The CVS Bandwagon & So Much More

I decided to jump on the CVS bandwagon last week and then fell off this week, just kidding! Anyhoo, I think I did pretty well last week, but this week probably not. I realize that it doesn't have to be a weekly event, but I just got so excited! Last week I got 2 tubes of Colgate toothpaste (I had a $1.50 off coupon for each of them) and a lip gloss. The toothpaste earned me $2.00 EBCs each and the lip gloss $5.99. So I paid a total of $9.98 which included tax and got $9.99 back in EBCs. Not bad! Now this week I don't think I did as well, but that's okay. What I considered to be the decent deals I would have had to do by Monday and our schedule just wouldn't allow it. I was just going to skip it totally this week, but we had some needs and I figured that since we are watching our pennies pretty closely these days (by the way Sam had three interviews this past week that went very well) I would use my EBCs to buy what we needed. I ended up getting three big bottles of Suave shampoo/conditioner, an eight bar pack of Irish Spring and two Speed Stick deodorants (these were buy one get one free and I had a coupon). I ended up using my $9.99 EBCs from the first week and paying $5.07 out of pocket, and earned 4 EBCs. You can see why this week wasn't that great, but I was able to get some things we needed for less than what I would pay elsewhere. I realized afterwards that if I would have purchased each thing in a separate trip my out of pocket would have only been a dollar or two. Oh well! You learn as you go right! All you experts out there are more than welcome to leave your advice in the comments section.

For all of you that have been praying for Sam's job situation, THANK YOU! As I mentioned above he had three interviews each with different companies this past week. This has been such an encouragement to us! All went very well and Sam left each interview with them letting him know that they would be contacting him to set up more interviews. It's been neat to see the Lord work in our lives through this recent trial. He is so good to teach us! I'm realizing more and more the benefits that come from laying all my desires on the altar and just wanting Him and His will! He shows me daily the little things that I keep holding onto and also new things that I didn't see before, but need to be laid on the altar also. I'm also realizing how easy it is to let this world dictate what "success" really is! Am I where the Lord wants me, doing what He has for me to do, having an attitude that pleases Him and learning the lessons He has for me? I'm learning that being in that place is the meaning of success. I'm so thankful for Lord and the compassion He pours out on our little lives and hearts! He is so good and faithful! The day that Sam got the call which was his first interview (second was one of the three this past week) was the day that both Sam and I were struggling to stay encouraged. I would say that up until that point one of us would be strong and lifting up the other, but that day we were both struggling. I remember continually praying and confessing to the Lord that I knew I shouldn't feel this way because I knew He was taking care of us and was going to continue taking care of us. Not ten minutes later the phone rang. Isn't our God so great! The one day we were both down He showed us His compassion in a very real way. I love Him for that! This trial has not only drawn us closer to Him, but also to each other and closer as a family. I've been so humbled and touched to see how the Lord has intertwined this trial, the Bible studies I'm involved in, and my personal reading to bless me in a very personal way as well as my marriage and my family! I realize that interviews don't always equal job offers, but we thank the Lord for the encouragement just the same. We aren't out of the woods yet, but I treasure the rays of sonlight that God has allowed to shine through! Thanks again for all your prayers! Please continue on with us as well as in praising Him for all that He has done!