For years, Mike and Danica Murray tried to manage their finances on their own. They spent freely, believing they had control, only to find themselves trapped in a cycle of debt. “The debt continued to build until we spent tax refunds or a bonus check to pay it off,” they shared. “This worked for a while, but we were back to our old bad habits. We would consolidate debt as well, foolishly thinking that we ‘fixed’ it. We knew something had to change.”

That moment of change came one Sunday when they heard a guest speaker at church talk about money. “We knew that the time had come,” they recalled. Having heard about Crown Financial Ministries on their local Christian radio station, they felt God leading them to seek help. “It was clear that our way did not work. It was time to turn it over to God.”

Enrolling in the Crown Budget Coaching Course was a leap of faith for their family, but it was one that paid off. “Crown showed us that we were on the wrong path, however, it was out of love. We were not alone when it came to making bad choices. We learned quickly that God had a plan. We were not meant to live this way.”

The most significant lesson they learned was the importance of having a budget. “Having a plan for your money while making sure to still save and give each month is important. Knowing what you have each month and where it can all go has helped give us a baseline to know what our limits are.” Before, they relied on credit cards and racked up more debt. “Now, we understand how to manage our money, spend within our limits, and set goals to reach. It’s been a challenge to change our mindset, but learning God’s word on finances has transformed our hearts and made us want to live through HIS word more.”

One of the biggest financial changes they made was combining their incomes. “We realized that the way we were doing it separately was not working out well for us. Now that we’ve combined them, we truly know that we are in this together to make the changes we need.” They also started an emergency savings fund and are already halfway to their goal of $1,000.

Beyond the financial impact, the course has deeply influenced their spiritual journey. “We now see that everything truly belongs to God. We are called to be stewards of all His blessings. Debt robs us of His blessings and prevents us from being good stewards.”

For the Murrays, Budget Coaching was more than just a financial course—it was a heart transformation. “It has changed our hearts to want to not just get out of debt, but to use our blessings to bless others as well.”

Through their journey, Mike and Danica have learned that true financial freedom comes from trusting God’s plan and being faithful stewards of His provisions.