Yesterday I met with our CPA to file our 2022 taxes. So. Not. Fun!
My husband Ray and I now owe even more taxes than the year before. I’m looking to Jehovah Jireh our Provider.
God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice to God instead of his beloved, precious son Isaac. God told Abraham to kill Isaac to test Abraham’s faith in Him. When God saw that Abraham was going to obey, not even withholding from God his son who he waited years into his old age to have and who he greatly loved, God stopped Abraham.
“Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” (Genesis 22:13, NKJV)
I’m also praying for a payment plan with the IRS to pay the taxes that we owe. Now that we’re into the second quarter of 2023, I’m making other goals as well. Are you?
To summarize them, my new goals are hope, health, and happiness.
Despite the fact that Ray and I owe taxes to the government that we currently don’t have money to pay, I’m not without hope. Our hope is always in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. God has all the answers!
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)
“And now O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.” (Psalm 39:7)
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains–where does my help come from?” (Psalm 121:1, NIV)
The Bible says that God owns the cattle on 1,000 hills. (Psalm 50:10-12) This week as Ray and I were driving to see our daughter Eden and our 3 adorable grandkids to eat Culver’s cheeseburgers with them, I saw a herd of cows in a pasture feeding on the grass. Today I was reminded of that encouraging picture and verse.
God has more than enough to provide for our taxes, and for ALL our debts. We can look to and trust in HIM.
A sweet friend of mine on Facebook private messaged me today and encouraged me with a prayer for Ray and me to have faith in Jesus and to become totally debt free–not just our taxes, but ALL our debts! She has experienced this in her own life, praying in faith, and now she has their house mortgage paid off and their medical bills and other debts. She exhorted me that God can do this for Ray and me, too. AMEN! Her words were such a blessing and brought tears of joy to my eyes. Yes, I prayed that prayer of faith today!
My next goal for 2023’s second quarter is to have and maintain good health and fitness.
My father has said numerous times that if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything. I agree that it’s very important. You can’t fulfill God’s purpose for your life to the fullest extent without good health!
The Bible also says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) We need to take care of ourselves to honor and glorify God. Our bodies are not a trash can!
One of the healthiest exercises is walking. While my go-to for walking is the high school track here in Butler where I live, I also enjoy walking on a nature trail close by. I’ve seen one of my favorite birds, the male red cardinal, as well as other happy birds there. There is something peaceful and healing about nature.
The sunshine helps our bodies to absorb much-needed Vitamin D. It also helps to elevate our mood. I’ve rarely seen unhappy, miserable people in the sunshine at the beach!
Many people have a Vitamin D sufficiency.
I haven’t been walking for awhile due to the cold weather here in Missouri, but I recently started again – and it felt SO good to be back in the saddle again! Please pray for my consistency and self-discipline to walk and exercise this year!
The benefits of walking just 30 minutes every day (or close to it) are:
- increase cardiovascular fitness;
- strengthen your bones;
- reduce excess body fat (lose weight!);
- boost muscle power and endurance;
- reduces your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers;
- and it just makes you feel good!
Taking daily vitamins and minerals are also important to your health. I’ve been on a regimen of good vitamins for several years now. Here are the ones I take faithfully.
Vitafusion Calcium with Vitamin D and women’s multi-vitamins. Available for sale at Amazon.
Calcium with Vitamin D
Multi Vitamins
On my friend Debbie’s recommendation, I began this probiotic and Zinc when the pandemic hit, for immune support. They are not cheap, but I think they are worth the cost. Turmeric is also good for any kind of inflammation in your body. Available for sale at Amazon.
Vitamin Code Zinc
Turmeric
Probiotic
I started taking this vitamin this week for stronger nails, healthier hair, and smoother skin. I’ll let you know what I think of it.
Available for sale on Amazon.
I struggle a lot with insomnia, which I think is primarily due to STRESS. Recently I started taking these herbs (Lemon Balm and Valerian Root), recommended by Dr. Berg on YouTube. You add drops of the herbs into a cup or glass of water.
I think they help some, at least with staying asleep. I dream vividly when taking them. It’s the getting to sleep part that is hardest for me. I’ve tried many different things for this, so please don’t contact me with MLM or other products!
Valerian Root herb, available for sale on Amazon
Lemon Balm
I also drink hot herbal lemon balm tea. It helps to decrease stress, depression and anxiety.
Available for sale on Amazon.
I’m trying to eat healthier, such as more fresh fruit and veggies (like salads for lunch. I’m eating one right now as I write this blog). Recently, I stopped drinking Dr. Pepper, which is a miracle since I was addicted to it and Coca-Cola. To Jesus belongs the glory!
I’m trying to stop eating junk food and to cut down on sugary foods or drinks. I have also cut down on my coffee intake (the caffeine)…though I still occasionally enjoy a creamy, hot coffee in the morning or a white mocha, creamy Skinny Cold Brew with probiotics.
Please pray that I will continue self-discipline with these diet changes – it is SO HARD!
My friend Dana Arcuri told me about her using healthier makeup. I now primarily order from Mineral Fusion, which produces hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, artificial fragrance free, paraben free, and phthalate free makeup. The skin foundation feels like silk when you apply it. The mascara makes your lashes look longer and fuller. I love them!
Mineral Fusion’s eyeliner is liquid and kind of hard to apply well. Their “lip butter” balms are great. I also use their skin care (moisturizer and nightly cleaner).
I do use Elf’s lip lacquer gloss (Wild Rose color) and Revlon’s Colorstay ™ black eyeliner, which I call my defense against life, lol! I love my eyeliner! You can get these at Walmart or other stores.
I’ve been watching vloggers this year on YouTube and one thing that I saw a lot of them doing was using a cold face roller. I found this one by BAIMEI on Amazon, with a heart-shaped, green jade Gua Sha tool. It is supposed to help with shrinking pores (my main reason to get it), eliminate puffiness (especially under your eyes), and improve fine lines and wrinkles.
At the very least, the cold roller feels good on your neck and your face first thing in the morning! You put the roller in your freezer or fridge for about 15-30 minutes and roll over your facial skin. I like this one’s pretty blue-green color. The packaging is so cool – I love the creative art on its box!
Available for sale on Amazon
I also buy household products that are reportedly healthier than other products: Tom’s toothpaste without fluoride, 7th Generation dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent free of dyes (no dryer sheets), shampoo and conditioner (Dr. Berg’s organic products with no animal testing, paraben free, sulfate free, cruelty free, and ph balanced), and I usually use just vinegar and hot water for mopping. (I do use Comet for our bathroom sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets!)
I know there are MLM companies and organizations out there who sell “healthy” products. Ray and I both have tried them. I liked them, but they often require you to buy the products on auto-pay and the dates never seem to coincide with our paycheck days…which can potentially put us in the red. Some months we haven’t needed any of the products, so Ray felt it was a waste of money to re-order them. Ray also likes FOOD more than household products!
The truth is, there is no way to get completely away from pollutants, chemicals, etc. in this world. Even the air we breathe sometimes is polluted (or filled with pollen. much to the dismay of allergy sufferers!). Pollution, chemicals, germs, bacteria, are everywhere we go. We have to just take care of ourselves and do the best we can with everything, and trust God for the rest!
Of course, your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Which leads to my third goal: happiness.
I do believe that God wants us as His children to be happy, just as we parents want our children to be happy. Next to my salvation through Christ, our 3 beautiful daughters Heather, Eden, and Leah are my greatest gift from God and they make me so happy, spending time with them!
Our relationships are an important part of our mental health and our lives’ goals. (Can anyone say, “Marriage”?! It isn’t easy! Ray and I just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary – what?!)
Probably a better word or goal would be “joy,” because happiness can be fleeting. People also can feel happy living in blatant sin, which God doesn’t want!
The Bible says the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
One of the primary ways we can feel joy is to pursue God’s purpose for our lives. Do you know what your purpose and calling from God is? I encourage you to seek Him for the answer to that.
It’s important to use our spiritual gifts for God’s glory and to help others. My desire is to continue using mine (speaking, writing books, and coaching) this year and to increase their effectiveness and my impact for Christ.
If you’re an event planner and need a speaker for your conference, retreat, or online event, contact me here.
My Amazon Author Page where you can find all my books for sale are here.
If you don’t know what your spiritual gifts are, there are spiritual gifts test online. I also highly recommend the book, The Gifts & Ministries of the Holy Spirit by Lester Sumrall, available for sale on Amazon here.
We also have joy when we have FUN. God WANTS us to have fun. He’s not an angry God up in Heaven just waiting to zap us with lightning if we mess up.
When we laugh and are happy (as long it’s not sinful), it brings a smile to God’s face, just like when we parents do as our children play, have fun, and are happy.
The beach is my place of peace and happiness–especially Destin, Florida. I went last year and it was gorgeous and amazing! I’m praying to go again this year.
Jesus came to give us abundant life, and that includes joy. God doesn’t want you and me stressed out (like over taxes!), depressed, anxious, fearful, worried, angry, or the like. Jesus wants to give us peace and joy.
What are your 2023 second quarter goals, dreams, and desires? We can make the second (and 3rd and 4th) quarter better than the first one. I encourage you to think, pray, and journal about them. Leave me your comments below.
Let’s go!
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This blog post contains affiliate links. This means that I make a little money if you click on the link and buy the product, to bless my business and ministry. Thank you so much for your support and prayers for me and my family!
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