free stuff!

As I wrote in my last post, one of my "go to" websites is Southern Savers.  Mostly because it is a "one-stop" place on the internet to compile my shopping list for the week and it helps me immensely to stay within our grocery budget.  I follow this blog and a few others that have writers that are really doing the behind the scenes hard work to help me find some great deals each week.  I really appreciate that!

One thing I have found by following these "frugal savvy" blogs is that there are lots of free items available - just waiting for someone to grab them.  Because of this, it has become quite a treat to go to my mailbox each day.  Just by simply filling out a few random forms each week that these frugal blog writers round up, I now receive at least 3 coupons or free items in the mail each week.  I love that the free items I get are now starting to put a dent in the bills and junk mail I receive! (And no, I have not noticed any more junk mail because of these freebies I have received).

I have received samples of haircare items, coffee, sweeteners, granola bars, crackers, body wash, and diapers, just to name a few.  I have also received lots of coupons for free stuff.  That's the kind of mail I enjoy getting!  Just the other week, I opened my mailbox and was surprised to find these items:

Pretty impressive mail items!  And these were free! Here's what was inside: 

3 Pampers diapers of a new style and a few packets of Crystal Light.  Also, there were about $11 worth of coupons in these packages!  I was quite surprised.  And did I say that they were free!!

I say all this just to let you know (if you don't already) that there is free stuff just waiting to be claimed!  These items above are both from Vocal Point where you can join to be "in the know" about free stuff and other offers.  Other blogs I like to check out for free items and good deals are:

Coupon Mommie

Saving & Giving

Tips From a Mom of 3

So, go grab yourself some free stuff.  If you get it and you don't need it - give it away.  You can make someone else's day!

i heart cvs!

I haven't told many people, but I have definitely become the "Zippered-Folder-with-a-Ton-of-Coupons-Grocery-Shopping-Lady."  Yikes!  It's not that I'm ashamed of what I've become, I have just not quite mastered or figured out how to handle my new self.  There are days that I do revert and go back to my "No Menu Plan, No Shopping List" persona, but I honestly don't like her very much.  Then there are days that I become "No Menu Plan with a Shopping List" Woman and I think I get even more frustrated with her!

All that to say - I love coupons and the amount of money I can save, but the hassle is sometimes more that I am up to handling in a week!  When I do stay on top of couponing (cutting, filing, using), then I feel quite at peace with my new self.

One place that makes me completely fall in love again with my zippered folder is CVS.  I leave there feeling as if I am making money and that is just a good feeling!  I've tried to hang in there with Walgreens and Rite-Aid, but I just can't deal with them any longer.  CVS is where my heart is.

For example ...I have done so well there lately with coupons, ECB's (Extra Care Bucks) and sale prices, it's just incredible.  One week I got Justin 4 deodorants for free.  Then I got him 4 body washes for free.  Then a free razor.  This boy is seriously clean, good smelling, and smooth!  I have also made some pretty good getaways with cheap diapers on my CVS trips, which is a HUGE deal for a Mama who HATES to buy disposable diapers!  I don't feel like digging out past receipts to prove this or tallying up my savings over the last months, but just TRUST ME...you can do really well shopping at CVS.

We are stocked on deodorant, shampoo, body wash and razors for quite a while, so I can now put my energy into purchasing other things or things for other people.  If I am walking into CVS and there is a sale that will allow me to use a coupon and get back ECB's in order to get an item for free, then I will still buy it, even if we don't need it.  BECAUSE I have a bag filling up nicely to take to the local women's shelter - of stuff I got for free!  It feels really good to have an ever-growing stash of stuff that I may not use, but may bless another person.

Just when I thought I couldn't love CVS any more...I got sick.  You see, CVS sent me 2 coupons for a $25 gift card when I bring a new or transferred prescription to them.  Well, I usually NEVER have a prescription to fill, but just in case, I filed them away in my *Zippered Folder*.  And...I thought about them on my way to the doctor Saturday morning.  And... for the price of being sick and then having to fill 2 prescriptions at CVS, I walked away with $50 in gift cards Saturday afternoon.  It made me feel better already.

THAT is why I love CVS and feel as if I am making money when I shop with them.  I hope you can experience this someday too!  The reason I feel this way about CVS and couponing in general is mostly due to my ongoing relationship with southernsavers.com.  You can be kept up-to-date with the best online deals and the weekly sales at most of the grocery stores and drug stores around.  I don't have to look at a store ad, website, or even write down my own shopping list.  I do it all from this website, which also tells me the available coupons to make store deals even sweeter.  You can learn how to shop for name brand items and get them for next to nothing or free!  I don't think I'll ever go back to shopping my "old way" again.

I'm in love!

worship or waste?

[Hello again blogging world!]

Justin just got back from a mission trip to Ecuador.  I was so excited that he was able to go!  He and his team worked with pastors and their wives and children who gathered in a small village for a pastor's conference.  Many of them walked for days just to attend!  Justin helped lead the music, play with children, and even spoke to the pastors for a little while.  I'm so proud of him and really wish I could have been there.  We didn't get to communicate much while he was there, but in one e-mail he wrote that he wished I could be there with him, but he definitely didn't wish Elijah were there because it was just so dirty.  It's amazing the conditions others live in daily.

There were lots of new things Justin discovered on this trip.  In fact, he didn't know much of what to expect, but he did know beforehand that he would be eating a rare delicacy prepared by the villagers - the "food of the gods" - guinea pig!  Yes, I can't even believe it.  My husband has eaten a guinea pig.  (I have been sick basically the entire time since he's been home so we've hardly kissed. -boo-  But I think that's been good because surely the guinea pig aftertaste is completely out of his mouth by now! Ugh!)  

*Another side note if you want an idea of the dish he had - just Google "fried guinea pig."*

As amazing as it is that Justin has eaten guinea pig, the generosity of the people who prepared and served the guinea pig is even more amazing to me.  Before going, Justin learned that a meal of guinea pig costs about $10 for the people to serve.  These are people who (for those who actually make money) make about $40 a month!  Imagine that - taking a 1/4 of your monthly income and blessing a stranger with a meal that you don't even splurge on for your own family.  Think about that right now.  What would a 1/4 of your monthly income be and would you even fathom preparing a meal that costs that much?  We experienced this generosity on mission trips we took to Mexico as well - the giving out of their limited funds to welcome those whom they have never met.  What a picture of hospitality and service!

I'm reminded of an account of such generosity in the story of Mary as she pours out a great offering on Jesus.  In Matthew 26 we read the following:

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor." But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."

As I think about the people who served Justin and his team last week, I am just amazed at their generosity.  But I admit, much like the disciples, I find myself questioning the gift. Why did they spend this money on food that may or may not even be enjoyed by people they don't even know?  In order not to see this treatment as an incredible waste, I have to view the meal as Jesus viewed Mary's gift - as an amazing act of worship.    She knew her Master as Provider, and chose to lavish upon Him, her Savior, ultimately knowing His promises to care for her.  These villagers who prepared such a sacrificial meal for Justin's team truly worshiped, showing their reliance on an unchanging Savior instead of reliance on their measly income.  

I am challenged to seek greater ways to worship my Savior through extravagant service.  I think that acts of service that are ultimately gifts of worship to our great God show the world that we serve a worthy Savior.

so busy I just have to laugh!

I am completely overwhelmed lately, but I just don't even have time to stress about it!  I feel like my life has been a whirlwind of stuff lately.  Basically, everything I am remotely involved in is crashing into each other right now!  I'm sure there are lots of you who feel this way and have tons going on as well.  So, since I really don't have anything to blog about because I can't seem to have 2 seconds to think for myself lately, I'm just going to share with you my schedule just for Sunday (my day of "rest") so that you can laugh along with me, but also pray for me as it quickly approaches!

7:45 am      Elijah wakes up
8:00 am      Leave for church...seriously, Erin, you HAVE to be in the car on the road at this time!
8:30 am      Playing piano for early service
9:45 am      Justin and I start teaching a new Sunday School class for young adults!
11:00 am    Playing piano for late service
12:15ish     Go pick up a cranky child from the nursery who has been surrounded by adults and kids for 4 hours!
12:30 pm     Freak out because I meant to fix lunch/put it in the crockpot but didn't have time this morning to get it done.
12:31 pm    Call Justin to pick up some food on the way home
1:00 pm      Put Elijah down for a nap, want to take a nap myself but there is still a lot of day ahead of me
 ~ here's the point where I'll be preparing stuff for a piano recital reception that I have not planned for yet!~
2:00 pm      Head to the church with Justin to set up for my piano recital (and pay no attention to the point that Elijah is "technically" sleeping at the house being watched by our dog because I haven't planned for someone to watch him sleep yet)
3:00 pm      Piano recital starts and I'm praying that my piano students survive.  (there are a few I'm worried about!)
3:15 pm      Justin heads out of town for a meeting for his upcoming Mission Trip
3:30ish        Piano recital is over and hopefully the food has magically appeared in a room for all to enjoy
4:00 pm      Back at home, Elijah is waking up, ready for me to keep him entertained for the rest of the evening!
8:00 pm      Elijah goes to bed
9:00 pm      Erin needs to go to bed....do it, Erin...go to bed now!

I guess the "day of rest" in the life of a music minister and his wife just needs to be another day than Sunda!

Whew...at least next week looks pretty good.  No piano lessons this month and I'll have a week until VBS starts.  Oh goodness.  Thanks for letting me put this into the blogosphere...now to celebrate my Dad's 70th birthday and my anniversary!  At least I wrote this all down so I can forget it and just come look here when I need to know what I need to do!

"Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions
fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23

women's ministry

My mind has been a whirlwind lately of thoughts about Women's Ministry.  So much so that I am wishing I had a degree in Women's Ministry from SEBTS and not just Biblical Counseling!  I'm having to remind myself that God is in control and knows exactly how to reach the women in and outside of our church.  We collected almost 50 surveys from women on Sunday and I spent almost all of Sunday evening collecting data and making charts of what the women in our church want.  (Remember my comments about organization yesterday...yeah).

Bottom line, I know that women are busy.  Whether they work at home or outside of the home. Whether they have young kids or grown kids.  We women seem to have trouble saying "no" I have realized, and that can almost leave no time for "extra" stuff.  Unfortunately, church can sometimes get put in that "extra" category.  I know I'm a little bit different because as a minister's wife, I sometimes feel that church is our only category!  (And I'm ok with that!)  I guess because church can sometimes feel like it is my "only category" I am so eager to spend time with women at church, but I realize that not everyone else is that flexible.

Why am I writing about this?  Well, I need your help!  I have heard from the women in our church.  Now I want to hear from you!  What elements of women's ministry at your church are most relevant to you?  What Bible studies have you most enjoyed?  What is the most important element of a women's ministry?  What aspect of an event, study, or program makes you look at your busy schedule and decide it is worth your time?  What element would you love for your church to include in a women's ministry?

I know what I think - and it would take a ton of posts to fill you in on what's going on in my head write now about Women's ministry ideas.  So I would love to know what you think!  If you can, please take a moment to share your ideas.  Thanks!