DID WE MISS THE POINT ABOUT HOW TO LIVE FOR GOD?

DID WE MISS THE POINT ABOUT HOW TO LIVE FOR GOD?

⁵I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

It took me a long to time realize that these words Jesus spoke in John 15:5 also applies to all areas of the Christian Life. I used to believe that if a person had a strong enough willpower, they could be successful at whatever they set their mind to accomplish. But the wall I kept banging into was the fact that, while some people seemed well equipped to stick to their decisions, alas, I wasn’t one of them.

The moment I said I was going to do this for the Lord that’s when my energy started to drain. It was just a matter of time before my ability proved to be insufficient.
For years I lamented that I did not have a strong enough self-will. I felt cheated and at a disadvantage. Was I, from the beginning, destined to fail, just because I didn’t have the ability to stick to it? Were other people destined to succeed, all because they had a stronger willpower than I did?

But I realized it was folly to think that. God is not a respecter of persons and He did not give some an edge to succeed while others are destined to be less successful. Through Christ, He has given us the power to be over-comers in every area of our lives, and that power is the Holy Spirit of Christ that lives in each of us as Christians.

Over a period of time, the Lord helped me see that it wasn’t about me trying harder or being stronger-willed; it was about recognizing the absolute truth that there is nothing I can do without Him. It was not a sign of weakness to admit it; rather, admitting it set me free from trying to do this thing by myself. What a relief!

When I’m tempted to revert back to my old thoughts of doing it in my own strength, He’ll remind me. He’s the One that gives me the power to be obedient to all of His commands… every time. Abandon yourself by Faith in Him each day and watch how He will empower you to live this amazing Life known as Christianity!

"We have received . . . the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." 1 Corinthians 2:12

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

I thought it might be nice to focus on some thrifty beauty tips today. There area a lot of thrifty ways to get yourself a little beauty treatment.

TEA - I had often used old tea bags to take the puffiness away from my eyes in the morning, but did you know there are more uses?

Defunk the foot - Boil a quart of water and add to it four to five tea bags. Let them steep for about 10 minutes and then remove from the water. Allow the water to cool enough to put your feet in. Soak your feet in the preparation for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, do not rinse just dry off. The tea has tannins in it which have an antibacterial action. I joked that this is a good beauty tip for guys, but honestly I was a waitress for years, and this would have been amazing for me! Remember to put the left over tea bags in the refrigerator to use to de-puff your eyes.

Cooking burn - If you get a light burn when you are cooking, the used tea bags. The tea bags also can be used to draw the painful heat out of minor burns from sunburns to cooking.

For the mouth - The College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago has shown that a black tea rinse can help prevent bad breath. There is also some detail about the rinse preventing some plaque growth as well. Read up on it here: Tea Study
Also green tea has been noted to help with gingivitis.

Face refresher - Dilute brewed tea with water to use as a face splash after shaving for me or as a refresher during the day for women.

That is just the tip of the iceberg of what tea can do. The nice thing is you do not have to buy pricey teas to get the benefits. Any brand will do.

TOOTHPASTE - If you are hit by a bad timing pimple (really is there a good time for a pimple?), treat over night with a dab of toothpaste. Note that is toothpaste in its ordinary form not gels or whitening toothpastes. A few people that I know have said they know people who had a rash from this so you may want to do a patch test like you do with hair color. I have never had a problem and I have very sensitive skin, but again I do not use fancy toothpaste for this remedy. Also toothpaste is wonderful for taking the itch out of a mosquito bites!

HAIR CONDITIONER -

Shaving - This is for the ladies. It may work for men, but I wouldn't know. If you need to shave your legs and do not have shaving cream give conditioner a try. It works really well and softens the skin too. This is definitely better than just using bath s0ap. I have also read that in a pinch you can use Vaseline to shave with (legs or face). The only draw back is the Vaseline is not good for the razors.


RANDOM STUFF

HAIR RECIPE - This is the recipe that I talked about this morning. Seriously, I am hypothyroid and one of the horrible side effects is thinning hair. Anyone with a thyroid condition knows what I am talking about. Being a woman, the last thing I care to lose is my hair. My hair was falling out in clumps every time I showered or even ran my fingers through it. It was really thin on the top and just devastating. I started doing research on essential oils and also aroma therapy and essential oil treatments. Some essential oils should not be used if you are pregnant or may get pregnant so read up on each one before using.

The below recipe is what I have used since the end of October. I cannot guarantee that it will work for you, but I have definitely seen results. I am not a doctor, I'm just a person who had hair issues and wanted to do something about it since nothing was changing. I honestly wasn't sure if I would see results, but I figured why not give it a shot? The first thing I noticed was that my hair was not falling out in clumps like it was before (that was by November). In December it seemed like there was less thinning and by January I definitely noticed new hair growth. This is because previously I had my hair at all one length and I now have little spots with about 2 inches of growth and my parts are not embarrassingly bare anymore.

RECIPE:

4 ounces of jojoba oil (I bought a 4 ounce bottle at the healthfood store)
Lavender essential oil (12 drops per ounce)
Cedar wood essential oil (12 drops per ounce)
Rosemary essential oil (12 drops per ounce)

Drop the essential oils into the jojoba oil and shake it up.


To Use:

Apply about 1/2 teaspoon to the scalp and work through your hair (do not saturate your hair). I use it in the evening because you can look a little grubby, but you smell awesome and it is pretty relaxing. I just keep the oil next to my bed. If you have anything left over on your hand after rubbing it into your scalp you can rub it on your elbows.

This recipe will last a long time because you are only using a small amount each evening.

SNACK RECIPE -

Kale Chips - This is the recipe that we were talking about this morning. I was just looking to make a healthy low cal snack. I did not come up with it. I have seen similar recipes in Good Housekeeping and online.

1 bunch of Kale
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of vinegar
sea salt (couple of shakes)
garlic powder (couple of shakes)

Remove the stems from the kale and wash and dry the leaves thoroughly. Tear the leaves into chip sizes and put in a bowl. Add the vinegar and olive oil to the kale and mix by hand until the kale is covered evenly. Shake on some garlic powder or whatever spices you would like and mix well again by hand. Place kale on a cookie sheet that is lightly greased or covered in parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and stir. If you notice any crisp pieces, remove them (I usually put them in a bowl). Bake about five minutes and check the chips. Remove anythat are crisp and put the rest back in oven and check again in about 2 minutes. Total baking takes about 15 to 20 minutes all together. The leaves that have more stem in them will take longer. When all your chips are done, sprinkle some sea salt or seasoned salt on them.

The chips are crispiest after they are first baked, but I put mine in a sealable container and snack on them the following day as well.

Now onto some free samples and whatnot.


Sweetner:

Ideal Sweetner is offering a free sample of their zero calorie sweetner.

LINK: Ideal

Burt's Bees is known for their lip balms, lotions and oils. Everything is all natural. They now have a toothpaste, and they are offering free samples now. If you want to go more natural, this is a great way to give it a shot. Link up below:

LINK: Burt's Bees Natural Toothpaste Sample


I don't have a dog, but if I did, I would definitely sign up for Walmart's free sample of Beneful IncrediBites. One of the things that is great about a pet food sample is if you ever have one of those days where you realize you are out of pet food, you still have that sample to fall back on while you get off to the store.

LINK: Beneful IncrediBites

Get in on some Emergen-C samples by checking out their Mix-it-Up site where you can get some recipes but more importantly some free samples. I love this stuff!

LINK: Emergen-C


Coupons - If you buy $50 in Proctor and Gamble products you can send in for $100 in coupons. This is a deal that is going on until April 15th so there is plenty of time to pile up the purchases. Truly you do not want to pass up on items like this. You would be surprised at how these coupons can come in handy. Get more details at the link below.

LINK: P&G buy $50 get $100 in coupon savings.


Hallmark Cards for Encouraging Kids - I don't know if you have caught the commercials, but Hallmark has a new line of cards just for kids. You can pick up one of these cards for free (doesn't include tax) while supplies last. Check the link below for details:

LINK: Free Hallmark Card for Kids



ACTIVITIES

This Saturday, March 6th, Home Depot Kids Workshops will be teaching the kids to make a rain gauge! This is an awesome activity that I can't imagine not taking advantage of. Workshops run from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.


Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics have two great activities this month as well.

March 13th, your kids can build a table top basketball game and on March 27th they can build a homemade Kaleidoscope. Check out the link to sign up!






LINK: Loew's Build and Grow Clinics


Sales

Safeway --

Rancher's Reserve boneless beef bottom round roast $1.88 a pound
Boneless skinless chicken breast $1.69 a pound
5 pound bag of russet potatoes 68 cents

Albertons --

Buy 1 get 2 free petite sirloin steaks (about $2.33 a pound)
Huge 10 for $10 sale
--Hunts diced tomatoes
--Wishbone salad dressing
--Oscar Mayer 12 ounce bologna or Cotto salami

Fry's --

Boneless skinless chicken breast frozen $1.49 a pound for 3 pound bags
Quaker Oats 42 ounce 2 for $5.00
Betty Crocker Super Moist cake mix 99 cents

Don't forget to load up your cellfire coupons too, because there are a bunch of coupons that correspond to this week's sales at Frys! Be sure to load up from shortcuts.com too!

Handing Down Our Family Faith To The Next Generation

HANDING DOWN OUR FAMILY FAITH TO THE NEXT GENERATION

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

The best people to lead children to Christ are their parents. And the best time to begin handing down your faith to children is when they are young and in your home. Now, you cannot force faith upon them. Parents cannot make children believe what they believe, but explanation can lead to understanding.

Here are ways to pass down your faith in you family, summarized in six words. As you read them, I encourage you to think of ways you can apply these ideas in the life of your family.

First of all, we hand down our faith by principle.

By that I mean instructing our children in the ways of God. As you go about your daily routine, the teachings of the Word should direct your thought patterns and govern your actions. Try to weave the Word of God into your conversation about whatever subject happens to surface. Follow the advice of Scripture to talk about the things of God when you are seated, when you stand, when you walk, when you arise, and when you lie down (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). You may protest, “I just don’t know how to start.” Here is the way: find out what your children are interested in, and then talk about those things in light of God’s truth. Show how it applies to real life situations.

Second, we hand down our faith by pattern.

Children probably learn more by watching what we do than by listening to what we say. What patterns are your children picking up from you? Have they heard you call their names out to God as you pray for them? Have you asked them to join you in prayer as you sought God’s guidance for a problem? We are not going to be perfect; our loved ones will see our successes and our failures. But you must try to provide the best pattern for your children because it will have a profound effect on them. There is nothing like a mother and a father living out biblical principles.

Third, we hand down our faith by persistence.

We pass it on by doing what needs to be done whether or not it is convenient. Live out the pattern over and over. Think about how your behavior lines up with the Scriptural principles you have taught them. Are there inconsistencies? If we daily exemplify principles in keeping with God’s Word, we impress upon our children what they will carry into adulthood.

Fourth, we hand down our faith by participation.

Something positive happens when we get involved in what concerns or interests our children. We establish a caring relationship which makes communication and instruction easier. Be open enough to listen to their viewpoints, even when you disagree with them. Establish an atmosphere that is not threatening but is conducive to the sharing of ideas. We can only hand down our faith to children who are receptive to it.

The fifth way is the best motivation for learning––praise.

We all like and appreciate praise. We make time to tell our children what they have done wrong, but focusing on what they have done right may be even more important. Praise them for even the smallest things. If you think they could improve in some area, don’t shame them into doing better. Ask if they need help and offer to help them. Rather than telling them what to do, go together to the Word of God to see what He has to say about a situation. When you see them applying what they have learned, praise them.

The last idea is prayer (though ideally prayer should be a part of all six ideas).

God answers the prayers of godly parents who want to raise godly children. Parents who spend time praying for and with their children demonstrate the importance of prayer. Jesus set the example by praying in all kinds of situations, and we can do no less as examples for our children.

Do you have a faith that is worth handing down? Think about the example you set and the legacy you are leaving. Have you loved God and practiced the principles of Scripture? Have you have loved your children and listened to them? Then you will leave them a faith to sustain them through every difficulty, every heartache, and every trial of life.

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

I will be back to post on what I talked about this morning, but in the meantime, here are a few goodies!

REBATES AND COUPONS

Jennie-O is giving away rebates that can hook you up with a FREE (yep free) Jennie-O product up to a $5.00 value. All you have to do is join their new Wellness Group. The rebate is for the first 5000 so you definitely want to get going. Once you sign up, simply sign in and click on coupons. There you will get the form to fill out for your printable rebate. Another plus is right now Safeway has Jennie-O Store Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast (20 oz) for $4.99!

LINK: Jennie-O

COST PLUS World Market has a printable coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase. The coupon expires 3/15. They always have something interesting to check out and some pretty cool prices. There is one right over at the mall here in Prescott, so I am definitely picking this up!

LINK: Cost Plus World Market Coupon

The Children's Place has a 15% printable coupon available now too! This is definitely the time to take advantage of some great deals. The coupon is good until March 16th!

LINK: The Children's Place

Aeropostale has an printable coupon to be used in stores only for $10 off a $50 purchase. They also have a buy one get one deal on polo shirts. I don't have a store near me, but if I did, this would be printed up and out the door. Coupon expires on February 28th.

LINK: Aeropostale $10 off $50


FREE SAMPLES


Sam's Club is offering a free sample of Member's Mark baby formula. You do not have to be a member to get in on this deal, but I definitely would not wait on it too long. Follow the link below.

LINK: Member's Mark Formula

Got a facebook account? Do you like Zone Perfect? Zone perfect has been offering their first 30,000 fans a free ZonePerfect Indulgence nutrition square sent right to their address. They are also donating a dollar for each fan up to 30,000 to the Save the Music Foundation. I like both music and ZonePerfect so this is a win win! They have about 3000 slots left so you will want to do this fairly soon.

LINK: ZonePerfect


I do not know how long this will last but there is a deal right now for a free South Beach Living S'more bar. Who can pass up a deal like that? Really, who can pass up smores of any kind? Again, I am not sure how long this will last so give it a shot.

LINK: South Beach Living S'more Bar Sample

Walmart's website is giving us some more great free samples. Head on over to get a sample of Olay Total Effects Body Wash. I was just thinking, do they even call it Oil of Olay? Did I just totally date myself? Link up below (click on request a free sample when the page loads up)!

LINK: Olay Total Effects Body Wash


Walmart's website also had a link to get a free sample of Tide Plus Febreze. There are also a lot of coupons to check out too.

LINK: Tide Plus Febreze

iTickets.com has a free download this week for Starfield's Rediscover You from their new CD The Saving One. It is a beauty.

LINK: iTickets Download of the Week

FreeCCM has downloads for Chasen, Chris Rice, Phillips, Craig and Dean and Stellar Kart! I love this place! Don't forget, you do have to be a member, but it is totally free. :)

LINK: FreeCCM music!


LOSING WEIGHT FRUGALLY

I have recently started the Special K diet plan. Basically it is a two week thing, and it is a nice way to kick start some weight loss. One of the things that stood out to me was the 90 calorie snacks which you can get in by eating one of their bars or a 90 calorie serving of their crackers. I picked up some of the bars as they were on sale and I had amassed quite a few coupons, but the crackers were out of the question as they were pretty pricey (over $3.00 a box). I decided to come up with some 90 calorie snacks that fit my tastes but also fit my budget. When the diet is through, I will up the snacks to 100 calories.

The most important thing to do is take the time to figure things out. Do not pay for convenience. Just because you can buy a box of bagged 100 calorie snacks doesn't mean you should. You pay nearly double for what you would a regular box that isn't bagged and get much less. Take the time to plan, and you will not regret it. The bad eating choices and spending choices are usually due to not planning.

Good low cal snacking

Air popped pop corn

You can have 3 cups of air popped pop corn for only 93 calories. You can also add seasoning like Kernel Season's pop corn seasoning to flavor it up. If you like your popcorn cheesy you can add a 1/4 teaspoon of their nacho cheese seasoning is just 2 calories. You can easily add two of those and still be below 100 calories. There are 100 servings per bottle. If you like it sweet, they have a caramel seasoning for 5 calories per 1/4 teaspoon.

Cheez Its (Reduced Fat)

Save on spending money for the 100 calorie packs and figure out the calories and add your own snacks to the bag. I am not a math whiz but I figured about 22 crackers would be about 100 calories, because they are roughly 4.5 calories per cracker.

Gingersnaps

If you want something sweet. Eat three Nabisco Gingersnaps for 90 calories.

Hershey's Dark Chocolate Kisses (because sometimes you just want chocolate)

If you have to have something sweet, you might want to go for the dark chocolate Hershey's kisses. Dark chocolate is better for you and four kisses will get you a tad over 100 calories.

Plums

You can have three average sized plums at 30 calories each. That is filling and sweet. This is definitely a good way to go for a snack.


Want to know the calories in your foods? A great resource is CalorieKing. At Calorie King you can look up the calories in different foods and also see what kinds of activities you would be able to do to burn it off.

Have you ever been totally excited by an exercise video and then find yourself doing the exercises for a week or two and then dropping it because it just doesn't suit you? I recently found ExerciseTV. This is an amazing resource for FREE online exercise videos. Definitely worth checking out, because it is not only free but there are so many options, you will have a hard time getting bored.

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Some Freebies

A quick note about signing up for free samples. Don't forget when signing up for freebies, be careful on the information you divulge. I have never had an issue with the free items that I post. For example, I would not get involved with the free items that require you to complete several things in order to get the free sample (there are a few out there that require you to sign up for other things in order to get your samples). Most of the time I only go directly to the company's website. The exception is when I get samples through Start Sampling, Walmart, Costco or Sam's Club. An email address specifically used for freebies is a good idea too. Most companies do not require a phone number. If you are asked to give yours, I would only give in special circumstances. I have yet to get one phone call due to freebies and fishing. I use a special email address at gmail rather than my home email, and that address is great with regards to spam email. I have been trying free samples for about 13 years, and I have never had a problem.

Magazine

Focus on the Family is offering a free 6 month trial subscription to Thriving Family. LINK: Thriving Family

Music

iTickets has two free downloads. You Set the Rhythm by Newworldson and Bounce J-Rus from the soundtrack To Save a Life

LINK: iTickets free music download of the week

Free Hot Beverage

Nestle's ABUELITA is one of my favorite steamy treats. Try it out now by following the link.

LINK: Abuelita Granulado


Free Recipe Book

SeaPak Shrimp Company has a free recipe book featuring 15 meals that cost less than $10. This definitely is right up my alley. Special thanks to Hey It's Free!

LINK: SeaPak Recipes


Crest White Strips

Walmart has free Crest White Strips samples right now. Just follow the link below. Be sure to click on the white strips to request your sample.

LINK: Crest White Strips Sample

Hair Care

Walmart also has free samples for Fekkai Hair Care. Right now you can choose from Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner, Technician Color Care Shampoo and 3-Minute Mask or Glossing Cream.

LINK: Fekkai Hair Care

Free Candy Sample

Remember Lemonheads? I use to love these when I was a child. My son loves them now, and I am sure he will like to try out the new Tropical Fruit flavor. Get a free sample by following the link below.

LINK: Tropical Chewy Lemonheads

Free Underjams

This is the nightwear for kids by Pampers, and now Walmart has a free sample. Thanks to TopSavings.com

LINK: Underjams

Free Sample Lever 2000 for Costco Members

You do need to be a Costco Member, but if you are, this is a great chance to try out Lever 2000.

LINK: Lever 2000

Free Splenda

You can try the Splenda sweetner with fiber or either of the Splenda Flavors for coffee in either mocha or hazelnut. :)

LINK: Free Splenda




GROCERY SALES:


Safeway

Remember all coupons are still worth up to $1.00

-- Fresh 93% Lean Ground Beef $1.99 a pound
-- Green or Red Seedless Grapes 99 cents a pound
-- Saturday and Sunday only - 5 pound bag of Idaho Russet Potatoes just 68 cents each (limit 2)

Also, look for the $10 Rewards tag on Participating Procter and Gamble products. Buy $25 worth of select P&G products and get back a $10.00 reward off your next shopping order. Be sure to look for the participating items and their tags.

Fry's

-- Fresh Boneless, skinless chicken breast $1.67 a pound
-- Buy 10 and save $3.00 on participating items.
EX: Ragu Pasta Sauce $1.28
Chef Boyardee Pasta 67 cents
Dial or Tone bars (6 to 8 ct) or body wash $2.99 each


Albertons

-- London Broil $1.77 a pound
-- Broccoli 68 cents a pound
-- Jif Peanut Butter or Smuckers Jam 2 for $5.00


KNOW YOUR PRICES

We were watching the news the other day and a report gave me a huge reminder of how important it is to know your prices and check your receipts when you go shopping. The Arizona Department of Weights and Measures goes out and makes random visits to businesses to make sure customers aren't paying more than they should. Unfortunately they do find businesses that do not have all their prices correct. If they aren't, the stores get fined. I have made a habit of really checking my receipts since I lived in Rhode Island. One of the stores I frequented would actually give you an item free if they scanned it incorrectly. This was definitely a great incentive to double check your prices on both ends, and it definitely inspired me to be more diligent with my receipt checking. Still though, there are times that I didn't check items until I got home. This is annoying when you get home and realize that there was an error. As I mentioned this morning, had I not checked out my receipt after a shopping trip on Tuesday, I could have been out twelve dollars.

Here is what helped me in discovering the error and recovering my cash.

1 - Know the prices of the items you are buying even non sale items.
2 - When you are purchasing an group of items to get a special discount, be sure you are buying the correct items and sizes.
3 - Know the sale details. Ex: If it is mix and match or if you need to buy the same item to get the discount.
4 - If you miss an error at the register, don't be afraid to go to the service desk to make the adjustment.

If you want to read the story, follow the link below.

LINK: State Cracks Down On UPC Pricing Errors

Talking Points -- A NEW COMMAND: LOVE ONE ANOTHER

A NEW COMMAND: LOVE ONE ANOTHER

John 13:34-35

34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Even as God is revealed by what He does, so will His children. Our love for God has not made this possible, but His love for us has, as I John 4:19 says, "We love Him because He first loved us." Thus, our love for Him is a response to His love for us. Since God shows His love for us by drawing us to Him, it behooves us to do acts of love toward others to draw them.

God's act of love in giving His Son defines the ultimate requirement of true love, the giving of our most beloved possession in sacrifice for another's gain. We can understand, then, that godly love will almost always have sacrifice involved in its giving. Sacrifice is the essence, the essential or vital part, of love.

God's love originates in Himself, was manifested in His Son, and is perfected in His people. God's love is perfected in us when we reproduce it in or among ourselves, primarily in our fellowship. We either use love and perfect it or lose it. This partly explains the apostle John's intense concern about fellowship. What concerned him is not just an optional blessing to believers, but a fundamental outlet for the manifestation and perfection of God's love among and in the saints.

It should be obvious that we neither have God's love by nature, nor is it self-generated. Romans 5:5 verifies this understanding: "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which was given to us." We receive godly love from its Source, God, by means of His Spirit.

Only by knowing God can we have this love, and only by loving can we know Him! This may sound like a vicious cycle, but the two go together. Only by learning to love God can we learn His nature, that is, what He is like. We cannot have that love until we first come to know Him. By fellowshipping with Him, we come to know Him and receive His love, and in using His love, we become like Him and really know Him. We can only really come to know God by experiencing the use of His love ourselves.

All this is possible because God, in His love, initiates a relationship with us, grants us repentance, gives us His Spirit, and then, because of His love, takes the lead in sustaining the relationship. This is why Paul says in Romans 5:10 that "we shall be saved by His life." He primarily shoulders the burden of our salvation. How comforting!


God is showing through the church that all the prejudices against God and man can be dissolved and overcome through Christ. "New" here implies freshness, rather than from the point of time. It is part of the different perspective one receives upon conversion. Doing what He says to do is new for a convert because it means operating from the perspective of cooperation rather than competition. It is a new thing for a convert to show love, which is the exercising or the application of God's Word.



Over the next three nights you’ll have an opportunity to share the love God has shown you by giving to help the precious children in Haiti, who have been devastated and traumatize by the largest earthquake in the last 200 years of the country’s history. Many are orphaned others have lost contact with their parents and love ones. All of them need food, clothes and shelter, plus to understand that Jesus loves them. The Kids helping Kids Concert Tour featuring Justin Unger and JJ Heller will inspire and remind you of the great compassion and love our God has shown us and will allow us all to be used to share that same compassion and love with these precious children. This is a free love offering event, with the proceeds going to Food for the Hungry to help the children of Haiti.

Tonight the tour is at the Flagstaff Community Christian School, tomorrow at the Trinity Christian School in Prescott and Friday at the Phoenix Christian High School in the Valley. Please come out and help share God’s love at the event closest to you. For more information go to radioshine.org and remember, as believers we show God’s love by what we do for others!

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Last week I brought up that I made my entire week's dinners using food that I got through Angel Food Ministries. I have been wanting to bring up Angel Food Ministries, but I hadn't had the opportunity to try it. I was able to make a week's worth of meals and in fact, I have food left over for this week as well.



Kind of hard to see here but here is what I got:
8 pancakes
3 brats with cheese
1 bag of frozen corn
1 bag of frozen carrots
3 lb bag of russet potatoes
1.5 lb beef roast
1 lb ground beef
1 bag of chicken patties (9)
1 side of baby back ribs seasoned
1 bag of frozen chicken breasts
1 beef macaroni dinner
1 pumpkin pie
1 bag of wheat rolls
1 container of shelf stable milk
1 dozen eggs


Angel Food Ministries started in 1994 and they have worked tirelessly to provide food relief for many. It started in Monroe, Georgia and now is in 44 states! For 30 dollars plus a service fee of 2 dollars you get a week's worth of food for a family for four. Go online and check it out, and find the Host Site closest to you. I was thrilled to find a host site that was literally five minutes away from me. That was a blessing, but the nice thing is that you do not have to live in the area that you order from. You just need to pick up the food in the time frame they have posted. Each site also has their order deadline, so make sure you follow that when ordering. I believe you can order at the Host site, but I ordered online at my Host site's link. The link that I am going to post will take you to the site which also will show you what this month's offerings are. :)

LINK UP: Angel Food Ministries



FREEBIES!!!!

I am very careful with the Freebies I sign up for. One good thing to do is have an account that you set aside just for your freebies. Remember you can sign up for free email with gmail.

LINK UP: Gmail



Free Coupons - I don't know who has gotten in on this but you can get an awesome FREE $10 General Mills Coupon Booklet. I love finding as many coupons as I can get my hands on! **Big thanks to Hey It's Free!

LINK UP: General Mills Coupons

Free Kashi Products - I love Kashi GOLEAN Crunch cereal and their TLC bars are amazing. The first time I tried Kashi TLC bars was from a free sample. I don't know if you have seen their commercials on television, but right now you have the opportunity to try one of their products for free. You choose one of three.

Your choices:

GOLEAN Crisp Toasted Berry Crunch Cereal
TLC Dark Chocolate Coconut Fruit and Grain Bar
GOLEAN Crunch Honey Almond Flax Cereal (what I ordered!)

LINK UP: Kashi Free Sample

Free Sample of Head & Shoulders Shampoo - If you are a member, sign in. If you aren't, totally sign up, because you can always count on some amazing samples from P&G. Today you have the opportunity to hook yourself up with a sample of Head & Shoulders shampoo. I love samples like this, because they are great to have on hand when traveling or just when you find out you are facing an empty bottle of shampoo in the bath.

You can choose from Smooth & Silky, Classic Clean or Dry Scalp Care

While you are there you might also want to check out the coupon links and other free samples. They also have a sample of Pamper's Cruisers.

LINK UP: Head & Shoulders Sample

Free Gas-X Thin Strips - This is so easy to fill out. Gas-X Thin Strips are easy to use and you can try them out for free.

LINK UP: Free Gas-X Thin Strips



Free Breathe Right Sample - I don't know if it is this time of year or what, but this is definitely the time to check out Breathe Right Strips. If you know someone who has entertained the thought of purchasing these little guys, but they didn't want to commit to the price without knowing if they work get them over to this sample. It is just two strips, but I think that should be enough to get you in the know. :)

LINK UP: Breathe Right Strips

Free Redken Style Connection Sample - This is totally while supplies last so don't wait!

LINK UP: Redken Style Connection

Free sample of Arm & Hammer Advanced White Toothpaste - This is while supplies last, but the sample is for a week's supply. I have relatives who exclusively use this toothpaste. Might as well check it out.

LINK UP: Arm & Hammer Advanced White Toothpaste


Free Breakfast - Oh yes, they are doing it again! Denny's will be offering Free Grand Slam breakfasts on Tuesday, February 9th from 6 am to 2 pm!

LINK UP: Details for Denny's Free Original Grand Slam Breakfast!


Free Short Stack of Pancakes at IHOP- February 23 from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. All they ask is for people consider giving a donation to support local children's hospitals.

LINK UP: IHOP Free Short Stack of Pancakes



Free KIND Bars at Starbucks - On February 5th, Starbucks will sample KIND bars at all of their 7000 locations!

LINK UP: KIND Bars


Free Pants - Okay this is a win kind of thing, but on February 7th during the Super Bowl, Dockers will air a commercial. The first 2010 people to register after that commercial airs will win a pair of pants. Actually this will be in the form of $30 gift code for Dockers Men's Soft Khakis. I figure I'll be watching the game anyway, I might as well try to win.

LINK UP: Dockers Soft Khakis Giveaway 2/7

Free sample Purex 3-in-1 Complete Laundry Sheets - This is still available and really a great freebie. I have heard a lot about these Purex 3-in-1 Complete Laundry Sheets. They have the detergent and fabric softener in one sheet. This is a great way to try it out or again keep it on hand for travel.

LINK UP: Purex 3-in-1 Complete Laundry Sheets

Free Music Download - Stephanie Smith song "Heart Attack" at iTickets

LINK UP: Stephanie Smith "Heart Attack"

Free Music Download at Free CCM:

Download Phillips, Craig & Dean "Counting On God"

Anthony Evans "Amazing God"

Free CCM is also still offering songs from Disciple, Building 429 and Laura Story.

LINK UP: Free CCM



I'll be back with the sales after today's spot. :)