Sunday Special: To tithe or not to tithe?

Let's talk money today. And in particular about money given to the Church.

Under the Mosaic Law, the Israelites had to pay around 20%-30% of their income in tithe. There appear to have been three different kinds of tithe, paid in different places, for different purposes and in different amounts. The New Testament, on the other hand, does not suggest that tithing remains the obligation for the members of the Christian community. St Paul is his letters ephasises the need to give freely, and he does say that this does not have the force of a commandment (2 Cor 8:8).

Apparently Catholics are one of the least generous communities in terms of giving money to the Church. Other Christian denominations seems to be much more inclined to part with their money to support evangelisation and other works of their congregations. I wonder whether this is because the Catholic Church is seen as a large institution, whereas protestant churches, for instance, are usually single congregations without ties to large organisations?

If you follow my blog regularly, you would have seen that I'm in the process of reorganising my finances. This also applies to the money I give to the Church. I have a fixed amount I offer during collection on a Sunday each week. It's important for me since this money supports my parish directly. At the end of the day, electricity and heating bills needs to be paid, bread and wine need to be bought for Mass celebrations.

However, charity obliges to look after the poor and the needy around us. This is why I try to support the local food bank. So many families around here rely on food from donations. I'm yet to establish a regular pattern of donating, but I find it to be more meaningful than placing coins in the church basket. Charitable giving is something that I consider an important part of living out my faith. Give bread to the hungry and drink to the thirsty. It might be neither practical nor efficient to do it on individual basis (though there is time and place for it as well), but there are so many organisations that do wonderful work with those in need.

Everything belongs to God, and we only have stewardship of our resources.

I often worry about money, whether there is enough of it to cover all the expenses, to pay the bills and buy food. This sometimes makes me reluctant to suport the Church and the community. Yet God really calls me to less attachment to money. Every time I open my purse and give generously, God gives me tenfold more.

My resolution for the coming months is to become more generously and thoughtful in my giving. Have more discipline so that I have a regular pattern of giving rather than giving only when I feel guilty for not doing it often enough.

My answer to the question whether to tithe or not is to be generous in sharing your money and time with those around you: set a fixed amount of money aside each month and distribute it across different organisations according to what your heart tells you. For me this is my parish church, the local food bank and a number of charities that I support in the run-up to Christmas (Operation Christmas Child) and during Lent (CAFOD). Take time to volunteer if possible or to have a chat with your neighbour. I think we forget that time is probably our most precious resource and there are so many opportunities to give it generously for the good of others.

I would really encourage you to consider supporting the work of the church or local charities with your time and money. Christmas is approaching fast: maybe you could pack a shoe box for a child in need. It's my second year of getting involved with this project and it has brought me much joy.

Cash only.

I was so excited when I got my new bank card with contactless. A whole new world opened up before me: the world of quick purchases without entering my pin for minor spending.

Then I got a credit card to build up my credit score.

I thought that I was happily moving towards completely cashless living. No scrambling around for lose change anymore. Quick transactions only.

But recently, I've actually become increasingly reliant on cash. I would take out a specific amount each week and use to for paying for groceries, petrol, coffee, shoe repairs, hairdresser. Some purchases would still need to be done digitally, like most of my utility bills, mortgage repayments, council tax and an odd online purchase, but the vast majority of the time, I would just use the physical money in my wallet.

I do it for a number of reasons. First of all, it came about as a money management tool. I try to live frugally and it is much easier to do so when I'm using cash. I can literally see how money dwindles in my purse. Using cash makes me a more intentional spender, because I an only spend as much as I have in my purse. The budget is truly limited. A side benefit of this was less food waste as I bought less groceries. I also spend less, because I'm a much more savvy shopper, looking for deals and discounts on items I need to buy.

Secondly, using cash really kills impulse purchases and emotional spending. It literally hurts to part with physical money. Parting with hard-earned cash is much more difficult then tapping a card. I've discovered a completely different level of attachment to money while trying to use cash only. By this I mean a deeper understanding that I've worked for this money and I want to buy things that really enrich my life in some way. A cheap decorative item, a not so flattering shirt or a cream-filled doughnut won't do. Again, intentionality is the key here.

My next step on the journey of being better with money is to get to grips with the cash envelope system of a sort. At the moment I have just one pot of cash for all outgoings. I would like to divide my cash into specific categories of spending so that I can see clearly how much I spend on each of these and direct any potential spare change into my savings account. It's all very well to withdraw £50 for the weekend in London, but how much of it goes towards travel, how much towards drinks and how much towards eating out? I think it will be quite revealing and will lighten the burden of tracking individual purchases, something that I do at the moment. I'm not so much interested how much I spend in individual terms, but I am very much interested how much I spend in general terms on groceries, eating out or clothing.

Financial institutions want to sell us the idea that cards are the way forward, but I still see the benefits of using cash to become a more conscious consumer.

Make time.

I've been working ridiculously long hours last week (again!) and it felt that I was never quite up to date with anything. Dishes have been piling up in the sink, laundry basket was overflowing, the kitchen floor was covered with crumbs and the freezer got completely wiped out of emergency food supplies.

I didn't have time to read, to exercise, to pray, to think. I would do with an extra hour or two in a day.

But that obviously is not going to happen, so I've been thinking really hard how to make time for the things that matter.

My time is taken up by a lot of work responsibilities, family affairs, household duties, hobbies, social  commitments and faith related activities. All of these might be good in themselves, but it is not possible to do everything. It is not possible to attend to all the aspects of my life with the same care and devotion. So I am at the stage where I really want to pare down to the activities that are truly important to me. Things that will help me to flourish and become a better person.

Now that I decluttered my physical possessions, the time has come to declutter my diary. I made a list of activities I want to take time to do, how long they take and how often I want to make time for them. The list is not extensive. A few daily activities, a few weekly ones. It turned out there is not a great number of things I want to spend my time on. And yet I never seem to have enough time, because I don't prioritise these things over all other demands on my time.

I need to be more intentional about how I spend my time. Less procrastinating and watching youtube videos. More reading good book, praying and talking to my family. Less marking until late, more exercising.

At the end of the day, life is so short. I want to spend it doing worthwhile things. I need to make time for what brings me joy and fulfillment.

Sunday Special: Do I trust?

I'v had some really difficult time at work recently. Working in a challenging context is both physically and emotionally exhausting and I wasn't quite prepared for it.

Now that I've managed to rest a little and think about the past weeks, I've realised how little I trusted that God will deliver me from all the troubles. That He will be the source of strength and inspiration, and that He will not abandon me.

the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

I'm a fatalist and I see the world in very black and white terms. It's either absolutely fabulous or it's  total disaster. Nothing in between. It's really exhausting to deal with problems when your brain is wired in this way. Yet faith calls me to turn away from despair and turn towards the One who holds the entire world in His hands.

When my strength is failing

When my patience is running out

When my mind wants to run away

When I don't see the way out

When I'm panicking

When I'd rather be anywhere else

When everything seems 

faith calls me to trust, completely and without reservations.

I seem to be writing about trust a lot and this is probably because I have such a huge issue with trust. It is a product of my upbringing, life experiences, my choices and life circumstances, but it is there and I need to learnt to deal with it. 

God said that He would never abandon me, that He would never fail. He's a good, good father.

I need to develop a habit of looking up to heaven when I feel like I'm sinking. To offer everything up and don't try to single-handedly change the whole world. I can't. He can.

Autumn favourites.

September has come and gone, now we're in the month of October when leaves start turning into all shades of orange, yellow and red, fall off the trees and shorter days mean that I can spend more time wrapped in my blanket reading books. Today I want to share with you some of my Autumn favourites: things I really enjoyed, found helpful or that simply enriched my life in one way or another.

The Canterbury Tales a retelling by Peter Ackroyd.

Written in the 14th century in Middle English, this beautiful work of literature is retold using modern language, without using any of the grace of the writing. It's such an interesting window into the life and mindset of people of that time: by the looks of it, a mindset filled with fear of sexual infidelity, the tension between the spiritual and the corporal, and the interest in ancient mythology. I thoroughly enjoyed all 25 stories in the gathered by Chaucer, laughed at many and got moved by others. Highly recommended for everyone who needs a very different book than most of novels around.

Loose leaf tea

I stopped buying teabags and I am so enjoying brewing loose leaf tea. It might be less convenient, but the taste is amazing each time, so much better than any other teabag tea I've had. I've just purchased another batch of different types of teas, earl grey, chamomile, peppermint, english breakfast and popcorn tea to fill up my containers. Making my tea now is like a celebration and a leisure activity. Such joy!

Neutral flats

I don't usually buy shoes in any colour other than black, occasionally navy, but I bought a pair of neutral pink flats from Ecco so that I have some school shoes (killed the ballerinas from last year, holes in the soles and all) and I am very pleased with them. I was initially skeptical about wearing light-coloured shoes, bu I've covered it with protective spray and it hasn't been raining, so they still look great, even after days and days of intense wearing round the school. These flats are such a nice addition to my wardrobe. They took a couple of weeks to get really comfy, but they go with everything and are very light, so I hope they last until the summer. I do wreck shoes quickly, because I have so few they get used almost every day.

DIY deodorant

Made from coconut oil, cornstarch, baking soda and a few drops of essential oil, this DIY deodorant works so well, I'm not ever going back to a store bought one. I made it out of necessity as I run out and didn't have time to pop to the shops. Smells lovely (I've added lemongrass oil) and keeps me nice and fresh all day long. It's a definite keeper. It might be a little unusual to make your own toiletries, but in search for more sustainable and more affordable life, I've found that I can really pare down the personal products I use.

Wednesdays
Mr Magic has been coming down for Wednesday and it's so good to get back from work and have your loved one waiting for you and cooking food. Midweek can sometimes be horrible, with tiredness kicking in and weekend not yet in sight. You still have so much to do and only a couple of days to go. Having something to look forward to on a Wednesday is wonderful for my wellbeing and it helps me with work-life balance which hasn't been great so far. It's a weekly treat, a space to pause and breathe. I cannot put in long hours of work in the evening when Mr Magic is here, so I switch off my work-mode more easily than on a normal week night.

Monthly planner
I've shared my planning routine with you before, but I've realised that weekly spread does not work that well for me and now I just use the monthly pages. I don't have many appointments during the week beyond things that are not time sensitive, so I don't need all the space for putting activities and times in. My planner ended up looking rather sad some weeks when I only got to work and the only extra thing on my schedule was hoovering. Now I write down the most important appointments and schedule in house activities on two pages rather than on eight different ones for each month.  I got my monthly planner for 2019 already and I'm going to purchase some stickers also to go with it, this is super exciting. Look out for a planning update early next year.

There has been many more things I really enjoyed in the past month, including baking, bits and bobs of diy, reading many books and looking after my plants. Life has been busy, but it has been good.  Heating is on after a sudden drop in temperature. I'm buying a dishwasher to make my life more convenient and to save time. We've been planning New Year's trip. Another three weeks until the half term. And there's a lot of cake on the horizon.