Let me begin with the idea behind this blog. I will break it into two parts to explain the name and explain the purpose.
NAME:
Tabitha, or Dorcas (we will just stick with Tabitha) as some of you may know her, was a woman who was a great doer and not just a great talker. Convicted yet? I am! Her story unfolds in Acts 9:36-42 (I will not go into great detail so you should go read it!). From the very beginning the description of her is breathtaking! In verse 36 in the NASB it says, "this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did." What a woman! My first question is, was she married? Then, did she have a toddler, where did she get the money to do the things she did, what kind of things could I do? :) These are a few of the many questions that later turn into excuses that we can come up with in order to stay in our own little world and not reach out to others in need. In verse 37 she fell sick and died and the people sent for Peter to come and he did. When he arrived there he saw a beautiful sight of women, widows (women in need!) with their tunics and garments that Tabitha would make them when she was still alive. She had invested in their lives and in turn changed them, built relationships, and loved on others through giving. In Matthew Henry's concise commentary he states, "
Christians who have not property to give in charity, may yet be able to do acts of charity, working with their hands, or walking with their feet, for the good of others." In other words, even though we may have little or nothing to give financially, who knows how much Tabitha had, we can still serve others be it with our hands, our feet, or whatever the Lord has blessed us with. To wrap up Tabitha's story, Peter prays and tells Tabitha to arise and she does and is presented alive and through this miracle many come to believe in the Lord. Her life is one that opens our minds to the possibilities of how we can show Truth to others through the way that we live our lives.
Mission:
The mission is to use coupons, yes coupons, to save you money so that you are able to serve others. I know as a stay at home mom, it is hard to feel useful to those outside my home. I am either doing laundry, washing dishes, changing diapers, cleaning the house, or numerous other things. My family does not have a lot of extra time, money or resources to help others. So what can I do? I have struggled with this question over and over for the entire time that I have been a stay at home mom. I know that this is what God has called me to do for this period of my life but I also know that this doesn't mean it is a break time from ministry to others. Maybe you are in a similar situation, whether you are a stay at home mom, full time working woman and mom, single woman working or going to school....whatever it may be you can still serve! Here is what the Lord has placed on my heart: How often do we get a Sunday paper, look through the articles, ads, and maybe the comics and then proceed to throw it away? Maybe if we are thrifty we cut out a few obvious coupons of things that we want or need because it will save us a buck here or there. But where does the rest go? To the trash? This is where this blog comes in. I have recently started to watch a new series on TLC called extreme couponing. This show, however ridiculous it may seem, has prompted me to look for deals that are beyond my ordinary couponing experience. In the past two weeks I have gone to the store and left with 6 bottles of Similac, 5 bars of ivory soap, two packs of carefree feminine stuff :), 6 bottles of Nivea body wash, two Homestyle Mac and Cheese Dinners and a package a of pasta for absolutely FREE!!! Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to get you to be in awe or pat me on the back because I did very little for this. My desire is for you to have a similar passion or join with me in this one that we may use coupons to serve others. These are all items that can be easily donated to Shawnee Rescue Mission (or like charities).
So here is my plan in how you can be involved: ( I am sure you are tired of reading by now)
Option #1
Every week I will post deals like this as soon as I see them or someone tells me about them:
This is an example of a deal I got last week and is therefore not going on anymore
--Target--
Nivea Body Wash for Men or Women, 16.9 oz $2.43
Use $3.00/1 Nivea for Men Body Wash, any from RP (coupon book) 4/17 (date coupon book was issued)
Or use $3.00/1 Nivea Body Wash for Women, any from RP 4/17
Final Price: Free
(p.s. you are in no way obligated to donate anything you get, if you just want some free stuff then go for it! But if you do want to donate we will get it to those who need it! We have not yet set up a place for donations so that will come in an upcoming blog.)
Option #2
If you do not use your coupons and want to donate them so that I, or someone else working on this team, can pick up these items to donate, you can take them to the church office and I will get a folder set up with Candyce Green where she can get them to me.
What a great opportunity we have to serve others through something as simple as using or donating a coupon! If you have any questions about this or want more information you can post a message on this blog. Thanks for taking time to read this massive message!
