To Become More Magnetic to Money...Is That Possible?

Mending The Money Purse

As I read my daily lesson in Simple Abundance I stopped to ponder on a quote. " A lean purse is easier to cure than endure."  Hmmmmm So what does that mean and how can I apply that to my life. " My purse is already lean". We live paycheck to paycheck on a single salary with 3 kids. We live in a small house and cut every corner we can find and do without so much already. Lately hubby has taken many days off with no pay to care for our family the last few weeks as I battle an illness that has landed me many times in the hospital. How much leaner could my purse possibly get!

As I read on I read that Babylon was famous for it's fortune because it's people as well as their king were rich, enjoying a level of personal wealth beyond our contemporary comprehension. This was due to the knowledge of the laws of prosperity was available to everyone. And many almost all of these laws can be found right in the Bible too!

The man - made laws of  money created by the Babylonians were way simple and they still apply to us today even over 8,000 years later.
They are regular savings and sharing. controlling expenditures. living debt free, increasing prosperity through prudent investments, protecting the bulk of your wealth from loss, owning property, establishing a future income for old age and increasing the ability to earn money through preseverance.

Sounds easier said then done to me, right?

First step though was to " start thy pures to fattening'. They suggested taking no less than 10% of ones earning and claiming it as one's own. This money was to be kept in a purse that was worn at the waist. The purpose of this purse was to act as a magnet to money, endowing it's owner with a feeling of financial security as it grew fatter. As it grew to heavy to wear they would transfer the money into a larger savings chest and used it for lending, trading, acquiring property or making investments. But a portion of money was to always remain in the purse to attract more money.

While in this day of age I don't recommend caring large amounts of money on you like that but creating a money magnet is a great psychological way to jump start a sense of financial serenity if your worried about money even though God will provide. A money magnet is not a saving account. It is an addition to the money you put in to that account. It's some thing that you keep to remind you to save and not spend. It's something you can not spend or would not want to spend easily like a $100 bill. Your less likely to break that and spend it then a $5 or a $20. Then adding additional $100 bills to your collection or your purse.

It's a great tool to remind us that abundance must occur in our minds before it can manifest itself in our lives. So we can begin to share and do great things with it.

How will you apply this now to your life? What is your money magnet gonna be?

I am going to write down a goal I would like to achieve, my fat purse amount and write it out on a brightly colored index card in bold red ink and keep it with me! 

Write or comment on how you are going to apply this to our life and what your money magnet will be and share with us as we go along together and eliminate our debt.

I would love to hear from you all!

Don't forget to have your quiet time with the Lord and to write in your prayer journals!

Apron Evangelism

Apron Evangelism
philosophies on the pleasure & power of aprons



One day not too long ago I was struggling with the boys over some minor details which come up when a lot of people live in a small shack in the woods. Details like the value of picking one's dirty clothes up off of the living room floor when company has been spotted driving up the mountain. The boys were unusually stubborn that particular day. Rather than fight with them over their household responsibilities I picked up the dirty clothes myself and crammed them into the washing machine. I ran some soapy water in the sink to get a start on the dishes before the company arrived.

Now usually I am not one to hold a grudge over small disagreements like laundry on the living room floor. This one settled in my brain though, and I felt compelled to mull over it for several days. It was the outright insubordination which offended me the most. After I figured that out I went in search of solutions.

About the same time I was in the process of Spring Cleaning. I was having a great deal of trouble motivating myself to wash the walls in the kitchen and mop the back porch where the cats live (blessedly with a doggie door so they don't need litter boxes).

Well, the more I worried about these twin dilemmas the more I felt the need to discuss them with the queen of solutions, my momma Darthulia. As I suspected she had the perfect solution. Darthulia told me I needed a uniform or costume which would reassure myself and others of my intention and status in the home. She claimed it would remind me of my duties, inspire me to greater levels of cleanliness (which as a hillbilly I sorely need), and reaffirm my authority in the home.

Darthulia then went on to describe the homemaker's uniform to me in detail. "Imagine the modern archetype of the housewife." She began. "Think Donna Reed, or Beaver Cleaver's mom. They wore full skirts, and stockings, and heels when they vacuumed. But you knew they were doing housework because they had their aprons on. A string of beads graced the necks of their classic shirtwaist dresses, and a lacy bibbed apron proclaimed their role as matriarch in charge of household management."

I only have a fleeting memory of Donna Reed. I sort of wish she came on television regularly so I could take notes but she doesn't in my area so I am stuck looking for other heroines-of-the-home to model myself after. Most of what momma said made sense to me though. That very day, I put on a full skirt, stockings, sensibly low high heeled shoes, and a string of pearly white beads. Then I sat down at my sewing machine and ran up a couple of bibbed aprons, decorated with lace and ribbons.

I made up the pattern as I went along using a small rectangle for the first bib and a heart shape for the second bib. Then I stitched lace around the edges of the bib and attatched it to a simple tie with a full apron skirt gathered to the waist. I made them short waisted so they would fit my maternal figure a bit better, and voila, I was set. I put the first apron on, a creamy white or ecru, and looked in the mirror to admire my handiwork. I expected to see myself staring back at me, probably looking a little silly in this frilly piece of confection designed to protect my clothing.

Boy howdy, was I in for a surprise. In the mirror I saw a vision of the homemaker I have always strived to become staring back at me. Her cheery face glistened in the sunshine. Her hair tied up neatly in bun looked authoritative, and compassionate all at the same time. The apron covered several figure flaws and accentuated the fertile curves of the woman I saw in the mirror. This woman had purpose. She had status. She had clout. I stood there, contemplating the wonder of the homemaker that shone through my image in the mirror. "This is who I want to be" I told myself. "This is the Keeper of the home, with a capital 'K'. "

I wear my aprons every day now. I have made more, in different colors and configurations so as to be pleasing to my senses. I have come to believe they are a like lacy bits of lingerie, only worn on the outside, and a quite a bit more respectable. When I put on my aprons the children mind me better, wandering visitors immediately know my role as a stay at home mom. Door to door religious missionaries assume I am a virtuous woman and cheerfully move on to the next house. Fred thinks I look cute as a button, and neighbor children hug me more often.

I like my aprons. They have changed my life, raising my standards, inspiring me to greater feats of home making skill, and making me more effective as a parent. Whoever thought that a dollars worth of fabric and lace could effect so many changes on one woman and one family? Since my success with aprons I have become a true believer. I am now called to spread the word among my fellow housewives. Join the crusade by sharing your love of aprons with friends, family and internet buddies around the world. Together we will change the face of the House Wife, the world over.