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Hello, my name is Osheta Moore and I\u2019m a Target-a-holic.\u00a0 It\u2019s been eleven days, seven hours, ten minutes, and three seconds since I checked out at Target after an hour\u2019s wander.\u00a0 Recently, I \u00a0put away my Target Check Card because of our family\u2019s \u201coh no we\u2019re waiting on our appropriation\u2019s spending freeze\u201d and now I\u2019m struggling.<\/span><\/div>\n
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I wasn\u2019t always this way. I was an equal opportunity shopper.\u00a0 Shaw\u2019s, CVS, Trader Joes\u2013 they all received my patronage.\u00a0 When the kids were little and tyrants at the check out, I\u2019d do my shopping in bulk so as to never, ever have to take them out in public again.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Efficiency was key and cost was king, so\u00a0I ordered in our cleaners and even gave Peapod grocery delivery a go.\u00a0\u00a0Things changed the fall of 2010 when the kids began sharing the same full-day schedule, leaving me with 6 hours all by myself.<\/span><\/div>\n
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That morning, I kissed Trinity\u2019s little cheek at the classroom door and wished her a happy day. \u00a0Then I high-fived her older brother, T.J. walked him across the hall and told him \u201cyou rock! \u00a0Have an awesome day\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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Tyson didn\u2019t want me to walk him to his class because he was a second grader, \u201cUm\u2026Mom, I\u2019ll go upstairs on my own.\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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Temporarily dejected, I shrugged and offered my fist for a bump, \u201cHave a good day?\u201d I asked, realizing I was dancing along the line between cool mom and out-of touch, embarrassing mom. \u00a0Apparently that was an appropriate send off for the all mature second grader, because his little fist heartily bumped mine and off he went, up the stairs into a world of Mary Pope Osborne\u2019s \u201cMagic Tree House\u201d adventures, spelling lists, and fractions.<\/span><\/div>\n
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I stood alone in the hall for a moment, letting it all sink in, and then Aretha began to sing,\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cFreedooom! \u00a0Freedooom! \u00a0Freeeedooom! Yeah, Freedom!<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
ba da ba da da<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cFreedooom! \u00a0Freedooom! \u00a0Freeeedooom! \u00a0OH, FREEDOM!\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
I bopped down the street to my minivan with my new empowerment anthem, \u201cThink\u201d playing in my mind. \u00a0I\u00a0stuck the key into the ignition and headed to the new and improved Target three minutes away from my house. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cNew and improved\u201d because they just added a grocery section and\u2026.A STARBUCKS! \u00a0Yes, this mama was going to have a good morning sipping a latte and checking off my grocery list in childfree peace.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
That morning was good indeed. \u00a0It was satisfying not just because I didn\u2019t have the kids, but because Target is one welcoming establishment. \u00a0The aisles are clutter free, the cashiers at the Starbucks are always so cheerful, and it smells wonderful. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Target has a distinct aroma. \u00a0Like happiness and hope with a bit of joy thrown in to round out the fragrance\u2019s bottom \u00a0notes. \u00a0Nothing like Eau du Walmart, which smells of frenzy and confusion with a healthy dose of disdain. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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I. Love. My. Target.\u00a0<\/span>
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\nSo much so that I often find myself, \u201cforgetting\u201d key meal ingredients or toilet paper just so I can wander the aisles with a cup of coffee and my morning sermon podcast on my phone (yeah, I try to justify the consumerism by throwing a little devo time in there.\u00a0 Jesus meets me in the frozen food section. \u00a0Really!). \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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\nSo much so that I often find myself, \u201cforgetting\u201d key meal ingredients or toilet paper just so I can wander the aisles with a cup of coffee and my morning sermon podcast on my phone (yeah, I try to justify the consumerism by throwing a little devo time in there.\u00a0 Jesus meets me in the frozen food section. \u00a0Really!). \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
But, we\u2019re church planters now and our monthly income flow is so different than what I\u2019m used to.\u00a0 Gone are the days of 1st<\/sup> and 15th<\/sup>, without any thoughts to launch team giving or fund-raising.\u00a0 Gone are the days where the only paperwork you fill out to receive your check comes the same day you learn the office dating policy and how to label your lunch in the staff break room.\u00a0 No, there are forms and reports due monthly or they\u2019ll be no check for you\u2026 or the church.\u00a0 The department that cuts our check isn\u2019t found in a cubicle on the 5th<\/sup> floor managed by a Type- A, bespectacled forty-something named, Lois.\u00a0 No, our office is in another state, which means even if the wildly efficient bookkeeper puts our appropriations in the mail on Monday, we\u2019re looking Friday before it comes.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
It\u2019s an adjustment to be sure, especially since I\u2019ve given up my Target wander time to accommodate the leaner times of the month. It\u2019s an adjustment I\u2019m willing to make. \u00a0But sometimes\u2026 I wear red around the house\u2026 and it makes me feel better. \u00a0I wear red as my way claiming my allegiance to one of my favorite organizations, the bulls-eyed building where everything is right on Target\u2026my lovely Tar-jay.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
But a funny thing has happened in the eleven days, seven hours, ten minutes, and three seconds since I checked out of Target after an hour\u2019s wander.\u00a0 I\u2019ve learned to wander my home more and in the process I\u2019ve decluttered my halls and floors (its hard to wander when you\u2019re tripping and slipping on kids\u2019 stuff). \u00a0Incidentally, I\u2019m a more cheerful mom.\u00a0 I\u2019ve scrubbed, washed, and polished my kitchen making it shine. \u00a0It now welcomes me to have a cup of Keurig joe in my favorite \u201cKeep Calm, Eat Cupcakes\u201d mug.\u00a0 I\u2019ve lit candles that fill my home with the smells of the season.\u00a0 Peppermint, Sugar Cookie, and Nutcracker Crunch swirl and dance together creating an atmosphere of rest, comfort, and love.\u00a0 Instead of Jesus meeting me in the frozen food section, he\u2019s meeting me on the couch, at the sink, and sometimes while I sip at my freshly polished table.<\/span><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/signatures.mylivesignature.com\/54489\/180\/8AD54E2015B3E0B0C243444A2C44275C.png\")
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