I got my TOMS tagged by this amazing artist...

Trent and I just closed out a revival. And this particular church is FULL of talented young people. Seriously, like more than the average church.

And in particular, this one gal who has this AMAZING talent. Like, really over the top amazing talent. This gal is an artist.

And just ONE of the ways she creates is by "tagging" shoes. And by tagging, I mean making them works of art!!

Well, she and I begin a little convo via text. I gave her random words like: turtles, teal, leopard, subtle, tribal...and she produced THESE:

Hand Painted Turtles with Leopard print on the heels--and they are SIGNED!

Do you see that tiny little turtle in the corner?  Adorable!  

My most perfect pair of TOMS!! And, they just happen to be my first ever pair of canvas TOMS!

I have several glitter TOMS, which are perfect, but not nearly as comfortable as these are!! And now I have a ONE OF A KIND PAIR!!!

Would you love a pair of OOAK TOMS (or any other brand shoe??), this gal can make it happen!! And maybe, you have a special someone whose birthday is coming up?? Or graduation? Anniversary? Father's Day?

Stephanie Barnett--Soon to Be World Renowned Artist

She's fast and very reasonable. Contact Stephanie Barnett via Facebook TODAY! If you want to check out here work...LOOK HERE!  Get in line for your OOAK Tagged TOMS ASAP!!

My Daily Bread Seasoned with the Miracles of God

God has this way of working out stuff in my head.  He gives me this random kinda off the wall thought and then nags me about it for days and makes ME figure out what He is trying to say...  Does He do that to any of you too?

So, I've been mentally chewing on the thought of mercy and miracles. Like, how do they compare to one another, how do they compliment each other and how do you experience them...

And here's what I've come up with, so far:

Mercy.  Mercy is a place or condition we, as humans, live in EVERY SINGLE DAY.  The Bible teaches us that His mercies are NEW every morning.  Which is kind of interesting, because just as He promised the children of Israel that He would supply their daily bread in the Old Testament, He also teaches us how to pray and lets us know that God will also supply our daily bread too!!  Which leads me to believe, that our physical hunger is just as important as our spiritual sustenance.  And if God can supply my food, why couldn't He also supply the mercy and grace I need to make it from day to day?

Well, I don't know about you, but I need all the mercy I can get.  I mean, I am just a human, I mess up. I make mistakes.  I have moments (even DAYS) that I am not proud of.  But, EACH day, His mercy is new.  I get another chance.  He forgives and I can move on from that failure and start making things RIGHT.

Mercy.  A great place to live EVERY single day.

But, come on, what about the MIRACLES of God.  Now, THOSE are pretty cool, right?  But, what does it take to GET a miracle. First of all, you have to have a need.  And this need cannot be just an ordinary need.  This has to be something that only God performing a MIRACLE could produce.  And let's face it, I am guilty of saying "I need a miracle", when really all I NEED to do is get off my lazy "sit-down place" and get moving and do it MYSELF.

But there are times when God is the only one who can supply my need.  A desperate and vital moment in which a miracle is the ONLY answer.  My husband has preached on Living in the Miraculous countless times and I refer back to it many times over via my blog, Facebook and in conversations with friends.  But you see, this was truly much more than the mercy of God...this was the MIRACLES of God.  My husband literally was getting a check in the mail every day from various people or departments in the UPCI and it was JUST ENOUGH to meet that need.  I can recall the emotions of that need very vividly and that happened over 6 years ago!  I remember the desperation, the worry, the panic, the fear and the uncertainty.  We literally did not know what we were going to do.  But God did.  He had a perfect opportunity to show us His miracles.

Now, we all love to talk about the miracles of God, but let's face it, they are kind of rare and special.  I mean, if God just threw around miracles all day long, what on earth would we ever pray and seek His face over?  The real beauty and miracle of living for God is being able to live in His mercy and that be enough.  Enough....JUST ENOUGH to get you through each and every single day.

The Mercy of God and the Miracles of God DO compliment each other.  You really cannot have one without the other.  The mercy of God carries you through the day to day while the miracles of God carries us from impossibility to impossibility.  We are able to experience the mercy of God no matter what our situation in life...even if you do not serve Him, he STILL extends His mercy to you.  If He did not, no sinner would ever get to know Him and have this experience!  Yes, the mercy of God is for us ALL!  But the miracles of God, they are for His children.  Those that call him Daddy.  Those that look to him in an impossible situation and say: "I cannot fix this, I need you to help!"  And He does.  In His own perfect (although seemingly slow) timing and perfect will.

Thrift store oddities

Most of you know, I love to thrift!  I really and truly do.

Yesterday, I had some errands to run to prepare for Ladies Conference.  While I was out, I happened to be near a Goodwill that I haven't been to in a very long while.  It's small, and I figured I could swing in there and see if they had anything neat and then continue on my way.

Typically, I have a "pattern" for thrifting.  I search certain sections FIRST (always) and then, wander to the miscellaneous items after I have searched jackets, dress, skirts, shoes, bags.  However, yesterday, I did something weird. I went to the miscellaneous section first. The miscellaneous section (my term, not theirs) has everything from toys, to housewares, etc.

Well, I stumbled across a little set of pens.  24 different colored pens!  PENS!!!!  I have this thing for pens.  I love them.  I love to collect them.  I love to draw with them.  I love to doodle.  I just like to LOOK at them.  This set would have retailed for over $25, but I got it for $2.49!!

And my 2nd score from the miscellaneous section was a bit of a splurge, as I am not sure I have some place to put it....but it's a SEA TURTLE!!!!  Bob Wright signed sea turtle print for $3.49.  I googled him and a print this size would have retailed for $56!  YAY!!  Isn't it dreamy?  I am going to find some place in my bedroom to put it.  I also have an obsession with turtles, mostly sea turtles.

  

Admittedly, this is not a typical thrift store score or haul for me, but it made my day!

Do you like to thrift?  What have you found lately that you just LOVE?

Couponing: Keeping it Simple and Organized

I had to add this post regarding couponing.

We've all heard about the crazy extreme coupon people who have entire basements, garages and rooms in their homes designated to their "stockpile".  

What is a stockpile?  According to thefreedictionary.com, STOCKPILE can be defined as:  A supply stored for future use, usually carefully accrued and maintained.

While in theory this seems like an excellent idea, it can also be just too much!  Many of these people also donate to local charities or homeless shelters (which I think is awesome!!) and since they are getting some of their stockpile for free, it's a great way to practice your couponing skills AND help your community!

But, let's be realistic...most of us do not have the room, time or patience to invest in this kind of couponing.  I know I don't!  But I am interested in saving money!

So, to get started, here are some baby steps for you:

1.  Read this post:  Poor People Tickets.

2.  Get a notebook/binder.  I happened to have a spare one lying around so, I got mine free!  :)

3.  Get some baseball card pages.  Target has them for $5.  You get 30 pages, which is plenty to get started.

4.  Read this from the Krazy Coupon Lady Site:  Beginners  This is a GREAT site in general, but a very well put together set of info for newbies.  Highly recommend!!  

5. Make different sections for your binder--I used a list I stumbled upon online, but make sure your sections meet your needs.  If you don't have a baby--chances are, you don't need a "Baby" section in your binder (unless you shop for a friend).

6. Keep it NEAT!  Make sure your binder stays organized, if you pull a coupon and don't end up using it (because it wasn't on sale--duh!!), put it BACK!  It is super easy to get a stack of pulled coupons floating around in your binder that never get used because they cannot be found.  

7. Shop when you are going to be the least distracted.  I cannot concentrate and do the math if I am chasing the kids out of the toddler aisle (or cereal aisle), so I have my hubby help me keep them busy when we are out.  I missed a savings of $2.25 the other night because I got distracted.  I was so upset about that!!  Don't let it happen to you. HAHA!!

Most of all, have fun!  Don't let this stress you out!  Let it be a blessing to you and your family as you learn to save money!  And it couldn't hurt that your brain gets a whole new level of workout with all the math you get to do!  Couponing can keep you YOUNG!  (That might be a stretch, but it can't hurt!!) 

Poor People Tickets

Yikes!  It has been over a month since my last blog.  I am not proud of that. I have been fighting some major fatigue lately and I think that MAYBE I have finally turned a corner with all that.  

So, what's been up with me lately?  Hmmm...

I started February 1 with a LOVE ME Challenge with my Facebook Weight Loss group.  So far, I've lost 7 lbs.  Now, before anyone starts cheering for me, I managed to put on like 10 lbs over the holidays with travel and what-not (this started just after I got home from Manila).  While most everything still fits, some of it was getting snug and I have Western District Ladies Conference coming up (like next week!!!)

So, like any woman would do, I began a diet and started SHOPPING for something great to wear!  If you know me, you know that this means I went THRIFTING!!!  Every great once in a while, my fellow thrifting friend and I get together for a day of thrifting.  This time, we hung out in MY backyard.  I scored a FAB pair of NEW Vintage flats for $4.99 and a Vintage St. John Sweater for $4.99.  Two great finds!  I hope to wear both to Ladies Conference.  I also PASSED on this super 80s Vintage Betsey Johnson Blazer, but I am thankful that by buddy got a shot of me wearing it!  It is actually more flattering in the photo than on the hanger.

  In the midst of all of this, I started couponing!  I am a little excited about it.  Several weeks ago, I posted a comment on Facebook regarding a prayer a saint prays over me.  In a nut shell, she prays that I find good deals and sales for me and my family.  How awesome is that?!  Well, that really really touched my heart and a new friend introduced me to the world of couponing and I figured: "Hey, I am only gonna find great deals on food and household products if I start using coupons!"  So, a couponer was born.  This is a GREAT hobby for me.  I love to shop.  LOVE IT!!!  But I HATE paying full price.  HATE IT!!!  I am a thrifter and a clearance rack junkie.  I have no shame in that, but I realize that all the money I "save" on clothes for us is WASTED on food and other things we need.  So, it only made sense to start using coupons.  My 10 year old calls them "Poor People Tickets"  which is quite hilarious but not a bad description!  HAHA!!  He is my little coupon helper and insists on being at the register for every checkout to see how good we do.  I've started a teeny tiny stockpile of some items (soap, shampoo, cases of water and cereal) and don't plan on stockpiling too much more than that, as I do still live in a 5th wheel, but I know these are products we are going to use and use fairly quickly.

Here are a few samples of what I have bought and how much I saved:

*Irish Spring Soap (Trent's soap) 3 for $9 with a $3 cash reward on next purchase (so, like 3 for $6)  Making an 8 pack of soap $2 each or each bar of soap $.25!  This will last SEVERAL months as Trent is the only one who uses this soap.

*This "haul" for $8.90:  Swiffer Dusters 16 ct, Swiffer Wet Mop Refill 12 ct, 2 Dove deodorants, VO5 Shampoo and Conditioner and Sara Lee 45 Calorie Bread!!  I had CVS cash rewards (from last week) that totaled $6, coupons and a CVS coupon. The Swiffer products were on sale and the VO5 was also on sale for $.82 each.

*I am SUPER excited about my cereal haul!  8 boxes of cereal for approx $.32 each!  WOO HOO!!!  Target had General Mills Cereals on sale for $2.50 each.  Buy 5, get a $5 Target gift card.  I had coupons for every box of cereal, I had a manufacturer coupon for $1 off of 3 AND a Target coupon for $1 off of 3 boxes.  The Froot Loops were also on sale for $2.75 each.  I had a manufacturer coupon for $1 off 3 AND a Target coupon for $1 off of 3.  With the $5 gift card and all the other coupons, it was like paying $.32 each for all this cereal.

Here is my BEST advice for those of you interested in couponing.  

*  TAKE IT SLOW!  There is no need to stockpile your cabinets overnight.
*  Pay attention and bring your coupons with you EVERY TIME you shop.
*  Do your homework!  This means clipping all those coupons and MATCHING ads BEFORE you go shopping.  I spend a couple hours on Monday doing this and shop when I am out the rest of the week.
*  Get FREE Coupons here:  Coupons.com and CouponSuzy.com.  Check BettyCrocker.com for additional coupons (these are the sites I look at every week).  *NOTE*  You can print multiple coupons per product on these sites.  I just keep going back and clipping them until they tell me I reached my limit.  This is great for deals like I got with the cereal.
*  Target.com has coupons!  AND if you have a smart phone, you can get mobile coupons from Target.  Just add the FREE app to your phone and see what is available.  I got fruit snacks for the kiddos for $.64 on a 10 count box.  :)

For those of you that are ready to take couponing to the "next level":
*  Target will have a coupon for an item and a manufacturer will also have a coupon.  You can use BOTH!!!  I did this with the cereal (see above).
*  Ibotta is a FREE app for you smart phone users.  You get paid to buy products!  It's pretty simple to use.  Buy the item (using your coupons!!!) and then scan bar code and receipt and get cash back!  It goes to an account and you can then redeem the cash later.  Super easy to do!
*  Shop the clearance aisles at your grocery or Target/Walmart.  You can use coupons on clearance items too!  HUGE savings!!

I am by NO MEANS an expert on this, as I consider myself a "Baby Couponer", but I am a convert.  So far, my best savings per trip was 69%!  That's a lot of moolah!!!  If you have questions or comments, please leave them below.  I am VERY open to learning new tips and tricks!

The other thing that will be happening (just a few hours from now...) is that my husband is leaving for Manila.  WITHOUT ME/US!!  He will be preaching a crusade for ACTS Bible School.  I miss those kids but I am so excited for this crusade!  It is going to be awesome!  I am trying to be brave, but I know it's going to be a LONG two weeks for us and a quick two weeks for him.  Please pray for safe travels for him and for us.  I get to take the kiddos with me to Ladies Conference and even though I have a sitter for them, I am nervous about having them with me.

I have a lot of little "projects" up my sleeve to keep me busy (and out of trouble) while Trent is gone.  So, I hope to post some more in the next few weeks.  Stay Tuned!!

PS:  I have another post that is "in the works", but I kept hitting a (really negative) brick wall with it and I do NOT like to post negative stuff on my blog.  So, maybe I can work that out and have a little inspirational something for you all soon!
PS again:  I have two upcoming speaking engagements (which thrills and terrifies me) and I could use some prayers regarding that.  I tend to speak from my heart which leaves me VERY exposed and that is not an easy thing to do.  Thanks friends!! 

Worthy or Worthless

My parents used to have this dog when they lived in Claremore. His name was Worthless. This poor dog was as loyal as a stray dog could be and loved that my mom was faithful about serving table scraps. But the truth is, this dog was worthless. It laid around or chased random animals or varmints found on the ranch but never contributed to the daily chores or work needing to be done around the house. Granted, most dogs aren't generally good for much other than petting but on a ranch, if you eat you should work!!

My husband loved this dog. I am sure it's because it was such an unloveable creature. Trent has a thing for the underdog. Pun intended.

The last couple days I've been mentally wrestling with the idea of self worth. How do we define our self worth? For many of us, our self worth is found in our successes. We consider ourself valuable based on what we have achieved or are capable of doing. We find affirmation in the things we are most proud. Conversely, we struggle with inferiority and lack of self esteem based on how we compare ourselves to others around us. We cannot help it. It's human nature.

My dad used to say (and still does) that the value of something has little to do with the price that is on it. The real value (or worth) is based on what someone is willing to pay. For ex ample, some of you know that I love to go thrifting. Recently, I stumbled on a designer skirt (in my size!!!) that would have retailed for something around $800 or more. However, I paid $8 for it--used. The value or worth of this designer skirt was $800 for someone else--but only $8 to me!! Same skirt--different value.

As humans, we struggle with our own self worth. I am worth more if I make more money, drive a nicer car or wear designer clothes. I am worth more if I have a prestigious job or title. I am worth more if I am thin, talented or smart. I am worth more if my children are well behaved, if I am debt free or have great hair.

The truth is NONE of these things can determine our value. Our worth is based on what someone would pay (or invest) in us. My neighbor may not think I have much value or worth but there is one person who paid a great deal for me. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the greatest price for me. He gave everything He had in order that I might be saved. He thought I was totally worthy. And the most beautiful thing about this is that I am not the only one He died on the cross for!! He died and rose again for YOU too!!

So, the next time you look in the mirror and see something you don't like and feel like a loser and worthless, just remind yourself that YOU do not determine your value! Jesus Christ determined your value long ago and you are SO worth it!!!

Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.



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Merry Christmas!