born to resist...

Shutterfly Cards!

2010-12-06T01:20:00.000-08:00

Fa LaLa Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

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Surprised by Grief.

2010-09-16T01:33:00.000-07:00

"

Can I share that I'm surprised by grief? I have not encountered it too often in my life yet. Last month, when my Grandma Hazel passed away, I was in for a surprise. I didn't think that my heart would be so broken by her passing because she was "ready to go" for lack of a better term. When my Mom called me to let me know that my Grandma had indeed passed away, I broke down. I was surprised. I sobbed, uncontrollably. Then for hours I would fine. Then back to sobbing. The next day on my way out to my parent's house, I was fine. While my Mom, Lauren and I went through her few belongings, I broke down. Not right away. We had been joking around, sharing stories, laughing. Then I found a little powder box. It held little trinkets that I would play with at my Grandma's house. I opened it up and the sweet smell of it broke my heart. Big heaving sobs. My Mom then handed me my box of flannel graph Bible figures that my Grandma had kept for me. I showed them to Josiah while I was crying and he started creating a Bible story on the couch with them and I was distracted. I didn't cry again until I got home. I know that at times I'm morose and tired from it.

This last Sunday at church we were singing worship and they started singing How Great Thou Art. The grief hit me. Like a bomb. I remember so many Sundays of sitting in an orange pew between my Grandma and Great-Aunt singing this song.

Grief has surprised me by the way it rolls in and out. Inundating me and then relinquishing it's hold so I can get on with the day. A knot in the back of my throat. A moist eye constant while functioning like a normal person. I realize that I'm in the same boat as every other human being. Nothing new here. I must at this point emphasize hope. The singing of my soul. My yielding to God in a moment where I am unable to contain my praise for Him. He is indeed great, even when I feel awful.

The night that my Grandma died, I was asked the question "What will you ask Jesus when you see Him face to face in heaven?" I answered that I doubted I would have questions, that it would be a succinct fall to the ground in worship and gratitude. I heard Greg Laurie say in November that he felt like heaven was more of a reality now that his son was there. I feel that now. I look forward to that moment of bowing down and worshiping. No sign of grief. No sign of tears. Just me and Jesus.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

The Pod People

2010-09-14T02:32:00.000-07:00

There are 3 little "pods" in my driveway. While I would like to make a Invasion of the Body Snatchers comment, I don't really have one. The Brewer clan is once again pulling up stakes, packing up boxes and leaving town. At this point we almost seem nomadic. This is our 6th move in 5 years of marriage (if you count when we moved into our apartment after getting married). The other moves have been to the same general area, near or in Orange County. This move is different, this time we're moving to a city with 3,831,868 other people.

We have given away bags of clothing, furniture, baby items and trinkets we no longer absolutely need. I never thought that at 26, with two kids I would be downsizing and moving into LA. Then again, most of my adventures with Cameron have been unexpected. Cameron and I were both challenged and touched at the story of Francis Chan & his wife downsizing (with 4 kids!) and opening their home to those who don't have much. For some reason, it just made sense to us. You know, in that Holy Spirit could only impress that on your heart sort of way. We don't know exactly where we'll land in LA, that's still up in the air (my hope: Silver Lake :)), but we're praying for a home to welcome people and to have relationships with anyone who comes through the door. The prodigious and organized housing tracks of Orange County sort of give me the creeps. I think the constant noise and distress of a city makes more sense. When I see us in the city, I see our home emitting warmth, glowing out from it into a busy, dark Los Angeles. A place where we are based and where Jesus is the King. Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware of the stress and hardship involved. I also don't think that the Brewers are going to "save" Los Angeles, or even a block of Boyle Heights. What I do know for sure is that Jesus is a transforming power and we're just one more little bit of the body at a church that is going into the city and loving them like they've never seen before.

I just read that only 25% of young people in America are actively involved in church and I'm proud to say that most of our church is young people. Not just in the pews either. They are ushers, parking cars, holding our children, praying with people and giving out information for community groups. These are the same people that meet voluntarily at a local children's hospital to pray for young girl who has cancer. These are no slackers, they are not apathetic, they are a living and active body of Christ in a city that many never consider a real place for a mission. They have a powerful love and desire for Christ that translates into a deep love for people. We've found our home here in an odd series of events that could only be divine.

I know it's confusing to a few of you, but God works like that. Not always appealing to our good sense. Sometimes He tells you to march around the walls with horns, sometimes He tells you to stay with your fiance who is knocked up but you had nothing to do with it (because she's carrying the Messiah) and sometimes He rubs mud in your eyes to make you see. Sometimes He tells you to downsize, get out of the suburbs and to get kicked in the butt daily for Him.

¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. -Matthew 5

Forever Man.

2010-09-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

C.S. Lewis said it best (of course, right?), "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." These mortal transports are merely a blip on the map of our eternal journey. In our very original design, where God walked with us in the garden and we had a perfect communion with Him, we were every bit harmonizing with Him. Never separated, not left behind. Here and now where our broken and sinful natures exist, we are confounded and brutalized by death. If you don't believe that a reigning Christ is on the other side waiting with arms outstretched for you, it's a bleak and horrifying prospect to die. You realize that all of your earthly pursuits mean nothing and were a vain attempt to distract. That you've been so wrapped up in your sin to realize that God has been there the whole time offering you the very life that you've wanted.

Eternity has been set in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We are "forever". We are to be restored and given a home with Jesus, which He has prepared. At some point in my life, my picture of heaven went from being golden streets and doing what I never imagined possible, to falling down and worshipping the Savior that claimed my soul and wrote my name in His book. I look forward to handing my crown right back to Him.

Whether we are believers or not, our souls cry out and ache in every way knowing that someone we love is gone. The only difference is the hope that a Christian has found in the blood of Jesus. I know that someday when I die, I'll see the people that I love the most in heaven. No one can take that away from me. So, today, if you're hurting because you don't know what to expect, let Jesus take care of that. Let Him give you every confidence that death won't sting because He is victorious over it.

and the longer i live
the stronger i feel a
creator put us here
and the day will come,
gravity will run
and we'll meet you in the air
where face to face we will wonder

as the mysteries come undone

and at the end of all our travels
we find our journey's just begun

- Forever Man, Newsboys

Walgreens Win! Complete with Broadway Pizzaz!

2010-08-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

Walgreens was good to me last night. When you're good to mama, mama is good to you. Sorry, I thought I would sprinkle my blog with a little Broadway pizzaz.

Here's what I did in 2 transactions to maximize my savings (you've got to be bold to be a coupon lady):

2 Boxes of Rice Crisipies 2/$5.00

1 Schick Hydro Razor $7.99

Purina One 60 oz Dog Food $1.99

Airwick Mini $4.99

Used:

-$1/2 Boxes of Rice Crispies

-$5/1 Hydro Razor

-Free bag of dog food coupon

-$4/1 Airwick mini

Total: $7.98 (before tax) Got back $4 in Register Rewards

2nd Transaction:

2 Pampers Jumbo Packs

2 Pampers Wipes

Plus 2 filler items: Peanut M&Ms for my loyal co-shopper, Josiah.

Used:

-$3/1 Pampers (from a mailer), $1.50/1 Pampers

-2 Free wipes when you purchase any Pampers diapers

-$4 in Register Rewards from first transaction

Total: $10.48 before tax! Got $3 in Register Rewards back

If I had walked into Walgreens to purchase all of this without coupons & sales, my total would have been: $59.52!!!

Instead I paid $18.46 and got back $3!

Couponing is very, very worth it.

Here's another bit of pizzaz, Broadway style!

(well, not really, I think this was in England, but still... it's Ewan McGregor and Jane Krakowski!)

Grandma Hazel

2010-08-25T01:22:00.000-07:00

Francis Chan has been kicking my butt lately. Every.Stinking.Time.I.Listen.To.Him. The basic equation comes out to: Way more Jesus, way less me.

In that vein, I bring up a difficult situation. My Grandma Hazel is in her last bit of life here on earth. While I'm sad, I'm not torn up. I'm not torn apart. My Grandma believes in Jesus and I think that she's ready to go see Him face to face. I did have a dream about her last night and I woke up recalling sweet memories of being a child in my Grandma's little tiny single wide trailer. I've had to bring these to the surface and remember her for them. You see, my Grandmother wasn't the best Mom to her own children and she was not always the greatest to my Mom later in her life. I didn't know this until I got older and more aware of relationships. But- and I say this with confidence, she was a fantastic Grandma to have as a kid. I think she may have sought certain redemption in us grandkids that she needed after neglecting her own children.

Let me say that my Grandma taught me an incredibly valuable lesson that I carry in my heart to this day. I had a "Jesus Loves the Little Children" book at her house. There was a picture of a little Native American boy with his bow and arrow. I get sort of foggy when I think about what I asked or how it came up, but I asked about "Indians being bad". A very black and white stereotype that I had seen on TV and cartoons. Cowboys were good. Indians were bad. My Grandma Hazel's answer is still very crystal clear to me "It doesn't matter what color skin you have, it's what's on the inside. Everyone is different. Jesus loves them all and so should we." BANG! A lesson in racism from your Grandma! It was simple, it was Christian, it was suitable for my young heart. I couldn't have been more than 5 years old. Knowing now that my Grandma only ever had a middle school edcuation at best, I know that this was her heart speaking. Not anything that had been taught to her. What a simple summation of how to love others & that it's not our job to judge people based on the outside.

Other memories:

-She would make fried Cheerios when I stayed the night. Sounds gross, but it's FANTASTIC.

- Going to church with her on the Church bus. What a treat! No normal car ride to church for me! I'll take the bus with all the Saints Alive Seniors!

-I always slept on a fold out couch at her trailer and one night she sat on the end of the bed and fell through... haha. Awesome.

-She always sent birthday cards with $1 in them.

-When she bought me my favorite teddy bear, Smokey.

-Sitting in church with her and she would slip me some communion, even though I wasn't suppose to have it. Mwahaha.

- She always had Trident gum in her purse and always made sure we got a piece.

-Going to potlucks at her trailer park. Man, it's the best to be a cute little girl with pigtails at a trailer park pot luck and get all the attention from all the other Grandmas!

-When I got my driver's license I would drive her to hair appointments and to lunch dates.

I know that my Grandma was an incredibly flawed person who let her demons and desires get in the way of being the person God wanted her to be. I also know that she did love Jesus. I am glad she was my Grandma. She loved me and I loved her. Someday when we're all in heaven together, maybe she'll make fried Cheerios for me and Jesus.

A conversation between spouses. Part II

2010-08-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

*Background: Our 5th anniversary is this October, so I jokingly sent Cameron a link to Fred Meyer Jewelers where we got our wedding rings from*

Me:http://www.fredmeyerjewelers.com/Categories/EW_AnniversaryRings.aspx
Just thinking.
Cameron:haha
yes you are
Me:I mean, I've managed to stay with you for five years.
Cameron:haha
well we'll see how it goes
haha
Me:i'll get you one, too.
for your pinky
Cameron:YES

I've prayed for God to provide me with an awesome Pinky ring full of diamonds

Me: dear Lord Jesus, please bless this little pinky finger of mine with a plethora of beautiful diamonds to shine with your glory. AMEN.
Cameron: that was my exact prayer
just doing my "praying things into existence" time with God
Me: I love you for saying that.

Don't be like Lot.

2010-08-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

That cat is mostly out of the bag. I mean, it's sort of lounging in it, cleaning it's paws, but everyone knows it's coming.

We're moving to LA. We've been called to minister to the city. It's a little bizarre. A family of four moving from the suburbs to the city, usually it's the other way around. We're downsizing & minimizing. Not exactly "moving on up". However, Cameron and I are both confident that we've been sent into the middle of a city that hugely influences the culture in the rest of the country to be a part of it and show it some love. We've found a fantastic church, Reality LA that LOVES JESUS so much. We were first invited to visit by two people at the Song of Solomon conference in February. They even enthusiastically said: "We even have a children's ministry! It's small, but we have one!" I owe these two volunteers a great deal with changing out lives.

I never thought that I would end up in a big city, they use to give me a huge sense of dread. Even New York City, for all of it's sights, gave me a sense of hopelessness. That would be precisely the reason our family is going to Los Angeles. Too many people are hopeless in the city. When we visit LA now I feel nothing but a peace and love for a town full of the homeless, Scientologist celebrities and people too wrapped up in themselves to care.

The other day Cameron shared with someone that we were going to move to the city. A Christian person. This person decided instead of encouraging Cameron that a slight warning veiled in Biblical imagery would be appropriate: "Just don't be like Lot and be LIKE the city." First of all, no one ever tells the missionary heading into the dark jungles of the Amazon this. When my friend Courtney told me her and her family were going to Peru as missionaries I didn't admonish her with a warning about being like the lost people of Peru. I cheered her on. Second of all, isn't a danger anywhere to turn into the people that you're trying to reach? For instance, if you minister in Orange County, please, for the love of God don't turn into them. They love money, self-importance and status just as much as an Angelino. Too many Christians are afraid of the city & of culture.

While I have no intention of turning into a pillar of salt, we are heading into the city to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Pray for us.

Contributing to the needs of the saints.

2010-08-18T00:54:00.000-07:00

I cannot say enough about the sermon from last Sunday at Reality LA. So good.

Romans 12:13

¹³^(AD) Contribute to the needs of the saints and^(AE) seek to show hospitality.

*Click the picture to be taken to the sermon.

BIG.

2010-08-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

The same power that conquered the grave
Lives in me, Lives in me
Your love that rescued the earth
Lives in me, lives in me

Singing this on Sunday morning reminded me of how powerful Christ is. That everything about the gospel is transforming. Everything about falling in love with Jesus and Him rescuing you is BIG. The very power of God that said "I choose to give these humans another chance because I am Love" is the unchangeable power that I accepted into my heart when I was 3.

Walter's Women's wear.

2010-08-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

I went shopping at Old Navy on Saturday and I found a Women's Camper Style Twill Vest.

So, if you're a woman on the go who wants to really capture the spirit of Walter Sobchak in your casual wear, this is the vest for you!

In Christ Alone

2010-08-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From a life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand

Penny Lane Brewer.

2010-08-12T23:52:00.000-07:00

Heavy morning. If I don't write about it, I'll be wading through the muck of my emotions the rest of the day.

If you read my blog you know that I'm a huge animal lover, as in I give my pets middle names. We also celebrate birthdays and they get Christmas gifts. Today came with a dark cloud (the date seems appropriate enough). Cameron is having Penny, our dog, put to sleep right now. It wasn't an easy decision to make, it wasn't fun, it was prayed over, we talked about it often and have made previous vet visits. She was becoming more and more aggressive. She's gone after other dogs and animals. On top of the aggressive behavior she was in severe pain, even with the meds we gave her. She's had hip displacia since we got her. She also had arthritis in her joints.

As parents we felt like we were obligated to keep our kids safe even if she has never lashed out at the kids or any other person. We couldn't let it get to that point. She has always been super sweet with the kids, loved them, played with them and protected them. It's just too scary to think about what could happen if she got worse. Would I rather feel a little guilty about putting a dog to sleep or would I rather live with the lifetime of guilt for one of my kids being injured by a dog? I know we've made the right decision.

Penny was "our" first dog. We got Penny while I was pregnant with Josiah. We had to come all the way out to Corona from Rancho Santa Margarita because no on in Orange County wanted to let a pregnant person adopt a dog. It was also very, very expensive to even get a little dog in OC. I found Penny's picture online and the price was right, $15. Someone had brought her to the shelter and she was already fixed and had her vaccines. She's not the brightest crayon in the box, but she was a good companion dog. While we lived with Cameron's parents she rode in the car everywhere with me, I needed a co-pilot and Penny fit the description. When Josiah arrived she was calm and good natured toward him and was thrilled when he could play with her or pet her. She was sweet to both the kids and I'm sure would have taken a chunk out of any bad guy that tried anything with them. It was her personal duty to protect them in the yard.

It's hard to be a grown up and to have ugly responsibilities. Especially when it comes to your pets. I'm trying to focus on the positive. I'm glad we were able to rescue Penny, make her comfortable, give her love and lots of treats. Her life could have been far worse. She didn't have a good chance of being adopted when we picked her out. She was older, bigger and not that great looking. I suppose I should be glad that we were able to give that to her. I think her buddy Earl might be sad for awhile. He loved Penny. I'm not looking forward to the rest of this day.

Even though Penny wasn't the *best* dog in the world, I'm going to miss her.

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. ~George Eliot

Bronchitis

2010-08-12T02:15:00.000-07:00

My lungs went all haywire on me and decided to get bronchitis. They are so on my list. Jerks. I went to urgent care on Tuesday and came out with prescriptions. Being the good coupon queen that I am, I actually used a coupon when I got my antibiotics & expectorant. FUN! I got a $25 CVS gift card with my new prescription. There's always a silver lining in coupon land. While coughing my brains out, I was gloating in my savings. It all evens out.

(For the two prescriptions we paid $20.00, we got back $25. It was a $5.00 money maker if you look at it in coupon terms!)

My incredible husband held down the fort while I was confined to my quarters. I feel guilty when he does this because it is only on the rarest occasion that he gets sick. Oh, and when he's sick he doesn't let me take care of him. He'll be sick in bed one minute and then doing something crazy like mowing the lawn because it needs to be done. You can't hold that man down to save his life.

I found a website that I read most of while I was sick. Findadeath.com. Yes. You read that right. I was reading a website about celebrity deaths. Not just for the death information, but actually for the information about what these people were like in their real lives. Most of the dead are old time actors/actresses. Some of them have a very dramatic exit (Jayne Mansfield) & some don't (Bob Hope). If there was foul play involved, I love reading about forensics and police work. Don't judge me. Or do. Whatevs.

That is my little update on the past few days. To sum it up: lungs broken, coupons good, husband incredible, and dead people website.

Princess Mae.

2010-08-05T02:06:00.000-07:00

A conversation between spouses.

2010-07-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Online conversation:

**This was all sparked by Cameron telling me he'd like my hair dyed red, like when we met ( á la Kirsten Dunst in Spiderman) & so I figured I'd go for something I liked. **

Me: I'll get red hair and you can get a motorcycle. ( I sent him this picture)

Fair enough.

Cameron: ha

Me: Bwaha.

Cameron: I would love to get a motorcycle

Me:I know.My libido would not mind you getting a motorcycle. My wife brain on the other hand, might get a little panic-y.

Cameron: ha. don't worry. we can't afford one

Me: What? We're not millionaires?

Cameron: sorry to let you know of that

Me: Boo.

We're funny.

Another reason to love denim shirts...

2010-07-17T01:14:00.000-07:00

...Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. Which, by the way, is crazy good.

Daggett.

2010-07-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

There have been many cats in my life. Cats of all sizes. Cats of all temperaments. Cats of all colors. However, there has only been one Daggett. He was, at his heaviest, 35 pounds. An orange orb of a feline that had a meow the size of a kitten's. It was the first week of 9th grade when my Mom took all four of us down to a pet store on the boulevard to pick out a kitten. My brother, Andy instantly had his eye on a sassy pumpkin-colored kitten. We named him Daggett Norbert Berry. We were big fans of Angry Beavers, if you couldn't tell. Daggett was a scrappy kitten. He would chase Andy across the living room- he always did like Andy best. They've had a special bond from the beginning. I think Daggett always knew it was Andy who picked him. Daggett became the man of a thousand names, his most well known moniker being "Babyman". I started calling him "Sugar-booby" after watching some sort of Beach/Surfer/1960's movie where a mobster called his girlfriend that. It just seemed appropriate. We would have informal naming competitions and see what we could come up with for him. He was an excellent muse.

I don't know at what point Daggett became a fat cat. I was in 10th grade, I think. He was monsterous. Placed on several diets, nothing seemed to really lower the numbers on the scale for Babyman. That didn't matter though, you see, Daggett had a woman. She loved him no matter the size. My Mom found Weezer in the parking lot at church on a Tuesday night. I came back out to the car to get a drink of soda and there was my Mom feeding a stray, fluffy white cat part of her Del Taco burrito. I dubbed her Weezer after the CD sitting on the dashboard. Weezer and Daggett became inseperable. Even when Weezer had a litter of kittens (not fathered by Daggett, who sadly had nothing but a pair of fluff balls), Daggett took care of them when Weezer became ill. He did draw the line at nursing them. He wasn't quite equipped for that.

Daggett was a star in our household. Friends would tell other friends about the monstrosity that was Babyman and tell them to ask to see him next time they were over. He would come mosey on out from somewhere to the shock and delight of everyone who saw him. People were drawn to him... he was a very charismatic dude. My kids could not get enough of him, I think they liked him because he was the only cat who couldn't get away from them. He was also the only cat that could act as a beanbag chair. He was tolerant and loving, even of the youngest cat admirer.

Yesterday I got a text from my Mom that Babyman has gone onto the big cat heaven in the sky. I don't feel like I got to give him a proper good-bye the last time I saw him. I knew he was going to the vet, but I thought "Oh, I'll see him again." So I gave him my typical greeting and loves, but not a proper good-bye. I'm sort of kicking myself for that. Daggett has been there through all of my major life events the past 12 years. High school dances, break-ups, meeting Cameron, getting married, having babies, etc. When I told Josiah about Daggett, he cried and said "Can we just look at pictures of him?" To make me feel better Cameron told me this: "Daggett didn't go to domestic cat heaven. He went to big cat heaven, with the panthers and lions." I couldn't agree more.

Daggett was a common thread for our whole family. That might seem extreme to some of you, but you probably aren't really pet people. We are. Every animal that comes through our lives has a personality, an attitude and place in our hearts. None of them bigger and badder than Babyman.

I'll miss you Sugar-Booby.

We don't need no education.

2010-07-15T03:35:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking about the first time I watched The Wall. I was in high school and my Mom rented it for me. Half way through my Dad said "This is totally different when you're not stoned."

Of all the amazing imagery in that movie, the part that sticks with me the most is when Pink shaves his nipples off.

Quality time with Mom & Dad.

Freaks and Geeks

2010-07-13T02:06:00.000-07:00

Since I starting watching Freaks & Geeks, I've had a few dreams where I was back in high school. In one such dream I was riding on the bus with James Franco's character, Daniel (he doesn't ride the bus anyway) and he was totally crushin' on me, but I was like "No way. I'm going to get married someday." I love that my dreams are still incredibly grounded in reality. I'm so sensible.

It seems that all my favorite shows are cancelled or they get cancelled and then return many years later (I'm looking at you FUTURAMA!). In my adulthood I'm discovering that most TV genius is not truly appreciated by the masses. How could pure brilliance like Arrested Development only last 3 seasons? Freaks and Geeks only one? It's unfair. I'm also wondering why these shows were on when I was in high school and really didn't watch TV? I would have been one more audience member! I would urge you to watch Freaks and Geeks. It's. just. so. good.

P.S. For those of you that fall into the "geek" category, F&Gs has the special bonus of including guest stars Joel Hodgson & Trace Beaulieu.

SCORES

2010-07-08T02:46:00.000-07:00

A few good scores this week while shopping:

At Vons on Saturday, I stocked up on meat. I got $50 worth of meat for $17.21!!

I got 3 free boxes of Crystal Light at Target with my Vocal Point coupons. They were on price cut for $1.97, the coupons were $2/1

2 Gallons of milk at CVS using ECBs & Real California Milk Coupons for $1.48

Frozen Veggies at Henry's from Cascadian Farms for .50¢ each with coupons.

Healthy Choice Frozen Meals for .95¢ each at Target!

Armor All Tire Shine & Clean Wipes at Target for .49¢ each! They are normally $5.00 each.

Johnson's & Johnson's Baby oil for .33¢ at Target

I even hit up the Kmart doubler event at my local store. I'm not a big fan of Kmart, they seem to be rather mamby pamby with their coupon policies and their employees are not terribly informed about events and policies. I braved my store and walked out with free Advil PM, Gilette Body wash for .49¢ each and Secret Deodorant for .79¢. The cashier that helped me was very sweet, but knew nothing of the event until she talked to a manager. I can't say so much for the gathering of other employees at the customer service desk... I just can't stand professionalism. They were standing around chatting about personal things that weren't appropriate for work. I went online to fill out a survey from my receipt and let Kmart know, and their customer service actually called and apologized for the experience I had! That shocked me! I'm really glad they did, it gives me more confidence in the corporation.

Oh- tomorrow the kids and I are hitting up Chick-fil-A for their cow appreciation day. If you dress like a cow, you get a free meal! If you "accessorize" with cow items, you get a free entree. If you need a little help, they have a "cow kit" online for you to print out. Have fun!

Girly.

2010-06-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

It's slowly dawning on me that I will soon have a 2 year old. I've had one before, but I traded him in for a 3 year old. Baby Mae will no longer truly be Baby Mae.

Today Mae decided to injure herself. I think she over extended her knee or something (as diagnosed by Dr. Nichole Baird over Facebook). She came limping in to me. She couldn't bear any weight on it. For as dainty as Mae pretends to be, she is brutal. She has injured herself numerous times and done a good job at it. She may like Princesses, but she will take you down like Hulk Hogan. She seriously walked out of one room, into another, whimpered a little and came out limping. Less than 30 seconds folks and I've got a potential crisis on my hands. To distract her I sat her in the tub with me while I showered. After I was done, I took her out, wrapped her in a towel and propped her on the counter. I grabbed the hair dryer out of the drawer and proceeded to blow dry my 2 year old's very curly, very crazy hair. It was straight! She kept looking at herself in the mirror and saying "Hair?".

Let me just say that the sheer joy that I experienced while blow drying my daughter's hair was ridiculous. I revel in having a little girl. I thought the feeling would fade, but I adore all things girly for her. The day we found out we were having a girl, I rushed to Babies R Us and bought dresses. Her closet was constantly re-organized & planned for optimum outfit choosing before she was born. I packed her diaper bag full for the hospital because I wanted to dress her up! I bought hair bands, socks, shoes, dresses, even an newborn infant sized bathing suit that she wore only twice. When I would get her ready for the first few weeks of her life, it took me 20 minutes to chose what she was going to wear. It was very carefully coordinated. I still am purely delighted when I buy her clothes or dress her up. She loves to have her nails painted, her hair done and to wear something "pretty" as she says. She is that girl. The girl that I prayed for and I wanted so very much. I am grateful for her, even if she is a little monster sometimes. Let's not sugarcoat that... ;) Here's to Princess Mae!

Fantastic.

2010-06-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am distracted by Star Wars. Don't judge me.

Wordless Wednesday: Josiah the Storyteller.

2010-06-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

Fight! Fight! Fight!

2010-06-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

I got in an internet fight today.

Shame one me.

I'm not usually that person.
In the end I was told I was judgmental. That it wasn't a Christian's job to tell another Christian when they're screwing up. Basically I was being judged by someone else who thought I was being judgmental. Does that make sense? Well, anyway I thought I would post my response to this person who told me that "it wasn't our job to tell people their sins, it was Christ's job." It is slightly edited to take out a few personal notes that wouldn't be appropriate on here.

I initially responded this post left about Constance McMillin (a lesbian student who was denied entry to her own prom with her girlfriend, she is now being honored at the White House):

she should stay at the wh with all the other freaks [sic]

Here's my response:

@Robin Really? That's what you have to say to someone who is probably very confused & very hurt? You are the person that gives the rest of us a bad name. I'm not quite sure where in the Bible it says to make fun of a teenager who is confused & hurting.. I just looked at your Facebook page to see if you were a young, naive person who was trying to be funny. You're not. You're an adult. You need to spiritually and emotionally grow up.
Don't be so horrible. See people the way Jesus would. Call them out on their sin, but love them.

Then someone else joined the conversation and decided to let me know that I was judgmental:

Sounds like a whole lot of judgement is being flung between those who are commenting and towards this girl. We are not called to judge. To simply be examples in the world and to have our actions speak as Christ does to our heart. People need to look at their logs before pointing out splinters. Myself included... PS it isn't our job to "call ppl out" on their sin. That's Christ's job. You wouldn't walk up to a random person in the store and "show them right vs wrong" so why do it when you have a screen to hide behind..

My response:

Here's the thing, we're told to call other Christians to the mat when they're doing something wrong. That's Biblical (1 Corinthians 4:14). There is a big difference between saying I was judging someone and knowing that I was admonishing (the origin of the word admonish is "to urge by warning") them.
I am not someone who comments on FB pages like this. I usually ignore them. While I felt passionate about the subject, I did not write my comment with any malice or lack of knowledge about the log in my own eye. (I'm the first to realize my own state of sin nature and that I would not be who I am but by the Grace of God).
Perhaps I didn't use the right word, but we aren't suppose to just "be OK" with someone's sin. But we are suppose to love them and show them every compassion. We shouldn't compromise on someone's sin.
I'm thinking of Jesus and the adulteress from John 8. Jesus gives us a great example of how to love a sinner being attacked by the religious. In verse 11, he doesn't condemn her, he forgives her, but he tells her to sin no more. That's what I was going for. Sorry if that got lost in my writing.
Phew. That's quite a bit out of me. Back to Mommy duties. ;)

I thought I did alright. I used the Bible, I was nice. I tried to give it a little levity at the end. A good message board troll I would not make.

I'm done. Done for the night.