Cleaning

I wish these people were at my house right now! That would be fantastic. Alas, they're not. It's just the boys and me.
So today I'm cleaning. Well actually, right now I'm taking a break. I tend to do that a lot when I clean. I take lots of breaks and gear myself up to go back to the mess. I really wish I enjoyed cleaning. You know, actually, I don't mind the cleaning part, it's the organizing and putting things away that I dislike. I just lack that organization gene. It is absolutely not there for me, not with my home, anyway. If I teach school, everything is in its place. Very organized. My coupon notebook, the same way. But for some reason, I struggle with that at home. We just have SO much stuff...junk, if you will. Some days I just wish I could throw EVERYTHING away. What to keep? What to toss? For some of you, it's a no brainer. For me, it's so tough. Too, I struggle with staying on one task. I often start one thing, like say, putting away the dishes in the dishwasher. Halfway through, I'll go work on laundry, halfway through that, I'll decide to clean the shower. I do that ALL day. Stuff gets done, but I don't take things one task at a time. Is that weird? Does anyone else do that?

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men... Colossians 3:23

That verse was just a little reminder for myself. My little pep talk. Now I'm heading back to the shower to scrub, scrub, scrub! Well anyway, that's a little insight into my Saturday. Hopefully yours is much more exciting!

HILARIOUS!

I don't know if you have had the pleasure of reading (and laughing at) one the greatest blogs ever, STUFF CHRISTIANS LIKE, but I read it often and LOVE it! Due to time constraints, I'm not able to read it every day, so the post I'm about to link you to is a few days old. I got caught up tonight. Anyway, this post is HILARIOUS. Check it out:

Remix #34 Subtly Finding Out if You Drink Beer Too

I laughed through the whole post.

On a slightly serious note, this is one of those hot button issues. There are those who vehemently believe that drinking is wrong, and that those who do are committing a sin by doing so. I, however, don't personally feel that way. I have, at times, been on each side. I had my years where I argued that there was nothing wrong with drinking alcohol. I mean, after all, Jesus' first miracle was to turn water into wine (John 2). Then I had Tristan, quit drinking, and got kind of hoity toity and thought that I was above those who drank alcohol. I mean, don't those people realize what kind of example they're setting? Now, I'm in a place where I believe that being drunk is wrong, as multiple verses from the Bible tell us; however, I don't believe that it is wrong to drink. I believe that if a person struggles with it, they should not drink. I, personally, stopped drinking because I had often kept going when I should have stopped. I crossed the line, even if it was only slightly.

A couple of months ago, I read Romans 14 with fresh eyes. I was reading about how we need to accept those who have weak faith without passing judgment on them. Romans 12:2-3 says, "One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him." Then I went on to read in v.14-17, "As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit..."

You see, for years, I have read and heard this passage taught as something totally different than what I read that day. I had always heard (and had even used) that this verse meant that if you drink, even if it's very little, you are a stumbling block to others who may already drink too much. They see you drink, and they think it's ok. They drink more. Thus, the stumbling block. I'm not saying that may not happen, not at all. I believe sometimes it does. But what God showed me that day, as I read these verses with fresh eyes, was that if someone I know thinks that drinking is wrong and sinful, and if I drink in their presence, I am a stumbling block to them. They will regard what I am doing as evil and will be distracted from what God wants our focus to be on, "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit". BINGO! And this doesn't just apply to alcohol. It applies to everything, anything that may cause your Christian brother to stumble and take his attention away from Christ and onto whatever it is that you are doing. For some it's eating pork, for others it's getting tattooed. Anyway...

Have you done this? Have you tried to scope out if new people you meet drink or not (read the post from SCL first)? You may even be afraid to admit it. Whether or not you drink, I'm sure you've been through this, on one side of the fence or the other. As a person who used to drink regularly (not get drunk regularly, but drink regularly {although, before I got saved, I did get drunk regularly~college~oy!}), I remember constantly wondering if certain friends did or didn't drink. I guess we all probably wonder from time to time. Anyway, I thought the SCL post was really really funny. I hope you enjoy(ed) it!

My Blessings

Who knew it was possible to love someone so much?
How do you explain the love a parent has for their child or children? I really am at a loss for words when it comes to this. One thing I do know is that I have learned so much about God through my boys. God has shown me, via my boys, that no matter what I do, He will always love me. Through their lives, He has shown me that no matter how angry they get at me, my love for them doesn't waver one bit, as is true of my Lord. He has shown me that despite my feelings about myself and my shortcomings, He doesn't see them. He thinks I'm just right. Through my boys, my God has shown me that He wants me to succeed and only wants the best for me. My boys lives have also shown me that it is my job (and Channing's) to lead them on the right path. And when they stray from that path, I must discipline them so that they will be kept safe. EXACTLY what God does with me. Thank you, God, for my precious boys and for the lessons you are teaching me through them. I pray that I will make you proud as I raise them to love and to fear You.
May this be the only motorcycle my boys ever ride!
LOVE THESE BOYS!!!
Look at that smile.

Doing Much Better

Thank you SO much to all of you who have been praying for Channing and me. We are doing SO much better today. Praise God! Channing has gone in to work, and I'm still at home trying to rest up. I still feel light headed and dizzy when I stand up, but that may be because I haven't eaten anything in a while. I am going to test chicken broth at lunch. Yum, right? So, I'm not 100% just yet, but I am WAY better than yesterday. Food poisoning is no joke, ya'll!

I am so thankful that Channing is better. I hate to see him feeling bad. I am proud to be his wife, though. Despite his feeling awful yesterday, he still worked through it and took care of things that needed to be done. I know it wasn't easy.

Today is a new day, and we are on our way to a full recovery. I truly believe we are better because of prayer. I read online that food poisoning can last a week, but thanks to prayer, we are MUCH better! Thank you for your prayers. God is so good!!!

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. James 5:14

I am a believer in this verse!

When Doing a Detox...

...Don't cheat! You are only cheating yourself, I promise! As some of you may already know from reading my post last week, Channing and I are doing a 21 day detox and cleanse. Let me give you a little update:

I did two days of the detox, with the supplements and diet, and had to stop taking the supplements because they were affecting Asher's little body too (yes, I'm still nursing. It's only once, maybe twice a day. We're working our way to 18 months, our stopping point). Not only was my body being cleaned out, but his was too. For some reason, I don't think that's good for a one year old. Standard Process doesn't think so either. ;)

I had to stop with the supplements, but I have kept with the diet. As of the weekend, I had lost three pounds. Pretty good. I was pleased. I did cheat on Saturday night because some friends and I attended a going away dinner for a friend, and Mexican doesn't quite fit the detox diet. Oh well. I felt ok with it because it was one day. Then yesterday happened...

Channing's mom was in town and took us out to eat at a super yummy restaurant. I did well. I ordered my healthy detox-style dish. Then, she got dessert. One bite couldn't hurt, right? I'm sure it wouldn't, but I took like five! AAAAGH! What got into me?! Next up, Channing and I decided to go to a movie (with his mother's urging. She's so great!). As soon as we walked in, we smelled the popcorn. I mean, who goes to the movie and doesn't get popcorn?!

So Channing starts smelling it and talking about how good it would taste, but that we are on the detox and can't have any. I couldn't leave it at that, though. Nooooo...I pulled, what I realized this morning was, an "Eve". I, like Eve with the apple in the book of Genesis, urged Channing to get some popcorn. I mean, how bad could one night of cheating be? We'll be all detoxed out. We still have more than a week and a half. After some strong urging, he conceded. We got the popcorn and a drink.

This morning, I woke up feeling AWFUL! I am so serious! I feel nauseated and my stomach feels queasy. That's when it hit me, what I had done. I had convinced my husband, who NEVER cheats on these things, to cheat and eat something (that didn't even taste good, mind you) unhealthy, and that did not fit the recommended diet. Just call me Eve! Eve convinced Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, and we all know how that turned out. Channing also feels a little yucky. I feel terrible! Physically, I feel awful, and mentally, I feel bad too. What was I thinking?!

This experience has taught me several lessons. One lesson it's taught me is that some of the foods I had previously enjoyed so much are SO awful for me. It took eating super healthy for a week and a half to show me the effects of eating junk, even if it's just one meal! Think of how our bodies adapt to these junk foods and stop giving us warning signals that these things are bad. I mean, normally when I eat popcorn and have a soft drink, I don't notice anything. After eating healthy for a week and a half, though, I really noticed the effects of the unhealthy foods last night.

Another lesson it has taught me is the power of my influence with my husband. The Bible teaches of women's influence with men. This situation has reminded me that I need to make sure my influence with Channing is godly and has his best interests at heart. In last night's case, it was total selfishness. I was more concerned with my fleshly desires than in what was best for his health and my own. I was tempted and fell, and I brought Channing with me.

In Joyce Meyer's book, Battlefield of the Mind, she says, "The Holy Spirit is quick to remind you if your mind is beginning to take you in a wrong direction, then the decision becomes yours. Will you flow in the mind of the flesh or in the mind of the Spirit? One leads to death, the other life. The choice is yours." WOW! How true?! Last night, I knew I was making a poor decision, but I was flowing in the mind of the flesh. Man!

Today is a new day, though. Thank God that for His mercies and that He is always teaching me! I don't like feeling sick, but I am so thankful that my Lord cares enough to teach me and to lead me in holiness! What a powerful lesson!

Now the mind of the flesh {which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit} is death {death that compromises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter}. But the mind of the {Holy} Spirit is life and {soul} peace {both now and forever}. Romans 8:6

So, if you ever do a detox, DON'T CHEAT! Can I just say, I'm living and breathing proof that it's not worth it.

UPDATE: It appears that Channing and I have food poisoning. Based on what I've read about the symptoms we are having (and some of the food we ate last night), I'm 99% sure that's what we have. PLEASE PRAY FOR US! It's really hard when both parents are sick. Tristan can entertain himself, but Asher, not so much. Too, Channing really needs to be able to finish his week out at work, and tomorrow is his last day. Our patients need him.
Tristan has been praying for us, and that has been really sweet.
Thank you for your prayers. I hope we'll wake up refreshed tomorrow. I read that some cases can last for a week! However, my God is Jehovah-rapha, the GOD THAT HEALS. I fully believe that I am going to be a new woman tomorrow. Praise God. Thank you, again, for your prayers!

Another Great Week at CVS

When I first glanced at this week's deals, I'll admit, I was a little disappointed. Then I came to my senses and got to work. I started figuring out the deals that looked best (with the help of the weekly ad, some websites, and some needs we had in the home) and ended up stocking up on some GREAT stuff! Check it out:

I have done three transactions so far this week (in two trips). During my first trip, this is what I got:
My first transaction:
2 Herbal Essences at 2/$5
1 6x8 photo book 7.99
1 Baby Bottle Candy 1.49 (I was over-charged by $.20 on this one. Too, I thought I was getting $1 ECB on this but didn't realize I had to buy 2. Oops! Tristan was happy, though!).
2 Sure Deodorants 5.38
1 Bic Soleil Razor 6.99
1 Big Soleil Cartridges 6.99
1 Extra page for photo book .79

Coupons:
1 $3/$15 CVS coupon
$3 off 2 Herbal Essences Coupon from newspaper insert
$3 off 6x8 Kodak photo book from n'paper insert
B1G1 Free Sure coupon
$1 off one Sure deodorant coupon from newspaper insert
$4 Bic Soleil razor coupon from n.paper insert
$4 off Bic Soleil razor cartridges from n.paper insert
$12 ECBs

I spent $3.71 cash out of pocket, used $12 in ECB, and I earned $15.99 in ECBs!!!
So I spent $3.71 and saved 35.92!!!

Today I went back for transactions #2 and #3. Here's what I got:

Transaction #2:
1 Neutrogena Mascara 5.99
6 Sally Nail polishes 5.94
2 Colgate Sparkling White toothpastes B1G1 Free 2.79
1 Baby Bottle Candy 1.49 (again over-charged by .20)
1 pack of CVS make-up remover wipes 2.99

Coupons:
$3/$15 CVS coupon
$.75 off one Colgate from n.paper insert
.75 off one Colgate from n.paper insert
1.00 off Neutrogena Make-up from website
2.00 CVS skin care coupon
3.00/2 Sally Nails CVS coupon
3.00/2 Sally Nails CVS coupon (they only gave me credit for 1.95 on this one)
3.00/2 Sally Nails CVS coupon (they only gave me credit for 1.95 on this one)
$5 in ECBs

I spent $1.50 cash out of pocket, used $5 in ECBs, and earned $5 in ECBs.
I spent $1.50 and saved $31.24 on this transaction!!!

My third transaction:
4 Herbal Essences Shampoos and Conditioners $10.00
1 Gain Joyful Expressions 4.99
1 Fiber One Cereal B1G1 Free 4.29
1 Total Cereal FREE
1 Speedstick 24/7 Deodorant

Coupons:
$3/$15 CVS Coupon
3.00 off 2 Herbal Essences Shampoo/Conditioner coupon from n.paper insert
3.00 off 2 Herbal Essences Shampoo/Conditioner coupon from n.paper insert
1.00 off 2 General Mills Cereals from n.paper insert
1.00 off Speedstick 24/7 deodorant from website
11.99 in ECBs

I spent $1.03 out of pocket, used $11.99 in ECBs, and earned $4 in ECBs.
I spent $1.03 and saved $37.54 on this transaction!!!

So far, this week I have spent $6.24 and have saved $104.70! Not my greatest week at CVS, but still really good! AND to make matters even greater, I had a super duper nice guy check me out (by check me out, I mean he rang me up ;)). He was awesome. He said I was a smart shopper and wishes I would teach him how to do it. That's a far cry from the woman who slammed the magazine rack in my face when I went to pay yesterday! :) Oh well. Like Tristan said, she must not have seen me.

I still have to make one more trip to CVS to make another 6x8 photo book and to make a 4x6 one. I haven't had lots of time to spend on the photo machine. I also plan to pick up another Bic Soleil pack.

So much CVSing, so little time! CVS, 99% of the time, I really love you!

Now, it's YOUR turn to save money!!! ENJOY!!!

Welcome Weekend

I hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!!! :) Aren't Fridays SO great?!

We are getting a sitter tonight for the first time in, well, hmmm.... I don't think we've ever had an actual babysitter, who wasn't related to us, watch both our boys while we go out. I am pretty excited and a little nervous too. We are going to eat with Channing's brother, his wife-to-be, and his parents at Prairie Fire Grill *yum* for a little family celebration dinner for the newly engaged couple. Should be fun!

Tomorrow, we'll hang out around the house, get some things done, have some fun. Then tomorrow night, I'll have a mom's night out (with some great friends) that is doubling as a going away party for our dear sweet friend, Adrienne. She's moving far far away to Virginia. {sniff}. Sunday will be a family day. The boys and I (all three boys) will attend the greatest church in the world, Church of the Highlands (I'm just slightly biased), then we'll spend time doing fun family stuff, like playing t-ball, dinosaurs, chase, etc. Fun stuff!

I'm sure this was pretty boring to you. Sorry! What are your plans this weekend???