Update to our February $500 Food Budget Challenge

Yay!! We did it!!! By God's grace we were able to buy all our groceries, toiletries and pullups for the month with less than $500! I spent a total of $469 this month. About $85 of that was for pullups and toiletries, and the other $384 was for food. I'm not sure we could have done it were it not for the fact that I'd stocked up on some things ahead of time, and we ate lots of beans instead of meat, but we did it! I would never have thought we could if I weren't "forced" to try, and I feel quite empowered to know we can. We ate well this month ~ whenever we were hungry there was food to eat. Honestly, there were a few times that my husband and I felt hungry before going to bed, but we can stand to feel hungry a little, and if we didn't stay up so late that problem would probably be solved!

A double blessing is the fact that although $469 was the total amount we spent during the month, some of that was spent at another grocery store, so we actually have over $100 left on the original grocery store gift card!

I will probably have to spend a bit more in March as I stock up on some things again, so I'm shooting for $600 or less this month. Last Sunday we were blessed with a $200 gift card to another grocery store, and this morning in church we were given still more gift cards - the kind you can use anywhere. We also received a very generous check and a Boston Market gift card in the mail this week. Wow! We are just literally overwhelmed with God's goodness to us! He is pouring out His grace over and over and we feel lavished by His love and the love of His people. We are extremely humbled and grateful.

Our hearts are also burdened for those experiencing hard financial times who may not, for whatever reason, be receiving the same expression of God's grace as we are. We know His grace comes in so many different forms. There will come a time when these financial gifts cease and then God's grace will continue to see us through in a different way. God knows our hearts ~ how much we long to practice gratitude and humility, but also be sensitive to the hurts and needs of others. What, exactly, does that look like? How much of God's provision do we share publicly, and is there ever a time when it would be better, for others, if we remained silent? We are not entirely sure, but we're trusting God to show us. And in the meantime, we are receiving each of these gifts as gifts of love from God Himself.