Feb. 1, 2008 - Finding Joy at the Table
Today at Crystal's blog, she is discussing time management and grocery shopping for the family. I do have to say I struggle with this one. I have the folders, I collected coupons: collected from other people even & even the library!! ... piles of "stuff": and my common sense tells me to buy what is on sale and I will save money. So that is what I do for our family. I look at our local shopping markets sales flyer online, and plan our menu.
I can tell you that planning our menu has saved us thousands of $$. I am not tempted to look at my Beloved as soon as her walks through the door and say: "can we just go get burgers tonight?" For one, that steals JOY from him. I know he is tired from a long drive home, I know how many hours my Beloved has to work in order to supply that burger dinner, and I also know that it (my unprepardedness) STEALS from other financial areas in our life. And it also STEALS relaxed family togetherness: we are all rushing around, getting ready to get out the door to spend 20 minutes in a burger joint so I can avoid cooking for the night!! (NUTS!)
Eating Dinner together as a family is a sacred act. It's special. It should be. We noticed in the Bible Jesus eating with alot of differrent people. Sitting down, visiting. Relaxing.......no rushing. HE taught JOY at the simple act of feeding and eating with others. Shouldn't we be willing to do the same?
Going out to eat (I've chatted with my Beloved about this issue!) is a once or twice a month special treat for our family. Now that means I have to PLAN. Everywhere that we go here in rural Indiana is a good 30 minutes away. So I need to stash things in my purse so the poppets won't think they are going to drop dead from starvation on the drive home. And sometimes, the poppets have to wait. They need to learn to wait. We all need to realize that Mama has a plan, and they will eat. Promise!!
So, coupon on, Girls!! Best of luck to you. I stick to my "dent" store (Ocean Spray Cranberry sauce Jelly & whole 6/$1.00.......and Bush's Baked Beans lg. cans 2/$1.00) and looking at the flyers to see what is on sale. Maybe I will start slowly like Crystal suggests. Maybe I can master my local CVS store!!
In the meantime: Beloved was paid today. Thank You Jesus!! And I need to make my menu so the Poppets won't starve and JOY will be maintained at the dinner table.
Have a Scrumptious weekend!!
Kelly
