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Letting Go of Bad Habits In January, 2016, on  A Seeking Heart with Allison Gingras , I had the pleasure of interviewing  Manage Your Money God's Way  hosts, Jon and Evelyn Bean.   The version of the book I  featured on the show  that week was  Your Money Counts , written Howard Dayton and adapted to reflect a Catholic approach by the Beans.  As usual the Holy Spirit is bringing just what I need, just WHEN I need it.  Well, truth be told I probably NEEDED it 25 years ago but... now that we are drowning in the financial mess not having this book for 25 years has brought us, the timing works! 2017 UPDATE:  We have learned to doggy-paddle; by this time next year we should be onto the breast-stroke.  This system, rooted solidly in biblical principle and reliant on God's grace are a HOME RUN! At the end of my show, I mentioned I would be definitely blogging my progress as I tried to implement the lessons I learned in reading  Your Money Counts .   The Beans had a wo

My biggest issue.  I want everything to be a PIECE OF CAKE - or a yummy gluten-free cupcake as my case may be. When I first opened the  Navigating Your Finances God's Way  small group study back on February 21st, my subconscious expectation was to have  all my financial woes  FIXED by time I reached Lesson 10!  Well, we are only on Lesson 8, and I can attest that many of our fiscal problems still exist.   We still live paycheck to paycheck, we still occasionally need a boost from our lone credit card to make our ends meet, I still do not have a steady stream of income, and our cars are still both on their last leg.   I paint such  a pretty picture every week  don't I!  Well, that comes from some years in marketing and others in human resources - you always give the negative 'strokes' before launching into the positive. IT will not be the quick fix ... READ MORE of how we are pulling ourselves out of debt All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

So ... Where Are We in this Process I thought I would take this week to share where Kevin (my hubby of 26 years) and I are mentally in this process. As I begin my Weight Watchers journey this month, I realized the similarity of the discipline the Lord is trying to create in my heart.  This mind shift from spending as we wish on what we wish, much like my eating what I want and when I want, is a process.  IT is not overnight.  As we say in the weight loss world - YOU did not get 20 lbs over weight overnight, you will NOT shed it overnight. It has been literally 32 years of mistakes and missteps; along with some serious emotional and mental baggage that has brought us to be this over our heads with debt.  Add to that my desire to serve God in the ever lucrative (read only for Joel Osteen) ministry world - and this is not going to be a quick fix.  The  Navigating Your Finances God's Way   study has truly been a God Send - but it has not been the miraculous fix all I had hope

Your Calling Despite my occasional pondering - God really does have a purpose and plan for me and my life.  My skills are perfectly suited for what GOD has called me to do.  For me I am fairly sure of those things He has for me to do because they are things that I enjoy, feel confident at, and others have validated my talent in.  Perhaps you've encountered the same thing - it does not mean I WILL love every task associated with the position (think diapers and poopie pants as a childcare/preschool teacher) but the main skill set will be one that  fulfills the desires of my heart. This  line from part of Week 6  sums it up, "No one in all of history -- past, present or future - is like you." Read More ..  All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

In the Compass Catholic small group bible study: Navigating Your Finances God's Ways -- week 5 examines the 4 elements of giving: attitudes advantages amount approach   Attitudes My discovery here was si mple and was  eluded to in the last week's post .  I have no trouble giving money. I think it is a wonderful gift to be able to share with others.  I do need to be weary of my motives - the whole don't let your left hand see what your right hand is doing.  My trouble honestly is not in my generosity with treasure but with time and talent.  Although, I have also learned that my monetary generosity needs to be budgeted and that 'giving from your poverty' does not mean  going into credit card debt .  My attitude needs some tweaking as I consider how I will share my time. I am very stingy with my time.  Perhaps this is best explained by sharing that I am an extrovert with introverted tendencies; meaning I love being with people and I especially love sh

Another week of life usurping my time with the  Navigating Your Finances God's Way   and our small group gathering - I guess Easter evening not the best time for such things.  We are scheduled for later this week - so I better get caught up on my reading!!   Though, truth be told, it is not really difficult for me to be drawn into this study.  The text, scriptures and questions are not only engaging but also RELEVANT! This week is GENEROSITY ... as Jesus teaches, " It is more blessed to give than to receive ." (Acts 20:35)  I have often thought of myself as  generous to a fault , it will be interesting as we move through this chapter if others would see me that way too.  It will also be interesting to discover if my generosity has played any role in where we are financially - both to the positive and the negative.  Without reading a word - I am going to speculate on something.   My giving when done with the purest of intentions and through the counsel of the Holy Spi

Week 4 (Part B) - Honesty and Counsel This week forced me to take a very long hard look at my mindset towards what I admit and will share about my personal finances and what is really happening.  Although my name Allison means "truthful one" and I do feel sometimes I am honest to fault; this week's teachings and ponderings on the topic of honesty made clear, there was some areas I saw okay to paint  gray .  There really is no legal or honest gray areas with regards to money, especially if those finances are shared.   This week also challenged my filing system (or lack there of) and how pride had (and probably still does) hinder my seeking and accepting counsel.  Let's evaluate these struggles & triumphs more closely ...     FILING, HONESTY AND COUNSEL  All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

Week 2 of  Navigating Your Finances God's  Way  ....  My first discovery this week.  We don't own as much of value as I thought but what we do own I am rather possessive of (verses recognizing that all is a gift and essentially on loan from God). This week called for a completing a list of assets.  I have realized that much of our debt came during the PRE ~ DVR/On Demand and electronic music days.  WE have spent thousands of dollars in music CDs, videos and books - that cluttered our home and were watched, read or listened to once at best.  I used to spend so much money on Amazon (mostly for those 3 types of items) that I would (legit) get a Christmas present from Amazon every year! I also realized I spent a great deal of money on toys, clothes and shoes - the majority of which was barely played with or worn.  SEE A pattern here ... I KNOW I do!! This week's lesson focused on recognizing GOD'S ownership over ours.  Having attended a funeral this week, that lesson was

Our money problems did not start overnight.  They built overtime.  Every decision held a consequence, yet we were blissfully unaware as we spent and then after the debt had built, we continued to be blissfully unwilling to change - and consciously choose to ignore it ( Problem #1 ). To figure out where we are going, first we need to look at how we got here.  Kevin and I met when we were in high school and began dating his freshmen year in college (my junior year of high school).  We were married 5 years later, while I was still in college.  We were 21 and 23, and absolutely clueless on how to manage finances ( Problem #2 ).  I had embraced the 1980's with great zeal -- amassing over 15 credit cards (mostly of the store variety) by time I was 20 years old ( Problem #3 ).   Kevin was unaware of most of them ( Problem #4 ).  We were both hard workers but underemployed ( Problem #5 ).   So what now? Where do we start to reclaim our lives? ... read more  All Rights Reserved,

One day at OLPH I was praying the Stations of the Cross for those that kill or murder for money.  I don't remember what inspired me to do this, but I was praying and begging God to turn these people back to Him, to open their eyes to what they were doing to their soul.  For just slips of printed paper... TO READ MORE: CLICK HERE. 

Some time ago on Facebook, I got a message from (what I thought was...) my Bishop.  He was very kind and ministering to me, asking about my walk, quoting scripture, and even giving me the link to his blog to read.  These messages happened over several days, and I was rather enjoying our little private conversations....  CLICK HERE FOR MORE

All... I was afraid to write some of the posts I have posted lately.  Part of me didn't want to write them, because of what they could cost me.  Yes, I have written the truth, I will not deny that, ever.  And I was commanded to write.  He said,  "You MUST write."   "OK I will." And write I shall.  The truth I tell could cost me dearly.  It has already begun to cost me, but because of my love, I will be obedient.  The Mathematics I love, may be only a dream, a certificate on the wall.   I may never get to use it.  Not my will but yours.  When you know the truth, any pain of any loss is small compared to the pain of the state of souls in the world. .... READ MORE.

14th century:Holy family and the Presentation … Since preschool, society has pushed you to excel, to rise above your peers.  You were groomed for success, to get into the best universities and snatch the most prized careers. Well, it is nice to have confidence, to fulfill your dreams, and have a sense of satisfaction in your chosen field of work but that will not make you happy. Just take a look at the generations that have gone before you.  The all too common mid-life crisis is a testament to the failure of a life focused on career advancement to the exclusion of family. Men and women bemoan the fact that they did not have time for nurturing and loving their spouse or children. All too often, family life crumbles to ashes, sacrificed on the altar of success. As for childcare, society relegates this arrangement to women who are often treated as second class citizens. I want to yell out as loudly as I can  that raising children is definitely not a default chore for women wh