Losing Weight [of the emotional kind]

A few years ago, when we were staying in the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis, our little family was playing in the "game room". A teen boy and his father came in to hang out. They were waiting for the shuttle to pick them up and take them to the grocery store.

At some point, the conversations turned to the fact that we had a car. You see, we don't live far enough away that it warrants flying to Memphis, so we have to drive. This particular family's situation was the opposite--which meant they had flown into town and were without a car. The father began telling us how terrible it was to rely on the hospital shuttle for things like going to the grocery store. Both I and my husband got the distinct impression he was asking for a ride...without actually asking.

For whatever reason, neither of us offered said ride. The man eventually got a little huffy and puffy, and left the game room.

Looking back, this moment fills me with guilt and shame. Oh sure, we had lots of reasons to NOT help. What if we needed our car? What if Emma needed to go to the hospital for something (and this was a legitimate concern, as these kids can literally be A-OK one minute and extremely sick the next)? We couldn't offer a ride...could we?



We talked about this man recently, remembering how we had the means to help but didn't. We decided that if we were ever in the same situation again, we would definitely help. The Bible tells us to not withhold good when it is in our power to give it. I had to let go of my guilt over the situation--truthfully, it wasn't that big of an issue. He got his ride to the grocery store and all was well. But.

Do you have any "silly" regrets like this? Any resolve to not let it happen again? Share them here and we can help each other learn :).

The Kindness of Others

Look up. That's right, there at that countdown clock. Do you see the number "5" in the month column? Yay! We have less than 6 months left in this thing. CAN. NOT. WAIT.  :)

This journey has been long. There have been times I have felt alone. Left out. Sad. Down. Depressed.

Times when I thought  no one understood what I was going through. Angry that everyone didn't have to go through my struggles, and angry that they got to go on with their lives while mine was at a terrible standstill.

During these times something usually bopped me over the head (God, I presume) and reminded me to count my blessings. Okay, I should use present tense here. WHEN these times come, because they still do.

When I stop to count my blessings I'm always awed by the kindness of people. We have been richly blessed by our friends, family, and church family, and I want to make sure they all know it! Big thanks to each and every one of you who has prayed for us, offered us words of encouragement, sent gifts to us or our girls, or done a world of other good.

Recently a wonderful lady we go to church with brought us a gift (pic below). It came out of the blue, and reminded me of the kindness of others. Once again, it made me want to do more to help people who are hurting.

What about you? I encourage you to do something nice for someone today :)

As an aside, we've signed up once again for St. Jude's Give thanks. Walk. If you would like to help sponsor our walk you can click the link at the top of the page!

Spend little...Give lots!

I am super excited to combine two things I love to pay it forward to those in need.  That's right, I'm talking about couponing and the Ronald McDonald House.  We recently made the decision to start buying items to donate to the RMH on our next trip to Memphis.  We wanted to help those families who were struggling, whether new, old, or just there. 

I remember all the months I spent there, and how my head wasn't quite screwed on straight.  I remember my skin getting so dry it peeled.  Looking back I think, why didn't I just go buy some lotion at WalMart?  The answer is because simple things like that didn't enter my mind--it was too full with life and death, medication schedules, and doctor's visits.  Occasionally very kind people would bring in loads of donations.  The donations varied, but usually consisted of things like body wash, deodorant, kid's pajamas, coloring books and crayons, baby diapers and wipes, shampoo, etc.

Along with my couponing sister, I decided to use stores' sales and coupons to stock up on items that will help other families who have the lights on but no one home.  This week I scored six large bottles of men's bodywash for $.46 a piece!  I spent $2.76 and will help up to six families. 

I encourage you all to do the same...spend a little, but give a lot.  You many not live near a RMH, but there are other charities that would gladly take your donations. Think of local children's hospitals, churches, food banks, or homeless shelters.  With that in mind, here are a few tips for couponing!

*Use the internet to look for sales, and then look for coupons on those items (this is how I scored the $.46 body wash).

*Use sites like The Krazy Coupon Lady to do all the hard work for you.  They list the store, what's on sale that week, and what coupons are available for those items.  Another site like this is Coupon Diva.

*Some of the best stores to get great deals (at least where I live) are Publix, CVS, and Walgreens.  They all have their sales ads online.

*Buy a Sunday paper.  They have the BEST coupons.

Happy couponing!