Starting With......

I'm starting my Spiritual & Physical comeback with a date with my one and only........Jesus!

I will be glad and rejoice in you, I will sing praise to your name, O most High. Psalm 9:2

One Year Later

Wow.....It's been about a year since my last post. Again coming into a New Year. This year my resolution is the same as last year.....because last year I did not accomplish any of my goal. I feel like I just wrote the darn thing yesterday.
In 2010...i slacked off on my healthy eating, my excercise, blogging, god time, me time and family time. I lost my mom this year, worked a lot, and didnt get the new car i was hoping for. I served atchurch a lot , but mostly from an empty cup.
On the upside, i survived this year somehow. ( i know the some how )

For 2011...I hope to do more than just survive another year! I planning on making a comeback,,,physically & spiritually!

LOL....let's see : )

Strengthening My Foundation...Chapter 1

1Corrinthians 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

For this first month of the year, I'm going to focus on what exactly is my foundation. I know first and foremost that that my foundation must be Jesus! I will be studying and memorizing scriptures this month about this.

What should I build on my foundation of Jesus?
Gold and Silver?...I don't think so!

I have a busy schedule that I can't bear most days. Lately, I just choose the things from my "todo" list that just can't be put off another minute and forget the rest. It seems most of my joy has been robbed trying to just get through each day. I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE THIS!

I have been thinking about the things I can do with out and what is important in my life.

For example,

I must:
work 50 hrs a week (not happy about this)
go to church for worship weekly

I think I NEED to:
clean my house
pay bills
accomplish errands
spend time with God
excercise
weekly bible study group (which requires prep)
my weekly coffee service ministry
keep contact with my existing friends/family
create new relationships
spend quality time with my children
have presence at my childrens schools

I would like to:
have a little time for myself

How in the world can I do it all??? What in the world could I leave out of this list??? I can't choose anything to leave out! Currently I am not giving enough of my self in any of these areas....everything and everyone is suffering.
This month, I am searching for answers. I'm asking God for strength to survive this life. Not just survive....but survive and glorify him. I want to do want he wants.
One thing He always reminds me, is that I am to serve Him wherever I am. I know I have a path to follow...and it's available for me....but it may be small and tucked away.

I will be praying about what are the importants in my life. Then, month by month, starting with the first...I will pray and pray on how it can fit successfully in my life.
I am reading my pastor's book....shaping your straight line. He made a reference to running on a hamster wheel. That's exactly what i have been doing. Running around and around.....and high speed.....and sometimes the wheel breaks and then I just stop.....until i fix the wheel...then i run in circles again...at best, sometimes I just have a bigger wheel.
I think it's time to stop...
This year I will be building my house.
Building it on the strongest foundation I can! I want to slow down my run to a walk and go up instead of around and around and around and down.

Strengthening My Foundation...my New Year's resolution

It's almost 2010!
I always set these crazy New Year resolutions and never reach my goals. Well, this year is gonna be different! : )!
I have just one goal, "to strengthen my foundation".
Spiritually and Physically.....and Scripturally.

See, I am constantly adding more and more to my life and daily schedules. It really gets too much sometimes. Some things I plan on cutting back, but some things I cant ...It's just the way my life is and I have to press forward. But I know with out the proper "foundation" I cant succeed.
I need to have time with God, family time and prayer, health and excercise, friend and family time, building relationship time, nuturing existing friendships....etc. If I neglect all (or any) of this things, I will surely fail.
So, I'm going to focus each month on a different area in my life that I need to make stronger.
I don't have all the details planned out yet.
( Hey, maybe this can be a book when I'm finished......"Strengthen your foundation in one year"?? )
I will blog, twitter, facebook, pray, and study scriptures about what I am focusing on each month.

So, if this was a book.......this would be the introduction.

Coming soon...Chapter One

Strengthening My Foundation...my New Year's resolution

Fringe benefits of giving

As Christians we are called to give. To give freely...without expectations...as an act of worship.
This is why I give.
But, most of the time there are fringe benefits.
Sometimes its just a feel good feeling, the story of someone you helped, an unexpected blessing or just the thought of your blessing in heaven.

For me , it's the complete joy in being God's hands and feet. There is nothing I like more than the times I have something that someone else needs. My my neighbor needs one egg to finish her cake or a friend needs clothes for her child that mine just outgrew. Or I'm there to give a stranded person a jump, or have the ten dollars a friend needs to get by till payday. There are so many opportunities that God gives to be his hands and feet.....and I L O V E when I catch one.
Imagine the feeling when you find that perfect gift for a good friend, or the bday gift for your child that they have been dreaming about. The only pleasure and motivation for that gift is the how happy the reciever will be and how much love you have for them.

When I give, I feel like I'm giving a gift to God.

Isaiah 58 9:11
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday,
the LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strenghtn your frame.
you will be likea well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

*****Then your light will rise in the darkness*****

Sometimes I am so tired, just exhausted; feeling like I have nothing more to give.
Then I find refreshment in the thought of my light rising in the darkess.
I imagine God looking down and seeing my light shining bright.
And the ultimate fringe benefit I'm hoping for , is to walk through the gates of heaven and having God smile, give me a pat on the back, and say "good job little girl !"

What are your guidlines?

I woke up this morning, with having this on my mind all night.
We are doing a financial study at my church right now, and last night this question was asked...
What are your guidlines? I had a hard time finding the words at that moment to express what was on my mind.
See, we are talking about giving, which God always challenges me with.

I currently have this elaborate system that I've created where I give a set percentage of tythes, offerings, mission, benevolents, etc... it comes out first of all my monies, its routine and set. Anything I have after that is MINE and I realized that I am somewhat putting God in a box with the access to HIS money that I am managing for him.

I've heard stories of how some people flip this idea by choosing to live with a certain about of money and ALL the rest going to God. I love this idea. Some people are millionaires and choose to live on minimum wage, while some might choose to live on $50,000 a year and the rest to God. This amount would greatly vary from one person to the next.

How could you decide?

What would be your guidelines?

How big of a house would you have to maintain, how big of car, how many cars, how many vacations , etc...

Now, currently Im honestly living over my budget...but I hope to be able to change that soon. I am going to be praying about having a budget that i am easily capable of reaching. Also, setting guidlines and if God blesses me with more , it will be all his, really.

My guidlines will be something like this:
having a house in a decent school zone
having a newer car (mini van actually)
having a/c in home and car
dishwasher
interent
laptop
washer/dryer in home
have a reasonable amount in savings and retirement plan
health insurance
weekly supply of healthy food

Now, I find my guidlines quite simple......when I compare them to others. I dont need a $500 purse, $100 shoes, $300 sunglasses, expensive vacations, expenisive jewelry, pets treated better than humans , or many other pet peeves that I see in others. : ) ! Yeah, I'm pretty good at judging people.

I also find it simple to live with less when I dont have much. I dont have to make these choices of having a $500 purse or going on an expensive vacation.......... I wonder if I need have these choices if I would be the same way or would be guidlines have to change??

But.........I ask myself this......
Would my sisters in Africa like my guidlines. You know, the ones that dont eat every day. I would be really embarrassing if i had to say..."Sister, these are my guidelines of needs/wants that i have to meet , but everything I have in excess of that I will give you a small percentage so you can feed your children some rice this week"

Come on.....really?

I pray for God to search me, really search me, keep me with a clear head and with a focus on treasures in heaven. I dont want my rewards here on earth. I want to set my self apart fand be different. I want to in what will last. I dont want to be a slave to money. Please help me to not want earthly treasures and to desire my treasures in heaven