Godly Stewardship, Part V

Time management tools. Philippians 4:8, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

Chapter 4 of Godly Stewardship addressed recognizing the season of our life, accepting the season of our life and prioritizing the absolutes in our lives. Which ever season we find ourselves in, none of us are exempt from the temptation of busyness. We live in an era of convenience. We flip a switch and lights come on. Most in today's America do not know how to use an oil lamp or make candles. Transportation is faster than it's ever been in human history. The vast majority of Americans do not know how to saddle a horse, hitch up/drive a wagon or realize that it takes 15-20 minutes to walk a mile. We have pre-prepared meals at our convenience. Very few Americans grow and store their own foods, most don't even know how to prepare foods from scratch/raw food products. We have others to educate our children via public and private schools. There are a few home educators who still research and compile their own lessons but in today's era of convenience, most home educators opt to purchase prepared lessons and curriculum. With all these conveniences, Americans still find themselves searching for more time each and every day.

It seems convenience has become the door that opens to the curse of busyness. Because of convenience, we try to pack more and more into our schedules. As I observe, I see an entire nation of pink energizer bunnies, always going, going, going. Trying to see whom can outlast who. I see sleep deprived people everywhere I go (I used to be one of these people, myself). It is so sad that as a society we've packed so much into our lives that we tell ourselves, year after year, "I can make it on 5 hours sleep." Our irritability from lack of adequate sleep shows up in rudeness at the grocery check out lines and road rage. Our stress levels from constantly going, going, going has shown up in an epidemic of heart disease. When compared to past generations, the relationships within our families would be considered non-existent. Does anyone else see a problem when families have to go on vacation so parents can "get to know" their own children?

Prior to home educating our three younger children, I worked outside our home and I worked a lot. Just recently, I had an opportunity to visit with a very dear friend and she mentioned that when she first met me I was working THREE jobs (1 full-time, 2 part-time) outside my home. The path that home education has brought me down has me looking back and asking, "Three jobs? How did I ever do that?" There were others who praised my hard work ethic and were very impressed that I somehow managed to juggle three jobs and a family. However, I was never impressed. I knew the truth. I knew that I always had to say no to my children. "No, I can't take you", "No, we can't do that", No, because if you go then we will loose our 2 hours of family time this week." (We literally had only 2 hours every Sunday afternoon.) I was always grumpy because I was always exhausted - I had run on only 4-5 hours sleep each 24 hour period (sometimes only 2 at night and then 1 on the commuter bus to my daytime job and 1 on the commuter bus home from that job - why? laundry, dishes, vacuuming, weekly meal preparation and scrubbing toilets happened at night while my children slept) for more than a decade. Although I was a productive employee (I'd won numerous employee of the month awards, etc.), I know that if I had not been so exhausted I'd have been a better employee and would have had more advancement opportunities. I know that if I hadn't been exhausted I would have had more patience with my children. I know that if I hadn't been going, going, going I'd have developed a closer relationship with the Lord. Yeah, I wasn't impressed because I knew the truth - I was not a full-time anything. I was a part-time everything. I didn't have time to give my best at work. I didn't have time to give my best to my family. I didn't have time to give my best to the Lord.

Now, I know that most are not in my past situation of HAVING to work three jobs outside the home. But, I see many folks filling their schedules up with enough busyness to equal my previous work schedule. How does one stop all this going, going, going craziness? Well, as mentioned in chapter 4 we must recognize AND accept the season of our life AND we must prioritize our absolutes. Once this is done we can then access the many organizational tools available to assist us in managing our priorities. During my first year as a stay at home mom and wife, I realized how exhausted and fatigued working two and three jobs for more than a decade had made me. My poor husband and children probably wondered what had happened to their energizer bunny. My batteries finally went dead and I slept for an entire year. (not literally, but I did sleep about 10 hours each night and another 3-4 hours of nap during the day. no, I was not depressed - I was exhausted.) After a year of sleep, the Lord began directing us to home educate our three younger children. When we first began this adventure, I made sure to attend a HUGE home education conference in a neighboring city each year. Not only did this conference provide a plethora of curriculum vendors, but it also hosted various workshops geared toward teaching methods, learning styles AND time management. I have found that home educators and other stay at home moms/wives often have more temptations to the curse of busyness than working moms. Why? Because we and others assume that we have an abundance of "extra" time. In reality, we ALL have 24 hours per day whether we work away from home or work in our homes.

The habit of busyness is a hard one to break. After my year of sleep, I found myself navigating the uncharted waters of home education, teaching a Jr. high school Bible study class, cooking meals for the funeral ministry, volunteering for the Angel Food ministry, volunteering in the church nursery, volunteering in children's church, assisting with the Bible quiz program, driving to and from athletic practices/games and field trips. Yep, I and others had found a host of things to fill my calendar/schedule with until the proverbial light bulb clicked on in my head. One day, I realized that we didn't have time to be spontaneous. We didn't have time to take a day off and goof around or be lazy. My sleep time had been reduced to 4-5 hours each night. My relationship with the Lord was not growing and had began to spiritually stagnate.

I decided it was time for some serious changes. I eliminated the volunteer activities one at a time. I began making my relationship with the Lord my first priority. I now spend time everyday reading my Bible and various Christian life study materials for my personal growth. I used to do this as research for my Bible study class or other projects - I didn't have time to focus on personal growth. I began working to make my relationships with my family my second priority. My husband's job comes with an extensive travel schedule. When he's home, I make sure the children and I are home. I no longer accept long-term volunteer projects that will interfere with dad's time while at home. I no longer schedule appointments outside our home early in the mornings as that's my time with the children. When asked to do something at the church I literally began praying about whether or not to accept. (Yeah, I know ... I recently had a preacher tell me that if I have to pray about it, then that's my Christian way of saying "no". He asked someone else to volunteer. I find this sad, because I am one of those who is serious when I say I'd like to pray about it first. He hasn't asked me to volunteer for anything since. I wonder how many others this man has brushed aside because of impatience?).

Of all the changes I have made, observing a Sabbath has been the most important and prosperous change to date. Deuteronomy 5:12-15, "Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day." Since I grew up in the Bible belt and I am old enough to remember the "blue laws", (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law), I remember a time when our society was not a 7 day a week, 24 hour a day hustle and bustle. I remember spending Sunday mornings at church and Sunday afternoons at home with my family. I remember taking a nap after dinner on Sunday afternoons. I remember extended family gathering together for dinner, picnics, softball games, etc. I remember neighborhood bar-be-ques. A few years ago, the Lord convicted me about observing a Sabbath and returning our Sundays to a day of rest. [very brief Sabbath history - the original Jewish Sabbath was on the seventh day of the week, Saturday. The early Catholic church moved the Sabbath to Sunday in an effort to combat paganism (in the past many pagan sects performed rituals to their sun gods on Sundays). During the reformation era the Protestant churches continued to observe Sunday as a Sabbath because of a lack of historical education AND all of their society was geared toward a Sunday Sabbath (Jewish communities were segregated communities thus allowing business, education, trade, etc. to be conducted among themselves based on a traditional Jewish Sabbath of Saturday). When the immigration to America began, the Protestants and Catholics brought their tradition of a Sunday Sabbath with them to the new world. Thus, the old "blue laws" and most Americans equating a Sabbath with Sundays.] Since I attend a denomination that meets on Sundays, my husband often has to work on Saturdays, America's historical culture recognizes Sunday as the Sabbath, I've selected Sunday as my Sabbath, (I am open that there may come a day when the Lord convicts me to observe my Sabbath on the Jewish Saturday). God has given us explicit instruction to rest one entire day each week. Why would He do this? I think it is so that we will take time to focus on observing who He is and what He's done for us? I think it is because He recognized that if we were to get too busy or too tired our relationships with each other AND Him would suffer.

For just a moment let us look what we have allowed the enemy to do to our society. We've allowed the "blue laws" to be repealed and in doing so we've become a 7 day/24 hour society. We are constantly going, going, going. Few of us have time to rest. We may attend church on Sunday mornings but we rush out to dine in restaurants, shop, attend movies, engage in recreation activities, etc. And let us not forget all the employees in these restaurants, shops, movie theaters, etc. who are working for us. When will they have an opportunity to attend church? Although the restaurant, shops, etc. may not open until the common hour of church letting out, those employees have been there preparing for your arrival since early morning. They could not have attended a church service if they had the desire to do so. By serving the public they have one less day to spend with their families (most children are out of school on Saturdays and Sundays). By business owners conducting business on Sundays, even Christians are spending less time with their families because everyone is out and about doing something. How many times have you skipped church because you had things or errands you absolutely had to get done before the work week begins on Monday? How many Sundays have you forgone time with your family because you had things to get done? When I was a girl these things were done on Saturday because that was the last opportunity to get it done before Monday. Sunday was the Sabbath and we spent our day worshiping the Lord and in fellowship with our family.

The Lord has blessed my observance of a Sabbath. Since we don't have any plans to go anywhere after church, we are not "watching the clock" hoping the praise/worship and preaching doesn't go late. We are able to enjoy our time during praise and worship and focus on the message the Lord has sent forth that day. We no longer have a need to rush away from the Lord's house. As long as we stay home and rest after church on Sundays, we have an adequate amount of energy for the rest of the week. When we fail to rest on Sunday afternoons, I find us needing naps and becoming irritable throughout the week. Having an entire day where our family just hangs out together at home, no specific agenda, has brought us closer together. The slower pace of observing a Sabbath is like a cool refreshing rain on a hot summer afternoon poured upon our spirits and our physical bodies.

What sort of tools have I found to be most beneficial in helping me maintain my priorities? Of all the gadgets and whatnot out there, I have found a simple daily/weekly routine and pocket sized (6"x3.5") academic calendar to be the best. I've tried the big wall calendar where everything is written down so everyone can see it. Unfortunately, it was too big to take with me when I left the house and I'd loose all the little slips of paper that I wrote appointments down on, so they ended up getting missed. The pocket sized calendar fits well into my purse. Otherwise it sits open on my desk. I've tried typing up the daily schedule at 30, 45, 60 minute intervals for our entire day and posting it on the refrigerator. Unfortunately, there always seemed to be a glitch in the day and everyone ended up getting behind and stressed out trying to catch up to the schedule. Many professionals carry around a blackberry or something similar, however, I occasionally don't have access to electricity to charge the battery on the thing, like when visiting my dad who lives off-grid in a mountain cabin, it, like a laptop, becomes useless.

Yes, the pocket sized academic calendar has worked out best for me. I cross Sundays off on the calendar as soon as I get it. The big line through the day prevents the temptation to forgo our Sabbath. A few years ago, I noticed that various appointments continued to conflict with schooling, chores and the general flow of our day. One child would have a dental cleaning on Tuesday at 10 am, another would have a doctor's check-up on Thursday at 1:30, etc. I noticed that almost everyday of the week required that we leave the house for something, slicing into our school time and causing chaos and confusion on a much too regular basis. I decided to stop that insanity. Since many banks, dentists, doctors, etc. are closed on Saturdays, I selected a specific weekday and designated it our errand day. We don't have school on errand day, we run errands. When making dental appointments I specifically schedule all the children, myself and hubby on errand day with back to back appointments. I do the same with doctors. I also go to the post office, grocer, bank, etc. on errand day. On some errand days we will leave at 7:30 in the morning and not return home until supper time. I love this because I get all my "running around" for the week out of the way in one day. By stubbornly sticking to this weekly routine, I have found that most things can and will wait until errand day. Occasionally something urgent or an emergency will arise and I'll have to adjust, however, leaving the house each and every day or even 2-3 times per week is not the norm. Some wonderful benefits of this once per week errand day has been a HUGE reduction in fuel consumption, being a one car family is no longer the inconvenience it used to be, chores and school are completed more adequately, and my stress level has been GREATLY reduced. I also like using the pocket sized academic calendar because it contains only six lines per day, which is itself another tool. With only six lines, I am limited to how much I can schedule on my errand days. If I have more than six appointments, I prioritize and push something(s) ahead to the next weekly errand day.

Another tool I use regularly is the meal schedule. Several years ago we discovered that one of our children had terrible reactions to many food additives (artificial food colors/flavorings, mono sodium glutamate, bleached flours & sugars, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, etc.). This forced me to make/cook everything (including condiments and bread) from scratch. Although not difficult, this can be time consuming. Thus, I found it important to find a way to reduce the hours I was spending in the kitchen each day. By making up a two week meal schedule, I know each day what sort of kitchen prep work needs to be done for that day's meals or meals later in the week. I no longer find myself standing in the kitchen for 20 minutes wondering what to cook for supper. If preparation for our supper meal is time consuming, I will begin preparing a little bit here and there (washing/chopping vegetables, making cream soup for the casserole, etc.) throughout the day (errand day is left over night), so as to reduce the actual prep time come supper. Not only has the meal schedule resulted in a healthier diet, by making it for two weeks at a time, it has also reduced my grocery shopping to once every two weeks - a time saver, fuel saver and budget saver (less temptation to impulse buy).

For me, more simple time management tools have resulted in a more simple schedule. I realize that there is not a one size fits all when it comes to time managment. But I hope that the information and personal story I've shared will assist you in recognizing and accepting the season of your life, evaluating and priortizing absolutes and trying various time management tools until you find what does fit your family. Learning to be a good steward of one's time is an area that we as Christians need to learn to excell. By doing so, we will find that we have more patience and time to minister to our families, the body of Christ and our neighbors. (Now, if I could only conquer the 15 minute late thingy ... )

Godly Stewardship, Part IV

Stewardship of one's time. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

As previously stated when many hear the word stewardship they immediately think of finances. However, there is much more to Godly stewardship than our finances. As Christians we are called and held to a different standard, a higher standard. Not only does this include our finances but, also our time management skills.

Time management is an area that I personally find challenging. For many years I couldn't understand why because time, in and of itself, is concrete. We all have 24 hours per day, 168 hours per week, 727 hours per month, 8,760 hours per year. Time is non-discriminatory. All of us, each and every one, has been allotted the exact same amount in any given day, week, month and/or year. I used to ponder, "If time is so concrete then why do many of us, especially me, find it so elusive?"

Once my husband and I grasped the concept of "managing our money" and we stopped allowing our "money to manage us", our perspective changed thus, helping us to improve our financial situation. Upon realizing that I had personally grasped and, through trial and error, had successfully implemented this change in my life, I had a personal revelation - "I found time to be elusive because I was not managing time, I was allowing time to manage me." I realized that I needed to establish my priorities, make a plan and work my plan.

There are many, many, many tools readily available to assit one in planning out their time - aka time management. However, try as they may, I still see so many people struggling with this issue. It seems like they've tried every idea and tool available and they still have trouble grasping that ever elusive thing we call time. In my own personal situation, all the tools and ideas failed because tools and ideas are not where one begins when it comes to time management skills. I had skipped previous steps and evaluations and I have a strong suspicion that many others have too.

The first area of focus in learning to be a good steward of one's time is prioritizing which, consists of three steps. The first is to recognize the season of our life. The second step is to accept the season of our life. Time may be concrete but the seasons of our lives are not. They are ever changing. Most of our lives will consist of four seasons. They generally include a spring, summer, Autumn and winter. Spring is the time of our life when we are children and teenagers. During this season, our time is, for the most part, managed by others. We then progress into our summers. This is the period of life that is the most adventurous AND busy. We enter adulthood, careers, marriages, and train-up our own families. The third season of our lives is autumn. Autumn, I think, is one of most beautiful seasons. Our careers are established, our husband or wife has become an extension of our self ("...and the two shall become one") and we can see the fruits of our labor in our grown children who are starting their own careers, marriages and families. During the autumn we have a tremendous oportunity to mentor the younger generation who is experiencing the summer of their own lives. Finally, most of us will experience a winter. These are the conclusion years of our lives. They complete who we are as a person. These years are meant to be grand because we get a glimpse of our legacy. We see our grandchildren grow up and some of us get to see a fourth or, for those of us who are really blessed, a fifth generation branch forward.

We must learn to recognize where we are. We must be content with and embrace the season we are experiencing. I find myself to be abundantly blessed in that I have been given an Indian summer. In regards to weather, an Indian summer is most commonly know as an extended summer. The heat of summer lingers, the trees keep their green leaves a little longer than usual and it often feels like the cool crisp air and the beautiful multi-colored leaves of autumn will never arrive. In my specific situation, my eldest child is 17 years older than my youngest. By the time I enter the autumn of my life, my husband and I will have have been growing and training up our family for approximately 37 years. Now days, most people's summer season lasts approximately 25 years. I am blessed with an Indian summer. I find it unfortunate that many seem to have a very difficult time entering the autumn season of their life. They continue to be too involved in their adult children's lives OR they make the terrible mistake of unnecessarily taking on the parenting role of their grandchildren. (note: I am not referring to those who are forced into parenting grandchildren because of the death, incarceration or other extended circumstance of their own children.) Here of late, I have met many folks whose children are adults, but mom and, sometimes, dad still drives them to the doctor for minor illnesses or check-ups, these adult children go to mommy's house when they have the flu (with all the grandchildren in tow), mom and/or dad is contacting prospective employers after job interviews, mom and/or dad is taking sides or getting overly involved in marital disputes ... this list could go on and on. It is obvious that these folks have either not recognized that the summer season of their life has ended OR they refuse to accept it. They are attempting to create their own Indian summer. They are doing themselves, their own families and society a great injustice. They are missing out on the joys and wonder their own autumn. How sad skipping autumn and jumping from summer into winter without the magic and scents of autumn. They are stealing their own children's summers by not allowing their children the satisfaction of victory of independently overcoming challenges. And they are robbing God of the mentor ship they have to offer the church and society.

The third step in prioritizing has to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ. Where is He on our list of prioritizing? I know many will scold me because I haven't placed Jesus before recognizing and accepting our seasons. However, I ask - when we haven't recognized or accepted the season of our life, how can we begin to put Jesus first? If we are living outside our season, aka out of order, then we will have a very difficult time placing the Lord in the position of first. Leviticus 27:30, "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord." I believe this includes our time. Our time has been given to us by the Lord. He has determined how many seasons we will spend upon this earth. We should gladly and with thanksgiving give 1/10 of it back to Him. We are all allotted 24 hours each and every day. The tithe of our time equals two hours and forty minutes to be set aside for Lord daily. This time should be spent in a combination of studying His Word, prayer, preparing for a Bible study class (as an attendee or instructor), volunteering for various outreach ministries, etc. We must recognize the season of our life we are in AND accept that season so we can then best prioritize our time with the Lord and still accomplish all the things we need and want to accomplish during each day.

The second area of focus when learning to a good steward of one's time is in recognizing the absolutes in our lives. The daily absolutes in my life are: time with the Lord, time with my husband and children, home schooling, preparation of meals, and the keeping of my home. When I began to scrutinize my priorities, I realized that I had confused many desires/wants with absolutes. For instance, I had a desire to be "super home maker extraordinaire" - I wanted to sew all my daughter's and my clothes, I wanted to cook and bake absolutely everything from scratch, I wanted a spotless home, I wanted my home decor to look like a magazine advertisement, I wanted the largest garden my property could provide, I wanted my garden to be as clean, neat and well designed as the one's in the gardening catalogs and how-to books, I wanted to home educate my children, I wanted to be active in the women's ministry, the kitchen ministry and the children's ministry at my church, I wanted to volunteer in my community, I wanted to be available to babysit for friends and family, I wanted all the gifts I gave at Christmas, birthdays, anniversary, etc. to be homemade, the list went on and on.

We must all stop for a moment and ask, "What desires/wants am I confusing with absolutes?" Homemade clothing and gifts, a beautiful garden, exquisite home interior are all very nice but, are they absolutely necessary for one to enjoy a simple and peaceful life? Are these desires/wants preventing us from giving back to the Lord? 2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work". When it comes to prioritizing our life, God has already given us an abundance of grace by allotting us 24 hours each and every day. It is our responsibility to prioritize that time sufficiently so that we may accomplish good works for Him. We must give some serious thought to our time management absolutes and desires/wants.

When I became aware that I had confused wants and absolutes with regard to effectively managing my time, I had to figure out how to get things in order. I began keeping track of exactly what I spent time doing each and every day. During this period, I kept a small pocket sized notebook and would quickly jot down various tasks/activities, the time began and the time finished. For instance, I wondered exactly how much time did I spend every day preparing meals and cleaning the kitchen? How much time did I really spend watching t.v. or surfing the internet? How much time did I spend in an average day taking or making telephone calls? How much time did I spend looking for things because of inadequate organization? At the end of the month I was very surprised by my tally. For instance, I found out that I spent more time watching t.v. and taking telephone calls than I had previously thought - I found that I had allowed many things to creep in that were robbing me of the time God had allotted me each and every day. These "time robbers" were also interfering with my relationship with the Lord.

Once I identified "time robbers", I made a list of my absolutes and the tasks/activities required to accomplish these absolutes. When examining the time spent with/for the Lord, I must be careful that the "work" I am doing does not interfere with or replace my relationship with the Lord. Other women my age are taking on more challenging areas ministry. As exciting as this is and as temping as it is to become involved with, I must recognize and accept that I have been blessed with an Indian summer. My ministry priorities, husband, children and home, are still very time consuming because our younger children are elementary aged. The Lord, my husband and children expect me to be their mommy 24/7. Unlike their older brothers, they are not yet adults and thus, they require intimate care on a daily basis. Whereas our adult children are busy enjoying and building the summers of their lives. To the older boys we have become mentors and are no longer their primary care givers. I strive to be wise with my use of time, thus I have had to step away from some areas of ministry and, as much as I'd like to be involved, I've had to decline some ministry opportunities. A time will come when I will need to transition into the autumn season of my life. When that time comes, the Lord will have a ministry suited specifically for my talents awaiting me. This same concept applies to my relationships with my husband and children. I must also guard myself so that the "work" (home schooling, cooking, cleaning, keeping our home) done for their benefit, does not become a replacement for their relationship. It's O.K. if we eat a quick meal of leftovers from paper plates once or twice per week. This allows us more time to spend together. It's O.K. if our home does not look like a picture from the "Southern Living" magazine. I promise you, our children would rather have a relationship with mommy than a "picture perfect" house to live in. Remember, I also have adult children, so I know this is a factual statement.

Once we recognize and accept the season of our life and we prioritize our absolutes, we are then ready to focus on the planning and working the plan areas of our lives. Next time, I will share some ideas that I've tried, sometimes successful and sometimes not. It is my prayer that you will take the opportunity this teaching has afforded and begin a new journey toward becoming a good steward of your time.

Godly Stewardship, Part III

Financial Stewardship. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

According to Wikipeia, in 2007, there were 111,162,259 households in the U.S. According to the Barna Group, in 2007, 46,688,148 (42%) of those households regularly attended at least one Christian church service each week, excluding weddings and funerals. With that information, lets take a look at what America would look like if Christians were to eliminate their household debt, consistently give tithes and offerings and invest in savings.

In 2007, the average annual US household income was $50,233.00. The average full-time employed male earned $45,113.00 annually and the average full-time employed female earned $35,102. 00 annually. Since I have a strong conviction that women should be keepers of the home, the following figures will be based on the average annual full-time employed male earnings of $45,113.00. So, let's do some math ...

$45,113.00 x's 10% = $4,511.00 tithe (1/10 of a whole)

$45,113.00 x's 10% = $4,511.00 savings/investments

$45,113.00 - 20% (tithe & savings) = $36,091 living expenses

If every Christian household consistently tithed, then $210,610,235,629.00 ($4,511.00 x's 46,688,148) would be funneled into churches, ANNUALLY, for the spreading of the gospel and social programs. Subsequently, if every Christan household saved and invested 10% of his earnings that would ANNUALLY inject $210,610,235,629.00 into our nation's economic foundation.

What would our nation look like if our churches had $2.6 billion annually? How many urban and world missionaries would that support? How many low-income American families would that feed through "food pantry" or "soup kitchen" programs? How many bundles of school supplies and clothes would that purchase for low-income American school children? How many affordable private Christian schools could be started? How many affordable Christian child care and after school programs could that support? (these programs would give children a Christian, Biblical foundation for their lives) How many young widowed mothers could stop working 2 jobs to support their fatherless children? (the Bible directs Christians to care for widows and orphans - not governments) How many prison and recovery ministries could be established? How many sick and elderly could have the loneliness taken out of their lives by implementing visitation programs? When asking these sorts of questions we also need to remember that the $2.6 billion dollars that should be going into Christian churches is a full $2.6 billion because ALL OF IT, every dime, is exempt from taxes. God has been so generous with us that He's placed us in a nation where churches are considered non-profit organizations which do not pay taxes. Thus, we qualify for a personal tax exemption when we sow 1/10 of His blessing back into His kingdom. Matthew 25: 34-40, "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when we saw the sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

What would America's economic foundation look like if Christian families saved and invested 10% of their household incomes? In addition to the $700 billion Wall Street bail out, just last week our government decided to purchase an additional $2.5 billion in junk assets (these are worth less than the paper they are printed on) from our banking systems to ease up "cash flow" between lenders. Today's headlines read that our government is now poising itself to begin purchasing money market mutual funds. We need to remember that this is OUR money. I find it ironic that if Christians had saved and invested 10% of their annual incomes in 2008, then we would have put more than $2.6 billion into the US banking system, just in this year alone - that's more than the $2.5 billion the government decided on last week. Am I the only person who finds our nation's economic situation absolutely disgusting? In all reality, we have no one to blame but ourselves. In 2007, full-time employed Christian males earned approximately $2,106,242,420,724.00. However, Christian households spent $463,373,332,559. 00 more than they made - all of it borrowed. We must realize that this figure does not include the compounded annual interest that will be charged on that borrowed amount. Am I the only Christian in America who thinks it's time for all this to stop? It is time for Christian households to repent of their worldly attitudes regarding the financial blessings God has bestowed upon them. Deuteronomy 28 speaks of the blessings of obeying God and the curses of disobedience. God desires to bless us far above all others. Deuteronomy 28: 12-13, "The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou harken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and do them." How do we achieve this awesome financial blessing? By ridding ourselves of the god of materialism. Philippians 4:11 says, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." When will we be content with what God has blessed us with?

I'd like to share a personal testimony. When I was a young adult and not living for the Lord, having enough food to eat was a challenge we faced every day. As the years progressed, I eventually surrendered to the Lord's call and accepted the free gift of salvation. No, our finances did not magically improve overnight. We continued to struggle for several years, until my husband found Dave Ramsey's radio program. He began listening to it daily. Over time, a hunger for a debt free lifestyle began to grow within my husband's heart. He realized that if we were debt free then I would be able to stay at home and care for our children full-time. But more importantly during this time, he and I both began looking outside ourselves and our selfish wants and desires. We began to see that although we had a lower than average American income, we still had far more than 80% of the rest of the world's population. We began focusing on our areas of blessing instead of the areas of want. Over the course of about a year, we learned how to not only be content with our socio-economic station, but to also be thankful for the things we did have. This change in perspective assisted us in changing our financial behaviors. Within 9 months of making a decision to become debt free, we paid off our debt. Once debt free, I quit my job resulting in a more than a 50% reduction in our household income. We were able to support a family of 6 on considerably less than the national average income. Yes, at times it was tough, but we did everything we could to be good stewards of the blessing God had bestowed upon us. We continued to view our financial situation as a blessing. We were a one vehicle family & that vehicle now has more than 320,000 miles on it. We shopped at re-sales stores, we made our Christmas and birthday gifts. We did not have cell phones, internet, cable t.v., etc. We never went out to dinner or movies. Most importantly, we continued to live debt free. As time went by, my husband, who is not a born again Christian, decided, without prompting from me, that we should begin to give to the church the children and I attended. After consistently giving for about two years, week in and week out, no matter how tight our finances may have seemed, my husband was offered a career change that included a significant pay increase. After he had made the transition into his new career, he decided to increase the amount we were giving to the church. Not long after implementing that decision, he was awarded a pay increase.

Luke 6:38, "Give and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For withal it shall be measured to you again." The greatest testimony from our financial freedom is the joy we find in our family. By gaining control over our money we inadvertently, gained control over our time and the relationships within our family. We can not, nor will we ever be able to, out give God. When we are obedient, thankful and content, God will bless us abundantly.

Godly Stewarship, Part II

There are many in today's church who hear the word stewardship and think it has to do with making good financial decisions. However, there is more to stewardship than finances. A basic definition of stewardship is, "the management of property and/or affairs". When one is a good steward he has learned how to effectively manage his property AND his affairs.

I have noticed that many folks behave in ways that indicate that they believe the words stewardship, management, budget, balance, etc. are defined as restrictions, limitations, confinements, etc. On the contrary, stewardship, management, budgeting, balance, etc. are nothing more or less than planning and prioritizing. It is vital to today's Christian church that we learn how to plan and work our plans so we can be a successful and a shining light that the rest of the world would want to emulate. I have never found any biblical scripture that tells the church to emulate the world. Time and time again we are warned that the ways of this world lead to destruction and we are reminded that the following of Jesus leads us to abundance. Jesus says in John 10:10-11, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." Jesus gave His life so that we could have life AND have it more abundantly than the un-saved world.

Abundant life. It is something we all seem to want. As a matter of fact, I've never met anyone, Christian or non-Christian, who didn't want an abundant life as described in the Bible. The problem is that most folks do not seem to have an understanding of Biblical abundance and thus, they are being misguided by the false light of materialism. Biblical abundance is a life lived to it's best and to it's fullest. It is a lifestyle lived in safety, reward, love, blessing, charity, health, purity, grace, contentment, honor, excitement. It does not contain regret, remorse, guilt, discourse, strife, loneliness, anger, bitterness, etc. The Bible is literally an instruction manual on how to avoid the pitfalls of life and how to gain an abundant life. If only we'd begin reading it with an open mind and heart. If only we'd apply it's life giving words with repentance and thankfulness.

What good is it for a person to have an abundance of money or property if he does not have healthy relationships or time to enjoy it? What good is all the time in the world if one does not have anyone to share it with or is suffering from a lack of food? How is one to obtain strong healthy relationships with others if he is never available to cultivate those relationships? When learning to be a good steward we must learn how to prioritize our finances, time and relationships.

As of today, America as a whole is facing tremendous financial uncertainty. Our average household debt is more than any previous generation could ever imagine. Our corporate debt is leading us into ownership by foreign entities. Our national debt is leading us into slavery by foreign governments. Our democratic government is considering and implementing measures that are quickly leading us from a capitalist economy into a full-blown socialist economy. How did we get into this situation? Well, when one looks beyond all the excuses, name calling and finger pointing the answer is poor fiscal management. The wheelers, dealers and powers that be had/have skewed priorities and poor planing. It is obvious to anyone who's ever opened a Bible, that these guys have not been looking to the Bible for principals when it comes to fiscal management, ("the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..."). Unfortunately, American citizens also stopped following the Bible with regard to fiscal management and began following the wheelers and dealers who have lead us down a path of destruction.

The average American seems to have forgotten that the cornerstone of our nation's wealth lies within it's foundation. The foundation of our nation is not our government or corporations. The corporations are the walls/support beams and the government is the roof. The foundation is each and every single individual family. It is Joe and Mary Smith's savings account. It is Ben and Sue Jone's retirement investments. It is old man Martin's 2 bedroom, 1 bath home where he and late Mrs. Martin trained up 5 children. Looking at the savings rates vs. credit/loan debt, American families are in the negative. Looking at retirement investments vs. inflation, future retirees are in the red. Looking at home ownership vs. home mortgages, mortgage brokers and attorneys are the only ones seeing black in their ledgers. The financial foundation of our nation is faulted. When the foundation of a house cracks the rest of the structure becomes unsound and unsafe. In time, if that foundation is not shored up and repaired, the entire structure will collapse. American families seem to be looking at our government for a fix to our nation's financial problems. Unfortunately, repairing the roof on this structure will not prevent it's demise because the foundation is faulted.

I do not personally know anyone or group of people, for that matter,who can repair the financial trouble of our nation's corporations and government. However, I do know that the average American citizen is in the position to shore up and repair the financial foundation of our nation. It all begins with each individual family. We can return to Biblical principals and learn how to effectively manage our finances. By paying off our individual debt and funneling those loan payments into savings accounts and retirement investments, we have the ability inject a tremendous amount of cash into our nation's financial base. Not to mention, debt-free is equal to a whole lota stress elimination.

Now, becoming debt free is not an easy task to undertake, especially when we are currently looking at a 5+% inflation rate. But, hey, it could be worse - I remember the 70's when the inflation rate was hovering around 14%. However, do you really need that Starbucks coffee, and you currently have 23 pair of shoes - do you really need another pair? Do you find yourself complaining about the amount of time your children spend on the X-Box - then why are you buying them another game for it? Are you going out to supper and movies each and every week because you're bored or maybe you're uncomfortable spending one-on-one time with your husband and children? How many days during the past year has your family actually spent in that RV, 3, 5, how about 10 - how much are those payments every month? Most families are in debt because they've developed some very poor spending habits. Most have fallen prey to the lies of materialism, the lies of, "well, after all, you work so hard - you deserve a few toys.", "The Bible does say that Christ came to give life and give it more abundantly." Yes, we all work hard and deserve some reward AND Christ did come to give us an abundant life, BUT when one has to go into debt to have these things, is it really abundant living OR is it slavery to the credit card and loan companies? If one has to borrow against future earnings for anything other than a home (they generally appreciate in value AND it gains equity), they are enslaving themselves to that lender. Luke 16:13 says, "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." It is not God's will for any of His children to be enslaved by anything of this world.

Financial stewardship. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

1. We must accept personal responsibility for our financial situations. No one forced us to purchase that 4 bedroom/3 bath house, the new furniture and big screen T.V. for the living room OR that $40K car. Realistically, we could have gotten by without them and many other "extras".

2. It is time we sit down and identify our poor financial habits. Begin to carry a small notebook and record ALL purchases for an entire month - even that vending machine cola. At the end of the month, what did you find? Is Wal-Mart an impulse buying trap for you? If so, shop else where - you'll save money. Do you go out to supper frequently because you're too tired to cook? If so, consider "Once A Month Cooking", "Shared Cooking" with another family, "Assignment Cooking" for your teenagers - brainstorm and try various ideas until you find one that works for your family. Are you embarrassed that you drive the oldest car on the block? Reality check yourself and get over it.

3. We must seek forgiveness from God for our poor stewardship. Yes, failing to be a good steward of the blessings God gives us is a sin and we must repent of that sin. James 4:17, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Apologizing and continuing in the sin is only remorse. Apologizing and choosing to change is repentance.

4. Look at the consequences of refusing to change. No changes equals continued financial stress in your marriage and family. (My Aunt J always said that if a husband and wife have financial troubles they will have every other sort of problem too. During the years that I've talked with and advised families with regard to debt, I've found she was right.) No changes equals one more step towards bankruptcy, repossessions and foreclosure. No changes equals an ever expanding gap in the foundational fault of our nation's economy.

5. We must devise a financial plan and set goals. Call it budgeting, balancing, managing or whatever else makes you feel comfortable. Just make sure you get out a pencil, pad and calculator and DO IT. Be honest and realistic. Dave Ramsey and Larry Burkett have terrific budgeting tools - free to you. Just check out the Internet and your local library. (No I'm not going to give these to you - I've found that if you are not willing to do this yourself, then you are not willing to change.)

6. Implement the plan. Many years ago when I worked in the advertising industry, we had a sales manager who told her sales staff, "Make a plan and work the plan - you will be successful." She was right. Those who took her advise made very high commissions, those who ignored her advise got pink slips. Her sales force was one of the top in the nation for our company. There are times when your plan will have some kinks in it - that's O.K. Kinks just mean that you need to improve, expound upon, take away from or add to your plan.

Get Out Of Debt Strategy:

Luke 6:38, "Give and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." Continue to tithe and give offerings. Every American should be able to give 10% of his income to tithes and offerings, 10% to himself for savings (retirement, purchase of new home, college funds, replacement vehicle, etc.), and live on the remaining 80% with a little breathing room left over. If your family is not able to do this comfortably, then your family is in financial trouble and there needs to be some serious changes.

Pay off smallest credit card/loan first. Pay the minimum payment on all debts except for your smallest one, pay all the extra money you can toward it. (yeah, I know there are math guru's out there who will try to convince you and me that the loan with the highest interest rate should be paid off first. In a perfect world that is great, but we ain't perfect and if we had learned sound Biblical fiscal management to begin with, we wouldn't be in this situation today. You will need the emotional momentum that will come from paying off that smallest debt to motivate you to continue pressing forward.)

When that smallest debt is paid off move on up to the next smallest. Apply 100% of whatever you were paying with the last debt PLUS the minimum payment for this one.

Progress to next debts adding amounts paid on smaller debts. example:

Currently, you owe the following:
visa - $130 / payment $15
master card - $300 / payment $30
auto - $6,500 / payment $150
mortgage - $25,000 / payment $350

You can afford to pay an extra $20 per month towards your debt:
visa - $130 / you pay $35
master card - $300 / you pay $30
auto - $6,500 / you pay $150
mortgage - $25,000 / you pay $350

When visa is paid off:
master card - $300 / pay $65 (= $35 visa payment + $30 master card payment)
auto - $6,500 / you pay $150
mortgage - $25,000 / you pay $350

When master card is paid off:
auto - $6,500 / you pay $215 (= $65 from master card + $150 car payment)
mortgage - $25,000 / you pay $350

When auto is paid off:
mortgage - $25,000 / you pay $565 (= $215 from auto payment + mortgage)

When you pay off a debt DO NOT acquire more debt to replace it. By doing so you are only prolonging the agony. "If you can't pay cash you can't afford it so, you'll just have to survive without it."

I know my words may seem harsh to some folks. I do not write them to be harsh or critical, I write them to illuminate a path to financial freedom. It is God's desire that we have an abundant life in Him. I pray these suggestions will help you begin that journey toward the abundant financial freedom He desires all His children to have. I occasionally have reason to drive into the city. For the past year I've noticed that Dave Ramsey has billboard ads that read, "Act Your Wage". This is a simple concept that seems to elude many. It has been far too long since the majority of American families acted their wage. I see most families struggling to maintain a lifestyles consistent with the the folks next door, their brother-in-law or even the pretend families shown on T.V. sitcoms. These families are not happy or content. They are miserably chasing more and more stuff or recreation that, in time, will rot, rust and wither away. God wants to bless us with a peace that the rest of the world longs for and desires. If we Christians have peace with whatever financial situation God blesses us with, then the rest of the world will desire that too. The lost and dying of this world only look for more of the material because they don't see peace and contentment within us. How can they when we are chasing the same lies they are? In order to find that peace, some may need to downsize, some may need to cut back a lot, while others may simply need to cut a few small corners. Where ever you are please know that if your family is struggling financially, God wants to deliver you from that struggle. However, please realize that the deliverance comes through repentance and a change of habits. Although it is not easy to change years of ingrained habits, it is so worth it. When we are in a position to take our focus off financial stresses and instead reposition our focus on growing the Kingdom of God through our giving (financially and through volunteering) and growing our savings for future needs, we then have the freedom to enjoy the two other most important aspects of good stewardship, our time and our relationships.

Godly Stewardship, Part 1

"Abundant Living" is a very popular topic among today's Christian churches. It has been my personal observation that many churches whose primary focus is"Abundant Living" are seeing steady growth within their congregations. And why wouldn't they? A comfortable lifestyle is part of the American dream. Comfort and lack of hardship is a prime motivator in why so many Americans diligently work long hours thus, making America the most productive per capita workforce in the world. Most of us have a strong work ethic that has been passed down from generation to generation. Today, the fruit of this multi-generational labor is seen by the rest of the world in our national wealth. Although our nation is currently facing some economic challenges, the average American continues to enjoy an abundant lifestyle that is incomprehensible to 85% of the world's population.

As a Christian, I ask, "Are American citizens REALLY striving to maintain comfort and absence of financial hardship or have we been blinded by materialism?" From the view out my window, I see the later. I see a generation that has never known true hardship. I see a generation who has turned away from Godly contentment to the idolization of materialism. It is a fact that we, humans, were all created worship the Living God. When we turn our backs and refuse to worship Him, we will worship something because God created us to worship. If we study human history, and observe humans throughout the world today, we will see that every single living man, woman and child has and does worship something or someone. Some worship the true Living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, while others worship other gods and idols, some worship world leaders, media icons, philosophies, ancestors, sciences, careers, materialism, the list is infinite. It seems as if we are genetically pre-disposed to worship. Being an American, who lives and works in America, it is easy for me to observe that materialism has become the false god of our nation.

What does abundant living and materialism have to do with stewardship? Actually, quite a bit. II Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II Corinthians 6:16-18 says, " And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." The Word of God tells us that in Christ the old man has passed away and becomes new. It tells us that we are the temple of the Lord and we are to separate ourselves from the idolaters of this fallen world and in doing so, we become His sons and daughters.

I find it unfortunate that many of today's abundant living churches are not teaching Biblical truth. Instead they are feeding the idol of materialism. I've watched several televised "abundant living" sermons (from very large prominent churches) that contain absolutely no Biblical substance. They were nothing more than motivational speeches about positive thinking and acquiring excessive material belongings. I've heard things like, "Do you want a bigger house? Do you want to wear finer clothes? Do you want private school for your children? Do you want a luxury automobile? As a child of the Most High Living God, you deserve it. God's people should be the wealthiest people on earth. If we don't have the best, the rest of the world will not want our God. By planting a financial seed, the windows of heaven will open and your bank account will grow ... blah, blah, blah." Matthew 6:31-34, says, "Therefore take not thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you." According to the Bible, God KNOWS our needs and if we SEEK Him and His righteousness, He will PROVIDE for our needs.

Why are Christians seeking the things of this world? Moreover, how could, in good conscience, some church leaders promote the acquisition of worldly goods over a closer relationship with God? America is a society blinded by the idol of materialism. Christians have allowed the, " ... we live under grace not under law ..." line of thinking to infiltrate today's Christian church. This way of thinking has allowed too much room for weeds of sin to rampantly grow. Today's average Christan regularly covets his neighbors possessions and projects a false image of his finances, time and relationships. The scientific reality is that grace does not, will not, and can not abolish God's LAWS. If God's laws are abolished and excused away by grace, our universe will cease to exist.

I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Wow! That's a stretch, how'd she get there?" I'll explain. When God created the universe(s) and planet Earth he put certain scientific LAWS into place. These include, but are not limited to, the Law of Gravity, Laws of Thermodynamics, Laws of Motion, Law of Sowing and Reaping with Principal of Increase, etc. If any one of the God created scientific laws were abolished, absolutely EVERYTHING God created would cease to exist. A God ordained Law is absolutely unchangeable. In removing or changing any Law implemented by God, everything we know to be reality and truth vanishes. New Testament grace does not and can not abolish Old Testament Law. Contrary to what many of today's Christian churches teach, Jesus Christ did not abolish the Law, He fulfilled the Law. We must realize that when God created this world and it's supporting Laws, both physical and spiritual, He created it for a sinless people. Because of Adam's fall resulting in our inherited sin, it is not possible for us to observe and fulfill the requirements of God's spiritual Laws. Because of this impossibility, He sent Jesus Christ as an atonement for our sins. Our reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ does not give us a "free pass" to continue in sin. Instead, it provides us with an avenue for repentance of our sins. Thus, Jesus' fulfillment of the Old Testament Law.

With all that stated, GRACE does not excuse the coveting of thy neighbor's possessions and barring a false witness. Grace does not make it permissible for Christians to emulate the unsaved world. The Bible specifically states that Christians are to be separate, different, peculiar, renewed. We are not to seek worldly goods and possessions, we are to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness so that these things can be provided for us. Luke 16: 10-13 says, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Stewardship is not the acquisition of goods and resources, it is the responsible management of the goods and resources God has provided us with. The key to Christians obtaining an abundant life is not the acquisition of possessions. The key to an abundant life is superior stewardship of God's provisions.