Live Debt Free

Pay off debt. Save. Give. Live your mission.

Hopeful Debt Story of Angie and Raymon

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Debt slavery realized

The other day I received an awesome email from DFA reader Angie.  I asked if I could publish it – in an effort to encourage others – which she happily agreed to.  Here is her story – it’s a great one that will hopefully be a blessing to many.

Thanks Angie and Raymon.

Debt testimonial of Angie and Raymon

I came across your website when I posted a search for “saving for retirement while in debt.”  I found my answer and a whole lot more.  I truly appreciate what you are doing with this site.  It’s important to show the world that God is the true deliverer of debt bondage.

I had not approached my debt as a type of bondage in the past. We were generous with our debt using it to give to family members, thinking we were doing good.  We thought it was no big deal as long as you can pay and manage it. The recent changes by credit card companies gave me a rude awakening to the trap that debt is.  My husband and I recently dedicated our lives to Christ and we want to give as much as we can to God’s work not our own as we did with the credit cards.  Never looked at how bound we were to debt until we realized how it hinders us from freely giving.  What a waste and how much could we be helping the ministry and others if we weren’t paying sky high interest charges.  Herein lies the bondage of debt. Anything that keeps you from God’s plan for your life is bondage.

Not trusting that God would provide for us and being content with that led us to depend on credit to meet needs (and a lot of time, wants).  We’ve turned all our dependencies over to God and He is doing miraculous things in our lives.  We used to feel like there was a leak that money just ran out of (every kind of random money eating problem you can think of).  Now that we let God take over our finances the leak is being plugged.  Debt is on its way out and needless expenses are disappearing.  God is disciplining us about money and opening our eyes so we can become good stewards of God’s money – this is not an easy process and we need constant prayer to stay focused so please add us to your prayer list. We are on our quest to “owe no man but to love him.” (Reference to Romans 13:8)

Thanks for sharing your journey!!!!

God Bless
Angie & Raymon

Memorial Day Music – A Country After God’s Heart

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god_bless_america

Our country was founded on the belief in, and reliance upon, the God of the bible.  This belief was (and still is) reflected in our National Songs.

Today I would like to honor not only our servicemen & women, but also the God who guided our country to greatness.  Though our country no longer corporately recognizes God as King, there was a time when we did!  The proof rests in these beautiful songs of national pride.  It was always in the times of commitment to God and His Word that our country was at its greatest.

Let us once again strive and fight to honor God on the individual, family, state, & national levels!  Just as we are making a return to old-time finances, let us make a return to old-time reliance upon God and His Word! God is in control of setting up and tearing down both men and nations.

And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:  He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.  – Daniel 2:21-22

I encourage you to read and sing these great songs of faith and country, remember those who served, those who are currently serving, and remember the God who directs the affairs of men.  Please pay special attention to the lyrics of the latter, uncommonly sung verses, and to their heavy reliance on God for guidance, strength, and victory!

Let us once again become a country after God’s heart!

MY COUNTRY ’TIS OF THEE

Written by:   Samuel F. Smith in 1831

I in­stant­ly felt the im­pulse to write a pa­tri­o­tic hymn of my own, adapt­ed to the tune. Pick­ing up a scrap of waste pa­per which lay near me, I wrote at once, prob­ab­ly with­in half an hour, the hymn ‘Amer­i­ca’ as it is now known ev­ery­where. The whole hymn stands to­day as it stood on the bit of waste paper.  – Samuel F. Smith

My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom’s song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our father’s God to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.

Our joyful hearts today,
Their grateful tribute pay,
Happy and free,
After our toils and fears,
After our blood and tears,
Strong with our hundred years,
O God, to Thee.

BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC

Written by:  Julia W. Howe in 1861

I awoke in the grey of the morn­ing, and as I lay wait­ing for dawn, the long lines of the de­sired po­em be­gan to en­twine them­selves in my mind, and I said to my­self, “I must get up and write these vers­es, lest I fall asleep and for­get them!” So I sprang out of bed and in the dim­ness found an old stump of a pen, which I re­mem­bered us­ing the day be­fore. I scrawled the vers­es al­most with­out look­ing at the p­aper.  – Julia W. Howe

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

O BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES

Written by:  Katharine L. Bates in 1904

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain;
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea.

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self control,
Thy liberty in law.

DFA is passionately dedicated to helping others break the bondage of debt using biblical principles.