FREE: My Favorite Word

I am cheap and proud of it. That's right. And I am not ashamed. Tightwaddery is an artform in my book.

We have successfully furnished most of our house with trash pickings, yard sale finds, and furniture that has been gifted to us. I look around and am continually thankful to God and reminded of His provision and over-the-top generosity. It's almost embarassing.

When we moved back to the States from Argentina on 9/11 (yes, that one), we had the clothes on our backs. We kept our underwear in a cardboard box for 6 months until we could afford a piece of furniture. During that time I discovered the humble art of Trash Picking. Add an occassional yard sale, some sandpaper, some paint, a little wood finish and ~ voilá. New furniture.

Here are some examples:

bench + shoe bins underneath (destined for trash at work, picked)
old school desk (dilapidated gift - sanded, painted, and restained by the boys)

  Oriental rug and plant/vase stand (destined for the trash at work,
we had to rescue the poor things)

 42" flatscreen TV (FREE) and table (headed for work trash, gifted to us)

(This is actually the 2nd flatscreen we were given - Tony gave the first one away. When the guy who gave it to us found out, he said, "Oh! I have another one for you!". This is a true story.)
DVD player (won at a Firehouse luncheon :))

chaise lounge (work trash, snagged by Tony)
unfinished end table (gifted, stained and painted by me)
lamp (free with other stuff, long and amazing story - no room here)

 antique phonograph
 (gifted to sell at our Yard Sale - still  for sale!)

 firstborn's bed (destined for work trash - salvaged, coveted by me)
$7 comforter find at Marshall's

  bookshelf (trash picked and painted to match dresser)

bureau, $5 yard sale find
(originally in sad shape, but sanded and painted by me)

 white dresser (gifted, currently needing some knobs and handles)

all clothes and baskets (also gifted) -

including the clothes I am wearing (and most of the clothes I wear...)

table, booster, VCR/DVD player (gifted from various places)

dresser (destined for work trash, snagged)

computer armoire and TV armoire (gifts from friends)

$1000 worth of The Learning Company DVD courses

(landed at our door by accident - I called the company

 and they said we could keep them)

It is important to note that we didn't get stuff given to us like this when we were not believers. We were, like the world, trying to do and get by our own strength. Now, as children of God, He gives us everything, it seems, for free. He owns it all and has shown us over and over and over again across the years that He not only provides what we need, He gives over and above what we need. He gives in abundance.

I wrote this post not only to encourage others - that God is GOOD and that He can be trusted - but I wrote this post for me, too. So I can look at it, and read it, and be encouraged some hard day down the road when I am tempted to doubt that He, who is calling us to go, will not also provide. He will.

His Name is Faithful and True.