Let me introduce you to my friend, Cherie. Cherie Lowe is an author, speaker and hope bringer. Her book Slaying the Debt Dragon details her family’s quest to eliminate over $127K in debt in just under four years. As her alter ego the Queen of Free, Cherie provides offbeat money saving tips and debt slaying inspiration on a daily basis.
by Cherie Lowe
I was sitting in the back left corner of the worship gathering at our church.
In a place where I knew I was loved.
In a place where I experienced grace.
In a place where I was certain I heard God’s voice.
Running my fingers along the grooves of the purple upholstered chairs, I recounted my own mistakes and fears. They were more numerous than the dollars that we owed and left me feeling glued to my seat, not wanting to go anywhere, not really listening to the message of Hope being spoken over my life.
When my husband Brian totaled our debt just days before, I could barely believe my eyes. Over $127K emblazoned at the top of that legal notepad. All of those months, I sent in payments–the minimums of course. All of those months, I bought the groceries and made sure our daughter had shoes that fit. All of those months, I had never stopped to count the total cost.
What were we going to do now?
What did God think of the way we had been living?
Surely He must be disappointed. Surely we would be punished.
These ideas were not Gospel or truth but in my humanity, I couldn’t help but wonder.
It’s only now that I realize my own fears, guilt and shame minimized the God of the universe. For the Creator who taught the birds to sing and blew warmth into a tropical breeze was unafraid of our debt. He knew that the lessons we would learn while from moving from a place of fear and imprisonment to true peace and freedom were worth more than any earthly sum of money.
And so in 2008, we decided to trust Him, not just with our hearts but with our wallets, too. The road would not be easy, nor would the finish line come quickly. While we learned about budgets and coupons, we also found our souls plunged into a state of joy and contentment we had never known before. I’d love to say that those sneaking questions never plagued me again but the transformation was much more gradual. However, what I eventually discovered did set me free:
God doesn’t care about your debt. He cares about you. He loves you.
I’m pretty sure if He can keep the planets spinning and knows every hair on your head, He can handle how much (or little) you have in your bank account and just how much you owe to whom. No matter how embarrassed you are or how overwhelmed you feel, that love never changes.
It’s easy to stop there and marinade in that sweet, undeniable, unbelievable truth (Honestly, that’s not such a bad idea for just a bit, go ahead. I’ll wait for you here.). But if there is a financial mess to be cleaned up, we have to begin the path of finding His redemption for our money. For those of you caught up in the same worry and anxiety, I’d love to tell you that there’s a simple formula or a snap-your-fingers-and-it-will-all-be-alright solution. But that just wouldn’t be true, friends.
Paying off debt is not complex; it’s just not easy.
While our journey wasn’t easy, it was marked with joy. As we fought for freedom, our finances, and our family, we delighted in the simple. We reveled in the mundane miraculous.
To our amazement in just under four years, God worked a wonder in our hearts, our family, and our finances. It was a happily ever after that I never saw coming.
This week we’re giving away 3 copies of Slaying the Debt Dragon by Cherie Lowe.
Are your finances getting out of control? Have you made mistakes with your money? Are you in more debt than you’d like to admit?
Cherie Lowe has been there. She and her family found themselves $127,482.30 in debt (did your jaw drop?). They hadn’t bought a yacht, blown it on designer clothes, or purchased a mansion. The small, everyday expenses of living just added up—until suddenly, the Lowes were being threatened by one dragon of a debt.
But through hard work and with God’s help, Cherie’s family vanquished this foe, one bill at a time. And you can too! In Slaying the Debt Dragon, Cherie shares how her war on debt made her financially free, strengthened her marriage, taught her children valuable money-management skills, and brought her whole family closer to God and one another. As you read her battle tales, you’ll be armed with the weapons you need to fight your own financial foes. With God, all things are possible—and your inspired happily ever after can begin today.
The three winners will be selected and announced on Friday.
Love this – Over years I have struggled with some same thoughts of shame and fear that God was upset about debt or that we were cursed because of it. Over years he has been setting me free of that mindset. Would love to learn more in this area.
Kathey
I try to use cash instead of credit.
We use the Goodbudget app coupled with Dave Ramsey. It is viral envelopes. Works great!
We use the Goodbudget app coupled with Dave Ramsey. It is virtual envelopes. Works great!
this looks like something I don’t only need to read, but want to read…would love to win it..but I will check it out regardless.
Avoid the drive-thru window!
This really got my attention today! My husband and I have been struggling with crushing debt for some time now. It overwhelms every aspect of our lives. Every time we think we’ve hit a point where we might chip away at it a bit, another unforeseen expense comes up. I’ve prayed about it a great deal. I know what it is like to wonder if God is ignoring your prayers because you got yourself into this mess, so get yourself out. We made the decision long ago for me to stay home with the kids. I sometimes wonder if I’m doing the right thing in regard to my kids, why is it so hard to survive? I would love to win a copy of this book. I would love to have hope that there is a light at the end of this financial trap.
There is such shame and guilt surrounding financial debt – especially for believers. I know this book is going to help so many break free from that.
I plan to share this with my Mops moms
Debt! Wow…we have debt. More than I’d like it to be but not as bad as most people I know. Not to sound bad, but I am frugal, if I don’t have the money I don’t buy it, etc. However, my husband is the culprit. Plastic is his downfall. He is impulsive and feels deserving of what he gets. I was employed until 3 years ago when I had to quit due to my parents’ failing health. Now we are definitely feeling the pinch. My husband realizes now that something needs to be done. This book would definitely be a blessing to see how they managed to overcome such a sizeable debt in four years!
I so needed this! We have been so caught by the debt monster. It’s good to be reminded with God there is always hope!
communicate with your spouse!
This is so well written. I would love to win a copy – I can’t believe I haven’t bought the book yet! 🙂 We have been paying off medical bills, school loans, and credit cards for years. Every so often we see one giant bill disappear and I have a dance party. I look forward to reading Cherie’s story.
Awesome giveaway! My biggest tip is to check out pinterest, write down meals you could make for the week, look in your pantry and fridge to see what ingredients you need and which you already have. When you go grocery shopping stick to your list! If it isn’t on your list, DON’T put it in your cart. I’ve cut our grocery bill in HALF by following my list! It can be hard, BUT think of the end reward. Blessings!
Cut the Cable! That’s what we did! Hardest thing but so worth it!
My husband and I found ourselves in the same place, more debt than we cared to total. It wasn’t until we found ourselves at the bottom (not able to pay what we needed to) did we finally face the reality of the situation. We set up a binder system with a section for each person we owed and began making calls to each one to see what kind of payment schedule we could make with them. Many were very helpful and understanding and several were not. We have been doing this for 1 1/2 years now, have reduced our debt and continue to move forward. Your post “God doesn’t care about your debt…” had never crossed my mind. We are so hard on ourselves, why is it that we don’t rest in God who loves us so? Thank you for the reminder today. You are such a blessing!
This sounds like a great book! (And one that I need to read.) Something that has helped us understand our debt better has been understanding where our money goes. We created a spreadsheet to track every dollar we spend. At the end of the month we review where we spent our money and make adjustments as needed.
After the divorced, I got out of control of money. I am in the process to get rid of my debts. This book will be helpful, thanks.
This is such a timely book and post. My husband and I are committed, but it is so not easy. It also seems that daily there is a bump in the road that leads to discouragement- so a daily dose of encouragement sounds wonderful. The best part of this post is remembering that God doesn’t care about my debt. He cares about me. It isn’t about retribution. It is about grace and love, forgiveness and redemption. He wants to be glorified. He keeps His promises. He will not abandon us as we seek to be faithful.
my husband and I have done Dave Ramsey’s FPU and really loved it! we became dept free a few years ago (except 1 car and mortgage) by using his plan. Quickly things turned downhill when unexpected expenses related to our children and medical reasons…we found ourselves back in dept… i would love to learn other ways to fight this dept dragon. it does make you shameful and makes you feel like you just can’t provide for your family. I loved the encouraging blog and it leads me to our maker and creator for WHO I AM, not my finances! Praise the Lord!!!
One thing that is vital is agreeing upon a budget with your spouse. Without their buyin it is going to be incredibly difficult to make progress.
I would say avoid going out to eat a lot.
Living simply… sounds easy but is not. This would be a great book to help my daughter (getting married in 2 months), to start on a firm foundation monetarily. I appreciated to overall message of grace.
I so needed this today. We attended an ABC’s of Financial Freedom class a couple of months ago and that started us off in slaying the dragon. But paying the debt and getting a handle on our budget is the practical part of a far deeper spiritual battle God has waged for us to become free from the bondage of mammon and debt. Your post has put this into perspective for me. How much God cares for me is not determined by my finances. Thank you!
I definitely need to read this book! Hope I win in the giveaway 😉 God bless!
I NEVER post on websites ever..but when I read so many of you felt the same way I was amazed. I felt the Lord wouldn’t help me with this because we were stupid enough to make such horrible decisions..that it’s all my fault. Here we are OLD and 5 years ago my husband lost his jib..we have gone through everything and now have nothing. But I have been trying hard the last two months to be a better steward of my money and I know God loves me but I’m the one having the feelings of major guilt over so many bad decisions.
We are battling the same dragon. Praying that we can slay it this year once & for all!
This is a constant battle. We have found great peace in seeking prayer and support from our church and close friends. We are working on reducing the debt….. but a positive factor is the growth of my faith. Would love to have the opportunity to read this.
Never give up!
I’d love to read this. I always seem to get hit financially. When I start getting ahead, I get hit again. One step forward, two steps back…
I was once told by someone in a position of trust in my life, with the amount of student loan debt I have, that nobody would want to marry me. I was crushed. I haven’t married and I still carry that shame…
I would love to read this book, I never thought about this situation from that perspective – oh how much He loves us! I too have felt the shame and guilt and overwhelming sense that I deserve to be in the battle to clean up the mess I (we) have made – by being irresponsible. But if I think about it much, I also deserve a lot more punishment for a lot of other things … but Jesus took all of this on for me! I think I will rest in the comfort of that for a few minutes. Thank you again for sharing. This sounds like a great tool for me and my husband and I would love to share it with my adult children also so they can all be spared the heartache and stress. God Bless You!
I don’t have too much debt but the interest is still a waste of my money. I would much rather be giving it away to someone who could use it than pay it to a bank. I initially lowered it by transferring to a no-interest credit card. I would love to put myself on a budget that helps me to truly love within my means! God bless!
Hubby and I sat down and decided what was the most important thing we could do to save $$ this year and not using the charge card came out on top. Save $$ by not spending and save$$ from credit card charges. It is a win win situation.
I really,more ally need this book and the freedom and grace God will provide with it!
Oops, typo… I really, really need this book and the tips being posted here.
Would love to win this book. Anxiety about money is one of the enemies’ strongholds for me. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of this book.
Fantastic post. I am a pastor teaching on our need for margin in a 3 week series called 24/6 and tomorrow is about money margin. I am going to refer to this article and the phrase “God doesn’t care about your debt…He cares about you.” Love it!
One thing I have learned to do is to stay home. The more I am content to just be happy where I am the better I learn to manage the amount I spend. We have made an active choice not to use credit as well. We only buy something when we have the money.
My best tip is to start today. It doesn’t get better by waiting. It won’t magically correct itself or disappear. It takes time and attention but it won’t ever be better until you start. Today is as good a day as any!
give up, for a time, vacations, movies, or eating out. Give up one thing to start. It can be difficult – well meaning friends pressure to join them for a movie or out for dinner. Just say no – and invite them over to watch a TV movie with some popcorn. Lower your expectations a bit and breathe!
Don’t keep running from it as it snowballs behind you. Facebook!
I’m looking to find the balance between “being anxious for nothing” and actively doing what God calls me to do to get out of debt, while trusting Him to do what He desires in our lives. Thank you for sharing this amazing … and encouraging … post.
This post was really helpful. We ate deep in debt and it’s uplifting and beautiful to see others struggle with the same issues and prevail. My biggest tip I’ve learned is to stay away from credit cards completely
My advice is staying away from credit cards. Also from a major debt I have now read your loan before you sign anything.
Figure out a budget that works for you and your whole family. Then stick to it…month after month after month.
I am looking forward to reading Cheri Lowe’s book, her intro at the website brought me so much hope that the Lord is willing to work out my debt, and change me in the process!
Thanks so much!!
Be consistent and be proactive. I am really thankful for this giveaway!
I would like to not stress about paying bills anymore.
My suggestion is to only use cash when making your purchases.
We are battling the same debt dragon. It’s very challenging to change our patterns. I’m praying that God guides me in the stewardship of the resources He gives us and I’m finding that He answers as I see my patterns turning in the right direction.
Desperately want to slay the debt dragon in 2015!
Would love to win this giveaway; loved the excerpt, and truly feel that our family could benefit from it! 🙂
I’d love the opportunity to read this book, loved this article, great to know God loves us regardless of mistakes made and debt carried.
I remind myself that I am not my credit card debt and that God cares about ME. About the why’s, the hurts, the searching for full outside of Him that brought me to this place. Being honest is freeing! And boy would I love to have a copy of your book! 🙂