A GIVEAWAY! Strike while the iron loom is hot!

**** Final Update (7/26/10)****

All the kikois are sold! Yay! But, if that makes you super sad b/c you're just now reading HAVE NO TEARS! Lindy is sending back TWENTY more kikois for you guys! They'll still be just a measly $15 a piece and certainly just as beautiful! Check back in a week or so and I'll hopefully have them photographed and ready to go!


****New Update****

Pinky Linky is SOLD. Sorry folks!

****UPDATED****

Clearly my brain is NOT functioning correctly! I forgot to post one of the kikois! See the 1st one on the list, "Pinky Linky!" Sorry if you've already bought one and wanted a pink one! If it's not already marked "SOLD" and you want to switch, let me know ASAP!

Again, MY BAD. I'm a nerd.

--------

Original Post:

It's no secret that I have a heart for orphans. Well, at least I hope it's not a secret. It's also no secret that I'm all about my new favorite baby wearing product, The Kikoi (pronounced key-koy). Okay, technically it's not a product. But, it is a fabulous way to wear your baby in numerous different ways. I know there are tons of nice brands of baby wearing paraphernalia out there but what I can promise you that the other brands cannot is that these kikois are cheap and 100% of the profits go to support international adoption. The adoption of the baby(ies) of my dear friends Chris and Lindy Thompson who are currently serving as international missionaries in Kenya.

Can I just tell you that missionaries don't really make a ton any money? So, funding an adoption with little-to-no income is pretty tough. Chris and Lindy are not using ANY of their ministry funds to pay for their adoption. And, I bet if they knew I was posting this huge 'ol long blog post about their adoption they'd probably ask me not too. But, DARN IT! those are my pseudo nieces and/or nephews waiting to come home and I intend to do anything and everything I can to see them home quickly!

So, what's the point? How do orphans and kikois relate?

Glad you asked.

You see, I love, love. LOVE my kikoi that Lindy brought me back from Kenya last year. Truthbetold, I didn't really think it was that awesome until I had Ella. I mean, I used it some with Aaron...

(11 month old Aaron)

And quite a bit more with Olivia when she was littler, but still not tons.

(7 month old Olivia)

But with Ella, well, I use it ALL THE TIME. Especially when we are out and about and she's screaming like her carseat is on fire she doesn't want to sit in her infant carrier or ride in the stroller. A couple nights ago, Luke got home later than normal and I wrapped her on me while cooking and serving up dinner to my other 5 hooligans children. It's been a sanity saver for sure.

(That's a 3ish week old Ella in there.)

And, I even have some friends (including Lindy) who wear them as skirts and they are so cute! I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

Anyway, Lindy sent home to me 10 brand-spankin' new kikois this past week. And, let me tell you, I'm questioning my friendship with Lindy. I mean, these kikois she sent are SO BEAUTIFUL and vibrant. When she gifted me a kikoi did I get a beautiful, vibrant kikoi?

No. I got puce green. Thanks Sista. Thanks a lot.

Not sure how to use a kikoi? Click here for a sorta informational video. Of course, I use the term informational loosely. Very loosely.

At any rate, you can purchase these fabulous kikois for a mere $15. They measure approximately (and I say approximate b/c I only measured 1 and they are hand made so they could vary by an inch or so) 39 inches wide by 65 inches long. For you seamstresses that would make them almost 1 yard wide by almost 2 yards long. (Obviously, I'm a math genius.)

Here's what I have for sale for $15 a piece (that's so cheap it should be a crime). Three guesses on who helped me "name" them.

******Pinky Linky is SOLD.******

******Ralphie is SOLD.******

*****Sherbert is SOLD.******

******Callie Pink is SOLD.******

******Earl Grey is SOLD.******

*****Seablanket is SOLD.******

******Greeny Beany is SOLD.******

****** Yellow John is SOLD.******

******Yellow John 2 is SOLD.******

******Elizabeth Ashlee is SOLD.******
(Not my Elizabeth or Ashlee. Just the kikoi.
You know, just to clarify, in case you were curious.)

(Please pay no attention to the circular blobs in the middle of each photo. Apparently, when you have dust in your nice, new camera, removing said dust by blowing into your camera with your mouth is not the best idea. Slobber can get on your sensor. Clearly, I'm a genius.)

Purdy, ain't they? But please, don't just take my word for how marvelous they are. Here are some friends of mine who have and use kikois. They are the real experts. Or not.

Here's what my BFF Amanda had to say about her kikoi:

I love, love, love my kikoi! I have to admit that when Jessica told me that she got one for me I completely underestimated it. "It's just a simple sling. How great could it be?" I had already gotten a Baby Bjorn and thought that was the be-all, end-all in baby carriers. I quickly learned otherwise!

I have used the kikoi since Annabelle was born. Even now, this 16-pound, 9-month-old loves to sit in her comfy red sling. I love it because it is versatile. She can ride sitting up or lay flat for some of the best naps she has ever taken. I also love it because it is portable. I just cram it into the diaper bag with everything else. Mostly, I love it because it is simple. It takes two people to get a newborn into one of those carriers with straps and buckles everywhere like the Baby Bjorn (which costs $70). I just leave the kikoi tied all the time, throw the baby on my hip, slide it over both of our heads, and she's ready to go. She literally starts shaking and grunting with excitement when she sees me grab it. Don't let the simplicity fool you. It's my favorite sling and I use nothing else!

(Amanda and her daughter Annabelle,
who was almost brand new at the time)

Also, my bloggy friend Tia bought one not too long ago and wrote me this,

I found out about the kikoi through my super sweet and awesome bloggy friend. It looked simple, easy and like it didn't take much effort. That is exactly what I needed for my chunky baby since she has a very very active two year old sister. Once I received my kikoi in the mail I was a little confused about how it was supposed to feel while carrying my large load of a baby. I watched Jess's informative videos on it and once I gave it another try I was hooked. I use my kikoi while grocery shopping, during family outings, while cooking dinner and pretty much anytime carrying my baby is needed. I've even found ways to use it while not carrying her. When I have her in the umbrella type stroller (without the umbrella) I just slide it over the handles (while still tied-knot on backside of stroller) and let it fall over the baby. It's loose enough to keep her from getting hot but it keeps the sun off of her sweet baby skin...and when the wind is blowing too hard I just pull it up over her head. And the other day I figured out that if I get tired of carrying her I can put her in the grocery basket, strap her in and then slide the wrap over her body and around the shopping cart seat (knot on back of seat) and it will keep her from falling over :-). We REALLY love our kikoi! I think you need one too.

(Tia and her daughter Isabelle)

After reading all of that don't you want to support adoption and buy one of these beautiful pieces of fabric?

Here's what you should do. Email me at beaverbunch (at) gmail (dot) com and tell me which one you like. (You can find the name of each one in the photo. Click to enlarge if you need to.) I will email you instructions on how to pay and once your payment is received I will ship it to you! Easy peasy!

Now, for the giveaway part.

I will randomly give away one $15.00 iTunes gift card to someone who either purchases or promotes the purchase of a kikoi. Don't want a kikoi, but want in on the giveaway action? No problemo! Here are some additional ways you can enter to win the iTunes gift card.

* Twitter about this post, linking this post's URL in your tweet. (You can obtain this post's URL by clicking on the post title and then looking at the web address in your address bar.)

* Facebook about this post, linking this post's URL in your status.

* Blog about this post, linking to this post's URL in your blog post.

Please leave one comment for each entry. You can create an entry for each option available. For example, if you buy a kikoi leave a comment saying, "I bought one" or something. Then, if you also twitter about this post, leave a separate comment saying "I tweeted! Here's the link to my tweet: http://...." If you additionally facebook about the giveaway, then leave yet a 3rd comment saying such and leaving a link to your facebook post.

You get the idea. I will use Random.org to randomly choose ONE winner for the iTunes gift card and send it to you via your email address. Entries for the giveaway must be submitted by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, July 22, 2010. The kikois will be available until all are sold.

So, buy a kikoi or spread the word and let's un-orphan a few more babies and decrease the 147 million orphans world-wide one family at a time. Whatta ya say?

10K in 20 days (or less now..)

When I first read "10K in 20 days" I thought my blog-friend Courtney was speaking of running.

But she wasn't.

See what she's up to by clicking here. I sure wish I could make the time RIGHT NOW to express to you just how important I feel it is to support adoptions.

But, it's almost 4:30pm and my people are waking up from naps and we have a gymnastics "performance" tonight that I must prepare my little gymnasts for. And, I still haven't showered today.

Please, please, please, go here and see how you can help bring 26+ orphans home to their forever families.

Surely you can spare $5 today to help change the course of a child's life.

Thanks friends.

I &hearts Aldi

The kids and I are outside (me on the laptop, obviously) while the kids ignore a perfectly blown up and watered down bouncehouse (RRIAP for those of you who are new around here) and instead all three big kids are pulling around a plastic red wagon filled with water.

At least they know how to make the best of their resources, right?

Baby Girl is upstairs asleep and Aaron boy is devouring 15 Mrs. Freshley's Apple Cinnamon Cereal Bars. What's that? Who is Mrs. Freshley? I'm SO glad you asked. You see, I've wanted to blog for a while now about this little love affair I'm having with a certain someone something. But before I tell you about my undying devotion, I'd like to tell you about the time we first met.

This is Aldi. The first time I met Aldi, I didn't like her (him?) very much. You see, they don't provide bags to bag up your food, they rarely carry name brands and, this was the kicker for me, they make you provide a quarter to "borrow" one of their buggys (that's a shopping cart for you'ins that live up nawrth). Yep, you put in your $0.25 then when you return your buggy, you get your quarter back. It was not my beloved Walmart and I did not have an isle by isle chart permanently etched into my brain. It was different and I didn't like it, at all.

But then, I heard that Aldi had milk for $2.39/gallon. I figured another peruse through the store couldn't hurt. And, seeing as how it might be cheaper for our house to just buy a freakin' cow than to continue to pay Walmart's ridiculous price of $4.01/gallon., I figured $2.39/gallon for milk could possible allow us to finally begin contritubing to our kids' college funds, rather than watching them drink away their hope of an undergraduate education. (Plus, Walmart's milk has hormones that make 5 year olds go through puberty, okay not really. I love that you can so clearly tell that this supposed email was written by a southerner. They use the word "fixing" as a verb. You know, she was "fixing" to have surgery.)

Wow - tangent, sorry. Back to Aldi. I went in for milk and saw a few other odds and ends that I needed. The cashier rang up my total and it was something ridiculous like $15.00. Can I just tell you that I have NEVER IN MY LIFE left Walmart with a total as low as $15.00? Ever. Even if I'm going in for just milk, I have never left with less than $30.00 worth of stuff (which conveniently always fits in one bag).

I went to the car and examined my receipt. From that day forward I've been an Aldi fan and we now sport matching BFF necklaces.

Hey! Dont' judge me, you'd be BFF's with Aldi too if it cut your grocery bill by almost $200 a month. I'd say that's worth a BFF necklace anyday.

So the moral of this story? Don't judge your BFF on your first encounter. You never know how much money they will save you.

Makin' Baby's....Food

Although most of my readers probably already know HOW to make baby food, I thought I'd do a baby food making post. The reason(s) being:

1) I couldn't think of anything else.

2) I'm thinking of finally doing a Part 2 to this post, and making my own baby food is ONE way I help save our family money.

3) Because it's my blog and I can.

4) This little guy needed some (half) face time, and as you can see from the dirty highchair, hims likes some baby food.

So, here goes:

Today's lesson will be on how to make baby carrots. With baby food reaching an alarming $.69 a jar, it not only disgusts me to spend that kind of money, but I also can't help but wonder what extra "stuff" they put in it to make it stay the color that it should be (AKA..baby bananas, why aren't they brown?).

Anyway, I start with plain old carrots (or any other fruit/veggie I can find on sale).


Next, I dice the carrots as small as my knife and patience will allow. Smaller cubes means faster cooking time.

After cubing, I steam the carrots in AS LITTLE WATER AS POSSIBLE. I do this because I know that while cooking, the water gets all the good stuff, vitamins, minerals, etc. Then, I can just blend the water right in after they are cooked and I can keep all the goods from the "juice."

When the carrots (or whatever) become fork tender, I place them, a few tablespoons at a time into the blender. I blend after every few tablespoons so that I can get the desired consistency. For Stage 1 baby food, add LOTS of water. As your child progresses through the stages, you can make it lumpier and thicker. Baby D likes his food THICK, so if it's too runny when you go to feed them you can always add some rice (or oatmeal) cereal to thicken it up.

Once pureed to the consistency of your choice, I put my baby food into ice cube trays. Each cube holds about 1 tablespoon of baby food. Baby D will eat as much as 6 cubes at 1 meal!

I cover the ice cube trays in tin foil or saran wrap and freeze for at least 36 hours.

Once the cubes are frozen, I pop them out and bag them in zipper freezer bags.

Yeah, I'm just like a cooking show. I already had a bag of Sweet Potatoes prepared, so that's what you're getting to see.

When it's time to feed your little person, just pop a few cubes into a microwave safe dish, and microwave on high about 10 seconds per cube. Be sure to test the temperature though before you feed your baby so that your little one doesn't get burned.

And there you have it. This is my small way of helping ease the cost of our ever rising grocery bill. What are your secrets to making your grocery bills cheaper?

No Haggle Price

Yesterday went well. Those of you who said you hate to haggled would have been very comfortable on our adventure yesterday. With only Elizabeth in tow, we headed to Charlotte. I had found quite a few vehicles online that I wanted to look at. Most of them were at smaller dealers, and very, very...seasoned.

Once more, we knew we were buying a used car, paying cash only, plus our trade. No financing here.

We visited the first place, and the car was less than promising. I think Luke would have really considered buying it, but I just felt uneasy. They claimed they'd just had $3,500 worth of work done to the van, but random things didn't work like the blinkers. Plus, they had to jump it to get it started. Hummm....

Next, we drove around Charlotte and randomly perused car dealerships. Woo-hoo (say that in your best monotone voice). Nothing. Finally, I had printed off a page for a car about 30 minutes outside of Charlotte. It was a 1995 Dodge Conversion Van and they only wanted $1,350. Off we go.

Because my husband loves to find a deal, I think he was the most excited about this one. However, when we got there, we realized a few, very important things about this "gem."

1. It had no back seat. The guy kept saying he'd bolt one in for us. Creepy.

2. The inside flashed me WAY back to 1985. How a '95 van could look that straight from the 80's I'll never know.

3. The tires didn't match.

Once again, I think Luke was really ready to consider this. However, I knew that we only had a week before our big trip and that was NOT enough time to "fix it up." When the salesman finally referred to it as a "fixer-upper" Luke got the point.

Tired, beaten and ready to call it quits, we loaded up and started home. Just for laughs, we decided to drive by a bigger dealership. You know, the ones with 300 new cars all in the different colors and always claiming to have a "S-A-L-E."

We figured it was a lost cause, but when we saw a nice conversion van sitting out front, we figured why not?

We climb out and begin inspecting this van. It is BY FAR the nicest one we've seen all day. We'd probably driven by 5 or 6 like this one already because we figured they were out of our budget. When the guy came out, I casually asked the price. Naturally, he had to go "check."

Let me just say that as much as I love to haggle, I do hate that salesmen try to act like they are stupid.

When the salesman returned, he told us the car was $7,900. WOWzers. WAY out of our price range. I immediately shut the door to the car and told him such. I mean, why look a something you can't buy? I don't like to torture myself.

Upon realizing that we were gettting in our car, he says,

"So how much are you looking at spending."

Luke says, "Whatever $3,000 plus that (pointing to our minivan) can get us."

The salesman oh so graciously asks us if he can look at our van and "See what he can do."

I turned to Luke smiling and said, "Let the games begin." This is my favorite part.

Luke and I both knew that there was no way they'd sell us that van for the price we could pay, but we played along.

He brought us the first offer, and I told him that it was a no-go. Realizing that I was serious, he said he could "check one more thing."

"You do that", I thought.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had to go potty. Luke is always her first request for bathroom duty. I have no idea why. While they were in the bathroom, the salesman comes back.

He shows me that paper. Even though it's a terrific deal on the van, it's $1,000 out of our price range. Instead of haggling, I catch myself being brutally honest (a shocker for most of you, I'm sure).

"Look, we've been looking at cars all day. We saw this one on your lot as we drove by and thought we'd check it out. I realize that you are cutting us a great deal, but the truth is, I have $4,000 cash and that van we drove in. With 5 kids at home, I can't go take more money out of the bank, and we don't finance."

The salesman stares at me. Now, let me tell you that this guy is really nice, but he is doing his job. He tells me something about 45-60-90 grace period or something. I figured it meant borrowing money so I didn't really listen. I told him that when my husband returned, I'd show him the paper, but it was out of our budget by $1,000.

He said he had an older conversion van "up on the hill" that he would show us. Out of exhaustion, I said okay.

Luke returned with Elizabeth and we walked outside to find the ugliest thing I've ever seen. Seriously, we'd looked a lot of cars that day. No-backseater van had this one beat. It was terrible.

We shook the salesman's hand and told him thanks but no thanks. As we buckled up Elizabeth, I asked the guy for our car keys (by the way, I LOVE this trick at car dealerships, it always cracks me up).

He goes into get them but instead of coming back out himself, the manager returns.

By this point, we are exhuasted and just ready to leave. I recant everything I told the salesman to the manager. I tell him about the money in my purse and how we know it's a great deal, but it's just too much. He offers financing, we refuse. At last, he says,

"Well, let me have one more person look at your van and see if we can squeeze anything else out of it."

(In my mind, I picture a large juicer (thanks Cathy) squeezing the life out of our minivan.)

Oh me, enough already. Please, just let us leave. As another guy and the manager circle our van (which Elizabeth is buckled into and we are all but sitting in) they retreat back into the dealership.

I look at Luke and we both show the same signs of fatigue. We are SO ready to GO. Mr. Salesman comes back out and stands in front of us. He looks across the parking lot at the conversion van we've been discussing for the last 1.5 hours. He extends his hand and says,

"If you promise to tell everyone where you got a great deal, the van is yours."

Shock, sheer shock I tell you. I just knew we'd never drive off in that van. I still can't believe it.

With $4,000 cash and a minivan worth only about $1,800 (trade in) we got an $8,000 van. I've never loved driving a BIG red beast so much.


Oh, and if you need a new (different) car, I know just the place to send you.

The Bet

I really should have known you all would go crazy over the $500 bet. You want details, here they are....fair warning though, it's not that interesting.

First, I gotta give background info for those folk who may not "know" us. Luke and I will have been married 6 years this December. When we got married, Luke had been living on his own for about a year and a half and I was fresh out of college. Neither of us were exactly "seasoned" in the ways of the world. Still, we knew enough about money from what we had been taught by our parents and Luke majored in accounting and economics (I know, snoozefest huh?) in college.

My mom always told me never to put more on a credit card than I could pay off at the end of the month. Luke's mom taught him to use them only in emergencies. We were going to be responsible, we both knew that.

However, I was spoiled. Because my parents loved me so much (right mom?) they wanted me to have and experience the best things. I appreciate it so much still today. I loved the family trips we went on, the nice things I got to have and I know, now, that they made huge sacrifices for me to have and do those things. When we got married, I was a classic case of a spoiled brat. I wanted everything my parents already had and I didn't take into consideration that they had 26 plus years experience and hard work on me.

Luke has always been conservative. He rarely splurges and when he does....well, you'd better enjoy every lick of the $0.75 worth of candy....okay, he's not that bad....but almost.

Anyway, I tell you all of that so that I can tell you that it took me being pregnant with Elizabeth before I changed my concept and views of money. For more about how and why I changed, click here.

Now, on with the "bet" story. Luke and I rarely fight. When we do, like most married couples, it's about money. Generally, this is how it plays out:

I want something. It costs more than just a $100 or so and we have not budgeted or saved for it. However, I WANT IT NOW!!!

I have found 17 places that the item of my obsession is on sale/discounted/etc. and have rationalized why we can't afford NOT to buy it, because of the great price. Yes, as I type this I realize how ridiculous it sounds.

Luke and I talk about it (usually, I drive it into the ground every chance I get) and finally, I am so frustrated that I tell Luke to just make a decision so we can be done with it.

Luke says "No" to the overpriced, unbudgeted for item, and I get ticked. A day goes by and I see why he was right and I'm over it.

Pretty much, every time that's how it goes.

So, bet you're still wondering where the bet plays in aren't you? I'm getting there, I promise.

Well, Luke works for Wachovia. If you've read the paper or even turned on the TV you know that Wachovia's viability has been transferred to another banking institution. We were discussing how that would effect Luke's job and, as always, my husband says,

"Well, we shouldn't really do anything extra, just in case." (By the way, Luke's job IS NOT in jeopardy. He's just supremely cautious.)

I, off handedly and a little harshly say,

"Of course, that would be your first response. Because I've been begging to spend lots of money lately."

Yes, it was mean. Yes, it was disrespectful. Yes, I have apologized.

Anyway, (Stay with me. I promise I'm getting there.) the next day is envelope day. We do Dave Ramsey's envelope system. Each pay period we fill our envelopes, October 1st was no exception.

As we are sitting in bed, Luke diligently filling them up, he fans them all out in front of me. He looks me square in the eye and says,

"If you pick the grocery envelope, I'll double it and give you the other half."

Yeah right. Still, he holds them up. I spit in my hand and tell him to shake on it, still not believing that he could be serious. He's never serious about stuff like that.

Still he says, "Choose! I will give you $500 if you can pick which one is the grocery envelope."

In my mind I'm thinking, "He's hiding the grocery envelope so I can't pick it."

I search the bed around him, but he insists he's holding it. I touch each one to make sure that he hasn't hidden the grocery one behind another one.

Can you tell that this has NEVER happened it the 8 years we've been together?

So, trying to play it cool, I reach up and pick one of the envelopes. I'm sure you've guessed which one I chose.

Yep, that's right, GROCERY!

I think Luke had a small moment of disbelief. I stacked all the envelopes on my side of the bed and didn't give it another thought.

The next day, Luke produces another, much thicker, envelope. He looks at me and says,

"Here. I owe you from our bet."

Still, in my mind, I'm thinking he's shoved a wad of paper into an envelope to trick me. I open it up and find $500 worth of $20 bills inside.

I'm still in disbelief and still trying to figure out if he's just testing me. He swears it's not, but I'm still holding out on my shopping spree, just in case. I could see the look on his face when I show up with $500 worth of shopping bags, stuffed full. I'm pretty sure there'd be a wet spot on the floor.

See, I told you it was boring.

Five For Friday

I have no topic for today's five....

1. Lucas' new word is

"Whhhhyyyyyyyy?"

When my father in law and his wife (Luke's step mom) were in town last weekend, she got me onto saying

"Why not?" in response.

Now his new alternative response is

"Beeeccaaaauuuuuse!!" (because)

2. Tonight we are hosting a middle school girls lock in. That's right, 15 or so middle school girls in our basement. Wanna know the craziest part? I'm excited!

3. Baby D is sleeping pretty much through the night. The last FOUR nights he's slept 6 hour stretches. Yay! Why am I more tired?

4. My husband made a bet with me, which I won and he gave me $500. (Yes, you read that right.) However, because he's brainwashed me with Dave Ramsey I cannot spend it. Okay, maybe I'll spend a little, but I can't bring myself to spend it all.

Yes, I'm serious.

5. I never thought I'd actually make new friends by blogging. But, I've found that friendships have become stronger and I've actually "met" a few new people. As long as they promise not to be axe murderers, I think I'll be okay!

Happy Friday! Have a supremely blessed weekend!

It's All About Peace

Luke and I are not passionate about much. Mostly our passion is directed toward our God, family and friends. However, we are seriously passionate about money. We do not passionately pursue riches (not that we wouldn't love to have a cool million or so) but more so that we are passionate about being debt free. We are passionate about showing others the Peace that comes with knowing that your only master is God. I plan on this being a blog series, but time will tell. So, settle in, open your mind and think about your finances as I attempt to tell you why "It's All About Peace."
(Note: Please do not be offended by this post. If you recently discussed finances in your blog, asked us a question, etc. this is NOT aimed at you. Our Pastor has been doing a sermon series "How To Be Rich" and it has sparked a lot of thought. If you have asked questions or posted about money recently, please take this time to delve into my heart and understand how this spoiled "daddy's girl" learned how to be at peace with what she already has and how building riches in heaven surpasses my desire to build riches on this earth.)

As you read, please keep in mind that:
1. I am not a financial adviser
2. I didn't major in accounting/economics
3. I'm just a simple stay-at-home mom who passionately loves her Savior, Jesus Christ.

Luke and I are not completely debt free. We still have a mortgage. However, we do not have credit cards (literally, not even one), car payments, home equity loans or cash advances. Literally, all the debt we have is our mortgage. This isn't a bragging session about our family, it is simply factual. We are working fervently to pay off our mortgage so that we will not be in bondage to anyone.

Let me go further and explain my perception of bondage. Based on scripture, I see bondage as being tied to a person or possession that requires my service. Bondage keeps me from serving what I truly love and forces me to put other needs ahead of my Master's. I know this because of Proverbs 22:7 - "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Servant? Wow. I do see Luke and I as servants. I want my only master to be God. However, because of the debt we owe to our mortgage company, we are their servants. Think about it like this....God wants His servants to do something radical, like move to Africa. However, because of ties to credit cards, mortgages, car payments, etc., the servant is unable to follow God's commands. Sure, you can sell the house, cars and "stuff" but most of the time American's are so far upside down in debt that they are unable to clear what they owe. Therefore, when God calls they are unable to answer. For me, that's not good enough. (On a side note, Onlyservants.blogspot.com does NOT fit into my above description. They pretty much rock.)

Okay, let's look at something more simple, because not everyone is moving to Africa. Let's look at something as simple as helping your neighbor. I think everyone can agree, Christian or not, that loving and helping others is what will make the difference in our world. Let's say that you are in line at Wal-mart. The lady in front of you is purchasing her groceries. She has nothing extravagant, just the necessities to feed and maintain her home; milk, bread, eggs, diapers. You see her 4 children. They look to all be ages 7ish and under. The cashier scans and bags her groceries. When totaled, it isn't an offensive amount, less than $100. She swipes a card - denied. She swipes a second card - denied. Finally, she digs into her purse and pulls out as much cash as she has. She's forced to put some groceries back and only get what she can pay for. You see the disgust on the cashiers face and feel the tug at your own heart. If only you could help, but that would mean less groceries for your own family.

Well, I was in line behind this woman. I was 6 or 7 months pregnant with our oldest child. I knew that I needed to help this woman, but I was powerless. As I watched her walk away, I was crushed for her. All she needed was an extra step, a little help, and she'd be fine. I knew that God was urging me, but I couldn't obey. I couldn't obey because I had another master. The master I was serving was college loans, credit cards and car payments. I knew that I couldn't allow those to supersede the Living God of my life. I knew I needed to change.

I challenge each person reading this to look at their checkbook. Look at your online statement. What God are you serving? Are they gods of debt? Could you respond at a moments notice and serve the Living God? Would it be financially detrimental for you to serve God when He calls? Are you bound by debt?

I want Christ to have every inch of me, my heart, my mind, my Spirit and my possessions. How much does Christ have of you?

Are you trying to serve two masters?

$7.00

We have some incredible friends who are moving to Kenya this summer. They are selling everything, their house, cars, furnishings and going. God called and they are answering and, quite honestly, I think they are incredible. Elizabeth knows "Chris and Windy." She understands that they've already been to Africa once and that they will be going again, and staying a long time. She prays for them I think it is just precious.

Anyway, yesterday, Lindy (Windy) came by to pick up some photos she "accidentally" left at our house (I say accidentally, but again, I'm learning that our God isn't a God of chances). When she got here to pick them up, I asked to see them. They are selling them to raise money for their missions. I spread them all out on the floor and we were inspecting them. I explained to Elizabeth the reason Lindy had the pictures and told her that she was selling them so she could go tell people in Africa about Jesus. Though all of the pictures were amazing, Elizabeth particularly fell in love with 1. It was a photo of a zebra that Chris had taken. Beautifully framed, it was pure joy for Elizabeth. She immediately asked me if she could have it. I told her that it cost a lot of money ($15, but to a 3 1/2 yr old, that's a lot) and that if she would be willing to pay half with her money, I would pay for the other half.

With that, Elizabeth runs to her room and grabs her envelope full of her "Save" money. (Elizabeth does chores to earn money. She gets a maximum of $3.00 per week. She gives $1 to Church, Saves $1 and gets to put $1 in her Spend envelope.) She comes running back into the living room with a fist full of $1.00 bills. I told her that her portion of the cost is $7.00. Diligently, she counts out her money....$7.00 exactly. I explained to her that if she uses her money to buy the picture that she won't have any money left to buy the toys that she's asked for from the T.V. In a complete moment of maturity she says, "Yes, I know Mommy." She proudly hands her dollars to Lindy (who is sobbing) and takes her prized picture in her hands. She runs to her room to find a place of honor.

God amazes me that I can still learn so much from my children. It was not a coincidence that Elizabeth had exactly $7.00 saved (I didn't know how much she had when I told her I'd pay half). What an amazing heart my child has. I feel so incredibly blessed to witness these everyday miracles. God is so good.

Now, I'm wondering, have I given God my $7.00 today? Have I offered Him my all? And with complete joy, have I placed what He has given me in a place of honor? I think there are so many lessons to be learned from the heart of a 3 year old...

Check out my friend's version of the story by clicking here.