As a kid, I was never a girly-girl. I was a tom-girl who didn’t have much patience for a lot of fluff. I was indifferent to painted nails but loved adventures.  I was impatient with those silly pictures of guardian angels that looked like some kind of fairy godmother with wings.  I’m sure that they were intended to comfort little ones. But even as a child I thought they were pretty lame.

Do I have fun in life? You bet!  Do I like happily-ever-after stories? Sure I do!   At the same time, I am not naive and recognize that real life often requires hard work, a great deal of courage, and a stick-to-it-ness that requires both backbone and fortitude. I am reminded of this line by Thomas Edison – “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

I have noticed that a few of my FaceBook friends follow the on-line site: The Penny Hoarder. One of the articles I read recently spoke about the huge debt under which most Americans are buried. It said that the solution to this eradicating debt is easy, although they immediately posted a disclaimer saying that they did not mean you to follow this advice, the solution was that debt would be dealt with by your estate when you die.  Jolly! Knowing that your debts will be paid off when you die really doesn’t make it any better for you, does it?

I have often joked with one of my brothers about having champagne tastes on a beer budget.  My choices are such that perhaps few people would understand. I have very few clothes and even fewer shoes. I don’t care who I impress or what people think of me. My car, my address, or the stuff that decorates my home are not purchased for some kind of wow factor.  I could care less if I am seen in the right places or impress someone by having the right toys or belonging to the properly upper-crust organization.  But I do have some big plans and the clock is ticking.  Seemingly faster with the passing hours.  Am I trying to make those plans a reality? Yes! Have I had some offers of assistance? Again, Yes! But there are snags and some of the snags are big.  Just one is substantial indebtedness from years of underemployment.  But life often throws scarier obstacles in our path and I have had to weather some of those as well.

I try to banish fear and focus on the positives while assessing the situation accurately.  We have a decent roof over our heads and we haven’t gone hungry.  I have a wonderful husband and we are both healthy and were both blessed with a sense of humor which helps when times get tough.  We have heat and air conditioning.  I don’t have insurance – but I have a dentist who will work with us, and doctors who don’t charge the moon.  We have a fun, quirky and loving family, some amazing friends, a church where we can worship and have made some friends, a neighborhood with places to take walks and a Sonoran Desert view of mountains, cacti, and endless skies.

On those occasions when I feel like my back is to the wall and serious help is required,  I am encouraged when I remember scriptural promises that prayers will be answered.  I am also cheered that in Jewish and Christian scriptures angels are described in ways that give me courage when mine falters.