New Beginnings

 Back in February I was notified that there were issues with the mobile experience on the site that I was using and that I needed to make changes to correct the issues. Only thing is, I didn’t have a working knowledge of what needed to be done. Not only that, I as the creator of the blog posts, experienced problems of my own when using the site. 

So when I got the email about the mobile issues the only thought that ran through my mind was NOW I could try to use the platform that my coworker has tried to get me to use as well as other bloggers that I know use. I then made the decision to switch platforms and I’m so excited that I did. From the first moment I logged in, I felt like a creator again. I quickly created my last blog post for the prior platform and took some time off. 

I didn’t have much time to feel sad about no longer being on this platform because soon after, we experienced a pandemic as a result of the Corona virus (COVID-19) which provided me with additional time off to get my new platform up and running. Basically, everything came together and worked out for my good. 

The new site IS up and running. At the beginning of this month, I celebrated six years as a Blogger with a soft launch of congratulatory messages. If you are interested in reading my new blog posts they can be read at: Myjourneymystory.org. Enjoy the Journey!

Under Construction 🚧

Just received notice that there are issues with my mobile site experience; which means updates need to be made. Therefore, I thought I’d take this opportunity to take some time off to relax and rejuvenate while the construction is taking place. I thank you for coming along with me on my Debt Free Journey. I Hope you take this downtime to catch up on some of my prior posts as well as revisit those that have inspired and encouraged you along the way. I suggest that you start from the very beginning because I wrote each post so that they could stand alone or be read as your favorite book - as if each post were a different chapter.  Again, my mobile site will be under construction and I will be taking some time off. I Look forward to posting again and hope that while I’m off, you take time to Enjoy the Journey!

Reflection

It’s my last day being these many years old because on tomorrow I start the Journey of adding one more year to the many I’ve already experienced. Only thing is that this time I’m really looking forward to growing. I’ve grown to the point where the things that have bothered me in the past had they not taken place for my birthday, were not even a priority in my life this time. 

Not because I didn’t expect to receive anything for my birthday. But because I expected to receive what others purposed in their hearts to do for me. I only wanted what they wanted to freely give to me. Not to feel obligated because they knew me or knew of me and wanted to appear as if we were friends - or even family. But to truly Enjoy making my day for my birthday. 

Which leads me to a point I’d like to make. The place in my life I am now is okay with others not wanting to be a part of my life. As long as I know my relationship with God is 💯, then those who remain after the others have “left” the friendship, all I ask of you is to not downplay the role you chose to keep in my life. Giving me gifts on the side or through someone else sends the message to me that you may want to support me but don’t want those who left to know. 

Just because something is done for me doesn’t mean that it was done in the right way to be received as a gift by me. I realize everyone may not be at this place yet in their own lives so that’s why I extend Grace and allow them to express themselves to me on whatever level they are on. However, I will no longer accept the crumbs and leftovers that someone throws at me and try to call it a friendship. Real friendship for me this time was born by the surprise visit made after the storm had passed our area but this friend didn’t let the weather stop them from being a blessing to me no matter what was going on around us. 

The Ride of My Life 5

Part 5: Financially - WHAT?

I asked myself, “How did I get here again with my money acting all funny?” You know exactly what I’m talking about. Not enough money to cover all the “little things” that keep popping up out of nowhere. Having purposefully decided to not make any new debt as I process through eliminating the debt I currently have, I then realized that it was time for me to talk about the financial aspect of this Ride of my Life. 

Debt devastates your finances and your relationship to money. I saw this plain as day -after I’d gone through yet another testing time where I had to choose between applying for credit or “tightening my belt” until my next paycheck. In the midst of that situation, I saw how debt gets its foothold in our lives. If I’d given in and decided to use debt as a way out of the situation, even before I’d earned $1 at work, it would have already been owed out. I would have been working for XYZ company to pay them instead of applying the money to my household needs. Maybe that’s why some people don’t like their jobs. Their working and working and working but the majority of the money never comes home, therefore, their relationship with money is rocky at best. 

So when God gave me the directive to GIVE, even though I felt I wasn’t in a position to give, I did. Nevertheless, that situation and others since have all worked out for my good and in my favor. I not only have money to give when it’s time to give, I Enjoy giving. I Enjoy seeing how being obedient to God has not only helped me, it’s allowed me to do what I’ve always desired deep in my heart: to be a blessing to others. 

During this time, God also allowed me to see that I had more faith in the debt being able to keep me from prospering than in Him actually prospering me. When situations occurred, my first thought would be “how much debt am I still in and how much more will this cost me?” When in fact, my first thought should have been on how God was going to direct me through whatever had come up to challenge my faith in Him. So as I continue on The Ride of My Life, I want to Encourage you to apply God’s Word and Believe Him in every area of your life: Spirit, Soul, Body, Socially and Financially. He has a wonderful plan for your life and wants you to Enjoy the Journey!

The Ride of My Life 4

Part 4: Socially - Everybody Else

A friend recently said to me, “I thank God for every job I’ve ever had!” She went on to explain that the friendships, insight, knowledge and even pain she experienced at each job were a part of her growth process in learning how to interact with all kinds of people. I agree wholeheartedly with her statement. However, I also thank God for each relationship (dating and friendship) in my life as well as my family dynamic. 

Years ago I used to work with a lady that I only knew in passing. Fast forward to present day and I see this lady at the same place I am as we’re getting our cars serviced. After we went through the process of remembering where we knew each other from, we struck up a conversation about our every day lives. Even though we only knew of each other when we worked together, we discovered that life had a way of leading us down the same path of debt freedom and maintaining our health. Just because we weren’t immediate coworkers in the past, we both remembered the other person as being nice and friendly which made this conversation even more insightful. Who knows, maybe we would have become friends all those years ago. 

As far as relationships go, I’m an optimist so I want them all (dating and friendships) to work out. But that hasn’t always been the case. At one point in my life I felt all alone because I didn’t have any one person I could consistently turn to. Then one day I prayed and asked God for some good girlfriends that I could share with and hang out with on a continual basis. He quickly answered my prayer by sending someone back into my life that I met on a Singles trip. We became fast friends. This motivated me to increase my participation with my Lifegroups and I made even more friends. My coworkers and I started getting along better at work which led to us hanging out after work. But God wasn’t finished exceeding my expectations from my prayer. He gifted me with a Mentor that has inspired my faith walk with Him to the point that I believe that with Him all things are possible. 

So in closing, let’s talk about my family dynamic. We aren’t all on the same page as of this writing. But the ones that even want to be in the same book are participating in family functions. We get together and eat, play games or just talk to each other. There are times when we know to pull back for a while but we realize that we can always come back together at any time. Which leads me to the fact that I’m still believing God for a husband and a family of my own. I’ve experienced through my work relationships and friendships that there are cycles in life. Just because I haven’t maintained a successful dating relationship in my past does not mean that I’m not capable of establishing and maintaining a healthy relationship now. I look forward to engaging life with the man that God has destined for my life. As with My Journey my story, I’m looking forward to Enjoying the Journey to Us. 

The Ride of My Life 3

Part 3: Body - Self vs Self

This time last year, I was waging war with my Doctor who wanted me to lose weight. I wanted to lose weight too, but not the way he prescribed: with the aid of pills. I don’t do pills and to have to remember to take them every day was the second reason I didn’t want to take any. I trusted his abilities as a doctor so I agreed to work with him to see if this way would yield the desired results. 

Six months in, I’d lost five pounds. During that time, I put a daily reminder on my phone so that I wouldn’t forget to take the pills each day. I included some exercises that I was able to follow for about three months. I was excited at my follow up appointment when the Doctor was happy with the weight I’d lost; five pounds down, fifteen more to go. Then something happened. I had no desire to do the exercises anymore. I started craving and eating pizza, fried chicken and anything else I felt I’d deprived myself of during those three months. 

Now what? I still had to lose the other fifteen pounds in order to be taken off the pills when I went to my next appointment in six months. I prayed. Then I looked at the paperwork you receive at the end of a doctors visit. I googled the terms listed and the one that stuck out was insulin resistant. I found a video on YouTube where this doctor explained what to do if you were diagnosed with insulin resistance. His recommendation was Keto along with Intermittent fasting. I knew Keto wasn’t for me but I’m acquainted with fasting. So I implemented intermittent fasting along with taking the pills. 

I still have a few weeks before my appointment but I can tell you that when I compare my body today with my body from last year, I am pleased with the results. Even one of my coworkers has commented on the change in my body. I haven’t weighed myself because I don’t want this to be about numbers. I wanted a lifestyle change. I knew the pills were not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But the intermittent fasting is something that seamlessly transitioned into my everyday habits. Each day I’m making progress for a healthier body and Enjoying the Journey every step of the way. 

The Ride of My Life 2

Part 2: Soul (Mind, Will and Emotions)

I almost gave up. Why? Because my mind and emotions got in the way of my believing God to provide for me in every area of my life. I know God is leading me on this Journey to Debt Freedom but what about His provision for me after I reach my goal to become debt free? Recently I was faced with a situation that catapulted my mindset back to right before God first directed me to this Debt Free Journey and I found myself believing that I would not be able to overcome debt in my life. 

The situation began simply and was easily something that “I” could handle with my eyes closed. But it grew into something that required the assistance of others and that’s when it went downhill for me. I’ll be the first person to admit that I’m a perfectionist. So allowing others into my space, especially if I need their help, is hard for me because even though I need the help, I wanted it to appear that I have it all together. 

Before I knew it, I was experiencing symptoms in my body that told me something wasn’t right. I became anxious, irritated and even started to get fearful of certain situations. By the time the migraine headaches tried to start, I knew I was too focused on Me and decided to act on the Word I knew and refocused on being a blessing to someone else. Once I took the focus off me, that’s when I started to see the way God was leading me much clearer. That’s when those around me who I allow to speak into my life: Mentor, Family and Friends started relating to me those things God directed them to share with me. 

Now today I’m at a place where my mind, my will and my emotions are all tuned in to God. He spoke these words to me: Make Room. This is the revelation I got from this Rhema word- Make Room. I had become too used to working with not enough and too little. If it was too little, I made do with what I had. If it was not enough then I went without. I needed to Make Room because God is not limited by my lack, I am. He wants me to receive so much more from Him than I'm allowing. So I purposed in my heart to Upgrade my receiving capacity and Make Room for Too Much! Not only is Debt Freedom an option for me, it’s the ONLY option.