I Just Won 5 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I Just Won 5 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

Coupon Shopping is becoming addictive!

Well today I went back to Publix for the second time doing a quick coupon run. If I tally up my before sales/coupons totals for 2 trips it comes to 322.76. After sales/coupons I only paid 164.80! That's a total of 51% savings! Still not the greatest of the coupon world, but it's only my 3rd trip! If I add my one Winn Dixie trip in the total before sales and coupons was 157.43 and I paid only 82.57. So the three trips combined before sales/coupons would have been 480.19! Saying that I only paid 247.37 makes me feel a pretty doggone good! I'm still learning the ropes, today was the first day I actually stacked any coupons and roughly half of what I bought today I didn't have a coupon for but needed the items. Things like milk, hamburger meat, gatorade (necessity!), etc. Plus some of the items I bought today, I didn't have great coupons for like my dog food, but still was a necessity. But I think I'm doing great so far. Eric is really loving watching the totals drop as each coupon is deducted! I'm finally getting our pantry looking good since the move-in to our new place. And I'm not stuck settling for generic this or that. In fact I think the only few things that have been generic were 2 bags of rice (winn dixie), 2 bottles of salad dressing (publix), kitty litter (publix), and the milk we've bought (publix). I might be wrong but I do think those are the only generic brands I've bought. I'm even getting lower prices on some of the name brand stuff than I'd ever find on the generics! I'm not stuck buying just the bare necessities, but we're able to splurge on things we ordinarily wouldn't buy, but since the deal with coupons is free or close to it, we go ahead and get them! It's really great to know that I've been able to save my family 232.82 in the last 2 weeks of groceries! I'm looking at it as a "job". I'm not able to work and bring in money, but I can save money on groceries and household items that we can put to good use elsewhere. So yeah, I call it my job :D It takes time to get organized, clip the coupons, search for coupons to stack with, and to find the best deals around. Eric has definitely begun to appreciate the art of clipping coupons after only 3 times shopping with them. He stands by quietly and watches the totals drop dollar by dollar and I watch as his mouth drops more and more in amazement as the totals go down...lol Anyway, that's pretty much what I've been doing in my spare time lately. So if you live around here and see a woman on a mission with a giant binder containing baseball card sleeves of coupons followed by a man dragging his feet really hating the time it takes to look and be sure they are getting the best deal possible, then that might be me...lol And if you see me in line, but you're in a hurry, it might be best if you don't get behind me. I usually have at a minimum of 20-25 coupons! I think I've had right at 60 coupons on one shopping trip and I'm just getting started!  Maybe my next trip I'll remember to tell Eric not to shelve the groceries and I'll get everything together on my table and take a photo! See ya soon!

COOL WEBSITE! SUPER COUPON GIRL DOT COM

Songs of encouragement! Scriptures of encouragement!

Ok, just thought that sometimes we could use a place that has several uplifting songs (hey, I'm a music chick!) that we could go to and listen to. Tonight as I was scanning facebook I see a post from a great girl who fights this battle so bravely and encourages everyone along the way, but tonight she just needed someone to encourage her. So I got some scriptures together and found a video on youtube that has helped me so many times. I posted them, and then I did something I rarely do... I went back and reread those scriptures and to my amazement they read like a letter of encouragement from God! Not sure why this amazed me, after all the entire Bible is the words of God put there for us to learn from, find encouragement, and to follow. But anyway, I decided that I'm going to print these scriptures in this order and place them in several places in my home, so that I can see them daily and get my reminder from God that it is going to be WORTH IT!!! So here are those scriptures that I posted to my friend.


Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

Romans 5:3-4
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Isn't that just amazing! When we actually take the time to stop and read what God is showing us, then wow! I know I need to be reminded to stop and pay attention to what God's trying to say. Sometimes I just need to shut up long enough to see it! We often get so busy just right out starting with our "prayer lists/requests" and our "Thank you Lord for (fill in the blank)" that we don't take the time to LISTEN! I'm glad I went back and listened tonight!

So starting today, on (if everything goes well, you all know this disease and how things change day to day) every Tuesday night I'll try and post at least one scripture of encouragement and/or one song. Tonight you get both :) So here is the song, It's Gonna Be Worth It sung by Rita Springer. Remember, IT'S GONNA BE WORTH EVERY PAIN, TRIAL, and CONFUSING ! Love and Prayers, Miranda

My how things have changed!

Well it's October 19th and we've been living in our new place for like 2 weeks now, and there is ALWAYS something to be done! Other than just regular chores keeping things clean, I'm still trying to get some of this stuff unpacked or put away in a more convenient place. Slowly adding homey touches here and there and very slowly getting the remaining repairs finished. I'm thinking that MAYBE by the end of the year we'll hopefully have at least half of what needs to be finished completed. But who knows... lol


I need to post some photos of Kiah, she's grown SO MUCH! But for now, here are 2 photos from September 3rd.  She was 7 1/2 weeks here!

She was so small then!  The next photo was the day we went and got her down in Auburn on July 28th!  I like how she's looking up at Aleah, Aleah is looking at me, and Serena was looking down at Kiah but blinked...lol

These are some photos of my husband Eric and Kiah on Sept. 7. This was back when she was small enough not to annoy him! LOL He now has an avid dislike for her, well mostly for her behavior and hyper personality. I remind him all the time that she's just a puppy in a large package...lol Plus it doesn't help that she really only listens to me most of the time! But I'm glad I have these photos, because I seriously doubt that I'll get these 2 together like this ever again!

Well that's our puppy, who's not such a little puppy anymore. Maybe tomorrow I can have a minute to get outside with my camera and get some update photos of her! She's so much bigger now!

Today we also found a home for one of the rescue kittens we have! I'm so glad that Sonny Boy went to a great home! Although his new name might be Chizzik (after Gene Chizzik of Auburn...lol) This is the last picture I have of him.

This is Toddy Boy. He still needs a home.

This little girl here is Miracle (named this because she was born 48 hours after her 2 brothers and 2 sisters!) and although I hate to see her go, she needs a great home also.

And the last to need a home is Miss. Two Face (named after the batman villain harvey two-face) but not because she's a villainous cat, she's really sweet, but just because her face is half orange and half black split right down the middle. She has one foot that is split like this as well!

We are actually keeping one of the kittens and the mama cat. I don't have a recent photo of Lovey, or Gray/Cute Ear as the kids have dubbed her, but I'll try and get one tomorrow. Zelda will also stay with us (she's the mama cat) and we have our girl Daisy (got her like 7 months ago before we knew we'd have all these kittens! lol). I'll also try and get a more recent photo of her too. She has hurt her front right paw, so we're not bothering her too much until it gets better. She seems to feel better if she gets lots of rest. But it looks as if its on the mend, so that's great. And lastly, we still have those 2 little white teddy bear hamsters that I am DESPERATE to find homes for also! Made a deal with the girls that if we can find the hamsters and the 4 kittens a home, they could put their aquarium up in their bedroom. So we've got one kitten down, 3 more to go and 2 hammies...lol Anyway, this is pretty much the new additions the family :) And hopefully we'll be back down to just us 4 and 3 cats and 1 puppy soon. It's a lot of work keeping up with so many pets! Also, hope to have before and after photos of our new place, well before and now photos... nowhere near finished yet! So check back if you're interested in this crazy thing we call life...lol It's a ride that is forever changing due to my Dysautonomia, 2 kids, husband, puppy, 7 cats/kittens, and 2 hamsters! lol We never know what the next day holds! So until next time, stay strong, keep fighting!

Broken Hallelujahs

***Note : Stop the music player to the right in order to hear the song to go with this blog.


It's came to me again today that sometimes all we have to give feels like it is not enough. We feel that our praises to God are so broken and meaningless. We feel that we are so torn and shattered that nothing we can say or do could have meaning, worth, and value. Maybe someone out there today is dealing with this very issue.  I have went through many trials, especially during the last 18 months or so, and dealt with a body that was so broken, torn, and broken that I literally couldn't even utter a spoken word, stand to lift my hands in worship to my King and Savior Jesus.  It's so very frustrating to be stuck in a body that keeps you imprisoned during everyday life, especially when all you desire to do is stand with your arms stretched towards the heavens in complete and utter praise and thanks to God. But you can't. You can't stand with your arms above your head due to a disease that will land you on the floor once the blood drains from your arms down into your legs causing you to collapse and faint. When the disease steals from you your voice to sing out in praise, steals from you the clarity of thought making it hard to pray, steals from you the strength to do all that your heart desires to do in worship and praise. It's the times like this that we must remember this one very important thing. God SEES and HEARS our thoughts and desires!!!  If we truly desire to be standing before Him completely oblivious to this world in praise and adoration to Him, then he sees that desire! God loves us even when our bodies are of absolutely no use to ourselves. But we must remember this also. Not only does God see and love our desires to worship Him with complete abandonment, people around us can read it on our faces, from our actions, hear it from our mouths.  What a better testimony could we be than someone physically incapable to worship as others, but so desiring to be near to God that we push the boundaries? We push in anyway possible, regardless of the fatigue and consequences of our disease, and we push until we find ourselves in the very presence of the One we've longed to be in the presence of... the Savior! Sometimes all we have to offer is a Broken Hallelujah and shattered praise.  But if we offer this, give all that our broken bodies will allow, then we MUST know that God is faithful! He'll never desert us, leave us to be in that place pushing to reach Him alone with our brokeness.  He'll ALWAYS reach out, come to us, and meet us with a warm embrace of love that only the Father can offer His child!  Next time when you are having a knock down, drug down, and awful kind of day that no one around you can possibly understand, when you find yourself feeling alone and unworthy of the very air you breathe, take the breath God's given you and utter forth a broken Hallelujah. Give Him your shattered praise.  God inhabits the praises of His people! Check this out!

PRAISE comes from the Latin word "pretium", meaning price. Prize is a variation of this word. Originally it meant "to set a great price on". So when we praise God, we are placing a great value on Him and His acts. God sees us as His "treasured possession" (Duet. 7:6, Exodus 19:5), and He wants to be our Treasure and our First Love. PRAISE FOR GOD IS COMMUNICATING WHO GOD IS, WHAT HE HAS DONE, AND WHAT HE CAN DO. PRAISE IS A WEAPON AGAINST EVIL & THE ENEMIES OF GOD: 1. PRAISE HONORS GOD - In Luke 11 Jesus taught us to begin prayer with praise in order to honor and glorify God. Psalm 29:2 tells us to give God the glory that is due Him. Praise helps us to focus on God, and who He is, and His greatness. 2. PRAISE HELPS US FOCUS ON GOD - Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. As we praise Him we raise up a throne or structure for Him to fill (2 Chron. 5:13). Praise sensitizes us to God's presence, and helps us take our focus off of ourselves and onto Him. 3. PRAISE HELPS US TO KNOW GOD - It helps us to focus on His character and His attributes. As we praise Him we rehearse our knowledge of Him, and we come to know Him as what we praise Him to be. 4. PRAISE BREAKS THE ENEMY'S OPPRESSION - In Acts 16:25,26 Paul and Silas praised God and the doors in the prison they were in were opened and they escaped. Praise lifts us out of oppression, and also helps us out of our self-centered ways. 5. PRAISE CONFUSES THE FORCES OF EVIL - The power of praise in battles is shown in 2 Chronicles 20, Psalm 8:2, and Psalm 149:5-9. Praise helps us to focus on God and realize our need for Him, and thus turn the battle over to Him. When we do this, God will then bring Victory. This makes Praise and Prayer and Dependence on God great weapons in Spiritual Battles.  (link to where I got this section is HERE) Use your broken praises to fight the turmoils this life and body have placed on you! Praising God brings us closer to Him and the closer we get and the more we allow Him a place in our lives, the more that we are not alone in all this. Let God be your shoulder, your friend, your healer, your savior. Much love and prayers to all who find and read this. Sincerely, Miranda