Choose

This time of year many of us begin to think about next year.  Right after Christmas  gifts are opened, many people start thinking about the debt they have incurred, the jobs they must go back to, and what the future holds for the following year.

For the first two or three months of the new year, people consider making changes in their finances:  saving more money, putting more away for retirement, and spending less, etc.  But financial matters take work and most people are not willing to stick with it for the long haul.  But the long haul is what it will take.  Anything worth having, and financial security is worth having, takes work.  It's not something you can set up once and never review again until the money is needed.  Just like anything else of importance, changes and updates will need to be made from time to time.  This is especially true when life events happen--expected or unexpected.    

Although anytime is a great time to make changes, the beginning of the year is a great time.  Everyone considers the new year as a fresh start for saving money, losing weight, and investing in the relationships of family and friends.  The new year is traditionally a time of turning over a new leaf. 

The fact is however, we must have a plan.  We may have the best ideas and the best intentions, but without a plan, its just self-sabotage.  The good thing about plans is that they can be tweaked, changed.  Allowing for some change removes the frustration that can sometimes set in, when our plans are not going, well, as planned.  How much money would we like to save over the next 12 months?  Be realistic.  We would all like to save much more than we probably actually can, but we must start somewhere.  When planning for saving, we must look at our overall budget: income, bills, emergencies, etc.  Regardless, I guarantee that if you stick with your plan, by this time next year, you will be pleasantly surprised, and indeed a little proud of yourself. 

When planning, remember to include those who will be involved in your venture.  If you are married, that means your spouse.  If you have children that means they should be involved in saving as well.  Children are never too young to understand the value of money.  In fact, if they are not taught the value of money when they are very young, they are being set up for when they are accosted by credit card offers on their college campus, or just whimsical spending.  They are being set up for financial failure.

Speaking of financial failure, although I do not suggest you run out and spend like crazy because you can eventually recover from losing everything to bankruptcy, job loss, etc.,  it is not the end of the world.  But it does take time to recover, in some cases a very long time.  It is best to do things right the first time.  Do not be afraid to sit down with a financial counselor.  A third party always has an objective viewpoint that you and your family may not be able to see. 

This may not be obvious to everyone, so I will say it.  Saving money means you will not be able to buy everything you want, at least not right away.  If your plan is to save $50 per paycheck, that means $50 that cannot go towards that new pair of shoes, that nice bag, or that sudden road trip.  Stick to your plan no matter what, because something will always come up and you will find that you have saved nothing by this time next year. 

Finally, like most things of importance in life, you cannot tell everyone what you are doing, just do it!  Some friends and family members cannot handle change.  If they see you changing for the better, they may mean well, but be on the look out for sabotage.  The bottom line is this: many of you are believers who know that God watches over you, but He wants you to use common sense.  He wants us to treat our finances with care.  Opposition will come in the guise of emergencies and sabotage, but stick with it, and if you do have a true emergency, you will have the money to handle the situation.  Just remember to replenish the account.

I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed, safe, and happy new year.  Below is one of my favorite passages of scripture.  I hope it gives you the same peace it does me.   

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26.


                                                                                                                                       finance

Where the heart is

'...He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ Acts 13:22.

This verse has been a source of comfort to me ever since I figured out what it really meant.  You see, for a long time I could not understand how God could call David a man after His own heart when David had done so many bad things and made so many wrong decisions.  God never changed His mind about what he said in the verse above.  After all, David committed adultery, murder, and lust.  He even looked the other way when one of his sons raped his own sister.  To say that he was the patriarch of a very dysfunctional family is to put it lightly. 

What I figured out about David was that he admitted his sins and short comings to God, and asked forgiveness whenever he did wrong. 

'Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your loving kindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight— ...' Psalm 51:1-4 

 

David's heart was in the right place because he admitted when he was wrong and asked God to forgive him.  He was just as human as we are today.  He made mistakes, made bad decisions; he went left when he should have gone right.  But at the end of the day, He knew that having a right relationship with God was what mattered most.

 

When we mess up, make a mistake, or make a bad decision, the first step to fixing things is to ask God to forgive us.  Once we do that, we are on the way to keeping our heart in the right place. 

 

Beware, when we start down the path of keeping our heart in the right place, we will be misunderstood by many, just like David was.  But as we read the Psalms we see that David did not allow naysayers to deter him.  Whenever he found himself in trouble with family issues or problems with enemies, he called out to God.  Call on God and he will take care of everything.  Just make sure your heart is in the right place.       

Heaven or Hell?

The last time I posted about loss was about four years ago when I lost an uncle and a very good friend.  It was unexpected in one case and expected in another.  But no matter how much we prepare for death, it is still unexpected when it happens.  It is unexpected because no matter how much we plan: buying the plot, choosing a coffin or a casket, designing the fliers, letting friends and family know, and the list goes on; that person is still gone.  There is no more reaching for the phone to tell a joke, in fact, the phone number might as well be deleted.  In the place of the phone number, the Face Book page, lunch dates, or going to the movies with a group of friends, is memories and emptiness where that person once existed.

The only consolation, the most important consolation, is to know the person went to Heaven.  In most cases we know by the type of life that person lived, exactly where their soul went after death.  That is one of the reasons Christians refer to human beings as souls.  If we know the person did not live a God kind of life, we are left to wonder if they were able to make their heart right with God in their final moments.      

Many people refuse to believe there is a Hell.  Some believe there is a Heaven but no Hell, and some believe there is neither. Many of us are aware of the beliefs of most major religions.  I am not here to bash religion, any religion.  I want to tell about my beliefs which are based on the word of God.  "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." --Hebrews 9:27-28.  When we die, whether we believe or not, we will be judged.  Proverbs 15:24 says "The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below."  Heaven and Hell exist.

Death is a fact of life.  No one can avoid it, so we might as well talk about it, plan for it, be ready for it.  We must include in our planning where we would like to end up when we die.  I, like many of you, miss some people who have 'passed on'.  We can still hear their voices in our heads.  We remember encouraging words, we remember when they made us mad or we made them mad! We remember how their opposite personality brought out the best in us.  But they are gone.  The only way we will see them again is if we plan to go where we know they went.  

People like to tell jokes about how 'hell was full so the devil sent me back', or 'I want to go to hell so I can play pool and hang out with my friends forever.'  Trust me, there will be no time to play pool and hang out in Hell.  Read the book of Revelations in The Holy Bible for all the details.  

Yes, we are all missing someone right now, but the fact is they are gone.  Nothing we do can bring them back.  The best thing we can do is to be prepared when it is our time to go.         

Struggle

I've been thinking about struggle lately, and have come to the conclusion that struggle is a part of life.  It is a part of life because we are all imperfect people living in an imperfect world.  We struggle with dealing with prayers God has decided not to answer in our lives, we struggle with dealing with  personality conflicts, and we struggle with certain decisions we must make.  We struggle with plans we must make for the future, we struggle with the memories of past failures, and we struggle with issues we cannot change. 

Struggle, I believe, is a part of life whether or not we are living a Christian lifestyle.  In fact, I would venture to say that struggle is harder as a Christian because we have committed to living a certain lifestyle in front of the world, and we are being watched. Some are watching to see where our imperfections are, ready to point out when we lose our cool in certain situations or when we make the wrong decisions in other situations.  Many non-Christians believe that Christians should be perfect.  They do not understand that we are still human and will be until the day we die.  The difference is that as Christians, we should be striving after Jesus' word on how to live the Christ following life.  We are to be God-chasers, always growing, not keeping the same bad attitudes and bad  behaviors year in and year out, hoping no one notices; telling the world that 'this is just the way I am, take it or leave it.'   

I believe as Christians, when we mess up or when we do not handle certain situations properly; when we just do not have it in us to deal with certain personalities, we can and should talk to God about it.  I believe when He sees that we are trying and that we do not want to remain at the same level but that we want to chase after Him, trying every day to be more like Him, he will forgive us. 'Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.' Psalm 32:1. 

I believe the key as Christians is to realize that we will never be perfect, but that we serve a perfect God who knows we will never be perfect.  He knows that we need forgiveness, but it shouldn't be for the same bad attitude from 10 years ago.  We should be growing.  In fact, we should be growing in all of our relationships, not just the relationship we have with Jesus.  But that's another blog for another day.  Life is a struggle, but that's no excuse.  Let's continue to strive for that right attitude and that right response.  It's a struggle, but I know I will.

Personal poll-taker

I am a personal poll-taker.  What is a personal poll-taker you ask?  I like to ask people certain questions during the course of conversation then make a mental note of their answer.  I have learned quite a bit over the years about human nature.  We are more alike than we want to admit.  Most of us believe we are so individualistic there is no one else like us on the planet, and of course to some extent that is true.  No one has the same fingerprint after all.  I find that amazing!  But what I am referring to is the fact that we all bleed red blood.  We all feel hurt and pain, we all want to live a good life, and we all desire respect. 
 
There is one poll where I don’t ask questions however.  I just observe.  Please note the word observe.  I do not judge, I observe.  When we find ourselves in serious trouble: health issues, financial problems, marital problems, and the list goes on; to whom do we turn?  I’ve noticed that in the aftermath of horrible events such as thousands killed in earthquakes, terrible tornadoes, debilitating hurricanes, and monsoons, many people turn to God.  We turn to Him directly if we are Christ followers and for those who are not, they show up to church for a few Sundays in the aftermath or they ask Christ-following friends to pray for them. 
 
What does this have to do with my poll-taking?  I like to see who sticks with God and who forgets once the storm has passed.  Do you see why I said in the beginning that I observe I do not judge?   It’s not rocket science to watch how people live before, during, and after a time of testing.  Some people go back to life as they knew it and others decide they want to continue a relationship with God, with Jesus Christ. 
 
No, all of our problems do not go away once we have a relationship with Christ, but life is put into perspective and we have someone to turn to at all times.  Not just when times are bad.  We talk to Him and thank Him during the good times as well.  That’s what relationship is.  It’s not different because it’s with Jesus.  Any relationship would suffer or die if it were not maintained.  In fact, most of us would be upset if we had a friend who only showed up or called when they needed something.  How about you?  Is it back to life as usual once the trial is over?       

 

Tapestry

I recently switched schools for my MBA program.  Instead of one six week class continuously except for two weeks off between Christmas and New Years, I am now taking two classes at a time, the classes go for 11 weeks at a time.  My Mom asked me if I thought I bit off more than I can chew.  I thought for a few seconds and then said 'I can do it.' She said 'ok, that's what I wanted to hear'. Then she quoted that well-known verse, you know the one, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' Philippians 4:13. 

For one of my classes I was reading about some regulations that were implemented during Ronald Reagan's presidency.  It got me to thinking how although he has been gone for a number of years, his time in the White House continues to resonate down through the years. Then I thought about how he added to the tapestry that makes up not only the United States of America, but to the world. 

Not everyone will have the opportunity to have the impact Ronald Reagan did, but that is no excuse for us not to be the best we can be; to make the best contribution to humanity that we can in our corner of our world.  As I thought this through, I realized that most people will make an impact upon the world by the way they raise their children and nurture their grand children.  For those of us who do not and will not have children, there is still no excuse.  What impact are we having on our nieces and nephews?  What impact do we have on our family, friends, and co-workers?  Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, we too have an impact on the tapestry.  Will it be a good impact or a bad impact?  Will it be negative or positive?

I recall a conversation I had with my brother a number of years ago.  He had to set me straight on my thinking process based on the conversation we were having.  He's one of those people who talks to you without talking down to you. He's like a psychologist, asking you questions that make you think about what you are saying until the light bulb goes on in your head!  The outcome of that conversation, like the many conversations we have had, has resonated with me down through the years.  He makes me think outside the box, something I am not naturally prone to doing.  The basic outcome of that conversation was that we are all here for a reason.  We are all making a contribution to this planet. 

What is your contribution?  It can be as small as taking your kids to the park or going to a niece or nephew's game or recital.  What I don't think many of us realize is one small thing can impact positively or negatively, another human being.  When my Daddy was just a little pre-teen, he took the ferry from one island over to the island on which he lived.  Unfortunately he got off at the wrong stop and found that he was lost.  He stood there apparently looking lost.  A lady noticed he was lost, that he was on the other side of the island from where he was supposed to be.  She took him home, fed him and put him to bed with her kids.  When he woke up the next morning she had one of her older children walk him home.  Now I realize that would be a big risk in this day and age, but in his day, that was perfectly fine.  I did not know that story until recently.  Why did my Dad tell us the story?  Because all of these years later, one of the woman's children was in the audience of a concert my sister and her husband were having at a church in a city in which she was visiting.  Someone told her who my sister is.  My Dad told us that from the time the lady rescued him, his aunts, who by the way raised him, sent fresh caught fish and other foods to the lady on a regular basis. 

Are we perfect? No we're not, but we had better do the best we can by each other as much as possible.  We never know where we will end up in life.  Regardless, we will be adding to the tapestry.  Why not make it a beautiful and positive addition?

Stay in your lane

I heard a pastor on television this morning say 'if you are doing something good in this world, you will have critics.  The only way not to have critics is to do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.'  Our critics can be family members, friends, co-workers, or people who just do not like us on sight.  You know those people who look the other way every time you walk into the room. 

Some people succumb to the pressure and decide to go with the flow, follow the crowd, because it is easier to go along and get along.  These people do not realize that the crowd really does not care who they are, but as long as they stay in their place everything will be fine. 

There are those of us however, who have decided that we do not need the crowd to survive.  We know what we have been called to do and we are in hot pursuit!  When we are in hot pursuit it can be lonely and confusing, but we know deep down why we are here.  I don't know about you, but once God told me why I was put on this planet, he set the wheels in motion for me to pursue. God does not direct us toward a goal He has not created us to achieve.  When we mess up, He does not put us aside and use someone else.  He has a purpose for all of us in His Kingdom. He will use our mistakes to guide us toward the very same goal.  He does not waste anything!

Do we need friends, family, and associates?  Of course we do.  Someone else said 'No man is an island.'  We need each other, not to use each other, but to help each other, to uplift each other.  But if we know there are people in our lives, or even strangers, who do no want us to 'surpass' them or some other family or friend, then we must recognize what is happening, pray for these people and let God work in their lives while He continues  to work in our lives.

Some of you may know the story of Jesus when he was just 12 years old, he and his parents went up to Passover which was an annual custom in their day.  On their way back home they realized he was not with them!  They had to back track, and found him teaching the adults in the Synagogue!  They were upset with him asking him why he did this. '...And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.' Luke 2:49-50.
 
  Do not stop, stand still, say nothing, and do nothing, when you know why you are here.  That is displeasing to God.  Ask Him for strength, and keep on moving!