Sacrifice Challenge Day Three and Four–Living on $2.50

What a fun week!  I wouldn’t trade this week for anything.  Every day God has abundantly provided for us and these gifts have shown us His great love for us! 

Yesterday I went to the store for the first time with $7.50 in hand.  $7.50 is the money I had saved from Thursday to Saturday.  I bought milk, $1.25 worth of sugar, yogurt for Breanna, and some bananas.  My total came to $7.15.  I was thrilled to be under budget.  I decided to buy whole milk and make it stretch by adding some water. 

My dad said that since he wasn’t on a $2.50 a day challenge he would take us out to lunch.  He was teasing with me a little bit.  He also said that next time they think about coming into town they will see if we are in the middle of a challenge before committing.   

This evening before church a sweet lady in our church brought us some authentic Spanish food and a dozen eggs.  I don’t think she has any idea that we are doing this challenge.  She just stopped by to let us try some of the food that they eat on a regular basis.  It was delicious.  Before dinner this evening Garrett prayed and thanked the Lord that He has been giving us food. 

I am not sure exactly what these are called, but they are filled with cheese or meat.  These were so good!

Home grown eggs taste a lot different than store bought eggs.  They have a richer softer texture!

It thrilled my heart to see that Garrett is getting it!  I wasn’t so sure that they were really getting the point of this exercise.  Yesterday we took my parents out and about to do some shopping.  While out Garrett found a really inexpensive knife for only $1.50 and wanted it really bad.  At the same store Lexi  found a book for $1.00 that she was wanting to buy.  I had to explain over and over that we cannot afford something even that inexpensive this week.   Lexi let me know that she didn’t like this challenge and she wasn’t learning anything from it.  I think she is starting to see the bigger picture today.  I really hope that they don’t miss seeing God in the midst of this challenge because He has been ever present.  My prayer is that He will open their eyes to see the great and mighty things that He alone can do!

Today we took up an offering for needy people in our congregation and I thought it fitting to put our daily money toward the offering.  One thing that stood out to me in the Hudson Taylor biography I just read was a story of him asking God to provide for him while he still had provisions left. When he gave all that he had God gave him what he needed!  I love that. 

Only once in my life have I been in a circumstance where I had nothing. No food.  No money.  No credit.  And no gas.  I was in college and God showed me so much through that time in which I had to just pray and rely on Him.  There is nothing like it!  It was hard but God was drawing me to Himself in a way I had never experienced before. 

I want God not money to be my everything!
Valerie