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Ministry Moments... The Coupon Angels





Who are these women? What is their purpose? Coupon Angels? The buzz around town continues to heighten as Monday after Monday they gather with their coupons in one hand and Starbucks in another. Why do they choose to spend their time this way? I needed some type of explanation!



So, one Monday morning, I decided to visit The Coupon Angels. My goal: to catch them in action. With pen and notebook in hand, I strolled into Starbucks. Scanning the room, I noticed a table covered in coupons and grocery ads. Eight women surrounded the mound, definitely on a mission. On the surface it looked like a game of "Coupon Go Fish." As I approached the table I heard statements like, "I need a Starkist tuna and here is a Softscrub. Oh, you take the Kroger special on peanut butter." In the blink of an eye my mind experienced overload. I began asking the "Coupon Arch-Angel", Melinda Trawick, some questions...



· What gave you this idea in the first place? "One Sunday morning my pastor said, 'When God calls you to do something, do it!' It had come to my attention that the shelves at the food pantry were empty, so I started using coupons to purchase food to help stock the bare shelves. It occurred to me one day, that for the price of a lunch and my coupons I could help more organizations like this one."

· How did others get involved with you? "I decided instead of asking friends to lunch, I would invite them to Monday morning coffee at Starbucks. The only stipulation was they must bring coupons, grocery ads, and what they would spend for lunch that day."

· What results have you seen? "Our purpose is to be more Christ centered. This group has grown from 1 to 20 women. We collect coupons through the week and scan the new ads for Walgreens, Target and Kroger. "Divide and conquer" is our motto. After matching the coupons with the ads, we split The Coupon Angels into three groups. Armed with our coupons, we go our separate ways to shop, like angels on the move. We save on average 40% to 50% each time. All for the price of our lunches! We have helped stock three food pantries in our area."

· Where did you get the name The Coupon Angels? "We saw our savings multiply as we learned how to use these coupons. Also, the food pantries are recipients of our efforts and their prayers are answered. The name surfaced one day as we pulled up with a trunk full of food."

· How do you see God in all of this? "I think of the Biblical account of Jesus, the disciples, the 5000 hungry people, and one boy willing to share his 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Because the boy unselfishly handed over his lunch, Jesus multiplied it to feed 5000 people. This is similar. Jesus is calling us to give up what we would spend on eating lunch at a restaurant and use it to help families in need. He is the one who is multiplying our savings!"



A look of awe adorned my face. Tears began to pour as I watched these servants of the King in action. In the midst of their service, they lifted prayer requests on behalf of people in need. Oh, what a blessing to observe The Coupon Angels in action.



Driving away, God gave me a revelation. He calls each of us to do our part to accomplish His purposes here on earth. The question arises: Am I willing, like the boy and his lunch, to give up my own agenda, time and money to be the hands and feet of Jesus? At that moment, an eruption of confessions filled my car as His tenderness washed over me. I thanked Him for the way He used The Coupon Angels to teach me a heart lesson.



Is God calling you to give up something in order for His purposes to be accomplished through you? Listen to His voice. Act on His calling. Surrender it all to Jesus!



If you would like more information on starting a Coupon Angel group in your area you can contact Melinda Trawick at melindatrawick@comcast.net.

June 28th

Groceries for

Wildwood United Methodist Church

Family Assistance Program

What a great way to start the week!

We love Monday Mornings sooooo much!

Hats off to Robin, Sharon, Anna and Madelyn

for meeting at Starbucks this morning to plan our attack!

We love it when Kroger gives us a challenge! Mix and Match 10 get 3 dollars back!

Thanks also to Kathy for her donation! We love shopping with extra money!

Oh yeah!

We won!

Thanks Kroger's!

Come be a winner!

Join us next Monday Morning 9:00am

Starbucks on 1488 in Magnolia

We will conquer Target, Walgreens or Kroger

TOGETHER

TOGETHER

we are putting a dent into our

LOCAL FOOD BANKS!

to be Christ-centered,

~Melinda

Our New Blog!

Lotty Da!
We have a BLOG!
Can't wait to blog about all you Coupon Angels!
Come join us on Monday Morning At Starbucks!
We will have to put our thinking caps on for the Kroger Sale...buy 10 get $3 back...it takes a mathematical genius!

Isn't the logo outstanding! Thanks Jenna!
You have made the Coupon Angels look so coooool!

Melinda