My Birthday Gift to You!

Well, this is the end of August! I tried so hard to make it to the beach during my birthday month! But never ye fear! I will get there!  In the meantime, here is a top 10 list in honor of my birthday! Consider it my gift you! You all know I love lists, especially top 10 lists! 

1)     Know your faults, work on doing better, but act accordingly.  If you know you are not a patient person, recognize that. Don’t pretend that it is OK to be rude or mean. It’s not OK.  For example, don’t go to the big box store on a Saturday if you know you do not have the patience.

2)      Know your weaknesses. I mean seriously, there would be a lot less busted marriages, lives, bank accounts, etc., if you admitted your weaknesses.  Admit them and then plan accordingly. Doing so does not make you weak, it makes you strong. You have to be accountable. Yes, when your weaknesses know you are in control, they lose control. It does not mean they necessarily go away, no one will ever be perfect; but you are in control, not your weaknesses and emotions.  Believe me, there is nothing wrong or boring with the straight and narrow.  I’m sure the clients of Ashley Madison were wishing for a little straight and narrow living right about now.  Hey, maybe they can use a copy of my book “Down Again”!

My book Down Again

3)      Listen to your gut. It is ALWAYS right. Please, know the difference between your gut and your prejudices. That’s all I will say about that.  Your gut may be saying “no, never, ever, ever, no!” Or it may just be saying “not today, maybe tomorrow.”  Know the difference. Point number six goes into more detail. Keep reading!

4)      Be OK with not being liked by everyone. Try to get along with everyone, but choose your friends wisely. When you choose your friends wisely, you will choose your time wisely. I mean, who has time for gossip, nosiness, drama, and instigation? Yes, I checked, and instigation is a word.  You know the title of my blog site is DramaFreeZoneReligionFinanceLife right? Note the drama free zone portion. If you want to live in peace, be at peace with everyone.  Hebrews 12:14 says “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 

5)      Be kind. You can be kind without being a doormat.  This is where setting boundaries is important. There should be boundaries in every relationship.  Learn more about setting boundaries by reading the works of Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.  If people become upset when you enforce your boundaries, see point number four. 

6)      Get to know yourself. Like yourself, warts and faults, and all.  People like to say “God is still working on me.” That’s a cop-out. God is still working on all of his children.  If you need to apologize just do so. If you need to fix a situation, just fix it. Stop with the excuses and blame game. Learn you, work on you, and see point number one.

7)      Understand that when people act inappropriately towards you, most of the time they just do not know better.  Sometimes people are taking out their frustrations and their demons on you. Choose your battles, and if something is really bothering you, address it. Did I say it already? Choose your battles.  If you stop to address everything, you will be viewed as cray cray, also known as crazy; even if you do have a valid point. Oh, and see point number five.

8)      Kenny Rogers said, “You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to run.” He’s right. It’s not about being mean.  You would be just as dysfunctional if you continued to accept bad behavior after the same discussions with that person or people, over and over.    See point number five.

9)      It’s OK to make mistakes. There is no perfect human being on this planet! We will make mistakes, say dumb things, and trust the wrong people.  The key is to learn from our mistakes and to allow those mistakes to happen less, as we become older. See points four through eight.

10) Pray! Whether you believe there is a God or not, there is one. Whether you believe there is a    hell or not, there is one. Whether you believe there is a Heaven or not, there is one.  Oh, and whether you believe there is a devil or not, there is one.  We are coming down to the last days where right is wrong and wrong is right.  Many children are rude and abusive to their parents and elders.  Many parents are not stepping up to their role of readying their children for the real world.  The world has turned upside down and inside out.  We don’t know who to trust anymore because everyone is either wearing a mask or they are showing their true colors.  They are showing their true colors while in a role they probably should not be in.  The only one we can trust is God.  He will direct our every step if we allow him.  But we must allow him. I know he does not answer every prayer the way we would like, but we have to trust that he knows why.  
Hang in there, do the best you can, and re-visit points one through nine! 

$2.00

He walked between the idling vehicles.  Vehicles whose drivers I am quite sure impatiently waited for the light to turn green.  Everyone wants to reach their destination right?  He walked laboriously.  It made me think about how effortless it was for me to just get up from a chair and walk to another room, without thinking about it.  I could almost feel the pain he must sometimes feel, just to walk. 

He walked between the idling vehicles, but he was still slightly too far away for me to get his attention.  I assumed he would continue walking between the vehicles, toward my vehicle. I pulled $2.00 out of my purse, waiting for him to get closer, but just then he turned between two vehicles and stepped onto the sidewalk.  I was slightly disappointed as I put the $2.00 back into my purse, admittedly wondering what he would have done with the money. I also thought to myself, 'if he only knew how close he was to $2.00', especially as I seldom carry cash.  We sat at the light for another 15 or 20 seconds.  Ample time for him to have continued walking.  He had become discouraged and given up when he was so close.  Who knows how many people behind me may also have had $2.00, or more? 

As I sat waiting for the light to turn green, I thought about people in general, who had given up, not knowing how close they were to achieving their dream.  How many people had given up and walked back onto the sidewalk just before their $2.00?  I winced at the thought that it could be me!  Just then I said a quick prayer, ‘please God, don’t let me give up just before my breakthrough, before my $2.00.’  I put my purse back, thinking ‘if he only knew’.

Top 10 ways to know God can trust you financially

10) No matter your income, broke is a state of mind.  Whether you make $5.00 per hour or $5000.00 per hour, handle your money, do not allow your money to handle you.

9)   Give. Be generous with your time and your finances.  Whether you teach a Sunday school class, give to your local little league, or contribute to your local soup kitchen, be generous. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1.

8)   Save.  No matter how much or how little you make, save something. There is no excuse for not saving.  The reason most people cannot save is because they are too busy trying to keep up with the Jones's.  There are so many discount stores around these days, anyone can look like a million bucks for less!

7)  Bless someone.  If you feel lead to give something to someone, or even pay for their meal, do it.  It does not matter how much you think they are worth.  Indeed, it does not matter if they are a multi-millionaire and you are not. See the scripture above in number nine. Of course, make sure your ‘blessing’ is done from the right place in your heart.  If you are doing it out of guilt or pride it will not work out.

6) Don’t hate.  Just as I mentioned above in number seven, it does not matter how much a person has or how much you think they have, offer.  It can be done without insulting them, it is a matter of being nice. Allow them the choice to accept or not.

5) Learn from your financial mistakes.  Everyone has made financial mistakes.  The key is to learn from those mistakes, and not repeat them. It may be tempting to repeat something expecting a different outcome, but trust me, the outcome will be the same.

4) Ask for help.  Most employers offer retirement savings plans as part of an employee’s compensation package.  With the retirement savings plan, typically a 401k or 403b; the company your employer hires to manage your 401k offers free assistance.  They can help you choose what mutual fund(s) to invest your 401k or 403b contributions.  The tools are there, do your research and be ready for retirement.   The government is not going to help you get ready for retirement.

3) Pay attention to the world around you.  No matter how you feel about it, we live in a global village.  Everyone is affected by everyone else.  Know what is going on in the world around you.  You do not have to be a professional financial person, news hound, or fluent in multiple languages.  Just be aware.

2) Know your financial weaknesses.  And act accordingly. Make a grocery list so that you do not spend double what you wanted to. Go clothes shopping at your planned time.  Some people buy clothes twice a year.  Or maybe you are shopping for a special occasion.  If not, stay out of the stores if you do not have the will power to ‘just browse’.

1) Know how to wait or to live without.  Stop using your credit card for your wants, and recognize the difference between wants and needs.  If you do not take control of your finances, you are only sabotaging yourself and your future.  “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12.  When God sees you doing your best with your finances, he will trust you with more.  Leave the Jones's alone!