Prove me now herewith...

Due to the fact that school is out and I'm not tutoring and also since Robb hasn't been able to land a summer job yet, this month we will be about $500 short of our typical monthly income.  Next month we'll be fine, because I'll be teaching summer school and Robb will - hopefully - be working, so for these 30 days we're broke.  Now, we knew this going in to June and we decided one thing we could do to make it through the month was to not spend any money on groceries.

Lest you think we're nuts (I mean, everybody needs food, right?) we have three months of food storage and we actually LIKE rice and beans.  However, above and beyond our admittedly-boring food storage options, our ward has gleaners who get massive amounts of groceries from Whole Foods twice a week.  So we figured between our storage and what's available at church on Thursdays and Sundays that we'd be able to eat pretty well.  With that cleared up, let me get back to the story.

So we knew we were broke and that things would be really tight this month, but we also knew we'd be okay.  However, we have been so much more than simply "okay" that I decided I'd better record some of the blessings that have been poured down on us.

1.  On the first weekend in June we drove out to Merced to visit with my brothers and their wives and children.  We had a great visit, and as we were gathering our things to leave my sister-in-law said "Oh - my dad went out to his friend's farm yesterday and brought home dozens of farm fresh eggs and a massive amount of fresh cherries.  Let me give some to you guys, please!"  So we got 18 eggs and a few pounds of delicious, tree-ripened Rainier cherries.

2.  At the church/gleaner food-give aways we've been able to pick up plenty of milk, bread, cottage cheese, yogurt, fruits and vegetables, and tofu.  About every other night or so we look at our truly amazing dinners and are astounded by the quality of what we're eating...especially considering we didn't pay for any of it.

3.  I have been craving MEAT, but there's no budget to buy any, so...time for a blessing!  Last Saturday I was invited to participate in a photo shoot of a (fake) baby shower (for a craft book).  They fed us lunch, which involved a giant tray of wraps, and at the end they begged us to take a bunch home.  Ham, beef, turkey...yum. :-)

4.  Saturday evening we went to a ward BBQ and a friend handed me a card.  When we opened it later that night we discovered a generous present of grocery store gift cards.

I guess I'm just trying to say that my testimony of the truthfulness of Malachi 3:10 has been very strongly renewed over these last few weeks.  We are very nearly running out of room for receiving the blessings Heavenly Father keeps sending our way - really!

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.