"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."I don't know who said that quote first but it is so true. I don't know about you but there are so many times in my life that I have failed at something because I didn't have a plan. I can think of a couple of biggies right off the top of my head.
Our family failed with our finances because we didn't have a plan. We just went day to day spending our money until it was gone and then once it was gone we would turn to our credit cards. We were spending almost $1000 a month eating out all because I didn't have a plan at home for fixing dinner. If I did have a "plan" we wouldn't always stick to it. We ended up $75000 in debt with no idea how to get out. We had planned to fail because we didn't make a plan to succeed.
Finally we did make a plan to succeed in our finances. We started planning where our money was going to go. We made a budget and stuck to it. We made a plan to get out of debt and spent 2 1/2 years paying that debt off. We are now debt free all because we made a plan. All because we made a plan to succeed.
Another area in my life that I failed to make a plan was with my health. I reached a maximum weight of 279lbs all because I didn't make a plan to succeed. I went day by day eating whatever I felt like eating. If it sounded good I ate it. Sure I did the watch your fat, watch your calories, watch your salt etc...and I just ended up fatter. I tried exercising but never really stuck to anything. I had planned to fail because I didn't make a plan to succeed.
It wasn't until I made a plan to take charge of my own health and stop listening to all the stupid low fat diets and start studying about and learning about health and nutrition did I started to lose weight. I made a plan to workout when my kids went to PE at the YMCA. I was there. Might as well, right? Now I can't imagine not working out. I plan out our menu for eating at home instead of dining out all the time because most restaurants aren't very healthy. Over the past year I have lost 60lbs all because I made a plan to succeed with my health.
These are two areas in my life that I was weak at and now I am strong. Satan took advantage of those weaknesses. He used our lack of planning with our finances to cause strife in our marriage because we had so much debt because we wouldn't control our spending. He used my lack of planning when it came to what I put in my body to get me to a point where I was obese and unhealthy.
Satan uses these things to get us down. He wants us to feel helpless. He want us to believe that these are not important areas but they are. Did you know that money fights are the number one cause of divorce in America. Problems with money are tearing our families apart. How much harder is it to serve God and do work for the Lord when you are overweight and tired all the time? I know from experience how much more difficult it makes things. This is what Satan wants. He wants us to not plan.
Now, how many of you have a plan to succeed spiritually?
"If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail."
2 comments:
Just read this blog and got some wonderful insight into my beautiful daughter-in-law's journey that I didn't realize before. So glad you guys are spending healthy and eating healthy. Obviously you are feeling better about yourself and your marriage is back on track. That's the way God planned it. Hooray for you!
Just read your blog. I gleaned insight into some details of your financial and healthy living journey I never had before. Congrats to both of you and your boys. I can empathize on the weight and unhealthy living issues. Fortunately, Delores and I have never really had financial or debt issues. We've always been on the same page and never much in debt for these 40 years beyond our house(s). Hoorah for you!
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