BUDGETING IS NOT AN UGLY WORD

Have you ever gone up to the ATM, type in your PIN only to have your card shot back to you with a message on the screen showing that you have no money in you account ? Do you look around to see if anyone else saw it? Do you try it again thinking surely they accessed the wrong account? However, you get the same glaring insufficient fund announcement. You walk away with think, “How did this happen?” Then you go home review you check register, yell at you husband accusing him for not giving you the receipts or you just realize that you just did not budget for the small expense you had to pay.
How many other things in our life is the same way? How many other things get out of control if we have not preplanned all the small details? We have to be able to budget all areas of our lives (with God’s direction) to stay balanced. This week in our First Place 4 Health meeting we discussed the concept of budget the various areas (mental, emotional, spiritual and physical). So just like with our money we must plan our food, our exercise, our time and even our emotions beforehand in order to stay in God’s plan for a balanced life. This balanced life will enable us to better service Him in our individual calling.
I am sure you all understand the idea of budgeting money but how do you budget food. One member discussed how dinner is her only family meal so she wants to enjoy it as much as possible. Therefore she may not eat as many carbs and/or proteins that are allowed for breakfast or lunch in order to eat more at that family time. This is not to say that she skips meals to have one large binge or that she does it every day. For example: If you know you are going out to eat Saturday night then you may eat a medium size brunch (instead of breakfast or lunch) then be able to eat more at that dinner.
This study of budgeting gets very interesting once we more it out all aspects of our lives. This week as I filled out my bible study each night I discover a part of my live that desperately needed to be budgeted - - MY TIME. Due to family illnesses, increased responsibilities at my job, additional commitments at church, personal hobbies and dreams I have allowed myself to over spend on these things and I did not have time left to spend with God. So even though I was completing my First Place bible study every night, reading and studying to teach bible classes and I was even praying but I was not giving God my attention. I had not budgeted my time to make that needed appointment of quiet time for me to hear from Him just for me. As a result, I have begun to budget each day’s time the night before by marking the time in my calendar. I have only done it for a couple of days and it is not easy to stick to but I can already see great perks from it. I have learned that when you turn back to God and His divine plan for balance then he will bless you in all areas.

What area (emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical) have you been overspending?


(PS – I feel I need to just give a short explanation on how you can over spend spiritually. If you over commit to doing things in God’s name without His calling or His power. Let me give you an example—If you are teaching Sunday School, keeping nursery, teaching on Sunday night and are on 3 or 4 different committees plus involved in everything else at the church just because you think you should be not because you feel God is calling you to do them. And as a result you have not time to spend at His feet in worship, praise and learning for yourself you may be spiritually over committed. I do not think we can over commit to God Himself and what He has called us to.)

Tweet

Will you be my # 3 ?

When I read this post on the Proverb 31 ministries website, I knew God was nudging me to post and ask if you all would join in to become another strand in my braid.
I have recently joined a First Place 4 Health at our church to try once again to lose the same 25-50 pounds that I have lost 100 times before. After just two meetings and listening to the others that have gone through this program, I have realized that this program addresses on more than just the physical. That is the meaning of the #4 in the program name. God made us all mental, physical, emotional and spiritual beings. So as we meet each week we are discussing and addressing each of these areas in order to heal the whole person. Now having said all that this is where I need each of you to join in: my family is the first strand in my fight, my 1st place group is the 2nd strand and I would love for my blog friends to be my 3rd strand. I am simply asking that you pray for my total health as I progress through this program. I have realized that my weight is out of balance because my focus is out of balance. I do not plan to turn this blog into a weight loss site even though I will give updates now and again. What I do want to share is what God teaches me along this journey. Following is a short summary of what I have learned in this week’s bible study. (Remember I never claimed to be a great writer)

Deuteronomy 30:19 – This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

God has given use all we need for us to walk through the life/calling that His has for us but it is up to us to choose to live that life. There are small choices that we make each day, hour and even every minute that will lead us to death or to life physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually or a combination of all. God has given me the free will to chose. It is up to me to decide to choose life. However, if I make pick incorrectly and began to head to towards death I will have to deal with the imbalance that it causes. And just like a car that has it’s tires out of balance we have to go to the mechanic for service and correct, we have to go back to our focus on God and the right tools he has given to us to correct that imbalance.

As I am daily re-focusing on God to bring all areas of my life back into balance I ask that you join me as my third strand. That we all become braided together as sisters to strengthen one another in all areas to uplift and encourage the whole beings that we are.

Tweet

So much yet so little

There are has been so much going on around here the last few weeks yet I have done little to no writing. I would like to blame it on lack of time but the truth is I just have not been able wrap my mind around it all and find the right words. So I thought tonight I would just share a few things and try to give more details later.

In the last 7 days I visited 3 different hospitals with 7 different patients.

• 1st Hospital
• Friday 3/19 - He dad had surgery to repair lymph nodes that have not healed from having a cancerous tumor removed back in October. What was suppose to be a 15 to 30 min surgery ended up lasting 2 1/2 hours and he had to stay over night.
• Friday 3/19 - On my way home, I stopped by to sit with a friend at the hospital. The friends brother -in-law had been in a severe car wreck and he had been in trauma ICU for 21 days. I will not share any more since I do not have the families permission. Please remember this family in your prayers.
• Saturday 3/20 - Samantha and I stopped to visit with our friend again. Samantha was wanting to visit with her daughter.
• 2nd Hospital
• Saturday 3/20 - My son, Anthony, flew back in from his mission trip in Nicaragua. As we sat on the couch looking at pictures on his camera I noticed that his feet look a little different. As we investigated a little further we noticed that both feet were swollen all the way up to his knees. Due to the fact that he had been in a different country, had cuts on his legs and had been in the water we decided it was best to take him to the ER to be tested. Praise God, after 4.5 hours we finally saw a doctor. They checked for blood clots, infection and parasites but nothing was found. The doctors all agreed that it had to be from the flight altitude.
• Saturday 3/20 - As we entered the ER with my son I notice a lady on the phone in the waiting room that looked so familiar, it was my sister-in-law. She was waiting on my nephew to be moved to a room. He had been 4-wheeler riding earlier that day and had wrecked. They had run MRIs, X-rays and CT scan to find that he had dislocated his shoulder (the same one that has already had 3 surgeries on it ), he had 4 broken ribs, ruptured his lung and was cut up all over his back.
• 3rd Hospital
• Tuesday 3/23 - Mom had to have an arteriogram on her carotid artery. Since Dad was still recovering from his operation is was difficult for him to stay with her all day so I got him to stay home and I went with her The doctor found that it was 80% blocked and she would need surgery to "clean it out."
• Wednesday 3/24 - One of Mike's dear friend had a heart attack so we went to visit him. Ever since Mike had his heart attack 2 1/2 years ago he makes sure he takes the time to go visit whenever he can.
• Friday 3/26 - Mom had her surgery. Dad was feeling better so he was able to go to the hospital this time. I had to leave once she was settled in a room to help Samantha get dressed for her prom.

As crazy as this all sounds I have been so blessed during it all.

• I have seen the faith and trust in God grow in the hearts of my friends as the wait for their loved on to recover on blink of the eye or one movement of the hand at a time.
• I was able to to feel as if I could do just a little to thank my mom and dad for all they gave me growing up by being there when they needed some help.
• I have seen God remind my nephew that a former Marine is not bullet proof when a 4-wheeler is involved
• I have also been reminded in my heart that when all is said and done nothing in this world matters except Christ and showing His love for one another.

Take time today to show those in your life how much they mean to you.

Tweet

MAKEOVER OF THE HEART

Last year we decided to redecorate our kitchen. Due to the fact that we had a very small budget we were going to do all the work ourselves. We are not new do-it yourselvers so we were fairly confident in being able to complete the work in the 8 short weeks we had until I was to host my ladies bible study group. We worked many late nights and long weekends to get the walls painted, refinish the cabinets, and install a new sink and new countertop. With one last weekend push we completed one week early. Luckily that gave me a couple of days to clean up and prepare for the bible study. Many of these ladies would be visiting my home for the first time so of course I wanted to make the best possible impression. I first cleared away all of our “construction” tools and then I move on to the rest of the house. As I worked to clean I began to notice that the other rooms of the house just were not up to the new standard now set by the re-made kitchen. As looked at the newness and brightness of the kitchen I become conscious of the wear, tear and darkness of my family room, bedrooms, and bathrooms. So I worked even harder to make every inch of the house as clean as possible. The night came and all the ladies went on and on about how great the kitchen looked but all I could think about was how bad the rest of the house looked. By the end of the night I was miserable because I allowed the enemy to twist and turn my thoughts into a beating stick. Later that night God used the event to teach me a lesson. He taught me both gratitude and grace. Let me explain: For the first few weeks/months after I was saved God slowly opened my eyes to sins in my life. As these sins were reveled to me and I worked to repent of them He would mend that piece of my heart. Then as time pasted I would begin to think, “Ok I have arrived.” I would feel as if I had come as far as God would bring my and I would praise Him for the changes in my life. But then He would slow remove more scales from my eyes to reveal more darkness that still remained in the corners of my heart. I had to acknowledge that I was not yet wholly redeemed and I would not be until I was with Him in heaven. I could have let that acknowledgment throw me into a deep despair or I could take another step into the light closer to Him. So just like my kitchen ended up being just the start of a total home makeover, salvation was just the first step to a total me makeover.

Tweet

Calmed Nerves

Last week was full ( that is the easiest way to say it). The days were packed with month end financial close on my "real paying job", learning a new task at said "real paying job", decorating the church sanctuary and fellowship hall for a community wide Women's conference, purchasing food for the conference luncheon, preparing my testimony to be given at the conference and still doing all my wife and motherly duties. Because of all these things by Saturday I was just full of nervousness. I was to the point of making myself sick so I went to a restroom out of the major traffic to try to gather myself some. I wanted to be alone but I wasn't. Nope. No matter where I went I wasn't alone because He was with me and when I was finally still and quiet He spoke to me. He reminded me that this conference was not mine. Successful or not the conference out come had NOTHING to do with the decorations, the food, the music, the dramas or the words spoken but had everything to do with the hearts that He would touch. Hearts the He had already been dealing with. Once He spoke those words to my heart I walked out of the restroom and the whole atmosphere of the building was different. My nerves were calm and I was ready to be fully used for His glory.

Since I was the last of three speakers I was able to just sit back, relax and be amazed watching Him work, watching His Spirit move from one lady to another. I know that He cared enough to meet me in a small restroom just to calm my fear and nerve.

PS. Just wanted to add a little THANK YOU to all that prayed for me and for this event. This was the first speaking event that I have had and your prayers were truly felt. There were about 65 ladies that heard how God will walk you through any storm from hopelessness to hope filled. ( There were also about 10 men that were there to help run sound, fix lunches and park cars that listened too)

Tweet

Personal Branding

In my "real paying" job I had to attend a sort of "state of the company" presentation last week. During the presentation, the Vice-President of Marketing addressed the crowd explaining the future marketing plan. She talked a lot about the company's brand and how it would be used in commercials, billboards and all types of marketing promotions. So what exactly is a corporate brand? According to this VP, a corporate brand is a statement that answers the question: What positive change the company is trying to create in the world. Then that Brand statement becomes the guide. It is the "North Star."

What is your personal Brand statement?

Can others recognize your personal brand as well as they do these corporate brands?

UPS …. What can brown do for you?
Wal-Mart …. Save money. Live Better

Mary Kay … Enriching Women's Lives

I am striving everyday to make my brand … Jesus is my all … know to all those around me.

Again, What is your brand?

Tweet

Blessed Assurance

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for
good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

This has always been one of my favorite verses because it reminds me that God did not just create me and leave me here swaying in the wind alone. He is with me walking me through His plan. I was home alone this morning doing some cleaning when a tune came to my mind. I continued to hum the tune but it took me a few minutes to realize even what song it was. It was the old hymn "Blessed Assurance". I quickly went to my computer to look up the verses since all that was coming to my mind was the tune. Wow, how sweet and powerful these words were to me today.

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine

Oh what a foretaste of glory divine

Heir of Salvation, purchase of God

Born of His Spirit, washed in his blood

This is my story

This is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

Perfect Submission, Perfect Delight

Vision of rapture now burst on my sight

Angels descending bring from above

Echos of Mercy whispers of love

This is my story
This is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long

Perfect Submission all is at rest

I in my Savior am happy and blessed

Watching and waiting, looking above

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love

With this song God reminded me that His is the perfect one to submit to. He is a perfect God who has a plan for an imperfect person like me to be able to openly come into His presence (Heb 10:22) with a sincere heart and fully trust that He will accept me there. Becasue of Jesus' own submission even to death I , a sinner, can boldly enter into the Holy Place. Not only can I enter - I am expected to enter. That is a sweet invitation that I for one do not take advantage of often enough.

Lord - Please help me to always remember that you have given me an open invitation to come to You and to bring all my "STUFF" . Thank you for allowing my to bring that stuff and leave it all at your feet and walk away with Your peace.

Tweet