We are doing some upgrades and changes to our world, and while we enjoy family connections, we also note the expensive price tags! Fuel is at a record high, and you can name the culprit and blame them all day long, but the bottom line is everything is expensive because of it! The costs of upgrades? Pricey! Materials? Whew! Don’t even get me started.
If you want something done, you must pay the cost! Only, will the end price stay as high as the costs made them out to be? Probably. Maybe. Who knows?
Lumber. Nails. Screws. Brackets. Gas. Bread. Cereal. Meat. Milk. Even our eggs are not free though we pick them up by the half-dozen every day. Chicken feed is inching higher!
Costs vs Price. Whew! Expensive! If you want something done, you must pay the cost! Only, will the end price stay as high as the costs made them out to be? Probably. Maybe. Who knows? Click To TweetThink This Through
This got me thinking about what’s worth the price and is the final product worth the cost? The homes on my street are nearly triple in price, and were you to build them today, it may be double their original costs. No matter what, it is still a seller’s market, and buyers are paying a premium. Sell your house? What do you do? If you downsize, you will still be paying more than the house was worth a couple of years ago.
Everything is creeping higher and more expensive at the moment. Though the interest rate is climbing, you can only buy less of a house unless you can pay cash. (Higher interest rates mean higher payments, and your ability to pay higher means you have the income and expenses to pay the difference.)
If times get more challenging,
what will you trim from your budget
to keep a roof over your head and food on the table?
Perhaps we all should step back and rethink what’s most important to our well-being!
Keeping Sane
I learned a long time ago my sanity comes from balance. Learning to keep my expenses under control when there are run-away costs manages my thoughts of despair. Keeping my feet to the grind when it’s easy to slip into a slump keeps my mind functioning.
Regardless of life, two things matter the most: relationships and my spirituality. From both platforms, I find it easier to face challenges. Connecting to people means I’m willing to give of myself at the same time I receive from others. Two-way street! We learned this as kids, and it’s even more important during stressful times.
On the Spiritual Front, I focus on my Lord, who sees me through.
I was teaching this last night from Paul’s message to the church in Philippi. He’s writing from a Roman prison and if there is any indication of timing it may be toward the end of his life. His last known letter is his second writing to Timothy. So this is before that.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men.
The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren,
whatever things are true,
whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report,
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—
meditate[Thimk] on these things.
The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me,
these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9 NKJV
Paul? What are you saying? “No matter what happens, rejoice, be gentle, no anxiety, pray about everything, God as peace for you and will guard your hearts and mind. Think about the good things, repeat what I’ve taught, what you’ve heard, and what you’ve seen in me. God is with you!”