Me, too! What an absolutley wonderful blessing that God is providing for you! Our God is an AWESOME God. So glad you're home, Jen!
UPDATE: Durring "Class" this morning, I got a phone call. It was the Homeschool store calling to let me know that my "Order" was ready and paid in full, and when could I pick it up? That is their name: The homeschoolstore.com. Real Mom & Pop operation. They are located in North Houston. The guy didn't even care to meet with us, he just wanted to give me the gift. (And all of us were worrying about "Meeting" with him. How funny) We finished class around 12:30 and have been eating lunch ...... We plan to head out there this afternoon. Wow, I am nervous..... Will write more, when we return..... jen P.S. Thanks for the words! The song in my head, right now is, "When I Call on Jesus, All things are possible" (Don't know the woman who sings it)
see all that worrying for nothig, I have not read all the posts here but wow its a long thread......... all because some one had the means to help another family and decided to do so if help would be recieved. Sounds like there are still nice people out in this world. Jen I'm glad all this worked out for you. Sounds like I was right....... the guy works for or owens a book shop. over heard your kind gestures on how to make due with out buying expensive workbooks and decieded he could help...... and probably you telling us about his store isn't going to hurt him, could help if some one sees the link and checks it out......... thats why I told every one about the wonderful lady that sells books on e-bay I don't know her personally, told her I homeschool and she gave me a great deal!! I figured It may help her by sharing her name here.
SHE: I just checked out that link, perhaps you could have the guy put your new homeschool website on there as a "homeschool link" too.
Wow Jen. I read through this whole thread and I am just blown away. I really hope it all works out. Are you going today to pick the curriculum up? It does sound very genuine and it really shows that there are wonderful people like that in this world.
UPDATE: We're back. . . . And I cried all the way home . . . The store was in an older part of town. I knew the area from when I was a kid. One of the 7 jr high schools that I went to was back in that neighborhood. It was a bad part of town, in 1982. I locked all the van doors as we got off the freeway. I was shaking. When we pulled into the parking lot, of this small industrial style building, I took a deep breath. I told the children that whomever clings tightest to me gets an extra snack and extra computer time! :roll: We went in. The store is chaos, as it is a family run business with things everywhere. It almost resembles the "Fire Hazzard-ness" of the old bookstores, where things are piled all around the floor up to the ceilings. They were polite and quite taken aback that the package was already paid for. I told them that I met a man and his wife that told me they wanted to buy my children a grade one curriculum since we had none. One of the bookstore owners kids (They had 8) was helping us take the heavy box out to the van, and said that nothing had ever happened like that, in their store. I told him that I am done asking questions and ready to just allow the gift to be given. He smiled and said, "Isn't God Great?" "Yup!", I replied. We got in the van, seatbelts on. And I poped on the radio, while taking a deep breath. I thought, "No one poped out of a corner trying to steal my children! It was not a set up from my mother to try to kidnap my kids! No one was trying to follow us home! It was simply a blessing! And we have never smelled, tasted, or felt anything like this before." AS we backed up, to head home, I realized what was playing on the radio; "How great is our God . . . Sing with me . . How great is our God . . . How great . . . How Great . . .is our God...." Like I said, I was in tears the whole way home. (About a 30 mile trip through west Houston, through the deadliest freeway interchange in America!) I was so concentrating on being sure that no one followed us home, that in the shuffling of children up the stairs, I forgot to get the box out of the van! I got it, and opened the box. WOW! I just had no idea there was this kind of stuff! It is Alpha Omega LifePacs, Bible, Language Arts, History, Math and Science; All first grade. WOW. Now, I have to figure our how to write a thank you letter worthy of this.... And a prayer too!
That is just so Awesome. reading the message and seeing to pictures, I'm sitting here crying. God is So GREAT!
:cry: (<-crying for joy!) WOW! This is AWESOME! Praise the Lord! This is having effects all over! Your dh must've needed to see something like this unfold, they got a blessing from helping someone else as God asked them to, you received many blessings, we all received blessings from hearing about it..... Yep, God is good and works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform! Look at all that happened because people were willing to listen to and obey God's voice! Very cool!!!
Jennifer, That is so awesome ! The Lord has really blessed you. I am so glad that you did not let fear or negativety stop the Lord from being able to bless you. It is so easy to fall into the fear trap. The photo of your children with the curriculum is so sweet. They are beautiful. Blessings, Sherry Ladies, I'm back to this post to pass around the box of Kleenex.
You know, I feel the need to share this idea... My husband and I, more than anyone, realise what a huge gift this is o us. How can we do the same for someone else? Well, "Value" is relative. So, although we cannot afford to spend hundreds on someone, we could still make a difference, right? So we are setting aside a stash of cash for a stranger. To be used to purchase whatever it is that we think they need, at that time. (Not nessasarily homeschool supplies) Perhaps a single mom in a food store, juggling kids and counting out pennies to pay.... we pay for her groceries. Something like that. We have all had that fantasy of "What would I do with a million dollars?" Where some have answered, "I would walk around downtown passing out $100 bills to the needy!" But you do not need a miliion to make a difference! There have been times when $20 made all the difference in the world, to me! So, I am planting the seed idea into your heads. Make a rainy day fund for someone. $5, $20, whatever. Keep it in mind. When you see someone, whom you know will need it, give it. Because if God want's you to give it to them, was it really YOUR money anyway? My mind is a buzz, right now, as you can imagine. I thumbed through the lifepacs and wow! It is so organized! The point is this set could have been $5,000 or $5, it doesn;t matter. What mattered is that it was exactly what we needed at that exact time. I want to do the same for someone else.
Wow Jen! I'm so glad it worked out for you. What a wonderful, unbelievable thing that has just happened to you. How can people not believe in God in times like this?
Jen, My parents had no money, so growing up we scraped by. I didn't mind, cuz I didn't know any different. When I went to college, I had to work my way through, so it ended up taking 6 years. At any rate, a lady started paying on my school bill: $at LEAST $100 per month! She wanted to remain anonymous, so I never knew who it was, but what an awesome gift that was, and it helped me sooo much! I resolved then and there to do the same thing for someone else. Well, I have been able to help more than one person over the years, and it's always a neat experience. I try to do it anonymously, cuz I don't want the credit, I want GOD to get the credit! What a blessing it is to have the opportunity to help God help others of His children! Sooooo, I highly endorse your suggestion, and I know that it will be a huge blessing. If you do something like pay for someone's groceries, then obviously they'll know. But just tell them you're only doing what God wanted you to do, and they can pay you back by helping someone else. It works! My dd took the idea from a story she read, and started her own "Surprise Package Company". She and her friend across the street make cards or craft things for people and set it by their door or whatever---they do it anonymously. They LOVE this and are having a great time working on it together! I LOVE that they are spending time working to help others than sitting in front of the tv or gamecube or whatever! Blah, blah, blah......
okay, maybe I am an optamistic person.. but I know my God works in many amazing ways! It is possible that as they heard you tell of all the ways you scrimped and saved, in trying to help them, they felt lead of the Lord to bless you? Who knows? And if you take it offer to pass it back to them, teach books and all that, when you are done so they can use it too! I would make sure it was a general location too just to be on the safe side but wow! What a total blessing! Remember my friend gave me a sos set to use this year so I believe in MIracles! you know, after reading Deenas last reply I was thinking you could do the "pay it forward" thing toO!
I have a friend who's church did something similar to that, Jen. Each member took $10 and put it in an envelope, along with a note explaining what they were doing. They were to give it to whomever God led them to. In turn that person was supposed to return the favor to someone else. There was no time limit. Just bless others as God has blessed you. Jen, I see a servant's heart in you. That is such a wonderful goft from God. You will be blessed!
I've done stuff like this in the past. For example; I found a womans purse in a grocery cart, in a parking lot once. I took it home and calle the lady. She had cash in it, but I did not take any. ( I am one of those people that are sure that everytime things like this happen will be that one time I am actually on "Candid Camera" or something.) Anyway, when she came to get it, I am sure she was frekaed that she had to drive through a "Trailer Park" to get it. But she pulled up and I handed her purse over to her. She tried to hand me money and I told her, "No, just do the same for someone else when you are presented with the opportunity." She thanked me and drove off. I felt SOOOOO good! I've had other times in my life where helping others has fallen into my lap. However, I have never realy made way for something to "Fall" my way. Such as setting aside a "Stranger in Need fund". I agree with your kids, It feel maahvalous! (Intentionaly misspelled)
whoo hooO! and what wonderful curriculuim, ! I remember when I first opened my box of stuff like that! Whoo hooo! PRaise the Lord!
