The Stumbling Christian

Go See!

2008-08-17T14:27:00.003-07:00

I did it! I launched my new blog. Go check it out:

Being The Person God Created Me To Be.

I'll be doing my best to post almost daily. To be honest, I don't know if I'll be continuing here at The Stumbling Christian. I have a few things to wrap up, but I hope you will make the move with me.

See you there!

Please Say A Prayer

2008-08-13T21:58:00.004-07:00

A friend of mine, Cyndi, just emailed me and several of our friends asking for prayers for her friend, Anna.

Tragically, Anna lost her 15 month old son today. He died in his sleep while at the sitter's house. I don't know Anna but my heart breaks for her right now. Oh, how I wish I understood God's plans. How I wish I knew the plans He has in store for Anna. How I wish I could explain it all to her.

But there is nothing that can be said or done to wash away the pain that Anna and her husband are feeling right now. Nothing to make her say, "Oh, I feel better now. Thanks".

It's just not possible. Only God can mend her broken heart. Only God can heal her pain. Only God can get her through to the other side.

Months ago, the Holy Spirit kept me awake with a writing. He does this from time to time and I'm often compelled to get out of bed, go to my computer and type out whatever it is the Holy Spirit wants me to say. But this time was different. What the Holy Spirit was dictating to me didn't make sense to me because it didn't apply to me so I stayed in bed and somehow managed to fall asleep anyway, never typing a word.

I get it now. Here is the story Holy Spirit was telling me:

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I am a birth mother.

You may have friends that have adopted children and you've probably heard them say many times how thankful they are to the birth mother. These women, the birth mothers, have given them the one amazing and precious gift that is second only to the gift of salvation - the gift of a child.

Birth mothers give their children to the only other person who could possibly love them as much as they do, if not more.

Birth mothers give their children to the only other person who could possibly provide more for them. Teach them a little better. Heal them a little more tenderly. Forgive them a little more gracefully. Accept them a little more completely.

Birth mothers give their children to the only other person willing to die for them.

I am a birth mother.

I gave birth to a beautiful baby but, not long after, the Lord took him home to live with Him.

I got in some kisses and some hugs but not nearly enough. I took a few pictures, played a few games but not nearly enough. I carved out some memories and stored up some love, but not nearly enough.

Then my child went to live in his new home with his new parent, his Heavenly Father. The Lord has His reasons - this I understand.

But not nearly enough.

I am a birth mother. My child was adopted into God's family and the Lord will raise him now. I could give my child so much, but the Lord will give him more.

I love my child immeasurably, but the Lord will love him beyond that.

I would've forgiven my child after everything, but the Lord forgives before.

I wouldn't have died in the place of my child, but the Lord already did.

I am a birth mother.

The Lord did not promise me a child to begin with but He gave me one anyway. The Lord did not promise me an indefinite amount of time with my child, but I got some anyway. The Lord did not promise me a life without pain, but I got some joy anyway. But there's is one thing the Lord has promised me and that is a reunion.

And I will live the rest of my days longing for it, for I am a birth mother.

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Please pray for Anna and her family. I know you've never met her & don't know her last name but God will know who you are talking about. Pray the Lord will heal her and her family and bring them through to the other side, together. Thank you.

I'm Working On Something.

2008-08-12T18:04:00.004-07:00

I'm working on something BIG. Something BOLD. Something NEW and EXCITING.

Well, I think so anyway. Do you want to know what it is? Okay, I'll tell ya! 'Cause I'm dying to tell ya!

It's a new blog! Yep, that's right a new blog. I'm not ready to unveil it yet. There's some work to be done - you know, decide colors, cute graphics, fonts, etc.

Where does that leave this blog? Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. There's definitely more to write here but I'm really feeling like God is leading me onto something else. I think my work here at The Stumbling Christian is coming to a close and I need to move forward. Challenge myself more. Maybe challenge you more. Maybe the new blog will cause you to challenge me more. I don't know but I'm excited to find out!

I hope you come along with me. I don't know what I'd do without you, quite frankly. As soon as I have it up & running you'll be the first to know!

Meyer Monday

2008-08-11T22:21:00.003-07:00

God Has A Plan

If you have a poor self-image, it has already adversely affected your past, but you can be healed and not allow the past to repeat itself. Let go of what lies behind, including any negative ways you have felt about yourself, and press on toward the good things God has in store for you.

God has a good plan and a purpose for each of us and a specific way and perfect time to bring it to pass, but not all of us experience it. Many times we live far below the standard that God intends for us to enjoy.

For years I did not exercise my rights and privileges as a child of God. Although I was a Christian and believed I would go to heaven when I died, I did not know that anything could be done about my past, present or future. I had a poor self-image, and it affected my day-to-day living, as well as my outlook for the future.

Accept God's love for you and make that love the basis for your love and acceptance of yourself. Receive His affirmation, knowing that you are changing and becoming all that He desires you to be. Then start enjoying yourself - where you are - on your way to full spiritual maturity.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be.

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For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you ope in your final outcome. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

A Truth About Me Part V

2008-08-08T20:32:00.005-07:00

I can't believe I haven't written since Monday. Where has my week gone? I have no idea. I thought instead of commenting on Meyer Monday, I would continue with A Truth About Me. It's about time I started to wrap this one up anyway.

When I left you last, I told the story about my dad's death and how it really affected me while I was pretending/believing that it didn't. That was the second wall to go up around my heart, keeping me "safe". With the second wall firmly in place, there was only one person left to keep out.

That was my husband.

Maybe it's taken me so long to write this particular post because this is the most difficult. Who wants to admit that they slowly and methodically walled the love of their life out of their heart? I honestly thought I could do this and maintain a marriage that was "just fine". I got news for you - when one person is not well in the relationship, the relationship is not well.

I can't tell you when I first started working on this third wall. I believe it was not long after my dad's death. You see, at that time I would do anything to not focus on my grief. Crying - any crying for any reason - reminded me of my dad's death. So I focused pretty darn fiercely on NOT crying AT ALL.

Like a lot of wives out there, I would often cry whenever my husband and I had a fight. Or when he'd do that thing that men sometimes do - you know, say something insensitive and stupid and not even realize it. I'll give you an example: my husband once declared that women cry just to manipulate.

Now, I'll go on record to say that, yes, some women do cry in order to get their way but by this time in our relationship we had been together seven years and, in all honesty, he should have known me better than that. I simply don't cry to get my way!

The fact that he said that made it all the more easy for me to shut off that part of my emotional self. He reduces my emotions down to a manipulative school-girl ploy and expects me to just take it? Oh no you don't, Buster! I'll show you! I just won't cry at all!

Ever.

Nothing.

No way!

Zip! Zilch! Done! Whenever I felt that tightening of the throat and prickle in my eyes, I would literally, drill sergeant-style start forbidding myself to cry. I would do all sorts of deep breathing, counting to ten, picturing kittens playing in my head, etc., to make it stop. And, you know what? It worked! I was tear-free in just a matter of a few short weeks!

Now here's a little secret I want to share with you all: You can't shut down one aspect of your emotions without holding the rest hostage. You want to suppress sadness, anger, hurt, grief, pain? Fine. But you are also going to give up joy, happiness, laughter, awe, hope and love. The pendulum can and will swing both ways but you can't just make it stick to one side. Doesn't work that way.

Refusing to let my husband in on all the bad stuff going on inside of me meant I couldn't let him in on all the good stuff, too. No more sharing ideas, thoughts, dreams, amusements, hopes. Nope, it's an all or nothing kind of thing and for my own "safety" I chose nothing.

This does not make for a happy marriage. That's not to say things got ugly around here, they didn't. But growth did not take place. An erosion of sorts occurred instead. Thank the Lord, He got to me before it all crumbled into nothingness.

Fast forward to today: I no longer bury my emotions and cry freely whenever the mood strikes - this is a good thing. My husband and I are in a good place. I'm completely open with him now as I am pretty much with everyone. It wasn't an easy road to hike, these last 12 months or so, but it wasn't all that difficult either. The Lord carried me most of the way, anyway.

I don't know where this story will lead to after this post. There is more to tell you about - how I got from point A to point B and where I'm at with my food addiction now - and I will tell you about it soon. It's just that, really, it's an ongoing process. It never really ends, I suppose. I can tell you this much though - honest self-examination isn't all that pretty and there were some pretty hard pills to swallow. Some of those pills I still have to go!

I hope you continue to join me on this journey!

Are You A Grasshopper?

2008-08-04T09:54:00.002-07:00

We read in Numbers 13 of how Moses sent twelve men to scout out the Promised Land to see if it was good or bad. Ten of the men came back with what the Bible refers to as "an evil report" (Numbers 13:32). When the twelve scouts returned, they told Moses, "The land is good, but there are giants in it!"

The fear of the giants prevented God's people from entering the land that He had promised to give them. It wasn't really the giants that defeated these people; it was their poor self-image. They only saw the giants; they failed to see God.

Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who had a proper attitude toward the land. They said to Moses and the people. "Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able to conquer it" (Numbers 13:30). In the end, they were the only ones who were allowed by God to go into the Promised Land.

God had a glorious future planned for all of the Israelites, but all of them did not enter into that future - only the ones who had a proper attitude toward God and toward themselves.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be.

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There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sights as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. ~ Numbers 13:33

Super Savings Saturday

2008-08-02T13:03:00.004-07:00

It's Super Savings Saturday over at MoneySavingMom.com again. If you have yet to wander on over to Crystal's site, you need to go now. Right now!

Go on, get! I'll wait.

Okay, now that you're back - see, I knew you'd like it - I need your help.

I've decided that while the savings are great buying items on sale and with coupons, I think I can do better by making more at home from scratch. This will be quite a task considering I'm basically someone who meanders through the kitchen either to, A) get a cookie or B) make my way to the bathroom on the other side. I'm not much of a cook is what I'm trying to say.

Anyway, I've decided to drastically cut back on buying anything in a box (except pasta, I'm simply NOT going to learn how to make my own pasta) such as Hamburger Helper, PastaRoni, brownie & cake mixes, rice mixes, etc. I like the fact that I'll also be throwing away less as well.

I have recipes for cakes and brownies, so I'm good there. What I really need are sauce mixes. Sauces to put over pastas, chicken, turkey and whatnot. Crockpot ideas would be MOST helpful!

Care to help a super savings sister out? Leave me one or two of your favorite recipes. Nothing too difficult, I'm a kitchen newbie remember!

I really appreciate your help! Thanks in advance!

The Dead-Dog Image

2008-07-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Dead-Dog Image is something that resonates with me. I'm happy to say, however, not nearly as much as it used to.

When my husband first met me, he was amused yet astounded at not just my reluctance to talk to employees at a retail store but my absolute refusal to do so. I would gladly walk up and down the aisles looking for whatever it was I needed before ever asking an employee for help. I didn't want to "bother" them. I thought I was being an inconvenience to them. A nuisance. I didn't see myself as having the right to their assistance that simply being a customer entitles you to. I didn't deserve their help.

Where this notion came from, I have no idea. I do know that over the years I've come to realize that I just don't do well speaking to people I don't know. What's funny is that I worked in retail most of my life. Apparently, I was into self-torture as well.

Most of that has changed now. Glory be to God! I can pinpoint exactly when I was thrust into overcoming this fear of speaking to strangers. It was very soon after my baby girl was born.

You see, London was born with A LOT of hair. Tons! Her hair literally stopped people in their tracks whether they be at the grocery store, mall, park, restaurant, bank - you name it. They had to stop and comment and ask to touch her little head. Then each and everyone of them were compelled to tell me about their baby/grandbaby/niece/nephew/child down the road who either did or didn't have hair like my little girl.

Of course, this meant that I had to talk to these complete strangers! Not an outing went by where I wasn't thrust into a conversation with someone. I remember many, many times I'd be in the grocery store, London secure in her brightly-colored, padded grocery cart cover when we'd round the corner down the cereal aisle and there they would be. That cute elderly couple you just knew had grandchildren of their own. And the Sybil-esque voice would start in my head, "The people! The people! The people!"

Inevitably, they'd spot her out-of-control curly tresses, smile and make a bee-line for the mom who they were sure wanted to talk endlessly about them. *sigh*

This happened so often that, without my even realizing it, I came out of my shell. Now, you'd be hard pressed to shut me up!

It's funny to me how God works sometimes. I never once prayed for help in this area of my life yet God saw a need, an area that needed growth and without so much as a word to me (because I'm sure I would've protested) He began His work on it.

I enjoy talking to people I don't know so much now that I sometimes go out of my way to do so. I'll happily discuss my children but even more happily discuss yours. Or whatever else is important to you.

And if you work in a retail store, you can bet your bottom dollar, I'll be asking for your help!

The Dead-Dog Image has died in this girl!

So Sorry...

2008-07-30T22:12:00.002-07:00

I am running behind! I have not forgotten my blog or my valued blog readers! I'm just up to my bunny ears is "stuff" to do.

I promise to be back a.s.a.p or as soon as I get a minute to myself.

Of course, if I do get a minute to myself this blog may just lose out to a much needed nap instead!

Stay tuned!

Meyer Monday

2008-07-27T21:42:00.003-07:00

The Dead-Dog Image

Mephibosheth was the grandson of Kind Saul and the son of Jonathon, who had been a close covenant friend to David. Crippled as a youth, Mephibosheth had a poor self-image, a dead-dog image. Instead of seeing himself as the rightful heir to his father's and grandfather's legacy, he saw himself as someone who would be rejected.

When David sent for Mephiboseth, he fell down before the king and displayed fear. David told him not to fear, that he intended to show him kindness. Mephibosheth's response is an important example of the kind of poor self-image we all need to overcome.

A poor self-image causes us to operate in fear instead of faith. We look at what is wrong with us instead of what is right with Jesus. He has taken our wrongness and given us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). We need to walk in the reality of that truth.

I love the end of the story. David blessed Mephibosheth for Jonathon's sake. He gave him servants and land and provided for all of his needs.

I relate Mephibosheth's lameness to our own weakness. We may also fellowship and eat with our King Jesus - despite our faults and weaknesses.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be

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And Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold your servant!

David said to him, Fear not, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathon your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father [grandfather], and you shall eat at my table always.

And [the cripple] bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am? ~ Samuel 9:6-8

Super Savings Saturday

2008-07-25T14:24:00.005-07:00

My shopping extravaganza for the week:

First CVS:

I can't remember the details of everything, except that I got all of the above for a little over $12.00 OOP with $5.00 ECB's back. Not bad, not bad. I'm not hitting CVS like I used to these days. I did so stinkin' well the first few months that I'm completely stocked up on just about everything. So now I just keep an eye out for diapers, detergent and the occassional make-up steal. Like this one: I had swiped my CVS card in their coupon machine thinga-ma-bob and got a $3.00 off any Revlon cosmetic. I knew I had a $2.00 manufacturer coupon at home so I ran back to the house (I live all of 3 minutes from my CVS store) and grabbed it. CVS was having a B1G1 Free sale on Revlon products, combine that with my $5.00 in coupons and I got the above for .99 cents!

Now it's Walgreen's turn:They had several back-to-school items on sale this past week. Everything except the mini composition books (.5 cents ea.) and the paper clips (.19 cents each) is available for a full rebate. The really good news is that I paid for everything with my Walgreen's gift card that has all my other rebate money on it. I get a kick out of the fact that I'm just reusing the same money over and over again to buy new stuff!

Now for Walmart:
I'd just like to take a moment and thank Crystal over at MoneySavingMom.com for all the hard work she does so I don't have to! All I did with the above purchase was follow her directions on this post , clipped my coupons and off I went. I got everything above for $5.78. Here's what I did:

Kotex pantyliners - $1.00 minus $1.00 coupon = Free!
Johnson's Baby Shampoo - $2.12 minus $1.00 coupon = $1.12
(2) Huggies Clean Sweep - $5.46 minus $3.00 coupon = $2.46
(2) Muir Glen Tomatos - $2.48 minus $2.00 coupons = $.48 cents
(2) Tava 4 packs - $3.96 minus $3.00 coupons = $. 96 cents
(2) Bic Pens 10 pks - $1.76 minus $1.00 coupon = $.76 cents.

All total I saved $11.00 at Walmart thanks to Crystal! I've seen others make a much better killing than that but I'm a newbie at working the Walmart deals so I'm cutting myself a little slack. Not a bad start, though.

Check out MoneySavingMom.com for more great deals!

A Truth About Me Part IV

2008-07-24T12:20:00.003-07:00

With the first wall around my heart successfully built after deciding to close out friends, old & new, it was time to start construction on the second wall. This would come all too easily in 2001 when my dad died suddenly from pancreatic cancer.

I say "suddenly" because from the time of diagnosis to the time of death was nine days. Something had been terribly wrong with my dad's health for months but having that "pull yourself up from your bootstraps and shove on" mentality, Dad wasn't in all that of a rush to find out what it was. The cancer would have gotten him anyway. Pancreatic cancer is a losing battle. It's as painfully simple as that. I don't know if the extra time of knowing would have done any good. It would have just caused people to fuss over him and being fussed over was not something Dad was terribly interested in.

I handled my dad's death like a pro. Spoke clearly at his memorial without so much as a quiver and pulled my own self up by the bootstraps and shoved on! The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree, ya know.

I came to understand that their are five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Denial I could totally relate to seeing that is was pretty dang close to daydreaming and, since I consider myself a professional daydreamer, I jumped right in.

Being the impatient person that I am, I had no time for the three stages in the middle so I jumped ahead to acceptance. I saw no reason to even consider the other three since acceptance was where I was going to end up anyway, why not just get there sooner rather than later, right?

I had a simple plan: Anytime I felt myself even coming close to the other three or, heck, any kind of emotion resembling grief in any way, I would jump right back to denial since I was so good at it anyway. Besides, pretending is fun & easy. Why not do it in place of actually working through your emotions and heal from your grief? Phffftttthhh!!!!

Remember the movie Finding Nemo? Of course you do, it wasn't that long ago! Anyway, there's this scene where Dory and Marlin, after getting directions from the school of fish, are supposed to swim through the trench, not over it. Marlin decides that swimming through the trench looks dark and foreboding. He's scared to go through the trench (we all are). So he decides to do what looks easiest and that is, swim over it. Well, it turns out that swimming over it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Sure, it started out fun but Dory and Marlin end up in worse trouble, more painful trouble, than they ever imagined. Trouble that nearly cost them dearly. Take it from me, you need to swim through the trench!

Oh, for heaven's sake! The jellyfish! Remember? The jellyfish, people! Remember? Dory almost died! It was not that long ago!

Anyway, back to my simple plan. The problem with it was that it was nearly impossible to NOT come close to those other emotions whenever I was around my brothers. I didn't want to avoid them, especially at this difficult time but I absolutely, positively, for my own "safety" (there's that word again) could NOT speak to them about the death of our dad. Do you know that NOT ONCE did I call my brothers afterwards and ask them how they were doing? Not once.

What? No nomination for Sister of the Year? Come on!

I just couldn't do it. I could not take on the pain and sorrow of my brothers'. Not for even one small phone call. I couldn't deal with my own. How could I deal with theirs? The truth of the matter is, when we help to carry each others burdens, we end up with less of our own to carry. I didn't know that at the time, and thus went up the second wall around my heart closing out my family.

As long as I kept my family at bay, I could continue mistakenly believing that I had accepted my dad's death and shove any emotions proving otherwise deeper down into my soul. And now that I had successfully barricaded my friends and my family from my heart, there was only one more person to go...

To be continued...

Godly Self-Love

2008-07-22T21:35:00.003-07:00

Joyce writes: We all need to ask ourselves what we are doing with the love of God that has been freely given to us.

I think this is an excellent question. What are you doing with it? What am I doing with it? Am I passing it on to others around me? Well, yes, sometimes.

But mostly, no.

Don't get me wrong - generally, I'm a nice person. I'm friendly to others, helpful & cheery but am I loving others the way God loves me? I've heard Joyce say before that we are not reservoirs of God's love, but channels. We shouldn't be storing it all up for ourselves but, instead, God's love should be flowing through and out of us.

I've also heard it said that we can't really love others until we first love ourselves. Am I loving myself the way God loves me? Well, yes, sometimes.

But mostly, no.

But I do love myself a heck of a lot more than I used to before putting God in the lead role of my life. I still fight the demons of self-doubt, self-criticism and negative thinking but many of those demons have given up the fight now that they see I have the power of God on my side and I'm not giving up. I have a long way to go but I'm getting there.

One thing I like to remind myself of is the fact that God is never wrong. God says I'm beautiful. God says I'm worthy. God says I'm good enough and God says I am made right through Christ. To say anything different about myself would, in every sense, be arguing with God. Now I don't know about you but I hate to lose an argument so I just try to remind myself that, when it comes to me, God is right and I just need to accept it.

I need to accept the fact that I'm worthy of God's love and that God sees me as worth loving. Once I fully accept that (sometimes it's hard to wrap my brain around the infinite depth of His love), then I will be able to really pour that love out of me and into the hearts of others.

What about you? Have you fully accepted the love God has for you?

Meyer Monday

2008-07-21T12:50:00.004-07:00

The Bible teaches us that the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. That simply means that when the Lord, in the person of the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell in our heart because of our faith in His Son Jesus Christ, He brings love with Him, because God is love (1 John 4:8).

We all need to ask ourselves what we are doing with the love of God that has been freely given to us. Are we rejecting it because we don't think we are valuable enough to be loved? Do we believe God is like other people who have rejected and hurt us? Or are we receiving His love by faith, believing that He is greater than our failures and weaknesses?

We should love ourselves - not in a selfish, self-centered way that produces a lifestyle of self-indulgence, but in a balanced, godly way, a way that simply affirms God's creation as essentially good and right.

God's plan is this: He wants us to receive His love, love ourselves in a godly way, generously love Him in return, and finally love all the people who come into our lives.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be.

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...God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. ~ Romans 5:5

My 100 Things

2008-07-16T22:17:00.004-07:00

I'm skipping Super Savings Saturday this week, though I did find a couple of good deals over at CVS. Oh, and speaking of CVS, if you haven't gotten over there to get your free photo books, what's keepin' ya? Get to it!

In the meantime, I had completely forgotten about my 100 things until about a day or two ago. It's been pretty heavy around here, so why not lighten things up a little! See the rest of my list here.

Here we go:

80. I do not, can not and will not ever understand the fascination with The Rolling Stones.

79. I totally understand the fascination with Aerosmith!

78. I sometimes have dreams where my teeth are rotten and nasty and falling out. What does this mean?!

77. There is a part of me that could totally live in Alaska. It's a small, crazy part that I don't let out often, but it's there.

76. I am dead serious when I say I want to someday own a goat farm.

75. When I was little I wanted to be an actress, a rock star and a teacher.

74. I have eaten escargot and loved it. Twice.

73. I have stepped foot in 18 of the 50 states. Most of which I simply drove through.

72. I LOATHE peas. Don't even talk to me about them.

71. I honestly used to believe that Britney Spears was the normal one and Christina Aguilera was the troubled one!

A Truth About Me. Part III

2008-07-15T21:23:00.005-07:00

When I last left you, I said that telling you my story about when my compulsive eating began involved a friend whom I had no intention of hurting and, if necessary, I would skip that part.

Well, that good friend of mine proved even a better friend when she called me and immediately gave me the go ahead to tell the story.

The truth of the matter is, I probably had a food addiction before the issue with my friend, it's just that I seem to be able to pinpoint a seriously bad habit I formed right after that that I don't recall having before. A bad habit that, in my opinion, is worse than just shoving copious amounts of food into my mouth. That habit?

The act of knowingly, willingly and purposely ignoring my emotions, pushing my feelings down to the depth of numbness and closing off every person near and dear to me from my heart. Not good, my friends. Not good at all.

I've heard it said that when you bury your emotions, you bury something that is alive and one way or another it's going to dig it's way back out. Mine dug their way out in the form of a food addiction and compulsive eating among other things. Those other things I'm still trying to figure out. Heck, just the other day I realized I may have rejection issues. Who knew? But believe me, you'll know about them when I do!

Anyway, back to my friend. The long and short of it is, we were best friends for fourteen years. All through high school and then some. I was in her wedding, there for the birth of her second child and she rode every emotional rollercoaster ride with me that I could find. As a great many friends do, we found ourselves on different paths in life and, I don't know, maybe we just didn't know how to handle that. So we did the only thing we knew how to do and that was have a rip-roaring, all-hell-breaks-loose, knock-down-drag-out falling out. That was in 1997. We didn't speak afterwards for eight years.

EIGHT YEARS, people! Take it from me, that is a long time to hold onto anger and resentment.

The truth of it is, I was unwilling, for quite some time, to accept responsibility for my end of it. Sure, it may seem easier to put all the blame on the other person, but in the long run, you end up paying for it.

Anyway, as a result of constantly blaming her and not looking for any truth within me, I then took the next natural step - I ended up distrusting all of my friends. I figured if "she could do that to me, they all could". That is when the first wall went up around my heart. I not only no longer shared my emotions, problems, anxieties, fears, dreams or really anything of value for that matter with my friends. I also absolutely refused to form any new friendships with other women. As far as I was concerned, I was done in the girlfriends department.

Sounds healthy, right? I knew even then it wasn't healthy but it sure did seem safe to me. And "safety" was exactly what I was after. Oh, if I had only known about the safety of Christ at that time!

Now with friends "safely" on the other side of the first wall around my heart, it was time to get busy building the second one. That one would go up almost immediately after my dad's death in 2001. I'll fill you in on that part of the story very soon.

Until then, thanks for listening.

The Root of Rejection

2008-07-14T20:32:00.003-07:00

Rejection...hmm...this is not an easy topic. I can remember different times in my life when I was rejected for different reasons. I've been going over them in my head and I'm afraid that this is just going to come out like a "poor me" post.

But, then again, this has never been an issue that I've explored before, so maybe it's worth it for me to go over a few of these things...

*******

Okay, I've sat here for the last twenty minutes or so typing out all the times I suffered rejection in my life and, while I absolutely agree that it deserves to be explored and I will, it was getting to be a really, really long story. So let's just say that I've suffered from rejection from time to time but, I truly believe that while, yes, I do need to explore this, I've suffered no where near what other people have.

Joyce writes, "If you are rooted in rejection, abuse, shame, guilt, or a poor self-image..."

Okay, poor self-image is definitely something I've struggled with. I have no idea where that comes from, really. Perhaps another post some other time on that. And, let's just say that rejection has been a part of my past. That I'm willing to face as well.

Joyce also writes, "your "tree" will bear depression, negativism, a lack of confidence, anger, hostility, a controlling spirit, judgmentalism, a chip on your shoulder, hatred, and self-pity..."

Can I get a ding! ding! ding! on the lack of confidence, anger and controlling spirit? That's a dead-on right there! It has never occurred to me that these issues that I struggle with may have something to do with my feelings of rejection that stem from the past. Wow. Really worth exploring further!

I'm thinking that there are going to be several times when Joyce gets me to explore what's been going on inside of me. And I'm also beginning to think that maybe I need a journal of some sort to really help me with this exploration. Is anyone else thinking online journal?

Because, you know, I could use another blog! lol!

Meyer Monday

2008-07-14T06:35:00.004-07:00

The Root Of Rejection

Rejection starts as a seed that is planted in our lives through different things that happen to us. The devil does not want to plant just a seed of rejection. He wants to plant it deep so it will develop into a root that will go way down and have other little rootlets attached to it. Eventually these roots and rootlets will become a tree.

Whatever you are rooted in will determine the fruit in your life - good or bad. If you are rooted in rejection, abuse, shame, guilt, or a poor self-image - if you are rooted in thinking, Something is wrong with me! - your "tree" will bear depression, negativism, a lack of confidence, anger, hostility, a controlling spirit, judgmentalism, a chip on your shoulder, hatred, and self-pity. It leads you to say to yourself, "Well, the real me is not acceptable, so I need to produce a pretend me!"

All the areas of your life that are out of order can be reconciled through Jesus and the work that He has done on the cross. It happened to me, and God can do it for you. Begin to believe it! Don't settle for bondage, but be determined to be free!

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be

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And God say everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. ~ Genesis 1:31

Seek The Lord Sunday

2008-07-12T21:48:00.012-07:00

This week over at Called Her Blessed, Daiquiri asks us to talk about Jesus. One of the questions she asks is, Who is Jesus to You? Well, if you've been a long-time reader, you know I like photo montages, so I'm answering her question with a series of photos. Enjoy!

He is the rock on which I stand:

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ~ Matthew 7:25

The one whom I cast my cares upon:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7

He is my new beginning:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ~ Corinthians 5:17

He is my strength within:

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. ~ Phillipians 4:13

He is my satiety:
"I am the bread that came down from heaven." ~ John 6:41

The foundation of my faith:

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ~ Hebrews 11:1

The calm in my storm:

He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. ~ Matthew 8:26

He is a promise kept:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16

Jesus is my only path:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ~ John 14:6

He is the one who paid my debt:

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
~ Isaiah 53:5

Super Savings Saturday

2008-07-10T22:15:00.006-07:00

It's Super Savings Saturday again over at MoneySavingMom.com . Come join the fun!

Here are my deals for the week:

Party City: I like hitting the clearance section at Party City. You just never know what you might find. This week, I ~~stole~~ got away with two rolls of gift wrap and a ribbon bow for $1.00 TOTAL! Yay!

Christmas in July:

In sticking with my $10.00 limit on (most) Christmas gifts, I found a bathrobe on the clearance shelf at CVS for $5.00 and this great brand-new picture frame at a garage sale for a $1.00. Both will be going to my mom this Christmas.

Kohl's:

I did some speed shopping at Kohl's last week. I hit the 80% off racks ONLY! I refused to look at anything else. I walked away with four tops and a dress for under $20! You can't find prices like that at a consignment shop. Plus, the stuff I bought was NEW!

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store:

Overall, I was not impressed with my local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. The selection was horrible and the prices were outrageous! Lucky for me, they were having a 1/2 price sale so I thought it would at least be worth my while to check out their books. I picked up these four for less than $5.00. That was worth the trip!

Have a great week, everyone!

Self-Acceptance

2008-07-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

Did I say I'd write my thoughts about Joyce Meyer's writings on Tuesday? I meant Thursday. Yeah, yeah - Thursday.

To say that I've had issues with self-acceptance is an understatement. This is something I've battled my entire life but I'm happy to say, I'm on my way to victory. Maybe self-acceptance just comes with age because after awhile, you just get sick of the fight. You get tired of that nagging voice in your head that tells you you're not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, this enough or that enough so you grab that little voice by the neck and shove it's annoying little self into a box and leave it on the side of the road somewhere.

You know, like people leave cats out in the country. That sort of thing.

I'm still working on it. I'm not completely there yet. But I can tell you this - finally accepting the fact that God accepts me AS IS has been a huuuuuge step forward for me. For the first (nearly) two years after I returned to the church, I had a hard time believing that I was good enough for God's family. I felt like a welcomed dinner guest but couldn't see myself actually making my home there with Him. Like Joyce Meyer said - I had been in the habit of rejecting myself so I automatically concluded that God would ultimately reject me as well. Why would someone so pure, so holy, so good and so perfect want me at His dinner table all the time?

It took some time, but I finally realized that I go to Christ to be cleansed, not go to Christ already cleaned up. If I (or you) were to wait until I had myself all spiffy and shiney before giving myself up to Christ, well, it just wouldn't happen, let's be honest.

Someone once gave me this example:

Say it had been a long, long time since you last saw your children and you finally got the chance to be with them again. Say your children came running up to you dirty and grimey, would you stop them before they reached you and told them they had to go wash up first before hugging you? No, of course not! God is the same way. He wants us even if we're dirty, grimey and a mess! Just as long as He gets us!

Well, He's got me and, together, we're doing a fine job of cleaning up my messes here & there. If you're a mom of a toddler you'll get this reference - God is like a great, big Magic Eraser!

God Bless!

Being The Person God Made You To Be.

2008-07-07T19:19:00.004-07:00

*beep* *beep* *beep*
We interrupt this compulsive eating story to bring you this important message:

I've been wanting to start something new with my blog for quite sometime but it seems like everytime I want to start it, something comes up. Well, I'm determined to start it and start it I shall! I will get back to "A Truth About Me" in just a matter of days, I promise. The more I write on the subject, the more I find there is to write on the subject. I thought I'd be able to spew it all out in one boring post but it seems that my loquacious nature has gotten the better of me.

I just need to get this new thing started as well.

As many of you know, I have "Meyer Mondays" - that's when I post a page out of Joyce Meyer's "Being The Person God Made You To Be". I will continue to do just that but instead of just posting what she says in her book, I would like to add my comments about her writings and actually apply what she says.

Can you imagine? Apply the teachings of God! Who'da thunk?

I feel that it only makes sense, then to start at the very beginning of her book and go from there.

(let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start).

Sorry, I channeled Julie Andrews there for a minute. I'm back now. No worries.

So this is how it's going to work: On Mondays, I'll do "Meyer Monday" as usual. On Tuesdays, I'll post my comments about Joyce's writing, how what she says may or may not ring true with me, and how I will be applying (or attempting to apply) what she teaches to my life. From time to time, I'll update you on whether or not I'm succeeding in being the person God created me to be and ask for your prayers and support.

Or, at the very least, ask that you don't point and laugh at me. Because, you know, that would be mean.

So, are you ready? Good! Let's get started!

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SELF-ACCEPTANCE

During my years of ministry, I have discovered that most people really don't like themselves. This is a very big problem, much bigger than one might think initially. It is certainly not God's will for His children to feel this way. Rather, it is part of Satan's attempt to ruin us.

If we don't get along with ourselves, we won't get along with other people. When we reject ourselves, it may seem to us that others reject us as well. Relationships are a vital part of our lives. How we feel about ourselves is a determining factor in our success in life and in relationships.

Our self-image is the inner picture we carry of ourselves. If what we see is not healthy, not true to the Scriptures, we will suffer from fear, insecurity, and various misconceptions about ourselves. For many years, it devastated my own life.

God is a God of hearts. He sees our heart, not just the exterior shell we live in (the flesh) that seems to get us into so much trouble. Our Father in heaven never intended for us to feel bad about ourselves. He wants us to know ourselves and yet accept ourselves in the same way that He does.

~Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be

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May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love. ~ Ephesians 3:17

A Truth About Me. Part II

2008-07-03T21:31:00.007-07:00

Sorry about the delay. I'm fighting a nasty head cold and will be quite surprised if I'm able to string two coherent sentences together in this posting. Let's see if I can put more of this story together, shall we?

As I stated before, it was an Oprah episode that smacked me upside the head and made me realize something about myself I had never before. I remember the day clearly...

It was a cold and murky day...I'm kidding. It was actually quite nice out as spring was just turning into summer and yet I had decided to spend said nice day indoors cleaning my floor. I had the Oprah show on for "background noise". No, really! Oprah had her trusty fitness guru friend Bob Greene on and he was talking to several people who had found success using his latest techniques.

Now let me just stop right there and switch gears on you for just a minute. I'd like to discuss the term "self-medicating". I had heard the term several times on Oprah and Dr. Phil and similar shows (painting a real nice picture of a stay-at-home mom who does nothing all day but watch daytime television, ya think?) many times before. I had honestly never thought about applying the term to me or my issues with food. It really never occurred to me. I honestly thought that people who self-medicate, whether it be with drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, etc., did so because of some trauma experienced in their childhood. I didn't know that someone could experience a trauma in adulthood and then go on to self-medicate as a way of coping with that trauma. I know that sounds silly to say I never realized that, but it is the truth.

One of the women on Oprah that day told a story about how her job meant everything to her. It was her life, her passion, her identity. She told how when she was fired from her job she felt like a part of her died that day. She then explained how she went on to self-medicate with food to help her cope with her loss.

That's when I received the smack upside the head. There I stood, Bissell Steam Mop in hand, jaw agape and resting numbly on my semi-clean floor, staring at the t.v. Did I hear that right? This woman suffered a trauma as an adult and now she was self-medicating with food as a result of it?

The words "I'm self-medicating" came rolling of my tongue. I realized right then that self-medicating with food was, indeed, what I was doing. Thus began the process of delving back through my adulthood in an attempt to discover just what trauma I had endured. But, you know, I just couldn't think of anything. I didn't lose a beloved job. I hadn't suffered a divorce, lost a child, my house hadn't burned down, my dog didn't run away.

Okay, I've never owned a dog but still...

The only thing I could think of was my dad's passing from pancreatic cancer. But I had handled that so well. I accepted my dad's death upon diagnosis - before he even died. And, come to think of it, I was having problems with my weight and food before his death. If it wasn't my dad's death, what was it then? (turns out my dad's death did play a part in it)

Mentally, I went back to the time I first started plumping up and I narrowed it down, quite specifically, to the time my compulsive eating began.

I'm going to have to stop right there. Please believe me when I say that I WANT to tell you everything but to tell you the story about how my compulsive eating habits began is going to require some prayer. You see, telling you the story may end up hurting a friend. I have no interest in hurting someone even for the purpose of confession or to help someone who is reading my blog and struggling with their own food issues. I just won't.

I'll continue in a few days either with or without this component. In the meantime - sorry to leave you hanging - enjoy your holiday! Happy 4th Everyone!

A Truth About Me. Part I

2008-06-29T21:19:00.005-07:00

As I said in a previous post, I discovered a few truths about me 'round-about this time last year.

I told you that one of those truths included M&M candies, Nicole Kidman, Oprah and Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Makes for an odd picture, wouldn't you say? Allow me to put the pieces together for you (this may take awhile).

The start of the summer of 2007 found me with a new baby boy who struggled to nurse and a three-year-old who was set to potty-train. For you experienced mothers or non-OCD/control freak types, this is not enough to put you in a tizzy. For me, a slightly OCD/control freak type (albeit a charming one), it was tizzy-city!

I was in a strange, post-partum, sleep-deprived, unshowered, tizzy-city haze when I made the brilliant decision to go on a diet at this time. Not just any diet. No, not me. I decided I'd go on one of those ill-conceived, no-plan, change it from day to day, no formal guidelines, willy-nilly type of diets. And do you know, for some strange reason, it just didn't work? Go figure.

Did I mention I was in a strange, post-partum, sleep-deprived, unshowered, tizzy-city haze?

At the same time, I was in the beginning stages of potty-training my daughter. I'll just get it out in the open right now: I whole-heartily believe and support the act of bribing a child to pee in the potty. Whatever gets the pee in the potty, people! Use it!

And my brilliant dieting-self was bribing her with chocolate M&M's. A bought the biggest bag I could find at Wal-mart and swore that they were just for use as a potty-training reward. I figured one big bag was enough to see us through. I re-filled that bad no less than three times. Not because my daughter was pee'ing on the potty 67 times a day but because Mommy has some deep-rooted chocolate issues.

Oh, and I stress eat.

Imagine Jack Nicholson's character in The Shining with a bag of M&M's and no typewriter to bang his frustrations out on or ghost bartender to pour his heart out to. He would tear up that bag of chocolaty goodness! And tear it up (no less than three times) is exactly what I did.

All the while, wondering why on earth I was struggling to stay on a diet and lose weight.

You see, I have never had a problem sticking to a diet (a well-planned one with guidelines) for several months. I almost always saw success with my diet plans but this time around I could not get past even two or three days. I could not figure it out.

That's when an Oprah episode knocked me upside the head and I made a startling revelation about myself.

To be continued...

Super Savings Saturday

2008-06-28T09:45:00.003-07:00

Even though I've rededicated my blog to focusing more on my walk with Christ, I want to continue participating in Super Savings Saturdays over at MoneySavingMom.com because it's important to be a good steward of our money. I've heard from more than one person that my postings on Saturdays have helped them to save money grocery shopping and at CVS. That alone is worth keeping these posts! So here we go:

This first pic is actually from last week. I went to Target for the first time for the sole purpose of "working the deals". I first checked out Crytal's site to read her excellent tips on what to get at Target. The few extra minutes with Crytal really paid off.
I paid .25 cents for the Band-aids, .25 cents for the Q-tips, and $2.34 for one of the toothbrushes. Everything else in the picture was free thanks to Crystal's advice! Thanks Crystal!

Next, my trip to Albertson's: Albertson's was having a great sale this week on selected items. A few of which I already had coupons for but the one thing I love about Albertson's is they take competitor's coupons - including the $5 off a $20 purchase from Fresh & Easy. Everything in the above picture totaled $14.10. According to my receipt, I saved $51.00! That comes out to .61 cents per item! Yay!

If you haven't checked out Crystal's site yet, you have to get over there. You don't have a thing to lose but lots to save!

Authenticity

2008-06-25T19:00:00.007-07:00

au-then-tic-i-ty [aw-then-tis-i-tee, aw-thuhn-] noun

- the quality of being authentic; genuineness

In my previous post, I mentioned my desire to be an open book. Did I mention it would be non-fiction? I think anyone can spin a good tale but I've always felt that life was more interesting than the stuff of fiction. However, I think there is non-fiction and there is truth. I'm sure we've all perused an "unofficial" biography or two to know that fiction still manages to find it's way in.

Or we've all had a boisterous uncle who liked to tell tall-tales at the Thanksgiving table. Either way, we all know an embellishment when we hear it.

What I'm striving for in my book is authenticity. If I'm not going to be authentic, then I'm not growing in my walk with Christ. I will literally be standing still. And where will my passion be then?

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ~ Revelation 3:15,16

Personally, being spit out of the mouth of God is not really something I would find appealing. Maybe that's just me.

The desire to be my more authentic self started in the early summer of 2007 when I came face to face with some truths about myself. Some of which weren't all that pretty. Upon realizing these truths, (and, yes, I will be sharing all the nitty-gritty with you, don't worry) there was no turning away from them. Either I was going to head out onto the road of health & healing or I was going to continue on the road of self-destruction and misery. Do you see a choice here? Neither did I.

What were those truths? Well, well...a little nosey aren't we? I'm kidding. Be nosey all you want! I'm spilling my guts either way. But not now. No, my precious, I like to keep you in suspense.

But here are a few little hints, just for fun: M&M candies, Nicole Kidman, Oprah and, oh...let's say Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

My life - it's a page turner!

Open Book Policy

2008-06-24T14:27:00.001-07:00

I haven't been writing much and, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. Having a precocious four-year-old and a rambunctious 17 mos. old in the house surely provides enough fodder for one simple blog but...still...when I put fingers to keyboard, I get nothin'.

But it finally came to me. Actually, not so much as came to me as I finally acknowledged what was there all along. I was no longer producing good writing because my blog has taken a direction it was not originally supposed to take.

If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God , you will not be able to overthrow them. ~ Acts 5:38, 39

When I first started this blog, my hope was to be an open book. To talk plainly and honestly about what I was experiencing day to day as a wife, mother and woman but, most importantly, as a Christian stumbling along in my walk with Christ. I wanted to connect with people who were in the same place as I was, learn from those who were more mature in their walk with Christ and be an inspiration to those who were just starting theirs. More than anything, I wanted God to be present in every post and for this blog to glorify Him.

What happened, however, was not that. I don't want to beat myself up too much, because I think from time to time, I hit the nail on the head. But if I'm going to be really honest, I began worrying too much about how my blog stacked up next to others. I paid too much attention to the number of hits my blog received on a daily basis and when I noticed my average number of hits declining, I worked to make my blog more "popular" with the masses instead of using it an instrument to get the Good Word out. I started to concern myself with what others thought of me instead of focusing on my authentic self and highlighting how God was working in my life.

I took the wheel out of God's hands and, sure enough, drove this train right off of it's tracks.

It's time to let go, stand back and let God lead the way again. He knows the route so much better than I do anyway.

So some changes are going to be made and I hope you stick around to find out what they are. I have lots more to let you in on but my Kirby is making it clear to me right now that he wants out of his crib. I better get him before he figures out how to get out on his own. I'm in BIG trouble then! LOL!

Until then, I pray that God blesses you in ways you never imagined and that His favor rains down on you like a flood!

Pushing Pause

2008-06-18T14:08:00.002-07:00

I am pushing pause for a few days. I'm leaving out of town Friday and won't be back until Sunday night. But I'm pausing for more than just that reason. It has been made clear to me through God that my blog needs to go in another direction. Not a new one, but an old one - the original one. I've hit a bloggers' wall and cannot seem to write much of anything. I could not, for quite sometime, figure out what it was, but God makes it all clear when the time is right, and He's made it clear to me.

Come back on Monday and I'll tell you all about it. Until then, have a fabulous weekend!

Seek The Lord Sunday - My Testimony Part 2

2008-06-16T16:56:00.007-07:00

It would take me nearly 16 yrs before I stepped foot as a member into a church again. It took moving to a new home and a patient and reassuring neighbor to convince me to give it one more try. This person, I can say with complete confidence, was certainly Heaven sent.

Before our current home, we had lived in our previous home seven years and knew only one of our neighbors. I don't blame that on the neighborhood, we just weren't that motivated to get out and get involved. Funny how having kids changes that.

The first few years that we lived in that home, there was virtually nothing around us. No gas stations, convenience stores, pizza joints or even a church on the corner. I remember seeing the sign "Future Home of Spring of Life Church" standing alone in a dusty, dirt field and thinking, "How nice. A church is going up". Not because I was planning on attending but because having a church on the corner means that the chances of having a liquor store or nightclub go up are pretty slim. A church on the corner is good for the neighborhood and property values.

But, if I'm going to be honest, there was a little part of me that wanted to belong to that church. I wanted to tip-toe in, have a look around, see what the people were like and, most importantly, make sure that I would not, in fact, get struck by lightning.

But I just didn't dare.

I had visions of the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers where the aliens, upon recognizing that you are not one of them, stand frozen, arm extended, index finger pointed and scream the warning signal to the others that a "real person" was in their midst.

You know, like this:

It was just too terrifying a prospect for me handle so I stayed away. I mean, you can see how scary that would be, right? And I just knew they would all recognize me as "new" and, well, I just didn't want to be screamed at, okay?

Years would pass, the church went up, large banners inviting the community to Easter and Christmas services would come and go and, still, I never ventured near. We moved from one side of the freeway to the other and, almost immediately met our neighbors to the left of us - Steve, Jennifer and their three fabulous children (and I'm not just writing that because I know they'll read this - those kids really are fabulous - ask anyone). Friendly and inviting from the start, we hit it off and it wasn't long before many driveway conversations took place.

It was during one of those conversations that Jennifer politely inquired about whether or not we had a church home. When I said we didn't, she began, ever so slightly, telling me about Spring of Life. She didn't smother me with biblical facts or act the least bit shocked at the realization that she had moved her precious children right next to a couple of heathens joy-riding on the highway to hell. No, she just very casually invited us to join them for church one day, no strings attached.

At this time, I knew Jennifer well enough to confide in her my body-snatching-finger-pointing-warning-scream fear. She chuckled a bit and then assured me that no one would single me out in such a manner. I then relayed to her my previous experience attending a church some 16 years prior and she also assured me that no one would make me commit to any church function or attempt to move me into a community home. She told me I could be involved as much or as little as I wanted. That was comforting and I was happy to hear it but it would still be a few months before I took her up on the offer.

During those few months, Jennifer nor Steve ever made us feel like something was wrong with us for not going to church, but when I look back now, Jennifer did have that you-don't-know-what-you're-missing air about her. I recognize it now because I have that same air about me whenever I talk to someone who doesn't attend church. More specifically, doesn't attend Spring of Life. I'm a tad bit partial.

No, instead, Jennifer just kept politely inviting me and then came the day when I, taking a deep breath and mustering up all of my courage, finally did tip-toe in, had a look around and found out what the people were like.

And, I'm happy to say, not only was I NOT struck by lightning but not one person pointed and screamed at me. Whew!

I started out in what my minister refers to as the "ejection seats". Those are the end seats of the very back rows where people sit who may want to up and run during a service but don't want to disturb anyone else. Ejection seats make for a quick get-away. It took some time, but after finally accepting the fact that I was forgiven for the sixteen years that I was lost and that Christ loved me so much that He actually DIED for me, I have made my way up to the front. I no longer sit in an ejection seat. I sit in *my* seat, not surprisingly, next to Jennifer.

Little by little I got involved. A Christmas Angel here, a function there. A bible study this and a parenting class that. Jennifer also invited me to the MOPS (Moms Of PreSchoolers) group. I enjoyed getting to know the other moms so well that the following year I joined, what is now the M.O.M.S (Moms On A Mission) Leadership team. After serving a year on leadership, I was asked by the group's director to take over her position as she had decided to step down and move forward with God's new plan for her.

It's safe to say, I'm knee-deep in church activities now and though I may not live in a community home and am, without a doubt, at home with this community.

Seek The Lord Sunday

2008-06-15T08:14:00.006-07:00

I'm participating in Seek The Lord Sunday again hosted by Daiquiri over at Call Her Blessed. This week, Daiquiri asks each of us to share our personal testimony about how we came to know Christ and make the decision to become a Christian.

My story is a long one, so I'm not quite sure I can get it all into one post. In fact, there was a defining moment in my life when I realized that Christ was indeed real and not someone that I was simply told to believe in by my Sunday school teacher. Not only did I realize the He was real, I realized and felt firsthand the amazing healing power that Christ brings to all of us. This part of my story I will save for another time. It's a great testimony but also one that I'm, sadly, not always ready to share. It takes a little out of me.

As for the rest of my story, I'll start when I was 22 yrs. old:

I was at a time in my life when others around me were starting theirs - getting married, having babies, finishing up college - and I had a distinct feeling there was a big hole in my life. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I was happy with my job, not missing college at all and was, surprisingly, quite content in my singleness at the time. Still, the hole was there and it seemed to be getting bigger.

About that time, a couple in my apartment complex knocked on my door one evening and invited me to their church. That was it!! I realized at that moment that God was missing in my life and He sent this couple to me so that I might find my way back to Him.

Now, at this point, I'd like to say that, looking back, I really don't know if this was part of His plan or just some weird thing that happened to me. But if this couple and their church was in His plan I haven't yet figured out why because I wasn't but two weeks into attending services with this couple when things started to go terribly, terribly wrong.

I was working second shift at the Sheriff's office at this time having kicked and screamed my way off of the night shift due to health reasons. I was still a rookie in the department and had absolutely no say in when or where I would work but, nevertheless, my supervisors took pity on me and transferred me off of nights. Because I worked second shift I was both able to attend Sunday morning services but unable to attend church functions that took place in the evenings during the week, except Bible study - that I attended on my day off.

It was made clear to me early on that the small group of people I was associating with (I can't say the church as a whole felt the way they did, I didn't stay long enough to find out) expected me to devote ALL of my evenings to church-related functions. When I explained my work situation to them, they point-blank told me I would have to quit my job. I told them that I honestly believed God wanted me to pay my bills and that up and quitting just wasn't an option. They then explained to me that I could move into the church home for single women and, therefore, my expenses would be reduced.

Are you getting this? I'm TWO weeks into this group and I'm expected to quit my job, break my lease, move in to a community house and devote every free moment to their church schedule!

When I explained to one of the other women that this just wasn't going to happen she felt it her duty to warn me, "It has been our experience that people who work second shift just aren't successful spiritually and therefore do not enter the kingdom of God".

Yeah, she said that! Word for word, let me assure you, because I've never forgotten it! Seems that my salvation hangs purely on when I punch in for work.

So I ran fast and far from this group and never looked back. Over the next week, I received several phone calls from, I'm sure, well-meaning church members politely explaining to me how I was on my way to hell if I didn't return, but I was just sure this was NOT what God had in store for me.

To say that this experience shook me up a bit would be putting it lightly. Up until that time, I had only experienced church as a child and, except the occasional wedding or baptism, never as an adult. If this church was an example of what I could expect from God and church, I was determined to stay far, far away. It would take me nearly 16 yrs before I stepped foot as a member into a church again. It took moving to a new home and a patient and reassuring neighbor to convince me to give it one more try. This person, I can say with complete confidence, was certainly Heaven sent.

To be continued...

Priceless!

2008-06-11T09:43:00.002-07:00

Dance Registration Fee: $30.00

Dance Classes for One Month: $35.00

New Dance Outfit from Wal-mart: $20.00

New Tap Shoes: $15.00

London staring out the window the entire class too scared and intimidated to participate:

PRICELESS!!

We go again today. Wish us luck!

Meyer Monday

2008-06-08T22:02:00.003-07:00

I'm continuing the Meyer Monday series with her chapter on Developing Your Potential from her book titled, Being the Person God Made You To Be.

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When we are confident and free from tormenting fears and self-doubt, we are able to develop our potential and succeed at being all God intended us to be. But we cannot develop our potential if we fear failure. We will be so afraid of failing or making mistakes that it will prevent us from stepping out.

I often see people who have great potential, and yet when opportunities and promotions are offered them, they quickly turn them down. In many cases, they are insecure and unaware of how much they could accomplish for the Kingdom of God if they would only step out in faith and confidence.

When we are insecure, frequently we will stay with what is safe and familiar rather than taking a chance on stepping out and failing. We avoid accepting greater responsibility, and the truth is that none of us is ever ready. But when God is ready to move in our lives, we need to believe that He will equip us with what we need at the time we need it.

Humbly leaning on God leads to success. If our confidence is in Christ rather than ourselves, we are free to develop our potential, because we are free from the fear of failure.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be.

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Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:24

Super Savings Saturday

2008-06-07T07:12:00.003-07:00

Ooh! I almost forgot what day it was! Can you imagine?

I'm going to do this quickly because I have a four-year-old sweetheart of a child throwing one major fit in her room and it's only 7:15 a.m. Yay! I just love starting the weekend like this, don't you? Oi!

I actually got waaaaaaay more awesome deals like this over the last two weeks, but I don't want to, you know, rub it in your faces or anything so here's just a few:

My CVS trip for the week. All of the above I paid for with ECB's, spent $0.00 OOP and got $5 in ECB's back. Gotta love CVS!!

I've always wanted to learn how to sew. I've seen these little Dressmaker sewing machines for nearly $20 in stores. I picked this cutie up for $4.99 at Savers 1/2 price sale on Memorial Day! I like this one because I think it'll be good for London to learn on, too. As soon as she's done with her little fit, that is.

I'm totally stoked about this find. I followed signs for a garage sale that I thought were just left over from the weekend but, sure enough, she was still going strong mid-week. This rug is roughly 4'x6' in like-new condition and I picked it up for only $5.00! I tucked it away in the Christmas closet since Kirby-boy isn't quite interested in keeping his little cars on the road quite yet.
I love red toile print! I found these darlings at Goodwill. Their tags were the 1/2 price tag color of the day. I only paid $3.50 a piece for them. They are in excellent condition and look wonderful in my bedroom. I loathe paying full-price for pillows so I'm thrilled with this find! I hit another garage sale last weekend and found some cute stuff for London. Everything was in great condition and I only paid .50 cents per piece. I love going to garage sales where people are serious about getting rid of their stuff!

Join in the fun for more Super Savings Saturday over at MoneySavingMom.com and have a great and thrifty week!

Taking A Break

2008-06-02T22:37:00.004-07:00

I'm a bit over-loaded at the moment and have decided to clear a few things off my plate. I'll be taking a short blogging break for the rest of this week but will be back in time for Super Savings Saturday. I've gotten some fabulous stuff lately and I want to show it all off!

In the meantime, check out my blogroll for some other awesome and totally entertaining blogs! Have a great week & God Bless!

True Story

2008-05-29T22:33:00.003-07:00

This is the rosary that hangs on my bedpost. My mother sent it to me per my request when I found out my uncle, who is a priest in Thailand, would be visiting her. He is getting up there in age and I wanted something, anything, blessed by him before his call home. She chose a rosary, had it blessed by him during his visit and then sent it to me. It stayed wrapped up in a velvet bag, nestled in a box in my nightstand drawer for many years. It wasn't until roughly six or seven years ago that I took it out of the drawer and hung it on my bedpost for a very good reason. A much needed reason. I'll tell you why in a minute, but first a bit of back story:

When I was ten years old, I discovered that I can control portions of my dreams. This little trick comes in handy from time to time. I can get out of nasty dream situations - being chased, showing up to school naked - once I realize I'm dreaming. I just decide what I'd rather being doing in my dream and, *poof* I'm doing it. Neat, huh?

Many years ago, I had a negative experience with several members of a church (another post entirely) and, after several months, decided that there must be something more than "just God" out there, so I began searching. My search lead me far and wide but also left me quite vulnerable. Because of my area of interest at the time, I began having what I would call satanic dreams. In these dreams, evil and invisible entities would attack me. I often woke up scared and shaken. More than once, I woke up screaming - much to the delight of my husband, I can assure you. Usually, I would try to stay awake after one of these dreams for fear I would be attacked again.

Even though these attacks carried on for years, these dreams were not every night or even every week, but often enough that I became annoyed. Having a nightmare and being afraid to fall asleep again afterwards does not make for productive time at work the next day. About this time, my search was steering me back toward Christ. I was beginning to realize that He was the only one who really provided any security and a true promise. Also about this time, I remembered my handy trick about controlling my dreams.

The next two or three times that I had a dream where I was attacked by an evil force, I simply remembered to shout, "JESUS CHRIST IS MY SAVIOR!" in my dream and the evil force would quickly disappear leaving me to either continue with a more pleasant dream or wake up feeling more like a conqueror than a scaredy-cat.

The unfortunate part was that despite my success in fighting off the evil that came to attack me in my sleep, I was still having the dreams. While my little trick worked to fight these nightmarish dreams it didn't prevent me from having them. I wanted them to STOP!

That's when I remembered my blessed rosary in my nightstand drawer. I simply took it out of the little velvet bag, hung it over the bedpost so that it rested right above my head, said this small prayer, "Lord, please protect me while I sleep" and crawled into bed.

And I have not been attacked by a single evil spirit in my dreams ever since.

I did this even before fully returning to Christ. Because of this, I do believe that even faith as small as a mustard seed can, indeed, move mountains. I think God saw me in the distance coming toward Him and rushed out to welcome me back. Even though I had not fully returned, He knew I was coming home and did for me what I needed Him to do - then as well as now.

Fight for me. Protect me. And give me rest. I'm going to bed now.

Thankful Thursday

2008-05-29T07:22:00.002-07:00

I went to bed last night thinking I did not have anything to post about this Thankful Thursday then God work me up this morning with this song in my head:

I remembered this video immediately. It's just over two minutes and so worth your time.

Thank you, Lord, for this awesome reminder that I live in a wonderful world and I have You to thank for it!

Have a great day everyone and check out Sting My Heart for more Thankful Thursdays.

Product Review

2008-05-27T23:14:00.004-07:00

I'm going to talk to you today about fiber!

Hey! Where is everyone going?

I know! I know! When someone says fiber, you think cardboard or hay or wood chips. But I'm going to talk to you about yummy fiber? You've never heard of yummy fiber? Well, listen up my fiber challenged friend because yummy is on the way!

First up: All Bran Crackers.
They come in two flavors - multi-grain and garlic. Garlic is by far my favorite but as far as I'm concerned, you could sprinkle garlic on a shoe and I'd eat it. You get 5 grams of fiber for 18 crackers (they are the same size as Wheat Thins). Now 18 crackers sounds like a lot but I can down half the box without even realizing it. You can find these along side the other "mediocre" crackers in the snack aisle.

Next comes Fiber One Yogurt.
There is not ONE detectable difference between Fiber One Yogurt and any other yogurt out there. It's smooth and creamy and, oh-so yummy! If you are needing to get more fiber into your kids diet, here's your chance. London loves this yogurt. It's one of the few things I don't have to fight with her to eat. Well, that and chocolate! Five grams of fiber per cup. The easiest five grams you'll ever down.

Last but not least, Fiber One Breakfast Bars.

Oh.My.Gosh! Seriously! These are soooooo good! And a whopping 9 grams of fiber per bar. They come in three flavors: Yummy, Way Yummy and Super Yummy! Okay, those aren't really the flavors, it's just that I can only remember two right now: Chocolate & Oats and Peanut butter. I'm sure the third is just as delectable. Check these babies out next time you're in the cereal aisle and give them a try. Admittedly, I don't know the sugar content of these. I could run downstairs and look at the box, but I'm comfy and not about to move. I trust you can look this information up for yourself.

Forget what you thought about fiber. Fiber is yummy thanks to the good people at Fiber One and All Bran. Remember: fiber is our friend. Say it with me now -

Fiber is our friend!

Good, good. Now go eat!

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-05-26T21:48:00.004-07:00

Hey, it's that time again! Time to share your tried and true mommy tips and pick up some tried and true mommy tips as well.

Are you like me and sometimes find yourself late in the evening wondering what on earth you are going to blog about the next day? I do this often. Or sometimes, I will get up in the morning and have something in mind to blog but then remember I have somewhere I need to be and, therefore, no time to blog.

You'd be amazed at how many times I've gone to bed on a Monday night and, just after climbing into my comfy bed, thought, "Oh no! I have no tip for tomorrow!" You would think that I would have accumulated tons of them before even beginning this meme, but not so.

Well, here's my little mommy/blogger tip for you today: Did you know that Blogger now lets you schedule your blog posts? Yep, you can write several at once but have them post to your blog at different times. Times you've set up in advance. I've already done this with my Meyer Mondays and am looking to do it with my Mommy Tip Tuesdays.

This is what you do. When you are finished writing your blog post, click on the blue "Post Options" link in the bottom left-hand corner of the compose box. This will bring up your options directly below. Off to the right, you'll see "Post date and time". Just change the info in each box to the date and time you want your post to be published and that's it. It's so easy!

So if you find yourself trying to decide between two or three different mommy tips and can't pick just one, you can write about them all separately and schedule them over the next few weeks. Then each week, you can just sit back & relax come Tuesday morning knowing that your tip has already been shared with the rest of us thanks to scheduled posting!

Do you have a Mommy Tip you'd like to share? Post about it on your blog then return here and add your name and web address to the Mr. Linky below. We'd love to learn something new from you. Just please remember to link back to The Stumbling Christian in your Mommy Tip blog post so that your readers know where to find other great Mommy Tips and also join in on the fun as well.

Meyer Monday

2008-05-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

When love takes charge of us (which is another way of saying, when God takes charge of us), we cannot think bad things about people. We don't even want to.

We are not really living the life of the Spirit until we allow the Holy Spirit to control every area of our life. He will certainly never get control of our life until He has control of our thoughts and words.

Being led by the Spirit is central to a victorious Christian life. As long as we think our own thoughts and speak our own words, we will never experience victory.

Our life is a reflection of our thoughts. It is impossible to have a good life unless we have trained ourselves to have good thoughts. If we want others to see Jesus reflected in our life, then His mind must be reflected in us. We must be led by the Spirit in our thinking; that is where all Spirit-led living begins.

Be determined to love God, yourself, and others with your thoughts. Let God's love take charge in your life.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be

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...you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. ~ Romans 8:9

Seek The Lord Sunday

2008-05-24T21:32:00.009-07:00

But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
~ Galatians 5:22,23

Daiquiri over at Call Her Blessed has asked her readers what bible verse speaks to us lately.

When I first read her topic for this week's Seek The Lord Sunday, I thought, "Hmm, well I've had bible versus speak to me before but nothing is really speaking to me as of late." I honestly thought I wasn't going to have anything to contribute this week. But yesterday morning, Galatians 5:22 & 23 spoke to me. Loudly.

I have been piling the duties, responsibilities and "busy work" on myself quite a bit lately. I have a much larger responsibility with my church's moms group this coming year. I've decided to rev up my Tupperware business and start booking parties. I've created and organized a Tot Swap with seven other moms one day a week starting this Wednesday. We are trying to get the house ready to put up for sale. I'm trying to organize a sort of "coupon club" with some friends. I'm preparing for a garage sale for next weekend and I've been hitting garage sales in hopes of finding great deals on kids stuff so that I can turn around and sell it for a profit at a large semi-annual kids consignment sale that takes place in the fall. Those great finds need to be cleaned, ironed, tagged and inventoried. In addition to that I have FOUR blogs to maintain plus I'm working on starting a fifth for my church moms group. All the while, trying to maintain a home, spend time with the kids, time with hubby, time with friends and time for me.

Oh, and time with God. That would be nice.

Whew! I'm tired just reading that.

But it was yesterday morning that I had my priorities put in order for me. You see, when I realize I haven't spent anytime with God lately, it's usually right after I've crawled into bed. I can't tell you how many times I've almost fallen asleep while in prayer. Nice, huh? How would you like it if someone you loved deeply and DIED FOR could barely squeeze a minute into her day for you and then when she FINALLY did, she falls asleep on you!

Realizing that I need to include God in more of my day, I decided to have an on-going conversation with Him throughout the day - since I pretty much have an on-going conversation with myself anyway, why not let God in on it! So I was outside, hosing the dust & dirt off my daughter's princess slide and telling God how I would simply like to enjoy my day today and asking for His help in this area. I started talking about how I'm just so busy lately and admitted that I often forget to just enjoy the "now" of it. That was when the above bible verse hit me between the eyes.

You see, nowhere in the bible does God tell us to be busy. God tells us to be fruitful! He even tells us how. That is different! I'm not being fruitful when I am too busy cleaning my kitchen to sit down and read a book to my little girl. I am not being fruitful when I am too busy to spend some quality time in conversation with just my husband. I am not being fruitful when I am too busy to call a friend I know is having some difficulty right now and talk to her about the healing power of Jesus.

And I certainly am not being fruitful when I so busy that strengthening my walk with Christ is something I hurriedly try to squeeze in at the end of the day because I feel I "have to". God doesn't want us to reach out to Him out of obligation or for fear we might get in trouble. He wants us to yearn for Him, to seek Him eagerly, to enjoy our time with Him and to make Him our #1 priority because we love Him so much we just can't stand to be away from Him.

Being busy is a great trick the enemy uses to keep us from God and I'm embarrassed to say, the enemy gets me with this one almost everytime.

If I'm not actively working on the things listed in Galatians 5:22 & 23, the what on earth am I working on? Or, more precisely, who am I working for?

I haven't an answer for my mix-up in priorities right now. I have no real plan of action. Though I do know I need to do something. I cannot continue to allow the enemy to use the lie of "too busy" to keep me from my Father any longer.

I will call upon the Lord to lead me out of my current darkness and into His light. To slow me down and cause me to catch a breath. To lie in green pastures, if you will. He's done it before, I completely trust He'll do it again.

And I know this as well - HE will not fall asleep on me.

My Not So Super Savings Saturday

2008-05-23T21:00:00.005-07:00

Normally, I would be bragging today about my exploits in the couponing and thrift store world but, alas, today I bring you no such exploits.

No, today I bring you a hard lesson learned. Okay, maybe I'm being a bit melodramatic. Maybe it's not such a hard lesson. Maybe I've just been waiting for the chance to use a big word like melodramatic. Maybe.

Okay, so it's not a hard lesson learned but it still stinks nonetheless.

Last week, I went to Walgreen's and donated $5 to breast cancer research and received a $5 register reward toward a Revlon purchase in return. This week, Walgreen's had Revlon products on sale B1G1 1/2 off. So I trotted my little self on down to Walgreen's with my RR and two $2 Revlon coupons in hand hoping to make a thrifty little make-up purchase.

Ah, but the powers that be had other plans!

Dum-dum-dum!

I decided a mascara and some eye shadow were exactly what I needed and proceeded to the counter (after hitting the candy aisle and getting two Crunch bars for .50 cents each. What? You do it too!) The cashier was very friendly and helpful and we got to chatting about couponing, good deals and saving money. She rang up my total and a teeny-tiny little voice in my head said, "That's too much" but it was so teeny-tiny and I was so engrossed in my conversation that I ignored it and went on my merry way.

It wasn't until after I got home and double-checked my receipt that I realized that I did not receive my second Revlon purchase at 50% off. I decided to double check the add before I headed on back and that's when I realized my mistake! Yes, MY mistake!

Dum-dum-dum!

The Revlon mascara and eye shadow that I purchased were NOT a part of the B1G1 1/2 off deal! Had I taken more time and looked over the ad and read the details, I would have known what was exactly on sale but I was so hurried to get out of the house and back again that I did not slow down to make sure I was making a responsible and sensible choice.

So let my suffering be a warning to you: Slow down and read the ads!

Oh, and when that teeny-tiny little voice is trying to tell you something, LISTEN!

The cashier did give me the two tubs of body cream for free though, so that was nice.

Check out some people who DID make some awesome purchases and great deals over at Money Saving Mom.

Just a thing or two...

2008-05-23T08:15:00.004-07:00

I'm feeling a bit grumpy today. I think it's because I have deep-rooted issues with starting the day at 6 a.m. Before kids, I didn't know there was a 6 a.m. Okay, that's not entirely true. I did know there was a 6 a.m. It's just that the people I was responsible to for getting up and going to work at that hour were bigger and more powerful than I and therefore had a bit of control over my life.

Now the people that I'm responsible for are much smaller than I and, based on size alone, you'd think were less powerful than I was and therefore would have almost no control over my life.

You'd think.

Joyce Meyer says that spiritual maturity comes when you do the things you know you are supposed to do and not the things you want to do. Well, plop me in a ballpit and call me Punkin 'cause I DON'T WANNA! I have nothing against starting the day at a decent hour. I'm not one for sleeping in until 9:00 or so - I really never have been - but I do believe that 7:30 is a perfectly respectable hour. I see nothing wrong or lazy or spiritually immature about getting my buns out of bed at 7:30 a.m.

Now if only I could get my 16 month old to agree with me.

And another thing:

It's raining. It rained yesterday. It's going to rain today and looks like it's going to rain tomorrow, too. Now normally, I would not mind this at all. Heck, most of the time I welcome the rain. It does a great job of cleaning the crud out of the air. However, I was planning a garage sale. A much needed garage sale. And I was planning it with a few friends. History has shown that rain does not make for a successful garage sale and I much prefer successful garage sales.

Looks like I'll be canceling. Phooey!

Just one more thing:

While searching Google for a picture of Grumpy I came across an interesting site. Apparently, there is a market for this. Yeah, I'm a little bowled over, too (pun oh, so very much intended).

Fitting, since my day seems to be headed in that direction.

Thankful Thursday

2008-05-21T22:05:00.008-07:00

For an interesting twist, I thought I would make a list of what I'm thankful I don't have:

Cable TV

bothersome in-laws

serious health issues

a child with serious health issues

a boat

a swimming pool

a blue tooth cell phone

a debilitating addiction

an unhealthy relationship with a family member

a gas guzzling vehicle

the urge to watch American Idol

a huge ego

the belief that Oprah and Dr. Phil know it all

the answers to LOST

satin sheets

annoying neighbors

a minister who condemns us for our failures

doubt about my faith

Raindrops On Roses And Whiskers On Kittens

2008-05-20T21:35:00.008-07:00

These are a few of my favorite things.

My Pampered Chef knives. Paul still says they are one of the best things I've ever bought.

Pride and Prejudice, the A&E/BBC version. For reasons quite obvious. Colin Firth is the ONLY Mr. Darcy if you ask me!

Good friends. Twenty-five years and counting!

Mmm...Rubio's! I ONLY ever get their shrimp burrito! Try it!

Scrapbooking stuff. Though scrapbooking itself can drive me nuts, the "stuff" is awesome!

My modular mates from Tupperware.

Feel free to come over and check out my pantry anytime!

Sunflowers - my absolute favorite. They are such happy flowers, don't you think?

Wrapping gifts. I simply LOVE wrapping a gift up all pretty!

Don't get me wrong. I like receiving them too!

Joyce Meyer

The woman KNOWS what she is talking about!

Jeremy Camp.

One listen and you'll love him, too!

Foot massages. Believe it or not, I actually like giving them too!

Tortoise shell calico cats. Cute and fiesty little buggers, they are. I'd love to have another one.

My favorite Bible verse.

It all starts with a good foundation!

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-05-19T21:57:00.006-07:00

Happy Mommy Tip Tuesday to everyone! Got a Mommy tip to share? Blog about it and then come back here and add it to the Mr. Linky at the end of this post. Please, remember to link back to me so that others reading your blog will know where to join in the fun!

My Mommy Tip for this week really isn't mine at all. I'm totally stealing this one right out of a Martha Stewart magazine. Hey, if you're going to steal a tip you may as well steal from the best, don't you think?

Here are some cute little piggy banks you and your own little piggies can make in the time it take to huff and puff and blow a house down!

Here are the exact instructions from Martha Stewart:

Have a parent use a utility knife to cut a slit in a mini water bottle; make sure it's large enough to get a quarter in. Cut a hole in bottom of bottle for removing money. Wrap a long, wide strip of colored paper around middle of bottle; mark slit and cut out. Use double-sided tape to secure paper to bottle, lining up slits. Use two colors of paper for ears; cut small sections for insides of ears, then glue on larger pieces. Bend back bottoms of ears; glue to bottle. Use a hole punch to cut eyes from black paper and nostrils from pink. Glue in place. For legs, glue beads to bottom of bank on paper band.

Seriously, aren't those too cute? *oink* *oink* You can find more great Martha Stewart kid crafts here.

Meyer Monday

2008-05-19T06:00:00.001-07:00

First John 4:16 is key scripture for me because it says that we should be conscious and aware of God's love and put faith in it. I was unconscious and unaware of God's love for a long time; therefore, I was not putting faith in His love for me.

When the Holy Spirit convicted me, I did not know how to say, "Yes, I made a mistake," and go to God, ask for His forgiveness, receive His love, and press on. Instead, I would spend hours and even days feeling guilty about each little thing I did wrong. I was literally tormented! John tell us that fear has torment, but that the perfect love of God casts out fear (1 John 4:18). God's love for me was perfect because it was based on Him, not on me. So even when I failed, He kept loving me.

God's love for you is perfect. When you fail, do you stop receiving God's love and start punishing yourself by feeling guilty and condemned? Don't listen to the devil's lie. Understand and believe God's intense love for you. Don't carry the enemy's burden of guilt. Believe and receive God's yoke of love.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You to Be

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And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. ~ 1 John 4:16

Seek The Lord Sunday

2008-05-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd participate in a new carnival I found. It's called "Seek The Lord Sunday" and it's hosted by Daiquiri at Call Her Blessed . She gives the topic earlier in the week for us to share our thoughts on. Check out her blog and her topic for next Sunday, perhaps you'd like to join us.

The topic this week is: Keeping the Sabbath Holy.

Seeing that this is one of the Ten Commandments, I think it ought to be taken seriously. What I don't know is how does one keep the Sabbath holy? It's my understanding that we are not to work on Sundays. To that I would say, define "work".

To me, "work" is anything that is not enjoyable. Cooking, for instance, is work to me. Decorating my house, scrapbooking or even blogging, to me, is not work. It's enjoyable. It's relaxing. It de-stresses me. It helps me find my "happy place".

One thing that I do make a concerted effort toward on Sundays is slowing down, spending more time with my kids on the floor, reading to them or napping with them. I will make more of an effort to get together with family or call a friend on Sunday. I don't think anyone would argue that those things are not work but I do have to make an effort to do these things or the day will go by just like any other.

I spoke with a friend of mine just minutes ago on this topic. She said that her family not only makes an effort not to work but are conscientious not to do things that cause others to work - like go grocery shopping or eat at a restaurant. I like that idea. I don't think I've put much thought into how I may be affecting others on that day. That is something I'll be paying more attention to in the near future.

One thing that I don't really do, ironically enough, is spend more of that day just with God, Himself. Although I go to church in the morning, I often forget to bring Him home for lunch or for much of the day after that. Like a lot of parents out there, I think I just get right back into mommy-mode as soon as I walk through the door. I put the focus back on me. What do I need to do? What do I need to get done? Who do I need to take care of? Since we get home at 12:30, I have one child who needs to go immediately down for a nap and another who is hungry for lunch so, BOOM, church is over and it's right back to "real life".

As you can probably ascertain by now, keeping the Sabbath Holy is an area I need a bit of work in. I guess, really, I need to "work" on that on Sundays. Hmm...I wonder if that's okay?

We Have a Winner!

2008-05-17T11:06:00.004-07:00

CONGRATS TO KARI!!!

You have won the Fondue for Two from Tupperware. Yay!
Email me @ stumblingchristian@yahoo.com to claim your prize and let me know where to send it.

Thank you to everyone who participated! I would suggest befriending Kari in the next week or two and maybe she'll invite you over for some yummy chocolate! Otherwise, be sure to be here next month when I have something else FABULOUS to give away!

Super Savings Saturday

2008-05-16T20:52:00.005-07:00

This week, I took a stroll down the aisles of a couple of thrift stores looking for some good finds. And, boy howdy, did I find them! The Boy was the lucky recipient this week as I found for him four shirts, a pair of brand-spankin'-new shoes and a few toys.

Four shirts all in excellent condition from Goodwill for $2.46 using a $5 off coupon. The shoes are from Savers: $2.99. They are brand-new! I can't see, for the life of me, any indication that they were worn at all! They are a Walmart brand that I have priced before. Walmart sells this type of shoe for around $13.00! Yeah, baby!
I found the above plus a few other toys at Savers this week, also. I have a Weebit of a Weebles addiction and find it hard to pass up a village piece. I found this one for $2.99. It just needed a little cleaning which I am well-versed in (well, except for my house). I also found the Thomas the Train mountain for $2.99 as well. I think everyone knows how much the Thomas stuff goes for. It ain't cheap! However, take note: one should make sure that what they buy is actually compatible with the train set they already own at home. Eh-hem! Someone (not saying that it was me, but she may have looked like me) wasn't paying attention so someone will be putting this in her garage sale next Saturday hoping to get her money back. Lesson learned.

Hey, you know what? You can find a lot more great posts about some great savings over at MoneySavingMom.com . Whaddya waitin' for?

Funk-a-delic!

2008-05-16T09:42:00.003-07:00

If you couldn't tell already, I've been in a bit of a blogging funk. I think I've put too much on my plate again and the need to get better organized is looming large.

However, I am working on a few writings: a confession and call for support, an interesting snippet drawn from the 1939 baby book of my Dad's that I recently rediscovered, more of my 100 Things, a product review and more of my usual ramblings about the struggle with motherhood and my often interrupted walk with Christ. I hope you stick around to share these with me.

In the meantime, head over to my other blog, The Bubble In My Head and read about this week's attempt at learning to live as a better steward of our money.

Be back soon!

Bloggy Giveaway!

2008-05-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

WooHoo! It's that time of the month again! (No, not that time of the month!)

It's Bloggy Giveaway time! *happy dance* Come on! Happy dance with me - you know you wanna! This month up for grabs is Tupperware's Fondue for Two:

This petite thing is just the right size for you and that someone special. It comes complete with everything you see here except the chocolate and strawberries. The yummy stuff you have to supply yourself.

You know how this works - leave me a comment (on this post), any comment at all and on Saturday morning, I'll print them all out, cut them into individual bite-size pieces and have my oh-so-beautiful yet impartial daughter pick one from out of a bowl. I'll announce the winner that morning. Be on the lookie-loo!

Have at it. Keep it clean. No cutsies. And, as much as I like it, the sucking up to me really doesn't help you any.

Okay, maybe just a little. *wink*

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-05-12T21:28:00.006-07:00

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My Mommy Tip this week is of the "what NOT to do" sort. Scroll down a little and you will see my experience in this matter first hand.

I'm always interested in buying London artsy-craftsy things. I love encouraging her imagination and creativity. I would encourage all parents to do so with their kids. However, I would add to that encouragement a word on restraint and "age appropriate" art supplies.

For example:

I don't have anything against washable markers, per se. It's just that just because they are washable doesn't mean I want to wash marker off of stuff. Particularly my toddler:

Repeatedly. Yes, I said repeatedly because strangely enough I couldn't figure out the first 5-6 times that I put them in London's chubby little hands that she would keep putting them in her sweet little mouth!

But I finally learned and the washable markers went "bye-bye" at least until one of us can figure out how to use them properly. They'll be back, I'm sure. And when they are I may just allow London to use them to fill out her college applications.

Do you have a Mommy Tip you'd like to share? Please blog about it and then add your name and URL to the Mr. Linky below. Be sure to link back to me so your readers know where to find Mommy Tip Tuesday and join in on the fun!

Simple Sunday

2008-05-11T09:36:00.002-07:00

Thankful Thursday

2008-05-07T20:20:00.006-07:00

Since my daughter has turned four, she has been...um...shall we say, challenging. The Birthday Fairy sprinkled her with about a pound of sassy glitter and it seems to be getting all over the rest of us. I do not like sassy glitter. Or attitude glitter. Or "Humphf! I don't like your answer" stomp stomp stomp glitter. The glitter needs to go.

But, you know what? Deep down, I like the little pistol in her. She's a tough little cookie and she's not putting up with much gruff from me or her Daddy. And if she's not putting up with gruff from us, then I'm pretty confident she's not going to put up with much from the little boys on the playground either. I'm okay with that.
And she's a determined little thing. Someone, somewhere has taught my daughter the art of the negotiation. She will attempt to negotiate a "snack deal" just about everyday. Or work out some kind of offer regarding just how many toys she has to pick up compared to how many I have to pick up. And when she very reluctantly agrees to whatever rule Mommy and/or Daddy have put their foot down on, you can clearly see a I'll-be-back-to-fight-another-day look upon her face.
And the drama. Do I have to even go there? Words cannot express how teensy-tiny something can be yet the tears, the pouting, the collapsing on the floor...Ugh!...it wears me out just thinking about it.
God love her. And so do I. Because, if anything set this wayward ship on the right course, it was this mighty gust of wind. I have been thankful for this little burr under my saddle for the last four years now. While I was pregnant with her, my husband and I often said we wanted a fighter. File Miss London under "Careful What You Wish For - You Might Just Get It".

Thank you for challenging me to be a better mother.
A better woman. A better wife. A better role model. A better example.

A better fighter, myself.

And a better Christian.

Thank you, Lord, for the pound of sassy glitter. Amen.

Tim Hawkins

2008-05-06T22:43:00.002-07:00

I have a group of ladies coming over today and simply don't have the time to blog today. Please enjoy this hilarious video by Tim Hawkins:

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-05-05T22:04:00.009-07:00

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Today's Mommy Tip is a bit of a product review as well. I recentlydiscovered Johnson's Bath Buddies for kids and I just LOVE their bar soap.

The bar of soap comes wrapped in a non-slip pouch that makes it easy for little hands to grasp. London has reached one more level of independence now that she can wash herself without my help. She even gets a kick out of washing her baby brother.

Another plus - it retails for roughly .99 cents. I've seen it for a bit less at Wal-mart, as well. But the best part is often times you can find coupons for Johnson's bath products at $1.00 off. So, if you keep your eye out, you can get this soap for absolutely FREE! And who doesn't like FREE?

You? You don't like FREE? Well, you're a freak - get off my blog!

For the rest of you, I found a coupon for you at MoneySavingMom.com. Go to this post and click on the third "here" for the $1/1 coupon (last line of the post). The first "here" for the $2/2 coupon will require you to download a coupon printer program that left my computer running in circles, so skip that one.

Do you have a Mommy Tip you'd like to share? Just blog about it and add your info to the Mr. Linky below. Be sure to link back to The Stumbling Christian in your post so others know where to join in on the fun.

Have a great day!

Meyer Monday

2008-05-05T08:08:00.003-07:00

Again and again, the Bible speaks of receiving from God. He is always pouring out His blessing, and we should, as empty, thirsty vessels, learn to take in freely all that He offers us.

In the spiritual realm, when you and I believe something, we receive it into our heart. In the world, we are taught to believe what we see. In God's Kingdom, we must learn to believe first, and then we will see manifested what we have believed (received, admitted in our heart).

When Jesus said that whatever we ask of God, believing, will be granted to us, He was saying that we will receive it free.

One of our biggest challenges is that we do not trust the word "free." We quickly find out in the world's system that things really are not free. Even when we are told they are free, there is usually a hidden cost somewhere.

But God's Kingdom of grace and love is not like the world's. God's wondrous love is a gift He freely gives us. All we need to do is open our hearts, believe His Word, and receive it with thankfulness.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be

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For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. ~ John 1:16

Simple Sunday

2008-05-04T08:14:00.001-07:00

Super Savings Saturday

2008-05-02T13:42:00.003-07:00

It's my favorite day of the week - Super Savings Saturday! I know! This week it was CVS and Walgreen's for me. I had a $25 ECB that was set to expire so out the door I went. Here's my bounty from CVS:

Retail total for everything: $137.08
In store savings: <$77.19>
Coupons: <$33.00>
ECBs: <$24.95>
Tax: $.08
Total OOP: $2.02 Whoot! Whoot!

The Post-It pads on the left, doogie stairs and blow-dryer were all on the 75%-90% off shelves. I'm hoping to turn those around for a bit of a profit at a garage sale. The other stuff, except the razors, we're B1G1 and I had coupons for everything.

The One Touch Ultra 2 was on sale for $29.99 with a full manufacturer's rebate offer inside. I had a $20 off coupon so I only paid $9.99 for it. I made $20 buying this! Again, I say, Whoot! Whoot!

My bounty from Walgreen's:

First, the gift wrap at .33 cents each (2 sheet pkgs). I LOATHE spending money on gift wrap so I thought this would be a perfect time to stock up a bit.

The Sunsilk shampoo was B2G1 plus I had a B1G1 coupon so I ended up with all three for $4.29. I was extra happy that I was able to get the larger 33% extra sizes.

The plaque revealing rinse and Oral-B toothbrush are both in the Easy Saver catalog for full rebates. That means FREE, baby!

The not-really-needed-but-what-the-hay candy bars were .33 cents each.

The box of seeds: .50 cents. I just bought a large glass bowl at a yard sale for $2. Me and London are going to plant a little flower garden. I think this will be a fun activity for us to do together.

And the vacuum cleaner was on sale for $39.99 with a $20 Easy Saver rebate. I paid the balance with my Walgreen's rebate gift card, so I got a new cordless vacuum with no OOP expense.

One last time, I promise - Whoot! Whoot!

How did you do? I'm looking forward to finding out. I'm heading over to Money Saving Mom right now to read about everyone else's awesome deals this week. Won't you join me?

A List Of Things I Will Not Say To My Daughter Today.

2008-05-01T16:54:00.005-07:00

1. Listen.

2. In a minute.

3. I'm just going to check my email and I'll be right back.

4. Are you listening?

5. I'll read to you in a little bit, okay?

6. You're driving me insane!

7. I need you to stop talking for just a little bit, okay?

8. London, please listen.

9. We are just going to go to ONE store, I promise!

10. You're not listening!

Pray for me, okay?

My 100 Things

2008-04-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing on with my 100 Things list today as I don't have much on my mind right now. I realize that last time I said I was only going to do ten at a time and then ended up with eleven so in the interest of balance, I'm only giving you nine today.

89. I'm a frustrated scrapbooker. I love scrapbooking once I'm finished with a page but the process of actually doing the page drives me insane while simultaneously bringing me joy. I can't explain it but if you scrap, I think you get my drift.

88. I hate doing dishes and laundry but, for some reason, I'm happy to scrub the toilets. Hmm...maybe this is a self-esteem issue. *Amanda makes a note to explore this further*

87. I prefer to be barefoot whenever I can. I'm not a shoe girl by any means. If it were acceptable, and the pavement weren't so dang hot here in AZ, I'd go everywhere barefoot.

86. Once, while in Army bootcamp, I fell asleep at the grenade range. Yes, while live grenages were going off just yards away from me. You become really tired at bootcamp. Really tired.

85. I once fell asleep at a Sting concert. Yes, while Sting was up there on stage singing just yards away from me. I curled up on my blanket on the grass and went to sleep - on purpose. You become really bored at Sting concert. Really bored.

84. Yet, despite numbers 85 and 86, I can't sleep on a plane or in a car to save my life.

83. I cannot, cannot, cannot handle "mouth sounds". I hit the mute button on my remote anytime a Carl's Jr. commercial comes on and would personally like to slap the advertising executive who handles their ads. I leave the room whenever my dear husband pours himself a bowl of cereal. And for all that is Holy in the land, do NOT chew gum around me. I will not be held responsible for my actions.

82. I've watched Poltergeist and Rocky II so many times, I can say the lines along with the actors.

81. I can name all 50 states in alphabetical order in under 30 seconds. You can test me on this.

There you have it. Nine more tidbits about me. Since your day is now complete you may as well go back to bed. I mean, really, what more is there?

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-04-29T07:34:00.003-07:00

Good Morning! It's Mommy Tip Tuesday again. If you have a tip to offer other moms today, we'd love to hear it. Remember, your tip can be about anything mom and/or kid related such as, getting kids out the door for school in the morning, craft ideas, fun & healthy snacks, potty training, keeping kids happy on long car trips, etc. Share your wisdom! I know I could sure use it! Blog about your tip then add your name to the Mr. Linky below so others can check it out. Be sure to link back to me in your post so others know where to find Mommy Tip Tuesday and join in the fun next time.

Today, I'm doing things a little different. Instead of offering you a tip, I'm looking for a tip or two from you. As I've said before, I struggle with getting London to eat. I'm happy with the smoothies in the morning but don't plan on feeding her smoothies 3x a day just to get something healthy into her.

And, really, WHAT she eats is not the problem I'm struggling with right now, it's WHEN. I'm struggling with snack-time. If I left it up to London, she would just snack, snack, snack all day long. And I don't mean on your typical "junk/snack foods" I mean yogurt, bananas, organic cereal bars, goldfish crackers or dry cereal. I don't have a problem with these foods, it's just that when it comes time to eat a meal, specifically dinner, she is not hungry and then it's a struggle to get her to finish her meal.

I've cut off snacks after 4 pm and this seems to be working pretty well. She's then hungry enough at dinner to finish her meal. She will then say that she doesn't want anymore but will immediately ask for a snack. If I feel she's eaten an adequate amount of dinner, I will allow her a snack. All this takes place around 6 pm in our home. She will then repeatedly ask for more and more snacks for the next 2-3 hrs. It's insane! I ask her if she's really hungry or if she just wants to eat because she likes it. She tells me she's hungry.

We've tried getting her to eat more dinner or tell her that she's allowed ONE snack after dinner. She is not happy with this new rule and will continue to ask for snacks. I have to literally get upset with her and sternly warn her not to ask again to get her to stop. But, if she's really hungry, I want her to have something. Argh! You can see why I'm pulling my hair out!

What are the snack rules in your house? How do you handle after-dinner snacking? Is there some trick to knowing if your child is really hungry or just wanting to munch out of habit?

Meyer Monday

2008-04-28T07:00:00.001-07:00

The God-kind of love bears up under anything and everything that comes. It endures everything without weakening. It is determined not to give up on even the hardest case. The hard-core individual who persists in being rebellious can be eventually melted by love. The Bible says, "While we were yet in weakness [powerless to help ourselves], at the fitting time Christ died for (in behalf of) the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

It is hard to keep showing love to someone who never seems to appreciate it or even respond to it. It is difficult to keep showing love to those individuals who take from us all we are willing to give, but who never give anything back.

We are not responsible for how others act, only how we act. We have experienced the love of God by His mercy, and now He commands us to show that same kind of love to the world. Our reward does not come from man, but from God. Even when our good deeds seem to go unnoticed, God notices and promises to reward us openly for them: "...your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly" (Matthew 6:4).

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~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:7-8

Super Savings Saturday

2008-04-26T06:00:00.002-07:00

I didn't hit CVS or Walgreen's or the grocery stores this week. Just didn't seem to find the time to squeeze any of it in plus the deals just weren't really deals for me this time around. That's okay, though, as I hit several garage sales last weekend and scored some major finds!

I had hit a consignment shop about a month ago hoping to find some sweaters on clearance for next winter only to find they were all gone by then. So happy was I to find a woman my size selling several of her sweaters & a denim skirt at $1 a piece! That is waaaaay better than I would have found even on clearance at a consignment store. Elsewhere I found two pair of great looking jeans at $2 each, 3 pairs of shorts and a shirt for London .50 cents each plus a cute flower for her room for a quarter. All total in the above picture: $13.25!

Next, two pair of like-new jammies and a pair of barely worn Hello Kitty shoes at $2 a piece. I think the flower jammies look dirty at the knee in the picture but really they are not. I'm not as excited about these prices but the garage sale lady...well, uh...she kind of scared me and I didn't want to mess with her, so I just paid her asking price and ran to my car yelping like a kicked puppy.

Moving on...

I don't know how the jeans made it into this picture but there they are. Other than that, I scored a couple of things for Kirby - a pair of swim trunks and a pair of Bob The Builder shorts, both a quarter each. The other items I got for a girlfriend of mine. I normally don't blindly buy for friends but the NICE lady at this garage sale was selling all the clothing for .25 cents a piece! That's hard to pass up. So I ended up getting my friend eight pieces of clothing for her little guy for only $2!

Plus, I was able to walk to my car with my dignity at no additional charge. Bonus!

Last two items I got for $1.25. The cutlery box on the left makes for a cute pen/pencil holder on my desk and the metal bucket will be used as a base for a small gift basket for my Secret Sister at church. Both of these items are in excellent condition.

I'm really happy with the great deals I got this week and am looking forward to finding some more next week. You can check out all the great deals that were had this week over at MoneySavingMom. com. Blog about your finds and you can join us next week, too!

My Baby Girl is FOUR!!!

2008-04-25T10:13:00.004-07:00

I can't even believe this! Where did the last four years go? Looking through all of her pictures and trying to pick out just ten of them was not an easy task. First of all, I actually ended up with twelve but the rollercoaster of emotions this day has brought is just a little too much for me. Instead of going over each picture with a cute caption, I'm just going include lyrics to the song I used to sing to her when she was a baby, You Are The Love of My Life by Sammy Kershaw.

You are the love of my life,
And you are the reason I'm alive.
And baby, baby, baby
When I think of how you saved me,
I go crazy.

I've never known love like this
And it fills me with a new tenderness

And I know, I know, I know
You're in my heart, you're in my soul
You're all I can't resist

And I need to tell you
The first time I held you
I knew you are the love of my life

I spent a lifetime waiting
Always hesitating, until you.

I was lost so deep inside my shell
'til you came and saved me from myself.
Now all I really know is
I need you.

And you are the love of my life
All the joy and tears that I cry

And baby, baby, baby
You don't have to say a word
I see it in your eyes

As we stand together
I promise forever
'til the day that I die
You are the love of my life.

I spent a lifetime waiting
Always hesitating until you
I was lost so deep inside my shell
'til you came and saved me from myself.

Now all I really know is
I need you.

You are the love of my life.
You are the reason I'm alive.

Anyone else of a big ol' lump in their throat? Just me? Okay. I'm off to find the tissue box.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET PEA! WE LOVE YOU!!

Bonded By Blood

2008-04-23T07:54:00.004-07:00

I don't like it when my kids bleed. This is not one of the more enjoyable aspects of being a mom. I'm quite sure I'm not alone in this.

Yesterday morning, Kirby decided to take on London's Little Tykes shopping cart in an all-out baby version of "the only rule is there are no rules" cage fighting. The shopping cart won. Kirby, for his effort, received the consolation prize of one fat and bloodied lip. I seriously considered taking a picture of it but thought better of it as it is not for the faint of heart.

And the fact that the boy just won't sit still long enough for the camera to focus.

I handle the occasional broken blood vessel just fine. I'm the picture of calm, cool & collected. I don't scream, gasp, get dizzy or otherwise run around squealing like a four-year-old flapping my hands in the air. No, that's not me. But on the inside...yeah, it's the inside that goes a little Tammy Faye on me. Basically, whenever I see my babies bleed from one injury or another, my heart crumples up in a ball somewhere in a darkened corner of my chest and sobs uncontrollably.

I firmly believe that children should not have the physical ability to bleed until they are at least filling out their applications to various colleges & universities. Preferably Ivy League, of course.

Why is this part of childrearing so difficult? I can handle the occasional bruise, scraped knee, even a kitty scratch (which he received the day before) but when the blood starts to flow outside of their body, mine stops within. I can only imagine it's because their blood is my blood to begin with. I made their blood. Me. I first gave them mine, then made theirs for them, then through the Good Lord's amazing design, taught them how to make their own. And I would gladly shed my own blood for them today.

But this can't be all there is to it, because if it were simply a biological thing then adoptive mothers wouldn't feel that same sobbing heart in the darkened corner that I do. So what is it then? I can only come to one conclusion and it still comes down to a blood bond. A blood bond that runs through the veins of everyone of us making us all, not parents, but children ourselves.

Just like we all would shed blood for our children, our loving and selfless Savior shed His blood for His. Us. It's THAT blood that gets me in the heart whenever I see it flow. It's THAT blood that reminds me what it means to be a loving parent full of grace. It's THAT blood that - No, I didn't make for my children - but was instead given to me as well as them. We are bonded by blood. You, me, your kids, my kids. All of us!

And the blood that causes me to weep, amazingly, heals me at the same time.

Amen!

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-04-22T08:57:00.003-07:00

Good Morning! It's Mommy Tip Tuesday again - won't you join me?

Today, my tip is a book recommendation for those mommies out there with a new baby at home. Specifically, a new baby who may not appreciate being put down and getting themselves to sleep.

When London was fresh-out-of-the-chute-brand-new, I nursed her to sleep for each nap and at bedtime. Soon, it was time for her to learn to fall asleep without me or, more specifically, without my boob.

She was having none of it.

Just about that time, I stumbled across the book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp and I quickly snatched it up! Boy, was I ever happy I did!

Dr. Karp gives expert advice on how to lovingly get your baby to sleep without resorting to leaving them to cry on their own. Crying it out was not an option for us with London. Kirby didn't get so lucky and was allowed to cry for 10 minutes or so before falling to sleep. London is the firstborn and, therefore, loved a little more. It's only natural. And the sooner The Boy learns this, the better off we'll all be. Now excuse me while I go throw a handful of Cheerios on the floor for his breakfast and point to where the milk cows are. I'll be right back.

I'm back! However, I'm cutting this short again because as I've been typing this a friend has called distraught with a "clutter emergency" so I'm headed over to help her clear out her living room and other areas. I love dealing with other people's clutter! Call me if you ever need stuff thrown away. I'm really good at it!

Unfortunately, I'm really good at buying more, as well.

Add your Mommy Tip! I'd love to hear from you!

Meyer Monday

2008-04-21T13:25:00.004-07:00

A mean, evil individual can be completely transformed by regular, persistent doses of God's love. Because people's religious experiences in many cases have been unfulfilling to them, they have never entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ that is personal enough for them to begin receiving His healing, transforming love.

Religion often gives people rules to follow and laws to keep. It leads them to believe they must earn God's love and favor through good works. That is the exact opposite of true biblical teaching.

God's Word says that "mercy triumphs over judgement" (James 2:13 NKJV). God's goodness leads men to repentance (Romans 2:4), not the keeping of laws and rules. Jesus did not come to give man religion. He came to give man a deep personal love relationship with the Father through Him.

God's unconditional love does not allow people to remain the same; instead, it loves them while they are changing. Jesus said that He did not come for the well, but for the sick (Matthew 9:12). Our world today is sick, and there is no answer for what ails it except Jesus Christ and all that He stands for.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being The Person God Made You To Be

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Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ~ Romans 12:21

Simple Sunday

2008-04-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

We Have a Winner!

2008-04-19T09:29:00.002-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS, MELISSA!

You, my sweet, are the lucky receipient of a $25 e-card to Amazon.com. Woohoo! I will let you know via email the specifics on claiming your prize.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this month's Bloggy Giveaway. Please join me next month - May 14th - for another great giveaway. You could be next!

*********************************************

Okay, I'm feelin' the need to say something here. Yes, Melissa is my friend here in "real life" as was last month's winner, Kristen, so it may seem as though these little giveaways of mine are a bit rigged. All I have to offer you on this is my word as a Christian - I DO NOT rig these giveaways! I really do print out the comment page, cut out the individual comments, fold them up and have my four -year-old pick one out of a bowl. I honestly debated picking out all of the comments of my friends to avoid looking like a fraud but wouldn't I be acting like a fraud anyway if I did that? That just didn't feel right to me.

No one has commented to me about my giveaways being rigged, I just feel the need to say something upfront. I've always said, "When God handed out guilt, I got in line twice." It's just how I am. I hope you read this as sincere and continue to participate in my giveaways. I LOVE reading all of your comments - especially the ones that suck up to me! *wink*

God Bless and I hope you have a day filled with the Lord's abundance!

Super Savings Saturday

2008-04-19T06:30:00.003-07:00

I didn't really take advantage of the sales/ads this week. I did, however, have $71 in ECB's burning a hole in my pocket and thought it was about time I bought something just for the heck of it. I had my eye on a set of four freezable serving bowls for dips and whatnot that were priced at roughly $8.00. I stood there in the aisle and contemplated and contemplated and then contemplated some more but just couldn't bring myself to get them. I know this sounds silly, but $8 is $8 whether it's an ECB or not and I just didn't see $8 worth of freezable bowls. Maybe I'll get lucky and see them on the clearance shelf on down the road. *fingers crossed*

I did, however, have no difficulty getting my daughter a few things. Papa and Grammy are visiting and there is a pool where they are staying. London has a love/hate relationship with water so I thought a couple of floating devices might move her a little more to the love side.

As you can see, I also had no difficulty buying some chocolate on discount. Those bags were marked 90% off making them .35 cents each! Sweet!

And London's birthday is coming up so the almost-four-year-old picked out her birthday candles. You may notice that they are pink, like everything else in her little world.

All total, I walked out the door paying .23 cents OOP. Plus, I still have quite a bit left over in ECB's. Maybe I'll splurge a little on myself next week. We'll see.

Check out MoneySavingMom.com for more great success stories this week!

Just a reminder...

2008-04-17T08:19:00.003-07:00

Normally, I would be posting a Thankful Thursday at this time. However, I'm going to skip it this week (not that I don't have a great deal to be thankful for, I do!) and catch up with everyone next week. My in-laws are in town and we are headed out to go swimming today with the kids.

I did, however, want to mention my Bloggy Giveaway and remind anyone who has not yet left me a comment on the Bloggy Giveaway post to do so quickly! The winner of the $25 Amazon.com E-card will be chosen on Saturday morning.

Best of luck and I hope everyone has a truly Thankful Thursday!

Product Review

2008-04-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

As promised a couple of Saturdays ago, here is my product review of 24.7 Skincare Instant Plump Volumizing Lip Shine.

First, I must confess that I swiped the picture on the left off of CVS's website. My original purchase came all nice & tidy in a lovely red hot little box. Very well packaged, professional and sleek. Something of which the executives at 24.7 (or whoever owns them) must be proud. My initial good impression only lasts so long, however. Truth be told, I have issues with packaging:

I'm dealing with it, okay? Let's move on.

I usually don't set out to purchase lip plumpers. My lips are just fine, thank you very much. But I had a $5 off coupon, plus this brand came with an ECB (Extra Care Buck) offer and I like trying out new products for either mega-cheap or free. These elements combined resulted in this little gem finding it's way home with me. Regular retail price is $19.99. I purchased it for $4.99 but because I paid with Extra Bucks, I really got it for free. In all honesty, if it weren't for the big FREE price tag, I never would've given this product a second look.

I took it home and decided to give it a thoroughly scientific test drive and record my findings. Are you ready? Yeah, you're on the edge of your seat, I can tell. Approximately, ten seconds after application, I began to feel a cool burning sensation around the outer edge of my lips. A little scary, but nothing too alarming. Yet.

After about two minutes, the "sensation" started to HURT! For those of you unfamiliar with the parts of the body that are not supposed to burn, this is in the "not good" category. I literally refrained from kissing my baby boy for fear his little cheeks would start to burn. After about four minutes, the burning started to dissipate and was back to the tolerable "cool burning" sensation after that. Several minutes later, it was completely gone.

Here are my lips before 24.7 Instant Plump:

Here are my lips after 1 minute:
And here they are after 5 minutes:
I do see a mild transformation. But what I want to know is: Are they really plumper? Or do they just appear that way because of the small amount of blood rushing to the outer edges in response to the burning?

Whenever I checked myself in the mirror *cougheverytwominutescough*, they really did seem a bit plumper. I liked the way they looked but, to be honest, I couldn't say they looked any different than when I apply my $1.99 Bonnie Bell lip gloss. All lipstick and gloss give the appearance of fuller lips. Isn't that one of the reasons we buy them? And as I went about my day running errands, doing this & that, I was quite disappointed that no one mistook me for Angelina Jolie (you know, like they usually do). For 20 bucks spent on lips, I want to be mistaken for someone! Geesh! Even getting confused with Sandra Bernhard would've meant SOMETHING!

And here they are at the end of the day:

I kid! I kid! *heehee*

The final analysis is this: For $20 I want a lip plumper to have a little more plump in it. Oh, and I also would like for it NOT to burn! That's always a plus, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe the test subjects who first gave this product a whirl feel differently, I don't know. What I do know is this:

Because of price, pain and plumplessness, I give 24.7 Skincare Instant Plump Volumizing Lip Shine 1 out of 5 Mommy Kisses.

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-04-15T06:42:00.003-07:00

It's Mommy Tip Tuesday again! Won't you join me?

I just realized that I promised a Bloggy Giveaway (see below) on a Tuesday. Oh well! It's a makes the day that much brighter, doesn't it?

My tip for today involves getting more nutrition in to your picky eater. My daughter seems to rebel against food in general. Well, food that doesn't contain chocolate, that is. Hmm...I wonder where she gets that from? *looks around awkwardly*

I don't like fighting about food. It drives me nuts and, quite frankly, I think sets kids up for issues with eating later in life. I am, however, determined to get some good stuff into the girl.Lucky for me, she likes smoothies.

Smoothies are a wonderful way to sneak nutritious food into something yummy. There are a multitude of recipes on the web and recipe books to choose from. I think most people think fruit, fruit, fruit when they think of smoothies which can add up to a lot of calories and sugar (albeit natural sugar) but I'm here to tell you, you can add several veggies and still come out with a yummy concoction. There are several recipes in Green For Life by Victoria Boutenko. This is a raw foods book that will probably be quite extreme for most, but her recipes are scrumptious!

One of my favorites is:

4-5 Kale leaves

a large handful of dark berries or grapes

2 bananas

2 cups ice cold water

Blend the kale and water together first then add the other ingredients. The color is AMAZING and may even put you off a bit, but the taste is worth it, in my opinion. London loves it but I haven't tried it on The Boy yet.

Speaking of the boy, he just woke up. I had another recipe to tell you about complete with nutrient information buy he's rather demanding in the morning, so that will have to wait until next week. Sorry, mommy-duty calls.

And calls loudly!

Please add your Mommy Tip for today and invite a friend to do the same! I look forward to reading them all and learning something new today!

Bloggy Giveaway!

2008-04-15T06:29:00.002-07:00

WooHoo! It's Bloggy Giveaway time!

All you have to do is leave me a comment. Any comment will do! Tell me about your day. Tell me a joke. Tell me a lie. I don't care - just leave a comment!

This month's winner will receive a $25 e-card to Amazon.com!

The winner will be chosen at random once again by my daughter. I simply print off all the comments, fold them up into teeny-little pieces and plop them in a bowl. London picks one and that lucky person will wake up to some super-exciting news on Saturday morning.

You know what to do - now get to it!

Super Savings Saturday

2008-04-11T14:14:00.007-07:00

It's Super Savings Saturday again over at MoneySavingMom.com. Check out all the other Mommy-bloggers who saved BIG TIME this week and join us next week with your fab savings!

Last Saturday, I hit a few garage sales and came up with this:

The Cars book is brand-new and still in the plastic wrap ($1). My father-in-law will love it! I think I'm going to tuck it away until Christmas.

My history-lovin' hubby will love the John Adams audio book on CD (also $1). He wanted the book when it first came out but it's well over 800 pages and he just doesn't have the time or patience for such a lengthy read. He can enjoy this in the car on his way to work.

I spent $3 on the blocks for the kiddos. They love them! Not bad considering I've seen similiar ones retail for roughly $30 elsewhere.

I did some major grocery shopping which I haven't done in a long time because: 1) I was pretty well stocked up and 2) We just aren't big "Every night of the week" eaters. Last week, the grocery stores seemed to have some pretty good deals that I felt were worth taking advantage of. I'm not well stocked in the grocery coupon department but I took what I had. All total I spent $109 for approx. $248 worth of stuff. Not bad, not bad. I'm not complaining but here's the thing: I went to three different grocery stores plus Walgreen's (Walgreen's items not pictured) taking 3 1/2 hours out of my day.

Now, I admit, I went with a half-baked plan and a 4 yr old, so maybe the time spent wasn't necessarily all due to grocery shopping. But still, that seemed like A LOT of time to get some groceries. Do you think a savings of $139 was worth it or am I just being a baby? Educate me, please. While pretty well versed in CVS 101, I'm still quite the newbie when it comes to saving big-time in the grocery stores.

What this picture doesn't show is:

2 gallons of milk
4 Morning Star Farms Vegetarian items
1 box of garlic bread
2 bags of Kraft cheese
1 package of Bartouli pasta
3 Jumbo pkgs Pampers diapers
2 Zone Energy bars
2 jugs of Welch's grape juice

At CVS this week:

Here's my "WOW!" shopping trip of the week. I couldn't beleive this was happening! I went to CVS to fix something from a previous purchase and found a bunch of Easter stuff at 90% off in a shopping cart up front. Not that I needed any of it right now but I like to buy ahead at great discounts for the following year. Anyhoo, I thought I'd check out the clearance endcap in the back corner of the store to see if they had more. There I found several Essence of Beauty items for .30 cents a piece. I took my items up to the register and upon payment received TWENTY DOLLARS IN ECB'S!!! CVS is currently offering a deal that if you buy 3 Essence of Beauty items you'll receive $5 in Extra Bucks back. I had NO IDEA that the clearance items would get me the Extra Bucks!

Can I get a WHOO-HOO? Man, I *heart* CVS! It's better than Vegas!

Oh, and see those clippers up there? I had been thinking that I'll save myself $10 every other month and give my son (who can't talk yet and therefore has no say) haircuts myself. Lo and behold, CVS had those salon clippers marked down to $1.50! Yay!

All-in-all, I think I had a great week. Please, go check out Crystal's site to learn more about how to make your hard earned money s-t-r-e-t-c-h! You won't be sorry!

Anita Renfroe

2008-04-11T10:15:00.001-07:00

If you have not yet seen this video, you will love it! It's absolutely worth the 3 1/2 minutes!

Thankful Thursday

2008-04-10T10:23:00.002-07:00

What could make a mother happy with her living room looking like this? Well, let's see...there is obviously an abundance of toys. There is new, comfy furniture to rest upon. The walls are sturdy, insulated and intact. There are STILL Christmas trees in the corner (hey, I like 'em, okay?) indicating a joyful celebration. The floors are not dirt but, instead, covered and there is a healthy, happy, well-fed little boy sitting in the mist of it all. Sure, I could be furious about the mess - I often am. I get tired of picking up day after day. Heck, hour after hour, for that matter!

But, it's hard to be upset about the little things when the reality is I will never have to face the struggles, fears and dangers this mother does:
This is a Zimbabwean woman and her child fleeing across the border at Beitbridge Border post in South Africa. Can you imagine? I found this picture while going through Yahoo's Week In Photos last week.

I remember as a child, thinking how lucky I was that God could have put me anywhere but He chose to allow me to be born in the U.S.A. As an adult, I came to realize there are many great and wonderful and FREE countries in this world but I still considered myself lucky to be an American citizen by birth.

But seeing the world through a mother's eyes is what will really bring you to your knees in total and complete gratitude thanking the Lord Almighty for the wondrous and generous gifts He pours onto you. That He could have chosen to put me on this earth anywhere and yet He chose to put me here - in the lap of luxury and freedom.

The woman in the above picture has nothing but the baby on her back and no idea what will become of their futures. I have a plethora of possessions that I often complain about. Now, I ask you, what's wrong with that picture?

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all your continuous gifts and grace upon me. May I know everyday what it is that I could be suffering. I pray for the safety, health and welfare of this mother, her child, and all who are suffering like her. Amen.

Of Course I Blame My Mother! You Can Too!

2008-04-08T21:04:00.004-07:00

I mentioned in My 100 Things that I did not play Barbies like other little girls did. I did not dress the up to go to parties or the mall or out on dates with Ken. My Barbies did not work as noble school teachers by day and supermodels at night. They did not live in dream houses or drive hot pink convertibles or own poopfree horses in their artificially turfed backyards. Nope, my Barbies kept it real. Well, as real as it gets on your standard soap opera, that is.

You'll need a little backstory to help you understand:

You see, I was the youngest of four growing up in the quaint, little town of Rockford, Michigan. My father being a mechanic and a welder went wherever the work was and was sometimes gone days, weeks, or even months at a time. My mother stayed at home to raise the kids. Except that she really didn't do that. Now, please understand, I'm not writing what I'm about to write to mom-bash. With lots of self-therapy, deep breathing exercises and the Stuart Smalley "I'm Good Enough" series on audio, I got well past mom-bashing in 1997.

My mom was, well, rather relaxed in her parenting style and probably never put the words "parental" and "interaction" together in a sentence her entire life. She did, however, watch a heck of a lot of TV.

Like all day.

All.the.dang.day.long.

Everyday.

So much so that regardless of the fact that there was not a clock in the room, she knew exactly what time it was by what show was on. Or if Bob was spinning the wheel for the first time or second. Or if Erica Kane was in lingerie or daywear. You get the picture.

As the youngest child and not yet old enough for kindergarten, I often sat with my mother while she watched her soap operas. I can still remember avidly watching "All My Children", "General Hospital", "Days of Our Lives" and, especially, "The Edge of Night" (which is the show where I learned how babies were made - another post altogether) sitting in front of our bunny-eared, turn-dial, slightly green-tinted color TV on our burnt-red, commercial-grade carpeting with my mom laying on the couch behind me.

I won't comment on the fact that she used to call me out of my bedroom to change the channel for her. Nope, I'll just leave that little tidbit out and continue with my every intriguing story. No mom-bashing here, I tell you!

Okay, so how do the Barbies fit in? Well, if you pay attention to your kids at all, and I know you do, you know that whatever they see or experience in real life they reenact in play. So it was with me and my Barbies. Like I said, no trips to the mall, convertibles or colon-free horses for my dolls. Nope. But my Barbies did have unhappy marriages, affairs, divorces, unplanned pregnancies, alcohol addictions, drama, tragedies, murder mysteries, back-stabbing friends and the occasional sexual indiscretion.

Keep in mind - I WAS FIVE!

But the worst of it came years later when my dad decided one day that I was too old for dolls and put everything Barbie into a garage sale while I was at school. He missed, however, one Barbie, a dining table, a small Asian child doll and a few accessories. With what few items I had left, I did what any successful soap opera does - I spun-off!

The new story centered around Barbie and her adopted Asian child doll, Kim as they rebuilt their lives as the sole survivors of a devastating fire that destroyed their entire town. It was an instant hit and had a successful two or three year run. I can't really remember. And I will happily tell you that Barbie did pull herself up by her high-heel, leatherette Gloria Vanderbilt bootstraps and made a good life for her and Asian child doll Kim and eventually did get that poopfree horse in the artificially turfed backyard afterall!

But what I really want to know is:

Did Alexis make top fashion designer/model/shopping mall owner or did her past as a exotic dancer finally catch up with her?

Was Stormy able to quit her ADD medication addiction and get off the street to, once and for all, provide a stable home environment for her daughter Rainy?

Did business rivals Jade and Colt come to terms with their love for one another while in the mist of a hostile takeover? Or did their flames of passion cause their business deals to burn out?

Did Mariah-Rose ever hear back from the Maury Povich show and will she be able to let her Baby Daddy back in her life despite not really remembering who he is anyway?

And will Star be able to escape her captors and make it back in time for her own wedding before her fiance marries her backstabbing maid of honor sister?

Stay tuned!

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-04-07T22:53:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the inaugural post of Mommy Tip Tuesday! Here's my tip for the week:

Cookie cutters aren't just for cookies! My daughter is a picky-picky eater. She will adamantly proclaim she does not like a certain food before ever trying it. She was the only child I knew who didn't like PB&J sandwiches. As one who considers a good PB&J a food staple, this was something I just could not abide!

I remember reading once that children not only want their food to taste appealing but to look appealing as well. So one day, I cut out the center of a PB&J with a bunny shaped cookie cutter and presented it to her that way. It was an instant hit and she's been eating them ever since. We have a variety of cutter shapes and I very wisely allow her to decide the shape each time.

Sometimes it's flower PB&J. Sometimes it's butterfly PB&J. Sometimes it's a house and sometimes it's a sheep. Heck, she's even gotten radical and chosen the CIRCLE cutter, of all things but, hey, as long as she's eating I don't care!

We've used the cookie cutters with pancakes, cheese crisps and pizza, too!

Got a Mommy Tip you'd like to share? Please blog about it and add your name and website to the Mr. Linky below. Please link back to me in your post so others know where to find me and add their own tips. Be sure to come back next week and share another Mommy Tip with everyone!

Simple Sunday

2008-04-05T21:23:00.003-07:00

Super Savings Saturday

2008-04-04T12:51:00.006-07:00

This is how we CVS, we CVS, we CVS

This is how we CVS so early in the morning!

Happy Super Savings Saturday, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the CVS deals this week like I did and came home fat & happy with ECB's to burn! After a few weeks of, "eh" deals at CVS I was just thrilled with this weeks semi-annual beauty sale, plus many other good deals. Here's what I got:

Trip #1

Okay, whatcha see there is $133.35 worth of stuff. Hard to believe, huh? But there's some expensive stuff in that pile. For example, that little red box right up front is lip plumper by 24.7, priced $19.99! Ouch! Keep an eye out for my Product Review on that little tart. Anyway, with my coupons ($21.53), and ECB's ($29.97) and in-store savings ($28.05) and CVS gift card ($14.36), my total came down to $39.44 OOP.

I left with $39.00 in ECB's. So, all in all, I got everything you see above for .44 cents!

Also, one thing I try to do is walk out of the store with more ECB's than I walked in with. So far, I've been able to do this with every CVS trip! *happy dance*

Trip #2

Since my first trip did not yield me any of the Spa Radiant Body Wash, I made a second trip the next day to a different CVS. In this picture is $43. 78 worth of stuff. After coupons ($1.75) and ECB's ($31.00) and in-store savings ($2.00), my total came to $9.03 OOP.

I left with $38.00 in ECB's. Thereby coming out ahead $28.97. And, again, walked out with more ECB's than I walked in with! *BIG happy dance*

Stuff that makes me giddy.

Two of my favorite things were deals at CVS this week. Neither of these, btw, netted me ECB's but this is just an example of the other great stuff CVS does for their customers. The foundation I prefer is L'Oreal Bare Naturale. Normally, this stuff is $14.99 for one. This week CVS had them B1G1 free, plus I had a $2 off coupon knocking the price for both down to $12.99. Gotta love it! Ultimately, as they were part of Trip #1, I got them for FREE, anyway!

Also, the Colgate ($2.99 ea.) was B1G1 and I had a manufacturer's coupon for $1.50 plus a CVS coupon for $1.00. Yes, that's right, for those of you who didn't know - CVS will let you stack coupons! So, really, I paid .49 cents for two tubes of toothpaste. But, again, not really as they were also part of Trip #1.

But what I really love is - THAT'S PLAIN OL' TOOTHPASTE, PEOPLE! Not that fancy-schmancy whitening/baking soda/peroxide/magic dust toothpaste you see everywhere. I have a booger of a time finding PLAIN toothpaste. Thank you, CVS for keeping us PLAIN folk in mind!

Stuff that makes her giddy.

CVS's quarterly bonus ECBs came out this week and I earned an extra $6.50! Okay, so I'm not going to be taking a cruise with this amount, but still, it's FREE MONEY. Since I had to lug the little people in my life to two CVS's this week and since the pretty blond one was on her bestest behavior and since every.single.time we go to CVS she begs to look at the sunglasses only to leave empty handed, I decided to splurge my quarterly earnings on her. Whatcha think? That's one cute kid, huh? I think so!

Head of over to Crystal's place at MoneySavingMom.com to see the other great deals that have been had this week. And then next week - post yours!

My 100 Things

2008-04-03T20:00:00.005-07:00

It seems the thing to do. I see this on several blogs I peruse - 100 things about that person. Well, just like in 7th grade, I want to be in the "In" crowd, one of the popular kids and sit at the cool table. And, as it happens, just like in 7th grade, my hair right now is a fright!

So...here we go! The first ten:

100. I have a secret crush on Topher Grace from "That 70's Show".

99. I did not have one speck of morning sickness with either of my pregnancies. As a matter of fact, my pregnancies were a breeze!

98. I did not play Barbies like other little girls did. My Barbies did not dress up in bridal gowns, hop on their sparkly pink horses and ride to the mall to meet Ken. Hmm...maybe I'll write a post on this next week and tell you what my Barbies did. Dum-dum-dummm!

97. According to my husband, I'm an enigma. So some of these "100 things" will probably contradict each other. Don't bring it up as I will have no explanation for it. Roll with it.

96. I will go absolutely freaking nuts if I see a cockroach or a spider that is bigger than a nickel but I'm perfectly fine with rats and snakes.

95. It still freaks me out to stand next to the bed after I've turned out the lights. I hop in almost immediately.

94. When I was six years old I told my dad I wanted to grow up to be a Playboy Bunny. He said I could be anything I wanted to be. Really the perfect answer when you think about it.

93. I will choose strawberry ice cream over any other flavor 10 - 1.

92. I once started reading the dictionary and got as far as K. Though I did read ahead to Q because it was a really short segment. Not X though, I don't know why. Hmm...

91. I once got so scared while watching "Nightmare On Elm Street" in the theater that I accidentally kicked the person seated in front of me in the head.

90. Number 91 still cracks me up to this day. *snort*

Well, that's it for now. That was harder than it looks. It may take me awhile to come up with a full list. Stay tuned.

Oh, and for the record - I DID sit at the cool table in 7th grade. See, my friend Tami was friends with this girl Regina and Regina was THE popular girl in school so I got to sit at her table by association. And she was all, "That's cool" and I was all, like, "Thanks" and then she was all, "No pro-blem-o" and I was all, like, "Wow! Popular and bilingual!"

Yep. The cool table - where I belong.

Thankful Thursday

2008-04-02T18:54:00.007-07:00

It's a wonderful and beautiful Thankful Thursday again over at Sting My Heart. Won't you join us?

I'm giving this particular post the alternative title:

2,874,395 Second Chances.

Here's why:

My daughter has been particularly difficult this last week. Heck, she's been driving me downright bonkers! I don't know what it is, but I do know I just don't have the patience for her typical not-quite-four year old stuff. I won't go into details because if you currently have a four year old, or once had a four year old, or know of a four year old or have ever seen a picture of a four year old in a book then you know what I'm talking about.

This week, as I was tried and tested repeatedly, I was reminded of something a friend of mine (also the owner of a not-quite-four year old) once said about disciplining his child. One night, his daughter was particularly disobedient and he became angry, scolded her and put her in her room. He was at a loss of how to deal with her as she had been acting up recently. He reflected on how the Lord deals with him when he is disobedient to His Word. He realized that, in his life, God had always shown patience and understanding and corrected firmly yet with love and that God always gave him another chance. He realized that he was to do the same with his daughter.

Remembering my friend's experience and insight throughout this week has helped me greatly in dealing with my daughter. I remind myself that I, too, am a child here on this earth and that my Father in Heaven is trying repeatedly to get me to "grow up right". I'm ever thankful of His patience, grace, understanding and loving correction but most of all, I'm thankful for His

2,874,395 - oops! Make that 2,874,396 (and counting) second chances.

Mommy Tip Tuesday

2008-03-31T21:14:00.003-07:00

INTRODUCING: MOMMY TIP TUESDAY!

As a new mom almost 4 years ago, I passionately soaked in every last word of every parenting book I could get my hands on. To this day, I still have a soft spot in my heart for the "Be a Perfect Parent Doing Exactly As I Say" genre. However, one thing these books never mentioned to me was that I could get a lot of great and useful advice from other moms who have been there, done that for absolutely free.

Now that I am the proud owner of two tiny people, I have a little advice of my own to give. Sure, it would all probably fit on the backside of a matchbook, but hey, at least I got something!

I'm inviting you to join me every Tuesday to share your tried-n-true Mommy Tips. These can be tips you've discovered on your own, tips passed down from your mother or grandmother, or just tips you ripped off from a friend that you now claim as your own and you're pretty sure she doesn't blog.

These tips can be anything from getting your wee-one to sleep through the night, dealing with sibling rivalry, a kid-friendly craft project, potty-training, homework routines - you name it. Basically, if it has anything to do with a kid or being a mom, it fits the description.

Next week Tuesday, I'll have a Mr. Linky set up at the bottom of my very first Mommy Tip Tuesday post so you can add your name and other moms can click over to your site to view your valuable insight. This is a great way to bond with other moms who are in the thick of it like you, bond with community, find other interesting mommy blogs and generate traffic to your blog.

Won't you join me?

Lip Service

2008-03-31T12:24:00.005-07:00

Not that long ago, my husband has lunch with two female co-workers. When the meal was complete and the plates cleared, the ladies whipped out their lip liner, lipstick and gloss and started the three step process in reconstructing their kissers.

My husband, not being well-versed in women's makeup rituals asked them what they were doing. They said, "What? Doesn't your wife do this?"

"No. She doesn't wear that stuff", he replied. For the record, though I rarely put anything on my lips, I do wear makeup as I am a thoughtful member of society and don't particularly enjoy scaring others, especially small children.

So, based on this one piece of information my husband gave up about me and their knowledge that I'm a SAHM (stay-at-home mom), the ladies quickly assessed that I needed a make-over and offered up their services to my husband.

This is where I blame Oprah and her make-over episodes. She sends her people to pop in on unsuspecting SAHMs first thing in the morning, catching them in what some would consider the SAHM uniform - husband's college T-shirt, a pair of sweats, fuzzy slippers and a half-hazard ponytail atop the head - and chide the poor women for dressing like this on a daily basis.

*ahem* It's first thing in the morning, people! Guess what? Fuzzy-slipper-wearin'-Mom probably got all of four (inconsecutive) hours of sleep the night before because she was taking care of a sick baby - the same baby you see perched on her hip and had just hurled up breakfast on Mom minutes before The Oprah Brigade showed up - and, before she had a chance to clean up the apples/mango/oatmeal with cinnamon blend covering her hubby's college T-shirt, she had to first prepare two others for school, find a lost backpack, sign a permission slip she just discovered in lost backpack, pack three lunches (hubby needs one too), field two telemarketing calls, walk the dog, start a load of laundry, referee a sibling fight and tie two sets of shoes!

(feel free to punctuate that paragraph correctly)

Forgive the woman for not having her lips properly accentuated!

My husband's response to the ladies when to their horror they discovered I wasn't following standard modern woman protocol?

He said I didn't need that stuff because my lips were naturally beautiful. Awww! *thump*thump*

Meyer Monday

2008-03-31T08:27:00.003-07:00

According to God's Word, He loved us before the world was formed, before we loved Him or believed in Him or had ever done anything either good or evil.

God does not require us to earn His love, and we must not require others to earn ours. We must realize that loves is something we are to become. It is not something we do and then don't do. We cannot turn it on and off, depending on who we want to give it to and how they are treating us.

As believers in Jesus Christ, the love we are to manifest to the world is the unconditional love of God flowing through us to them. We cannot understand this God-kind of love with our minds. It far surpasses mere knowledge. It is a revelation that God gives to His children by the Holy Spirit.

Unconditional love thinks long range. It sees what people can become if only someone will love them. That is what God did for us. He looked long range and saw that His unconditional love could conform us to the image of His Son.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being the Person God Made You To Be

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But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:8

Simple Sunday

2008-03-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Super Savings Saturday

2008-03-28T23:14:00.003-07:00

I love ending the week with Super Savings Saturday hosted by Crystal over at MoneySavingMom.com. I literally look forward to this every week. Not only do I get to share the thrill of my own hunt, but I get to read about the spoils of dozens of other deal seekers. Check it out! This week, CVS had nothing to entice me through their slider doors. I'm pretty well stocked so I passed on this week's deals.

So I decided to try somewhere new this week. New to me, anyway. My boy, who is nearly 15 mos old, is growing like a well fertilized weed and I'm amazed at how quickly he went to having an abundant wardrobe to barely a week's worth of clothes. Tubby, as we call him in this house, is bustin' out of just about everything so I had no choice but to clothes shop for our little lineman-in-the-making.

I'm not big on paying full price to clothe the little dirt devil so I thought I would check out the local Savers thrift store (Baseline and Power location for you Mesanites). I had never been in before and didn't know quite what to expect. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!

Savers is a thrift store much like Goodwill in that it's inventory is comprised entirely of donations left by individuals diligently cleaning out their closets. However, that is where the similarity ends. For one, Savers is incredibly clean! Also, the children's clothing is very well organized (quite unlike the two Goodwills near my home). Not only do they separate by size, gender, type and season but also by color. Looking for a boy's orange, long-sleeve pullover? Just look by the other boy's orange, long-sleeve pullovers. It's that easy!

I was also happy with the prices considering that all the items I bought were clean and in near-new condition. For the items in the picture above (five shirts, four pairs of shorts, one pair of shoes and two puzzles for London), I spent $26.00. Sure, I could have spent a great deal less at garage sales, but as I've said before, my time is worth something too. I can't imagine how many Saturday mornings I'd have to peruse the neighborhood garage sales to find all that I did in just a few short minutes at Savers. I found the prices to be more than garage sale price but much less than consignment store prices. And, again, the cleanliness of the store and the outstanding organization made shopping quick, easy and enjoyable - a major plus when your shopping companions are a 4 yr old and a 15 mo. old and one of them keeps pulling the hair of the other!

See you again next week with more great deals!

Be Honest With Me.

2008-03-28T07:33:00.003-07:00

Yesterday, I was over at DailyBlogTips.com and I stumbled ('cause that's what I do, get it?) onto an article titled "43 Web Design Mistakes You Should Avoid". Lots of good stuff in this article, most of which doesn't apply to me and my itty-bitty, little blog. However, #10 struck a bit of a nerve with me:

Do not play music: on the early years of the Internet web developers always tried to successfully integrate music into websites. Guess what, they failed miserably. Do not use music, period.

Aack! W-w-what? No music? Period? No! Say it isn't so! That's a bit of a hard pill for me to swallow and usually I don't have a hard time swallowing pills, not after my MIL suggested to me that I take a deep breath before drinking the water down and that doing so helps to open up your esophagus and, you know, she was right! It even helped with those prenatal horse pills I had to take everyday and, also...

Wait...what was I talking about? Oh, yeah! The music.

Anyhoo, so I thought I would leave it up to you - my faithful and trusted readers. And honest readers - don't forget that! So be honest, do you like my music? Could you live without it? Should I keep it or axe it?

You'll notice I added a poll off to the right. Please vote and then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did. I'd really like to have your input.

And, seriously, taking a deep breath before choking a pill down really does help!

Thankful Thursday

2008-03-27T08:16:00.005-07:00

It's Thankful Thursday again over at Sting My Heart. Won't you join us?

Hmm...what am I thankful for this week? Nebraska football? Chocolate chip cookies? The fact that my kitchen miraculously looks clean in this picture? Well, all of those things, really, but most of all it's the handsome fella I am most thankful for.

That would be my hubby, if you couldn't figure that out. And, yes, he really does make chocolate chip cookies! But more than that, he does so much for me and our little family. There really isn't enough room on this blog to list everything. He has been off work for a little over two months now and it's been so nice having him home (see post below) that I've gotten a little spoiled.

He does it all with a good heart and a good attitude as well. You really have to work at it to get him in a grumpy mood. Trust me, I've given it my best at times. I have said before that we believe that one cannot be truly happy unless one is truly grateful. I believe my husband epitomizes this thought. He knows what it's taken to get to where we are today and I think he knows it could all be gone in a split-second.

If you have ever seen She's Having a Baby with Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth McGovern and Alec Baldwin, you may remember the scene with Kevin and Alec in the car, right before Kevin is set to walk down the aisle. Kevin asks Alec if he thinks he (himself) will be happy and Alec replies, "Yeah, you just won't know it". My sweetie and I have often discussed how, despite the family chaos that goes on, we are happier than we ever thought we would be. Sometimes, it takes a bit to remind ourselves of this but I can say in all honesty that it is our prevailing attitude. I can also honestly say that without him I'm not so sure it would be.

I prayed to God for this man almost 17 yrs ago and God answered me right on time. There is nothing like knowing you are with the person God hand-picked for you. And there is nothing like having God play match-maker for you. He's pretty good at it, I can attest to that!

So thank you, Dear Lord, for the wonderful gift of my dear husband. The gift that I get to unwrap, discover and enjoy each passing day.

Now only if he didn't have to go back to work!

Not a Good Mommy Day.

2008-03-26T08:34:00.005-07:00

Yesterday was not a good mommy day. I had zero to no patience with the little people in this house. They kept doing that thing that kids do - what's it called?

Oh yeah, needing me.

My dearest husband has been in between jobs since January, so that means he's been home everyday with me for a little over two months. That's two months of TWO parents tag-teaming the kids. That's TWO months of taking peaceful showers without little hands pounding on the glass door. That's TWO months of eating my lunch straight through without having to get up 873 times for something. That's TWO months of going to the store and taking a child only if I wanted to. That's TWO months of - well, you get the idea!

So yesterday, he *sniff* went *choke* back *sob* to work *wail*! And left me here with THEM all alone for, like, eight whole hours! I simply was not mentally prepared for the onslaught. And do you know what? He's doing it again today! *eeek!*

However, today I'm prepared. Yep, got a full roll of duct tape and 8 1/2 solid hours of Disney videos. I say, BRING IT!

Serving God by Serving Others, Part II

2008-03-25T08:22:00.005-07:00

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." ~ Luke 10:38-42

When I first read this passage several months ago, I couldn’t help but sympathize with Martha. There were unexpected guests in the house. People wanted to be fed. Someone had to take care of things and Martha took charge. I can’t say that I blame her for wanting a little help. Don’t we all want a little help? Heck, don’t we all really expect a little help?

The Bible doesn’t tell us how Martha responded or reacted to Jesus’ words. Did she immediately drop everything and sit at His feet with her sister? Or did she stomp off in a huff feeling unappreciated and taken advantage of (like I probably would have done)?

Mind you, I have no trouble serving others. I quite enjoy it, actually. But when it comes to serving those I live with day in and day out, I struggle in this area. Oh, I serve them alright. It just seems that I do it a bit begrudgingly at times. I simply don’t do it with the right spirit. I often resent the fact that I do so much and so much of what I do seems to go unnoticed.

I know I’m not alone in this. I’ve talked to too many moms (stay-at-home or work-out-of-home, it doesn’t seem to matter) who feel the same way. I think since the bowl incident, I’ve come a long way. I like to think so, at least. I know in my heart that I’m not to look to other people for validation and appreciation of what I do. I know that I’m to look only to God to provide these things for me but the cold hard truth is, I DO want gratitude and appreciation from those I live with.

When thinking about this last night, it suddenly occurred to me. Do you think God put this desire in our hearts - the want/need to be thanked by others for all that we do - so that we would better know how He feels?

I complain to others about how the things I do go by without so much as a word of thanks yet don’t I do the same to God? When was the last time I thanked Him for a beautiful day? Or my health? The health of my children? Keeping us safe? The roof over my head? The clothes on our backs? Or even, I embarrassed to say, the food on my plate? He provides these things daily, does He not? Shouldn’t I then be thankful and say so on a daily basis?

My husband and I long ago came to the conclusion that one cannot be happy unless one is truly grateful. Maybe that’s why I’m unhappy with the amount of gratitude I get - because I’m not giving it to the One who truly deserves it in the amount He truly deserves.

Perhaps I should spend more time at the feet of Jesus.

Meyer Monday

2008-03-24T09:22:00.002-07:00

Meditate on God's love for you. That's what is going to change you. If you don't like something about yourself, "knowing that you know" that God loves you is going to change it.

God change you. It is the private time you spned with God, just loving Him and letting Him love you, that is going to cause you to grow up and be strong in your spirit.

The devil will give you one excuse after another for not spending time with God. Get serious with God and cry out to Him. The Word of God and fellowship with Him will change you. Paul says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me" (KJV). In other words, there is nothing in all creation you can't do through the power of Jesus Christ.

Use the problems that come against you as opportunities to grow. Find out what God will do because He loves you! If you will lean on God and let God love you and you love Him, you can forget all the trying to operate in faith and enter into rest.

~ Joyce Meyer, Being the Person God Made You to Be.

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In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins. ~ 1 John 4:10

We Have a Winner!

2008-03-22T11:01:00.003-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS, KRISTEN!

After I printed out the comments page and cut the comments into sections, folded them up and put them in a bowl, my daughter picked one out. She picked you out as the lucky winner of Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook. Email me at stumblingchristian@yahoo.com to make arrangements to get this yummy and oh-so-sneaky cookbook to you!

Keep an eye out for next month's Bloggy Giveaway. I'm thinking online giftcard!

Super Savings Saturday

2008-03-21T21:18:00.004-07:00

Well it's that time again! Crystal over at MoneySavingMom.com hosts Super Savings Saturday every week and every week you can check out her site and others for some AMAZING tips on how to get the things you need for little or no money at all!

Like chocolate and jelly beans, for instance. Who doesn't need that? *hangs head in shame*
Now, to be fair to myself, the jelly beans were for the Easter eggs I stuffed for our family Easter Egg hunt and the box of chocolate I took to share with my MOMS group at church.

So nanny-nanny-foo-foo!

On with the more mature aspects of the post, shall we? Okay. What I have in the pic above is $55.29 worth of product. I have a hard time believing that myself! Since I've been doing the deals at CVS it's hard for me to imagine someone paying 55 bucks for that small assortment but back in the day that would've been me. Thank you, Crystal, for showing me the light!

I ended up paying $15.94 OOP for the above and received $24.95 in ECB's back! That's a profit of $9.01! Can I get a WooHoo?!

Items I got for free:

-The Hershey's Pot of Gold chocolate
-The Maybelline Lip Color
-The Jelly Beans
-The Vitamine C
-The Speed Stick
-And one of the Dove Hair products

Not bad for 45 minutes of work!

Also, a couple weeks ago I got a coupon with my receipt for a $25 CVS giftcard for any new prescription. Well, lo and behold, the kids got sick with ear infections and I ended up with a prescription for antibiotics. I now have a $25 CVS giftcard tucked safely in my wallet. Though, I have to be honest, I would have rather had healthy kids! The little sickies have a tendency to keep my up at night when they are not feeling so well. Poor babies. But everyone is well now, praise the Lord!

I hope the rest of you CVS'ers had a profitable week and for those of you who have yet to try it out, please check out MoneySavingMom.com and click on her "CVS 101" link. You won't be sorry!

Well, I DID Have Something to Blog Today...

2008-03-21T09:20:00.002-07:00

but something, or someone, won't leave me alone. I literally have been at my computer for the last 45 minutes trying to type out a rather moving and profound post, as I'm ought to do, but the little ~~turkeybutt~~ light of my life won't let me get past the first paragraph. Am I really expected to pay attention to them all the time?

Here's the distraction, himself:
Yes, that's a cookie in his hand. It's Cookie-for-Breakfast Friday in this house. Doesn't everyone do that? Look, whatever I have to do to get the little barnacle off of me for a minute. Go ahead and judge.
No, I am not picking you up. Why do you think I gave you the cookie? And, yes folks, that's my bathrobe. Yes, I know it's 9:30 in the morning and I'm still not dressed. But, see that little face? That adorable little face who would never bother a soul unless it was absolutely necessary kept me up until 5 a.m. this morning! And was thoughtful enough to want to start the day after only 2 1/2 hours of sleep. The bathrobe stays!
Excuse me? Where do you think you're going? I need more pathetic pictures of you at my feet so that I may thoroughly convince these folks that I simply cannot blog something moving and profound today. Hellooooo? I'm talking to you!
I don't think he cares. He's off to the toilet. Apparently, the toilet is more fun than I am. I have more cooookieeees!!
I suppose I have to go get dressed now. Dang, I had my lazy day snuggling with Mr. Cute Buns all planned out. Now I have to actually act like a responsible grown-up and be productive.

Cookie, anyone?

Thankful Thursday

2008-03-19T20:49:00.005-07:00

I thought I'd do things a little differently this week. Instead of telling you what I'm thankful for this week, I thought I'd show you. I hope you enjoy it.

Each new day:
Cosleeping babies:
The incredible, edible egg:
Spring and all the wonderful colors it brings:
Being married to the one God handpicked for me:

Lifelong friends:
A God who keeps His promises:
Being loved this much:
Life eternal through Christ, my Savior:
Amen.

Bloggy Giveaway!

2008-03-18T21:09:00.003-07:00

As I said in my previous post, this giveaway is considered scandalous in some circles and was recent cause for litigation. Well, here you go - I'm offering up Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook on how to ~~lie to your kids~~ sneak nutritious food into your kids' meals thereby getting them to eat their veggies without really knowing it.

I bought this cookbook when it first came out and was the recipient of a second one at Christmas time. Let me assure you, I don't cook that much! So you, lucky recipient of my second only Bloggy Giveaway, shall reap the benefits of my double blessing.

All you have to do is LEAVE A COMMENT. Any comment will do (well, nothing rude or political in topic, thank you). As in my last giveaway, my impartial and completely-unaware-of-any-of-you daughter will randomly pick the winner. Might I suggest you change your profile picture to something either pink or Disney related to increase your chances. A winner will be announced on Saturday morning.

Best of luck!

Come Back Tomorrow!

2008-03-18T10:34:00.003-07:00

I've decided that every month I'll be doing some sort of a giveaway. Now don't get too excited. I won't be giving away $500 giftcards like Pioneer Woman but I gotta start somewhere. I won't tell you what I'm giving away (not today anyway, I'm saving that for tomorrow) but I'll give you a little hint: In some circles it is considered scandalous and was recent cause for litigation!

ooooh! I got ya now! See you tomorrow!