It's over, over, ovaaaaaar!

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You might be wondering, "What's over? Ovaaaaaar sounds like you are celebrating something!"

Well, our family has been through a lot.  All for our own good and growth, and I praise God for ALL of it!  He has shown how faithful He is over and over again and now a whole new chapter has started and the last chapter is ovaaaaaaaar!

Here is a small list (just the highlights) of trials:

• Left dream Victorian home for full time ministry
• Left a great paying job for half of the money
• Owed $24,000 in credit 
• Left our home church
• Suffered at the hands of evil men for 5 years
• Left that ministry and started one from nothing
• Lived in MIL's basement for 22 months (homeless)
• Had no income for several months
• Car broke down ~ no $, no car, no home
• Lived for a whole year on less than $12,000 with no government assistance
• While homeless, old Victorian home was illegally taken (Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae scandal) and had to declare bankruptcy (not a proud moment but couldn't help it)

A New Beginning:

Now, why did I give you a highlight of all our woes?  So I could show you how God turned them all into blessings!

• Learned how to take huge steps of faith and sacrifice "the American dream" for God, ministry, and others
• Leaving a lot of money is a faith step ~ depending on God for needs and wants ~ learned to hear His voice
• Used a large sum of money (from 1st job) to pay off credit cards (and cut them up!)
• Learned how to feel "at home" in any church and how to be leaders
• Persevered through persecution, learned a lot about ourselves and able to discern evil spirits
• Learned how to plant a church and start brand new ministries
• Grew Spiritually under pressure and became different people
• Now able to identify with poor and homeless ~ have a HUGE heart for their needs
• Very grateful for everything we have ~ it changed our lives
• Learned how to live frugally and make due with what we have ~ resourceful!
• Depended on God and His provision ~ saw all kinds of miracles
• Lastly, we learned what not to do!  We can understand what people are going through.  We can help them in their financial hard times.  God is restoring to us 7 fold what the devil stole!  I'm all for that!

So, now the big reveal....  drum roll please... two days ago, we paid off our car 3 months early and are now completely debt free.  We don't owe anyone anything!

It CAN BE done!  You can do it too!  There is a recipe for becoming debt free.  I will share that with anyone willing to listen.

Watch God work!  We have lived in obedience to God and He rewards that!

Romans 13:8Owe nothing to anyone--except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.

Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

I believe God's Word.  It IS truth.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Ok so, your name might not be Mary and you may be quite joyful!  Did you grow a garden?  How 'bout some potted tomatoes?  


Tell us about it!






photo credit

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

Do those words sound familiar to you?  In recent days, I felt similar.  I wasn't sick but I sure was tired.  As a matter of fact, I went through many months struggling with fatigue.

There was a time when I would struggle to get past 1:00 in the afternoon.  If I didn't get a nap by 3PM, I wasn't sure I could make it through the rest of the day.

I was growing fatter and fatter.  I was at largest weight/size I had ever been other than in pregnancy.  I was feeling miserable ~  down-right sluggish ~ fatigued ~ fat.

Through it all, my husband love me.  He was attracted to me no matter my size.  But I wasn't.  I felt terrible and ugly most of the time.

"So, what gives?" you say.  Good question.  God spoke to me.  I knew, that I knew, that I needed to fast again.  I knew that God was calling me to a 2 week fast.

This fast was different.  It loosed some things in my life and one of those things was energy!  I have an abundance of energy.  I am eating healthy and even after the fast, I am losing inches and weight!  I am NOT on a diet.  I do eat things that dieters wouldn't eat but I don't pig out on them nor eat them often.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired or overweight?  


photo credit 1
photo credit 2

Fasting ~ Part 3

Fasting Part 2
Fasting Part 1

There are several benefits to fasting, especially total food fasting and doing the Daniel Fast.  (Daniel Fast Food List PDF)

Read full (Microsoft Word) article here:  Why Do the "Daniel Fast"

1.  Fasting supercharges our efforts to accomplish God’s purposes2.  Fasting helps develop a spiritual hunger for God. 3.  Fasting can help revitalize an area of our spiritual life that seems sluggish and resistant the change God desires to see in us as followers of Christ.4.  Fasting promotes a disciplined lifestyle, one that is more conducive to living a life of spiritual purity before God. 5.  The closely-related discipline of prayer is enhanced 6.  Fasting has physical benefits as well. 7.  “Corporate” or church-wide fasts can also be a time of detoxification for a congregation.  

• Since finishing my last fast, benefits are still lingering.  
• I am more hungry for God and even more "on fire" than I was before.  
• I have a better sense of discipline in my life.  (Who doesn't need more of that?)
• I've maintained my weight loss and am continuing to lose.
• I have waaaaaaayyyy more energy.
• Because of these benefits, I am getting a lot more done.  

You don't need more hours in the day!  
You need to fast!
You don't need energy drinks!
You need to fast!
You don't need anit-lazy pills!
You need to fast!
You don't need unnecessary medications!
You need to fast!
You don't need to be a BEGGAR in God's Kingdom!
You need to fast!

Ultimate Mom "To Do" List

Can you relate?

Where there's a will, there's a way!

Determination!  That's what it was.  I had the determination that my body is going to be fit, healthy, and lookin good for my 40th birthday!  I was already on a good roll after the recent fast and still losing weight, but I desperately needed  to start exercising!

That is how my body works.  If I want to shed those pounds, eating healthy is great, but I HAVE to exercise.  It doesn't have to be strenuous.  Just do SOMETHING and my body will respond in a great way.

I got up feeling wonderful; that is one lasting benefit of fasting.  In the morning there is a renewed energy, a youthfulness.  It is really refreshing.  I decided that I have GOT to exercise, but I don't want to walk alone.  Confession time... I don't have any friends.  I have acquaintances, plenty of them. I thought about it for a minute and decided that Joyce Meyer would be a GREAT friend to walk with.  After all, I know her very well from watching her on TV several days a week! Wink wink...

I asked Double Espresso (12) if he knew where his MP3 player was.  I had downloaded some of Joyce's pod casts onto it; that would be perfect!  The answer came back "no."  My husband suggested that I use my phone to get on her website and listen.  I tried that and it didn't work.

Ok, now I was gettin frustrated.  I was determined that I was going to train my brain while I train my body!  Then a thought came into my mind, "YouTube!"  Yes, Espresso (14 4/5) is always using my phone to watch YouTube videos.  So I clicked around, found Joyce Meyer on YouTube, and pressed play.  It loaded up great.  I was set or so I thought.  It wasn't loud enough to hear and walk outside.

Ok, now what do I do?  I thought about headphones.  Espresso has a pair that look like Princess Lea's side buns.  No, can't very well walk with those!  I do have SOME dignity!  Double Espresso has a pair that you stick inside your ears, so the search began.  We looked high and low.  Finally, in a bin in his room he found a pair that was all tangled up with 2 other thing-a-ma-jigs.

Determination rose up within me again.  I can do this; I'm a MOM!  I finally got them untangled, plugged them in, grabbed the fat dog, pressed play, and off we went.

Where there is a will, there is a way.  I was determined to get this body into shape.  I am going to get my youth back before it is too late and I pass over the 40 year hump!

Sometimes we have to put a lot of effort into getting what we want.  When we stir up the determination within us, and finally come to the point of victory, the reward is so much greater than if it were handed to us on a silver platter.  When we work hard at something and then accomplish it, it just feels good!

What are you working hard at?  What is that thing that's been hanging over your head that you need to do?  Stir it up!  Stir up the determination within yourself, set your mind to it and with Jesus, accomplish it!  He is a great partner.  He is great inspiration and He rewards a disciplined, obedient life!

Ok, my calves totally don't look like that...yet!   photo credit

FREE Book Offer

No Longer a Slumdog

From the website:

"Filled with riveting stories of God's redeeming love
Your heart will rejoice as you share in their triumph. This dynamic book will open your eyes to an amazing move of God. "

Read it right now in PDF:
No Longer a Slumdog PDF

Organized ME! PDF instructions

Ok, a couple of people had trouble understanding how to print the To Do List PDF.  I posted the instructions on the original post.  They are in bright pink at the bottom of the post.

:)  Happy listing!

Janet

Organized ME!

What do you think of when you hear the word "organized?"  Does it make you cringe?  Does it make you think of the Martha Stuarts in your life?  Confession...   I have a sickness....  Organizing makes me HAPPY!!!!

To start of this series, I've created a "To Do List" in PDF form.  You can download it and print it.  Using it will help you begin your journey to managing your time better and organizing your day.

Oh, by the way, It's cute too!

(to print:  click the link below.  Open PDF.  Click on "file."  Click "print PDF.")
To Do List PDF

Do you have a FREE Kindle?

I found out about this today and thought some of you may be interested!

I want to thank Freely Educate for her post today!  (You'll have to go check her out!)

Amazon is giving away 2 FREE Kindle books.
One is "250 Words Every High School Freshman Needs to Know"
The second is "250 Words Every High School Graduate Needs to Know"

I really like these two books.  They even have vocabulary quizzes and the answers!

If you don't own a Kindle, that's ok!  You can download it for FREE!  :)  I did that today and I got 3 FREE books on it.  Download Kindle for FREE

When I first heard about Kindle, I wasn't too impressed.  I just like the feel of a real book.  But when I started exploring the Kindle, I found that I was quite impressed!  You can even highlight and make notes with the Kindle.

Fasting ~ Part 2~ Awesome Resources

Resources:  
Fasting by Jentezen Franklin with DVD (Video at bottom of post)
Fasting PDF by Desiring God.org
Fasting Information PDF by IHOP, (Great tips for preparing your physical body)
FREE Daniel Fast Cookbook by saintjohn.net (Great recipes)
FREE small Bible study on Fasting PDF by getgreaterlife.org
Long study on Fasting PDF: Atomic Power with God by shiloabooks.com (very informative)

Ok now.  Let's get down to business.

What is fasting?  
From Wikepedia:

"Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day (24 hours), or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive, limiting particular foods or substance. The fast may also be intermittent in nature (see: Intermittent fasting). Fasting practices may preclude sexual and other activities as well as food."

Simply put, fasting is abstaining from some or all food.  In these modern days, if a person is just learning to fast, there are other things that they could fast before fasting food.  Sort of a ramping up.  I know people who have fasted TV, internet, secular music, FaceBook, sugar, video games, and junk food just to name a few.

Why should a Christian fast?  
Well, why should a Christian pray?  Why should a Christian give?  Check this out.

Matthew 6:2, 5, 16

“So when you give to the poor..."
“When you pray..."
“Whenever you fast..."

The Bible says, when you give, when you pray, and when you fast.  It doesn't say when you give, when you pray, IF you fast!  Most of my life, that has been the teaching that has been implied.  Praying is essential, fasting is optional.  Not true!  Those words in Matthew were Jesus' words!  They were straight from our Lord Himself.  Amen?

Here is a VERY powerful fasting sermon by Jentezen Franklin.  If you are serious about learning to fast, the resources in this post will help you tremendously.

Little Girl Story-teller

Check out this little girl!  She is quite the story teller.  If you go to her mom's blog you can see several of her videos.  She does Noah, Jonah and others.  Douglas Family Blog