My Financial Journey

My parents taught and modeled for me the importance of being a good steward of whatever God blesses you with: talents, skills, opportunities, resources, and money. These blessings are not just for your benefit. They are to be shared with others, to bless them as well.

I can remember, as a young child, my parents handing me dollar bills to put in the offering basket. We filled up yellow buddy barrels with coins to raise money for missionaries overseas. I was taught that you give 10% of your income back to God. It was just the way of life for me. I have always tithed.

During youth service when I was around 14, God put a specific amount on my heart to give to Speed the Light, an organization that buys vehicles for missionaries. I mowed my grandma’s yard and ironed my dad’s dress shirts to fund my pledge. I felt so proud when I met my goal. I learned the value of hard work and the joy of being a part of something bigger than my self, the blessing of helping others.

At age 16, God called me into ministry. A year later I felt a more specific call to become a missionary. I cried and journaled, “God, I can’t be a missionary. I don’t want to be away from my family. I hate asking people for money, I love the A/C and central heating, warm bed, and McDonald’s cheeseburgers.” Despite my pleas and arguments of why he “chose the wrong girl,” I could not get rid of the stirring in my heart.

I wanted to go to Southwestern Assemblies of God University upon graduation. My parents took me to Texas to tour the campus my senior year of high school. I stayed with a friend in the dorm room. It didn’t take long for me to know, “this is not it.”

I visited several state schools, but I could not get a peace in my spirit about any of them. My dad told me, “If I had been saved at your age I would have went to Central Bible College.”

No. Absolutely not. I live in a small town and go to a small school. I do not want to go to a small college. No.

Yet I couldn’t get a peace about any other college. So I decided to make the trip to MO to tour CBC and Evangel University. Mostly to prove to my dad that I would not be going there.

The moment I stepped foot on the campus, I knew. The tour was fantastic. Chapel service was anointed. Everyone was kind and welcoming. It felt like family.

“I can’t go to CBC Lord. I can’t afford it. You are calling me to be a missionary. I cannot have thousands of dollars in debt.”

My Bible study group had an all night prayer meeting on February 24, 2007.

I wrote: “God spoke to me after I took the December ACT. I was discouraged because my ACT score went down from a 23 to a 22. I had been studying and taking practice tests. I just knew I had done better… How could I have made worse God? This doesn’t make sense. Very clearly and calmly God said, “Because you are trying to do it on your own. Don’t study for the next one. Let me take care of it for you.” So I didn’t study for the February test. I got the results back today and only had a 23. I tied my best score… Why God? 23? One more point and I could have a fully paid for tuition to Tech. Why couldn’t you give me one more point? No reply.

We had an all night prayer meeting.

All of us have been fasting all day long. During the second watch, I kept hearing CBC in my head. CBC. God is that you? Is that where you want me to go? I had such a peace about it that I just began to cry… God didn’t allow me to make a 24 because I would probably have went to Tech. I know it is God speaking to me because CBC would have been my LAST option… My fears are money and distance. It will cost me $8,000 per semester to attend CBC. The drive is 5.5 hours away. That’s scary! I don’t want to have to leave my family and friends nor do I want to be a financial burden on my parents. A couple days after we visited CBC dad sat me down and told me if God was directing me to go to CBC not to worry about money. We would find the money and God would provide a way. I would have picked UCA because I have full tuition there. At CBC I get 10% discount for being a PK (preacher’s kid). I’m scared to death but so excited at the same time.”

About a month later, my dad resigned as lead pastor of our church. My mom worked in the church office. So overnight they both became jobless.

All those fears surfaced again. I cannot leave my parents in this time of hardship. How will I pay for school? I can’t do this Lord.

But I knew what God called me to do. He gave me that peace that passes all understanding. So I took the step of faith and went to CBC.

I had taken college courses my senior year of high school. While my peers breezed through their last year, I struggled to keep up. My teachers blessed me by not charging tuition; I only had to pay for my books. My hard work paid off. I started my first year at CBC with 16 credits.

I didn’t qualify for any grants because my parents made too much money. Thankfully my sweet parents had been diligent in saving money for me. I attended my first year of school without taking out loans.

My second year, I was required to fill out FASFA twice because the government didn’t believe my parents made significantly less than the previous year (both of my parents had lost their jobs). I received the full pell grant my second and third year of college! I also did work-study, and received several small scholarships for good grades.

My last semester, I worked a part-time serving job and used the money my ex-fiancé gave me, a reimbursement for the money lost in the wedding, towards school.

December 2010, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. In 3.5 years at a private college, I only accumulated $12,000 in student loans. I felt so grateful to have such a small amount compared to my peers.

I continued to pray for God to take care of my debt.

I was riding in the car with my mom when she told me, “your dad and I want to take care of the debt for you.”

I was completely blown away. I was debt-free! No chains, no shackles. Nothing keeping me from going on the missions field or wherever God called me.

February 20, 2011. “Wow. You answered my prayer and kept your promise. Thank you Lord. You are so faithful and worthy of all praise and glory and honor.”

I moved back to AR after graduation and took some basics courses at a community college. I had two classes with my mom, which was so much fun! I planned to start my master’s degree in education that summer. Many of my basics at Bible college were biblical classes. I needed history, music, and science to be caught up.

I cash flowed that semester. I moved back to Springfield in May 2011, got an apartment with a friend, and began my graduate studies in education at Drury University. I wanted to cash flow my entire graduate studies. I wanted the freedom when I finished school to go wherever God called me.

Sunday July 3, 2011, I was running a few minutes late for church. Got into my car and backed up. Bang. My heart sank, I knew that sound. Just get out and see how much damage was done. I had parked under the awning at my apartment complex and hit the pole as soon as I put my car in reverse. It caught my front bumper and pulled off the entire right side of the bummer! It was dangling. You’ve got to be kidding me. I wasn’t even going 5 miles per hour!

I cried for a while. Then I realized crying wasn’t going to change what had happened. I called my dad. He told me to find a guy friend to look at it to determine if it was drivable. My friend zip tied it for me and took me to work while my car was in the shop. The damage cost me $1,400.

I drove to AR on Thursday to celebrate my sister’s wedding. We went to Olive Garden and played laser tag. She married her high school sweetheart on July 8, 2011. A simple, laid-back, beautiful ceremony with friends and family gathered. My stomach was hurting a little that day, but I didn’t think much of it. I was so involved in the events of the day I forgot to even eat! I brushed the pain off…

I drove back to MO on Sunday to get ready for work and school. On Monday, I was working the evening shift at Cracker Barrel when my stomach and back started hurting. I pushed through the pain, focusing on my customers and my responsibilities. Mind over matter. You can do it.

It continued to hurt by the time I got home, so I took some Ibuprofen. I HATE medicine. As a child I would spit it at my parents. They would have to hold me down and force feed it to me. The only way I could swallow a pill was to wrap it in bread.

So for me to take medicine meant I was in a significant amount of pain. My back stopped hurting but the stomach pain got worse. I tried every position to attempt to get comfortable enough to sleep. Nothing worked. It felt like someone was stabbing me. My entire stomach hurt. I laid on the couch crying. My roommate was out of town so I was home alone. I finally text a friend at 3:45 AM.

When he woke up at 7:45 AM he brought me Pepto Bismol. No relief. Took it again 1.5 hours later. Nothing.

I googled my symptoms. Appendicitis popped up. I had most of the symptoms so I called my mom. Mom urged me to go to the walk-in clinic. “I don’t have health insurance.” “Don’t worry about, you need to go.”

I called my friend and asked him to take me to urgent care. I could barely walk due to the pain, so he helped me to the car. Thankfully it wasn’t busy and only took about 15 minutes to be seen. For me, it felt like an hour. They weren’t able to do testing. The doctor pushed around on my stomach and told me it was either my appendix or cramps. “Lady, this is not just cramps.” She encouraged me to go to the ER to be safe.

My friend loaded me up and took me to Cox South. The clinic called ahead, allowing me to be seen fairly quickly.

I was placed in a room, got an IV and some pain medicine. Finally some relief! It took several hours to get a CAT scan. The results revealed it was my appendix, but thankfully it had not ruptured. The doctor told me, “I want to do the surgery tonight.” Laparoscopic appendectomy. By 6 PM I was being wheeled back into surgery.

My sweet friend stayed with me the entire day until it was time for surgery. He had to leave for work.

My mom called my church and had a pastor come out and pray with me.

I was nervous, scared. The only surgery I had ever had was getting my wisdom teeth removed. I had never been in the ER. I was so thankful the pastor was there with me. I felt alone without my family or friends.

My parents left AR as soon as I got the results from the CAT scan. They couldn’t get there in time to see me before I went back for surgery.

I remember the anesthesiologist cracking a joke, and then I was out. When I woke up, I was out of recovery and had been taken to a room. My parents were with me. The surgery was successful. I stayed overnight to recover.

My mom stayed with me a few days to help me at my apartment. I applied for Medicaid and filled out paperwork for financial aid at the hospital.

I had just paid $2000 for school. And $1400 for my car. Another $300 for the walk-in clinic visit. I was down to $500 in my savings account.

I was supposed to share my story at my life group, but had to postpone due to my surgery. The week of my recovery I began asking the Lord what he wanted me to share. I felt a nudge in my spirit. “What are you doing Andrea?” What do you mean what am I doing Lord? I’m working hard to pay for grad school. I’m studying to get a degree in education so I’ll have a means to get into a country that is closed to the gospel if you call me there. “What are you doing Andrea?”

I searched my heart deeper. God called me to full-time ministry. Why am I getting a degree to become a teacher? It is a crutch. A back-up plan in case ministry doesn’t work out. I watched my parents both lose their jobs in ministry overnight. I had plans to marry a man, and that was ripped out from under me. An education degree gave me another option just in case God didn’t come through for me. If God failed me, I would be okay because I had a plan B.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 I wrote; “I know you’ve called me to full-time ministry. It scares me. The uncertainty of a job. Being a single woman in ministry… I don’t know the future… I know my calling to tell people about Christ. So I’m not going to get a master’s degree in education. I don’t need to force a door open for missions. God can open any door.”

I called Drury and dropped my summer class. I missed too much school due to the surgery to pass. I enrolled at AGTS, unsure of what exactly I would major in.

August 2, 2011. “I want to start off by praising you God. I had enough money to pay all my bills this month. Whether you provide monthly or in one lump sum I know that I will be able to pay off my medical bill and you will provide.”

August 20, 2011: “Lord, you are so faithful and awesome. It’s funny how I always stress out over finances and you always provide for me despite my lack of faith.

Drury is refunding the $950 from my summer class. Miracle! I got denied Medicaid but the hospital wrote off $19,000! There are a few more financial aids I am applying for. As of now, I owe less than $5,000 of the $25,000 bill. I got accepted to AGTS. Orientation and setting up my class schedule on Friday, and I start classes on Monday.”

I attended the women’s conference Designed for Life in October. God challenged me to tithe 20% of my income, believing in faith that God would provide for me.

I received more scholarships for my medical bills- In total, 23,000 was written off. I had an entire year to pay off the remaining $2,000 balance.

The next 3 years I lived paycheck to paycheck. Cash flowing grad school, tithing 20%, and covering all of my living expenses. I worked two, sometimes three jobs. When I made my budget every month, the math did not add up. Every month I prayed for God to provide.

Sunday January 12, 2013. I was looking in the mirror, and I noticed the scar from my appendectomy. I’ve always wanted flawless, perfect skin. For two years I viewed the scar as ugly, an unwanted imperfection, a reminder of pain.

This day, I saw the scar in the new light. I saw a reminder that I am chosen. Called to do Kingdom work. I am marked, the placement on my stomach.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭

And a reminder that God will provide for all of my needs.

Every month, year after year, God was faithful. I was able to pay all my bills, pay for school, and take care of my needs.

December 2013, I felt like God told me to give away all the money I had saved. I felt fearful, but confident God would provide. If he was calling me to this, he would take care of me.

January is a slow month for the restaurant business. Everyone is broke after the holidays, trying to lose weight, and waiting on tax returns. By the end of January, I was short on money. I didn’t have enough to cover one of my bills.

I expressed my anger to God. “Why would you tell me to give away my money and leave me without enough to pay for my own bills? Even if I wasn’t supposed to give the money, can I really out-give God? Why haven’t I gotten a miracle yet? Does God sometimes not come through?”

February 5, 2014. “I didn’t get my miracle and my rent came out. I have overdraft protection so my check didn’t bounce. I got a $12.50 fine plus have to pay back the $250 they put in my account.”

I felt a lot of different emotions. Did I hear from God? Was I wrong to give when I didn’t have the money? Did God fail me? What am I supposed to learn from this? Where is the line between wisdom and walking by faith?

“I will worship you, even when I’m not blessed. I will choose to give even if it cost me something.”

It wasn’t about the money. God was pruning me.

“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:2‬ ‭

Midway through February I was still behind financially.

I listened to a sermon by Steven Furtick on the Israelites and the walls of Jericho. “Your progress isn’t always obvious.” “6 days of walking and nothing happened.” “Believe God is working even when it doesn’t seem to be working.” “Progress is motivation. If it doesn’t seem to be working, we don’t want to work at it. Maybe God doesn’t want you to know it’s working because he wants to do a deeper work in you. He wants you to be less focused on the outcome and more focused on obedience. Outcome is God’s responsibility. Obedience is yours. Sometimes the best strategy is to shut up and march. You talk and you talk yourself out of it.” “Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew how many laps you had left? Life doesn’t tell you that. You can’t stop because you may be on lap 6 and not know it. Circling the walls prepares you to fight once the walls come down. God has to prepare you for what he has prepared for you.”

I received an unexpected scholarship at school. Work picked up, and I got my taxes. By Mid March, I was back on track. The only extra I had to pay was the $12.50 fee.

The lessons I learned from God, the deepening of my character and my faith, it was worth much more than $12.50.

And God was preparing me for a huge loss (my ex fiancé would be married the following month). I needed this lesson.

“I’m not and never will be immune to greed or selfishness. I have to choose daily to give. There’s a true joy and blessing that comes when you bless others. You’ll never have everything you want.”

“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20:35‬

May 2014, I graduated from AGTS with my master’s degree in counseling. 100% debt free!

I worked and saved to volunteer in Greece for three months in January of 2015. God provided the money through fundraising for me to do the World Race in September of 2015- August 2016.

Having no debt allowed me to follow my dreams and calling freely.

Isaac grew up very differently from me. He wasn’t blessed with the knowledge and resources I had. He also made some poor financial decisions, leaving him with debt.

Choosing to marry Isaac meant choosing to take on his debt. I prayed fervently for God to perform a miracle and take care of his debt. I know that with God, it is possible. I have seen it and experienced it firsthand.

I prayed that prayer for two years…. God answered my prayer each time:

No.

In our culture we want immediate results. Instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it right now.

God can and does provide immediate miracles. But most of the time, he works through a process.

He wants to do something deeper inside of you. Character takes time to build. We don’t like when God answers no. Just as good parents say no to their children, God says no to us. We may not understand the reason, just as our children do not understand. God knows things we do not.

“You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭42:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

During the quarantine, Dave Ramsey gave away his program called Financial Peace for free. Isaac and I spent our time at home gaining more knowledge and wisdom in managing money.

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13:22‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22:26–27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger, If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth, Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor. Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids; Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6:1–6‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Interpretation: RUN. Get out of debt and save.

It will take diligence, dedication, and discipline. Hard work, sacrifice, and focus. Saying no to things we want. Delaying pleasure. We will only buy what we can afford.

We feel strongly that God’s will for us is to be debt-free.

Free from the chains of having to give our income to someone else. Free to live in the blessings God has given us. Free from having to give into our selfish impulses and wants. Free to bless others as well.

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis‬ ‭12:2 — 3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We believe God has a deeper work to do inside of us in this process. Yes, He could at any moment chose to just take care of it for us. He is a merciful God. We would be so grateful. But so far, he has answered no.

Isaac has already started this process. I will join him the moment we say I do.

Each bean represents one dollar of debt paid.

God has been faithful already through the quarantine. Isaac was able to keep his job for an additional two months and pay off all of his outstanding debt except the student loans due to cancellations and the stimulus check.

This is only the beginning.

We look forward to seeing how we become more like Him through this process. We believe that God is going to use our story to encourage and impact others. We are excited for the day we will celebrate being debt-free!