Expiration Date

I am quickly discovering that everything has an expiration date, but not everything goes bad on that day. For example, over a month ago I purchased a carton of eggs (probably closer to 2 months ago if I am really honest with myself) and just last night I did the 'bad egg test' to see if they were bad, hoping by some miracle they wouldn't be...low and behold regardless of their expiration date they were placed into a mix of brownies and very much enjoyed. You are probably wondering what in the world am I thinking using old (very old) eggs and not just buying a new carton? Well it's a 2 fold answer. After having shingles for nearly 3 1/2 weeks I was completely unable to babysit, because of the fear of giving any of the kids chickenpox, therefore eliminating my income completely, then add in a trip home, a trip to georgia, plus living in the boonies of north carolina, driving into town, driving back to lynchburg, an oil change, the list could go on and on with these basic needs and you have the first part of the answer....I literally am living off what is already in my pantry and in the back of the fridge....Normally buying a carton of eggs would be no problem but with my leave of absence from babysitting and my parents financial well crisis (aka we are living off all they saved, which is apparently only going to let us keep the house until january, unless by some miracle dad starts to get some plumbing work) I am finding that I have to be all the more resourceful in my daily life, which means using out of date eggs whether or not I want to. The second part to this phase of my life is that I am trying to take these somewhat stressful stages and turn them into a learning process. I have been extremely challenged to live on much less than I do, to live without excess, and to truly balance out my life in regards to luxury and necessity. So what better time to do so then when I really have to? I can confidently say that I am learning a lot about my life and about what my life needs to look more like but I would be lying to say it hasn't been hard. It's begun a beautiful transition in my life, I am daily being reminded that though I feel lost in this I am still considered the one of the world's wealthiest, I have never had to be without food or shelter and therefore am still blessed beyond belief. I am also beginning to own the reality of the life Christ has called us to, a life of radical abandonment. A life not guaranteed comfort, pleasures, and luxury here on this earth but promised an even greater reward of His overwhelming every surpassing peace and presence. Nothing compares to this type of life, even if it means eating some frozen vegetables for breakfast every now and then. ;-)