Back to school shopping & customer service

I am a new forever fan of The Children's Place. Went back to school shopping. With 4 backpacks, 4 lunch boxes, 4 first day of school outfits, 4 pairs of jeans and two sweatshirts I hefted it all onto the register counter and jokingly asked for a "bulk discount" - they said "yeah - we can give you 15% off." (on top of the sale prices) I couldn't believe it! I was stunned. But that's not all...after leaving the mall we realized they forgot to ring up a pair of jeans. So back at the mall they gave us a 50% off the already 50% discounted price - for a grand total of $7.50!!! Now that's customer service!

Oh - and if you don't know - their backpacks and lunch boxes are the BEST. We've never thrown one out - even after being used for 2 years (and at $16.55 for both - it's a bargain you can't pass up)!



Roller Coaster Ride

These past two years have been... well quite the roller coaster. A year and a half ago, God was completing the final preparations to bring my husband, John to take a huge leap of faith. At the time we were engaged. He lived in North Carolina - I in Nevada. God was preparing him to quit his job as a licensed electrician, sell his house and move across the country, marry me and change careers. Obediently John did just that.

We were married in July. In September we announced the arrival of a baby, expected in April. Two weeks later, we lost the baby. John had a sure thing job. It fell through. He had another sure thing job. It fell through. And another. And it fell through. Our first year of marriage was a roller coaster of monster proportions. Our hopes soared high. And we experienced intense disappointments.

But we have never, ever, for one moment been apart from God's grip. There have been moments - when I have looked around at the storm surrounding us - and have begun to sink. But He has not let me drown. He has not let me become submerged. Every time - He has immediately reached out and grabbed me.

While it has not been easy - it has been a journey that has been necessary. God has taught me to rely on Him in new ways. He has taught me to trust Him. And He has taught me how compassionate, caring and loving He is. He has also knit my husband and I together tighter than we could have ever imaged - because our loving, faithful Father is at the center of our family. So for that I am grateful to have the opportunity to ride this wild ride.