Getting Stuck

This morning, I was mowing the lawn. We have three gates on our play yard. One of them is the one that the kids and I use all the time to go in and out. The other two don't get used very often, so they tend to get overgrown and stuck if we're not careful to move them around and mow through them. We had got into the habit of just weed-eating the big one in the back and earlier this spring when I tried to open it to mow through it, I ended up pulling it completely off it's hinges. So the last couple of times we've mowed, I've made sure to open the gate and mow through it. It is amazing how fast the grass and weeds grow up around and start holding that gate down. So anyway, that got me to thinking about an idea for a post.

Isn't that what we do? We get stuck. We don't move out of our comfort zone and things grow up and change around us and we're still there, unable to move. Let's face it, change is scary! Even if you're not happy with where your life is, usually it's easier to just stay where you are than it is to change. That's where I am in my life right now. I am tired of being stuck and I want to move and change! What am I doing to facilitate this?

1. I launched a blog about couponing and I am preparing a class on saving money and couponing to start offering in the area. My hope is to develop this into a business to make money to help us with our goal of getting out of debt.

2. I am going to start walking again. I got up yesterday morning at 4:45 and took a 10 minute walk! I got up this morning and mowed the lawn. I feel SO much better when I start the day with movement, but it is hard to have the discipline to do it.

Those are my two steps right now. The other thing about change is if you do too much too fast or you pull too hard (like I did with the gate last spring), you can end up way off from where you want to be. Sometimes that is necessary, but in this case, I think I want to take it slow and go where God leads me.

Breathing is awesome!

The last few days I have been thinking alot about health. It was a year ago at this time that I was going to multiple doctors and having multiple tests done to try and figure out why I was having so much trouble breathing. After they finally discovered the problem with my windpipe (after years of asthma meds that did no good), I had a major surgery in December. It was scary, but now almost a year later, I am so glad I did it! This fall for the first time during the fall allergy season in recent history, I CAN BREATHE! Sure, I still have allergy problems, but it's not being compounded by my windpipe swelling up to where I am constantly wheezing. I have had a couple of colds since the surgery and even though I felt lousy, my breathing was so much better than from any colds I've had in the past several years, it was amazing to even have a cold!

This morning, as I played outside with my kids. I was pulling them around the yard in the wagon, helping the little ones teeter-totter, "flying" one of the boys around like an airplane. And it hit me. A year ago, I couldn't have done any of that. A year ago, I was literally gasping for air and wheezing just from walking across the street or the yard. God was so good and faithful in helping find out what was wrong and directing me to the doctor that could help me.

Don't take your health for granted. It is a blessing!

Ever feel like giving up?

Do you ever feel like giving up? Truth is, I feel like that alot from time to time. It is funny when I am feeling down or worried about something how often my daily devotional hits the nail right on the head. Today's devotional was from Isaiah 40. Read this:

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

It really made me think about how I need to rely on God and not on myself!

Announcing my new blog!

I am starting a coupon and deals blog, focusing on deals here in North Central Oklahoma. Check it out: Cruising with Coupons in North Central Oklahoma!

Random Thoughts

Today I just have a bunch of rambling, random thoughts, so here we go:

I didn't do much shopping this weekend, but Tom & I did get two 12 packs of Cottonelle toilet paper for less than $8 total at Walgreen's. Toilet paper is something that I haven't been able to stock up on alot yet, so I'm hoping to keep finding some good deals on it. It's downright depressing how much we spend to wipe our bottom. Sorry, probably TMI there. LOL.

We also saved 25% off our meal at Buffalo Wild Wings on Friday night by joining their text club.

I've been thinking (Scary, I know!) about what Brenda said in the comment section about me earning money teaching others how to save. Teaching others is a passion of mine. I love preparing and teaching classes for other child care providers. I even have a class on tightwad tips. What I need help on is the following:

1. Prayers that if this is God's will, He will show me the way and open the right doors.

2. Ideas of where to have classes.

3. Prayers of encouragement.

Truth is, I'm really discouraged because none of my extra money-making ideas have panned out. I've tried writing (another passion of mine), but do not seem to get enough views on my articles to make it worthwhile. I've tried offering date night child care, noone seems interested in taking advantage of it. There are other ideas, too numerous to mention. It gets to the point where I am so discouraged that I do not want to try anything for fear of failing, yet again.

So, there you go. My random Monday morning thoughts.