Last Thursday, A. and I went to see Courageous. It’s a movie by a Christian film production group called Sherwood Pictures that has produced several other movies in recent years, including Fireproof and Facing the Giants. It’s based in Albany, Georgia, and is a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church. In other words, it’s far removed from Hollywood, in more ways than just location. For the most part, with the exception of Kirk Cameron in Fireproof, the actors in Sherwood’s movies are no-names, and many are members of the church, meaning they have down-home Georgia accents and probably little to no theatrical training. I think the first Sherwood Pictures movie I saw was Fireproof, which A. and I also saw in the theater. It’s about a sinking marriage that is rescued by a hearty dose of faith and love in action. I watched Facing the Giants on DVD and, I have to admit, loved it. It’s about a high school football team, so I was predisposed to enjoy it. It, too, was infused with messages of faith, which is the purpose of Sherwood Pictures.

I first heard about Courageous months ago when I saw an episode of 19 Kids & Counting in which the Duggar boys and their father were extras in a scene depicting a father-son 5K race. I’ll be honest: I put the premier date of the movie on my calendar all the way back then. I knew it would likely be a powerful story that would make me think and that would spark good discussion with others. So, here I am discussing! Because while I enjoyed the movie, it’s not one that I can simply take at face value as an enjoyable experience. And again, I think that is a large part of Sherwood Picture’s purpose.

Courageous centers around several men who are sheriff’s deputies in Dougherty County, Georgia. One big kudos I will give to the film is that I found all of their situations believable, and I found all the characters to be like people I could meet in my real, day-to-day life. I won’t give away the entire plot, but suffice it to say that a major life event triggers one of the men to evaluate his performance as a father and find himself lacking. With the help of his pastor, he embarks on a study of what Scripture has to say about fatherhood. He uses this knowledge to write up a resolution, which he and the other men sign in a very solemn ceremony. The rest of the movie follows them as they all strive to live out the ideals listed in the resolution, including goals for fatherhood and personal integrity.They all encounter successes and failures, and they depend on their relationships with each other for increased accountability. The movie ends with a Father’s Day church service during which one of the men preaches and puts out a call for the men of courage to stand up and join them in the resolution.

The movie packs a powerful punch. I think it’s especially poignant that the men involved are law officers, men who see people at their absolute lowest and come to realize that they, as fathers, have a huge responsibility for shaping their own children to be upstanding citizens. In one staff meeting, the deputies are told of the statistics: children with absent fathers are hugely more likely to drop out of school, commit violent crimes, and even commit suicide. These are all true statistics that are impacting our country today. So the characters in the movie see these effects all around them and finally choose to seek better for their own families.

The message of Courageous is an important one, and I know churches and Sunday school classes all over the place will be adopting its resolution and teaching and preaching on themes from this movie. I think that’s a great outcome for a piece of popular cinema to have (though I think there are also plenty of “secular” movies that can also spur great discussions). In that sense, I think what Sherwood Pictures is doing is great for Christians. Their movies offer a call to examine yourself and dig deeper into your faith, truly living out what you believe rather than giving mere lip service to a church or cause. But what I wonder is how these movies come across to people who are not already a part of the church.

All things considered, I thought the movie was very well-produced, even better than the other two Sherwood films I’ve seen. I don’t think there would be much for anyone other than an erudite film critic to scoff at here, cinematically. In one scene, a mother is crying over a tragic event, and I really believed her tears. There was no bad fake crying. And since everyone is really from Georgia, the accents are authentic. But I found the emphasis on evangelism in this one to be a bit heavy-handed. Obviously the whole thing is founded on faith and a belief in Jesus Christ. Otherwise, the men wouldn’t have taken so seriously the calls from Scripture to be better fathers. I just wonder, though, whether men really go around quoting Scripture at each other. That’s the part that I think people who don’t already believe would find hard to swallow; I can’t imagine them sitting through this movie and being able to take the parts that are raw evangelism seriously. I wonder, though, if that’s even the point at all.

I think it’s a fine line that Sherwood Pictures is walking, and I think they’re doing an admirable job. If the “only” thing their movies do is encourage conversation and commitment among Christian groups (as the Love Dare from Fireproof has done), then that can hardly be called a bad thing. And if their movies are enjoyable enough as entertainment to help bring some of this “Christian rhetoric” to the mainstream, then that can hardly be a bad thing either. As Christians, we’re told to be in the world but not of it, and to expect to be maligned for our beliefs sometimes. If anyone shies away from a Sherwood Pictures film because it’s Christian, or berates it for any of the reasons I just stated, then I think that can hardly be a bad thing, either. The point is still being made. By making these movies and releasing them to mainstream theaters, rather than straight to DVD or through a Christian publisher, Sherwood Pictures is saying, “We’re here, we’re Christian, and we can make movies, too.” So for all I might pick on these movies for being cheesy, I enjoy them, and I think they serve a great purpose. I guess you could say the movies themselves, are, well, pretty courageous.

What do you think? Have you seen any Sherwood Pictures movies? Would you go see a movie that unabashedly includes Christian themes?

It doesn’t hurt that these movies have great soundtracks. Check out this song by Casting Crowns, aptly titled “Courageous,” that goes along with the movie.

I had a great trip to Publix this past weekend that I mentioned in my Save to Spend post on Tuesday.

Total Spent: $7.17 (including tax) Total Value:  $22.36 (plus tax) Total Saved: $15.19, or 68%

This sure was a heavy bag to carry on my walk home, but I’d say it was worth it!

I also had some fun at CVS. I got 2 bags of Werther’s Originals, 1 bottle of Fillipo Berrio olive oil, and one small sized Dawn dish detergent for $0.13. But that’s because I used $7.00 ECBs. Tricked you! So it wasn’t a super coupon day (though one on each item), and I’m hoping I won’t regret having spent all my Extra Bucks when I see this week’s ad.

I went to Target yesterday to poke around for some more Operation Christmas Child items and to use my $3/1 Merona women’s top coupon. I found this cardigan on clearance for $6.24, down from an original price of $24.99. That means that with my coupon I got it for just $3.24!

It looks really dumpy here, but I promise it’s cute in person. I debated between this and some scoop neck long sleeved tees on sale for $8 (that I could have gotten for $5). One of those would have definitely been practical for under sweaters and such, but this was just so much more fun. I love the discovery of Target apparel item coupons. You definitely have to be willing to dig through the chaotic clearance racks if you want to find great deals, but you could also use them on regularly priced items to simply save yourself a few bucks. But sometimes, when I’m just in the mood to shop, digging through clearance racks is half the fun anyway, especially when you wind up with a gratifying “reward.”

I did pick up some things for our shoeboxes, as well.

These washcloths were only $3.49 for 8! I thought the green was a happy color and gender-neutral enough to put one in all 6 boxes. This candy was on sale for 2/$4, and I used a $1/2 Werther’s coupon (of which I used another at CVS). Interestingly enough, the bags of Werther’s from Target were a much bigger size than the same-priced ones at CVS. Grrr. And I thought the Jolly Ranchers were a good enough price to just jump at them, since I knew it was a candy that would be good to include in the boxes. I’m going to make little baggies of each of these for each box and seal them with stickers.

While I was checking out at Target, I thought it seemed like a couple of my coupons didn’t scan, but then the cashier noticed too and pushed a button that made the last one appear, so I thought it was sorted out. But as I was leaving I just had a gut feeling that something was off, so I stood in the parking lot and checked my receipt carefully. Sure enough, only 2 of my 5 coupons had scanned! On a normal trip I might not even have noticed this, sadly, but I had planned this trip very carefully around my coupons. I debated letting it slide but ultimately decided to go back in, and I’m so glad I did!

I found a manager and explained the situation. She got the coupons out of the drawer on the aisle where I had checked out and verified bar codes against my receipt. She also checked my bag to make sure I had the items I said I did. I wasn’t sure if she was going to have to void my whole order and scan it again or what, but all she had to do was scan the bar code on the receipt to bring the transaction up. Then she scanned the 3 coupons that had been missed, and the cash drawer popped open to give me their value in cash! It seems like a really good system, and I really appreciate how helpful and patient the manager was. Plus, I was glad to have caught the problem and gotten the value of my coupons! So kudos to Target for having helpful employees and a well-designed system for rectifying mistakes.

That’s all for this week. After my recent rash of extreme-for-me couponing I’m feeling a bit of coupon lethargy today. Sometimes it’s fun, and then all of a sudden it’ll just seem tiring! But I’m sure once my beloved Kroger ad comes out tomorrow morning I’ll be allllll cured.

Have you heard of Operation Christmas Child? It's an annual program run by Samaritan's Purse through which people like you and me pack shoeboxes with fun and useful things for kids. The boxes then get sent all around the world and given to children who might not have a Christmas present otherwise. There's also an element of evangelism involved, letting the kids know the motivation behind the people who sent the boxes and letting them know about Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

(Source)

I first got involved with Operation Christmas Child in Jackson, Mississippi in 2003. My church youth group took charge of sorting all the boxes dropped off at our church, and we also helped at our citywide drop-off center. (There was a fabulous picture of us in the paper from that outing, but I can't find it online. Boo.) This involved grouping the boxes by the age and gender they were specified for and then opening each box to make sure there was nothing inappropriate and filling in with miscellaneous small items if it seemed lacking. I had such a great time doing this, and I've been filling shoeboxes ever since. I'm usually all about donating my money where I live and supporting causes in my own community, but this cause continually inspires me to send it a little further.

This year, I was so excited to see a post from my blog-friend Stephanie about a challenge she and her husband are taking on! They are going to be packing 50 BOXES...incredible! I've decided to join them and pack a much less ambitious 6 (which is still more than I've ever done). Packing a box is a blast, but working out the logistics of multiples is definitely a challenge. In the past, I've easily spent $20+ on a single box, because I've usually only been packing one or two. But since A. and I are doing 6 this year, I'm trying to really plan ahead and think out how I can be the most frugal with our money while still giving the kids a great treat. One thing I'm doing is looking at coupon matchups on things like candy, gum, soap, and school supplies, which are all suggestions that Samaritan's Purse makes of items to include. Another is buying multi-packs of things that I can split among the boxes. And A. and I are also planning a trip to a dollar store to see if we can find any of the items on my Shoebox Wish List. I obviously don't want to scrimp just for the sake of scrimping; I want the kids to have quality items that will show they are cared for. But I also want to find good deals so that I can include more items!

Here's what my collection looks like so far:

 (Kind of ironic that the picture of these modest gifts was taken in front of our Wii and media center pc....man.)

I've decided to make 3 boxes for girls and 3 for boys, all in the oldest age group included, which is 10-14. All those years ago when I first packed boxes I was told this is the hardest age to collect for, so I've stuck with it since then. I don't know whether that's still true or not, but it's enough motivation for me. Also, you'll notice that these are not your typical shoeboxes. You can definitely use those, and wrap them if you want, but I always like to use the plastic type of shoebox so that then the box itself is like a re-usable gift as well. I lucked out and found these for $1.07 at Target!

Included so far are:

• socks for the girls (on clearance at Target)
• mini-slinkies for the boys (in the Target dollar section)
• a pack of gum (bought on sale and with a coupon)
• mini spiral-bound notebooks (2 3-packs, on sale at Staples)
• pouch with toothbrush+cap and toothpaste ($0.99 at Target)
• travel pack of Kleenex

Still on the list to find are:

• baseball caps for the boys
• jump ropes for the girls
• hard candy/mints
• soap - 1 bar per box
• washcloths
• pens/pencils (Just printed this coupon for Bic Mark-It!)
• pencil pouches - 1 per box

I'm confident that I can find coupons and/or good sales for the soap, candy, and pencils, and I'm looking forward to shopping for the rest! (If I had REALLY planned ahead, I could have capitalized on so many great back-to-school sales for these boxes...kicking myself for that, but I had no idea back in August that I'd be doing this project.) If you have any suggestions of places to look for the others, I'd love to hear them.

So after all of this, my question is: will you join us? Will you join us in committing to pack a shoebox with small items that we take for granted? Will you join us in shipping joy to a child you may never meet? Will you join us? National shoebox drop-off week is November 14-21, so you've got plenty of time! I'm planning to check back in here occasionally, especially if I find any great deals that y'all could benefit from, too. If you'd like to jump in, feel free to comment here, and please go visit Stephanie's page as well. I know she and her husband will appreciate your support as they stretch themselves for this great cause!

The weather is beautiful right now. I don’t think I’ve ever really had a favorite season, but right now I’m wondering why it’s not fall. It just might be, if fall is like this. (Although, granted, this morning I had on a 3/4 sleeve sweater AND a jacket and still sat at my desk freezing all day. But I think the building is in the shade. However, I digress.) The point is, I’ve been taking advantage of these potentially last few rays of sunshine before winter and walking like a fiend. (And, I know. I live in Georgia. Some of you have REAL winter. Like, with snow and stuff. But we still get a lot of grey days down here, and that’s what I really hate about winter.)

On Saturday I walked to Publix to pick up the BOGO deals I had planned out. (Come back on Frugal Friday to get the whole scoop!) It’s about a mile away, partly on The Path, which is part of a city-maintained park that winds its way through our and several other neighborhoods. I spent around $7.00 at Publix and saved $15…pretty awesome, right? Better than my usual track record. And I was so excited. But then I stopped at a local coffee shop on my way home to buy some freshly ground beans…and then I stopped at the local cupcake store to buy ridiculously priced cupcakes for a random Saturday treat. And between those two stops I pretty much spent what I had saved at Publix.

My first reaction was to be kind of frustrated. “Harumph,” I thought, “that was so silly. I barely even came out ahead because I went and blew my savings on luxuries.” But my second, more rational reaction was excitement. “But hey,” I thought, “since I saved all that money at Publix, I can buy these things and still come out a few dollars ahead!”

Because in the best case, isn’t that the point of saving money? Sure, there are seasons for all of us where we are saving and pinching pennies because we need to make ends meet, or because we are throwing cash at a Big Goal that we want to meet. And that’s admirable and necessary. But other times, we’re saving in order to get things that we want. It’s all a matter of deciding where your priorities lie. Though I could really enjoy a gourmet Italian meal, I also don’t mind eating spaghetti with Ragu that I got on BOGO with a coupon. And because I did that, I can eat delicious handmade cupcakes whose icing tastes like pure butter with brown sugar (let me tell you, I think it was worth the price) and drink locally roasted coffee in a blend named after my very own neighborhood. I can shop at thrift stores for bargain-priced brand name clothes but then splurge on a full-price pair of shoes that I know are good quality and that I’ll be able to wear for years to come. It’s all a matter of balance. And that was a very cool realization.

And as a bonus Tuesday Tip, I’ll throw in the observation that walking to run errands on a beautiful day is a win-win situation. On Sunday, A. and I walked to CVS to try and get some drugstore deals (I told you, walking fiend right here). The trip wasn’t all that exciting coupon-wise, but we got to spend some time together, soak up some sunshine, and get some exercise to boot. It’s impossible to lose.

So there you have it. Go for walks, use lots of coupons, and buy chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel icing when the opportunity presents itself, because your thriftiness has earned it for you.

I stopped by CVS on my way to work Monday. Here’s what I got:

Total Value: $18.99 ($20.51 with tax) Total Spent: $7.51 (including tax) Total Saved:  $13.00 or 63%

This was definitely my best CVS trip yet, thanks in large part to some awesome coupons. I used 1 $5/1 Schick Quattro Razor or Cartridge to get 4 cartridges for only $3.99 (sale price $8.99, regular price even higher). I was so excited to see this sale, because this is actually the kind of razor I use, and I usually just pay full price for cartridges when I need them! This transaction printed me $4 ECBs.

My plan had been to buy 1 SoftSoap body wash and 1 4-pack of SoftSoap soap at 2/$6, using 1 $0.75/1 body wash coupon and 1 $0.50/1 soap coupon and receiving $ECBs from the transaction. HOWEVER, I couldn’t find the soap anywhere! I asked a manager where it might be and she nonchalantly replied, “Oh, we won’t get that in until next week.” I calmly pointed to it in the ad and asked if I could still get it for that price. She immediately wrote me a rain check–my first!–and finagled the register to still print my $4 ECBs for taking advantage of that deal. I used $1.25 ECBs from last week on that transaction, and then used the $4 SoftSoap ECBs on my last transaction, which was the U by Kotex products.

I came out with $5 ECBs to use next week, plus I pledged not to be a money trasher and received $2 more! I’m planning to call next week and hopefully they’ll have the soap in. That way I can go pick it up for FREE and still have some ECBs left to spend. I’m working on putting together some boxes for Operation Christmas Child (yes, already, explanation post coming soon!), and I think I’ll use the extras to pick up a few things for those.

I was a little flustered during this trip because it was more ambitious than I’ve tried to be before, but it worked out well in the end. I used my ECBs in a bit of a different order than I meant to, and the cashier only scanned my green bag tag on one of the 3 transactions, but I still came out spending far less than normal. I sat in the car for a minute to collect myself and to look over my receipts and re-organize my coupons and ECBs before I headed to work, and ultimately I was pleased. Hopefully this bodes well for future CVS trips!