Kelly's Quick Tips - Freebies!

I posted this on my blog, but I thought I would share it here too!

I have been a huge lover of samples for as long as I can remember. When I was a little kid, I loved going to restaurants that had free mints for the taking. I also really was hooked on getting free tastes of all the different ice cream flavors at Baskin Robbins. I don't care if it is a perfumed page in a magazine, a snack in the mail or some awesome beauty items, I just love the opportunity to try something new. Here are a few that caught my eye today:

Jergens Overnight Repair Lotion. Honestly, what is better than a little treat that works while you sleep? You will get Jergens Overnight Repair Nightly Restoring Moisturizer, Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer, plus a $1.00 off coupon good on any Jergens Moisturizer. This offer is good until December 31, 2010 or whiles supplies last. Get in on it now!

LINK: Jergens Overnight Repair Lotion Sample

This one isn't a sample, but GRACO has lite-up clippers for expectant moms. They are designed with an LED light so you can see your baby's nails more easily.

LINK: GRACO Lite-Up Clippers

I am a HUGE fan of El Pollo Loco, and I was literally stunned when I found out that they are celebrating their 30th Anniversary. Click on the link below for a coupon for a free grilled chicken leg or thigh, warm tortillas and salsa! This coupon is good only on September 15th.

LINK: El Pollo Loco Coupon

USPS has The Sample Box. I have no idea how long this lasts but you do have to join up and log in to get it. It is a box full of various samples. Follow the link below.

LINK: The Sample Box

That's it for now. G'night!

Kelly's Thrifty Tips - Yeah I'm Getting Ready For Christmas

Okay Christmas is coming. We have about 107 shopping days until Christmas, and I am working overtime on figuring out ways to spend less money where I can so I can move that saved money towards Christmas. I plan on sharing several money saving ideas through the next few weeks. And truly, I am starting my Christmas planning now.

The first way I am focusing on saving money is of course in grocery shopping. When I am being more vigilant I follow these rules.

1- I am even more of a stickler for using coupons. I will print coupons, upload coupons and get coupons from the newspapers and store fliers. Check the bottom of this post for some coupon sites for printing or uploading coupons to your store loyalty card.

2- I will only shop the sales and big deals and leaving the other items behind. This means that even if I want mashed potatoes, I will hold off until potatoes are on sale. I am more flexible with side dishes and main dish options.

3- I will totally scope out the manager's discounts. You can find incredible savings there, but I will not buy what we don't need just because it is on sale.

4- I will make more desserts from scratch. We all have sweet tooths, but that doesn't mean I need to give in to buying candy bars. I always stockpile cake mixes when they are on ridiculously good sales and if I can't do that, I will do it on my own with a good recipe.

5- I will really think about what meals I am cooking. This means more than ever that I am going to try to make one meal stretch into at least three meals.

6- I will make lunch changes. I will be making my husband more sandwiches rather than sending him to work with frozen meals. The frozen meals are definitely easier, but unless they are on sale they are pretty pricey. *Note you can pick up Healthy Choice and Marie Calendars meals at Safeway this week for a low price of $1.69. All in all though, it is much cheaper having him bring a frozen meal than to have him spend the money on even a value meal from a fast food restaurant.

*7 -(I am adding this one) If a store does not have the item I want, I always ask for a rain check. Definitely take advantage of store's rain check policies in order to save on items that the store ran out of. Some items are on a while supplies last deal and you aren't going to be able to get a rain check, but the cashier will tell you if that is the case.

Right now lets go over meal stretching.


After looking at the sales fliers, I thought I would go with covering stretching a pork loin. Safeway has a boneless whole pork loin sold in the bag at $1.99 a pound.

This is a break down of the four meals I made with my 5 pound pork roast last week. Mind you I bought mind for $1.77 a pound, but $1.99 is my cut off, and I would definitely purchase at that price.

1 - Slow cooker pork roast.

The first thing is utilize my crock pot. If you do not have a crock pot, invest! Especially if you have an electric oven. A crock pot uses much less electricity (about 10 cents for 8 hours of use), and it makes meats incredibly tender.

You can simply add an inch of water, broth or stock. I highly recommend taking advantage of leftovers like whole chicken carcasses to make an inexpensive stock that you can save up in your fridge. I have saved quite a bit just on not purchasing stock, and it really adds a nice flavor to your slow cooked meats.

Cook the pork on low all day. I usually add some vegetables to the crock pot when I get home unless I am prepping potatoes in the pot. I will add cut up potatoes from the get go, because I definitely prefer them pliable. You can also take advantage of the flier coupon at Safeway for DelMonte canned vegetables which are 59 cents each with a limit of 6. If you decide to go for some mashed potatoes on the side (which is great when they are on sale), save some of the water from the potatoes. You can add this water to the drippings in the crock pot once you remove the pork to make a nice gravy.

2 - Meal number 2 is pork quesadillas. I love this meal because it is quick and uses left overs that I have on hand from other meals.

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Chop up several slices of pork from your roast (usually no more than three), add one chopped green onion and heat up on stove. Lightly oil four flower tortillas. Put two of the lightly oiled tortillas oil down on a cookie sheet, spread some refried beans or black beans on two of the tortillas, add the pork mixture and whatever else you have on hand (cheese a little cilantro). Place two slightly oiled flour tortillas (oil side up) on top of the prepared tortillas and bake for 7 to 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Remember you can totally turn your oven off at about 5 or 6 minutes and the food will continue to cook. I love making these because they are really easy and quick.

3 - Simple, simple pork and gravy on bread.

Use any kind of bread that you have in the house. You do not need to go fancy though it is really good on a heartier bread like rye. Just heat up some of your left over gravy with some shredded up pork roast. Serve whatever sides you may have on hand from left over veggies to salad.

4 - Barbecue pork sandwiches

The pork is definitely not the main star of this meal. Simply shred up the last of your pork, put in a pot with some barbecue sauce and heat it up. Add it to hamburger buns. Make some good sides with salad and veggies. Alertson's has green, red leaf, and romaine lettuce on sale for $1.00 each this week or use their flier coupon for a head of iceberg lettuce for just 49 cents (limit 2). Safeway has some awesome vine tomatoes for 99 cents a pound. Fry's has gala apples or bartlet pears for 2 pounds for $1.oo you can make a great green salad with apples.

5 - This isn't a meal, but a side note. I usually have plenty of gravy left when I make a roast in my crock pot (especially if I stretch it with the potato water before adding a thickener). If you have left over gravy, hold onto to make a good base for shepherd's in the next few days or even freeze it to add to another crock pot meal (or shepherd's pie for that matter). A little hamburger, some veggies, and a mashed potato topping goes a long way towards a few more meals.

There are certainly other meals you can make with pork leftovers. These are just the ones I used last week.

Take advantage of your crock pot. You will be thrilled with all the meals you can make. Search around online or go to one of my favorite sites A Year of Slow Cooking. You can find all kinds of great tested recipes. You might want to check out the recipe for slow cooker yogurt. I am definitely going to test that one out (a gallon of milk is on sale at Albertons for just $1.67). I love the idea of making homemade yogurt.


Freebies





This Sunday September 12th is Grandparents day, and Old Spaghetti Factory has an awesome freebie for your grandparents! Bring your grandparents in for lunch or dinner on September 12th, 13th or 14th and the grandparent will get their entree free! One free grandparent meal is available per one entree purchased. I found an Old Spaghetti Factory in Phoenix. More details on this awesome grandparent freebie below. I also have another link for a location map.

LINK: Old Spaghetti Factory Grandparents Day Freebie LINK: Old Spaghetti Factory Locations




This one is pretty cool too. You can sign up for a free 2011 Women's Health Calendar. There is a one limit per household, and the calendar comes in English or Spanish. Follow the link below.

LINK: Women's Health Calendar 2011

One of my favorite magazines, All You has an awesome freebie right now. This could be gone by morning, but I am hoping for the best. You can sign up for a free NEW Slim-Fast 100 Calorie Snack Bar in Peanut Butter Crunchtime. Follow the link below.

LINK: Slim-Fast Peanut Butter Crunchtime Bar


If you like trying out new fragrances, I have a great one for you. LaCoste is offering your choice of three different perfume samples. You can choose from LaCoste Challenge, LaCoste Essential Sport and LaCoste Love of Pink. You can also sign up for their VIP Club. You must be over 18 years of age.

LINK: LaCoste Perfume Samples

One of my favorite websites is Vocalpoint. Through Vocalpoiint, you get to try products and give your opinion. This is a great way to help shape new products as well as get a few free items. Check them out at the link below. If you haven't yet, sign up. Right now they are looking for people to try a new fabric softener from Downey and Kashi GoLean Crisp. My advice is once you join and do try something out, keep out there so you get more opportunities. And just a heads up, the page for the samples seemed to load really slowly so be patient.

LINK: VocalPoint

The Afters new CD "Light Up The Sky" will be released in a week! Right now you can head on over to Freeccm.com and get a free download of "Life is Sweeter" from that upcoming CD. Just register. It couldn't be easier. You can also still get a download from Phil Wickham, Sara Groves, Catalyst Music Project, The Choir, VOTA and Phillips, Craig & Dean!

LINK: Free CCM Music Downloads

For the fun of it, I looked up Kari Jobe and found an old link through iTickets.com for her version of "Revelation Song." I just LOVE her voice. Anyway, if you are an iTickets.com member sign in, click on the link below, and download your song. If you aren't a member, sign up first and then come back for this link. I am not sure if you can get to it from their regular download page.

LINK: Kari Jobe "Revelation Song"

I also found an old link to Connersvine free download of "Glory Be."

LINK: Connersvine "Glory Be"

Money Back Guarantees

Quaker has a try me offer. If you purchase Quaker Hearty Medly between 9/7/2010 and 12/31/2010 and do not like it, you can send in the form at the link. You must have the receipt, UPC code, and form with the reason you did not like the Quaker Hearty Medly in order to get a refund up to $4.29. This is a great opportunity to give a product a try. If you like it, GREAT! If you do not like it, you aren't out anything other than tax.

LINK: Quaker Hearty Medly Money Back Guarantee Printable Form


PS There is a dollar printable coupon for Quaker Hearty Medly or another box of Quaker Instant Oatmeal on their Facebook page! Now there is even a better reason to give it a shot. :)

LINK: Quaker Hearty Medly Coupon

Here is a great coupon, buy 5 Kraft products and save $5.00. Just print the coupon at the link below.

LINK: Kraft coupon

Keebler Wheatables has a similar money back offer. Purchase Keebler Wheatables Original Golden Wheat or Keebler Wheatables Toasted Honey Wheat between 7/19/2010 and 3/30/2011, and if you do not like them send in the receipt, UPC code and your request form and get the purchase price up to $3.89 back. Be sure to follow all the directions on the form and mail it in time. The request needs to be postmarked by 3/30/2011 and received by 4/13/2011. Link below.

LINK: Keebler Wheatables Money Back Form


Don't forget to take advantage of coupons that you can download onto your store loyalty cards or print them up. Follow the links below.

Cellfire.com (download coupons to your loyalty card)

Shortcuts.com (download and printable coupons)

Redplum.com (printable coupons)

Coupons.com (printable coupons)

P&Gesaver (download coupons and get other deals too)

This Saturday at Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics, the kids can make a cute pupple leash hanger. This clinic begins at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 11th.

LINK: Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic

My next deal is a great thing to do this weekend that will help others out.

Check it out:

Sunday, September 12th in the Prescott Courthouse Square will be the 13th Annual Empty Bowls event. From 11am to 2pm. For a donation of $15, you will be able to select a bowl that has been handmade by a local artisan and then enjoy two servings of delicious soup that has been prepared by chefs from Prescott area restaurants (bread and water are included). You get to keep the beautiful bowl and the money is given to the Yavapai County food banks.

Here are the sales items that really made me take notice:

Safeway-

Progresso Vegetable Classics Soup at 5 for $5 (I have also found coupons through the paper and cellfire.com for Progresso)
Barilla Pasta at 5 for $5
Post Cocoa or Fruity Pebbles 3 for $5
On the vine tomatoes for 99 cents a pound
Ragu Pasta Sauce for 99 cents each but you must buy 6 or more (well worth stocking up on)
Healthy Choice or Marie Calendar Meals $1.69 for 8.5 to 21 oz
Rancher's Reserve Top Round London Broil for $1.99 a pound
There are also some great flier coupons in our local Safeway flier including
Safeway Apple Juice $1.29 (limit 4)
Del Monte Canned Vegetables 14.5 to 15.25 oz 59 cents (limit 6)
Mission Tortilla Chips 14 oz for $1.29 (limit 4) *Great for taco salads
Lucerne Large Eggs 18 ct Grade AA $1.99 (limit 2)

There is a lot more in the flier, but those are amazing, AND you only have to spend initially a minimum of a $10 purchase to use those coupons.

Fry's
Don't forget that Fry's is still accepting competitor coupons and manufacturer coupons are all now worth $1.00

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast is just $1.67 lb
Gala Apples or Bartlet Pears are a steal at 2 pounds for $1.00
Quaker Cap'n Crunch, Life, Oat Squares or Instant Oatmeal is just $1.77 each
Fry's Quick Oats 18 oz are just 10 for $10 (great price and next week I am going to include a recipe for homemade granola)
Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix or Syrup $2.49 each
Kroger Dinner Sausage 18 oz for $2.99 (I use the Italian to make an amazing sausage lasagna using three of the five links)

Albertson's

Albertson's gallon milk is just $1.67 (Fry's has it for $1.77)
Seedless Grapes in red, green or black are just 79 cents a pound
Extra large shrimp are $3.99 a pound (use some for scampi and some for shrimp tostadas!)
Malt 0 Meal cereals 12 to 14.5 ounces $1.00
Albertons Instant Oatmeal 10 count varieties $1.00
Chuck or Shoulder Roast or Steak $1.99 a pound
Pork picnic Roast Bone in for $1.29 a pound
Alberstons also has some great flier coupons too

Iceberg Lettuce for 47 cents each (limit of 2)
Albertons Sandwich Bread 24 oz for 77 cents each (limit 2)
Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey 93% lean in a one pound chub for $1.99 (limit 2)
M&M Mars, Nestle or Wonka Single Candy Bars 3 for $1 (if you got to buy some candy get it cheap)

There are a lot more deals in each store, but again those were my faves. Also don't forget that if you can't get to the grocery store of choice bring your flier to Walmart where they will match your store's sales.

The Gift of Giving Up

The gift of giving up

At some point, we all surrender our lives to God. Some of us choose to do it voluntarily, while we walk the earth. Others surrender involuntarily, when their physical body dies. Surrendering while physically alive goes beyond recognizing and acknowledging the reality that we each belong to God. Similar to salvation, surrender is a gift we receive from God; we can't will it for ourselves. But also like salvation, the gift of surrender requires a response from us: acceptance. And there must be fruit: a changed life. It's not something we accept and then do nothing about. Any work we do will never get us salvation or surrender. But our work starts after we accept the gifts from God.

There is plenty of talk about submitting to God's will. In fact, submit and surrender are often used interchangeably. But beyond semantics, there are subtle yet critically important differences between submission and surrender.

Brennan Manning, in The Importance of Being Foolish, put it this way:

"But there is an essential difference between submission and surrender. The former is the conscious acceptance of reality. There is a superficial yielding, but tension continues...It is halfhearted acceptance. It is described by words such as resignation, compliance, acknowledgement, concession. There remains a feeling of reservation, a tug in the direction of non-acceptance. Surrender, on the other hand, is the moment when my forces of resistance cease to function, when I cannot help but respond to the call of the Spirit.
The ability to surrender is a gift of God. However eagerly we may desire it, however diligently we may strive to acquire it, surrender cannot be attained by personal endeavor."

Submission is something we can do, something we control. In surrender, we make the conscious choice to let go of that control, but the actual surrender is something only God can do. It is yet another gift from the Father to His children. When we submit, we "give in," keeping the focus on ourselves. When we surrender, we "give up," putting the focus where it belongs: on God. But it isn't giving up in the way we normally define it. The action is more like "giving over" in love. It is offered to us in love, by Love, for love. And we accept it the same way: in love, for love, out of love.

How do I surrender to God?

Our best example is Jesus. While here on earth, He didn't just submit, He surrendered. He handed Himself over to others, He emptied Himself completely. Out of the same motivation He came to Earth in the first place: love.

When we hear the phrase "surrender to God" we might think that we are going to stop living. The truth is: we will start living! Surrendering to God doesn't mean living without a purpose. Instead, it means to start living with a purpose - the purpose that God has planned for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

God is saying that He has a plan for our lives! We can give up our selfish desires, put our futures in the hands of God, and He will take us far beyond our dream

Oswald Chambers puts it this way: *True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will— and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again.

Surrender for Deliverance. “Come to Me . . . and I will give you rest” ( Matthew 11:28 ). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will— “Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming.

Surrender for Devotion. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . . ” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and (Philippians 4:19).

Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” ( Romans 6:5 ) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him

*Excerpts from “My Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers

A Surrendered Life is dedicated to helping people get into a position so that God can grant them the gift of giving up, of surrendering their lives to Him. Our ministry as Christians, is one of sharing. We share the message of Christ, of course. And we strive to share His love. But we also work hard to share one of the main benefits of His message and His love: the true hope that only Jesus can provide. It's the hope that we don't have to hurt deep down inside, we don't have to worry, don't have to be angry, or scared, or sad. We can have an inner joy, complete peace, and total serenity now, here on earth. That is part of the Good News! But we must first surrender ourselves and our desire for joy, peace, and serenity to God. Like salvation itself, surrender isn't something we can do, only something we can accept from God. When we take that step to surrender to God we are saying “God I release control of my life to You! My focus is You O Lord and no longer me.” When you do that, God will know you are serious about abandoning all of your plans and desires for yourself for the Plans He has for you.(Jer. 29:11) You can be sure He will act to carry out His will for your life!

Our prayer is that the eyes of everyone's hearts will be opened to receive the gift of surrender to the LORD.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)

Kelly's Thrifty Tips - Quick Tips Taster's Choice Sticks

I found this through one of the blogs I follow, and I posted it on my blog. I just had to share it with you now, because I am not sure when this will go. :)








My mom is a long-fan of Taster's Choice. She is a one cup of coffee at a time kind of person so she has always appreciated the convenience of this instant coffee mainstay. I have always been a whole pot of coffee drinker until lately now that I have really cut down. When Taster's Choice came up with Taster's Choice sticks, I told my mom about it, and she was thrilled. She liked being able to keep a couple in her purse when she is out and about. She also enjoyed the flavors.

When another company started using sticks, she was proud that her favorite brand already had been there and done that. Isn't that cute?


Taster's Choice is offering samples now. You can get six sticks to taste and see what your choice would be. Head on over to their facebook page for your opportunity to give Taster's Choice sticks a try so you can see and taste for yourself just how good their coffee sticks are. Hurry though. :)

LINK: Taster's Choice



Big thanks to My City Mommy!

Kelly's Thrifty Tips - Oomph Up the House

Today I thought it would be fun to talk about inexpensive ways to decorate your home. I am a huge follower of HGTV, and I just love seeing how homes can be staged and how by making small changes you can have a really awesome impact. Of course on many of those decorating shows, you will find people who just really know there way around a saw, drill and lathe. These options are for those of us who want to make some changes, and really making a few changes can just give us a whole new feeling about home.

- One of the most inexpensive things to do is simply rearrange your furniture. Simply moving pieces around a room or taking a piece from one room into another can change the look of your home without making a dent in your wallet. Better Homes and Gardens offers some amazing tips on rearranging furniture. One of the first is to pick your focal point and place furniture in front of it. Moving larger pieces into different locations can definitely change the dynamic of the room.

- Paint just the door. You can spend money on just a quart and the nice thing is, you aren't tied down to the color because it would be too hard to change.

- Wallpaper one wall. My mom was a big pro when it came to wallpaper. She was also a pro at saving money. She mastered the one wall technique back when I was a kid. In our bedrooms the one wall with paper was actually the window wall, but in her bedroom she papered just behind her bed. This is a definite time and money saver. - Hang some pictures. Whether you use family photographs or even frame some beautiful work from a calendar. Pictures can make a warm addition to a room. You can also get some pretty awesome art at 20x20.com which has original art for $20 and right now shipping is just $3 on 8 x 10 and 11 x 14 prints.

- You can also get designer samples from One Kings Lane. Membership is free and you can save up to 70% off!

LINK: One Kings Lane

- If you are curious what your rooms might look like with another color or even a piece of furniture. Check out the iPhone app Color Change. It costs $2.99, but all you do is take a picture with your iPhone and see what colors work. Read up on it though. Some people love it and some absolutely do not.

LINK: iPhone Color Change

- Purchase some pretty lap blankets or even nice material and place it on your couches and love seats for an update on older furniture. Or purchase some inexpensive pillows with a pop of color or again buy some pretty material and stitch them up. I am no seamstress, but even I have been able to stitch up a pillow fairly easy. Now here is a pretty cool link from Savvy Seams. I would recommend this for a teen's room, play room or game room. It is simply making a t-shirt pillow. This is a really awesome way to add even a little spice to your child's room. Best of all this is a great way to upcycle.

LINK: Recycled T-Shirt Pillow

- Never underestimate thrift stores, consignment stores, Freecycle.org and yard sales. You may be able to find a few pieces that can really pull a room together.

- The power of scent is also huge. You don't have to light a bunch of candles to get a nice sweet scent in your home. When my mom was a real estate agent, she made a habit of dropping a couple drops of vanilla extract into a pan and heating it up in the oven or dropping some cinnamon and sugar into a pan and heating on the stove (never leaving the stove unattended). Her homes always smelled like someone was cooking a treat. Of course you can always go for the candles.

With a little imagination and some exercise you can bang out a pretty nice new look.

FREEBIES

I love baking, and I have picked up some pretty awesome recipe books from Sun-Maid. Sun-Maid has some awesome recipe books for free right now. Some of them are available by downloading and some you can order and have them mailed to you. Check them all out at the link below.

LINK: Sun-Maid Recipe Books

If you are a Costco member, sign up for their Dove Daily Moisture sample. Dove has really brought up its game when it comes to their hair products. Get it while supplies last.

LINK: Dove Daily Moisture Sample

Free coupon for Waffle House for a free Cinnamon Apple Waffle Coupon. This coupon expires on 9/17/2010.

LINK: Waffle House

Have you seen the commercials for the little Shout Color Catcher? The idea is pretty awesome. You put it in the laundry with clothing items that may bleed and it will grab all those offensive dyes while leaving your laundry safe. Follow the link below to check it out and get your own sample.

LINK: Shout Color Catcher

In case you have missed the commercials definitely sign up for your choice of snack during the Kashi snack drive. Their snacks are absolutely amazing. You can choose from the TLC Cereal Bar - in Ripe Strawberry, TLC Chewy Granola Bar -Trail Mix or yummy TLC Crackers - 7 Grain. This snack giveaway is running until September 19th or until supplies last.

LINK: Kashi Snack Drive

If you missed out on this, you have another chance for a free sample of OXY Clinical. This is a great sample to try for those breakouts. You don't have to commit any cash and can get an idea of how it will work on you.

LINK: OXY Clinical

Get a free download of "Eden" by Phil Wickham at Free CCM! They also still have free music downloads from Sara Groves, Phillips, Craig & Dean, VOTA, The Choir and Heather Williams from The Catalyst Music Project. That is a lot of great music for not one bit of green.

LINK: Free Downloads

iTickets.com has a free download of Isreal Houghton's "Love God Love People." I don't know about you, but I love listening to Isreal Houghton. There are also free downloads from Karen Burkhart and the University of Toronto Gospel Choir. Remember you need to be a member for these downloads.

LINK: Free Downloads at iTickets.com


REBATE

Purchase $30 of CoverGirl, Olay, Venus, Pantene, or Secret Products and get $10 back. The items need to be purchased by 9/17/2010 and the rebate needs to be postmarked by 10/01/2010. Follow all the directions.

LINK: Rebate

Have a great week!

Acknowledge Christ Before Men

"Acknowledge Christ Before Men"

So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father Who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father Who is in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33

Pastor Li (not his real name) stood in front of the chopping block, a Communist guard on each side of him. He trembled as they placed his right hand on the block and spread his fingers wide.

The officer in front of him ran his finger along the blade of the cleaver he was holding. Without lifting his eyes from it, he asked Pastor Li, "Will you stop preaching the name of Jesus?"
"No, I will not," answered Li. And he closed his eyes, waiting for the ax to fall. It did, and he lost his right thumb.
Five times he was asked to deny his Christ. Five times he refused. Five times he paid the price. Then, with nothing left of his right hand but a bleeding palm, he was set free.

This horrifying event happened some years ago during China's cultural revolution. And Pastor Li's story is only one of thousands of similar stories – stories about sacrificial faith, about the cost of discipleship, about the price of confessing Christ.

Pastor Li and millions of other Christians around the world – do you know what they are doing? They are taking literally the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:

(Mt 10:32-33) "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. (33) But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

I If Acknowledge Christ ... (vs 32)
Most of you probably realize that the original audience of Matthew's Gospel was Jewish converts to the Christian faith. These converts were having a rough time. They had been rejected, cut off, and disinherited by their Jewish families. They were no longer allowed to worship in the inner part of the Temple. They were persecuted for their conversion and faith. They were dragged in front of the Sanhedrin and forced to answer ridiculous charges. Their possessions and wealth were confiscated or destroyed. If they were in business, it was suffering because "good" Jews refused to have business dealings with them. If they worked for a Jewish employer they lost their job. It is only natural that these converts began to waver in their faith. They wondered whether it was worth it to be a Christian. They wondered if the price they were paying was too high. So Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wanted to encourage and build up these dispirited and wavering converts to the Christian faith. He wanted to assure them that they made the right decision in following after Christ.

Tell me, what would you do if you were one of those Jewish converts to the Christian faith? Your job, perhaps you life, your worldly goods, your family, are all at stake. If asked, in such a situation would you confess or deny Christ, would you acknowledge or disown Christ? The image that Matthew wants to raise in our mind is that of an earthly courtroom. As a

Christian you have been dragged before the judge and are accused of being a Christ believer. How would you answer that accusation? Would you affirm or deny your faith?

Because of freedom of speech and freedom of religion this sort of thing will not happen to us in this country, yet in many places around our world it is against the law to be a Christ believer. In many nations Christians – like Pastor Li – are dragged before the judge on account of their faith.

In such a situation Matthew has a command from the Lord. This is a command not only for those struggling Jewish converts, or for those Christians around our world who are being persecuted, but also for you and for me, for Christine and Steve and Vicky. "Acknowledge me," says Jesus.

What does it mean to acknowledge Jesus? To acknowledge Jesus is to declare that He, the second person of the triune God, has taken on our flesh and lived among us. To acknowledge Jesus is to count Him as your Savior from sin and your Lord in all of life. To acknowledge Jesus is to declare that you live for Him Who died for you, that you believe in Him, that you have faith in Him and His blood.

Jesus doesn't just say "Acknowledge me." He says, "Acknowledge me before men." There is no room here for a secret profession. Our acknowledgment of the Lord must be public, it must be out in the open, it must not be hidden.

"Acknowledge me before men." This means each of us are to stand before God's people and publicly declare our faith. "Acknowledge me before men." This means that we witness to our neighbors and co-workers, our employees and customers; we are not ashamed to tell them about Jesus and that we live for Him. I think of the Apostle Peter here. One day he was dragged before the Sanhedrin. He was questioned about his healing of the man crippled from birth. "By what power or what name did you do this?" he was asked (Acts 4:7b). Boldly Peter proclaimed: "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth" (Acts 4:10b). Peter acknowledged Christ before men. He was not ashamed to witness to the Christ.

To acknowledge the Lord is far easier for us than it was for New Testament Christians. For when we publicly confess our faith, our relatives usually approve, the church receives us warmly, and the government neither persecutes nor kills us for our faith.

"Acknowledge me before men," says the Lord. Publicly profess your faith. Be witnesses to Christ in word and deed.

Why is it so important to acknowledge Christ before men? Jesus tells us:

(Mt 10:32) Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. (cf Revelation 3:5)

What does this mean, that Jesus acknowledges us before the Father? It means that Jesus says to God: “I died for that person. With my blood I have ransomed him from Satan and have redeemed him from slavery to sin. That person is forgiven. That person cannot be judged or condemned because I was judged and condemned in his place.”

I ask you, my brothers and sisters, can Christ say this about you? Can He acknowledge you before the Father because you have acknowledged Him before men?

It should be clear by now that Christ is not talking just about a brief ceremony in a worship service. Profession is not something we do in a worship service and then we are done with it. Oh no, not at all! The public act before God's people is just one of the ways in which we acknowledge the Lord. For, each and every day the Lord sends us endless opportunities to acknowledge Him. Each and every day He send us countless people to whom we can testify. We are to acknowledge Christ before men in the church, at school, in the home, at work, at play, on vacation. We always are to confess and acknowledge Christ before men. And, we are to do so until every knee shall bow before Him and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

My brothers and sisters, I beg you to acknowledge Christ before men. Don't try to hide your faith. Don't try to be a Christian in secret. Don't be ashamed of the Lord.

What about you? Do you acknowledge the Lord before men or have you disowned Him? Listen again, dear people, to the words of our text:

(Mt 10:32-33) "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. (33) But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

WEBSITE TIPS

You have got to check out DODTracker.com. This website will give you up to the minute pricing and deal details on many, many websites. You can find deals on computers and electronics, music and entertainment, apparel, jewelry, and lots more. If you are looking for a deal this is a great place to stop.

LINK: DOD Tracker

Do you like Ebay, but want to do a little more good? Check out Goodwill's Auction site. I found amazing deals there. Seriously, just last night I quickly browsed and found a pair of stunning Chanel sunglasses (swoon), numerous designer bags like Coach, Dooney and Bourke and Fendi, and ooooh the antique selection is so fun to browse. I was especially smitten with the antique crank phonograph. Interested? Follow the link below.

LINK: Shop Goodwill Online


FREEBIES

Get a Bring Your Green To Work note pad from Energy Star. You can order up to 50. Free shipping. I have no idea how long this will last so go now. It is in the Buildings and Plants section or the 12th item down.

LINK: Energy Star Bring Your Green To Work Note Pad

Post-it is again offering Durable Tabs and Label Pads samples. With m y son back in school the tabs are really a huge help. This offer ends on 9/15/2010.

LINK: Post-it Samples

All-Bran has an awesome Promise Pack available again. If you haven't registered you can register on the link. The last promise pack included All Bran's drink mix, bar and cereal. I think coupons also were included. Follow the link below.

LINK: All-Bran Promise Pack

A sample for the ladies. For that...time. This is thanks to Walmart's sample program.

LINK: Free Sample for the Ladies

Walmart has Cheetos Mighty Zingers samples today as well. I just got a sample in the mail. It was one of those 99 cent bags. Check it out.

LINK: Cheetos Mighty Zingers

This Saturday's Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic for kids is an awesome school bus. This is too cute! Not only is there a secret compartment but there is also a chalk board roof. Follow the link below to check into signing up. September's is a leash hanger that is also pretty cute!

LINK: Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics

Print out the coupon at the link below for a free LORAC mini gloss or eye primer at Sephora inside JC Penney. This is not good for JCPenney.com or Sephora.com. Only Sephora inside JC Penney. The coupon expires on 9/22/10.

LINK: Coupon for LORAC mini gloss or eye primer

Don't forget to log in to cellfire to put coupons right on your card.

LINK: Cellfire

You can also check into the websites for Safeway and Frys for more opportunities to print coupons and also load coupons directly onto your loyalty cards there as well. I load up what I can, you never know what you might end up picking up.