Living for Purpose and Passion

What am I passionate about? What do I want to do from this day forward? What can I do now that I have done before to give me a sense of purpose?

Currently, I review payroll reports. Pages and pages of reports. I don't know. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong but as much as I try to be passionate about what I am doing it just isn't happening. 

For a short time when I was going to school for physical therapy I worked in the hospitals and clinics. I worked with people who were injured and in need and they trusted and depended on me to help them get better. Often times their lives had been turned upside down and they desperately just wanted to get back to normal. I helped them along that journey and I have to say it was the most rewarding feeling most days. Other days, it was tough with little progress, but whenever I would hear the words "thank you so much for helping me" it lifted me and gave me a sense of purpose. I miss those days a lot in that way.

For the past several years I have been working in the world of collecting, paying, receiving, and now auditing. I try not to complain too much because I do have a job. The monotony of it however, makes me feel like on most days that I am trapped in room with walls made of paper with a clock ticking the minutes of my life away. I know that I have to make a living but sad to say I feel like I am working to survive and often don't feel like I'm really living at all.

At this point in life I am well past the age of, "When I grow up I want to...." For me to make a change now would be a huge leap of faith. The biggest question that I have been asking myself right now over and over is, what would I want to do? And that is something I continue to pray about. 

I think God's purpose for us is truly what drives our souls and it is our passion for certain things that leads us to our purpose. He instilled in us a passion for those things and formed each of us with His purpose for us in mind. A lot of times though I set those things to the wayside and fall into the everyday repetitive motions. Before you know it the sense of purpose is gone.

I don't want to live the rest of my life communicating with paper all day. I want to be what I was meant to be. I want to know that I am making a difference.

I will continue to seek for that and I think that when the time is right God will finally open up that door that I've been pounding on for so long and show me the way.

Thing to remember: Keep seeking, keep asking, keep knocking.

Tomorrow: To Live By Faith

A Place to Call Home

Late start on this one today, but I am getting this out before sleep. I had a great evening with friends tonight so I don't mind that I'm up this late writing.

You know I have been thinking a lot about this over the past few weeks and probably more so since my daughter was here to visit during the Christmas break. What's been on my mind is home. What it was to me in the past, what it is now, and what it will be in the days to come.

Growing up in the military we moved pretty much every 3 years so the idea of home to me was somewhat foreign. I also thought a real home was somewhere you lived your whole life and went back to visit when you finally had children of your own. I never knew that feeling and swore to myself that my child would be sure to have that. Most of us know though that things usually don't go the way we plan.

Several years ago now I was married. We had a nice home in a quiet little neighborhood. I remember painting the walls in that place. It seemed like it took forever but I loved doing it. It was mine. I had a folder full of plans for changes and additions that we had planned, and I spent many late nights with my paint brushes and jig saw making it my own. 

That same year my husband I split up and from that time until now, which has been five years, I've lived in five different apartments. Each one I've done my best to make feel like home but never quite succeeded. We've had to move for different reasons, but for all this time I have been longing for a place that I can truly call home. 

When my daughter was visiting I felt this even more and also felt the reality that "my idea" of home is most likely quite a way down the road. How did I get here? What could I have done differently in the circumstance that I was in to be where I so desperately want to be? Thinking back I'm pretty sure that I've handled things the best that I knew at the time. 

What I need to do is to stop thinking about "my idea" and surrender to this moment and what God is doing in my life. I'm not where I want to be at the moment but in my heart I know that I am where I need to be. And I have to say the most amazing thing for me right now is my support system. I truly do have the greatest friends here that anyone could ask for. They have given me the sense of home that I have missed. Home is the circles of conversation we grow in, the holidays we spend, the dinners we share, the places we spend laughing and crying together. It's fellowship and community, not a place. It's the places we make memories and the moments we share with loved ones. That is home.

With that being said, I will continue on this journey that I am on. I have plans for sure, but it is God who will determine my steps and how I get to where he wants me to be. And wherever He takes me I can be sure that my home will surround me.

Thing to remember: Home is where your spirit rests.

Tomorrow: To Live For Your Purpose and Passion

What can you eat for $2 a day?

I have to say I am actually looking forward to this! I have been brain storming all day and searching the for ideas and surprisingly there are actually a lot out sites out there that talk about this and give suggestions. As for the variety of food suggestions, they all pretty much list the same.

Here are a few food items I can buy to keep within my budget:

rice

beans

oatmeal

frozen veggies/fruits

eggs

peanut butter

flour

canned meats 

bread

These items are cheap for sure, as far as appetizing... not so much. Wow... this truly is going to be a challenge for me, but I believe I am ready for it! It should be a little easier for me considering that I only have to worry about feeding myself. What I am hoping to accomplish here is to prove to myself that it can be done. At the same time, I hope to be creative enough to make what I'm eating seem interesting enough to where I don't feel like I'm starving myself. I'm also curious to see how much weight if any I lose in the two weeks or if I feel any better since I will be eating little to none of the good stuff.

Seriously, can you imagine a life of not being able to choose what you eat? Eating the same thing day after day? Not knowing when or what your next meal will be? I consider myself rich in that way alone. Most of us truly have no idea what it is like to be without or to have to watch our own child starve. We have choices, we have clean water to drink, and most importantly here in America we have resources and places to go for help.

There was a time about a year ago that I was going out to lunch almost every single day. The average lunch for me was between $8 and $10. That's about $50 a week, $200 a month... you can see how that quickly adds up. And that's just for me. Imagine a family of three or four! Today and for the past several months I have been eating in at work and have been spending about $3 a day for my lunches. Big difference. 

When I look back I can sadly see where a lot of my money has gone.

So, this Friday I will take $28 to the store to buy my groceries for my 14 day challenge. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I can finally kick some of my old food habits in the process!

Thing to remember: John 6:58

Tomorrow: A Place to Call Home 

$2/Day Challenge

So a couple weeks ago I was sitting here thinking that I felt completely gross. I mean seriously, I can tell I've put on some weight this past year. Despite my over indulgence of holiday treats, I could blame it on depression but come on let's be honest. I think we can pretty much tell what the real issues are. I mean I sit in a desk all day and drink ridiculous amounts of soda. Since my daughter has left for college I have dramatically cut back on exercising and my long walks downtown and at the park have all but ceased. Let's face it I have been slacking and loading my body with large amounts of sugar not to mention making a small dent in my wallet. If you sit down and think about it I spend like $400+ a year just on soda alone. I don't know about you but that just seems disgusting to me. I know this may seem a little ridiculous to actually sit down and think about but to me it makes sense and it is also one of the few things that I can actually control.  

Step one to recovery. Since starting this blog I have completely cut out on my soda drinking habit, cold turkey. For the past couple years I have been consuming about two or three sodas a day. Then if I went out to eat, well add a few more to the list. Here and there I have tried to drink more water but I've never really cut out on my soda. I went three months years ago but it didn't last. So here I am again. It's been about a week and a half and I have not had one. The first few days were horrible. I got terrible migraines, but today I actually feel great! I don't feel bloated, my head doesn't hurt anymore and I'm actually saving money! Who knows I may even lose some weight from this.

Well doing this got me thinking. Remember the fact I gave you earlier? Half the world's population lives off about $2/day. Well I was thinking about challenging myself to try and eat off $2/day. That's $14 a week. I'm going to do this for the next two weeks and see how it works, and that's just for food alone. I am betting that I can do it AND still eat healthy balanced meals. Who knows maybe I can even save a ton on groceries this month. A lot of times I think we buy our food according to convenience. How much money can I save by changing the way I think about food? Something to think about. I will keep you posted on how it's going as well as what I'm eating. I will promise you one thing, it definitely will not be Ramen Noodles. I know they are cheap but I don't like them and my goal is to stay healthy.

Thing to remember: It's the little things that count.

Tomorrow: What can you eat for $2 a day???

To Gain Stability

I've been working on this one for a while now and despite my efforts have not gotten very far.

For me to feel stable I would like three things.

1. A job that I enjoy with a stable company, to include benefits.

2. A degree in my hands.

3. A savings that I can fall back on if anything happens.

Over the past several years I have tried to obtain these things with no success.

In 2003 I moved to San Antonio and in the past 7 years I have been employed with four different companies. All had their pro's and con's. Each move that I made was an attempt to better myself. All except for one of which I was laid off. Now that I have been working as a contract employee for the past year and a half, I have to say that this is probably the worst choice I have made. Every four months or so my contract has either been renewed or changed over to another contract company. I cannot even express in words the stress that comes from not knowing if you are going to have a break in pay, when you're going to receive your check, and if your pay rate is going to change. Along with all the problems that come with a change in pay cycle. 

As far as benefits, I have not had medical benefits in years. Now that I have them with this new company I am not even able to take advantage of them because there is no co pay and you must first meet the very high deductable before the insurance even kicks in. I do not of too many people that I work with that are able to front that kind of money. To fix that I just do not allow myself to get sick. Thank God for home remedies!

Also, my pay was significantly reduced with the most recent renewal. The company I'm with now had the lowest bid and to my disadvantage won. This has caused many things in my life to get turned upside down and is the main reason why I had to move from my home. In the future I would not choose this type of work ever again unless I was married and did not rely solely on my income. So, in the mean time I am actively seeking a more secure position elsewhere. So far, my search has taken me nowhere. The good thing is I have a little time so I am leaning on my faith and waiting patiently for doors to open, as I do my part by actively searching.

Now for my degree... this is probably the one thing that eats at me most often. I started school when my daughter was in elementary and got pretty much all of my basics out of the way. I had every intention of seeing it through to the end but then made the decision to drop out to try to regain control of my life at the time which was spinning out of control. As far as credits, I am at about a halfway point and need to get just jump back into it. I had tried a few years ago but lost my job and was unable to finish that semester because the hours conflicted. Since then I have but most of my focus on my daughter which I do not regret. However, at this point she is well into her first year of college. So there is really no excuse for me today other than hesitation and a little fear of failure. My hopes are that in the next couple weeks I will be working on that and will be scheduling to meet with a counselor to discuss my options.   

Lastly... my savings. This is probably my biggest issue of the three. How do you start and maintain a savings when you're continually short? For me it comes down to priorities. I am still working on how to get this going. The only thing I have in place now is the Keep the Change option with my bank. Whatever is charged to my account is rounded up and the difference goes into my savings. I will tell you, since the first of the year I only have like $10 in there but it's a start. It's only been ten days also so we'll see how that progresses. Very slowly I'm guessing but it's just one step of many.

Truthfully, in today's world I don't really think there is such a thing as stability as much as being prepared. I think if you are prepared for change and able to react quickly when things come up, and they will, then that makes all the difference. The only thing that I can say that I've done that's gotten me through the tough times is my ability to react, adapt, and move forward. God has always provided the rest. I will tell you that this journaling has helped to keep me focused and I really recommend it. It's all a learning experience and a little deep soul searching to realize what the real issues are that have gotten you to this place. 

Matthew 6:25~26   

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Thing to remember: Again, God Provides.

Next: $2/Day Challenge

A Slight Delay...

Due to my very sensitive internet I am unable to post tonight. So tomorrow I will have two for you. ;)

To Utilize My Skills and Resources

I found this in some of my old writings and it stirred something in me. I wrote it on June 5th 2008.

"There have been many days lately that I have been feeling like I am not doing enough. My mind has been racing and I have spent many late nights staring at the ceiling going over and over in my head all that is within me. My goals, my fears, my desire to succeed, to love, to give and to serve... all of these things are inside of me. Waiting for the right moment to manifest themselves out of that place that says, "I should" or "I will", and into the moment of, "I am" and "Now is the time". This picture shows a good representation of how I feel. A vessel full of water. Water that can quench a desire, drown a fear, be served to someone in need, over flow a cup and fill a place in some one's heart . It is there and waiting. Waiting for that moment when the faucet is turned and when all that is within me flows out of myself and into the world that surrounds me. This to me is when miraculous and wonderful things will begin to happen. When I am willing to open myself up and go from that small trickle to a gushing flow that is filled with faith and love and all that I am capable of is finally released."


It's been over two years and I feel like I haven't gotten much further. Maybe in some ways, but not in those expectations that I hold for myself. I am aware that God has blessed me not so much with gifts or talent but with a curiosity to explore and try. There is one word that I do not allow in my home and that is the word "can't." You can not want to do something or choose to do something else but I have never liked to hear that word. I think if God places something in your heart and it is truly from Him then He will provide a way. 

There are so many things that I have gotten my hands into and that I actually enjoy doing, so why am I not utilizing those things to make my life better. It seems like a waste to me. Maybe I have not been ready or maybe the timing has not been right, but it hasn't been because I can't. It's because I haven't. 

So, this year I plan to start diving into some things. To take my skills and put them to use. To utilize the resources around me and to start the flow. Now is the time and I know that if I do not surrender to that I will never get any further...

Thing to remember: There is no such word as "can't."

Tomorrow: To Gain Stability

To Purchase with Thought and Purpose

I never really used to think about the things I bought, where they came from, who made them. Normally you go into a store see something you like or need, buy it, and take it home. Simple enough right?

Well, one of the things I want to work on this year to become more aware of what I buy. Behind every object that surrounds me at this moment there are people who made it. Remember that about half of the world's population lives off $2 a day. I don't know, but to me that just doesn't seem fair. A lot of people have the mindset of, "Well I'm only one person, how can I save the world?" Well, I know that I live in the wealthiest, well fed (over fed in fact), and most resourceful country in the world and I do have the choice of where my money goes.

I was looking on the site that I was introduced to not too long ago, www.free2work.org and it seems like an easy enough start to me. It takes only a few minutes to see how the money I've spent is being used to treat the people whose hands labored for all that surrounds me. I was surprised at some of the name brands I saw on there. In my mind, this site is an amazing tool that they have created to bring awareness to people on what is happening globally in the lives of innocent hard working people. If you have a moment, check it out.

Another thing I want to work on is buying with purpose. I have many friends who are so artistic and have so much talent, and who actually use the gifts that God gave them to make a living. I truly believe that we need to support each other in this. I would much rather purchase something that I know was crafted by gifted hands and that maybe my money may be able to bless them even more than to buy something that means nothing at all. Trade as One has a great site to support those people who come from all over the world to bring unique products directly to you. You can click on Trade as One to go directly to the site or click on the link at the side of this blog.

I plan to focus more on this topic later. I will be spot~lighting people in my own community who have some amazing gifts of their own. I plan to support them as much as I can and hope that you will too.

Thing to remember: There are lives behind every purchase.

Tomorrow: To Utilize My Skills and Resources

Pick Up the Phone

So, yesterday as I'm driving home I hear this horrible screeching sound coming from my front wheel. Oh no, I have heard this before. It is the dreadful sound of metal grinding against metal. I need new breaks... Do I have money budgeted for car repairs? No. Here comes another bump in the road. Well it looks as though my goal for this month is going to have to get rearranged around a little. Time to get creative and figure out how I'm going to tackle this one. I'll talk more about this later though.

Today I have something else to share with you. Did you know that by just picking up the phone and having a few 5 minute conversations you can cut costs on your monthly expenses? I know... everyone hates it but if you really want to get serious about where your money is going you need to pick up the phone. How much of your money is slipping away on unnecessary expenses? A few dollars here, a couple there... Do you really know what you are paying for?

Last week I got online for my car insurance, made a few changes on my policy and got it reduced from $168 a month to $141. That's $27 I saved just by getting online and taking a look at what I was actually paying for. Since then it got me wondering what else I could cut back on. This morning I took a few minutes and actually called and spoke to a representative. I asked him if there was any way he could help me to reduce my costs. He assured me that I had all the discounts that they could offer and then he said, "Wait a minute, I see that you have a speeding ticket and a traffic accident on your record." I sighed with a reluctant, "Yes..." Well come to find out my insurance company keeps those on their records for 35 months. Guess what? Lucky me! Both are coming up on that time. He told me that if I call back on January 21st for the speeding ticket that my monthly payment will go down to $117 a month. That's another $24 off my monthly payment. Then, if I call back on March 17th to remove the traffic accident that it will go down to only $80 per month! That is going to be an $88 decrease from what I was spending last month!!! More than half off, and just by picking up the phone.

Next I called my phone service. I was only able to save about $10 per month there, but $10 is money that I can put somewhere else.

Do you remember? 80% of the world population lives off of $10 a day. Think about it. There are people who would love to have 10 extra dollars.

So $98 a month isn't bad when your reworking your budget to work for you.

In short, we need to be more aware. I think that a lot of times we get a bill, we pay it, and we never stop to think about the details. It's your money. Ask questions. Take the time to make a call and just ask, "Is there anything you can do to help me out here?" These companies want to keep you as a customer and if you pay on time and they know you are going to pay they will take time to try and keep you.

Thing to remember: It doesn't hurt to ask.

Tomorrow: To Purchase with Thought and Purpose

To Live Minimally and Wisely

First off today I want to start out by saying, “Your needs grow accustomed to the mind’s way of thinking.” What does that mean?

Our bodies have simple needs like food, water, air, sunlight, and shelter. That’s pretty much it. Everything else is a luxury. The type of clothes we wear, how we style our hair, the things we collect, the types of food we eat, and even where we sleep. All of these “things” are luxuries. The more things we surround ourselves with, the more we think we need them.

So two months ago I put all of my “things” into a storage unit and moved in with a friend. The only things I have with me now are my clothes, my air mattress, and my two pets. Oh how I miss my things… Wait, what exactly do I have in there??? To be honest with you, after only two months I’m finding it hard to remember. I will even go as far as to say I feel somewhat liberated. Although I miss the comfortable and sentimental feeling of home, there is a sense of freedom I cannot express in words.

Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been easy. Sleeping on the air mattress for the first couple weeks was pure torture to me. My back hurt, it squeaked every time I moved. I’d wake up in the middle of the night a lot of times and wonder where in the world I was. And I’m sure my friends got tired of me texting every night to let them know that, “I hate the air mattress,” “I miss my bed,” “I hate my life!” But after adding a foam cushion to it and a feather comforter folded in half and then a couple more weeks of reminding myself that this is only temporary, I must say that I have the most comfy air mattress ever.  

Again, your needs grow accustomed to the mind’s way of thinking. What exactly do I need? This year, I need to get things straight. So I am leaning into the mindset of living minimally and wisely.

With every dollar I spend I ask myself,

1.       Is this a want or a need?

2.       How much do I need this?

3.       Is this something that will end up in the get rid of box 6 or 12 months from now?

4.       Is there an alternative to buying this?

Asking myself these questions forces me to think more about the big picture and less about my impulsive feelings at the moment for immediate self gratification. And to satisfy that feeling I have allowed myself to budget one very small thing for me monthly. It is a reward and something that I look forward to. Over the holidays I heard a lot of people say, “I miss the anticipation of Christmas as a child.” That is because we do not want to wait for anything, and most of us don’t. I promise, you can wait. Try holding out on buying something and then when you do there will be a whole different feeling associated with it.

Try thinking minimally and wisely about everything that surrounds you. The less you need, the more everything else becomes a pleasure, and the more money you will have to put towards more important things.

Thing to remember: Your needs grow accustomed to the mind’s way of thinking.

Tomorrow: Pick Up The Phone

Paying Off Debt

The things that bind us… What power does debt have in my life? Up until the moment I decided to do this blog it had all of the control. For years I have felt cursed and sadly enough have allowed myself to believe that and have fed into those negative thoughts. Little did I know, I had all of the control. Wait a minute, let’s back up. God has all of the control. As for me, I have the free will to choose how I spend what I’ve been blessed with.

As of today I am roughly $15,600 in debt. This includes my car and lingering bills from my past which have now made their home on my credit history among other things such as bankruptcy, a foreclosure, and a returned vehicle. Some of that can be blamed on situations beyond my control, but most of it to no fault but my own. If I could stress one thing to anyone it would be to protect your credit. Bad credit sends you into a downward spiral of high interest rates, double fees on deposits, higher insurance rates and in short costs you to lose a lot of your hard earned money for nothing.

So, $15,600 is what I owe. Some may think that’s not so bad. However, for me it has become a major thorn in my side because half of that debt is on my credit. This in turn is affecting pretty much everything in my life. It’s all connected. Right now I am paying $10,000 for a car that’s worth less than $1,000… and my monthly payments are as much as if I had a new car. This turns my stomach every time I think about it. Today I still owe about half of that and am praying that it last me at least one more year. All of my current struggles are directly related to my credit and what I owe. This has to change, and I choose not to live this way anymore.

Please remember that this is an account of my journey and that I am in no way claiming to be an expert or saying that this is the way you should or should not do things. I am merely sharing my experience and if it works great. If I fail then lessons will be learned. Now If you are able to get something out of this than that will truly be an amazing feeling for me!

I know there are many classes out there on ways to tackle your bills. I have thought long and hard about this, and with careful thought this is my plan:

1. I have divided what I owe into two categories according to priority and how they are affecting my life.  

2. After that I have them listed in order from smallest to largest amount.

3. Each month I have set a goal for myself on what I want to pay off.

4. If I fall short of my goal I am challenging myself to come up with way to increase my income so that I can meet that goal.

I am being realistic in the fact that $15,600 is a large goal to reach by the end of the year seeing that it is a little less than half my salary, but I am going to give it a shot. I am handing my desire over to God and asking Him to lead the way. In the mean time I will do my part with what I have control over and that is my free will to choose how I spend my money.

Coming up I will be sharing with you ways to cut back on simple things and also ways to decrease your current monthly expenses. This way more money can be freed up to go where it will count. It’s all about reorganizing and prioritizing.

Thing to remember: God is in control. The only thing you control is how you spend your money.

Tomorrow: To Live Minimally and Wisely

To Tithe

Give joyfully, right? To be completely honest with you it’s not always that easy. Don’t get me wrong I love to give. I would feed the world if I could, fix a friend’s car, or even pay off a debt for someone. It’s REALLY hard to do that though when you’re barely making ends meet. There have been times when I’ve had zero dollars in my account and I’m wondering, “How in the world am I going to feed my child today?” But do you know what? God has always provided for us. We have never gone hungry and have never been without the necessities of life. So where’s my faith?

I have been sustained in my life by the hands of those who gave in faith, gave joyfully, and gave from the abundance of their blessings. I too have given when I could, but my faith in tithing has always fallen short. Pay a bill or give my hard earned money away? Oh how the mind starts to ponder. Visions of late fees and an empty bank account spin around in my head until all logic wins, but every month it’s always there inside me… the desire to give. Weighing on my spirit not out of obligation but out of the inherit desire woven within my being. In quiet moments I sit and think of all the times in my life that God came through for me, even if it was at the last minute. He provided, always.

I am proud to say that over the past years I have come to know and have a very intimate relationship with Jehovah Jireh ~ the Lord will provide. We have met many times, often with me on my knees crying out in desperation. Again, where is my faith? Despite my stubbornness and pride I have grown a lot with Him and now when things go south I know in my heart that Jehovah Jireh will come to my side.  He always appears in some way, through some person, and by any means in which He chooses to reveal Himself at the time. And for this reason alone you would think that I would trust Him in all areas of my life, but it is a process and I am still clay in His hands. Slowly He is molding me in my faith and His purpose for me.

So this is the main reason why I put tithing at the top of my list. God’s business first and then mine. I’ve thought a lot about this and God knows my heart, so I am feeling pretty confident in my plan to tithe. So here it is…

In January I’m starting out at 3%. That’s roughly $30 a paycheck. I can do this. I will progress myself each month until I reach my 10%, and I have faith that God will provide for me in whatever I am lacking. I know it’s a step of faith and not a leap but that’s okay. Everyone’s different and I truly believe that you have to reach within yourself to find the answer that is right for you, because that is where God is, and His answer for you. And since I attend City Church Downtown I’ve decided that is where my money will go. They’ve even set it up so that I can give online so it really can’t get any easier than that. When I pay the rest of my bills online, I can submit my tithe on the website and it’s done. Peace of mind for me and blessings to someone else in need. No one can live in this world alone. We help to sustain each other and it is through our hands that God does His work. So if I am going to work let it be of purpose and let it grow into something bigger than just me.

Thing to remember: Jehovah Jireh ~ the Lord will provide.

Tomorrow: Paying Off Debt

The Plan

Did you know that about half of the world's population lives on about $2 a day and at least 80% lives off of less than $10 a day? I saw this and it totally blew my mind as my challenges have been very great living off much more than that. I know that I'm not poor by any means but compared to most of my friends and family I am far from the level of comfortable living that most of them enjoy. I currently live off of about $70 a day. Even so, I consider myself very blessed.

I am an average girl who's had her share of ups and downs, made some bad choices here and there, but over all I feel I've definitly pulled my weight. After going through a divorce in 2004 I managed to hold things together well enough to raise my daughter through high school and have recently sent her off to college this year to Colorado Christian University. All with the help of loans, scholarships, and grants of course. It definitly hasn't been easy but by living minimally we have at least gotten to this point.

I guess you could say that my current situation of simplicity did not start out by choice but over time it has helped me to see what is truly important and has made me more aware on a daily basis of want vs. need. Over the past few months however, I have been forced into that awareness even more. Currently I work as a contract employee and in this line of work you never know when your contract will be renewed or changed. Two months ago I was renewed and my pay was dramatically decreased. Determined not to let my credit or finances get any worse I did something a little drastic but in my mind necessary. I gave away almost all of my furniture, packed what was precious to me into a 5x7 storage unit and moved in with a friend. I went from a spacious two bedroom apartment to an air mattress on someone's living room floor. Now let me explain, there is a bitter sweetness to my current situation. The sense of freedom vs. the lack of control in my life is tightly woven right now and it is a daily battle within myself against my pride. At this point however, I am fiercely determined to turn my life completely around this year and be in a possition of stability with the freedom to give without worry. This is no longer something I want to accomplish, it is a must. Number one reason being is that it is holding me back from who and what I was made to be and that is unacceptable to me. With that being said...

This is my plan:

1. To tithe ~ give back to the hand that feeds me.

2. To pay off as much of the $15,600 debt. that I owe by December 31st 2011.

3. To live minimally and wisely.

4. To purchase with thought and purpose.

5. To utilize my skills and resources.

6. To gain stability

7. To have a place I can call home.

8. To live for my purpose and passion and not be a slave to money.

9. But most importantly to live by faith.

10. To have the elephant tackled and tied come year's end!

Thing to remember: If God places it in your heart to do something He WILL provide a way.

Tomorrow: To Tithe

Welcome ~ Let's Do This!

Happy New Year and Welcome to my blog! Today begins a 365 day journey to tackle the elephant in my life which has been an ongoing struggle for me for all too long. My goal, to be in a much better place financially come this time next year and stand victoriously over that which has held me back. I hope that you will come along with me on this journey as I set out to conquer the one thing that I believe rules most of our lives and holds so many people captive today, money.


I will share with you my plan and all that comes with it fly or fall and I encourage you to do the same. Please feel free to comment as my hopes are that this not only helps me to succeed but also you.


I plan to accomplish great things this year, to come to a place of peace, to live without worry, and to give this my all.


I have been preparing for this for the past couple months and so with God on my side let it begin!


Tomorrow: The Plan