I was reading the book of Haggai the other day when a verse stood out to me about managing our money.
First of all, you may be wondering why I was in Haggai. I asked myself the very same thing, but felt led by the Spirit to pursue it. I'm glad I did. Check this out...
"Now, the LORD of Hosts says this:
Think carefully about your ways:
You have planted much but harvested little.
You eat but never have enough to be satisfied.
You drink but never have enough to become drunk.
You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm.
The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it."
Hag 1:5-6
Have you ever gone to the mall and found an outfit or a shirt you really liked? When you looked at the price tag, you realized you didn't have the cash for it. No problem, right? So, you think to yourself, "I'll just run to the bank to take out a small loan for the shirt!" Easy right?
Sounds a bit ridiculous doesn't it. Well, reaching into the wallet to swipe the credit card is doing just that. The problem is that it is a very high interest loan that most people don't pay off without interest. The other problem is that the shirt then comes with other accessories and things you don't really need. Over time the "short term" loan can become a high interest nightmare.
Think about it like this. Does your high school or college student understand this when they are out to Taco Bell or McDonald's? Do they realize the credit card you gave them to "learn how to manage credit" is a ticking time bomb if they take out loans for bad, empty calorie meals?
"A bag with holes in it" is the way Haggai descirbes it. Something to give some thought to.
Consider your ways carefully, says the LORD. What are you doing in these economic times to strengthen yourself and your family? What lessons are you passing on to the next generation?
Complaining that the government is accumulating debt that our grandchildren will be paying for is not solving the economic crisis happening under your own roof. It's time to stop the madness and pay as you go rather than play today and pay tomorrow.
Have a fantastic day!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
What is Fiscal Stewardship (c)?
What is Fiscal Stewardship(c)?
Do you find that you have too much month left over when the money runs out?
Do you struggle with giving to charity or church because you're stretched too thin to do so?
Would you like to do more to help others but can barely make it pay check to pay check and need help yourself?
Don't worry, you're not alone in this. As a culture and society, we have done a mediocre job of educating people on solid financial principles. Fiscal Stewardship (c) is just that source of education.
I am passionate about educating and empowering Christians and non-Christian's alike to become better Stewards of their money to honor God and live the abundant and prosperous lives he designed us for.
In my first book, Consider the Ant: 3 keys to Fiscal Stewardship (c), I lay the very foundation of God's plan for our fiscal education. Money is mentioned more times in the Bible than even faith. Do you think it may be important? So do I.
Have you heard, Jesus mentioned that we cannot love both God and money. Why? Because we will be a slave to one or the other.
Creditors and marketeers want us to believe that the use of their product somehow "saves" you money. They make us all believe that using a credit card produces "priceless" memories or that you can "have it now". They don't tell you that slavery begins when someone owns your income.
Very quickly stress sets in, marriages end, health problems increase, bankruptcy rates rise, and savings rates decrease.
Fiscal Stewardship (c) is the key to not only Financial Freedom, but Spiritual Freedom as well.
My website is under construction, but soon, you'll be able to go online to http://www.ConsidertheAntonline.com to order supplies and other educational resources for your small group, your church, your family, or even your high school student.
Consider the Ant will be in stores later this year.
Our country faces one of the greatest economic crisis' we've ever seen. It is time to take back control of your life and your freedom.
Have a great day!
Do you find that you have too much month left over when the money runs out?Do you struggle with giving to charity or church because you're stretched too thin to do so?
Would you like to do more to help others but can barely make it pay check to pay check and need help yourself?
Don't worry, you're not alone in this. As a culture and society, we have done a mediocre job of educating people on solid financial principles. Fiscal Stewardship (c) is just that source of education.
I am passionate about educating and empowering Christians and non-Christian's alike to become better Stewards of their money to honor God and live the abundant and prosperous lives he designed us for.
In my first book, Consider the Ant: 3 keys to Fiscal Stewardship (c), I lay the very foundation of God's plan for our fiscal education. Money is mentioned more times in the Bible than even faith. Do you think it may be important? So do I.
Have you heard, Jesus mentioned that we cannot love both God and money. Why? Because we will be a slave to one or the other.
Creditors and marketeers want us to believe that the use of their product somehow "saves" you money. They make us all believe that using a credit card produces "priceless" memories or that you can "have it now". They don't tell you that slavery begins when someone owns your income.
Very quickly stress sets in, marriages end, health problems increase, bankruptcy rates rise, and savings rates decrease.
Fiscal Stewardship (c) is the key to not only Financial Freedom, but Spiritual Freedom as well.
My website is under construction, but soon, you'll be able to go online to http://www.ConsidertheAntonline.com to order supplies and other educational resources for your small group, your church, your family, or even your high school student.
Consider the Ant will be in stores later this year.
Our country faces one of the greatest economic crisis' we've ever seen. It is time to take back control of your life and your freedom.
Have a great day!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Save Today, Play Tomorrow
An interesting conversation happened this week while on vacation at my 80 year old grand-parent's house. G-ma decided to tell us all about how she bought her first house "when she was poor" by taking a part time job to save for the down payment.
Born in 1928, G-ma is not ignorant to difficult times. Consider the Great Depression of the 1930's, WWII and all the food rations, the Korean War, Vietnam, etc. She was 46 years old when she went back to school to become a beautician (never too old to start again). She finished her career by selling her beauty salon after 13 years of ownership (a late life entreprenuer).
Yes, she had some lesson's for us.
What about our generation? We live in a time when credit companies successfully taught our next generations the power of play today, pay later. Today we are facing one of, what history will call, the worst economic meltdowns in American history. It all revolves around the use and abuse of credit to buy homes, cars, college educations, and all kinds of credit card abuses...
Grandma suggested on several occassions to open a seperate savings account to save money for the different important goals we have. If we want new tires, set aside $5-10, or 20 every time we get a chance. Before we know it, we'll have the money we need for the new tires.
What about a vacation? Will it cost $1200? Find a way to save $100 per month until you have enough for the trip.
The point is simple, savings will never hurt you, but credit has a way of destroying lives. Too many of us believe we can't survive without good credit. I don't believe it. God blesses us from his overflowing abundance. We bless ourselves from a lack of abundance, i.e. use of credit. Our impatience pushes us to use credit to falsely create a world of "blessings" which are not really our own, but are borrowed. The use of credit slowly enslaves us. It is time to set yourself free to live the abundant life God intended for you.
"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender." - Pr 22:7
Simply exercise some self control, a little discipline and make a rule to stop the abuse and use of credit for frivolous items. Stop living a life of consumption. It's your choice.
Born in 1928, G-ma is not ignorant to difficult times. Consider the Great Depression of the 1930's, WWII and all the food rations, the Korean War, Vietnam, etc. She was 46 years old when she went back to school to become a beautician (never too old to start again). She finished her career by selling her beauty salon after 13 years of ownership (a late life entreprenuer).
Yes, she had some lesson's for us.
What about our generation? We live in a time when credit companies successfully taught our next generations the power of play today, pay later. Today we are facing one of, what history will call, the worst economic meltdowns in American history. It all revolves around the use and abuse of credit to buy homes, cars, college educations, and all kinds of credit card abuses...
Grandma suggested on several occassions to open a seperate savings account to save money for the different important goals we have. If we want new tires, set aside $5-10, or 20 every time we get a chance. Before we know it, we'll have the money we need for the new tires.
What about a vacation? Will it cost $1200? Find a way to save $100 per month until you have enough for the trip.
The point is simple, savings will never hurt you, but credit has a way of destroying lives. Too many of us believe we can't survive without good credit. I don't believe it. God blesses us from his overflowing abundance. We bless ourselves from a lack of abundance, i.e. use of credit. Our impatience pushes us to use credit to falsely create a world of "blessings" which are not really our own, but are borrowed. The use of credit slowly enslaves us. It is time to set yourself free to live the abundant life God intended for you.
"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender." - Pr 22:7
Simply exercise some self control, a little discipline and make a rule to stop the abuse and use of credit for frivolous items. Stop living a life of consumption. It's your choice.
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