My husband and I were privileged to be able to go to Egypt with 100 people from the UK, Holland, and the US a few weeks ago. It was truly remarkable to tour the historic sites, to see things in person that I have seen in history books for years.
Do you remember in your little children's Bible the pictures of Moses being placed in the basket on the banks of the Nile? I am not joking when I say that it still looks exactly like those pictures. It felt like a huge step back in time with camels, scorpions, bedouins, and pyramids.
Speaking of steps, there was an older man named Sam on our trip who was only able to take one step at a time. You see, his leg had been amputated due to a car accident more than fifteen years ago. This trip was not a trip for the faint of heart; the tourist and handicapped standards were nowhere near the same as here in the US. There were crocodiles that you could reach out and touch; gangplanks leading to ships, with tiny railings on the one side and nothing on the other. And, there was very little that was handicapped accessible. However, Sam was determined to do everything on his crutches and one leg - one step at a time.
Have you ever felt like God has to take you halfway around the world or to some place totally unexpected in order to teach you something? Every time I saw Sam, I thought of "Sam I Am" - a man who could do anything with nothing standing in his way. He never complained and always acted like a gentleman by letting the ladies go first. He currently has a ministry speaking to troubled teens and encouraging them to live the life God intended for them to live.
He inspired me to live the life God has intended for me to live, to not let obstacles stand in my way or to diminish my faith.
I wish you could have met Sam. He would have inspired you to live all out for God.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for Sam, for his faith, for his ministry, and for his dedication and determination to not let anything stand in his way. I pray that we too could live lives all out for you, with every step that we take glorifying You, Your kingdom, and Your purposes. Give us faith and determination like Sam's to live lives that please You.
Eggs and Ham
People ask me in today's economy where do I do my grocery shopping? Where do I buy my eggs and ham to save the most money and feed a family of six? For those of you in southern California, you know that double coupons were recently discontinued at Ralph's and Von's or Pavilions. I used to spend $100 and my receipt would say that I had saved nearly $100, due to double coupons. However, this is no longer the case with double coupons being discontinued.
The good news is that if you're willing to drive a little bit further you will find much lower prices at Stater Brothers. They do accept coupons up to their face value. I've found many of their prices to be even lower than Costco's. And, if you're ever in Newport Beach there is an incredible place for fruits and vegetables called Grower's Direct. It's right off of 17th street and the 55, on the north side. Some of the prices are virtually half of my local grocery stores' prices.
One more tip...last week I was in a one hour and 45 minute focus group at Trotta Associates in Irvine, regarding groceries that paid $175. If you'd like to be on their list for focus group attendees, just sign up at http://www.trotta.net/. It basically paid for my groceries for a while and it was a lot of fun!!
Now go and enjoy every moment!
Kim
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