Happy Mother’s Day!

Today I am reminded me that God has all of us on our own paths, and we shouldn’t compare the way God has us walking to any other persons path.

Some of us appear to have similar paths, and some of our paths look completely different from each other.

As moms I think we are constantly trying to improve on how we do things.  We often tend to look to each other for inspiration and guidance. Unfortunately this can also lead to a natural human tendency to start playing the comparison game.

You’ve probably heard the quote Comparison is the Thief of Joy, but I’ll go further and add that not only does it steal your joy, but it will hold you in a bondage that never allows you to become YOU!

Comparison keeps us from ever reaching the fullness of who we are meant to be!  There is only one person who can fill my shoes and I need to stop trying to force someone else’s shoes onto my feet!  But I also need to stop forcing my shoes on others as well.

If you watch TV you’ll see Mother’s Day depicted in a certain way.  We all assume that is how it has to be, and for most of us it is merely a glimpse of the reality of Mother’s Day.  The smiling, happy faces of those who love us bringing us flowers, candy, jewelry, and more.

But for some Mother’s Day is not the happy hallmark holiday you see plastered on a jewelry store ad.  It is in fact nothing more than a reminder of what they do not have.

It was a good reminder to me to pray for those who have lost family, hurting family, or no family.

I thank God for the path he has placed me on.  But I also thank Him that he is constantly reminding me that my path is not the only way his children walk.  I want to always be open to seeing the paths of others, and never get so caught up in my own path that I begin to think my way is the only way.

This post was originally published in April 2010.

So I came across this post called “Damaged Goods”  a while back through a tweet that was sent out on Twitter.

Usually, if something catches my eye on Twitter I’ll click through read the article quickly and then decided if it is worthy of a retweet.  Once I’ve retweeted, I go on my way.

I’ll admit that rarely does a post capture my heart and stick with me the way this one did.

Maybe it was just because this is something that the Lord is constantly having to remind me of.  I know that this is something a lot of women deal with.  We are constantly comparing ourselves to one another even if it is only in our thoughts.

In the post the Lord used a dented can to speak truth to her.  Thankfully she shared what she had been given, and in return the Lord used this post to speak to me too.

I share a lot about grocery shopping here, and the fact that the post used dented unlabeled cans to me was not just some insignificant thing.  God is very aware of how to speak to each on of us in a language that we will understand.

Mine happens to be groceries.

I always  go out of my way to find the bins and shelves at the grocery stores that contain the dented or unlabeled marked down products.  This is like a treasure hunt to me.

I never know what will be waiting for me there.  But I know that whatever it is, it will be a gift from God.  Seriously because I am able to get some of the best things off of these rack free with a coupon just because it is a little damaged.

And like the original post said, you can’t judge what you will find inside based on the appearance on the outside.

So I would add that we should not overlook those dented cans in our lives because if we do, we will miss out on what in inside of them.

It seems to be human tendency to gravitate towards the lovely people who look as though they are in perfect condition.  Meanwhile the contents of their cans are rotten.

Instead, what if we chose the people who may not “look” like they are in great condition on the outside?  Trust me there are a lot of dented cans around. Each one with a unique story on how they got their dents.  Stories of courage beyond what most of us will ever know.

Take some time to hear their stories and your faith will be built up.  It does my soul well to know these other dented cans for I am one too.

In fact seek them out, for they will hold all kinds of unexpected surprises!

I have been left pretty much speechless after all I heard and saw and experienced this past week at the Relevant Conference.

I was terrified to go to this conference and almost found myself offering my ticket up for sale many times during the weeks leading to the actual date.  But I knew the Lord wanted me there and I would not give into the lies that told me I wouldn’t fit in or that I didn’t belong.

These have been lies I’ve listened to my whole life.

It was only out of obedience and a glimmer of hope that something big was about to happen that I packed up my car and made the eight hour trip to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

What Relevant was….

Relevant was more than a blogging conference.  Yes I learned from the best about vlogging, getting published, and how to write well.  But more importantly I learned who I am as a child of God who blogs and what a responsibility it is to blog authentically.

I had the opportunity to let my walls down which have served to protect me well over the years. I saw that if I were ever going to let anyone in I had to be vulnerable.  I have been keeping myself safe behind those walls all the while keeping everyone else out, a coping technique I had learned long ago….

I no longer need to be the protector for I am loved by THE King!

I have learned that I have a story to tell and I don’t want to hoard what God has done for me!

Matthew 5:16

Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

I will pick up my mat and carry it with me, I will share where I’ve been and not allow the shame or fear keep me from speaking any longer. It is by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony that the enemy is defeated.

On the last night we all gathered in the ballroom, and in our own states of brokenness we worshipped the living God together!  What an awesome site to see, a glimpse of what heaven might be like!  Each of us different and unique and perfect just the way God made us, offering ourselves in a sacrifice of praise to the One who tells us to come.

Matthew 11:28-30

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

It was hard to hold back the emotions and tears as I looked across the room to see the miracles that each one of us are and I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing group of Christian bloggers!

1 Corinthians 1:27-2:5

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

This is Relevant!

A call to offer our blogs up to God and his purposes for them.  And I will continue to blog as a Blogger in the Upside Down Kingdom for as long as He would have me do so!

You can expect more of my experience at Relevant as well as my story as I have been called to share it!

I will still share all the best deals, coupons, freebies, and giveaways that I can find on This Side of Eternity, as I look to serve the King in all I do!

Crystal shared her financial goal for the next year and it has inspired me to do the same.

We have worked hard over the last couple of years to get rid of all debt besides our home mortgage, fully fund our emergency fund, and learn to live on less!

The hardest part of this process has been changing the ways we look at and use our financial resources.  But we now see the value in not allowing ourselves to be slaves to credit any longer.

Here are a list of our financial goals for the next 6-12 months:

Pay cash for our daughter’s braces.

Begin funding an IRA account.

Pay cash for our daughter’s graduation party.

Begin to pay down our home mortgage and refinance to a 15 year.

Start saving for our next home purchase.

This is not an extensive list as I’m sure there will be little things added throughout the year, but this is an idea of the big things we are working on.

We haven’t totally gotten this thing down perfectly, but it is neat to set some goals and then be able to watch as you are able to accomplish them.  Like I said earlier, the hardest part was changing the way we thought of money.

I will begin sharing some of the steps we have taken since we began this journey a little over two years ago.

When we started this journey to becoming and staying debt free we were up to our necks in credit and had a truck payment.  We could not even fathom the possibility of living without credit.  Since then we learned that it is possible to live a life of financial freedom!

We have not arrived there just yet, but we do see the light at the end of the tunnel now and we are excited to face the challenge!

If you are interested in learning more or joining me in this journey please consider subscribing for FREE Updates!

You can also find other like minded people in different parts of the journey on the Saving Dollars and Sense Facebook Page!

This is my husband Rich.

He is a contractor which basically means you can find him looking like this most of the time.  Personally I think he looks great even in his work clothes.  But it will be nice to see him in something other than that for a change since he rarely has a reason to dress nicely except for church on Sundays!

He is THE hardest working person I know.  It is because of al his long hours working that I have been able to stay home with our kids and homeschool them.  And for that I am ever grateful!

This Father’s Day, with the help of Norelco, I will be giving him a makeover!

Say goodbye to the dirty stained up tshirts and work jeans.  He’ll be trading those work boots in for a new pair of sandals.

I can’t wait for you to see how nice my man can clean up!

I will share the entire process complete with before and after photos with you on Wednesday.  But I wanted to give you a sneak peak at what we are up to over here for Father’s Day!

What Do You Know About Worms?

A few years back I had the opportunity to take my kids to a demostration that showed us the value of worms!

To be honest I wasn’t sure why anyone would ever want to keep a bin of worms.

Thankfully by the end of the class I was very intrigued and I have secretly wanted a bin of worms for myself!

I’m thinking about getting a worm bin from Uncle Jim’s. I think it is a wonderful science project to share with kids!

Maybe you are in the same position I was in and you ca’t imagine what good a bin of worms could ever be.

Here are a few of the benefits of worms:

Composting cuts down on the amount of garbage you throw away.
They attract birds to your yard.
They help your gardens grow.
They eliminate chemical fertilizers.
Worms enrich your soil.

Have you ever kept a wormery?

If you have, I’d love to hear about your experiences both good and bad!