." Titus 2:3-5 So nice to be with you all again in this beautiful, beautiful verse. We've been talking about loving our husbands. Today I'd like to talk about loving our husband in our home. Our home is our haven. No one can make a home "a home" like a woman can. She is the heart of the home as Psalms 128:3 says: "Your wife shall be like the fruitful vine in the very heart of your house; your children like olive plants all around your table." This is the blessing of everyone who fears the LORD and walks in His ways. (128:1) The wife is in the very heart of the house

Dear Sisters, It has been a tough week. One of our favorite marriages has cancer. Each week that has passed in the last two months have revealed worsening and worsening conditions. But this week was the worse. The cancer is widespread now and threatening to shut down "the body." It has affected our family greatly because not only are these some of our closest friends, they are also our close family. We have prayed without ceasing. We have cried. We have pleaded. We have counseled. We have watched their children. We have even sent flowers. But one of the members of the body refuses treatment. So the cancer continues to spread at an alarming rate. There were times when the phone rang that I just cried out to God for mercy as I answered it. Especially in the very early morning. For I knew then that it was not good news. And it usually wasn't. Every day that things got worse, I thanked the LORD once again that He let me sit at His Feet and soak up His Word before hearing a

Dear Sisters, Hi! I hope you are all doing well. I think of you and pray for you all. We are special family of God, yes! You can't help but think of family and pray for them. It's been a trying time for us all with our nation suffering as it has since September 11th. Yet I feel such a sense of peace knowing that my beautiful LORD is in full control. I have only to lean on Him, He will show me the way. He is totally faithful and totally trustworthy. "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." As women of God, that is our calling, to be sure. I know this is so because the LORD says in 1 Peter 3: 4 of the godly woman's adornment: "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." What a beautiful verse, yes? I see the words "quiet" and "gentle" so often in conjunction with women of God. Believe me, I am anyt

Dear Sisters, "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God." Titus 2:3-5 His Strength. I cannot describe to you, Dear Sisters, His Strength. There is nothing like abandoning yourself to your Savior and LORD, Jesus Christ. Over and over again I am in awe of the work He is able to do through this weak vessel named Laine. I use to think that if I abandoned myself to Him, then I would be doing things in places that I'd detest. But, instead, He called me to sit at His Feet for many years just getting to know Him. And the more I got to know Him, the more I knew that I could trust Him with everything and everyone. Starting with myself. I learned that He is and was

Dear Sisters, I have received many letters concerning my son's dismay on not finding one Christian teenager at his Bible study to stand with him against the vile movies so many are watching today. Including Christians. Including their children. We have become so much like the people of our culture that it is hard to distinguish between a Christian and a non-Christian these days. Especially with regard to what we're willing to view and hear. I told my son that I especially find it so sad that people in other countries are willing to give up their lives for Christ, but here in America we can't even give up vile movies. You know what I've determined? We really don't know the LORD. For when you know the LORD, there is no way, no how, that you can sit and listen to His Name, the Name above all names, being blasphemed and spit out as though it were the most shamed thing on earth. It would cause you too much pain. Especially when you have a choice to watch and listen to

Dear Sisters, I must confess to you that each week when I write to you, I am not quite sure what I will say. I lean heavily on the LORD for His direction. I cannot tell you how "unfit" I feel to be writing to you all each week. Most of what I share with you are things that I am just learning myself. I have "not arrived" so to speak. So why do I keep on writing? Well, I have another confession. My main goal in writing is to get you into the Word of God. Yes, that is the foundation of my writing to you all each week. I just love God's Word, and it has changed my life more than I can say; so I have this "ache," I guess you might say, to help other Christian women draw deeply from the Word that the LORD might change their lives, too. I have fallen in love with Jesus, and I have found that I share with Him a love for His Chosen Women. I do a lot of reading. Mostly non-fiction. One of my favorite types of literature is actual accounts. Presently I am rea