It’s not too late to leave me a note telling me about yourself.  Just scroll down….and post away. 

Hubby and I have been busy today running all over town (Monday is his day off) picking up birth certificates and changing voter registration, etc.  It was lovely, because we only took 4 (!) children with us.  My eldest at 14 is finally old enough to babysit. 

Tonight we worked together to make meals to take to three families in our church…two new babies and one mama home from the hospital.  On the menu – Sour cream meatballs, mashed potatoes, veggie, home made bread and brownies.  Sound good?  That man ‘o mine makes a mean meatball! 

I’m a frugality queen.  I can tell you ninety nine ways to cook rice and beans so your kids will eat them.  I can teach you how to make your own yogurt and laundry detergent…(but not ALL in the same dish, please.)  My mother taught me well…she was one to wash her paper coffee filters.

My husband and I are quite the frugal team, in fact.  We shop half price days at the thrift stores, can our own food, grind our own flour, remodel old homes to sell at a profit.  The man never buys himself new clothing – I finally bought him some brand spankin’ new dress shoes because I was afraid the congregation might take up a special offering.  We just can’t have that.

As frugal as we are, we did meet someone more frugal than ourselves once.  One church that we were at gave us a “food shower.”  Within the grocery bags were some half eaten boxes of cheese crackers.  I can’t top that.  After all, nothing says “welcome” like partially devoured food. 

So, while I like to be frugal, there are times -

-and it chokes me to say this -

when frugality can go too far.

I say this becuuuuuz….

I was shopping at our small town grocery store.  There was a bin – a innocent looking bin – of hair products.  Colors, dyes, special treatments, shampoos, conditioners, blah blah blah.  I can’t, simply can’t, resist a bargain, you know – so I backed up to peruse the items.

The prices were incredible.  A mere $2.00 for each item.  I threw some shampoo in the cart, chucked in the conditioner – and hesitated over a “do it yourself” perm.  “I need a perm…I’ve done these before….it’s not that hard….somebody must use these things, they manufacture them, don’t they?”  In went the perm.

I stayed up very late one night last week, giving myself a “permanent.”  They really should have the warning “don’t try this at home.”  My hair had finally gotten long, to a stage I really was happy with it at.  It was in fairly good shape, too, something I don’t take for granted.  Good hair doesn’t run in my family.

The result was horrible!  My hair was absolutely and totally fried.  I mean, it is bad.  I have tried hot oil treatments and conditioners. All to no avail.  My hair is one big mess of frizz.

I was horrified, of course, and yet…I think I’ve grown as a person.  There was a time I would not have emerged from the bathroom for a week.  I would have cried for months.  Now, while I feel bad, I am able to realize that my worth comes from who I am in Christ Jesus, not from my hair.  My husband still loves me, the kids still love me, the dog still worships at my feet.  It just means I need to get a new hairstyle and work on the inner woman.

After surveying the damage, my sweet husband touched my arm, looked into my eyes, and said, “Honey, I appreciate you trying to be frugal…but…don’t do it this way.“  I think I wept a little, sniffled, agreed, and set off to wash some coffee filters.

2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.