56 days - 8 weeks

It’s the night before weigh in and I am wondering what tomorrow morning will bring. My eating has been a bit out of balance this past week. The first time since joining Weight Watchers that I have gone into negative double digits with my weeklies. Blue dots? I managed to get 4, which in reality is a good thing. So, maybe the scale will give me a good read out tomorrow after all?

On some level I feel like I was self-sabotaging this week. Seriously y’all, as of last Tuesday I was exactly 1.3 pounds away from ONEderland and only 2.2 pounds away from the goal I set for this four week block (199). In reality it’s an easy win as 5 out of my last 7 weigh-ins have registered a 2-4 pound loss. Again, I’m eight weeks in and honestly I think I’m just getting comfortable. What I need to do is hit this program head on like I did the first week I joined. I need to mix things up, plan some new meals and most importantly… GET MOVING! When it comes to exercise, I am the Queen of Procrastination LOL

Of course, I have proved that you can lose weight just by changing what you eat. Not that I am discounting exercise as I know it is essential for overall good health. But I’m completely amazed that I’ve lost over 17 pounds just by making better food choices AND eating proper portions and not binging. So yes, I very well could step on that scale tomorrow and hit my mini goal, but in all honesty I have no idea which way it is going to go.

The old me would have likely hopped on the scale this morning for a sneak peek to see how close or far off I was. Thankfully, I have learned that while I do need the number to drop, it cannot be my focus. And though I may sound a little worried or concerned about what tomorrow holds, I’m actually not that stressed out about it. I’m ready to accept whatever it is and learn from it. Bottom line, if it doesn’t pan out the way I hoped, then I have no one to blame but myself. BUT I’m not going to beat myself up over it! Seriously folks, over the last 56 days I have steadily lost weight, which for me is HUGE!!! The last thing I am going to do is let a few bad days over the course of one week throw me off kilter.

If it happens that I don’t make my goal tomorrow, then I am just going to hunker down in week nine, surrender it all to God, commit to at least six blue dots, strive to exercise 3-4 days and show that scale who’s boss. YES!!

Five years... that’s how long it has been since I have seen a number under 200 on the scale. It feels so good to finally be serious about taking my life back, to getting myself healthy once and for all; so close to he place they call ONEderland. That said, here’s to a good nights sleep and to waking up with the same hope and positive attitude I have right now. Everything is going to work out just as it should. I’m thankful for every step of this journey, thankful for all that I have learned so far, thankful to God for filling me with His strength when mine was tapped out. That’s all for now folks, catch you on the flip side!

I would love to hear from you! Feel free to post words of encouragement or share your own story in the comments.

Blessings in Christ,

Brandy

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Non Scale Victories (NSV)

//  5  // weeks since starting Weight Watchers

// 35 // days of tracking what I eat and being satisfied

// 13 // pounds lost so far

// 3 // number of cute charms aka bling received for goals reached

Can I just say, the journey so far has been AHHH-MAZING!

Who knew that in the span of 5 weeks I could feel like a brand new person?

Before I started WW, I struggled big time for many years with food addiction. I tried so many things to get myself together and though I thought I was seeking God, I was more or less running out ahead of Him. Then something happened which caused me to step on the scale and I hit my "new" highest weight and it literally brought me to a place of complete surrender.

One website led to another and then somehow I landed on the WW page. And I felt something within me say "this is it, this is what you need." So I prayed, like really prayed and also sought input from friends who had or were on the program. The next day, I knew within my spirit that this was the path God had for me, so I joined.

Today I am going to talk about a number of #NSV's that have come about since God led me down this path. For starters, not a day has gone by that I have not thanked Him for leading me to Weight Watchers. Ok, so here are some of the "side-effects" this amazing program has brought about for me :)

#focused

#motivated

#more energy

#no urge to binge/overeat

#structure  (HUGE blessing!)

#body is learning full/hungry signals

#vertigo episodes significantly reduced

#new found confidence -->> I no longer hate what I see when I look in the mirror! Instead of focusing on all of my flaws, I now notice all of the little changes that come with getting healthy.

#not feeling deprived -->> All I can say is, if you feel deprived on WW, then you are not doing it right. With all the 0, yes ZERO point foods there is no way one can go to bed hungry! Like my leader said, if you are hungry... truly hungry, then an apple will satisfy you.

#no more meal alarms -->> Yes, I used to set alarms to "remind" me when to eat so I didn't go too many hours without food. If too long passed, I would become hangry and the consequences of that would put me in the McDonald's drive thru. Now I eat when my body tells me to eat. This is a totally new feeling!

#no longer obsessed -->> Coming from a place of food being my main focus, it is so nice to no longer be controlled by it. Food was something that was always on my mind, always craving but because the way I look at it has changed, so have my thoughts about it. I look at it now as a necessity, not a desire to be met. Our purpose is not "live to eat" which was pretty much what I did. Rather we are to "eat to live". 

#no major cravings -->> Now that I am actually giving my body the real nutrition that it needs to function, my cravings are almost obsolete. When there is something that I really want, I now consider my options and make the best choice for my health. I LOVE sweets! Thankfully they are no longer the bulk of what I eat, cause I used to eat A LOT of sugary processed stuff. Now when I want mint chocolate chip ice cream, I choose Halo Top and yes, most times eat the whole pint LOL Best part? I don't feel guilty if I do, because I know it is a healthier choice than eating half of a half gallon of my old brand and with the amount of protein in it, it's a meal in itself. Another thing folks, sugar free candy is actually good! There's even a number of good salty snacks out there that are healthier than greasy potato chips.

#accountability -->> Contrary to what some folks believe, we DO NOT weigh in front of a group of people. I take that back LOL we do weigh with a group of people but the scale read out faces the WW lady, NOT all the folks standing in line behind me. She records it in my little book, then I join the others folks for the meeting. I'm also a firm believer in MEETINGS! They are so encouraging and offer more support than I ever would have thought. It's great getting together with folks who are on the same path as you, sharing tips, recipes, our ups and downs and best of all, cheering each other on. 

#no stretched shirts -->> Some of y'all know exactly what I am talking about. Used to be that when I would put on one of my shirts, I'd put my forearms in the bottom and s - t - r - e - t - c - h it out so that it wouldn't be snug around my middle. Admit it, you have done this LOL Now, I pull a shirt out of the closet, pop it over my head and I'm good to go. I am actually comfortable with how they fit now!

And the biggest #NSV of all.....

#scale freedom -->> Most times when I would attempt to lose weight and get healthy, I would also become scale obsessed. Often weighing myself daily and being so focused on the number that it was all I thought about. On a Sunday, two days before I joined WW, I had a small upset, which lead me to the scale that I hadn't hopped on in some time. The number staring back at me was the highest weight I had ever seen. That was the last time I used my home scale. I joined WW that Tuesday and made the decision that my only weigh in's would be with them at my meetings. No longer being in "bondage" to the scale has been a HUGE victory. Best part is that when Tuesday rolls around, I don't even feel stressed or anxious a bout weighing in. I pray on the road as I drive to my meeting and decide ahead of time that I will accept whatever the scale says. Talk about freeing!!! Even better is that when I do have a loss, especially a big one, it's a surprise for both myself and the gal weighing me in LOL

Ok y'all, that's about all the time I got this morning for writing. It's about time I head out for my weekly breakfast date at the local coffee shop with my BFF. YES!!! I still eat out too!!

Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/committed2overcome/

Have an amazingly awesome day friends!

Blessing in Christ, 

~Brandy

A New Direction

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

For years, I leaned on my own ability to “fix” my issues with food; to “fix” my health. I trusted my own knowledge for what I thought was best. I sought help from books, websites, and friends. Not that this is bad, but I neglected to truly seek it from the one who knows me best; the One who already knew the right way for me to go. Why does it take us so long to move in the right direction? Why must we fail and fall numerous times before we seek the One who leads us to success? It’s that darn free will LOL

True, I did seek input from others who have used or are currently in Weight Watchers. I took the time to do my own research on the program as well. And I did pray through these things once the info from other sources stopped flowing. I then took all that to the Lord and asked if this was the right step for me. I did my homework then waited for the evaluation of 'yay' or 'nay'.

So my conversation with God went like this:

“Is this what will work for me Lord? I’m tired of trying and failing. I know it’s because I run out ahead of you most of the time but this time, I really want to know if this is Your will for me. I’m not going to take the next step unless I know for sure. Oh Lord, I desperately want to be healthy. I’ve destroyed this temple, abused it for so many years and if I continue on the path I’m on, sooner than later it will fall to pieces. I’m ready to start rebuilding it brick by brick. I know Lord, it’s going to take some time because I’ve done some serious damage, not just to the outside but inside as well. There will be times when the process goes fast and weeks where little may happen, but I will trust You no matter what. I want to be able to live and move and breathe for Your Kingdom purposes.”

I compared myself to a dull, rusty robot, its gears all corroded on the inside for lack of movement; unable to move because weeds and vines have grown up where they don’t belong prohibiting it from doing what it was intended for.

Because I ate for comfort and chose foods that had no benefits for my body, fat now surrounds my organs threatening to suffocate them. I’m sluggish, unable to move in ways I used to, unable to take pleasure in things I once enjoyed. And the poor choices show through on the outside as well. The tiredness on my face, too many “Peeps” have grown a second chin, too many donuts made what used to be a tiny bump of a belly into a large roll and so on. My eyes no longer sparkled, hair no longer shined because for so long I deprived my temple of what it needed, all for the sake of comfort food in the face of stress, anxiety, depression and laziness.

But God… has set my feet on a new path. One that will oil my gears and set them spinning again, weed out the bad habits that keep me stuck, filling my tank with good fuel that will purge out the sludge. This new direction promotes structure on a daily basis, something I have been without for far too long and so desperately need to have. It gives me opportunity to walk alongside others with the same mission. It calls me to “own” my choices, to come before others and check my progress weekly. Accountability without condemnation. There are rewards as we move closer to health, encouragement when we are stuck, support and solutions when we start going backward.

Not only will this new path break the bonds of fat on my organs, but also the labels, the chains that have bound me for far too long. I’m saying goodbye to stress, anxiety, depression and all the other things that poor health has left me with and saying hello to life and the ability to live in such a way that brings God glory. Thank you Lord, for this new direction. Thank you for setting my feet on the path to health and wellbeing.

Blessings in Christ,

Brandy ~

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What if...

The other day I purposed to focus as much of my day on God as possible. I opened YouTube and pulled up my PC3 set list. For a time I was completely wrapped up in worship. Then I started thinking on my one word for this year, content. A thought about our house came to mind and the questions formed from there.

What if this is it? What if this is where God wants us to stay? What if this is where we live until the end of our days? And the kicker of them all... could I be content if we remained here? To go even deeper... what if today I started living as if this was it? In approaching my daily tasks, what would I do differently if I had the mindset that this is our forever home?

Some of you know the situation we are in with our house, it's a tangled web to say the least LOL and has thus far proved nearly impossible to get out of. Kind of like a fun house where you think you have found a way out only to realize it's just a mirage.

A few years ago we thought we had finally found way out from under it. Everything was falling into place nicely. We found a company that kind of worked like a car dealer LOL Our current place is a manufactured home and we were going to buy land and put a custom built modular on it, they were allowing us to "trade in" our current home in order to get the new one. Granted, we were going to have to roll over some of what we owed on our current home into the new mortgage, but it was a way out, finally a light at the end of a long dark tunnel. We picked out the home and all the fixins for the inside, and found a nice piece of land in Hampstead. While I was excited about cutting the ties connected to our home and having a brand new place of our own, I was also becoming very anxious. The cost of bundling everything together to get into the new home began to weigh on my shoulders. As many times as I prayed about moving forward with the purchase and hoped to have peace about it, it never came.

When folks say that God's timing is perfect, they ain't lying LOL I was heavy burdened because I knew the reality of our finances and while we could afford the new mortgage payment, it would have put us right to the wire financially with no room to budge. And if you know me, you know I like to have a little wiggle room in case of emergency. All Chris could see though was the light at the end of the tunnel and he had blinders on to everything else. I can't blame him, as the house had been a burden for him before I even came into the picture. It was then that my prayer became "God, if this is not what you want for us, if this is not in our best interest, then I need you to reveal that in whatever way you feel necessary."

Fade to 2014, a Thursday afternoon close to the end of September. I'm sitting on the couch watching some TV as I still have a couple more hours until Chris gets home from work. I hear his truck coming up the driveway and I find this rather odd as he shouldn't be home for another 2 hours. My first thought is that he's sick and they sent him home. I open the front door and see him looking at me as he gets out of his truck, shaking his head. "Are you ok?" I ask, to which he replies, "I'm sorry sweetheart." Now I'm perplexed. "Sorry for what?" I say and he responds, "I got laid off today." Want to know how perfect God's timing is? The VERY next day we were scheduled to sign the contract to purchase the land we were going to build our house on. Never in my life have a felt so relieved for my husband to tell me he got laid off.

I am so thankful that God intervened. As much as we wanted that new place, I knew in my heart that we weren't seeing the big picture; we were only seeing the here and now. What a blessing to know that God's promises are true; that He knows what is best for us; that He holds our future in His hands. There were 3 rounds of layoffs that year, he was fortunate to make it through the first two.  It wasn't long after the third round when they let him and a few others go, that they closed up shop completely. With our human, earthly eyes, we couldn't have seen that. But God did and He protected us.

So I return to the question... what if this is where we are meant to remain? For 5 and a half years we have lived with the mindset that we will find a way out. What if God just wants us to be content where we are? When you get down to it, our home meets all our basic needs and that's really all that matters. I also think maybe, just maybe, if we become completely content where we are and stop focusing on "what's next", then if this isn't where we are meant to be that God will show us the next step when the time is right.

We live in a day and age where there is no satisfaction; where everyone just wants more. How heavenly it would be to just be content; grateful for what is, right here and right now and have faith in what will be. To truly be in this world but not of it because we have Christ in us and He is all we need.

Go forth and be blessed y'all :)

Brandy

Be Intentional

Good intentions are great, but unless you are being intentional about following through, then they are just thoughts without action.

The last 4 days have been a struggle, as I realize I've started falling back into old unhealthy patterns. Friday, I had an agenda which included about 8 hours of work, so I had no problems getting motivated. However, Thursday and Saturday consisted of being lazy in my PJ's, binging on Netflix and playing computer games. That is, until about 3:45pm rolled around at which time I knew my hubby would be getting done work soon. This got me motivated enough to grab a shower, get dressed and do a little clean up around the house. Sunday somewhat followed suit, although on a good note I did get up and get dressed straight away. I knew there was one task that needed doing no matter what, I had to go grocery shopping. I was already scheduled off from serving at church as I was supposed to be out of town for the weekend and had a meeting on the books that day. I could have, and very well should have gone to church, but I didn't. Of course, I later regretted my decision to sit home and just "be" when I could have spent the morning in fellowship with friends worshipping Jesus.

This is not the first time I've battled depression, at least that is what I assume it to be. Sad part is that I wasted two beautiful days, three if you take into account Thursday. It's not that I don't wake up each day with good intentions; it's not as if there aren't things that need doing. It's just that my mindset turns to "why?" or "what is the point?". Why bother keeping up with the house when no one comes here anyway? I figure it will be there when I feel like doing it and it's just Chris and I, so as long as I do what needs to be done then the rest can go by the wayside. As glorious a day as Saturday was, I could have gone to the beach, got some amazing photographs, spent time in the sunshine. But my mind said, driving to the beach uses gas and gas cost money and if I'm gone for a good amount of time I will likely purchase lunch, but if I stay home it will cost nothing and I'd rather not spend the money. And this is how my thought process goes.

All this brings to mind Romans 7:15-20 (NIV):

¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Sounds a bit like a tongue twister, right? Unfortunately, I continually fall prey to my addictive sin nature. Allowing my life to be consumed by things that continue to cause destruction, rather than fill myself with that which is good for me. It's a pattern that repeats itself regularly; often dictated by what is going on in my life at that time. On a good note, I am learning to recognize and acknowledge this behavior in a more timely fashion, which allows me to deal with it head on, seek God and take action against it.

In the past, I have gone weeks, sometimes months spending my non active days in sloth mode, feeding my food addiction and my "don't give a hoot" mindset. Healthy? Not in the least. This is not how I want to live my days. I'm sure others feel the same way, as I am certain I'm not the only one who struggles in this area. It's the main reason I feel it is important for us to share and be transparent about who we are and what we struggle with. Not for pity sake, but to let others know that they aren't in this boat all alone. To throw out that lifeline in order to allow us to do life together and hold each other accountable. Will I continue to face challenges each day? I am certain of it LOL but God is with me and if I am intentional about seeking Him, then He will help me do what I need to do, rather than the things I shouldn't do.

Several months ago, I joined a small group called Refuge. It's for folks who struggle with all types of addiction. And I have to say it has truly been a blessing to be connected to the people there. I have learned so much and through it God has given me tools to help me take appropriate action when I see myself taking a wrong turn. The group was launched years ago at our Port City Community Church Wilmington campus and they meet regularly on Tuesday nights at 6:30pm. Thankfully, it has taken off at many of our other campuses as well, to include PC3 Jacksonville, which meets at an offsite location on Thursday nights at 7:30pm. It is not church specific, so if you happen to be a native of Coastal NC and are in need of help, I encourage you to check us out. If you want more information, feel free to reach out to us through our Facebook page or in my comments section.

Well folks, that's all for now. I pray that through sharing what God has placed on my heart that it would help change the lives of others. Feel free to interact with me through the comments section, I would love to hear from you.

Go Forth and Be Blessed Y'all,

Brandy

More Than You Can Handle

The other night I was in bed reading Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron Bure and in Chapter 16 she referenced some verses from 1 Corinthians 10 and it really got me thinking. This verse has come to mind many times over the years and because of something I read some time ago, I have learned to look at it in a different light.

Anyhow, folks always talk about taking scripture out of context. Reason it happens is cause they will use the bit that suits and pay no mind to what comes before or after. Oftentimes leaving out some very important information. Which brings me to the verses I came across and the one folks use a lot. They say "God will never give you more than you can handle" then they leave it at that. Guess what y'all, there's more to it!

My personal thought goes like this: ok, GOD will never give me more than I can handle however, the things I go after on my own and pile on my plate that aren't His will for me are often what give me trouble. And that there is absolute truth.

Now let's look at what it says in 1 Corinthians 10:11-13:

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 13 And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

WOW! I could dig deep into verse 12 cause I got a big testimony for that, but my focus right now is verse 13. Did you read it in it's entirety? I'm sure you did but read it again, slowly and let it sink in for a moment. Do you think we have been missing something? Two big words here: BUT WHEN. This verse isn't just one sentence but two! You can't have one without the other, they are equally important. He will provide a way out so we can stand up under it, can I get an amen? Here's an excerpt from Reshaping It All that pretty much sums it up:

"God doesn't always provide the easy way out. He doesn't promise that life will be a breeze or free of temptation; in fact temptation is something we can always expect. But what He does promise us is this: He'll always provide a way to escape. There's always a way out..." C. C. Bure

Temptation... thanks Eve for mucking it all up for us LOL It's been with us from the beginning and will be with us til the end. No one is immune to it; no one is perfect; we all fall short. I firmly believe that God wants the best for us but sometimes (oftentimes) we gotta work for it. I mean really, if he just gave it to us, how would we learn all these amazing lessons? He knows what our limits are; he knows the areas where we are weak.

Just look at Job. Even my worst day is like gumdrops and candy canes compared to a day in the life of Job! If God allowed Satan to mess with Job, a man who he noted as being the finest man on earth, blameless and a man of complete integrity, then how can we stand a chance? But we can. Just as Job was an overcomer, we will be too because God is faithful. He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but oh how He will test us along the way.

Well, I think I may have run a bit down a rabbit trail there but I think you get what I'm saying. There are things that we do that are in God's will and a lot that we do outside of His will. How we handle what life throws at us comes down to perspective. We can either allow life to keep dishing it out til our tray is so full it's about to crash to the floor or we can do a little soul searching, exercise determination and ask Him to show us a way out... a way over or a way through.

In conclusion, these are just my two cents. As always, when we hear any sermon or Word spoken, we should go to the source (the Bible) ourselves. See what it says, see how God stirs your heart when you read it. Five different people could read the same verse and all walk away with something different. You may ask, why is that? Here's my answer. God speaks to us through his word. We are uniquely made; we come from different walks of life and aren't all planted in the same season. His word speaks to us as individuals, in our present time and circumstance. What one verse means to me today might mean a completely different thing for me 6 months from now. The most amazing thing about His Word is that it never comes back void! The more we read it, the more we glean from it.

In speaking about the Bible, Christopher Abel's professor said: It is alive. It desires to be known. It dares you to chase after it, pursue it and immerse yourself within it. So do not take it lightly. Spend time with it. Get to know it. It is complex and mysterious and deserves your time.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this though and see what God has revealed to you about this particular verse. Comments and input are always welcome.

Blessings in Christ,
Brandy

Want or Need?

Today I listened to a great sermon on wants, needs and being content. It really got me to thinking about my life, my choices and where I'm presently at. Pastor Randall pointed me to several scriptures that I have read more times than I can count and in a nutshell stated that God is the source of ALL our needs. My conclusion to that statement is that, He will meet those needs IF we seek His Kingdom first. I think those of us who are Christians know this to be true. Yet so many times we fall away from what we know in our hearts.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

I'll be honest with you. Today was the first time I opened my Bible in over 2 months and it was the first time I heard a sermon in almost 3 months. It doesn't mean that because I have slacked off that I'm not a Christian, it just means I'm human and I have fallen prey to the business of life as most of us do. The good thing is that God continually offers his grace and always finds a way to gently nudge us back where we need to be. 

What exactly drew me to Cross Point Community Church's website this morning I'm really not sure. It's a church I attend several times a year. Not because I don't like it, rather I would love to go there regularly. But it is a 2+ hour drive from my town so I only get to visit it when I happen to be spending a weekend at my sisters house. Anywho... I went to their site and clicked on the "Messages" tab and stumbled upon the "I Need" series. To tell you the truth, I'm thankful I did. Isn't it funny how when you've been away from church for sometime and then you decide to visit or listen to a sermon that it is ALWAYS just what you need to hear at that moment in your life? Well, I don't know if it's true for you but more times than I can count it has been true for me. 

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

After listening to I Need... the Truth I have realized two things:

1. While we want more money so that we can get out of debt, I realize that the jobs we have provide enough money to cover our expenses and we are not struggling; therefore we have what we need.
2. While we want to get out from under the house we are in (because of the circumstances that surround it) and get a new one, we realize that what we have suits us just fine. It provides a roof over our head, it's plenty big for the two of us, there are no holes in the ceiling, walls or floor and while it may not be what we want for our life right now, it provides all that we need and we have learned to be content. 

I'm sure if I took more time to think on this before writing this post I would have come up with a few more things but as I look back over the last few years I would have to say these have remained the top two. And I think to have what you need in these two areas is truly a blessing. Especially when you reflect upon our society today and see how many people are jobless, homeless or both. 

Thankfully I have never really been one to live outside my means. I've never felt the need to have the trendiest clothes in my closet or the dopest shoes on my feet. And I certainly don't have the urgency to waste my hard earned money and hours of my time standing in line just to get a phone that has a few more features than the one I have now when the one I have now still works perfectly fine. Ok that one may have been more of a rant LOL I think you know where I'm going though. Why do we have to always want the top of the line things when in reality what is considered average or basic is often more than enough to meet our needs?  

Matthew 6:8b

...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

I encourage you to take some time today and have a look at your life. Realize that there is a difference between want and need, then ask yourself what it means to be content. It all comes down to realizing one thing: prayer is the vehicle to managing your needs. Don't allow money to become your god; instead ask God to be your God and step into the future he has waiting for you.

Love y'all, go forth and be blessed! ~Brandy