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All is Safely Gathered In...


... ere the winter storms begin...
This past weekend was our Stake Conference. I like stake conference quite a bit. It's good to be able to get together as a Stake and hear the inspired words of our leaders.
We have a great stake presidency. They are able to see the needs of our stake and have the inspiration and talent to speak to them. This was brought home to me in a particular manner this time around.
Our corner of the country is experiencing the concerns of our current economic downturn as much as anywhere else. People are struggling and hurting and afraid. This is not a good way to run our lives and our country.
As long as I can remember our church leaders have promoted self-reliance. We should live within our means and save for a rainy day. We should reach out to those who are impoverished. We should remember that people's financial needs may be secondary to unseen spiritual needs and concerns. So in all our efforts, it is important to reach out in temporal AND spiritual ways to strengthen each other.
My wife and I find ourselves in a position where we are able to make and keep a budget. It is maybe the first time in our lives where our budget actually means something - our previous funds have been allocated as soon as they were earned, making a budget an almost superfluous exercise, one leading to frustration and resentment. Now we are able to plan for the future, set some real goals for our family, and start to become really financially independent and satisfied.
It's a good feeling.
There are many resources for people to start to do this. Our leaders went over some of these things on Saturday. It is good that with all the council we have received that we are also given implementation strategies and tools to make the council a reality.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I look forward with great anticipation to this time in our lives. Darrin graduates next month!!! We have to begin sending out applications at once. I think we have pretty much settled our minds on Texas, Bill. Can we come spend some time with you guys, over our spring break? It comes in April, I think the week of the 13th. It will be tight for us, because of Darrin's school and all, but if it would work for you, we would love to come and scope things out.

We'd like to find a rental, someplace to rent beginning in July. Of course, we have to get that job for Darrin first, but I really think the Lord will make that happen without too much of a struggle on our part. You know how it is when he tells you where to go and what to do.
March 3, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Bill Cobabe said…
You are more than welcome to come and stay with us! We'd be overjoyed (really and literally, overjoyed!) to have you here. Please come. When you get a little closer call me and I will give you directions - our house is too new to be on mapquest. HA! How fun! Something to look forward to! And April here is very, very nice - not too hot yet...

So, are you thinking the Houston area (please say yes!). Housing is relatively inexpensive here - some friends of ours got into a brand new three bedroom place for right around 100K. Our house is bigger than theirs - we have four+ bedrooms and three bathrooms - but you can expect to pay well under $100/sf. It's awesome! Such a nice change from Utah... You are also more than welcome to come move in with us while you look for jobs/housing/whatever. We have plenty of space and we'd LOVE to have you! We can talk about it when you get here! HA!! I love it! Now I am really excited!
March 4, 2009 at 6:19 AM
Anonymous said…
Bill, you can't possibly know how much I love you.
March 4, 2009 at 8:17 PM
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