I choose

Dr. Kevin Leman, author of the book Have a New Kid by Friday, advocates the approach of "respond, don't react" when dealing with children.  I was listening to a discussion on the radio this weekend in which the guest mentioned this same concept, except in regards to the workplace.  I'd like to take it a step further and apply it to life situations in general.  


We already know that we're children, the beloved children, of the Lord.  Therefore, we know two things for a fact:  first of all, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified ... for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6); also, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).


So, we WILL face trials, and the Lord will NEVER leave us, even during the toughest times. Just as we (parents) want only the best for our children, so the Lord wants us to become mature and complete, sometimes through the testing of our faith in him.  I always love to remember the "Footprints in the Sand" poem when I'm facing a difficult time because it reminds me that the Lord doesn't desert us, as it may appear, when we're dealing with difficulties; he carries us through these trials.


Since I know trials will come, both seemingly insignificant and apparently impossible to surmount, I CHOOSE to position myself to respond, not react.  Reaction implies a rash judgment and equally immature answer.  Response denotes a levelheaded thought process and carefully delivered answer.  In all things, we have the chance to do either.  If we are to be in control of our thoughts (and therefore actions), as 2 Corinthians 10:5 commands, we must choose to respond to situations that are thrown our way.


"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Grocery Price Comparison

I've developed a way to catalog the groceries we purchase most frequently and keep track of their prices (and unit prices).  I use multiple spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel, but OpenOffice.org is EXCELLENT and free.  I will show you our system and explain step-by-step how we do it.

• Compile a list of your most frequently bought items.  Ways to do this are to check your kitchen and pantry, read old grocery lists, look at saved receipts, or, if you have the time, go to your favorite grocery store(s) and write your list there.  You will undoubtedly add and subtract things in the future, so don't worry about this list being exhaustive.

• The most time-consuming step is to visit your favorite stores with this list and write down all the prices.  Keep in mind that prices fluctuate, so you'll be editing the numbers based on sales, coupons, etc.  Write down the UNIT price and note the size of the item.  Also write down the brand (or write generic).  Unit prices can be found on the price tag:  

• Open a new spreadsheet (I titled mine "grocery price list").  Decide how you want to organize your list.  If you coupon, I suggest using the same categories here as you do in your coupon organization system.  I use food, cleaning, health, beauty, baby, pets and home&office.  I have a different worksheet page for each.  To add a new page, click on the starred page icon as shown below. It can be found at the bottom of your screen.  To rename the worksheet, quickly double-click on top of the name you want to change (for example, "Sheet2," as shown below) and type in the new name.

• In your first column, list the products. In the next columns, list the stores where you shop.  In each row, list the price of the item at each store.  Note whether it was on sale, with a coupon, etc. This way, you'll know the high and low price points for each item.

• Add new items to the bottom of your list because you can always alphabetize them after.  *These instructions are for Excel users.* To do this, highlight the column you would like to alphabetize (all the rest of the data linked to each row will stay attached to the proper row).  Click on the "Data" tab at the top of the program.  Look for the "Sort & Filter" box.  In it, you'll see a button with an A and Z and down arrow.  Click this. The program will ask if you want to expand the selection to include the price data, and you do.  

Now it's just a matter of keeping you lists updated.  Happy shopping!

Ideas

I'm working on a list of ideas for posts. Right now, topics include:

• learning styles
• cloth diapering
• breastfeeding
• natural living
• DIY projects
• pregnancy
• thrifty shopping
• budgeting
• outdoor adventures
• poetry
• baking/cooking

Why B Loved?

We are the beloved of the Lord.  In chapter 33 of Deuteronomy, Moses speaks a blessing over the Israelites. About Benjamin he says (verse 12), 
"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, 
   for he shields him all day long, 
   and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders."

"Lamb of God" by James Seward

There are so many other facets to the reason I chose this name, but this is the apex.  If we remember nothing else, we must keep in mind that the Lord loves us as his own.  No matter what the situation, he is in control AND he does all things out of his unconditional love for us.  No attack of the enemy, no lie, no report can defeat us if we rest on the shoulders of the Almighty!