Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity....

This was a prayer posted on my grandmother's refrigerator. 

 To accept the things I cannot change;


I remember it vividly.

The courage to change the things that I can;

A purple magnet with white lettering.


And the wisdom to know the difference.


Stuck onto a fridge with so many other things that I don't think I could force myself to remember even if I wanted to.


I don't know why this particular magnet sticks out to me.  My grandmother certainly wasn't a recovering alcoholic.  I don't know why this prayer means so much.  We weren't the type to pray rehearsed prayers.  The only rehearsed prayer I remember growing up was my grandfather's dinner blessing:  "Gracious Lord, remember us in mercy and grant us this blessing which we are about to receive.  We humbly ask in Your Name's sake.  Amen."  I can still see his face when my eyes should have been closed.  I can still hear his voice with all of the inflection of every word.  There was so much sincerity in those words from him.  He knew he was speaking to his Gracious Lord.  He knew the Lord heard him.  He knew that his meal would be blessed just for the asking.  He knew we all needed that mercy.  I can hear him counting because he needed the patience to give us the mercy we needed...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 (emphasis his).  I hear his voice whenever I go across the "Dames Point" bridge saying that it is not the Dames Point bridge, it is the Napolean Bonaparte Broward bridge.  When I see a speed limit sign, I can hear him saying that is the maximum possible speed you should reach under the best possible conditions. 

It's funny what you remember that you never tried to remember and all of the things you try to remember that you just can't seem to.

What about you?  

What simple things do you remember?

More great shopping!

Well, another great shopping experience at Publix today.  Their stores are so clean and their staff is very friendly.  With the great prices, why would you shop anywhere else?

Top notes for today's trip:

• Spent $71.44 out of pocket (oop) and saved $108.27!  Savings of 60%!!
• Betty Crocker Muffin Mix - boxed - $0.80 each!
• Green Giant Canned Vegetables - $0.15 each!
• Progresso Soups - $0.32 each!
• Kraft Chunk Cheese 1-lb - $2.00 each!
• Yoplait Yogurt - $0.38 each!
• Purex 64 load and Purex Complete 3-in-1 sheets (24 pk) - $3.99 for both!!

Feel free to share how God is blessing you financially!

Is Your Table Wet?

A good friend asked me this question recently referring to the familiar verse in Psalm 23 (v. 5).  If your cup is running over, then your table must be wet, right?

It makes me think of so many things, but the first thing that comes to mind is that even our blessing require a little elbow grease!  God never promised us that things would be easy this side of glory.  When our cup runs over, we leave a little excess on the table that requires our attention.  When we handle it correctly, that excess spills out into the lives of others.  When we don't, it spills out into the lives of others!

How are you handling it?

God's Country

Ever visit a place and feel God's presence so much more than at home?  For me, that place is in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Whether standing on the top of Chimney Rock or tubing down a snowy hill or even just driving down an expressway with glorious mountains on either side of you, I am amazed at God's beautiful creation.

I guess the same could be said about the sandy beaches near my home, but there's something about being in such a drastically different place that allows your soul to speak and listen.  My soul is centered and the focus is clear:  God, husband, children.  A peace ensues that never wants to end.

So, the question is raised:  Can we carry this feeling on from vacation and into life?  If I lived in the mountains I don't know if I would feel the same about being there or if I would succomb to the day-to-day monotony.

Lord, teach me to find Your peace
no matter where my location.

Trusting Him

Some time ago, I made a decision to trust God with a new part of my life. Something I had never even considered I was keeping from Him until then. And, as they say, you can't "un-ring" that bell. Once you have realized what is going on, you cannot go back and presume to believe otherwise. Oh, you can pretend to believe otherwise, but you are only fooling yourself.

Of course, that decision wasn't made lightly and it brought with it so many things to ponder. And with all decisions, I was not the only one affected. Several months have passed and I am still making that decision on a daily basis. Not because I am uncommitted to the decision, but because the roaring lion is seeking me to devour. he is constantly placing stumbling blocks in my way because he was able to keep me doing nothing for so long. (see my previous Quotable Quotes post).

While I can't change the past, I will not carry with me guilt over the things I did without knowing they were wrong. That just gives him the upper hand. I can go forward in my walk with God knowing that my future holds more of His will than mine.

Enjoying the freedom of life in Christ 

when I surrender daily to Him.

The Battle Between Good and Evil Wages On

At least it was in my heart last night.

When I know to do good and do it not, it is sin.

When you're in a situation where the thing you want to do is not wrong, but the circumstances surrounding it make it wrong - the line between right and wrong gets smudged.

But only here on earth!

You see, to God, the line is so broad and deep that there is no such thing as a smudge.  There is only right or wrong.  No gray areas.  No time off for good behavior.  It's not the thought that counts.  No good end result with wrong steps to get there.  No.  Man looks on the outward appearance.  God looks on the heart.  "For with the heart man believes unto righteousness."  (Romans 10:10a)

Fortunately, God was with me and helped me to make the right decision.  Although it wasn't easy, I was able to find ways to turn my mind in another direction.  He used the words hidden in my heart to carry me through to the other side as He so often does.

And He said to me, 

"My grace is sufficient for you, 

My strength is made perfect in weakness."  

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

Quotable Quotes

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

-Edmund Burke

More Shopping

All of this for $25.75 at CVS and I received $2 in EB's!!  I actually purchased an Icy Hot Sleeve for only $1.24 and Valentine cards for about $1.50 each and I'm about half-way into receiving another $10 in EB's.  

God has truly blessed our new financial goals and is showing His approval in leaps and bounds! 

Really, it was only $19.65 out of pocket because I had a couple of gift cards with small balances and CVS is always great about using up those last few dollars.  Total savings on this receipt:  $60.74!!

Today's Shopping

Here's the photo from today's trip to Publix.  Lot's of great sale match-ups with coupons.  Totals today were $159.06 worth of groceries for $49.67!! 

• Knorr Sides for $0.17
• Pillsbury Toaster Strudels for $0.25 per pkg
• Contessa Meals (frozen) for $1.50 each
• Suave shampoo & conditioner for $0.50 each

Thank you Lord for your continued blessings!!

Blogtipping Day

I recently read an article that states the first day of each month is "Blogtipping Day."  This is a day where you pick three bloggers you know and give each of them three compliments and one tip.  Evidently, it's been around for a few years, but I just heard about it.

Here's a quick article you can read about blogtipping:  http://www.daviddalka.com/createvalue/2006/09/28/blogtipping-inventor-easton-ellsworth/

Well, I'm going to give it a try this month and maybe we'll make it a regular posting. 

3 Strand Romances - Michelle Rodgers.  I'll start with my sister Michelle's blog.  Michelle has a strong desire to be a published writer.  On her blog, she writes reviews of books, tells about her writing adventures and life in general.  She's even had the opportunity to interview a few authors.  Michelle is also a self-taught pianist and is very involved in music.  I enjoy reading her posts and my only tip would be to please write more on the blog.  Thanks Michelle, you have been invaluable in helping me get my blog going (and going again!)

Dirty Shame -  John Blase.  John's writing just grabs me and draws me into a whole new world.   John had a book published last year also, Touching Wonder .  So much warmth and feeling in his words.  John, thank you for not being judgmental.  I confuse easily, so my only tip here would be to add the date to your postings.  But, somehow, I think that is part of your charm.

Frugal Fun and Fortune - Meagan.  I have to acknowledge Meagan especially because this is where my couponing really started.  Meg was featured on our local news for her coupon savvy and even though I had seen other couponers, Meg is so down-to-earth and easy-going that she really made it sound like I could actually do it.  You can tell that she has a heart for God and a heart for others.  If at all possible, would we be able to print all of our coupons match-ups for this week's ad all at once??  That would be great!

Taking a tip from Meg, what about you?  Who will you be blogtipping today?