Whats Your Super Power-

I sit here at the laptop evaluating my day! As I am so thankful for the day that I was blessed with. the glass of wine just meets me with contemplation of a day well served. Even though I over slept. I leaped from bed shocked at the fact that I slept til almost 11 AM! On a Tuesday! I got cleaned up and out the door to cook for a group of beautiful women celebrating 70! Wow these woman were just breath taking and I reminded them of all the amazing things that God has allowed them to see all they each have accomplished. All was professional women who have given to their communities, their children and now they are enjoying the hard work.

I have dealt all summer with my healthy. As I write this, I am quite aware of how important it is too take care of my health. I need to learn to put myself into the life picture of balance. one thing that I am doing now is starting my day with meditation & thanks for what God has given me. I can do all things when I am aware that I am not doing them alone. Knowing that I am not alone because Jesus is with me. This is my Super Power! Sending wishes of a life lived well!

The Love Of Instruction-

Have you ever tried to help another and they just don’t see it! They act like they are on the same page only to not care about what you are trying to do! I have been working with a young man who is truly not helping himself. As an employer I want to retain employees by getting them on board with our goals.

Well just like that employee God gives us children as well. I can recall several conversations with my children about what they were doing or proposing that I did not agree with. So I would try to influence their thinking by asking them to consider my opinions. However that was never going to work!   Because it would mean they would have to change their opinion. It is all about trying that becomes more of a compromise that will help both of us. A give and take!

Both scenarios are about two young people.  My insight is from life!   They have not lived to see failings.  They both are still happy to rely on their families to get their needs met.  The young man is not willing to change his conduct that will eventually lose him his employment.  The child who thinks she is correct will find out she is not once she is on her own struggling with the reality of her life.

We can only try to get others to see the reasons why we still try!  I believe that we all need someone in our corner.  Who will be strong enough to tell us that we are wrong!  Strong enough to fire us when it is necessary.  Strong enough to be there from a distance asking them to consider a different approach.

Look at your life relationships and see if you see who has been the brave ones in your life!  Who said “No you are wrong!”  the Bible teaches that God cares for us.  He will hold us accountable.  “In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you but only for a moment.  It’s with lasting love that I am tenderly caring for you.”  Isaiah 54:8

As the above scripture reminds,  we must know that he God has an opinion of our choices and he will be steadfast in his love to bring us back from our own errors & as we grow, we learn to humble ourselves and grow in the direction of correction.

The Remnant Of The Past

Snow covered corn fields are a regular site when it comes to living in the State of Nebraska.  Our worlds revolve around farming and railroads.  In my career I have driven past this old church several times.  It is as if it is left there as a testament to the past.

Setting back  with no sign of a road anymore.   Just the shell of what used to be.  Sunday Pot luck’s,  Bible studies,  moments of birth’s and wedding celebrations.  Along with the passing of loved ones. the past of community.

The memories of this place,  I am sure someone holds.  We forget that just like this building we deteriorate and one day we will leave behind remittance of our lives.

Everything we are is being built up or torn down!  As I grow toward God in my daily walk, it is evident that I have to think before I act.  I have to wait on Gods wisdom.  I have to be realistic about my own mortality.   My life will end and tears will flow from those who have been part of my story.  My story has been one of non belief to accepting Jesus as my savior.  He took my sin and has me whole!

When we are forgiven it is done!  the Bible reminds us not to focus on the past but to mindful of the day at hand.

“Lift up my eyes to the mountains.  Where does my help come from?”  “My help comes the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. ”  Psalm 12:1-2

THE PING THAT MAKES THE HEART SING

This morning I awoke to my cell pinging!  Not a ping but pinging a lot.  I got the phone to see someone who started reading my blog was reading it in Nigeria.  Now this is why my heart is singing praise and thanks this morning.  Thanks Emeka Ofili you truly blessed my day!   I don’t normally stop what I am doing in the morning to write!  But this morning I felt compelled to mix my morning up because of the sounds coming from a phone!

When I started my blog I had no idea who would read it or if I could actually have anyone want to come back to see what Good Life For Half was about!

I learn each day about what is important.  A year ago I was consumed in sin!  I was living on the road trying to manage two jobs and not beating myself up daily about what I needed to do!  I was running from my husband’s health issues.  Bryan in May of 2015 had cancer on his face that turned out to melanoma.  In  stead of giving this to the Lord to work out.  I became very afraid of the future.  Satin loves to have us rely on our flesh.

I was being very carnal by not trusting that God would get us thru this without me taking on two full-time jobs.  This was not of God!  It was of me not trusting that God had Bryan’s plan!  We sometimes do not realize what we are doing at the time but God did not take long to reveal himself to me!  I continued to ignore my father and that sin resulted in me steeped in sin.  I stayed in this sin until God brought me back.

As I grow in my walk I realize I cannot just make my own decisions.  It has to be God’s will!  We are to pray and wait on God to direct our steps.  God does reveal himself.  As a follower of Jesus we will naturally grow towards what God wants us to do!  My husband reminded me recently that our heart and hands need to be in the business of God’s people in how we conduct our lives.  My character has to be in line with what God has planned for my life.

So my decisions had outcome that truly was for the good of me.  God took hold of my heart and did what was best for me.  At the time I did not realize that he was removing me from things that were not in the best interest of what God has planned for me.

Today I look forward to walking with my God.  Realizing that it is not my job to worry about anything and to focus on what God has in store for me.

Sin will make you sick, it will keep you from fellowship with God.  Today I am still working toward my faithful walk with him.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope in the Lord.  For shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”  Jeremiah 17:7-8

Let us to courageous today in God’s loving plans!  My God has taken me on amazing life adventures as he has revealed his true love for me.  What a great day to sing thanks!

Clocks & Coffee

Good Morning WordPress!  As I start my day in the great State of Nebraska.  I am pleased to say the day started out with the alarm clock going off at 5 AM and me hitting the snooze button several times.  I am not a good morning person!  It is not a natural part of my nature!  I finally called it at 5:37 AM and started the day with thanks to God for this day!  As I waited on my morning splurge,  of Keurig Starbucks coffee of caramel to brew in the kitchen,  it dawned on me how fortunate I am.  I wake to home that is warm.  We live in a place that is filled with history and we have seen so many great things happen right here.   Along with the saddest moments of our lives.

This home was where we have brought into the world our children, played with our grandchildren, celebrated birthdays & holidays.  Where we celebrated our children’s life successes.  Where we hug one another and where we are blessed to be.

I hate that I do not spend more time within the walls of this place!  It seems as if we are running in and out!  We both have to commute into our jobs daily.  It is rare these days that the clock and coffee are things of rushing out the door to meet the world.

Most mornings I get a moment to reflect at home.  It is rare indeed.  Wishing you a day of clocks and the best cup of coffee!

 

It was something was calling me to slow down.  I think we all can take time to do this very thing.  When I am happy I want to get home to share with my family my victories.  When I am defeated I want to go home to be greeted with love and get thru my defeats with my loved ones.  When I am hungry for real food I want it from home!

Today is about thankfulness and being right where I need to be for me!  Take time to just be!  The world can wait on me to greet it later!

 

“I NEED YOU TOO ADVERTISE ME!”

A small child was in sunday school when he learned about accepting Jesus as his savior.  He was so happy!  The young Sunday School teacher  who led him to accepting Jesus as his Savior, told him to go to the Pastor and asked him to baptise him.  The young boy was eager to tell the Pastor about his decision.  He ran up to the Pastor and told him, “Pastor I need you to advertise me!”  How sweet a story!  He meant to say what the Sunday School teacher had told him to say, “Go tell the Pastor you need to be baptised!”

I like what the little boy said better!  I want the world to know I am a follower of Jesus!  What a great thing it is to be advertised as a follower of Jesus!  It means I have been changed.  It took me a long time to really understand my gift of salvation.  But to know that I was forgiven was profound for me!  We all sin and fall short because we are sinners.  Even after I accepted Jesus as my savior I still was living not in the light.  I allowed myself to be weak because I was not listening to services, attending services or reading the Bible.  I was getting attacked and giving up a lot on my new faith.  I am so thankful that I slowly started to understand that I needed to be with other people who believed in Jesus and to remove those who were stumbling blocks for my walk.

As a believer in Jesus I want to be more like Jesus!  I want people to see that I am different!  Because I want to be more than “MINDY”!  I hope this not so profound.  It is me not only believing but actually receiving new behaviors in how I personally conduct my life.  It means I work not to cause others to stumble but to be a hand up!

As a business leader I take pride in my staff and want them to see Jesus in me!  I care to give more time to those who need a person to talk too.  I counsel without giving the answer and allow the person to come to their own understanding.  I hold myself to a higher place of accountability.  In James 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers

Sin is in our nature so we must work harder to be more like Jesus.  I am proud of the life I have been given thru Jesus and I too want to be advertised.

Giving Up Or Getting up! Setting goals!

Choices!  choices!  Giving up or getting up!  Everyday you make decisions from what time you get up to what time you go to bed!

When we get hurt by a life experience,  it easy to give up on others.  Our careers, life success, or ourselves!  Self doubt can hit you like a train.  The decision to be stronger than your circumstances is not easy!

Sometimes getting up is harder than the desire to try again!  Defeat over and over creates different outcome if we resolve to be tested.  To be more and have more, you will be tested!  So when things get tough you have to be willing to stay your course.

Giving up can be easier when you are looking at huge issue.  $ 5,000.00 dollars in the bank when you have only $ 150 in the bank!  So look at it as $ 4850 to go!  It is all in how we look at a problem.  How do we get more out of what already have?   What could you do to put toward your goal by stopping certain services? reallocation

Stopping eating out once a week with the girls savings $ 50.00  Having dinner at home instead where we each cook part of the dinner.  Annual saving $ 2,400

Stopping Auto ships of vitamins $ 59.00 a month savings $ 704.00 a year

Staying home three weekends a month weekly savings $ 75 monthly savings 225.00.  Annual savings 2,700.00  So this I can’t do it is not real!

By making these simple changes the $ 5,000 dollar goal can be attained with 954 over the goal.

Satin is a liar and he will control areas of our lives if we allow him.  Our goals have to attainable and prayed about.  Seek God in all matters!  Do not allow yourself to be deceived out of your own dreams.  Look at your goal and break it down so you can have many accomplishments to the goal.  Set dates to attain specific goals.

The goal above with savings $ 5,000 could be broken down in 4 month 8 month 12 month check in’s to make sure you are on track.

The Bible reminds us to take all matters to God and to trust in him to provide his direction.  I am telling you, every time I do this God graces me.  When I try to do it on my own I stink!  I become defeated!  So let your goals be in line with what God has planned for you!

 

WHAT WILL FEBRUARY BRING

 

This little piggy is going to be an aggressive little pig!  As I look at all the changes it takes to take control of our funds.  So January did not end well.  Actually we ended up having to take 500.00 out of savings.  had an additional cost of new eye glasses that took 428.00 for a total overage of 928.00 that had to spent.

Not so good for the first month!  Savings account ended 1400 for the month

A few facts about February  It is a shorter month!  I also is the best month to stock up on canned goods.  I however have another plan.  We will have to see how it goes.

Cooking from the pantry 2 weeks out of the month

I have seen several different approaches to this.  So the purpose is to use what you have.  You start the month with a goal to buy fresh vegetables & basic dairy.  I do not like the idea of trying to cut all funds for groceries out.  This approach of creating a menu based off of what we have will save roughly $ 400.00

NO GO WEEKENDS

When we are not working we are not spending!  The cars are parked for the weekend and nothing is bought.  An average weekend cost 150 saving 600.00

Total proposed savings 1,000

Would love to get some ideas from my readers!

 

 

 

“KYLE YOUR JUST NOT A GOOD FIT”

                       

Recently I observed a woman explaining to a man over the phone why she was evicting him.  She showed such kindness as she explained the following.

“Kyle your neighbors have observed several late night visitors to your home along with other signs that are concerning of illegal activity!”  “It has been shared that your sister told the neighbors to watch your home while you were in jail.”  He continued to try to get the lady to let him stay!  She stayed her ground explaining once again,  “Kyle you’re not just a good fit!”

As she stood strong on her decision to evict the tenant, it was apparent that Kyle had heard this before!  He was polite to the woman even as she described to him over the phone how his dog had scarred the neighbor lady, ran a muck leaving his fecal matter all over the other neighbor’s yards.  He had to send the dog to his mother’s home while he had been  He then explained to her that he is laid off and he would like to stay until he got his tax return.

He continued to try to get the lady to give him a second chance!  None of what is being said to him seemed to keep him from begging to get his way!  It reminded of the reality of terminating ones employment.  I had recently had a “Kyle” I had to let go and I had told him that he was not a good fit!”

We all meet the wrong fit folks and at times we can be the wrong fit!  However life choices can be like the conversation with Kyle!  Yet God can turn anyone around from being the wrong fit to being the perfect fit!

God knows our hearts and when we seek him he can turn dirt into so much more.

 

WEEK 4

 

Starting something new and not something one is used to can be very hard.  We are in 4 weeks to trying to change the way we spend.  No spend days goal is to not spend on the week ends or drive our vehicles.   It has not been as successful as I would like it.  We have seen some positive changes.

What has worked thus 

1.  Using what we have on hand This approach has been successful in saving money on groceries. 
2. Investing time into our company to increase sales 
3. Saving all change 
4. brown bagging all our lunches
5. Cutting the coffee drinks out 
6. I set 10% to go into my company 401K 

Savings this far $ 320.00 

Would appreciate any input from any thrifty savers who read my blog!