"When the night has come..."

"...And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me"

[Sara now has GOOGLE SEARCH!
Feel free to use the search above instead of pulling up
a new Google page (as I have been doing for so long)!]

Often I wonder to what great extent that we are all connected. I wonder what life would be like if we all lived in small communities where caring for others, cultivating the land, and living on minimums were a priority. I wonder how much better our lives would be to work together to live and learn and not be slaves to our governments, or at least not in the sense we are today.

I would love to live in a home where the electric company paid me every month. I would love to live in a place where fruits and vegetables could be planted and would flourish for fresh meals at home. I would love to live in a community where a child's morals, health, or life were not at risk by simply stepping outside.

I shouldnt worry, though. My faith is in the Lord.
I have research to do and prayers to be said!

"If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me"

Doing the Dave Ramsey No. 4

“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. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 (Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV).”

Blessings. Blessings, blessings, blessings! Waiting with purpose brings blessings. I have seen so many recently including in my relationships with Holly and Char, getting contacted by Camille, being loved by the members of MVP, and having a family that stretches all throughout western Michigan. Praise God! It’s a really tough challenge to wait, to struggle while waiting, and to pray when all seems rough, but it is certainly worth it.

Sometimes we’re thrown big challenges and who can be sure just why we have to face what we must. I’m in the midst of having a lot of repairs done on my car. Spent over $600 this last week on repairs, and there is still so much to be done. [I’ll be testing myself again with frequent kidney bean soup again for the next month.] I am grateful for my two jobs, for having money saved for emergencies, and for the support of family and friends when my car is not the most reliable. Car repairs every year seem to be the biggest charge on the credit card, and it looks like this year I will be mostly prepared throughout the big repairs.

Most who know me well know how much I keep a constant eye on my finances. Having done some bookkeeping at work has had me in the habit for years now in keeping a budget in a spreadsheet. I must enter in values for every account at least once or twice a week. I have gotten better about saving money using coupon and seeking out great deals; I thank Sarah for helping me learn. (Check out her website here: http://sarahsdeals.blogspot.com/ ) I was hoping to have one more of my (now four including college loans [was seven]) negative accounts paid off this month, and before the car repairs I was getting close. I now plan on having two of the four paid off by August, and it will happen. I will continue to stay on track and make progress despite temporarily taking a step back.

I was struggling the last couple weeks, especially with prayer and trusting. I need to pray and trust and to keep a solid foundation with a relationship with God in my life. I struggled, and I believe God has been using certain people to get be back on track. Who knows where I am being led, but I am so excited for the paths I am facing towards. Pray and trust. Please continue to pray that God lead me in the direction He wants me to go.

With continued thanks,
Sara

Becoming "New and Improved!"

There is nothing like the feeling after a great workout, where the mind screams "that was awesome," where the heart and lungs scream "that feels so good," and where the eyes say "did I really just do all that?"

I ordered P90X, despite the fact that I already work at a gym and am becoming a personal trainer and already teach some group classes. I wanted a new challenge, a way for me to stay on track with one video a day and a meal guide. I've fallen off my own charts in a sense and just want back on the wagon. I've started the program at 130lbs and 20% body fat. My ultimate goal is 130lbs and 15% body fat. I'll give myself the 90 days. Today is day 2, and I still have a workout to complete. For more progress history visit my Bodyspace page, but do not forget to bookmark this one while youre still here. This page you are currently on will be my primary page for updates!

http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Nutmegpeach/

In other news:

I am getting some repairs done on the car this Saturday, which I am not too happy about. Still, I want the car to run for a few more years. But, I also know that I have a grand more of repairs to put into the car before the end of the year. Good thing I have been saving extra money along the way!

I have also been sticking to the budget this is layed out for the rest of the year, but I have a lot of work to continue to do, and I will have to cut back a bit so the cost of the car repairs will not hinder my progress.