Other blog

Trying out a Wordpress blog for a bit: http://shantijoy.wordpress.com/

CVS & prescriptions

When Joel had his heart attack (12/30/08), he got put on 5
prescriptions immediately - $90 in copays.
Thankfully, I has spent my Christmas vacation learning about The
Grocery Game & reading moneysavingmethods.blogspot.com.

By finding 'Transfer your Rx' coupons, I have spent only $10/month out
of pocket...

Here's how it worked yesterday:

Joel had 3 prescriptions Auto-refill @ CVS.
I prefer to keep my Rx's @ CVS, and so do they... So I don't transfer
them! I just use the coupon I would if I had transferred to Walgreens
without the hassle!

1st Rx$10 copay - $10 cash... Get $25 Giftcard with coupon from
Walgreens ad
2nd Rx$10 copay - $10 off GC... Get $25 GC= Balance $40
3rd Rx$30 copay - $30 off GC... Get $25 = Balance $35

If I was smart, I would save this GC for next Rx refills... Then I
wouldn't have the $10 out-of-pocket.

CVS Deal of the Day

Starting CVS Balance: $1.99 ECBs

Prescriptions:
Sincor $30
Paid $30 cash
Rec'd $15 GC
Net: -$15

Shopping:
(8) HoneyNut Cheerios $2.50 - coupon $1/3 = $19
Nature's Valley $3 - coupon $0.50 = $2.50
(2) Gummi Lifesavers - coupon $1.50 = $1.50
Milk $2.79 = $2.79 + $2 ECBs
(4) CVS Sinus meds (2)$5.29 + (2)$5.49 - (2)$2.50 off 12 = $16.56
CVS $10 off $50
Paid: $1.99 ECB + $15 GC + $14.36 cash
Rec'd: $2 ECB

Started with $1.99 ECB = $1.99
Ended with $2 ECB = $2.00
Product value: $84.64... For $44.36 cash - not bad considering I needed the prescription & sinus meds either way!

Easter, Holy week, and the church calendar

I've had mixed feelings about Lent and Holy week this year. It has
felt arbitrary and contrived.... so I have pretty much left it
unacknowledged.

Only yesterday did I start to contemplate this freedom... Is the
church calendar an order set up by the Father?

Stop slavery - support Love146 for $25/month

CVS Deal of the Day

Starting CVS Balance: $8 GC + $5 ECBs = $13

Prescriptions:
Lovaza $30 - Coupon $20 = $10
Lisinopril $10
Paid $8 GC + $12 cash
Rec'd $50 GC
Net: $43

Shopping:
(4) Campbell's soup B1G1 $1.69 & $1.49 -coupon (2)$1/2 = $1.18
(3) Pepsi 12-packs $3.67 - $2 ECB = $9
Schick Intuition $8.99 - coupon $4 - $3 ECB = $1.99
(2) Bayer Aspirin $2.79 - coupon (2) $1 = $3.58
Non-deal items $11.48
CVS $2.50 off $12
Paid: $5 ECB + $26.18 GC
Rec'd: $5 ECB

Started with $12 cash + $8 GC + $5 ECB = $25
Ended with $23.82 GC + $5 ECB = $28.82
Product value: $84.86... For $3.82 profit!

On the President

Internet Monk nailed it:

Christians: What are you saying about the President? by iMonk
When Mr. Obama was elected, I told some of my friends, "This is going to be difficult for some people." And, unfortunately, not only was I right, I was right on the money as to who would have the most difficult time seeing a black Democrat take the office of President. For the past two months, almost daily, I have listened to too many- not all thankfully, but many of the evangelical Christians around me say untrue and hateful things about President-elect Barak Obama.
As Inauguration Day grows closer, the rhetoric is getting worse.

"I will not support a man who hates our flag and hates our Bible." This from an educated adult.

"He's not even a Christian. He's a Muslim." I have heard this over and over and continue to hear it.

"He's not my President." This from all kinds of people.

"I hate Obama. I'd like to get in his face." And worse. This from a child.

"We shouldn't allow our children to watch the inauguration." From an adult.

"I can't wait till he's _________ed." I'll skip the word so my blog isn't sent to some FBI list. This from teenage boys, of course.

I could go on and on and on with these quotes. I hear them and hear of them almost every single day I am around my fellow Christians. I did not vote Barak Obama. I barely voted for John McCain. The choices this year left me unenthused to say the least. Obama's solutions to political, foreign policy, social and economic policy all seem wrong to me, and I'm concerned about his lack of experience. I'm hopeful that he will be a good president because I think he knows that he is a historic leader coming to power at a critical time. I believe he's made many good choices for cabinet positions. I think he is smart and I understand he doesn't suffer fools and divas gladly. I'll pray for him. Scripture tells me to pray for my leaders. They are ordained of God. (Romans 13, I Timothy 2, I Peter 2) I am to pray for all those in authority. I am to submit to them as authorities established by God. I am to pay my taxes, obey the laws and avoid doing what is illegal. As much as it depends on me, I am to be a peaceful citizen of this country. Should my President ask me to do what I cannot do without violating the law of God, then I must be faithful to God.
Let me say this again: Scripture is clear that those in authority are to have my obedience, my prayers and my cooperation in all things that do not violate my loyalty to Jesus Christ. These commands were all written to first century Christians who lived under hostile, pagan, anti-Christian, often actively persecuting Roman governments. No group of Christians in the first three centuries of the church every lived under a Christian ruler. Yet all these Christians took seriously the command to "Honor the King" and to "submit to and pray for" those rulers as much as possible.
If you are an evangelical Christian adult, please hear me out: You are sinning- badly and boldly - when you publicly denigrate and lie about the President. You have no basis to do this. Surely you know that this is wrong. You can state your opposition to the President as you choose, but it is wrong to say that a Christian should not watch the Inauguration, pray with Rick Warren and pray for President Obama when he puts his hand on the Lincoln Bible. You can oppose him in every way, but to speak threatening, hateful, hostile or untrue words is wrong, and it makes Christians appear, once again, to be hateful, hostile, unconcerned with truth and selfish to a fault. To speak this way in front of children and to pass this kind of rhetoric and attitude on to them is no different from passing on the worst kinds of racial or religious prejudice to our children. Our children trust us and believe what we say. When we say "Obama hates the Bible and hates Christians," we are brainwashing our kids with untruths and paranoid mythology. I know that many of you will be firing back at me saying that abortion and gay marriage and other social issues outweigh the Biblical commands to pray for, submit to and obey this particular
leader. I agree with you that his policies in these areas should be opposed- legally and without hateful personal attacks and untruths.
But I cannot agree with your abandonment of what the Bible clearly teaches. And I deplore your choice to speak these words in front of unbelievers and young people. You need to repent, and if necessary, apologize. As we approach January 20, please read the Bible's many
commands to Christians regarding our attitude toward the civil government. Remember that these commands were written when everyone knew that Jesus was executed by the government and every government was set against the belief that Jesus, not Caesar, was Lord. Nero was
no friend of Christians in the first century. Neither was Domitian.
Today, the commands of scripture apply to Christians in China, in Iraq, and in India. They apply to all Christians living under hostile governments. Jesus lived under a cruel Roman governor, yet he submitted and obeyed that governor, even to the point of death. Let us speak the truth in love. Let us love those we may not agree with. Let us leave the right example for children and young people. And let's not engage in blatant sin, and then excuse it, in the name of politics.

A new tradition.... Being St. Nick

So, this Christmas, Joel and I have tried hard to re-program the kids
from 'I want' to 'Christ gave, so I give'

The hard part is that we have never bought them Christmas presents -
but they get a TON from all our loving family.
We did tell our families we have all we need, but of course they still
showered us with blessings.

Also, we have never directly addressed Santa Claus. We see him in
Christmas movies, but we haven't said, 'this gift is from him.'
Then we went to a play @ the Interactive Theater that gave a history
of St Nicholas with the message of it is all about giving... But
ending with the normal Santa still alive @ the north pole.

So about 2 weeks ago, Holden tells Bella, 'Jesus is fake.'
I said, 'Holden, why did you say that?'
Holden: 'Cuz Santa's pretend, and Johnny (our 'Elf on the Shelf') is
fake, so Jesus is too.'
This was Joel's greatest fear realized. I did not hesitate to kill
Santa and the Elf. Salvation was at stake.
Me: 'Johnny is fake. And St Nick was a nice old man 100's of years
ago, and he is dead. But Jesus is alive, your creator and your
salvation.'

This pretty much shaped the rest of our Christmas. No more silliness.
Fortunately, my mom was thinking along the same lines.
We started a new tradition. While the rest of the children waited for
Santa Christmas Eve, we took blankets, socks filled with goodies, and
hot soup to homeless men on the streets of Houston. And this time,
Holden said, 'I'm being just like Jesus, feeding people.'
And I said, 'just like St Nick copied Jesus, too.'

Another Piper

Joel and I read the blogs of Abraham and Molly Piper.... Abraham is the 3rd son of Pastor John Piper.

Since he is the web-content editor for the Desiring God blog, he was
also at the conference.

We went to lunch and talked for a few hours.

Here's the weird thing: to sit across from basically a stranger, and
know their interests, family, sorrows and joys. Kinda fun....
Lots easier than starting from scratch.

Piper transforms me again!

Well, actually Jesus transforms me, but uses Piper's words to do it.

Back in 1999, 1 1/2 years after my conversion, I went to the Passion
Conference, where I heard the message that transformed my life. John
Piper did a LONG intro, explaining how glorifying God in abundance is
what the anyone would do, glorifying God in a tragedy is what a
Christian would do, but chosing suffering to bring Him glory is what
we should do.

I lived the next 7 yrs in light of this teaching, passionately driven
to bring Him glory.

When I met and fell in love with Joel in 2000, I drug him to a
conference in Dallas @ Park City Pres (PCPC) where Piper wrecked his
life, too (in a good way).
Piper told us that the call was not to be missionaries, but to be martyrs.
Joel's never been one to do anything halfway, so he understood that he
would have to put God ahead of EVERYTHING.
Joel wasn't ready. On the ride home from Dallas, Joel bought a pack of
cigarettes and tried to run back to his old life.

In the past year, I have been struggling with my faith a lot. No
disbelief, but faith. My courage for God has waned.... It began to
feel pointless.
And I haven't known what to do about it.

I shared some of this with a missionary, Shannon, I spent last weekend
at a Pastoral Vision pow-wow with. She prayed some poignant prayers
for me then.

This weekend @ the Desiring God Regional Conference in Austin, Piper
once again put me in my place.
Below God, in awe of Him, in need of Him.

The topic was Job and his suffering.
I saw God purpose and plan stretchng Job through the trials Satan
requested to attack him with.
I was reminded once again that I am the creation, and I have NO RIGHT
to question God.
I was inspired to pursue God's glory once again.