God is Fantastic, His timing couldn't get any better!

I know I haven't blogged in a while, but this is just SO worth writing about!

For the last few months our finances haven't been so good. We've really tightened our belt in order to deal with everything, and cut out nearly all luxuries. We went to a barbicue a few weeks back, and whilst enjoying some charcoal with a hint of burger, I discovered part of my tooth coming away. needless to say, I knew it would take a big bite out of our finances, so I put booked a doctor a few weeks down the line, when I thought I may have some money.

Reuben, my middle son (2yr old) has Cerebal Palsey (sorry if spelt wrong). More specifically a left Hemiplegia, which means the signals from the brain to the left side of the body are getting scrambled, and as a result don't respond too well. This means that the left side needs to get exercised quite frequently. This is pretty much a part time job for my wife, as Reuben has several appointments across the week, from physiotherapy to hydrotherapy...etc has his walking monitored... he's currently in a cast to stretch his muscles in his leg and ankle. As a result of this, we applied for Disability Living Allowance(DLA) a few months ago.

I was ready this morning to cancel my dentist appointment today, and put it off till another time I thought we might have some money. There was barely enough for any extra food for the next week, let alone petrol for the car.
The letter came first thing this morning in the post. It told us we were entitled to the DLA, and had been put in the highest rank for it. We would be getting £60.60 per week (£240 p/m), this would also be backdated to April in a lump sum of over £780.
We called up the Tax Credits aoffice, to let them know of the change in circumstances, as a result they are now giving us an extra £3200 per annum.
Within one morning, my income had increased by over £500 per month.

This means we can now afford a second car that we so badly need, and I could afford the dentist, which I later discovered I was exempt from having to pay for.

What Lies Ahead?

Happy New Year, first off, although that phrase comes with a question mark hanging behind it, when we're constantly reminded about the devastation of the Asian Tsunami. As you may know, I have two boys, and it's absolutely heart-wrenching hearing story after story of families killed and torn apart. I wouldn't be able to cope with that sort of loss. I know for sure my two boys in that situation would have been lost, and I don't know what the status of my wife and unborn child would be. Then for these orphaned families to hold on to a false hope of finding a relative alive, even if clinging onto life.

But there is hope! Always! You may have lost everything you own, everyone you love. But you have you, and if that isn't good enough, God is. God is unchanging, God is unswaying... No, God didn't cause this, and God didn't want this to happen. But he can help the healing.

So then... 'Happy New Year?'

It can be, and I'll certainly work towards that aim.