Can I just say that last week was a W-E-E-K in every sense of the word (I had to stretch out the word week, to elongate what it really was like for my family). It was trying, painful (at times), and exhausting. I typically have great weeks, but when things happen to the ones I love, I suffer too. It's about carrying each other's burdens. WHEW.
Trey and I began our devotional last night and as we entered into the next chapter entitled "parenting," we both looked at each other and basically thought (out loud), "lets skip this weeks and go to the next chapter." Can I just say that I am glad we didn't! It was timely and exactly what we needed to hear. Just like God!
I, typically, am not a worrier. When it comes to money, I can be, but when I realize that I am being a good steward of what He has entrusted me with then worry flies right out the window. I don't seem to have a problem casting my worries, cares, or fears. Who better to listen and handle the situation than God? Men fail, but God does not.
NOW, Back to last night's devotional. Let me sum it up in a nutshell: a little boy had wandered to the edge of a boat dock and had fallen into the water (first thing I thought was, "Where were his parents and why was he allowed to wander alone by water?"). When his parents heard the "splash," his dad bolted to the water and jumped in. As he swam to find his 3 year old son, fear gripping his heart, he was finally able to locate him. His son just so happened to be holding on to a pillar WHILE UNDER the water. His dad asked him, "Son, what are you doing?" The son replied, "Just waiting on you, dad?" On a side note, Trey and I both laughed out loud. I could picture the scene in my head. A sweet little 3 year old boy, with such innocence, was responding with such confidence and faith in his father. W-O-W!
Do you see where I am going with this?
How many times is our heavenly Father wanting to rescue us, but we fail to hold on and wait long enough for His embrace? We can easily look in ALL the wrong places for our answers. Christian or not, we are all still human. Maybe you allow the worry and fears of other people to grip you to the point where you are choking underneath the water. They are human, too. Sometimes you just have to ignore the negativity of people and hold on and wait until your Father comes to your rescue. How do you wait? Glad you asked. Pray without ceasing. Fast. Annoint your loved ones with oil. Plead the blood of Jesus over your situation. Get on your knees. BUT don't stop waiting for Him.
Just like the earthly father in this story, heart pounding and all, was determined to grab a hold of his son, how much more do you think the Lord is willing and waiting to do the same thing for you and me? If my memory serves me correct, God's love for us outweighs the love our own parents have for us or anyone else for that matter. So, why do we make it so diffiult? Why is it easier to love the tangible but not the intangible?
As I examine my ability to lean on Him, I pray that you are challenged by these questions.
JUST HOLD ON!
~Jenni-Shene~
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Here it is...E2E!
The BIG reveal..."Empowered to Empower!"
The end of last year God gave me a vision of what He wanted from me for 2010. Often times we find ourselves making New Year's Resolutions and they usually are all about, "ME, ME, ME, ME, ME." "I gotta hit the gym, I gotta make more time for me, I gotta do this or I gotta do that..." and it typically pertains to ourselves.
But, this year, I wanted my resolution to be different. Specifically, I felt that the LORD wanted my resolution to be about me investing in others. A transfer of power and discipline of sorts. You see, financial freedom is more than just some marketable slogan, it is biblical and empowering. So, that is why I believe God gave me "Empowered to Empower." Here we go...
I got addicted to couponing only after humbling myself. See, I always saw couponing as for the less fortunate, the poor, and the needy. Since I did not see myself in any of those terms, using coupons was mentally written off as time consuming and "below" me. But, through the pruning of the Holy Spirit, God convicted me into a life-altering realization: those who use coupons were the WISE ones and I was the fool. They are wives, home makers, business women, concerned mothers, prudent souls who see frugality as not just a hobby or financial enigma, but as a lifestyle.
The ultimate back-breaking straw for me is found in Matthew 25:15 “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability..." Now, we are all most likely familiar with this parable...but have we ever picked up on the last few words in this verse? God has given to each of us according to our individual abilities! Let me expand this passage a little. Some of you may have heard of "talents" in this passage paralleling "talent" today ( i.e. musical, athletic, etc.). In the Greek, this term literally meant physical possession of financial value. These inidividuals were challenged to invest/spend their money wisely. It is from there that the story and its lesson progresses. God definitely wants us to levy all of our talents for His kingdom as well...but, in this case, let's focus on the financial lesson to be learned.
God knows what it is we can handle and when we can handle it. How do we expect God to entrust us with any more than we can currently bear if we bear it in a way that doesn't honor him? We can't! That is, we can not until we show ourselves approved of our present financial situation. Showing ourselves approved is not merely tithing or giving the occasional offering, although this is the first cobblestone along the journey to financial breakthrough. Our financial well being is a wholistic approach rooted in the very mind of God and His Word.
My husband and I have come a long way over the last year, but I felt the nudge of God on this other issue: grocery shopping. And so, He birthed this idea out of me to share the passion that He has developed in me over the last few months. E2E will be a time of sharing, fellowship, laughter and maybe even some crying ;)! Ultimately, I desire for this group to be a haven for women who want more out of their finances. With God as the nucleus, I foresee this coupon club becoming more than a Friday or Saturday outing! I genuinely want those who attend to leave with a new perspective and a fresh outlook on their own ability and the "talents" God has given them.
This is my prophetic decree over you...
"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations above the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out!"
"The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless ALL the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today, and are careful to observe them."
Deuteronomy 28:1-6 & 28:12-13
In Him,
~Jenni-Lynn~
P.S. I still have a special testimonial to share with you...so just keep checkin' in!
The end of last year God gave me a vision of what He wanted from me for 2010. Often times we find ourselves making New Year's Resolutions and they usually are all about, "ME, ME, ME, ME, ME." "I gotta hit the gym, I gotta make more time for me, I gotta do this or I gotta do that..." and it typically pertains to ourselves.
But, this year, I wanted my resolution to be different. Specifically, I felt that the LORD wanted my resolution to be about me investing in others. A transfer of power and discipline of sorts. You see, financial freedom is more than just some marketable slogan, it is biblical and empowering. So, that is why I believe God gave me "Empowered to Empower." Here we go...
I got addicted to couponing only after humbling myself. See, I always saw couponing as for the less fortunate, the poor, and the needy. Since I did not see myself in any of those terms, using coupons was mentally written off as time consuming and "below" me. But, through the pruning of the Holy Spirit, God convicted me into a life-altering realization: those who use coupons were the WISE ones and I was the fool. They are wives, home makers, business women, concerned mothers, prudent souls who see frugality as not just a hobby or financial enigma, but as a lifestyle.
The ultimate back-breaking straw for me is found in Matthew 25:15 “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability..." Now, we are all most likely familiar with this parable...but have we ever picked up on the last few words in this verse? God has given to each of us according to our individual abilities! Let me expand this passage a little. Some of you may have heard of "talents" in this passage paralleling "talent" today ( i.e. musical, athletic, etc.). In the Greek, this term literally meant physical possession of financial value. These inidividuals were challenged to invest/spend their money wisely. It is from there that the story and its lesson progresses. God definitely wants us to levy all of our talents for His kingdom as well...but, in this case, let's focus on the financial lesson to be learned.
God knows what it is we can handle and when we can handle it. How do we expect God to entrust us with any more than we can currently bear if we bear it in a way that doesn't honor him? We can't! That is, we can not until we show ourselves approved of our present financial situation. Showing ourselves approved is not merely tithing or giving the occasional offering, although this is the first cobblestone along the journey to financial breakthrough. Our financial well being is a wholistic approach rooted in the very mind of God and His Word.
My husband and I have come a long way over the last year, but I felt the nudge of God on this other issue: grocery shopping. And so, He birthed this idea out of me to share the passion that He has developed in me over the last few months. E2E will be a time of sharing, fellowship, laughter and maybe even some crying ;)! Ultimately, I desire for this group to be a haven for women who want more out of their finances. With God as the nucleus, I foresee this coupon club becoming more than a Friday or Saturday outing! I genuinely want those who attend to leave with a new perspective and a fresh outlook on their own ability and the "talents" God has given them.
This is my prophetic decree over you...
"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations above the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out!"
"The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless ALL the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today, and are careful to observe them."
Deuteronomy 28:1-6 & 28:12-13
In Him,
~Jenni-Lynn~
P.S. I still have a special testimonial to share with you...so just keep checkin' in!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Crime Scene Investigation...
This was the crime scene that Trey and I came home to this afternoon...
Detectives Shennie Shen and Jenni-Lynn were at first significantly perplexed by their findings.
You see, the crate began the day in the corner, flush with the wall...and the ironing board was standing behind it, wedged between it and the wall and the washing machine. The obvious culprit was our 4 pound Shih Tzu (Nala); yet, she was no where on the scene. Both detectives searched the laundry room, high and low, finding no Nala. With sunken hearts and on the verge of hanging caution tape and calling in the homicide team, here came Nala from the other side of the house with a "what's up mom and dad?" smirk on her face. We scanned the house to find two locations of restroom usage and several things not where we left them, but other than that, we guess she played queen for the day.
The weird question was, how did she escape exactly? In my best Sherlock Holmes interpretation, she must have shimmied up the ironing board to its highest point, scaled to the top of the crate, and then leapt to the lip of the baby gate, plummeting to the other side. I checked for injuries and found none. These two gumshoes have been duped by an 11 week old puppy.
We're just glad she is OK and will obviously have to rethink the laundry room kenneling as an option.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Rite Aid...R-O-C-K-S!!!
I had such a pleasant experience shopping at Rite Aid over the past couple of days and this is why....
I know what you are thinking...what's up with ALL the maxi pads??? Well, they were FREE! lol
This is what I bought:
(1) Oral B Cross Action Power Toothbrush=FREE (after single rebate checks)
(1) Kotex Maxi Pads= .99
(8) StayFree Maxi Pads= FREE
(8) Nivea Lip Care= FREE
(4) 4-packs GE Light bulbs=FREE (after single rebate checks)
(1) Carmex= .99
(1) Listerine Vanilla Mint Mouthwash= made .50
(1) Tylenol Cold & Flu= $2.99 (after single rebate checks)
(1) Tylenol 8 hour= $1.99 (after single rebate checks)
(2) Loreal Facial Cleanser= $2.19 each
(1) Lipgloss= $1.99
(1) Eye liner= .59
(2) Nutra Nail Max Strengthener= $1.99
(2) Neosporin w/ cream and 3 band aids in each box= $3.99 for both
(2) boxes of Band aids (sheer)= $1.69
WHEW...I think I got everything! What I should have spent before store specials and coupons...$199.41. I know you are probably thinking, "that's INSANE!" It is. I would NEVER spend that kind of money at Rite Aid, Walgreens or even CVS. But the beauty of it all... is that I didn't; in fact, I paid no where near that amount..By the way, that should just show you how expensive places like this are....BUT with coupons, anything is possible! ;) Isn't that in Scripture somewhere?!?!?!
I know what you are thinking...what's up with ALL the maxi pads??? Well, they were FREE! lol
This is what I bought:
(1) Oral B Cross Action Power Toothbrush=FREE (after single rebate checks)
(1) Kotex Maxi Pads= .99
(8) StayFree Maxi Pads= FREE
(8) Nivea Lip Care= FREE
(4) 4-packs GE Light bulbs=FREE (after single rebate checks)
(1) Carmex= .99
(1) Listerine Vanilla Mint Mouthwash= made .50
(1) Tylenol Cold & Flu= $2.99 (after single rebate checks)
(1) Tylenol 8 hour= $1.99 (after single rebate checks)
(2) Loreal Facial Cleanser= $2.19 each
(1) Lipgloss= $1.99
(1) Eye liner= .59
(2) Nutra Nail Max Strengthener= $1.99
(2) Neosporin w/ cream and 3 band aids in each box= $3.99 for both
(2) boxes of Band aids (sheer)= $1.69
WHEW...I think I got everything! What I should have spent before store specials and coupons...$199.41. I know you are probably thinking, "that's INSANE!" It is. I would NEVER spend that kind of money at Rite Aid, Walgreens or even CVS. But the beauty of it all... is that I didn't; in fact, I paid no where near that amount..By the way, that should just show you how expensive places like this are....BUT with coupons, anything is possible! ;) Isn't that in Scripture somewhere?!?!?!
Now for the moment you have all been waiting for...the total!
I spent $17.90 :) FABULOUS. I KNOW.
Also, Rite Aid is hosting the game of LIFE...You all remeber the board game, right?!?!? I LOVE it! It is basically like Monoply at McDonald's...you buy products that are marked with a Life game piece in the ad and you collect them to win! FUN stuff.
With ALL that being said...I will be starting a "Coupon Club" in the very near future. I will post more details in my next blog...so stay tuned! God has really given me a vision of some things I would like to see happen in the lives of the women around me, and I would love for you to be a part of it! So, you will not want to miss my next blog. I will have a guest blogger who will impart to you all an incredible testimony of some serious discipline and God's favor. Ha! That's all I am going to say about that!
I hope you were inspired and most of all intrigued by this blog. I will close with this...
E2E
This is my New Year's Resolution! ( I will explain what E2E means in my next blog)...I know. So suspenseful. But It will be well worth the wait! (Well, atleast I think so) ;)
In Him,
~Jenni-Lynn~
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Gotta love a deal...
Coupons, Coupons and more Coupons...or should I say,
SAVINGS, SAVINGS, and MORE SAVINGS!
I LOVE coupons and have used them in the past, but thanks to my sister-in-law, I am a little bit more savvy thanks to her and http://www.southernsavers.com/. There are misconceptions out there about coupons but I am here to tell you that they are not true. You can use coupons on HEALTHY items!!!
Trey and I try to be good stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to us and we try to practice this in every area of our lives, including grocery shopping. It is a shame to think that people spend lots of money on groceries. That, quite honestly, is not necessary. All it takes is a little time and effort and you could be saving your family thousands of dollars a year, SERIOUSLY. I hope that what I break down for you will help you see grocery shopping in a new light...If you are interested in learning more I am thinking about starting a coupon club...Sounds silly, I know, but I think it would be a lot of fun to have ladies get together for a night or two a month to chat and cut coupons. There is always swapping coupons, too!!!
Ok. So grocery break down time:
(2) Dove deodorants= FREE
(2) Glade candles (The fragrance collection)= they owed me $3.50
(1) Scotties box of tissues= FREE
(1) Colgate toothbrush=FREE
(2) bottles of Infusim Shampoo/Conditioner= $1.99 for both
(2) Fresh Express bagged salads= .95 each
(1) 55 ct. Force Flex tall kitchen bags= $4.49
(2) Green Valley Fresh Steamers (veggies)= .39 each
(1) Land of Lakes butter LIGHT= .89
(2) Wishbone Salad Dressings= .60 each
(2) Digorno 200 Calorie Pizza's= $1.99 each
(1) Revlon eye shadow= $1.99
(1) Tylenol Cold-Day time= .99
(1) Tylenol Cold-Night time= .99
(2) boxes (20 ct.) of Herbal Tea= .80 each
(1) Glade Plug-in Nightlight Warmer= FREE
(1) Robitussin Cough Syrup= $2.99
(2) Glade Oil Refills= $2.99 for both
(4) 2 liters of soda= .79 each
(1) paper= $1.87
(1) box of Dream Pasta= they owed me .09
(1) Blue Bonnet Margarine sticks= .69
I think I got everything on here...
My total was $120.12...I paid $27.37 before taxes!!! YOU SEE, COUPONS ARE SOOOOO WORTH IT! I hope you were inspired to jump on the coupon bandwagon :)
Merry Christmas,
~Jenni~
Monday, December 7, 2009
10 months, today! 12-7-09
Trey and I are celebrating 10 months today! These last 10 months have been filled with plenty of ups and downs for being newlyweds. I feel like we have encountered in 10 months what others would take 5 years to go through, but we realize that it's by the grace of God we stand here today; our feet placed on a solid Rock. We are stronger now than we have ever been!!! I truly believe that Satan saw a glimpse of our future and decided he was going to leave his mark early on, but he didn't win nor will he EVER!!! We rely on God daily for the needs of our relationship and strive to put Him first always. We know that when our source of life comes from Him first, the real demonstration of love can flow down to each other and saturate our hearts.
This 10 month anniversary was unlike any other. My husband's creativity is remarkable and I LOVE IT! He welcomed me at lunch today with a gift bag filled with goodies...each gift was symbolic of things that made him think of me...ARE YOU READY?!?!?!
Roses: my beauty
Mountain Dew (diet): my energy
M&M's: my sweet spirit
Faith Hill CD: I'm his song
Madea Goes to Jail DVD: my beautiful smile
Candle: my lovely fragrance
Body Wash: my desire to please him
PJ's: my ability to make him comfortable
Starbucks gift card: my favorite coffee place
Picture Frame: the rest of our lives together after our 1st Christmas
SPEECHLESS, was I!!! He never ceases to amaze me. I'm a blessed wife!!!
Thought I would just brag a bit ;)
Pictures to come :)
This 10 month anniversary was unlike any other. My husband's creativity is remarkable and I LOVE IT! He welcomed me at lunch today with a gift bag filled with goodies...each gift was symbolic of things that made him think of me...ARE YOU READY?!?!?!
Roses: my beauty
Mountain Dew (diet): my energy
M&M's: my sweet spirit
Faith Hill CD: I'm his song
Madea Goes to Jail DVD: my beautiful smile
Candle: my lovely fragrance
Body Wash: my desire to please him
PJ's: my ability to make him comfortable
Starbucks gift card: my favorite coffee place
Picture Frame: the rest of our lives together after our 1st Christmas
SPEECHLESS, was I!!! He never ceases to amaze me. I'm a blessed wife!!!
Thought I would just brag a bit ;)
Pictures to come :)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Today was the day...
I'm overcome with emotions as I ponder what these last 9 months could have brought me.
Today was the day that Trey and I were supposed to have a healthy baby (girl), but for whatever reason the joy of bearing a child did not come to pass for us this time. And, the truth is I still don't "feel" any better. I realize one day God will give Trey and I a healthy baby, but at this moment, no other baby will replace my first.
For those of you ladies who have miscarried, I am sure you can relate. It seems like every woman you know gets pregnant when you have lost one. I can tell you I have already gone before God on that one. He has already responded to me too. He never ceases to amaze me. I don't want you to think for one minute that I am not excited for those in my life who are pregnant; I am. It just can get a little overwhelming when I think about "what could have been."
There are no words that can express the heartache that resonates throughout my body. There are no words that can be spoken to alleviate the pain. The truth is that if you say it, I have already thought it.
I have a million thoughts running through my head, and I often think about the events that took place during the week that the doctors think I miscarried. I think about God's hand of provision & protection, and particularly the staff meeting that replaced my original doctor's appointment in which I would have heard the heartbeat.
I can assure you that I will be one momma-to-be who does not complain about the "little" things during my next pregnancy. The reason being, it's those little things that lets you know there is a healthy, growing baby inside of you. I can handle the sickness, the weight gain and the swollen "body parts"...in the end it's all worth it!
The next go around for Trey and I will be alot different from our first "announcement." There are just some things that will remain silent until the proper time.
Thanks for allowing me to express myself...I often find this is the easiest way for me to do so!
To my angel: I love you more than you will every know!
In Him,
~Jenni~
Today was the day that Trey and I were supposed to have a healthy baby (girl), but for whatever reason the joy of bearing a child did not come to pass for us this time. And, the truth is I still don't "feel" any better. I realize one day God will give Trey and I a healthy baby, but at this moment, no other baby will replace my first.
For those of you ladies who have miscarried, I am sure you can relate. It seems like every woman you know gets pregnant when you have lost one. I can tell you I have already gone before God on that one. He has already responded to me too. He never ceases to amaze me. I don't want you to think for one minute that I am not excited for those in my life who are pregnant; I am. It just can get a little overwhelming when I think about "what could have been."
There are no words that can express the heartache that resonates throughout my body. There are no words that can be spoken to alleviate the pain. The truth is that if you say it, I have already thought it.
I have a million thoughts running through my head, and I often think about the events that took place during the week that the doctors think I miscarried. I think about God's hand of provision & protection, and particularly the staff meeting that replaced my original doctor's appointment in which I would have heard the heartbeat.
I can assure you that I will be one momma-to-be who does not complain about the "little" things during my next pregnancy. The reason being, it's those little things that lets you know there is a healthy, growing baby inside of you. I can handle the sickness, the weight gain and the swollen "body parts"...in the end it's all worth it!
The next go around for Trey and I will be alot different from our first "announcement." There are just some things that will remain silent until the proper time.
Thanks for allowing me to express myself...I often find this is the easiest way for me to do so!
To my angel: I love you more than you will every know!
In Him,
~Jenni~
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