“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7 When we hear the word budget, most of us cringe and a dozen fearful thoughts run through our minds. It feels like you try to sit down and look in the crystal ball to see the future…which is impossible. Or you put your numbers on paper with prayers that all will go as planned. To our amazement having a budget actually helps us avoid disasters and be prepared. I have a great quote on the top of my budgeting book that says “financial freedom means that when your life crumbles around you, the…

A few weeks into the New Year…how are your resolutions going? My thoughts exactly…epic fails for most of us. I, for one, gave up on the notion of resolutions years ago, as I decided that was a sure-fire way to fail and feel guilty about not reaching a goal again.  New Year’s resolutions, birthday resolutions or whatever type of resolutions you set each year…how do you do? I remember thinking it was so cool to set my resolutions in my high school and college days. However as I moved into adulthood I realized that I never actually accomplished reaching them. There is no magic fairy dust that is sprinkled on…

When looking at the word purge it may have different context meanings to you. For some purge may mean to get rid of unwanted clutter around the house. For others, it may mean to purge or cleanse the soul or body. I would say that however you view the word purge, both meanings go hand in hand. I, myself, think of purge as both. This is the beginning of 2021, so let’s make it a great year with lots of intentionality and purge the unwanted. Whether you want to declutter your home or purge the not-so-good eating habits and lack of exercise, let’s get started. I have started to purge in…

Let me start by saying that there is no scientific backing to this post, just my personal experience. I know that many of us embark on plans to be more active and healthy following the holidays. However, I felt compelled to share my experience with fitness trackers because mine has not been successful. I have had several fitness trackers, including Fitbit, Garmin, Leaf, and a knock-off version of the Apple Watch (yes, I am that cheap). I started with a Fitbit because it was the most popular one, and I felt I needed some motivation to get away from my desk. I switched to the Garmin because it had fewer…

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. Stories, journaling, poetry, and, one of my favorites, expressive writing. The health benefits of expressive writing are numerous and supported by research. Various benefits include biological, psychological, emotional, and spiritual (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005; Pennebraker & Evans, 2014). My personal experience with expressive writing has proven to provide all of the cited benefits. But most important for me is the spiritual benefits. I happen to be a person that spends a lot of time in my head. A deep thinker by nature, my mind is usually always contemplating something. As you might imagine, sometimes there is quite a traffic jam of thoughts…