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Protected: Celebrating Kaitlyn June 3, 2010
Single Mom’s Prayer December 26, 2009
Help me O God. Heal me of my wounds so I may not pass on to them my bitterness. Heal me of my insecurities that I may teach them how to have confidence in themselves. Blot out my sins that they may not be cursed for mistakes they weren’t even aware of, and so that they can have a wonderful future ahead of them. Fill my heart with love even if I’m all alone. For how can I possibly give away that which I do not have? It is not easy indeed to be a single mom. Grant me wisdom. Grant me strength to face a harsh world so I can provide for them and give them everything they need. Say unto me Lord that I am not alone for you will be my Husband, and you yourself will be their Father. These children are blessed, this I know, and I thank you for all that you have ever done and all that you have in store for us from your boundless mercy and unceasing love.
Protected: 2009 New Providence Missions Trip Photos December 13, 2009
Protected: The Boy in the Freak Show November 8, 2009
Protected: The Teenager and Prince Charming at Spanish Springs October 16, 2009
NPMT Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser April 24, 2009
New Camera to capture the memories….. April 4, 2009
This fall during soccer season I was extremely frustrated because I could not get any good pictures of the Teenager playing. Every pictures missed the shot…. missed the kicks, the throw ins… all the action…. 3 seconds after the fact. FRUSTRATING…. so I was impulsive… I bought a new camera with my tax return…
I say impulsive… but I did read reviews before ordering…. so as impulsive as that can be…. I was.
I am really excited about the new camera…… (click the pictures to see the full detail…)
Baby guppy.... captured by the Teenager
This is a wide angle shot from a bench in our backyard.
This is the same subject on full zoom from the same bench.
Macro setting... of my eye...
A lizard on the window...
The same photo cropped...look at the detail...
The big test.... Soccer... the Teenager's favorite...
My favorite....
And then the battery died…. I played with it WAY too much….
Now if I could just figure out how to use all the things it can do….
Will you partner with us in ministry? March 19, 2009
I would like to invite you to partner with my children and I in the opportunity of a lifetime! Together, we will be ministering on the island of New Providence doing children’s and family ministry. Click here to learn how you can help.
I will be adding updates concerning our preparation for the trip here.
Any questions…. please email me at quiltinmommy@comcast.net
We covet your prayers and financial support!
5 year Mummification Project…. completed February 22, 2009
Back in 2004, when I was homeschooling my children we began a project to enhance our studies of Egypt. We were to mummify three cornish hens. The project began with us packing our chickens in salt. In the beginning we changed the salt regularly…. I bet we went through 80 pounds of salt! Then life happened… in November of 2004 we left our Alaska home. We smuggled these chickens through Canada…. packed way…..WAY in the back of the trailer… as chicken is not allowed to be taken into Canada.
We settled into life in the metro DC area and continued schooling. The big obstacle to finishing the project was that the next step to mummifying the chickens was to wrap them in cloth and eventually paint the exterior. It sounds like a lot of time and effort so it kept getting put off….
Then life happened again…. divorce and our move to Florida again put the project on hold…. however… we brought our chicken mummies with us…. these cornish hens must hold the record for world travel…. over 5000 miles from Alaska to Florida.
My children returned to school and the chicken mummies remained on a shelf in the pantry…. not having had their salt changed since Alaska is my best guess….
Well I decided that was enough… we were going to at least see our chicken mummies if we were not to take time to finish the project correctly…. we would at least see the outcome of preserving chickens in salt for over 5 years!! (Note… this project was only to take a few months….)
These cornish hens lived in their plastic tombs for over 5 years….
Blondie went first…. though we never smelled the chickens in the house…. there was an odor when we opened the bags.
The Boy proved to be less entertaining then his sisters…..
The Teenager was quite fun to watch…. she was determined not to touch her mummy.
Well I was wrong about the Boy…. he did turn out to be entertaining…. I think this is my favorite picture… please be sure to check out the Teenager’s face….
Here they are… after 5 years of preservation and a trek across the continent… our mummy project is hereby completed…. they now rest in another plastic tomb…. securely fastened…. until Wednesday when they trashmen undertakers will take them to be cremated in the county incinerator….
PS… in case you are wondering…. we do not have any other projects of this nature lurking in the pantry… well as least not right now…. hehehe
We signed…New Providence…here we come! February 1, 2009
For years I have wanted to take a missions trip as a family…. some friends of ours from Alaska took a missions trip together and I loved hearing the stories of how they enjoyed ministering together and how it impacted it each of them. I never really felt like it would happen.
When we moved here almost 2 years ago, we discovered that our new church had a heart for missions, not only in supporting missionaries, but in being missionaries. Our youth pastor has lead 16 youth mission trips around the world!
Our first year here, the youth group went to Austria. I was intrigued when I learned that another family in our church made a commitment to make that trip as a family even though the youngest child wasn’t quite old enough to go on the trip. The idea of going as family seemed like a possibility… remote still…. but a possibility. It was still a balancing act…. waiting until Blondie was old enough to go and truly partake and not wait too long to where the Teenager would have moved on in life. Blondie is technically not old enough for the trip, but PT has agreed to allow her to go with us. I considered it last year, the trip to the Bahamas was relatively cheap in comparison to the previous trip to Austria…. but I didn’t feel like it was time… I waited… hoping that the trips destination this year would not be out of reach.
At the end of 2008, PT (Pastor Tony) announced that this summer we would be returning to New Providence. He has long wanted a place in which we could return, a place where we could not only plant seeds but have continuing ministry and maybe have the opportunity to water those seeds on occasion. I was thrilled…. the idea had possibility…. could we do it…. could we raise the money to go. I’ll be honest…. my only hesitation in going was the cost. I wanted to go, the kids were all interested in going. This seems like our last opportunity… the Teenager will graduate from high school next year and who knows what will happen …. if we were to go as a family…. it had to be this year.
At our annual week of prayer in the beginning of 2009 Pastor Mark shared a devotion on trusting God. I felt like that was my que to ask God…. “In what areas do I not trust you Lord?” Oh boy…. what a loaded question and I walked right into it! There were many areas but the first one God shared with me was the trip…. God told me that I did not have to raise the money myself… to trust Him.
So that was that. I knew then that we would sign up… we would go and that God would provide a way. Yesterday we sat down as a family and filled our our applications. We went over the trip commitments and the financial plan. Together we devised a plan to raise the money… we’re all in and each of us know that we will be sacrificing to do this…. still trusting that God will provide.
The trip includes more than financial obligation… we also have 22 meetings, ministry preparation days and fundraiser events to attend over the next few months. We have committed to making this trip a priority in our lives…over everything. I have already been granted ALL of the days off from work that I need to to attend these meetings and events… I even have enough PTO time to be paid for every single one of them including the trip. Thank you Jesus! I can see God providing already….
The trip is scheduled for June 28th to July 5th, 2009. We will be going to the island of New Providence in the Bahamas. Do not be fooled, this will not be a vacation, we will be working! We will be doing a vacation bible school in the mornings and community rallies in the evenings. In between we will be going door to door sharing with the community what we are doing and inviting them to partake. Either one of these ministries is a large under taking… but we will be doing both… I am exhausted already! Our team from First Assembly is traveling with another team from Ormond Beach and will be working with the International Revival fellowship Church in Montel Heights section of Nassau… one of the oldest and poorest areas in the Bahamas. We hope that the Teenager will get to see her little friend that she met last year and to make new friends ourselves. We are going to pack a special book that we hope to give to Patron, should the Teenager get a chance to see him again.
I’ve added a ticker to my blog to share our progress…. we have to raise $4400 by the middle of June. I’ll be honest, it still intimidates me…. but God said to trust him…..
PS. In my previous post (click for link), I have included the Teenagers letter that she wrote about last years trip.
2008 New Providence Missions Trip… the Teenager’s recap
Last Summer, I went on a missions trip to New Providence, Bahamas.
It was one of the best experience of my life.
First of all, I would like to thank everyone would provided the money so that I could go. I honestly couldn’t have gone without your help.
2008 NPMT Team
Before the trip, we spent months raising money and planning what we would be doing in Montel Heights. We planned on doing a vacation Bible school for the International Revival Fellowship church; or as the people in Montel Heights know it: the big white church on the hill. Our church along with another church in Florida, the Oasis Church, would be running the V.B.S. Our theme was the Lion King and we were planning games and activities for kids ages 5 to 16. In many ways it was difficult planning for such a broad age range. I was put in charge of the games. This was kind of challenging because I’ve never been in charge of planing games, but I got lucky because two boys were put into my group and they are in charge of games for my youth group. Having them in my group made thinking up games very easy. We also planned crafts and “live” Bible stories for the kids. The Oasis Church was in charge of music. We were extremely blessed to have them come on the trip with us because they are very musically gifted.
Our main focus for the trip was the kids in Montel Heights. On the first day of the V.B.S., only a few kids came but as the week went on, the church ended up being packed in the mornings. There were so many kids! By the end of the week there were over 40 kids ages 12 to 16. There were also about 40 to 50 kids younger than that. The most challenging part of the whole trip was dealing with all the little kids. Our craft room was very small and cramped. There was also no air conditioning, so with over 50 bodies in the room, it was very stuffy and tight.
Through out the week, we went door to door and passed out flyers to invite people to come to the church’s V.B.S. We also invite people to go to the family services at night. Montel Heights is one of the poorest areas in the Bahamas. While I walked around, I realized that the Bahamas isn’t just a nice vacation spot. There are people there who really need God’s love.
While we were in the Bahamas, everyone got very attached to the kids there. I got very attached to one little boy named Patron.
He was 8 years and he pretty much gave me his life story. Patron wanted to be a writer and he told me that one day he was going to travel the world telling people about his life. He also loves reading! One day, he came to church with a book and said, “Teenager! Can I read this to you? This is my favorite book ever!” So we sat down and he read it to me. Later, at the end of the trip. He looked at me and said, “Teenager, I want to give you something.” “What’s that?” And then he pulled his favorite book out of his backpack and gave it to me. It tried to get him to take it back considering it was one of the few books he owned and not only that, it was his favorite. But he insisted that I have it, so I took it. When he gave me that book, I almost cried. Seriously, how could someone with so little, give me the one thing that they cherished most? That just amazed me.
One of the things that I really learned from the kids in the Bahamas, was happiness. They got through so much. Patron actually was telling me about how in his school, an elementary school, kids get shot and raped all the time. It’s normal! And he also told me how his older brother was always telling him that one day he would shoot Patron. Yet no matter how bad I thought things were for Patron, he was happy with what very little he had. Not only that, but he was willing to share that happiness with me.
After a whole week of V.B.S., our team and the Oasis team that helped us went to the beach on Saturday. That was so much fun. It was so beautiful! The water was so clear and it was just amazing. We had a lot of fun at the beach. Where we were at the was this little stone wall and everyone took turns jumping off it. All the guys were jumping off and doing flips in the air. Actually, the boys would run and push off of someone and do a flip. It was pretty awesome (also really dangerous.) Then right next to the little stone wall was a taller brick wall. It was about 12 feet above the water. It was so tall! Of course all the guys thought it would be really fun to jump off it. Well, none of the girls would jump off the tall wall and I really wanted to. So I was the first girl from our group to jump off. It was so fun! When I jumped off, it felt like I was being suspended in the air. It was so cool.
For my first overseas missions trip , I have to say that it was a fun and amazing trip. Thank you so much for supporting me and praying for me as I was away. It was one of the best times of my life.
Love,
The Teenager
The Boy was ACCEPTED!! January 31, 2009
Several months ago the Boy was invited to apply for a program called “Take Stock in Children”. We were invited due to his grades and our reduced lunch status the previous year. I called the program and spoke to them about whether or not we should even apply, because I had just been denied for the reduced lunch program. The lady asked if the Boy had any risk factors that might still make him appropriate for the program and I told her the only thing that I felt was a risk factor was that I was a single parent and he lived in a house of girls. The lady told us to go ahead and apply. I almost didn’t. We did not meet the financial qualifications…so I seriously considered not applying at all (lazy I know, but seemed like a long shot.
Today I received a letter that the Boy was accepted for the program. He will have a mentor all the way through high school which will meet with him throughout his high school career. He will get to participate in special field trips and programs that will help prepare him for college. If he follows all of the guidelines set by the program, grades, good behavior, participation in events…. he will graduate from high school with a 2 + 2 Tuition Scholarship…. 2 years in a community college and 2 years in a Florida university!
YEAH, HURRAY…. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!
I am ecstatic….. he seems to be moderately excited, but I don’t think he understands the magnitude of what this means…. I have tried to put it bluntly…. I can not afford to send you to college… scholarships are the only means in which he can go. (I would prefer my kids avoid student loans). He was accepted…. I can not believe it.
THANK YOU JESUS!!! God has made a way when I feared there was no way!!!
Debt Proof Living Statement of 2009 January 25, 2009
I am a subscriber to www.debtproofliving.com I receive a monthly newsletter and access to online features to help me meet my financial goals. Mary is taking us through “Debt Proof Living Boot Camp” in 2009. Each month she is to focus on the subject. Mary encouraged us to make a commitment in writing to our debt proof living… so dear internet… I am doing so here.
January 26, 2009
I am dissatisfied with the amount of debt in which I carry at this time. I long for the days of being debt free, as I have been in the past. While I continue to honor God with my finances and save for the 2009 New Providence Missions trip that my family will be taking this summer. I am committing to my rapid debt repayment plan. Each month, I will carefully monitor my spending and make my rapid debt repayment plan a priority. While I will not be able to pay off my debts within 2009 (unless the Lord chooses to help in some way) I am committing to do everything in my power to live within my means to climb out of this debt trap.
Sincerely,
Barbra-Sue
Do you keep a banking record? January 23, 2009
I have recently learned that many people do not keep a banking record (i.e. check register). I must admit that my “Type A” personality is stunned! No banking record…who would have guessed??? Not me…
So do you keep a banking record of any kind? Please vote and share…
I obviously do keep a banking record. I generally call it my check book, but that doesn’t really apply anymore. I use Microsoft Money to record all of my banking transactions: checks, cash withdrawals, debit card transactions, on-line shopping transaction or on-line payments ,automatic payments, bill pay transactions, deposits…. everything…
I can track 90% of where every penny goes…. I say 90% because I don’t usually go back and enter how I use any cash that I withdraw, but I could…. I also reconcile my account at least once every two weeks, generally more often… maybe once a week. I no longer get paper statements from the bank, I use on-line banking to reconcile my account.
I also use the bill tracking feature. I have all of my regular bills listed and it helps me keep track of what is due every two weeks, which is when I generally pay bills… once every two weeks.
I confess, the reason in which this has come up for me is because I recently made an error… I did not record a transaction which has caused me to panic a bit… no worries, God and I had a little talk about it and I am feeling it’s going to be ok…. challenging, but ok….
So spill…. I want to know!
The Wonder of Coupon Stacking January 12, 2009
Yesterday I made a run to CVS to shop the sales and pick up milk and toilet paper…
My big deal of the day was on Revlon. Before the Grocery Game I never bought Revlon… it’s way too expensive… but through the wonder of coupon stacking… I can now afford Revlon… let me show you.
Here’s what I bought:
Revlon Custom Foundation: $12.99
Revlon Creme Eye Shadow: $7.99
TWO Revlon Eye Shadows: $6.99 each
So my total value of products is: $34.96
Now for the fun….
Revlon was Buy 1 Get 1 Free… so CVS subtracted $7.99 and $6.99 off the top.
Current Total:$19.98
I had FOUR manufacturer’s coupons… one for $2 and three for $1.00 off… subtract $5. It does not matter that they are Buy 1 Get 1 Free…. 4 products means I can use four coupons…. if a cashier ever tries to tell you that you can’t… don’t get in their line again because they are wrong…. you can.
Current Total: $14.98…
This being a great deal… one might think that my bargains end there…. but I am not done yet….
When I entered the CVS, I went to visit their scanning machine. CVS’s machine allows you to scan your card and it prints coupons for you. These coupons are generally based on your personal buying trends, so generally you get coupons on things you buy anyway…. and I DID.
Yesterday the wonderful CVS coupon machine printed two wonderful coupons for me… one $2.00 off any Revlon product AND one $3.00 of a $15 cosmetic purchase. I obviously bought Revlon and because this is a store coupon I can use one store coupon and one manufacturer’s coupon together on a single item… it’s called coupon stacking. I also bought $15 worth of cosmetics… this one you do have to watch the value of the Buy 1 Get 1 Free value… as their computer will not calculate the free merchandise in their totals…but as seen above, I did spend $15. This is also a store coup0n, so I can use a manufacturer’s coupon and a store coupon combined.
When stacking coupons, the key is to be sure that the coupon’s are store coupon. Sometimes a store will pay to have their store name printed on the coupon…making it look specific to the store. Manufacturer’s coupons will be labeled as such… even if they have a store logo on them, they are still a manufacturer’s coupon and can be used at any store. If a cashier ever questions me about it, I point out the labeling and if they still quibble, I ask them to scan it… they are always accepted. SO…coupon stacking netted me another bonus… minus $5.
SO… my big deal of the day is I purchased 4 Revlon Cosmetic products valued at $34.96 for $9.98. We stick these in an organizer in the bathroom and when we need more of a product, I generally have it. I buy on sale rather than wait until I am out.
YEAH HURRAY…I love the wonder of coupon stacking and have I mentioned….I LOVE CVS!
Winn Dixie Savings…. January 2, 2009
I have tried to photograph my receipt but it is not going well… I wanted evidence for your viewing pleasure… but I guess you will need to just believe me….
On December 30, 2008, I took my final trip to Winn Dixie for the year. Winn Dixie tallies your savings on the bottom of your receipt. I suspect it is a reward’s card savings, tallied from when I got my card rather that an annual savings… I got my rewards card in May of 2007…. Since that time I have saved…..
$2,173.65
YEAH Hurray, I LOVE the Grocery Game!!
God’s Correction… growing pains…. December 31, 2008
I have walls…. emotional walls made to guard my heart. The last few days my coworker and I have been discussing these walls. She is a christian… I am thankful that God put her in my life…. she challenges me in my Christianity. But I would not be budge on my walls… I like them… I want them… I felt safe in my fortress.
But God…
God gets in those walls and once He’s in, I have no where to run… I am trapped in my own walls. My devotions tonight in David were in 2 Samuel 14:1-23. I honestly wasn’t getting the message in the text… but Beth asks two questions.
1. What have you seen alienation do in families, in churches, perhaps in some of your very own relationships?
2. What’s the secret of breaking these walls? What could tear down the ones that are present in your life?
I left them blank… I like the walls, I did not want to answer.
Beth went on to explain the text, to bring light… truth…. to what I could not see. The tragedy with Tamar left one son dead, one son missing and a father sick with grief. David was not the night in shining armor this time… he was the one with walls. Joab could not stand to see David do nothing, so he devised a plan to get David to summons Absalom. David did, but rather than welcome the prodigal back, he shunned him, not allowing Absolom to come before him.
Beth shares that sometimes we get second chances to make things right… this was the second chance for David, but he chose walls… Beth continues to say that sometimes chances don’t come back around…. I don’t know the end of this story but the text indicates that David will come around…. but by then Absolom will have allowed his heart to grow cold. The opportunity for reconciliation will be gone.
The prayer in today’s lesson says “Oh Lord, empower me to make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy, for without holiness no one will see You. Help me to see to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
I knew God was pointing to the one who I have build walls from. I should say that it is not my ex-husband. I know you may think I was pointing to him, but I have forgiven him… there are consequences we will endure due to the divorce, but he is not the one I have walled out… he walked away… it’s much different. This is someone else. God is telling me that I can not allow a bitter root to come between us.
I told the Lord, “I need safety…. I need to be free from hurt.” The Lord replied, “I will keep you safe… the walls you have built imprison you, they do not bring freedom.”
I said Lord, “I can’t be hurt” (am I the only one who argues with God). The Lord said that “she does not want to hurt you. ”
I said… “Lord being there hurts me”…. God said “push it away.”
Any of you that know me well will have heard me say that I am a stubborn sheep. I continued to push…. I said to God “Lord, why me…. why must I surrender so much.”
The Lord said to me… “you must surrender all, I can not use you in bondage, only in freedom.”
Did you see my mental groan… I opened the door for that right up, didn’t I…. though I continuing in my stubborn sheep mentality… I picked up my Christmas gift from my coworker… C ome Away my Beloved. by Frances Roberts.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
My child, do not expect the trials to be lighter than in the past. Why should you think the tests would be less severe? I test all things, and there are areas of your life that as yet I have not touched. Do not look for respite. The days ahead may call for greater endurance and more robust faith that you ever needed before. Welcome this, for you must surely know how precious are the lessons learned through such experiences. Even if you are unable to fully anticipate them with joy, you can certainly gain an appropriate appreciation of them in retrospect.
Apply your heart to learn wisdom. This goal transcends every other aim and any other good that comes out of pressure periods is an added blessing in excess.
Seek me above all else.
Ugh… I am not there dear friends… I see the lesson… I see the point… but I like the walls. Lord give me wisdom. More than anything I want to honor you with my life… help me God to walk in obedience. Help me to surrender my walls and my right to have walls… oh God… I can not do it alone. I am afraid of hurt, I can’t be hurt again, the wound is still tender… I must guard that tender skin. I hear God saying that He will guard the tender skin of my heart…. He says… do not become calloused instead.….
Jesus, Jesus , Jesus… not my will but Yours… help me God… this is much for me to absorb… help me God….
Protected: 2008 Christmas Letter.. text only December 19, 2008
Protected: 2008 Family Photo December 15, 2008
I LOVE CVS! My year end savings! December 11, 2008
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Out of curiosity, I used my Microsoft Money to determine how much I had spent at CVS during the exact same time frame….. $422.62… that’s a 60% savings during the year… I love bringing home over $1000 worth of products for about $400 …. did I mention, I love the grocery game!
An Alaskan Funny September 3, 2008
My dear friend from Alaska sent me this…. so true, so true…. how I l ong to return to my Alaskan home….
A man in Topeka , Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked east from there.
Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes.
He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign, which read, “Calls:$10,000 a minute.”
Seeking out the pastor, he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone was, in fact, a direct line to heaven, and if he paid the price, he could talk directly to GOD.
The man thanked the pastor and proceeded on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle , Dallas , St. Louis , Chicago , Minneapolis and other cities around the United States, he found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.
Finally, he left the lower 48 and arrived in Alaska . Upon entering a church in Anchorage he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read,
“Calls: 35 cents.”
Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor, “Reverend,” he said, ” I have been in cities all across the country, and in each church I have found this golden telephone, have been told it is a direct line to Heaven, and that I could talk to GOD. But in the other churches, the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why?”
The pastor, smiling benignly, replied, “Son, you’re in Alaska …… You’re in God’s Country. It’s a local call.”
An exciting discovery…. grocery game of course… July 4, 2008
Hello all,
It’s been a few months since I posted…. but I thought I would share this news. I was at Winn Dixie last night and the guy in front of me asked the cashier how much he had saved. It was under $1.00 but she told him, you’ve saved over $200 since the beginning of the year. I got excited…. I wanted to know how much I saved since the beginning of the year…..the cashier went to tell me and she says…OH WOW…. $1559.03 since the beginning of the year at Winn Dixie alone. YEAH HURRAY!! Of course I have probably spent close to that myself…..but still I am excited…..
Nothing else new to report. I gave my testimony in church last Sunday. I am working on writing it out to post on my Divorce blog. Don’t hold your breathe though,…..
Happy Independence Day!
God protected me…. May 4, 2008
Most of you who read my blog…. should it ever have new material…. know that I spent about 4 months job searching. During that time I had an interview at a local landscaper’s nursery. I wanted that job SO bad. Working outside, dressing in jeans, doing the office organizational work that I like. I was so bummed when I never got a call back.
Yesterday in my errand running, I drove by…..
They are gone….. closed as of April 28 and the property is for sale.
I shrieked….”oh my gosh….God protected me…He knew….”
My kids did not share in my excitement for an unanswered prayer to have it’s purpose revealeed. God knew they would close and I would have found myself unemployed again after only about 6 months of employment. PRAISE GOD for is provision and protection…even when we don’t understand His reasoning!
The New June Cleaver February 4, 2008
My friend shared this devotion with me. I will admit, it made me tear up a bit…. I never would have called myself “June Cleaver” but as I look at the life I have now and the life I used to have…. it is a likely comparison. My heart aches for the life I used to have. I try to warn people that I meet now, those who don’t know the “June Cleaver” version of me, telling them that I had a perfect little family, with a perfect little life, living a life of adventure and excitement, yet sin destroyed all of that and with it destroyed the dreams and hopes I had for my family. No one saw it coming, certainly not me. That is how Satan works, though, seeking whom he may devour: seeking to kill, steal and destroy.
I am struck my this comment in the reflection…
In your pain, will you seek God, strive for obedience and all that pleases Him?
That is my goal…. obey the Lord. It’s difficult and I can’t say I like what God is asking me to do…. still I choose to follow Him and try to honor Him with my life. God promised to me a long time ago that He would give me new dreams…. I am still waiting on Him. I keep asking God for the new dreams now, yet He waits, I believe waiting for my heart to heal and for me to choose obedience in the small things, before He gives me a glimpse of what He has is store.
Pray that I have the courage to keep following the Lord, no matter how hard it is.
February 4, 2008
The New June Cleaver
Lynn Campbell Tolbert
She Speaks Graduate
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”
Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)
Devotion:
I had always considered myself a modern day version of June Cleaver. Although I never wore an apron or had the perfect hairdo (I actually preferred my blue jeans and flip flops), it was the heart of June that I loved. She loved her family. She honored her husband. She mothered her children. She managed her household. Though her perfect life was a little unrealistic, she did inspire me.
I certainly don’t claim that I was the perfect wife, but never did I think that after twenty years of marriage, most of which I spent as a pastor’s wife, I would one day find myself divorced. Now I’m starting over while raising two teenagers. Well, there goes my June Cleaver dream!
What do you do, though, when the June Cleaver dream still lives deep within you, but your circumstances have dramatically changed? I remember sitting in church, opening the bulletin, and wondering where on earth I belonged in the activities. I thought the Lord’s plans for my life were to support my husband in ministry and for us to raise godly children. There was nothing screaming out in the bulletin: Divorced? We want you! I truly felt like that absence of acknowledgment of the growing divorced population meant we just don’t know what to do with you and don’t have a place for you. It was an incredibly lonely place to be.
I clung to today’s key verse from Jeremiah. I reminded myself of God’s promises: that the days ordained for me were written in His book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16) and that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). As I remembered God’s truth, I wondered how could I ever doubt that even in the midst of the most horrific pain in my life, He still has plans for ME … plans to prosper ME and not to harm ME, plans to give ME a hope and a future. This is a promise from my perfect Husband- God! He has been diligently planning our future together.
Are you in this place I’ve described? Are you wounded and hurting? Do you ask yourself and God, How could this have happened? Are you wondering, What now?
Grab onto to God’s promise and don’t let go. You are chosen by God. He is calling you into an intimate relationship with Him…the Perfect Husband! We may never know why such painful ordeals take root in our lives. However, we can be sure that it is possible for us to rest peacefully knowing that He does have great plans for our lives.
As people inquire about my future plans, I get so excited! I tell them that I am living proof that God’s Word is true! The work that He has done within me is amazing. He has transformed me! I still do many of the same things I did before. I still make chocolate chip cookies for my kids and their friends when they come over. There is still a little June Cleaver in me. God, however, has given me a new heart, a new spirit, a new mind, a new purpose and a new life. I wouldn’t wish what I have gone through on anyone. But because of the change in me and new purpose in my life, I am incredibly grateful for what God has done in me and hopefully will do through me.
God has a divine purpose for everything He allows into our lives!
Dear Lord, in the midst of our pain, help us find You. For those of us who are walking this difficult path grant us peace, joy and strength. Help us to find who we are in Christ. Help us to know You as our Perfect Husband. And as You comfort us, help us to comfort others with what we have received from You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Related Resources:
P31 She Speaks Conference
Blended Families by Maxine Marsolini
God’s Purpose for Every Woman, written by various P31 Speakers with
General Editors Lysa TerKeurst and Rachel Olsen
Application Steps:
Read His Word daily. But, don’t just read it, meditate on it, memorize it, claim it and apply it to your daily life. Strive for obedience in the little things and the most difficult commands.
Reflections:
In your pain, will you seek God, strive for obedience and all that pleases Him?
Power Verses:
Isaiah 54:5-6, “For you Maker is your husband – the Lord Almighty is His name – the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit – a wife who married young, only to be rejected,’ says your God.” (NIV)
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
https://www.Proverbs31.org
MVelopes January 26, 2008
I thought I should update you about MVelopes. I decided to cancel during the free trial. I am disappointed.
I really like the concept, but it is not working for me. Mostly the reason being is that you add the transactions after they clear the bank, or I should say, they download automatically as they clear your bank account. By that time the money is spent and not necessarily from the budgeted category.
I was keeping my account in Money as well, so I knew my balance. I didn’t feel that MVelopes was reflecting an accurate balance, as it tracks after the transactions clear the bank, not when the transaction is made. Some transactions take awhile to clear the bank and it “looked” like I had available money. I knew I didn’t, so it wasn’t an issue, however it could be confusing.
I would have preferred that it work more like the check register that I preplanned the spending and saw before the money was spent that it would overdraft the category spending. Not that I pre-plan all of my spending, but a good bit of it, I do. I think it has to do with my preference of record keeping more than a flaw in the system. It worked as it was designed to work, but I prefer the old system.
So for now I am working on updating my Money and keeping it up to date. It has a lot of features I don’t know how to use, so I will play with them.
As of today, I paid of my first debt. Amazing how easy that was! When you determine to focus on it and actually do it, it worked! So one down, three to go.
Have you checked your credit report recently??? January 18, 2008
In my efforts to be debt free and more aware of my credit sitution, I checked my credit report tonight. Did you know you are entitled to one free credit report each year from the three main credit reporting agencies?
Check out AnnualCreditReport.com
Last year when I realized that my ex-husband was not making positive choices concerning credit, I became very concerned about my own credit, since our credit history was connected. I immediately made requests to all three agencies and got all three credit report at the same time. This year I have opted to do it a bit differently. Tonight I requested just one of my credit reports. In my Palm Pilot, I inputted three annual tasks, to check each of the three credit reports annually over the course of the year. Basically the credit reports say about the same thing, so hopefully by viewing one every four months, I can be more aware of my credit situation and may be able to catch errors quicker. Of course if I ever had a credit issue, I would pay for the rest of the reports, but unless I have problems, I will just request one each quarter.
I was thrilled to see that my credit report is an accurate reflection of my current credit situation. Since I am aware of my debt accounts, I could easily see that everything was reflected accurately. I am beside myself with curiosity concerning my credit score, but too cheap to pay for it. I checked it last year and it was excellent, so I am going to assume it is still good this year…. though I am DYING to know!
One thing that I was unaware of is my total credit limit. It is much higher than I realized and is potentially a negative on my credit report, as I could easily carry a much higher debt load than I do. I have a Sam’s Card that is a line of credit, though I have never used it, it is considered as a part of my possible debt ratio. I will need to take some action to reduce that credit limit.
I am curious…. does anyone know if my credit report will reflect my divorce and the separation of our credit? I was careful to check that my current accounts are all individual accounts and all of our past accounts are closed. There is a Public Record section on the credit report, but at this point does not include anything.
If you haven’t checked your credit report recently…. log on to request a free one, it takes only minutes…..
2008 Goals January 5, 2008
This year my goal for the year is to pay off my debt. Divorce has been VERY expensive….. and I have quite a bit of debt to pay off. I have a plan and if I can stick to it, I can become debt free in 2008. I am not calling this a resolution, this is a goal, not something I am hoping to do, but something I am planning to do. Distinctly different!
I renewed my membership in Debt Free Living. I want to be bombarded with encouragement and tools that will help me to achieve my goals. I am also trying a new budget software. I’ve been looking at it for some time and decided to try it. I am not used to it, so for now, I will be keeping my checkbook in Money, as well in Mvelopes.
Mvelopes is different than Money in that Money is basically a check register that records how I have ALREADY spent my money. It does other things as well, but I use it mostly in this manner. Mvelopes is a budgeting website that allows me to budget my money BEFORE I spend it. It’s based on the old fashioned envelope method of putting cash into separate envelopes for separate purposes. This does the same thing, yet it’s electronic. The money also remains in a single account, but I designate separate spending categories for it.
I;m just getting started, so we will see how it goes…. I will try to keep you posted….
Grocery Game: Week of November 19 November 20, 2007
It’s been several weeks since I’ve been grocery shopping. I am trying hard to remain in my $400 a month budget. If I spend too much in any given week, I can not shop every week….. which has it’s positive aspects… a week night at home…. ALWAYS nice…
I actually spent my budget this week, but I am pleased to say that I remained under budget for this pay period…. I bought a lot of groceries for my holiday baking. For several years I have wanted to do all my holiday baking the day after Thanksgiving. This year I am prepared to do so. We’ll be making a lot of wonderful goodies, all day long, and freezing them for the month.
My totals were blown this week because I did my needs shopping at Walmart. I never do well at Walmart as they don’t have good sales, but they tend to be cheaper in general, so when I have a lot of needs shopping, I do it at Walmart. Anything I can buy in a list store, at a better price, I do, but these were the things I needed that were not on sale.
So here they are….. my totals for the week:
Value of Groceries Purchased: $349.67
Total Amount Saved: $150.75
Total Spent Out of Pocket: $198.92
Percent Saved: 43%
CVS Extra Care Buck’s Earned: None…. did not shop at CVS
My best purchase this week was Hand Sanitizer. Normally $2.99 for an 8 ounce bottle, on sale for $1.99. I had $1.50 off coupons, so I purchased 4 bottles for 49 cents each. Now that I work in a doctor’s office, I find I am using a lot more hand sanitizer, so a good purchase for me…. I have enough bottles to put all over the place!
I could have gotten some pain reliever for free this week, but they were out of stock and I did not bother to get a rain check…..
My friend was checking out at Winn Dixie and I shared my totals with her and her husband.. I proudly draped my receipt across my shoulder…. my victory sash.
I have saved the very best stats for last….. I started playing the Grocery Game in May. Here are my savings to date:
Value of Groceries Purchased: $4928.40
Total Amount Saved: $2370.44
Total Spent Out of Pocket: $2557.96
Percent Saved: 43%
This averages out to be $427.00 a month spent which is very close to my $400.00 a month budget. I am VERY pleased!
I love the Grocery Game!
Have you tried the Grocery Game yet???
A Day in the Life of a Single Mom continued…. November 11, 2007
I am so touched to have maintained such a faith group of readers…. now for the semi exciting continuation…… as I am again burning a bit of time. I attended Women of Faith this weekend. It is not necessarily restful, but it is refreshing, if that makes any sense! At this moment I am waiting my turn in the bathroom. It was an easier adjustment than I expected, having one bathroom, but at times I miss the four bathrooms we used to have.
Let’s see…. where did I leave off….. ahhh yes…. darling Teenager has just left for school at 6:15 to 6:20. I have been taking her to the bus stop lately. Her soccer schedule is intense and I try to allow her as much sleep as possible…. so if taking her to the bus allows her a bit more sleep, I take her to the bus.
After returning from the bus stop, I do my devotions. I had been reading in Acts, following the daily readings of my IWorship Bible. Currently my accountability partner has me reading about Joesph…. studying a man whose live was nothing that he had wished or dreamed of and seeing how God used him to preserve a nation and paralleling that to my own life…. I am trying to dig up some attitude from Joesph….but she’s not buying it…. I am still positive there was attitude…. Joesph is human after-all….. it was about 20 years in between the time he was sold into slavery and the time he began to serve Pharaoh, so he had time to work through his issues….. I’m still working on mine….
Anyway, after devotions, I wake the other two kids and finish getting ready…. make up, making lunch, feeding the animals. By 7:20 I must begin devotions with the Boy. I have him come sit and cuddle with me on the couch. After we are done, he goes and gets ready….. if my morning is going well, the Blond is ready for devotions by 7:30. At which time her brother goes to get ready. (have you noticed how we expertly share the bathroom through the morning hours.)
We read a few different devotional books, the Scripture passages the the messages are based on and have a short time of prayer. Our devotions are short and sweet, but I pray that God will honor the time I spend planting the Word in my children’s hearts….. as their memories are better than mine….. I know it is a fruitful time.
At 7:40 I walk the Blond to the bus stop. I enjoy walking her. We usually walk hand in hand, it’s a short walk, 1/2 mile at the most, but it is enjoyable. I go to her bus stop because the kids tend to play in the street… to which I hope to discourage. One day a week, I do have to drive her to the bus and drop her off (in the presence of the other faithful moms), as I have to take the Boy to Chess Club.
Depending on my job location for the day, I leave between 8 and 8:15 for work. On my later days, the Boy and I leave at the same time, but on my earlier days, he leaves shortly after me. We have an alarm in the living room that rings and reminds him to get out the door. So far he has done just fine making it to school….. I am very pleased with him.
In a nutshell that is our morning. Rest assured that it is full of “get out of bed right this minute” warnings…. spraying water bottles, and the pulling off of covers. I have considered freezing marbles as well…. as they roll towards the person who refuses to get up. I try to check email before work as well if I have a few minutes…. it depends on the morning….. it’s not always like clockwork, but out of necessity it generally is….
Well the bathroom is free again… and it is late yet again….. I need to get to bed…. morning comes early……
A Day in the Life of a Single Mom… November 9, 2007
Well I must begin posting in my blog again, or I fear I will loose all hope of regaining my faithful readers….. I am sitting here burning time at the moment…. as it is 10:56 pm and I am still up… let’s start at the beginning.
My day begins early…. the first alarm rings at 4:45 AM… yes, 4:45 AM does indeed come around TWICE a day….. much to my dismay. My first alarm is simply my warning bell…. hurry up and grab the last of those Z’s, morning is coming…..
At 5:00 the next alarm rings…. I don’t like it any more than my warning bell…. most days I get up at 5:00…but today I reset it for 5:15 and grabbed just 15 minutes more before I had to drag myself out of bed.
After letting the dog out, I head in to my most dangerous task of the morning…. navigating the girl’s bedroom, to switch the bedroom light on and wake the Teenager….. it is a periolous journey at times…. who knows what might be lurking in the dark waiting to trip me, or stick me…. yet a journey that I take every day.
Once the teenager is roused, I head to the shower…. I tried doing devotions at 5 am and found that I could not stay awake…. so instead I drag myself in under the hot water and try to wake up.
After my shower, I head back to the Teenagers room, as she is generally still in bed…. waiting on her second bell…. me…. though it does not make for pleasant mornings…. at least I give myself two bells that still allow me to get up on time. I try to give her a break, as her schedule is as bad as mine.
By 6:05 AM we begin devotions so that she can get out to the school bus by 6:20 AM. thankfully it’s light most mornings since the time changed…. as she used to walk to the bus in the dark….
I know that you are rivieted by my tale of single motherhood…. but I must take a break and head out to get my darling teenager. It is now 11:04 PM and she has just called to tell me that she should be back to school in about 25 minutes….. the joys of having a child on a the JV soccer team…. I try not to complain, as I convinced her to play… she loves the game, and I hope that someday she will earn a scholarship…. though I often wonder to myself….WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING….. believe it or not, game nights are easier for me than practice nights…. but alas, that will need to wait for another post…. as I must head out to get my darling teenager.
Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion…. or at least semi exciting continuation of a day in the life of a single mom…… I leave tomorrow for an overnight ladies retreat…. a much needed respite….. stay tuned…..
Protected: My new job October 28, 2007
Grocery Game: Week??? September 12, 2007
I know, I know, I know…. I have been silent as of late…. not much to say….. I “tried” not to grocery shop during the month of August, but still did…. I didn’t follow the list as well, as I did a lot of needs shopping and lived off the stockpile. It worked great, but I did deplete my freezer, so I am starting over again.
Value of Groceries Purchased: $422.82
Total Amount Saved: $195.49
Total Spent Out of Pocket: $227.41
Percent Saved: 46%!!
I was over my $200 budget…. but getting better.
I’ll be offline about 6 weeks…. so this is just a teaser post…. I’ll try to keep track of my savings…..
Quote to remember August 14, 2007
My cousins just completed a bicycle journey from coast to coast. In my cousin’s final thoughts, he shared a quote that I want to remember…..
“Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt.
It reminds me of the verse the Lord has given me for this time of my life….and the place I am in my life’s journey…. I’m not there yet… to say I would have risked it all again….. though I have enjoyed the places I’ve lived and the things we experienced…. I am not in a place where I yet can say…. if I had known the end, I still would have gone along for the ride.
The thought of my suffering is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is His faithfullness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance, therefore I will hope in Him.” Lamentations 3: 19-24
I keep getting messages that people miss my blogging…. I haven’t had much to say as of late….
For your viewing pleasure….. July 16, 2007
Another try at microscopic photography.
Take your best guess…..
It isn’t as easy this time….
I’ll post the results tomorrow!
Ahhhhh July 14, 2007
Sarah was laying in front of my chair and I noticed Aphun was laying with her, sound asleep. Then I looked down again and Oreo had come over to cuddle too. He was licking her.
Sarah had been laying down, but she looked up when i got up to get the camera…. I told her to stay so i could get a snapshot. I catch them like this regularly, but I hadn’t been able to catch it on film.
I forgot the flash on this photo, but it was my favorite because Aphun is looking at the camera.
After I took the pictures, I told Sarah she could get up…. Aphun could hardly open her eyes…
The Grocery Game: Week 8 July 9, 2007
Well today I didn’t do much shopping, as I spent a lot last week and had a much tighter budget this week…. but it turned out there was little on the list I needed… though I would have bought a few more things had my budget been bigger.
Value of Groceries Purchased: $90.32
Total Amount Saved: $61.09
Total Spent Out of Pocket: $29.23
Percent Saved: 68%!!
CVS Extra Care Buck’s Earned: $19.86
This was my best week percentage wise…but I didn’t buy much….
My best store this week was Winn Dixie. 71% saved. They had an awesome B1G1 Free deal that I combined with a great coupon. I spent $5.86 out of pocket and saved $14.21.
CVS is worth mentioning this week too. I saved 70% in that store. I spent $14.51 and saved $34.39. The best part is I earned $19.86 in Extra Care Bucks. ECB’s are a promotion that CVS does, it’s like earning money to use in the store… basically a store coupon but they are good on anything. Now I can go back to CVS and roll the ECB’s by buying products that I use to earn more.
The goal is to keep rolling them so the only thing I actually give CVS is the ECBs. I’d pay tax, of course, but the goal is not to spend any money beyond the tax. I need to practice more…. since I still spent $14.51. Actually $19.29 that I saved in the figure above was ECBs. The rest was regular sales and coupons. This week I am adding a new earnings section: ECB’s earned.
Next month I hope to keep my spending REALLY low, while I prepare to send the kids to school…. school clothes and supplies. Everyone needs a lot of clothes…. they all need jeans, shoes, etc….
Beautiful…. July 7, 2007
My friend shared this song with me as encouragement…. I thought it was beautiful….
The Story Behind the Names July 5, 2007
My kids came home tonight! YEAH! I am so glad to have my house buzzing again with the sounds of family! Silence is NOT golden…. (remind me later that I said that). I had ladies prayer meeting tonight so I arrived just a few minutes before my kids. I purposely left the kittens in their kennel so that they would meow.
The kids came in and were looking at their mail. The kittens meowed several times before they finally heard them. The Teenager noticed them first. The other two were very absorbed in their mail…..
They were very excited with our new babies who I have been calling Brother Kitty and Sister Kitty after the Berenstain Bears. We were having a hard time coming up with names…. we had a few but they weren’t right. I was in no rush to name them… worse comes to worse they would be Brother Kitty and Sister Kitty. We decided to think of pairs that had fun names…… then it hit me….
Aphun and Oreo
Elaine, Melanie and Beth will probably appreciate this… but for the rest of you…. I must tell you a story.
Once upon a time there was an orphan polar bear cub named Aphun…. which I am pretty sure means “Snow” in the Athabaskan language. Aphun came to live at the Alaska Zoo. Aphun’s days were full of play and fun with her trainers, but sadly Aphun had no bear cub friends.
Then soon after Aphun arrived at the Alaska Zoo another orphan bear cub came to live in the Alaska Zoo too. She was a tiny little cub, much smaller than Aphun…. she was a Brown bear cub. A little girl visiting the Alaska Zoo said that the tiny little grizzly cub looked like an Oreo cookie…. and the name stuck!
Now the trainers at the Alaska Zoo had a fun idea…. what if we let Aphun and Oreo play together?
And so they did….
After taking time to acquaint the bears through bars…. the day came when Aphun and Oreo…. a polar bear and a grizzly bear, came to be friends in the Alaska Zoo. Now Aphun and Oreo’s days were full of fun and excitement….. for several years Aphun and Oreo lived together happily in the Alaska Zoo.
Sadly as they matured Oreo became more and more aggressive towards Aphun and the bears had to be separated…but for a time they shared a beautiful friendship….. only possible at the Alaska Zoo….
We visited Aphun (‘Ap’ – as in apple and ‘hun’ = as in hoon) and Oreo when they were cubs, though I can’t find any of my pictures. here’s one I found on the web.
However I did find some -photos of them in their new exhibit…. they had just moved into this when we visited.
Aphun
Oreo… grizzlys do not normally swim like this…
Aphun and Oreo
So there it is…… the story behind the names of our little wild cats…. Aphun and Oreo
I’m sure there are many days of fun and adventure ahead for us too!
PS…. I put in my tape to watch the story of the real Aphun and Oreo and my tape player promptly ate the tape…. now I must buy a new one, as I need the tape to share the story of how my babies got their names….
They have a short synopsis about Aphun and Oreo and how they became orphans at the Alaska Zoo website.
My new babies…. July 3, 2007
I promised my kids we would get kittens when we got settled…. since we arrived in March…. I’ve been putting it off, as everyone knows free kittens are not free…. Today was the day…. I went to the our vet’s office to see what he had.
There were about 7 kittens in his office. It was hard to pick. I spent about an hour playing with kittens. Looking for playful, loving, lively kittens that didn’t appear to have any illness. A couple of the kittens had yucky eyes, so they were out. A couple didn’t like being rolled on their backs…. so they were out…. one was tiny and a bit nappy looking….she was out. That left two.
The first one was easy to pick. When I first walked in this kitten ran right up to me and climbed up the front of the cage ready to play. She didn’t mind being rolled on her back and purred and purred. She was white and a siamese mix…. not my favorite breed or color for that matter, but much too friendly to pass up.
The other one is her brother. A gray kitty, also playful and loving…. but a boy. I really didn’t want a boy. However I decided to forgive him for being born male and he came home with me too….
Ta da…. here they are….
They were not cooperative about being photographed…. though I learned a trick…..
Laser light toys!
They are not afraid of my dog at all…. which is great. My border collie finally has a job. She gets upset because the baby kitties go too many directions.
Here’s the male….
The female has not been copperative enought to get a good picture. I’ll work on it….
I am going to let my kids name them…. you are welcome to submit suggestions…. though I will be leaving it up to them…. I am already going to be in trouble for getting kittens while they were away….. though it was easier to choose….. only one opinion…versus 4!
The Grocery Game: Week 7
I had so much fun shopping today. The last few weeks I have gone by myself, so I go a little slower…… I was nervous that the stores would be busy today, being the day prior to a holiday, but only the last store was bustling… I guess I got in before the crowds.
I spent a lot this week, but my stockpile got a real boost. My little blond will be thrilled…. I have been promising her popsicles if they came on sale….. they did this week…. Buy 1 Get 1 Free and I had 55 cents coupons, so they were $1.24 a box for 24 popsicles (5 cents a popsicle)…. I bought 6 boxes…. she’ll be ecstatic ( I won’t mention to her that they are sugar free)! My teenager will also be thrilled…. she has been waiting on tuna fish to hit the list.
Value of Groceries Purchased: $635.53
Total Amount Saved: $316.93
Total Spent Out of Pocket: $318.60
Percent Saved: 50%
My best store this week was Winn Dixie with 57% savings in that store… $124.09 to be exact. My smokin deal was actually a raincheck…. I am so glad I got one. A few weeks ago they had Hormel Cured Hams on sale Buy 1 Get 1 Free for $2.99 a pound. It was a double bargain…as B1G1 would be a good deal in itself.
When I got my hams today they were $5.99 a pound. All four hams were in the $18 range. With my raincheck, I paid $24.52 for 4 fully cooked, cured hams that each weigh about 3+ lbs. I saved $49.64 on the hams alone. I plan to use them as lunch meat as well as dinner.
I also bought meat from my list… all rock bottom in price and I bought the packages that are marked down $1 by the meat manager…. so I saved an additional $7 on my meat over my sale prices. YEAH HURRAY! I LOVE THIS GAME!
My grocery spending has not dropped much yet, but my pantry overfloweth…. my cumulative percentage saved is 47%. I am beginning to dread the cherry picking stage…. I will have to pass up all these good deals…. bummer!
Has anyone else tried the Game yet?
The Grocery Game: Week 6 Updated June 26, 2007
Well I am home from my shopping trip…. I was $5.25 over budget. Two thing that did that…. dog food and since something else I had planned to buy was out of stock, I decided to get the cereal that I wanted and that helped push me over. Still I am pleased and am not stressing about being over budget…..
Here are the totals from todays shopping trip. Walgreens, Publix and Winn Dixie
Value of Groceries Purchased: $148.53
Total Amount Saved: $83.28
Total Spent Out of Pocket: $65.25
Percent Saved: 56%
Publix was my best savings store this week with 59% savings.
So my grand totals for the week including my Albertson’s trip are:
Value of Groceries Purchased: $246.11
Total Amount Saved: $137.18
Total Spent Out of Pocket: $108.93
Percent Saved: 56%
My best week yet! Hurray… I love this game…. I even look forward to grocery shopping!
The Grocery Game: Week 6 June 25, 2007
I can hardly wait…. tomorrow is my Grocery Game shopping day….. I have a pretty strict budget…. I need to keep my spending around $50 to $60 tomorrow. That does not count my shopping trip today, which is outside of that budget. I have carefully selected the items I will get tomorrow and I am quite sure I can stick to my budget without any trouble.
I went to a non-list store today….. gasp….. Albertson’s had a few items I wanted.
Uncooked White shrimp $3.99 lb. They were sold in 2 lb packages…normally selling for $19.99 a package…. on sale for $7.98. I bought 4 packages. I plan on getting 7-8 meals out of these 4 packages.
Gatorade 32 oz bottles…. normally $1.59 each, on sale 10 for $10…. I bought 10
I also bought a package of gum…. not on sale… gasp….gasp….
I can share the details of my shopping, as it is a non-list store….
So my totals for Alberton’s trip today are……..
Value of Groceries Purchased: $97.58
Total Amount Saved: $53.90
Total Spent Out of Pocket: $43.68
Percent Saved: 55%
I’ll update you tomorrow on the rest of my savings…. and to let you know if I met my goal!
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