Faith and Prosperity

Last year my husband and I took a ministry training program at church.  In it we had a Prosperity class where the teacher very succinctly pointed out why we should tithe, why we should save, and why we should give offerings.  He explained what the Word said on blessings and finances. On how God wanted us to live in over-abundance.  He then said if you cannot live by the 10/10/80 rule, (tithe 10%, save 10%, live off the 80%), we needed to either make more money, or cut expenses. 

We decided together that we wanted to live off of the rule. I did a budget, and there was just no way.  We could not create more income unless there was a job change, something neither of us wanted to do. So we set about for the year cutting expenses.  We changed cell phone plans, we changed internet plans, we canceled small payments. We were more conservative on our energy consumption which brought our utility bills down. We canceled and cut off many things. 

We greatly reduced our budget and we forgot about the whole 10/10/80. We just spent more.  We ate out, we  bought things, we lived in excess.  Another year rolls by and we decided to repeat the program. Committing a year gave us so many unexpected gifts, a stronger marriage, a united family, and several of our unsaved family members joining the church. Who wouldn't want to have another amazing year? Plus with all of our new knowledge, we could learn things we missed the first time.

So month 3, we are in Prosperity again.  The teacher brings up 10/10/80 and it was like a slap in the head.  We KNEW we had to tithe, we just forgot to. We knew that Malachi 3:10 says: Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this, "Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

God said to Try Him and boy did we want to.  So we wrote the budget out, and was I ever shocked to see that the numbers matched up.  There was enough to tithe 10%, save 10%, and live off of the 80%.

Now let me back up here for a second.  When we cut our bills down, we started to spend more.  Well suddenly 6 months into living that way, we were constantly out of money. There was nothing left. I would put all the information down, subtract it all out, and there wasn't enough. The numbers did not make sense.  Literally, I am a banker, I have taken numerous Calculus classes. I tutor everyone in any math subject even if I haven't taken the class, just let me read the chapter and I can teach it to you.  I do algebra and geometry in my sleep- literally.  There is NO reason why I shouldn't be able to handle a budget. Somehow it had gotten completely away from me.  I would log into our online banking and we would be negative.  It was horrible.  I believe the thief had taken our goodwill toward tithing, got us to focus instead on ourselves, and was reeking havoc in our finances.

So fast forward to Prosperity class.  That week we had like $2 and we were going to have to put our gas on a credit card. I sat down with the bible out, wrote down our deposits, wrote out a tithe, and a savings deposit, and subtracted all of our other bills and it worked. The numbers lined up.  This was a direct gift from God.  I was testing Him. Here God, take these broken finances and try to find a tithe in there, and He gave it to me.

My  husband and I joyfully turned in our first tithe check. We had been Daniel Fasting for 21 days and in a couple weeks we were greatly looking forward to going to a buffet and indulging.  I pulled up our budget, typed in all the info. We had enough to live on, but we just simply didn't have the extra $50 to take our family to an expensive buffet.  We could go buy groceries, and have a feast at home, but the $50 wasn't there.  We had several options. We could have taken it from the Tithe- that was not an option.  We could have taken it from our savings account- also not an option if we didn't want to set a precedent.  We decided to just eat at home.  My husband was disappointed. I really wasn't.  He is the steak eater of the two of us. 

So that Sunday rolls around, and we gladly gave up our chance at the buffet after service and turned in our Tithe check.  We had not spoken of our commitment to anyone in the family.  This was our personal matter.  At the end of service I looked down at my cell phone. My mother texted me and said she wanted to take us out to eat, she would pay. (this never happens unless it's my birthday)  We gladly went.  At lunch she handed me over a $500 check. She told me that she got a surprise inheritance, and wanted to give me a portion of it.

I tested God and he proved it.  Again, Malachi 3:10 says: Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this, "Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Thank you for your blessings God. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

2013 Race List

A record of this years races for my future reference.

1. Polar Bear Plunge for the second time on 1/1
2. Go Short Go Long Go Really Long 25k on 1/26 3:05
3. Poker Run 2/16/13 5 miles (2nd time)
4. Snake Run 3/17/13 6 hour race 21.6 miles, 7th overall in women
5. Color Run (2nd year)
6. Mock Marathon (2nd time) total destruction. ended up having to call husband to pick me up on the side of the road at mile 14
7. OKC Memorial Marathon beat my time by 12 minutes!
8. Warrior Dash (2nd time)
9. Moonlight 5k (2nd time)- first 5k post marathon, OUCH
10. Beware the Beast- completed, didn't lose a flag!
11. Port to Fort Adventure Race- 5mi run, 100y swim, 5mi canoe- favorite race so far this year, even if my canoe sunk and I had to get rescued.
12. Diva Dash- registered the girls for their first ever race- they were so cute
13. Tulsa Run 15k (2nd time) Wogged this race with my Bestie who is not a runner
14. Tough Mudder- Quote from an Official at TM, "This is the muddiest course in the entire TM history." It was AWFUL, but completed.
15. Donut Run - with the Hub, eat 6 donuts, then run a 5k in 30 mins -  did not complete in required time.- no surprise there
16. Mustache Dash- 2nd race with the girls

Also, a friend of mine jots down a few memories from each race on the back of her bibs. Since I already save mine I think that is a fabulous idea and will start doing this now.  It allows me to be able to remember if I liked a race or not for the next year.  For instance Beware the Beast- I didn't really like the race, but I am having a hard time remembering why.

It's always the Portions

So I lost a bunch of weight in 2011, and was maintenance all of 2012.  Now here it is the fall of 2013 and I am a good 5lbs heavier then I want to be. I know it is "only" 5 lbs. But if I let that 5lbs slide, then when the NEXT five pounds comes creeping up, the first 5lbs will feel normal, and the vicious cycle will continue. Before I know it I will be up 15-20 lbs and think, where did it come from? When I know good and well where it came from. It came from donuts and chips and just overeating in portion sizes.

Here's the way it works for me.  *reads back of package* Okay, I can have 3 of these.  *eats three* Then fast forward 3 months, well I have been eating 3 just fine for all this time with no bad effects. I am going to try 6!!!!!!!!!  *eats 6*  OH MAN WHY DO I FEEL SO AWFUL!!??  Then the next time do I learn my lesson? No. I eat 6, but I don't feel awful this time. Then all of a sudden 3 is out the window never to be thought of again and 6 is the new norm.  It's a VICIOUS cycle. 

So what do I have to do? I have to have some DADGUM DISCIPLINE. I have to just force it back and it sucks. Because now my body WANTS 6. Now my body is screaming that it is starving. Now my stomach is falling out of my body in this desperate little flop. Like, oh plllleeeease feed me. Don't you love me? And my Mind has this hot poker, and is like BACK! BACK YOU SLUG! You have had an appropriate amount of food in you. You don't NEED EXTRA SUGAR! And my stomach is all, but I wannttzzzzz it.  It's MY precious! 

Do you see what I am dealing with here?  So here is me, hot poker in hand, ready to battle. Let's go stomach.

Lord, if you are willing

Today I am struck by my commonalities between myself and a leper in Luke 5:12-13.

12 While He (Jesus) was in one of the towns, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cure me and make me clean.
13 And Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed! And immediately the leprosy left him.

This last January my church fasted for 3 weeks leading up to a giant healing service.  I was diligent in my prayers, expectant for miracles, and challenged by my very first ever fast.  My husband had debilitating migraines for his entire adult life. They would attack him once or twice a month, crippling him. He would vomit, and sweat, and have to leave work. We could never figure out what was triggering them, and we just dealt with the aftermath for years. He had them before I ever met him, and for 5 years together, we suffered. 

I was so focused on his healing. I was praying for it, and excited about his life free from the pain.  I also suffered from pain in my extremities that was diagnosable.  I had it for as long as I can remember. It was a part of me, and I literally believed it was un-healable.  On the morning of the healing service I was HOPPED UP with excitement. I knew that Brandon would receive his healing. 

One of my friends Sarah asked me what I would be healed for. My response, oh I don't want to ask too much of God.  We are going to focus on Brandon getting rid of his migraines, and we can do my problems next year.  Sarah responded so matter of factly, what makes you think He can't do both?

That shook me to the base of my core.  God can do all things to work together for MY good. Why would I believe he "wouldn't be willing" to heal both Brandon and Myself?  All I had to do was to receive what God had already given me.  By the stripes on Jesus I AM ALREADY healed.  We went to the altar at the appointed time, and for the first time in who knows how long, years of my life, the pain left my body.  It was shocking. I didn't even know how much pain I was dealing with daily until it was gone.

I have come up against not feeling good enough for God to notice me many times.  I know there are billions of people in this world, why would He be willing to take care of poor little me?  I have to remind myself that God's ways are not my ways. God's thoughts are not my thoughts. He loves me. He is willing to help and heal me. I just need to receive it.

Deciding Against What's in front of you

Reading Luke 4:38-44 today has filled me with emotion.

Jesus, having spent the day preaching at the synagogue went to Peter’s house.  His mother was sick, and so Jesus knelt over Simon’s mother and healed her.  She was healed, and jumped up to serve them. I am sure she fed them dinner, maybe cleaned their road weary clothes.  At dusk, when Jesus would finally rest for the day, he was instead receiving ‘all those with any sick’.  These were people who had no modern medicine, no Lysol spray, and no antibiotics.  They came up to Him and he healed them all. 

It then says daybreak came.  Did he get a chance to rest?  Did sleep ever come?  Or did he spend the night healing every sick person in town.  He could have healed them all from his bed while he was sleeping, but he didn’t do that.  The bible says he knelt over Simon’s mother.  He gave her individual attention. He wouldn’t give the multitude that came in the night any less attention.

He is our Savior, but He was in a mortal body. A mortal body needs to be fed and rested. How tired He must have been! At daybreak He left alone to find a quiet moment with his father God.  How long did he get?  How long would you need after spending all day and all night with people to get your bearings again? To remember your true purpose on the earth? 

It ended too soon. The bible said the people were searching for Him, and tried to prevent Him from leaving them.  When I try to stop one of my children from leaving my side in a parking lot, I will grab for their hand; and if that isn’t attainable I will latch on to whatever is closest: their arm, the back of their shirt, a lock of their hair, whatever I can do to keep them close and safe.  Jesus was surrounded by people that didn’t want to let Him go. Did they grab at Him?  Did they plead at Him?  How heartbreaking would it be to know that yes, you could stay and keep this one town safe and healthy, at the expense of the entire world? 

He had a job to do. They did not understand.  Where there are men and women, there are children.  He knew He could stay there and keep them healthy, but he didn’t. Instead He said,” I must preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the other cities, for I was sent for this purpose.”  He loved them all so much. He was a perfect vessel of love.  He knew He had to press forward to the ultimate goal of giving His life for us.  He knew there were other people who needed His help more, and so He continued onward. But it must have been hard. So very hard.

Future Marathons

I ran a second Marathon in April, the OKC Memorial Marathon. I beat my time on the Rt 66 by a good 15 minutes. It was much easier mentally, I knew what to expect, when to conserve, and where to push.  Plus the course was just plain easier.  There wasn't the last 6 miles of nothing but hills. 

It took me a long time to recover from the race. It ended up taking me a long time to recover from the Snake Run.  I have tendons that are shorter than average in my feet, and it just takes a lot longer to become a normal human being. My husband, always supportive of my decisions, suggested ever so sweetly I take a break from the long races, and I agree with him.  I told him I wouldn't do any more for a year, and I am holding up my end of that bargain. 

We discussed it, and settled on a break until the fall of 2014, where I would train for the Dopey Challenge. It takes place in January 2015, and it is a 5k Thursday, 10k Friday, Half Marathon Saturday, and Full Marathon Sunday.  I am challenged and excited by the idea.

This does not mean I am not running all together. It just means I am spending time focusing on other things. I am more active in my church, and able to really get involved in the Nightmare, Brunch, and GK Jam, instead of hobbling in at the last minute on sore feet.  I also spent some time training a dear friend of mine on how to run. The other day in talking she casually said at the start of her workout she ran a mile, and that was no big deal. Boy did that make my heart sing! 

The next race coming up is Tough Mudder with my Becker Boo.  I am not adequately trained for it, and neither is she. But we will have a great time, walk when we need to, and bond over a great day together.

Snake Run- 6 hour trail race

Yesterday was the six hour trail race. I found out about this race in 2011, when I was still fat and working my way through C25K. I knew I wanted to do it, but it sounded impossible. I put it on my bucket list (alongside running at the South Pole) and didn't really think at that time the race would be possible.

Fast forward a year and a half and I ran it yesterday! Last fall I did quite a bit of trail running, but this year with my new job, and time schedules; I can never make it out to the local "mountain" to run with my running group. I hoodwinked a few friends to go with me a handful of times, but they all claimed it was too hard. (they called me Jillian the whole time we were out there) And I will never run out there alone because I have seen a few bums out there before, a few drug addicts, and while 99% of the people are normal runners/bikers, I have watched too many Criminal Minds episodes to feel comfortable by myself. When you are out there, you are completely alone.

So determined, and with zero recent trail running experience this season, i set out on not the easier 3 hour race, but the full out 6 hour race.

This is how my time went,

1st loop- awesome! i could do this all day!

2nd loop.....well okay, we got this, we can do this.

3rd loop.... i hate hills. hills are dumb. why did I decide to do this? I should quit, I have ran the required miles needed to get my medal. I could leave now and there's no shame.

fourth loop- NO YOU ARE DOING THIS MISSY. YOU CAME OUT HERE FOR SIX HOURS AND YOU ARE STAYING FOR SIX HOURS.

fifth loop- are my feet still attached??? I cant feel my feet! my legs hurt. There was quite a bit of weaving involved, pretty hilarious.

last half mile- oh girl, why did you ever think you couldn't do this? YOU ARE SO AWESOME!

So I finished the race, stretched, and hobbled out to my car. My right leg is pretty worse for the wear today, but I do not have that overwhelming body of death feeling that I had after the marathon in November. I am proud of myself for not giving up, and for completing the 21 miles. (the overall male winner did 39 miles THIRTY NINE. I will need some practice before next year!)