Category: Ponderings
Simple Hospitality
With my husband being in the military for the last 19 years, we haven’t had the chance to live near family. And as our own family grows, it has become more and more challenging to visit our family as often as we would like. Thankfully, the Lord has always blessed us with friends that have become as close as family. Our family has been through many trials over the years — births, illnesses, miscarriage, and many moves — and through it all we have had loving friends by our sides.
One of the reasons our friendships have developed so deeply is due to hospitality. Honestly, I feel like we have been on the receiving end of most of the hospitality. I have learned so much from so many wonderful families who have opened up their homes and their hearts to my family in times of need. Most of what I will share with you are ways that others have shown us hospitality. What a blessing they have been to us!
Hospitality Ideas
Hospitality doesn’t always mean having people over in your home for a meal. Hospitality can can take on many forms. I like to think of hospitality as “loving thy neighbor as thyself”. If you desire to become more hospitable, pray that the Lord would open up doors for this to happen.
Some ideas for hospitality include:
~bringing a meal to a family
This has probably been the biggest blessing to our family over the years. There have been so many times that I have not been able to cook and others have stepped in and brought meals to us. Bringing a meal to someone can be as simple as picking up a rotisserie chicken, a bagged salad, and a loaf of French bread. Or you can add a personal touch and make your favorite casserole (many of my recipes come from other women who brought us delicious dinners).
~watching a family’s children
We don’t leave our children with others very often (and now we have older children to help), but there have been times when it was necessary. Several years ago my husband was hospitalized with a serious staph infection. He needed me by his side, but my children were young and couldn’t spend long hours at the hospital. My sweet friend took my children, watched them, fed them, and played with them like they were her own. This can really take a burden off of someone’s shoulders, especially if they are not accustomed to leaving their children with others.
~offering your services to a family (mowing lawns, cleaning the house, helping to move)
Oh boy, do we know how hard a move can be. There are so many things to think of and plan for. It never fails that we are cleaning stoves and edging lawns right up until the last minute of every move. It is a wonderful help to have others take care of some of the chores for you. Sometimes it might mean moving heaving furniture and boxes, other times it might mean helping a family get organized.
Don’t overlook serving elderly people as well. There are many widows and widowers who may need a handiman 0r woman to help then around the house. Things as simple (to most of us) as changing light bulbs can be a real challenge to older people.
~lending items
I remember after one move all our things were packed up and a friend brought over sheets and towels, something I had forgot to leave out. It is little things like this that really bless a person!
And let’s face it, most of us are not overflowing with money. We need to be frugal and willing to share what the Lord has blessed us with. I once had a friend (who was the epitome of hospitality) that was constantly offering anything that others needed, and I mean anything. If she had left over party invitations and goodie bags, she was finding someone that needed them. If she knew that a friend was attending a wedding, she was digging through closets finding dresses to lend them so that they didn’t need to go buy new ones.
And not only did she give, she gave her best. She didn’t pull things out of a “going to the thrift store” pile. She went to her closets and pantries and looked for the best she could offer. That is true hospitality!
~and of course, having families over
It has been a while since we have had families over for dinner. After being displaced for almost a year, then getting settled into our new home, I am slowly feeling the “urge” to have others over. This is something I really need to work on, so this section is more for me than anyone.
I love having others over, especially the fellowship. I just get this overwhelming feeling in my chest when I think about making sure the house is clean, preparing the perfect menu, and then making sure our guest are comfortable.
So here are some reminders to myself…
1. The other families aren’t going wearing white gloves and checking for a speck of dirt. Besides, if the house is too clean, it may make them feel uncomfortable about their own homes. Reality check: most of don’t live day to day in a spic-n-span home. Especially if we have children at home!
2. When it comes to meals, keep it simple. A few weeks ago we were invited over to a family’s house for hot dogs. We had such a relaxing time…I loved it! The kids roasted hot dogs on the fire outside, while the adults sat around the fire chatting. I thought to myself, “this is true hospitality, true fellowship with other believers”.
3. As far as being comfortable, others are comfortable when we are. So relax and enjoy the fellowship!
I am looking forward to getting some ideas from the other moms this week!
Brandy at The Marathon Mom
Keri Mae at The Happy Home
Stacy at A Delightful Home
Andie at Happy Andersons
Review: The Money Saving Mom’s Budget
A little over two months ago I had the privilege of reviewing Crystal Paine’s new book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year. So why has it taken me so long to write the review? I am asking myself the same question. I think the answer to that question is why I really needed to read this book in the first place!
Why I Needed The Money Saving Mom’s Budget
As I mentioned to Crystal, I have been married for almost 20 years. Nineteen of those years have been as a military spouse. As you probably guessed, we aren’t rich. And here’s the big secret…we have never had a budget {gasp}. I always felt that we couldn’t have a budget because there really wasn’t much to budget. We don’t spend on extravagances, we live very frugally, and are working hard to pay off the last of our debts.
Recently I have been couponing and have seen some success from it, but I knew there was more to the puzzle than just clipping coupons each week. Financial freedom doesn’t come from cutting your grocery bill. I was excited when I started reading Crystal’s book. She has laid out all the elements in plain English. And she does so in an order that both makes sense and is doable.
I guess that is why it just made sense to me when one of the first chapters has nothing whatsoever (ok, well it is foundational, but not in an obvious kind of way) to do with budgeting and money. It is entitled, “Are the Chaos and Clutter in Your Life Keeping You from Financial Freedom?” Who knew? And it is so true… When the house is a mess and our schedules are out of whack, the last thing on the to-do list (for me anyway) is to make sure the finances are in order.
Here’s the thing: you might have great intentions, you might be able to set inspirational goals, and you may even put together a surefire budget. But if you’re drowning in cutter and your days are completely overbooked, implementing any of the money-saving tips in this book is going to be a feat of sheer willpower.
~Crystal Paine, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget
So what have I been doing to get us on a budget? I have been clearing the clutter. To be honest, I didn’t really think this was a big area for me. My husband likes a clean, mess free home (and I do too, it’s just hard to make happen on a daily basis). Our home is generally clean and picked up, but once I read chapter 2, I realized I had some work to do.
Where I Am At
Knowing that we need to downsize anyway has helped, but overall I like to hang on to too many “things”. However, I have gone through each room purging them of anything that we don’t need. And let me tell you, it feels so good. I am about to do it again. There is just something mentally relaxing about walking into a room where there is a place for everything and everything is in its place.
Because I like the feeling of clean, I didn’t have a problem completing the de-cluttering step.
My problem is more the “chaos”. Which leads me to the answer to the question, why haven’t I gotten the review done sooner? Here is the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…I have an overwhelming schedule that hasn’t been tamed yet. I have more plates spinning than I can count, and until I can get them under control, I won’t be able to see real results with our financial goals.
Saving money and budgeting takes time and it takes discipline. These are two areas of my life that I need to get under control. I have six children spanning from a toddler to a young adult, and balancing it all requires a disciplined use of my time.
So that’s where I am at right now. Working on me before I work on finances. Learning to budget my time before my money.
The Rest of the Story
When I finished reading the book, I was all fired up (and still am) about all the goodies tucked away in this gem of a book. I wanted to go through each step and have them all done before I wrote up my review. After all, if I could do it all, it could be done by anyone! Then reality struck and I realized it was going to take a lot of work to get from A to Z. And all that work was going to take some time.
Yes, the steps are “easy” and Crystal does a great a great job of breaking down each step in bite-sized chunks. I also loved how she intertwined stories of real people, their struggles, and their successes. This helped me visualize and apply each step to my life. This book isn’t meant to be a “follow my method and get rich quick” type of book. Rather it is a book of sound principles, which when applied with diligence and hard work, will help anyone gain control of their money (and really a lot of other areas of their life as well).
I am still working at it, and thankful for the tools Crystal has provided to help with the journey!
To learn more about Crystal’s book, or to find great deals, stretch your hard-earned dollars, and live on less than you make so you can save more and give more, visit her at Money Saving Mom!
This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.
Cooper One Year Later
Last Sunday was Cooper’s first birthday. First birthdays are always somewhat bittersweet, especially for the mama. We celebrate an entire year that the Lord has given us with our child. We are joyful for the milestones they have reached and their growth and their health. But there is also a bit of sadness as we see our baby leave the days of infancy and move into toddlerhood.
This birthday was also a time of closure. As I look back over the last year of Cooper’s life, his birth and crippled feet seem lifetimes ago. He runs and grabs the bowl of dog food quicker than I can get to him, and gone are my fears of him not walking. He kicks his feet in protest of getting his diaper changed, and gone are the worries that he won’t be a normal little boy. He toddles to me and lifts his hands for me to pick him up, and gone is the sadness that filled our hearts just one year ago.
It seemed only fitting that for his birthday, he should get a pair of shoes.
How the Lord is working all for good…
Beyond the blessings Cooper has brought to our lives, I believe the Lord is also using Cooper’s story to bless others. Last month my mother, who is working as an OB nurse, noticed one of the patient’s was due to have her baby on Cooper’s birthday, April 1st. As my mom was looking at the patient’s records, she realized that a sonogram had revealed that the baby had club feet.
My mom began to talk with the lady about her grandson Cooper, who was also born on April 1st with club feet. She passed along my website to a very grateful couple. I hope that they have found their way here and are encouraged by Cooper’s story. I pray that they will be further encouraged by the Lord.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.1 Corithians 1:25-31
Resurrection Sunday
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Matthew 28:6
This week the High Five Moms are discussing how we teach our kids the true meaning of Easter (Resurrection Sunday). As I was pondering the topic, I thought about how far the Lord has brought our family. And truly it is only by His grace, because I didn’t even know I needed to be brought along!
When the oldest kids were young, we celebrated “Easter”. The kids were dressed up in new clothes, they carried little baskets, and we hid eggs for them to find. The day was all about being merry, finding the goodies, and looking spiffy.
Several years later, I was saved and began to realize that we should focus more on the “true” meaning of Easter. We made resurrection cookies (The recipe for these cookies has Scripture dispersed throughout, and the ingredients represent different aspects of Jesus’ resurrection. They are also hollow, showing that Jesus is not in the tomb) and hunted for resurrection eggs (Each plastic egg has an item inside that represents the resurrection story).
While this was fun for the kids and they were learning the “true” meaning, I knew in my heart that I was still seeking to make something it wasn’t. I don’t think resurrection cookies and eggs are bad and at the time I was truly trying to teach my children the true meaning of Easter. The problem was that I still had one foot in the world. I was concerned that my kids would somehow miss out if we didn’t do these things.
It has taken a few years, but we have slowly come to the point where we focus solely on the resurrection of Christ. Our plan for this year is to read the Scriptures throughout the week, talk about His death and resurrection (and answer the hard questions…yes, Jesus suffered), and sing hymns that will remind us this.
Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Charles Wesley, 1739
Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!
Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!
But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!
Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
Check out the other moms and see how they teach their children the true meaning of Easter!
Brandy at The Marathon Mom
Keri Mae at The Happy Home
Stacy at A Delightful Home
Andie at Happy Andersons
Cooper’s First Steps
It is always exciting when your little ones take their first steps. It doesn’t matter how many times I experience seeing a child stand up, let go, and wobble along, I am always overcome by a mix of emotions. There is joy and thankfulness, that the Lord has blessed this child and it has grown and flourished. There is a bit of bittersweet sadness, knowing that the “baby” season for this child is coming to an end.
A couple of weeks ago, our baby Cooper ventured out into toddlerhood as he took his first steps. And while I certainly felt all the emotions I had experienced with our other children, there was another element playing on my heart as I watched him walk.
I stood watching the goodness of God being bestowed upon my child. I stood in awe of the gift of walking that was given to my child. I remembered the little feet I rubbed the night he was born, twisted and turned. And now I see these same feet, pitter pattering across my wooden floors.
God is good, all the time!
What I Learned at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival
Last weekend our family visited San Antonio, TX for the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. This is the first time we have ever attended the festival. I have wanted to attend a Vision Forum event for years. We have many CD’s and DVD’s that our family has listened to and watched over the years, but nothing compares to actually being there. We chose to attend this particular event because my (soon to be 15 year old) son is interested in making films. We felt that this would be a great opportunity to encourage him to learn more about film making, as well as allow him to meet other people in the film making industry. We would have loved to attend the film making academy as well, but decided to “dip our toes in the water” this year and just attend the festival.
Lessons Learned on Our Trip
Our trip started off with the normal sight-seeing as we visited the Alamo before the festival began. Growing up in Texas, it made me appreciate the sacrifices others have made for this great state. It also made me realize how much I don’t know about Texas history. I found myself wishing I would have at least prepared better for our trip and read up on the battle of the Alamo. Then I remembered the memorials erected in the old testament. One of the reasons God had the people put up memorials was to cause their progeny to ask questions and seek out the history of their fathers.
Lesson 1: I don’t have to know everything in advance.
Remember when I talked about lighting fires…it is OK to have my own fire lit. I don’t have to be a bucket full of information. God wants me to be a fire. He wants me to ask questions and seek out the history of the past. Well, the Alamo lit a fire in me. I will be looking for some excellent Texas history books! {As an aside, we visited our church in Brenham as we were coming home. At the end of the Wednesday night service, a gentleman stood up and quietly let everyone know that he had finished writing his fourth book and it was now available to order. The book is called Father Forgive Them: The Rachel Plummer Story. Rachel Plummer and her baby were abducted from central TX in 1836 by raiding Indians. I am looking forward to reading her story, but even more exciting is the fact that I can ask the author questions!} And this ties into the next lesson I learned…
Lesson 2: The Providence of God will place people in your path who need to be in your path.
After touring the Alamo, we took a leisurely stroll on the River Walk. Because we had our Cadillac stroller (long, double stroller) with us, we had to take a secluded elevator down to the river. As we stopped outside the elevator trying to decide which route to take, who do I see right behind us? Colin Gunn–you know, the producer/director of IndoctriNation (which won Best Documentary at the festival)! We were able to meet him and chat for a bit (after we got up the nerve to introduce ourselves, then had to chase him down because he had already started walking down the River Walk). I am so thankful that the Lord had put this opportunity before us. Colin was very gracious and down to earth. I later met his wife Emily and found the same to be true of her. Amidst a crowd of people, she stood chatting with me, looking me right in the eye as she did so. Have you ever talked to someone and could tell they were just being nice? Not her, she made me feel that she really wanted to hear what I had to say. I love it when I meet woman like her!
Lesson 3: What you see is not always what you get.
I think we all do this from time to time. We read books or listen to speakers and because what we read or hear is sound doctrine, we elevate the author or speaker. We make them “the standard” to which we must live by. I don’t think it is wrong to have role models. In fact, Titus 2 shows us that older men and women should teach and guide the younger. I love watching the Duggars in action because it teaches me tangible ways to live out the Scripture. At the festival, there were many authors, speakers, and film makers that were well known. Some of them were every bit as gracious in real life as they are in “media”. We met a young lady named Amelia who starred in the film The Runner from Ravenshead. She stuck out her hand and introduced herself and was such a sweetie. There were a few other instances when I thought, “oh, I wouldn’t have expected that”. Not that anyone was sinning or being ungracious, it just was not what I had conjured up in my mind. Overall it was just a great reminder that we are all still being sanctified and thankfully the Lord uses imperfect people to do His will. as a blogger, I must remember to present myself as I truly am (a sinner saved by grace) and not lead you all to think that I am something special.
at the Alamo
To Sum It Up
The time we spent at the festival, and then the following week spent in Texas, was a great time of reflection for me. There were several films (which I hope to share with you soon) that just pierced my heart. Some of them have caused us to make immediate changes in our family, other films have planted seeds for the future. There were so many men and women who deeply, passionately love the Lord and are striving to honor Him through film. What a blessing and encouragement they are to other believers!
~thankful~
That sums it up!
Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links.
What Can Prevent Racism? Part 2
Last weekend I posted an article on racism and my long time friend, Beth from Remade Ministries posed a very good question…
[I]f Darwin’s theory of evolution feeds and stirs the pot of racism, then why in history are some of the most egregious forms of racism and acts upon inferiority done by Christians themselves?
I have been pondering this question all week long. Some of my thoughts came right away, others, well, they are still being formed. Let me just say upfront, I am by no means an expert in deep theological issues. I am still learning step-by-step as the Lord leads. So I will put this out there and welcome communication on the topic.
As I thought about the question, there were four different answers that came to mind.
1. The acts being done were not done by true Christians. This is probably the easiest answer, as it is very straightforward. There have been many terrible acts committed throughout history in the name of “Christianity”. Sometimes these acts were done by individuals claiming to be Christians and other times it was the entire church. Matthew 7:15 comes to mind, when Jesus says “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
2. The acts were done by sinful Christians. Still an easy answer. We are all born with a sin nature. There are Christians today who are sinful racist. And just like everyone who walks in sin, they need to repent. Plain and simple.
3. The acts were done by Christians who believed they were doing the right thing. Here is where it gets difficult. I am particularly thinking about slavery. Several years ago I read Uncle Tom’s Cabin (which is one of my favorite books). Before reading it, I really could not see how there could be true Christians who believed slavery was justifiable. This book opened my eyes to the thinking during this time period.
There were many Christians who believed that the it was the Providence of God that allowed the black people to be placed into slavery. (As a side note, I agree with this. I believe that God is Sovereign. He often uses sinful man to perform His perfect will. There were many times in Biblical history when the Lord allowed people groups, even his own people, to be placed into slavery. Many of the nations in Africa were pagan societies without the Word of God. Slaves were a commodity in these countries, just another good to be sold. And as atrocious as this was, we can praise the Lord that through this time of slavery, many did hear the gospel and were saved. Many of their descendants are reaping the spiritual blessings of having great-great-grandparents who heard the gospel message and were penetrated by it’s saving grace!)
Some of these same people who believed God allowed the Africans to become slaves, also believed that they should not try and alter the social statuses of mankind. I would like to believe, based on historical accounts, that many sincere Christians proved themselves to be loving masters. I know that this was not always the case.
4. The acts were done by Christians who were immersed in the world. Maybe they didn’t have a Christian worldview. They were just “going with the flow”. I think this is why it is so important to teach our children the Word of God and how it applies to the way we should love others (and all aspects of our lives for that matter!). It is so easy to go along with the way things are just because that’s how things are. If we want true social change, we must know the Word, we must obey the Word, and we must stand on Word in every area of our lives. It is not enough to just go to church. Satan is as a roaring lion, looking to see whom he may devour.
One Last Thought
I have heard it said many times that “culture is religion externalized”. I have had the chance to see first hand many cultures throughout the world, and I couldn’t agree more with the quote. What people believe is seen in the way they live their lives.
When people make generalizations about other races, many times these generalizations are made based on the culture of the race. If the generalizations are negative, they are often mistaken for racism. I don’t believe the two are the same. Racism is a hatred for another person based on the ethnicity of the person. It is always wrong because it goes against the commandment Jesus gave in Mark, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”.
However (and this is not the politically correct thing to say), we are not required by God to like (or approve of) other cultures, especially if they are pagan or go against the laws set forth in the Bible. We should love the people, but we don’t have to love their culture.
What Can Prevent Racism?
I am reaching outside my comfort zone as I write this article, but the topic has been heavy on my heart this week. I have seen a couple of posts on facebook linking uneducated, conservative Christians and racism. At first, my temper was fueled as a gut reaction to the allegations. How dare anyone accuse me, or many of my conservative friends of racism? The more I pondered the entire premise of the argument, I realized just how blinded the world really is to the truth of God.
I believe the entire problem of racism stems from the lack of belief in the inerrant Word of God, particularly Genesis and the creation of man. Genesis 1:1 starts “In the beginning, God created…” and verse 26 goes on to say “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Each and every life is precious in the sight of the Lord. He created each of us in His own image.
Where did the different “races” come from?
We are all descendants of Adam and Eve. God created the two of them, and from that time every human has been born of another human. At the time God created Adam and Eve, He placed in their DNA all the genes for all the differing variables in mankind. He placed genes for all the different eye colors, hair colors, and skin tones. He placed genes for some to be tall, some short, some stout, and some petite. Every bit of genetic information that would ever be needed was available. So Adam and Eve could have had all different colors of children—red and yellow, black and white.
Fast forward a bit and we see that God destroyed the earth in the flood, and once again we are down to the lineage of just two people, Noah and his wife. Then their descendants were scattered over the face of the earth after building the tower of Babel. Before this time, all men were of one speech or language. God confounded their language, making it impossible (for the time being) for them to communicate with one another.
Once man was scattered, I am assuming that they gathered together with those in close proximity and learned to communicate as one people group. The people would have then started marrying and having children within each of their “groups”. Within each group, there would be limited genetic information. If any traits within the group were recessive, the genes for these traits might eventually be lost. For instance, if there were only a few people with blue eyes and many with brown eyes, after several generations the blue eye gene would become more and more rare until eventually the group had mostly all brown eyes.
Another way genetic information could be lost is through the environment. Let’s say you were a light skinned person living in an area of the world near the equator. You might not live as long, be as healthy, or produce as many children as someone more suited to the environment. Therefore, after time, most of the people left would be the ones more suited to the area. One thing to note here, is that genetic information may be lost, but never is it gained. There has never been an instance where new genetic information has been produced outside of creation.
The Racism/Evolution Connection
When one believes that man came from a puddle of slime, and had to “evolve” to the great state we are in now, it is no wonder racism abounds. If we all “evolved”, it would necessarily follow that some are more evolved than others. This places mankind in a ranking system, where some of the lesser evolved are thought to be lower than the more evolved. This is very clear in the title of Charles Darwin’s book — On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. His entire premise was to prove that certain “races” were more favored.
What Can Prevent Racism?
Can education prevent racism? What about social programs? Maybe we should just all learn to get along?
Unfortunately, as long as children are taught Darwin’s theory of evolution, they will always believe that some are better than others. They will always feel the need to get ahead, and the only way to do this is by trampling down others — you know, survival of the fittest.
To truly eradicate racism, you have to see man as God sees man. There are only two “races” in His eyes — the saved and the unsaved. There are those who have found grace through Jesus Christ and those still in need of a Saviour. When we realize that all men are sinners in need of being saved, and then love them as Jesus loves them, we won’t have a problem being racist.
Extreme Couponing: What I Am Learning
When we came back to the states last January I started hearing about extreme couponing. I watched the show a couple of times, but was turned off by the attitudes of the couponers and the fact that much of what they were getting would be useless to me.
I try to cook as much from scratch as I can, buying organic and natural products as well. I didn’t want to buy products I didn’t use just so I could use coupons. I really didn’t think couponing would work for us.
Oh and one other thing, I don’t like running to the store very often. I prefer to go every 2-3 weeks and buy as much as I can to last us as long as possible. I very rarely make shopping lists–I just walk up and down each aisle looking for things we need. I have always bought what we have needed when we needed it. If we were out of butter, I bought butter.
I am going to share something else with you…I don’t have a budget (gasp). I know that I need to be a better steward of what the Lord has given us and I am working toward that goal. In fact, I just received a copy of Money Saving Moms budgeting book. I am working toward setting a budget working within the parameters of a budget. (I will be sharing the journey as I go, but this was really the first step in that journey.)
Back to couponing…
For the last few months I have been learning to coupon and make it work for our family. I wanted to share a few things I have learned so far (for you seasoned couponers, don’t laugh!)
1. It’s not always about the coupons! - We shop at the commissary on base, and I don’t buy alot of the items that usually have coupons. However, through this couponing journey I have learned that the biggest way for me to save money is not necessarily through coupons. I can save significantly by watching the prices on the items I already buy and stocking up when the price is at it’s lowest. Even the local health food store has items on sale. Just the other day our local health food store had coconut oil marked down. So my first lesson in couponing was to buy low and buy in bulk when it is low.
2. Find coupons for the items you use - One of my little treats that I like to buy is Wholly Guacamole. I love fresh avocados, but there are times when you just can’t find a good one. I like to keep Wholly guacamole in the freezer for times like this. However, it is a kinda pricey. I hadn’t seen any coupons for it in the paper, but I went to their website and signed up for their newsletter. Now I get a coupon at least every month. Sometimes Wholly Guacamole is on sale, so I pair the saving with the coupon and I have a real deal!
3. Where to find coupons - The most known coupon source is the Sunday paper, but most of the ones there are for items we don’t use. My son has helped me to find many of the ones I use online. Again, newsletters are a great way to get coupons. All You magazine is published once a month and it contains many coupons. Watch for coupons inserted into products that you already use. I bought a 3-pack of Puffs tissues and it contained over $10 worth of coupons inside for other items I use (paper towels, toilet paper, batteries).
4. How to organize - I have seen many different organization methods, but this one seems to work for us so far. I had a 3-ring binder that I filled with business card holders. I divided them up into sections (I tried to keep the sections the same as the commissary where I shop). On the front divider in the notebook, I taped two envelopes to it. One says “planning to use” and the other says “going to use”. Before my shopping trip, and sometimes as I am shopping, I come across a coupon that I want to make sure and use–maybe the expiration date is coming up, or maybe the item is on sale. Once I actually place an item into the cart, I put the coupon into the “going to use” envelope.
5. How to coupon - This section deserves it’s own post, really. I will try and simplify, but if you really want to learn check out the resources below. I will say this, it takes practice to get good at couponing. It might be frustrating at first, and you might not see as much savings as you would like. Stick with it for a while before giving up on it. Once you start paying attention to details and practice pairing coupons and sales it will get easier. I am always so excited that I can now look at most prices in our commissary and know if it is a good price or not. I had never paid attention before.
OK, so generally what I do is find out what items are on sale. I still only shop every 2 weeks or so (and I don’t run around to other stores). I then see if I have coupons for any of those items, or if I can find coupons online. I also try to get store coupons. In my case, the commissary has military coupons that I can pair up with my manufacturers coupons. I then buy a “reasonable” amount of the item on sale with my coupons so that I will have the item on hand until it goes on sale again.
6. Think outside the box savings - One way I have used this system to save is to use sale items for hospitality events. For instance, I have been able to buy Rice Crispies and marshmallows are really cheap prices. When we attend events where we need to bring a snack or dessert, we can whip up Rice Crispy treats and it doesn’t cost us much (not to mention they are super quick and easy!)
Resources
I have found the following websites very useful as I have tried to learn how to coupon. I know that there are lots of sites out there, but I wanted to learn from women who loved the Lord and saw this as an opportunity to become better stewards — not merely hoarding up all the freebies they could find!
7 Tips on Letting the Lord Lead
On Friday I spoke a little about planting seeds, or putting ideas into motion. As I mentioned in that post, I have a shelf full of notebooks where I write down all my ideas. It seems that I am very rarely short on ideas, but my time and resources continually limited. So what is a busy mother to do. Obviously we can’t do it all. And there are so many “good” things we would like to do!
But what we ought to do is let God lead.
The answer to our dilemma is very simple in theory, but can sometimes be difficult to implement.
I mean, how do we know whether it is the Lord’s will for us to be involved in xyz project?
1. Pray and search the scriptures – I put these two together, because I have seen so many people choose one over the other. How many times I have heard “well, I prayed about it and have peace about doing it” when the very thing they want to do go against Scripture. We must remember that the heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9) and we are to lean not unto our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
2. Seek wise counsel – This might mean talking to your husband about your ideas or maybe a Godly older woman. You and your husband may need to seek further counsel from church elders or others in the field that your project pertains to. Seeking wise council is different from just going around getting everyone’s opinion on what you should do. Rather, it is finding people who will pray for you and honestly seek the Lord’s face concerning your situation. Sometimes they may offer a solution very quickly, pointing out something you hadn’t seen before. Other times it may take some time to discern where the Lord is leading.
3. Is there an open door? – What doors has the Lord opened for you? There have been many times when I just felt like I needed to do something, but everywhere I turned it seemed that the doors were being shut. I know that there will be times that we have to persevere and continue to push through hardships, but when we see a door that the Lord has shut we should not try to push through in our own strength.
4. Is it our season? – To everything there is a season. Just because the Lord has said no at this moment, doesn’t necessarily mean it is no altogether. Sometimes it is just not the right season for the project. For me, I don’t do very good at keeping on top of things when I am pregnant. I forget things. I am tired. I am sick. I just can’t get things done. I know that when I am pregnant, it is not a time for me to get involved in extra projects or activities, especially ones that require diligence from me.
5. Does the project build or add to our ultimate goals? – Many times I have had to ask myself this question. Looking at the overall picture of my goals, either short-term or long, does this add to those goals. There are times that choosing a project to do may not have directly affect our goals, but it’s impact may help us indirectly. For instance, I am learning Adobe (illustrator, indesign, photoshop). I don’t have a desire to become a graphic designer, but several of my other goals can be enhanced by the skills I am learning.
6. Will taking on this project cause me to not do the jobs the Lord has already given me, or not do them well? – This is a biggie! I have several hats that I must wear. If I add another job to my list, will it increase my load so much that I can’t get my other things done. As I have thought about what direction to take my blog in, one thing has been clear to me. I don’t need to create things to blog about. I try to just write about the things I am already doing or working on.
and lastly…
7. Have a willing heart – If you get into a project and realize that it is not where the Lord would have you, have a willing heart and be ready to give up the project. There is no shame in bowing out gracefully when the Lord has made it clear that this is not for you. Sometimes the Lord allows us to get involved for a time, and then pass the torch on to others. Sometimes we have just made a mistake and gotten in to something we shouldn’t have. Whatever the case may be, we need to be willing to follow the Lord’s guiding.
Need more tips on letting the Lord lead? Check out the other High Five Moms and see what they have found to help them…
Brandy at The Marathon Mom
Keri Mae at The Happy Home
Stacy at A Delightful Home
Andie at Happy Andersons
