Wheel of Life

Ever seem like there is never enough time to get it all done?  If you answer no, then you need to reassess yourself and see if you can be challenged.  For the rest of us who have likely answered yes, I am blogging about this very topic now in lieu of new year's resolutions to do better. 

Upon reading this interesting article about livinging intentionally, I love how the author asks you to review your seven areas, i e the wheel of life.  Now Zig Ziglar is wonderful at descibing his concept.  I admit that I grabbed a piece of scrap paper and pen (the old fashioned way) to draw it.  If you have a tablet or ipad, just open a blank screen and use a wand to create your pie.  I wrote out each one....Career, Financial, Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Family and Social.  Soon I was filling it in.  Some were easy and some others I was feeling anxious.  Interesting. 

At any point in our life, we are right where God needs us to be.  Yet, as I completed my wheel of life, I couldn't help but feel regret, pride, happiness, peace, anxiety, doubt and joy all in a single time period.  After all, it's my life.  Perhaps you may encounter mixed emotions upon writing it all out. 

It's easy to feel anxious about the future.  It's easy to feel worry about the present.  It's easy to be happy and sad about past decisions.  It's time to set aside these emotions and determine a new way.

This is exactly how God wants us to come to Him and make us new in Him.  To shed the old and take on the new.  It is mixed emotions at it best, and yet once done, you feel the best ever.

Meanwhile, how will you deal with certain demands?  how will you deal with the "off days"?  how will you know what to do and what not to do? how will you know to manage your time wisely?  God knows.  God will see you through this day whether you walk beside Him or He carries you.  God's will will be done.

by Stephanie S Arredondo  (c)  2013

Financial tip the old fashion way

Most folks keen on cutting expenses and trying to do more with less funds find themselves working hard only to save a few cents here and there.  It's a struggle to find a way to earn money and then find out that it costs more than before for that one item.  Even in 2013 as we embark on higher taxes and higher prices while incomes are less than before makes for a gloomy season financially.  Perhaps it's wise to shift the perspective from the gloom and doom (or rather the black and red) to the liquid sunshine (or the glass is half full approach). 

Do more with less.

It can't be that simple.  I find that when I don't go out of the house and stay away from stores, I spend a lot less.  It's a means of self-preservation where I stay away from the store or influence to take my money.  These days, I am learning about delayed gratification.  For example, I need to fill my gas tank up with gasoline but I can wait a few more days until I need to refill it. 

Staying away from the stores where you are nothing but ATTACKED by everything in it's path to get you to spend more money than you had originally intended.

Those promotional coupons, it is nice to save $1 but I ended up spending an extra $5 because after all I saved $1.  The concept of saving xyz on the final bill versus how much did I acutally spend is the difference you need to make in your financial behavior pattern.

While these ideas seem too simple, not sophisticated and redundant, it is wise to guard your billfold, don't be bullied into saving because it's a great deal or coupon, and reconsider the old-fashioned way of doing things.  It may be less technology, less gratification and less socialization, but the reward is far greater when you can remain on track with your budget and feel financial peace.  That's a great financial tip.

(c)  2013  Alfa Sugar 

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2013! 

While it may be a time to say out with the old and in with the new, the neat thing is that there's lots of choices and things to do, both old and new. 

It's fun to find out about new activities or books to read or social activities to do in addition to the regular day to day duties.  In many ways, it ends up overwhelming any normal person because there are soooo many choices.  Take the grocery store for example.  Okay I need to buy peanut butter but there are 20 varieties on the shelf so which is the one best matching what I need.  By the time I narrow down the selection, it's taken me several minutes that fly by fast but are much more grueling when my children are there.  Then it's off to the next item and another round of too many choices.  If people think it is easier to shop at the grocery store these days, it's challenging because of all the choices you must make.  I am liking the order your groceries online and drive over to pick them up.  It's $5 and that's well worth my time. 

That's my point.  There are too many choices that are taking too much time.  There are too many things to do that are taking too much time.  Your time is precious and is increasingly becoming more precious as every business and thing out there tries to get it.  Do you understand how you are becoming overwhelmed? 

There are the old ways of doing things.  There are the new ways of doing things (along with the learning curve).  What's overwhelming you today? 

For the New Year, perhaps a new year resolution is to be less overwhelmed and more pragmatic with where you spend your time.

Instead of spending time on the phone talking, why not read that one book your child is begging you to read because he wants your attention?  Instead of spending hours at the stores, why not sit down with a friend for a cup of coffee and fellowship?  Instead of fretting over coupons and saving nickels and dimes, why not go to the one grocery store where you know prices are already low enough?  Sometimes giving a little can mean a big benefit in lifestyle choice, time and the things that money can't buy. 

In Ephesians 4:1, it states for you to "live a life worthy of the calling you have received."  Where you are right now is right where God needs you to be.  For those times when you get overwhelmed, it is a good time to keep in mind this financial perspective. 

(c) 2013 Stephanie S. Arredondo     Alfa Sugar

Hobby Lobby Stores Face ObamaCare

A Letter from Hobby Lobby Stores CEO

By David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture frames. Our first retail store wasn't much bigger than most people's living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to God's word. From there,Hobby Lobby has become one of the nation's largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family.

We're Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I've always said that the first two goals of our business are (1) to run our business in harmony with God's laws, and (2) to focus on people more than money. And that's what we've tried to do. We close early so our employees can see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on Sundays, one of the week's biggest shopping days, so that our workers and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We believe that it is by God's grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he has blessed us and our employees. We've not only added jobs in a weak economy, we've raised wages for the past four years in a row. Our full-time employees start at 80% above minimum wage.

But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new government health care mandate says that our family business MUST provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance. Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that might cause abortions, which means that we don't cover emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill. We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the Biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million PER DAY in government fines.

Our government threatens to fine job creators in a bad economy. Our government threatens to fine a company that's raised wages four years running. Our government threatens to fine a family for running its business according to its beliefs. It's not right. I know people will say we ought to follow the rules; that it's the same for everybody. But that's not true. The government has exempted thousands of companies from this mandate, for reasons of convenience or cost. But it won't exempt them for reasons of religious belief.

So, Hobby Lobby � and my family � are forced to make a choice. With great reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this mandate before it hurts our business. We don't like to go running into court, but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are more important than the bottom line and that honoring God is more important than turning a profit.

My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing our company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but the government is going to make that much more difficult. The government is forcing us to choose between following our faith and following the law. I say that's a choice no American � and no American business � should have to make.
The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of companies but will not except Christian organizations including the Catholic church.

Since you will not see this covered in any of the liberal media, pass this on to all your contacts.

Sincerely,

David Green, CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

Alfa Sugar Update

Since July 2012, I've taken a leave of absence from blogging.  It's been a roller coaster ride of sorts with life happening on the homefront.  I appreciate readership for it's at 5000 hits since this blog started over a year ago.  Come January 2013, I will review and revise the plan for this blog.  The hope is to generate a profitable return of sorts.  Thank you for your support.

P.S. below is a link to my latest article on Wives of Faith

Finding Contentment in your Life

A Nation Under God

We are a nation under God that has a history of strife.  Wars, explorers, & conflict between natives and settlers comprised much of our early history.  In 1776, we as a nation dealt with oppression of taxes from England.  Our founding fathers stood up and were willing to die so that they and their families would be free, free from oppression, free from taxes and free to practice their religious beliefs. 

According to many, there is validity to this historical issue today.  We are a nation still dealing with strife.  We still lack.  We are taxed.  We are oppressed.  We are under attack for our religion.  Is history repeating itself?

Whether it's 1776 or 2012, we as a nation need to return to our founding principles.  Religion needs to be reinstated, and people need to rise and be a nation of propigators of the gospel.  Freedom is desired due to these yearnings and lackings that folks experience day to day.  We are a pro-capitalism country full of hope and promise.  It's a great nation full of prosperity and opportunity.  Why is it that so many people in the world STILL desire to come to America?

It's not a matter of money even though money, profitmaking or revenue communicate the true nature of human behavior.  It's a matter of character and the things that money can't buy.  This Fourth of July as we see the fierce fires in Colorado and the west, we see the storms and flooding in Florida, we see 100 degree heat throughout the USA causing water shortages, and we see many folks without power dealing with extreme drought conditions, we need to awaken to our woes of lacking and yearning and realize that there is the One that can only give satisfacation and fullfillment.  God bless America. 

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom....Satisfy us...that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."  Psalm 90:12-14 (NIV)

Battling Bare

In the recent article, Military Wives Strip Down to Raise Awareness about PTSD, it's a testament to what the military wives and families deal with regarding PTSD or post-traumatic stress syndrome.  It is an important issue that is hindering military from getting jobs in the private sector once they discharge from the military. 

At Battling Bare, a new nonprofit organization, these ladies are encouraging others to support their husbands battling PTSD.  By writing the motto below on their bare back and taking a picture of it to post online, it is hoped that this attention-getting device will raise awareness to a grave situation that our military servicemembers are dealing with. 

Broken by battle…
Wounded by war…
My love is FOREVER–to you this I SWORE.
I WILL:
Quiet your silent screams…
Help heal your shattered soul…
Until once again, my love…
YOU ARE WHOLE!
Battle bare.

It takes courage to reach for help only to have it thrown back in your face.  Counselors and even church ministers misunderstand the issue at hand, and that leads to wrongful and hurtful diagnosis of the problem.  It takes a strong military wife to weather the storm with her husband, and this Battling Bare motto is a great morale boost to those raising attention to a very delicate situation that our society and military desire to sweep under the carpet. 

You DON'T throw away this marriage as many would encourage divorce and leaving the person.  You DO work through the difficult situation and start another life after the military experience.  It's a one day at a time challenge where you focus on the positives and forgive for those who do you wrong.  (and it's okay if it takes a long time to forgive but it is key to learn to forgive and move on with your wonderful life).

Another article in the The Leaf Chronicle