Sanctuary on a Shoestring - Just a little green!

I wanted to join in with Company Girl Coffee this weekend. The small thing for yesterday was to share a tip on saving money. I thought I would share my tip here for my readers as well as Company Girls. :)

I am not big into "saving the earth" stuff, I feel that God has put the earth here for our use. However, I feel that we are stewards of our resources and should take care of the earth as we can. I do like to reduce the amount of plastic in our home, especially when it comes to bags from the store. That's why I have started using the bags below for the bulk of my grocery shopping.

So where does the tip come in? :) The grocery stores I do most of my shopping at (a chain owned by a local family) for the last couple of months or so, pay 5 cents for every shopping bag I reuse... eventually the bags will pay for themselves! Yesterday, as I finished at the checkout, I received a free bag with my over $25.00 purchase! (It's the new green one on top!) :) Oh, and I really enjoy using these, they are a lot neater and easier to carry than little plastic ones, and you can fit more in them.

Speaking of bags... I do like to get plastic shopping bags occasionally ... white ones, like at Wally World. I use them to line all our small trash cans like in bathrooms. I don't buy small can liners! :)

Thanks to those of you that gave your opinion on the Swiffer last week. I did buy the starter kit - with my coupon (another great way to save $$$) I only spent around $15 - $16 for it. I will be saving money on the pads by knitting some like these, or even using a microfiber cloth as Brittany suggested.

I hope everyone has happy Saturday... It's laundry, cooking and cleaning for me! Our church starts revival services tomorrow, next week will be a busy one!

Blessings!
Charity

Show and Tell: Spring Bunnies

Every now and then I enjoy taking part in Kelli's Friday Show and Tell. This Friday, I wanted to share my rabbits with you. I know it is past Easter, but I enjoy my rabbits into the summer. I do have a few of what I call "cutsie" rabbits, but my favorite ones are much more realistic. (I am also including a quote about a rabbit from Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.)

And sometimes there'd be a great gray rabbit, so still in the lights and shadows of a grass clump that you were near enough to touch hime before you saw him.

His round eyes stared at yours without meaning anything. His nose wiggled, and sunlight was rosy through his long ears, that had delicate veins in them and the softest short fur on their outsides. The rest of his fur was so thick and soft that at last you couldn't help trying, very carefully, to touch it.

Then he was gone in a flash and the place where he had been sitting was hollowed and smooth and still warm from his warm behind.

I hope you have enjoyed my Show and Tell. All of these bunnies were bought at my favorite store in recent years. (I am just waiting for the Easter stuff to be marked down more... there are a couple of bunnies I have my eye on!) :) Drop by Kelli's blog to see more Show and Tell and just have a look around, she has a beautiful blog!

Have a good Friday!

Blessings!
Charity

Sunday Blessing

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

From: Christ, the Lord, is risen today
By Charles Wesley

What a wonderful day to celebrate! Jesus is risen victorious!! His life work was completed. He paid for our salvation through His death on the cross. This day is just as important at Christmas, maybe more for Christians, because this is the day that we celebrate the completion of the Salvation plan. The work is finished and we can now go to Heaven!

One of my favorite Easter songs is on the top of my playlist, Rise Again by Dallas Holm. I love the phrase that says "Go ahead and mock my name, My love for you will still remain." There are so many today that mock the name of Jesus, but He still has such great love and compassion for them. His greatest desire is that each person accepts His gift of salvation paid for by His Blood.

He is Risen!!

I hope each of you has a wonderful day of celebrating Christ's victory.

Blessings!
Charity

Easter Eve

I know we aren't the only ones to have been getting ready for Easter tomorrow! I thought I would share just a little of our preparations.

My family has a tradition of coloring the eggs after they have been peeled! :)

I dissolve food coloring in water and put the peeled eggs in it. After they have turned the color I want, I then slice them and make deviled eggs. Yummy! :)

We were going to do a Peep cake, but Mom decided that cupcakes would be easier to serve. (Great idea too!) Why don't we do cupcakes more often... they are so fun! :)

After looking around a little on the internet, I'm kindof wishing we had done green icing...these are really cute! Oh, well. There's always next year! :)

Blessings!
Charity

What is Truth?

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. John 18:37-38


So many people today are on a quest for truth. They want to know what is real. Unfortunately, many of them don't believe that there is such a thing as absolute truth. They feel that all things are relative. Jesus said that He is the Truth. (John 14:6) If we don't seek Him as the source for truth, we aren't going to find truth at all.

Pilate wanted to know the truth. However, he didn't even stay around long enough to let Jesus answer his question "What is truth?" I believe many people are afraid of the truth. Maybe Pilate didn't want Jesus to tell him what truth was, because then Pilate would be held accountable. If there is Truth, than nothing is relative. Pilate would be held to a standard other than his own. Many people today are the same way, they may want to know what is true, but are afraid of Truth. Knowing the Truth might change their way of life. Truth might require them to hold to Someone else's standard - God's.

When we seek truth, from the Source of truth, we will find it. Jesus said, in the verse above, that His purpose in coming to earth was to bring Truth. Not only was Jesus on trial in Pilate's hall, but so was truth. The fact is that truth remains on trial today. Many people aren't willing to commit to the truth.

As we pause on this Good Friday, let us be grateful for Jesus's sacrifice that we might have salvation and be brought into the Truth.


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This post was also published on Time to Bloom. I wanted to share it here as well, in honor of Good Friday.
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