Eating Healthier

I am feeling like the exercise is a habit now. I've done it through being sick with a cold back in February, I've done it when my back hurts, and when I've been super tired (like this morning). So now Tom and I are working on eating healthier. Earlier this week, I wrote an Examiner article about using the "Choose my Plate" program (the new Food Pyramid) as a way to have a healthy and frugal lifestyle. I have heard so many people talk about how it is more expensive to eat healthy and I believed that too. I'm only a week into it so I am not really sure yet. But I will say this, I'm learning than when I eat healthy foods (like whole grains and vegetables, etc.), I fill up faster and do not eat as much. I've also been looking at the actual serving sizes for stuff rather than just eating it willy-nilly. So earlier this week when we had Tuna Helper for supper, I looked and the serving size was 1 cup. I didn't think that sounded like much, but after I put it on my plate, I realized it was a pretty big helping. With that, we had baked yellow squash (which we both loved!) and fresh strawberries. There was enough tuna helper left that I was able to enjoy it the next two days for lunch. I have been doing that alot lately at supper, eating a smaller amount and saving the rest for my lunch the next day. My fasting blood sugars in the mornings this week have been awesome, anywhere from 86 to 137. (the 137 one was this morning and I think that the Sonic in Stillwater last night may have given me regular cherry instead of diet because it spiked after I drank that). A big victory was Tuesday night when we had our VBS training clinic at church. We were having snacks after and that is always hard, especially since I knew there would be lots of sweets there. I prayed to make healthy choices all day and asked Tom and another friend to pray for me. That night, I chose cheese and crackers and a few pretzels. AND our pastor told all the people that didn't win a door prize (of which I was one) that they could take home the extra VBS theme snacks, but I didn't even stop and look at the table. I am hopeful and praying that this new lifestyle will help Tom and I on our journey out of debt because I believe that feeling well makes it easier to be in control of your finances. Keep up the prayers, I know they are helping!

Seek ye first

I have been reading about and learning about a Christian weight loss program called First Place. Their motto is Matthew 6:33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

Their belief is that if you put Christ in first place in your life, the other things will fall into place. I am hoping to begin this program at our church and I would appreciate prayers for God's will and direction there.

As I was looking up this verse to read in my Bible this morning, I was reminded of the context of this verse, which I should probably print out and put where I can see it everyday. Matthew 6: 25-34

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? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Since I was in the midst of worrying about something, this passage of scripture was extremely timely. Isn't it awesome how God always knows exactly what we need to hear?

Whew! Exercising is really helping me!

Well, as I completed another week of exercising 6 days last week, I began to realize how much exercising is helping me. On Sunday afternoon, after church, I came home and ate lunch. After lunch, I went out and started mowing the lawn. That was unheard of before, I would have never got out and done yard work on a Sunday afternoon when I had church that night. Last night after the kids left, I went out and pulled monster weeds in my front yard and lopped off some tree saplings around the yard. Another thing that was pretty much unheard of, I was usually too tired after the kids left to do much. I was too tired after THAT to do much more though. LOL.

You might be wondering what this has to do with our journey of getting out of debt. Well, Tom has been exercising too and it has really helped both of our mental attitudes and our stamina which in turn helps with this journey that we're on.

Check out that huge pile of weeds. Um, next time I don't think I'll let them get that tall! LOL!

Debt update April 16th, 2012

Since February 5th, 2012, we've paid off: $2749.11 in debt!

Please continue your prayers for us as we work on paying off our debts!

As of April 13th:
$150 towards student loans
$118.02 + $75 towards our Napa bill (PAID!!!!)
$236.78 towards our 2007 tax bill
$125 towards our 2006 tax bill
$225 towards one credit card
$345 towards one credit card (settled in full-so PAID!!!!!!)
$75 towards one credit card
$100 towards one credit card
$200 towards our Bass hospital bill
Bass physician’s bill
$18.80 for a doctor bill
$407.15 towards our house
$333.36 for 2011 real estate taxes
$340 for 2011 Oklahoma income taxes

For a total of: $2749.11

The nudging of the Holy Spirit

For the last few days, the Holy Spirit has really been talking to my heart about my attitude and feelings towards a certain person in my life. And I mean, this message has been everywhere. In my devotional two different mornings.

Proverbs 15:1: A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Ephesians 4:2: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

In our club meeting on Tuesday night, where both the devotional and the lesson were about our attitudes and not letting other people ruin them or affect them.

And in a book I've been reading: "Give God a Year, Change your Life Forever", the author speaks of treating each other with the mercy and kindness we want to be treated with. (OUCH! That one hurt!)

If I make a mistake, do I want others to forgive me and have mercy on me? Of course I do. Do I want others to have patience with me and be kind to me? Of course I do! Would Jesus dread the thought of talking to or seeing someone? Of course he wouldn't.

There is another person in my life who has annoyed me for years. A few weeks ago, I began praying in earnest for this person and for my attitude towards her. It has helped me to see her in a totally different light. Now I am going to do this with this other person in my life.

I truly want to be an effective witness for Christ in my life and I can't do that if my attitude towards even one person stinks. So for those of you who know who this person is that I am referring to, you now have my permission to hold me accountable for my attitude towards that person! :)