ENCOURAGED IN HEART

Yesterday, I wrote about my love of the diva suit, rewards and getting a reward of a diva suit in three small ounces.  And today, I’m quite thrilled to report that this morning, Lucy told me to go and get that diva suit! WOO-HOO!!!  I was in a plateau since April (that’s FIVE months sister!) and this week I’ve finally busted through!

Keeping with the former “Finance Friday” tradition at the Encouraged in Heart blog, I’m also very excited to report about another reward that’s coming our way today.  Two rewards in one day…pinch me, would ya?!?

Dave and I have hit three large financial goals.  As we perused our financial road map, the Finkster omitted one small detail in our budgeting …rewards.  And I do love me some rewards!  It actually stated,  on the financial road map that we follow (Crown Financial), to make sure we reward ourselves after hitting each goal milestone.  Since we’ve never rewarded ourselves before and our next goal is to have our home mortgage paid (so it’ll be a L-O-N-G while…), we thought long and hard…

Cricket, cricket…

And finally came up with our idea!  Our old kitchen table was 15 years old and the chairs had been reupholstered three times by my powerful staple gun (can I get a grunt sisters?!).  Here’s our reward to be delivered later today:

(No this is not our actual kitchen.  Carpet under any table that the Fink fam eats at is just a bad idea.  And, I’m not just talking about the kids here!)

Dave’s done such an amazing job getting our family finances lined up to God’s plan and he’s shared so much of that with you – I wanted to remind you, to plan to reward yourself after achieving each milestone!

I pray you don’t think I’m bragging about “us” with getting a rewards but I do pray you see what I’m really doing…bragging about our REALLY big God that took us, turned us around and put us in fiscal health and after seven years, we’ve able to celebrate with a beautiful reward that our family and friends will all enjoy (the kitchen is always the hangout place!).

Do you  have finance rewards in place and if so what are they? As you know, we’re sort of new to this and would love to read your ideas!

I’m becoming, yet again, a member of another of my former nemesis groups…no, I’ve come to not only face but embrace the stay at home mini van driving membership card – the one I type of now is the “keep a food journal group”.  Aka: the food eating “goodie-goodies”.  And the sad part is, I’m not becoming one of em’.  I am one.

If I become a member of the “one Hershey kiss a day satisfies me group”…don’t ask questions, just go ahead and shoot me right there and then.

This past Tuesday, as Jess and I were in the middle of our 515am 3 mile run, I moaned for only the millionth time about my plateau, Jess said that she started a food journal.   For the very first time in my life, I thought…that’s brilliant, I’m going to too! Then instinctively thought, “Self, what was that you just said???”

It was a LIGHT BULB moment.  Oh, make no mistake, I’ve heard to do that before, but it just wasn’t for me.  Just like the laundry list of other nuggets that I was certain I’d never:

- Weigh myself daily – you know Lucy’s my home girl now.

- Say I’m an eating addict (cause that’d be just too dramatic, right?) – well, I’m now proudly stating I’m a recovering eating addict.

- Do a food journal – gulp, that one’s nothing but a memory now.

Now I mean this, if I tell you one ounce of chocolate is all I need to satisfy…sister, you know what to do and heaven will be sooner than later for the Stephster.

My true motivation to get the food journal is the reward that I’ve delayed gratification on…a brand spanking new diva suit when I lost just three more pounds.  And it’s beginning to get chillier and I really want to get a new diva suit.  Sadly, almost desperately….so yes, I do want to break through my plateau, but really, I’m all about the rewards.  Give me a star sticker chart…and step away and watch me go, I’ll fill that sheet quicker that the Fonz says, “Heyyyyyyyyyy” or Flo says, “Kiss my grits” or Gary Coleman says, “Whatchu talking about Willis”….

My food journal (thanks to Jenn for the new blue journal!) now consists of exercise activity, morning  weight, food and calories consumed.  Want to know why I was in a plateau?  Because I ate too many calories!  Who woulda thunk, eating too many calories makes you not lose weight, huh? So, I’m telling you right now, I’m 3 ounces from a new diva suit.  And since I’ve TMI’ed myself silly…you know how I could lose that quickly.  Well, I shaved my legs and no dice this time!

So the bottom line is, “never say never”…right?  No.  Keep God, people and processes in their proper places to keep accountable and that’s what Lucy, no more denial, food journal and friends do.

I’ll let ya know when my new diva suit is mine…all mine! I can’t wait for that reward!

What about you? What rewards have you used and have to look forward to, to keep you chugging along?

For years, I focused my time and energy into helping others and being oh, so very holy but the truth is, there was limited holiness – because I was serving others to avoid listening to me.  I heard the heart cry of others, but denied my own heart cry.  But, I made every casserole I said I’d make and did all the things I told other’s I do.  I didn’t act like it all depended on Him, but rather me, ugh.

I’m calling it the servant’s stalemate.

Then this morning there was a tender “A-ha” from God.

“When we focus on our own recovery, fixing ourselves instead of everyone else, we will then be able to be more effective in helping others too.”

Didn’t help that I had whopping case of “approval addiction”.  I valued the ego stroke of man, more than God.  And sister, there’s just nothing good coming from there!  God used Approval Addiction by Joyce Meyers to open my eyes.  And I probably will re-read that one because I need to keep myself focused!

I received a practical nugget and strength from Moses today…we’re not emailing or anything – but we did have coffee together!  Check this out…if Moses counseled each and every Israelite, walked over to fix their sandal strap when they popped open and busied himself in all the details affirming, the Promised Land is coming, but missed God….ho-ly ta-mole…no Red Sea would have been parted, staff to snake, etc…

Instead, he cared for the people God gave him, but his priority was time with God and because of this, The People were in reverent awe before God…Exodus 14:19 (Message).

God’s doing a big thing IN you and others will be affected.  Yes, let’s help one another out, but not to the level that we ignore someone very important to God – “Q time” with the Big G and you.

Moses kept his eyes on The Prize (God) and when God moved powerfully, as He did (and will continue to do) Moses let the Israelite to “rock the house…well okay, their campsite praising God, not Moses.

I’m singing my heart out to God—what a victory!
God is my strength, God is my song,
This is the kind of God I have
and I’m telling the world!
I’m spreading the news far and wide! (Excerpts from Exodus 15:1-8 Message).

How about you? Are you a dependable “good girl”  and struggle with approval addiction too?  May we be most addicted to time with God and He’ll help us, help us and those we love.  Those that we serve and love will only see God if we spend time with Him…there’s the foundation to build up from.