Sixpence None the Richer

The phrase "Sixpence None the Richer" is from a book called Mere Christianity. In it, C.S. Lewis tells a story where a child asks his father for a sixpence to buy his father a gift. According to Leigh Nash, a singer from a band of the same name, "The father gives the son the money and is happy with the gift that he gets. But he realizes that he’s not any richer, because he gave the child the money in the first place. So C.S. Lewis is comparing that to his belief that God gave us the gift that we have. And that’s to serve in the way that we should. We should be humble about it and know where the gifts came from."

I'm learning so much about myself and my limitations every day and I wonder what all of these "lessons" are culminating toward. First of all, I can't wait to be free from debt. That is my idea of happiness. Honestly I wouldn't mind being dirt poor as long as my debts were paid. There are so many Biblical principals that I am learning, the most important one is of the widow who knew she lost a coin a searched everywhere until she found it, the lesson being that she had a full accounting of everything she had and knew when something went missing (Luke 15:8-10). It's my responsibility to keep a full accounting of what  I have and where it goes. Turns out money going out is way easier than money coming in; it's up to me to be responsible and discerning.... and to work really, really hard.

This is why I am proud to introduce Tawny LaBarbera, official writer and businesswoman. My new website will have links to all my personal articles, copywriting, editing, and design pricing, and past examples. That's right, www.tawnylabarbera.com is live! It's my goal to have my first e-article available for Kindle by the end of May. Yes, I will also make sure that you are all informed on my progress.

I need your help voting on my first brand logo-- the one I will use until I can take updated photos. Please use the comments section here or on the blog Facebook link:

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In the Do-It-Yourself category, I am getting really good at things that I would have paid for in the past.

Turns out that with a little time and practice, I too can become a professional. Even my hand is tan because I had an event and used a bronzer instead of going to a tanning booth or for a spray tan. Sure, I am talking about shallow things, but I'm able to sacrifice many things without sacrificing who I am (kinda girly).

See? Tan. And totally girly.

I call this my Jess look. Jess is the Character on the show New Girl and she cracks me up. She's inspired me to let me hair dry naturally sometimes. I'm finding freedom in breaking with perfection.

I do have a savings plan. Before: Normal Almond Container.

After: Complaint Jar, to be filled with quarters whenever a complaint come out of my month. If any of you decide to remind me about the complaint jar while I am complaining, you will cause me to have to add more to it. (Note, please don't complain that I did not decorate the jar. I'm not bothered by the fact that it's plain-- why are you?)

There are so many things that I can look around and see as gifts from the Father that don't have a pricetag attached that I am cherishing. I am "none the richer... but richer":

  Tommy nestled with Hoppa before church "just because." (Hoppa= Grandpa)

Baby Maura "Sissy-la-la" still isn't talking much, but she really can't get much cuter.

I don't want to be rich as the world thinks of rich. My list of dreams doesn't have many things listed on it, it's mostly places and people.