Financial Fitness as a Christian

Hello, World!

Did you know that Jesus talked more about money management than any other subject? I am currently listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope about Financial Fitness - 2022.

I am not rich. Not even close. As a matter of fact, right now, I'm living day to day, dollar to dollar...trying to keep up with my bills. But, last year, I was doing really well. I actually had enough money to pay all my bills in the month ahead, due to saving and investing.

Emergencies happen. That's what happened to me.

And, right now, I am struggling to get caught back up.

In all this, I have realized that God is in control. God will have His way no matter what you do, but that does not mean that you sit back and do nothing to help yourself.

God gives you all you have. He expects you to use it how HE sees fit. If you don't, He will take the responsibility and all that comes with it away, until you can prove that you are trustworthy toward His will.

In order to be able to prove you can be trusted, God never takes it ALL away. He leaves you just enough to survive. He expects you to first and foremost, acknowledge Him in ALL He has given you, whether it is a little or a lot. And, for some, little does not mean less love or trust. Little can mean that that is where God needs you RIGHT NOW.

God may not give you money to take care of problems you encounter that require it, either. But, He ALWAYS gives you resources you can use to get what you need.

And, everything God gives you is a communication from Him to you. Everything you experience - whether you have little or much - is to teach you something. It is what you learn from any experience that determines whether or not you are ready for more.

I look forward to sharing my daily life with you from here on out. I want to show you what I have learned. I want to share what I know so that you can do it for yourself. I want you to have all the information you need to make educated choices in your life. And, I want you, above all, to realize that you would have NONE of it except that God gave it to you. I want to teach you to follow Jesus in all you are and all you do.

And, I will do this by sharing my failures as well as my successes.

My Retirement Job

I get a lot of passengers who ask me if I like to drive for Uber. What they are really wanting to know is do I make enough to support myself by what I do.

Most of my passengers think that what I do is just a hobby, or something I do on the side to pass the time. I don't get that, but okay.

I love to tell my story every time.

Today I had a trucker that was going to the airport. He asked me about it. I answered every question he asked. I told him how I came to drive for Uber in November of 2020 - how I started out just doing Uber Eats and Waitr; and, how after a month, I went and bought my first car from a car lot that required payments, and signed up for everything else.

I told him that yes, I do really well with what I do. Sometimes Uber is slow, and that is why I have signed up with everything else.

When I told him how much I made last year on average each day, his eyes got really wide and he said, "REALLY! You do pretty good, then! You can actually make a good living doing this!" Well, yes...that is what I had been telling him.

It is funny how people don't take what I do as a serious living; and, yet, it is how I make mine.

I told him the truth: "There is no way on God's green earth that I will ever go to work for someone else ever again if I can help it. Especially now."

I have the ideal job. I can go anywhere. I work when I want to (which is all the time because I have nothing better to do anyway). I never use an alarm clock unless I have an appointment to keep. I can take off when I need to to spend time with family and friends and I don't have to worry about being fired if I just decide to stay home. And, if I have that extra bill to pay, or want some new clothes, I just get in my car and drive some more.

It's my dream job.

I'm keeping it.

And, I never plan to retire until I can't drive anymore.

And, all the credit goes to my Jesus. I feel as if God has led me to this day, this time, doing what I do for a living. I see it as a gift from Him. I have been trained for this all my life.

I learned good customer service from my past jobs as a server that has helped me deal with my passengers and customers on a daily basis now.

I learned good cleaning practices, so my customers always compliment how clean my car is inside, and I get tips for that, as well, from former housekeeping and environmental services jobs I've had.

I learned to serve and be grateful and say "Thank you" from my involvement with my churches, and a stint from being homeless - from which I also learned good counseling skills for those who are asking for information on how to get help finding food and necessities from those who are struggling and want to talk while on their trips. I can relate to those who have been abused, and some of my passengers are put at ease by my experience in that regard.

I was a Corrections Officer in a prison at one time, and it taught me to be more aware of my surroundings, which is really useful when driving and watching other drivers on the road in order to prevent mishaps that can be unsafe for me or my passengers. It also makes me not afraid of dealing with different attitudes - the kinds that may intimidate others. And, I make sure that whoever gets into my car shows me their hands and face before I let them in. I want to know I'm not going to be attacked, robbed or abducted...or worse.

I know I can't prevent all dangers, but I can be aware and I can do my best to discourage it, and my faith takes care of the rest.

I was a bus driver, a cab driver, and I know how to use a computer and my Smart Phone to find anything I need to find.

No one can tell me that God hasn't been training me for this; so, I'm going to make the best of what He has given me, and I am going to ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

I am never going to retire until I have to.

An Apple for the Teacher

A teacher told me that sending our kids to school was a "privilege" and we should be "thankful for it". This was in response to me questioning the 4-day school week New Boston is implementing.

I had to school her.

Here is my response:

That might be the case if our kids didn't get truancy records for not attending; and, the parents didn't have CPS called on them when they decide to keep their child at home. Furthermore, we, as parents, have NO SAY as to the what you teach our child in the curriculum 90% of the time! A "privilege", teacher, is not something that is MANDATORY.

Driving is a "privilege." Getting your child an education in public schools is government mandated.

Have you ever home-schooled? I did. I was threatened when I took my child out of school. I had to jump through all kinds of hoops just to have the PRIVILEGE of teaching him at HOME.

So, with that said, you TEACHERS need to understand that we as PARENTS want what is best for our CHILDREN, NOT what is best for YOU.

The PRIVILEGE, as I see it, is that YOU get to teach our CHILDREN.

You ASKED to work there. You were ACCEPTED to the job. If you don't like your job, go look for another one.

Life is Learning

Seriously, no one needs a college education to make good money. They just need to know how to educate themselves.

When I home-schooled my boys, I taught them that knowing the answers was a good thing; but, the BETTER thing was to know how to find the answers that you do not know!

I tried to focus on teaching them that more.

When I was a young mom and I was looking for help, often I would find myself without the help I needed because I didn't know how to ask the right questions. I didn't know what questions were right. I felt like if I asked, sometimes I would sound stupid, and I didn't want anyone to think I was dumb.

Thankfully, I was able to remember a teacher I had in sixth grade, who always started the class by saying, "The only stupid question is the one that you don't ask." Now, I ask all kinds of questions. If the person I am asking doesn't know the answer, I ask them who I could talk to that WOULD know the answer. I have learned to ask follow up questions, and I have learned that ignorance is only temporary, and that there is NO SUCH THING as IMPOSSIBLE.

The truth is, we are ALL dumb. Not one of us knows everything there is to know.

People have said they thought I was very smart. I've had people praise my intelligence and assume I could put a computer together from scratch because I was so smart.

The truth is, I know how to push buttons and read directions. That is ALL I know. I know that if I push the "enter" button, it's going post it. That is ALL I KNOW.

If I want to be a Call Center Specialist (something I have never done) over the computer (using equipment I have never used on the computer) then I have LEARN how (not KNOW how). So, I did that. I pushed buttons, and read directions, and I am still taking courses provided by the platform I am using to learn more as I go. And, best of all, it is all FREE!

As a home-school mom, I had to learn what my kids were learning as they learned it. I had to guide them with teacher's aids that explained how to teach them each lesson. I didn't need a college education to teach my kids, I just needed an education that taught me how to LEARN.

One of the things I most remember my Granddaddy Freeman saying all the time was "If you ever stop learning, then you've stopped living." He encouraged me to try to learn something new, even if it is small, to experience something new, to grow a little EVERY DAY.

Life isn't about getting to a place where you know it all. No. Life is getting to the place where you can be humble enough to realize you don't know enough, and be willing to learn more.

Asking the Questions

Sitting here watching the end of the Sadie Robertson video about being anointed and what that really means.

So, yeah. I'm asking the "why" question.

I guess I am called to be faithful in ... who I am. That's all. Where ever I am in life, what ever I do on a daily basis, whoever I talk to, whatever I experience...

I am called to just be faithful. In all things.

=====

Luke Chapter 16

10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

===== To be faithful is to be loyal, to love exclusively, to protect and preserve passionately and with vigor from the heart. To maintain the integrity of the relationship.

How much do I love the Lord? That is the question that should be asked. Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me, Peter?" Peter answered, finally, by taking the answer a step further than what he was asked, "Lord, YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU!"

Does He know that I love Him? Have I been passionate enough in my expression of my love for Him? Have I been loyal to Him? Have I sought to maintain the integrity of His Word?

I have done my very best. I will continue to do all I know to do.

God has been intentional in testing me. Sometimes I have stumbled. Sometimes I have failed. But, ALL THE TIME, I have stood back on my feet with my eyes toward Him.

Am I anointed? I am a child of the Living God, the King of the Universe and Creator of Life, and I am washed in the Blood of the Lamb.

Of course I am.

Being the Church VS Going to Church

Show me in the bible where I HAVE to go to church to be called a true follower of Christ? Church is good. Church is needed for those who are young in the faith and need the instruction. It is also great for re-charging your spiritual batteries when needed. It is great for fellowship and group worship. But there is NOTHING in the Bible that says I have to be present with a bunch of people in a BUILDING on one or two days of the week.

The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

This does not mean we are required to meet once a week. It means that we all need the association of believers at some time. It means that we could visit with our fellow believers anywhere. Anytime. Have worship and feast together at our homes, as families, friends getting together and remembering that the most honored guest is our Lord and Saviour.

It means that we join together during special events and feasts. It means that we celebrate each others successes and encourage each other in our failures.

THAT is what is said, and THAT is what is meant!

Let me ask you...when you throw a party, who do you invite? A bunch of people who are unrepentent sinners, or people who believe as you do who are your TRUE friends and extended family? And when you get invited to an event by another Christian, do you turn it down because you think it will be too stuffy? or do you go, in order to strengthen and form the bonds you need when you are in need of encouragement and hope? And do you go for YOU, or do you go for the one who invited you?

Side Note: All the preachers in the Bible preached on the streets, not in a church building.

Miracles and Christianity

Someone said that "Christianity without miracles is just another religion".

That depends on the definition of "miracle". I think getting up in the morning is a miracle for me. God woke me up. That's a miracle. God gave me all I have. That's a miracle. And, the fact that I am forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness by the blood of someone who went to the cross 2000 years ago -- THAT is a REAL MIRACLE!

Some people get disillusioned with Christianity when the "miracle" they pray for doesn't happen. What they don't understand is that God gives us miracles every day, all around us. And, God only gives us the miracles we need in our lives, not the ones we wish we could have.

I'm not saying God can't or won't perform miracles that confound the imagination: After all, He did part the Red Sea; He broke down the Jericho walls; He walked on water; And, He turned water into wine - among a great many others.

What I am saying, rather, is that God knows what we need when we need it, and if He does perform a miracle, the whole purpose of it is to glorify Himself, not to amuse us, make our life easier, or to give us our selfish desires; and, until we are thankful for the every day miracles we see around us, and learn to give God praise for those alone, the kind of miracles that we are looking for will always disillude us.

Alex, CNN and John Joe Gray

CNN is planning to do a special report tonight about Alex Jones.

One of the reasons I have a distaste for Alex is because he tends to exaggerate whatever situation he is covering. By doing so, he is likely to endanger all of those involved.

For instance, I sent out the patriot reporters to investigate when the Houston Chronicle came out with a story about a stand off with John Joe Gay. Part of our job was to verify mainstream stories to make sure we weren't being lied to, when such stories surfaced.

When reporters got there, they spoke with Gray and saw no signs of a stand off. They were told that they had received an eviction notice and he was refusing to leave - over taxes.

Alex, with all his people, went and stood in the tree lines and started reporting a shootout that was not occurring. He could have brought the BATF, FBI, police and others to the scene with his urgent, exaggerated story. It was NOT truth in reporting. He may as well have been working with the Houston Chronicle.

While the story had merit and deserved to be heard, what Alex did was kill any credibility the story had.

That was the last straw with Alex. I refused to work with him after that. Not only did he kill the truth with what he did, he made the Patriot Media look bad.

I burned out shortly after that, because not only was I fighting those who were loyal to the main stream media, I was also fighting against the "Alex crowd", many of which were supposedly patriots on our side who chose to believe a lie and isolate those of us who were really out to get the truth.

Alex was getting all the money, while we were left with nothing to work with. Our cause was doomed.

Updating My Life

I have recently started making use of my website (Click HERE to see it).

If you are interested in seeing more about what I am up to on a daily basis, my website is where you will find it.

I will still be making good use of this blog, so don't go away!

For instance, today a friend posted something on Facebook about Baby Jessica. Remember Baby Jessica? It happened on October 14, 1987. Check out her Biography! Click Here. She turned out alright! Apparently, there is a boy in Morocco who has suffered the same fate.

It was interesting to me, so I just told you about it.

Keep checking back!

The Prodigal Daughter Returns Home

Good afternoon, World.

Last night I sat down and took stock of everything I have done in the past 3 years. I was searching to pinpoint the exact moment that I must have replaced God with something else I wanted in my life. I have been feeling as if God was further and further away from me and no matter how much I knew it was me who was pushing Him away, I couldn't bring myself to do what it took to pull Him back.

I kept hoping I could have both. But, we all know that God doesn't work that way. It's all or nothing with Him.

The saving Grace was that the more I fought to have what I wanted, the more God fought to make me see that HE was what I REALLY wanted, and nothing else was going to bring me the fulfillment and joy I was seeking.

Last night, He won. The wrestling match is over. I submit.

I told Him so. I meant it. Just like I meant it that day on December 31, 2013.

It is time to give up what I was working so hard for and let Him give me what He wants me to have. No matter how big or small that may seem to me (We all know that nothing God gives is really "small". It's ALL big. It's a matter of perspective).

This morning, I woke up and the first thing I did was turn on Pandora Radio to listen to my Christian Praise Music. It's a new day. It's a new life. (again). I am determined to let God make it so.

The first song I heard was God's message to me. I needed to hear it. I heard the message loud and clear.

Thank You, Father, for Jesus. And, thank You so much for speaking to me in such a loud voice again!

The best thing about being a child of God is that no matter how many times you wander astray, no matter how many bad decisions you make, or sins you commit out of curiosity and err, God is always waiting for you to come home with His arms open wide!

Oh, the feeling I get when those arms close in around me and give me that great big hug I have so needed!

Have a blessed day!