Dream 1/30/2020

Dream 1/30/2020

This morning I found myself in a man’s home, where I was entertaining his young daughter.  She was very much interested in the trinkets and objects of this world, as her father clearly also was by the size and intricacy of his house.  He lacked for nothing.

The little girl decided she didn’t like me (I actually believe in consequences for misdeeds) and her father and his friends gave a few minutes to grab my personal possessions and leave.  He and his friends kept running after me, and I found buildings were cooperating and helping with his efforts. I knew I needed to start letting go of possessions (namely clothes).

As I weaved in and out of buildings, I came upon an answer to my prayer, a winged wooden platform designed to fly supplies around the city.  I ran over to get one and found myself being aided by my late Mother, who had me leave behind the rest of my possessions as we tried to pump the wings to get airborne.  My Mother was still in her 83 year old body, but was now able to run, jump and lift items beyond how she was in life. I dumped the remaining items and we took off. We went past scores of high end stores and audiences captivated by the latest game show. I no longer had any desire for the material possessions offered by these.

The next thing I saw Mom and I landed the platform in a small community untouched by the sophisticated world of the city we had just left.  An earthquake could be felt as the city in the distance was swallowed up in the earth.  

Mom gave me a hug and told me I was going to be okay.  She left me with the most precious possession, my life.

I awoke with gratitude for my Mother; this my first dream of her since her passing 2 1/2 years ago.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that I should no longer watch decluttering videos at 2am.

Transfer Tuesday

I’m so blessed to get a paycheck!

Tithing (not disclosing)

Credit card - $500

Base Savings - $10 & $12

Pet sinking fund - $50

Home Improvement sinking fund $50

I’m getting close to my goal with the pet fund!

VoicePlay

This quintet is based out of Florida and are known for performing a lot of Disney covers.

The Most Real Cleaning Channel On YouTube

I’m sure there are others like this, but she breaks down the thought process as someone who hoards in their home learns to let go.

The Sealed Portion of Our Lives

Today’s personal revelation:  Just as the Book of Mormon has a sealed portion, so is our eternal lives sealed.  Each step we take towards becoming more like Christ, a portion of our eternal life is unlocked and opened and revealed.  This will continue well after we have each passed on.

Lehi’s Dream & You

If You Think It Can’t Happen To You, Think Again

I cannot give enough praise to God for my home.

Thankfully, things have worked out really well for them and their family.

The Cost of Keeping Up With The Joneses

These are channels I’m following, on top of others who have been in this process for the last few years, because I love to see people succeeding in life after God giving people the proverbial two by four across the head (as my husband would put it).

I was starting to get like this when Decker and I were first married, but God took Decker home unexpectedly and I retreated back into a hole.  I was tremendously blessed, though, as Decker had life insurance and that got me through eight years of life until the crash took the last of the money.  By that time, I was working in public education and five years later moving to a job at the district office as I could no longer afford food on what I was making.

Keep in mind, I didn’t have a smart phone (I still don’t), I didn’t have cable tv (only cable internet) and refused to sell my home to get a bigger and better one when times were good because I have plenty where I’m at and it’s paid for.

Is life perfect for me?  No.  I am, however, blessed.  I am so thankful that God and my husband watched over me for so many years and provided the advice needed for a very frightened widow.

I have one debt; the credit card used for the medical stuff from last year.  That is priority one.

Much of this, though, also involves doing things in a healthy way other than complete deprivation.  When last year was over, I was left with a significant debt but also a nice chunk of money built up from the 52 week savings challenge.

The question I had was, okay, do I keep it all in savings or put all of it towards debt?

God had a better plan.  Put 1/2 of the money onto my HSA card to cover a chunk of medical expenses for 2020 and the other 1/2 into my medical sinking fund.

Since following that prompting, I have felt complete peace.

On top of that, I’m still paying 1/2 of each paycheck towards the credit card, plus re-starting the 52 week savings plan, plus adding money towards the pets as they all need to have checkups this year.

Then, because I wasn’t living on every dime I make, I noticed a deposit this past week to my checking account that I wasn’t expecting.  It was the monthly distribution from my Mother’s IRA that she left to me as sole beneficiary.  The money is also considered to be sacred, and I placed it in the pet sinking fund to assist me in taking care of her cats along with my own cats.

God has been very good to me.

Transfer Tuesday!

This is not an original idea, but I love it and had already been incorporating it since my employer changed our pay days to every other Tuesday.

Today was payday, so today’s transfers:

Tithing and Fast Offerings ( not disclosing)

$500 to pay down my credit card

$6 & $8 towards a chosen savings account (more information click here ) towards my annual double the weekly savings

$50 to the Pet Care sinking fund

My inspiration:

Now That’s A Lot of Puppies!

Kudos to the mama dog.

Don’t Miss This

When Tax Time Comes Around...

Be sure to give this a view.

Savings Challenge 2019 - How Did I Do?

I posted back in July that I had been slowly building up a savings account using a Savings Challenge Grid I posted a while back.

I did the challenge where you double the amount for the entire year.  Did I make it?

Not entirely, however I did save up a chunk of money for the year.

What did I do with the money?

After some consideration and prayer, it was decided that I needed to put 1/2 into my HSA and 1/2 into my medical sinking fund.  I’ve done this and feel like I’m in the best financial situation starting this year than I have in previous years with a lot less stress and anxiety.

And I’ve started again with the challenge, doubling for the entire year again.  We’ll see how well we do!

Habits

I saw this and found that I liked these ideas.

My habit for January:  Daily morning and evening prayer.

I Did A Little Bit of Shopping...

Today was one of those days where I spent the majority of the day not at home.

I started off going to the cemetery - being followed by some woman in an SUV who decided she needed to know where I was going.  She followed me until I drove into the cemetery.  I don’t know what she was thinking, but I’m hoping her perspective has changed.

I had some plastic poinsettias for my parents and Decker, but there was rain for both Christmas and New Year, so I finally made it out there today.

Then I did a “little” shopping.

I did a drive by trip to the Gilbert Temple (parking lot was packed, which made me happy) and then went to the Deseret Bookstore down the street from the Temple to get a new calendar.  Yeah, I found that and a few other items...

I then went to JoAnn, even though I was actually trying to find a Michael’s store, but I couldn’t help myself.  The cat lady bag called out to me.  LOL.

Then, I finally found a Michaels store!  I wanted the cart, but I found some writing books on sale and couldn’t help myself.  I also found a different selection of the stickers for my planner!  Now I just need to figure out how to put the cart together...  LOL

The llama on the bicycle called out to me...  LOL










After all of this, I stopped at the credit union to take care of some banking business and I went home.

I haven’t shopped like this in a LONG time, but I’m set for the next decade...

Goals

I checked this blog to see if I had achieved any of the goals I had set out for myself this year and found that I never made any.  I was too sick.

This year I’m feeling better than I have in years!  I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for sticking with me to see the blessings at the end of 2019.

The decade of 2010-2019 was a very painful one, but towards the end it was also a decade of tremendous growth.

Because of the depression medication, my metabolism and autoimmune systems have awoken and I ended up 19 pounds less by the beginning of December.  I also haven’t been sick to the degree that I was in 2018.  

Because of the hormone pellets, my nails are growing out and my skin is softer and less dry.

God and Jesus spent this last decade changing my life in drastic ways, a new job and the loss of my Mother.  With 2019 spent in therapy, I’ve been able to confront issues that I’ve had with forgiveness and learning what forgiveness is and what it isn’t.  I’ve spent this past year slowly letting go of a lot of pain, guilt, shame, sin, anxiety, depression, anger and so much more.

I do still have days where getting out of bed seems impossible, but my life is no longer consumed by these days in multiples.

As for 2020, I want to look forward with faith and a few goals for the year and the decade.

For this year:

I want to spend more time studying scripture and continually learning with the Come Follow Me program for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I want to attend Church regularly and get a Temple Recommend.

I want to pay off the debt incurred in medical bills in 2019.

I want to get back into writing the book that I stopped during my Mother’s final years.

I will be taking Skillshare classes (I have a paid subscription).

This Decade:

I want to travel more

I want to attend General Conference in person.

I know there are more goals, but I’m so tired after last night’s merrymaking I can’t think of anything else at the moment.

Happy 2020 Everyone!

May you find joy amidst any trials this year!