Tomato Basil Wheat Thins

This week I have been meaning to make a post but there has been zero time. Many things have happened and work has been crazy. I missed a day of work so I'm making up the hours. Ahhhh!

I had my first coupon experience this past weekend! I printed a lot of coupons out from the internet and I was so excited as I separated them according to expiration date. I went on to the Coupon Mom website and learned about what was on sale that week and everything. When I finally went grocery shopping, (cause I do that every other week) I shopped and shopped and when I got to the counter to pay I had $7.25 worth of coupons and I saved $15.00 or so with my Kroger plus card and I saved .12 by just using my own reusable grocery bags. When I looked at the receipt my total savings were $22.46!!! I was flipping out! Ok, so now that that's out of the way I can move on to more pressing matters. I'm not sure if there is anything more pressing but it sounded cool.

Saturday through Wednesday I experienced my first house sitting job. It was pretty awesome. I lived in someone else's house and sat for these 2 incredibly awesome dogs, Sammy and Daisy. The house I stayed in was HUGE. I'll just state right now that I have never stepped a foot in a house that BIG. It was cool but at the same time it made me think about somethings that I have been thinking about lately.

I truly believe that God has placed it in my heart to live simply. (Disclaimer: I am definitely not knocking on rich people. There are a lot of good rich people out there. I love rich people! Just like I love everyone else, this is just a personal thing with me.) Anyway, I really feel that I must live a simple life. One of my reasons is that if I do not and I begin to accumulate and buy things then I will fall into a mess and begin to want more and more "things." I don't want to be one of those people who puts "things" above everything else. I don't need to buy the latest gizmo to be happy. I can live without it. I especially started thinking this way after I came back from my 2 month mission trip to the DR Congo, Africa. I never realized how much I would be changed after that trip. I took 5 sets of clothes to Africa(which is still a ton more than a lot of people). I have a closest full of clothes here in America that I don't need. Of course I need clothes, but not so many. I probably have 40 or so summer and spring shirts and to me that's ridiculous! I am slowly getting rid of t-shirts.

When I came back from Africa, I went shopping with my friends from college. I was ready to go to the mall and buy a few shirts and such, but when I got there, I thought I was going to throw up. I really did. My friends were asking me why I wasn't buying anything (because I usually bought something every time I went to the mall) and I just said that the mall was just too overwhelming for me. When I set foot into one specific store and saw the hundreds and hundreds of shirts, pants, shoes, and jewelry, I couldn't help but to think of all the people I had met in the DR Congo. Many had been shirtless, and shoeless. There were so many who only owned 1 or 2 shirts and wore them constantly through the week. I was appalled at our society and our spending! I thought that what I had growing up was little and when I went to Africa I truly realized how much I have. (Growing up I had everything I needed and more) I want to be Christ-like. I want to live on what he gives me and I want to give my life to help others. My goal is always to become like Christ.

I gave a box of tomato basil wheat thins to a homeless guy today at a red light. Maybe I shouldn't have because I know that our city is trying to get the homeless to go to shelters and stuff but maybe that's just for giving out money. Not sure. When I first pulled up, I looked at him and then immediately looked away, as most of us do. I felt so guilty for looking away like he was trash and I thought about the song, "Every Man" by Casting Crowns. I thought about the lyrics and thought, how am I better than him? I'm not any better than that man on the street. And then I thought about what Jesus would have done in the same situation and I know he would have helped him no matter what the case was.

I thought I would give a shout-out to my sister Hailey here. She is 14 and she is a wonderful, Christian girl. She struggles like everyone else but she is steadfast in following Christ. I am so proud of her. Let your light shine! Everyone is going to mess up every now and then but don't let that get you down because Jesus can bring out of the mire.

That's all for now.
Later virtual world.
Erin.