Poverty Sucks

We don't really live in poverty but sometimes I just wish that we could do more things and not have to plan so far in advance all the daggone time.

For example, my grandmother's health is failing. I got to see her last weekend when I was up in NY (a trip that my sister paid for) but my kids did not. Nick is very close to her and he wants to go up and see her. That simple request will require major planning to make it happen. With the cost of gas, work schedules, the fact that neither me or Frank get paid vacation time, well, it's just not feasable to pick up and go like that.

A bunch of friends want to do a group vacation next July, a cruise or something fun and all inclusive. Sounds great but we've already planned a beach trip for our family for April/May and so that will be our one and only vacation and we had to start planning it now in order to have enough money to pay for it.

I sometimes envy people who can decide that they want to take a trip and just do it - no plotting and planning. No crazy finagling of budgets. They just book it and go. We don't do credit cards, we refuse to go in to debt for material things. It still doesn't make me feel any better when we can't do the things that we really want to do. I guess at times like this I have to remember my "Myth of More" - I may not have all of the things that I want, but God has provided for all of my needs.