A recent article on house flipping was submitted and selected to be in the Carnival of Wealth Building Ideas.
Check out the entire Carnival here.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson Three)
The third less in brother Black's book is called, "The Liberal Soul Shall be Made Fat." Romans 12:8 is used as the main text: "He that giveth let him do so with liberality." The stated purpose of this third, very important, lesson is, "To help us understand what liberality is, and also how I may know when I am liberal."
Introducing the lesson, brother Black gives the major question we are to answer: "How much is liberal?" He also mentions that those who oppose a lesson such as this are often those who are guilty of not being liberal, but, instead, are not giving as they should.
The first section of the lesson is, "The Bible says much about liberality." This section is not long, but it introduces us to the fact that we are studying a Biblical subject; not just the thoughts of the author of this book. We are to be liberal in our giving, simply because God told us to be so!
After establishing that fact, brother Black reminds us, "The Lord blesses a liberal giver." This is taught in both the Old Testament (Proverbs 22:9, 11:25) and the New Testament (Second Corinthians 9:6). When we give, get get; and that, from God!
Next, as an example, brother Black reminds us of those at Macedonia (Second Corinthians 8:1-5). While they did not have much in the way of this world's goods, they continued to give, "first of themselves." Brother Black says, "If we had congregations with the spirit of giving that the Macedonians had, we would evangelize the world in our generation" (18). Amen!
To conclude the chapter, V.P. Black gives "some guide lines for liberal giving." While there is nothing extremely specific in this section, the thoughts are needed:
Introducing the lesson, brother Black gives the major question we are to answer: "How much is liberal?" He also mentions that those who oppose a lesson such as this are often those who are guilty of not being liberal, but, instead, are not giving as they should.
The first section of the lesson is, "The Bible says much about liberality." This section is not long, but it introduces us to the fact that we are studying a Biblical subject; not just the thoughts of the author of this book. We are to be liberal in our giving, simply because God told us to be so!
After establishing that fact, brother Black reminds us, "The Lord blesses a liberal giver." This is taught in both the Old Testament (Proverbs 22:9, 11:25) and the New Testament (Second Corinthians 9:6). When we give, get get; and that, from God!
Next, as an example, brother Black reminds us of those at Macedonia (Second Corinthians 8:1-5). While they did not have much in the way of this world's goods, they continued to give, "first of themselves." Brother Black says, "If we had congregations with the spirit of giving that the Macedonians had, we would evangelize the world in our generation" (18). Amen!
To conclude the chapter, V.P. Black gives "some guide lines for liberal giving." While there is nothing extremely specific in this section, the thoughts are needed:
- Liberality depends on how I have been prospered.
- Circumstances could be such in the church that my liberality would lead me to sell everything I own and bring the money to the elders that they might use it to help feed the poor.
- A man's liberality also depends upon his ability to make money.
- There are men in the church who are making a lot of money...Those of you who have good jobs and make good money, are you using your talent to the glory of God by manifesting liberality in your giving?
August Financial Goals
We currently are working on several financial goals that have taken some time, and may take more time.
- Pay Immediately - we are working on building up our checking account so that any time a bill comes in we will be able to immediately pay it. Right now we could do this, but we'd have to take money out of savings. We always pay our bills on time, but usually near the end of the on-time period! I've seen family members with this ability to pay immediately, and it generally helps lower financial stress.
- Give More - Stacey's internship has turned into a paid internship, and as we begin receiving some income from this, we intend to give back to God more!
- Pick Up Long Term Savings - This probably won't happen this month. We've already contributed a significant amount towards our IRA's this calendar year. Right now with both of us in Grad school, our student loans are all in deferment, and only one of three is even gaining any interest (the smallest loan :). So this comes after goal number one and of course number two, meaning it will probably be next month before we are again able to contribute to the IRA's.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson 2)
Lesson two of V.P. Black's book is entitled "Some Facts about Money," and has as its purpose, "To help us have the attitude toward material possessions" (9).
Before we begin thinking about giving, we need to have a Biblical attitude toward money in general, so brother Black introduces us to several facts from the Bible that deal with money. (As I said in the last post, these reviews will not be long, but will be more like outlines of the lessons. You should want to find this book and study the lessons on your own.)
Here are the sections from lesson two:
Before we begin thinking about giving, we need to have a Biblical attitude toward money in general, so brother Black introduces us to several facts from the Bible that deal with money. (As I said in the last post, these reviews will not be long, but will be more like outlines of the lessons. You should want to find this book and study the lessons on your own.)
Here are the sections from lesson two:
1. We "must be honest in making money" (9-10).
2. We "must have the right attitude toward money" (10-11). This section, while brief is worth our personal study time. As we have pointed out, and will continue to do, on this blog, our attitude determines how we use God's blessings, including finances.
3. "Why do I give my money?" (11) When it all comes down to it, this is the basis for the book. Very briefly, brother Black gives several "motives" for giving to the Lord:
- The motive of duty
- The motive of self-respect
- The motive of love (obviously should be the one for which we strive)
4. "How do I give my money?" (12-13) This section contains a very brief word about tithing, but more will be said later in the book about it.
5. "How should a Christian spend his money?" (13) This section introduces another very important concept to the book: stewardship. We are to be good stewards of the money God has given us. There is more about this later in the book, as well.
Monday, August 6, 2007
"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson One)
This book, originally published in 1968, needs to be read and reread in many congregations. Brother V.P. Black wrote this book, which has giving as its focus. While it is not the easiest book to find, many brotherhood bookstores still have copies available.
I was first introduced to the book in 2001, when I moved to Haleyville. The 9th Avenue church of Christ was using this book for its auditorium adult class. Since I had just moved there, the elders asked me to "visit around" in different classes. I got to sit in on several lessons in the series.
Since the chapters are actually lessons, I don't want to give long reviews of each, as I might with other books. The reason is simple: the book contains the study material, and brother Black's words are far better than mine. However, I will try to give a short overview of each chapter.
Lesson One: "It Is More Blessed to Give"
Each lesson contains a "thought for today." The thought for this lesson is, "The worst thing about money is, it costs too much." The main purpose of this first lesson is to help change our minds about giving. It is not a way of getting poor; rather, it is a way through which we receive rich blessings.
Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," has been called "the most disbelieved verse in the Bible." While that may or may not be true, it should cause us to think. In our society, we think that getting is the way to have blessings.
The study of lesson one provides three reasons why giving is more blessed:
I was first introduced to the book in 2001, when I moved to Haleyville. The 9th Avenue church of Christ was using this book for its auditorium adult class. Since I had just moved there, the elders asked me to "visit around" in different classes. I got to sit in on several lessons in the series.
Since the chapters are actually lessons, I don't want to give long reviews of each, as I might with other books. The reason is simple: the book contains the study material, and brother Black's words are far better than mine. However, I will try to give a short overview of each chapter.
Lesson One: "It Is More Blessed to Give"
Each lesson contains a "thought for today." The thought for this lesson is, "The worst thing about money is, it costs too much." The main purpose of this first lesson is to help change our minds about giving. It is not a way of getting poor; rather, it is a way through which we receive rich blessings.
Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," has been called "the most disbelieved verse in the Bible." While that may or may not be true, it should cause us to think. In our society, we think that getting is the way to have blessings.
The study of lesson one provides three reasons why giving is more blessed:
- Because it is an expression of love (pages 4-5).
- Because it makes the child of God strong (pages 5-6).
- Because it is rewarding (pages 6-7).
As with each lesson, this one ends with a long series of questions that basically walks one through the entire lesson. This would be most helpful for the instructor of a class.
Friday, August 3, 2007
WYTI Links: 08.03.07 -- Lifehacker Edition
Here are some links from my favorite online blog--Lifehacker (most are links to other resources):
- A Free Personal Finance eBook Library (06.30.2007)
- Simplify Your Finances (07.16.2007)
- Five Steps to Organized Finances (04.8.2007)
- Yahoo! Launches Personal Finance Site (01.19.2007)
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Our August Goals
Amanda and I took some steps backward financially when we made the move from our apartment into the church-owned house last month. For us, August will be an opportunity to get back on track and essentially re-build some things:
1. Use only cash for purchases. Exceptions include: gas (card), contribution (check), and bills (online and checks). We have done this before with success; the emotional connection to cash helps us make much better decisions.
2. Keep track of every single penny spent. This is something we have attempted to do on several occasions, but have not completed it to satisfaction. Our regular expenditures have changed some with the move, so we need to re-evaluate what all is currently going out.
3. "Pay ourselves" $50 a week. We have a long way to go with our savings goals. It has been several months since we have saved like we are capable (and need to).
1. Use only cash for purchases. Exceptions include: gas (card), contribution (check), and bills (online and checks). We have done this before with success; the emotional connection to cash helps us make much better decisions.
2. Keep track of every single penny spent. This is something we have attempted to do on several occasions, but have not completed it to satisfaction. Our regular expenditures have changed some with the move, so we need to re-evaluate what all is currently going out.
3. "Pay ourselves" $50 a week. We have a long way to go with our savings goals. It has been several months since we have saved like we are capable (and need to).
WYTI Links: 07.02.07
- 10 Most Caffeinated Diet Drinks (via Diet Blog) Not necessarily a finance link, but with Diet drinks becoming more and more popular, it's relevant. Of course, we're all drinking water like James' suggested...
Sales Tax Holdiays
Every April we complain that we have to give so much of our hard earned income to the government. Why give the government any more than we have to? This option isn't available to me at home, since Arkansas doesn't participate, but many states have a "Sales Tax Holiday" on which certain items can be purchased without having to pay sales tax. With school just around the corner, many states schedule a sales tax holiday in August for families to purchase back to school products (clothing, school supplies, and computers are included in some states) without having to pay sales tax. The states which have a sales tax holiday this August include: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Missiouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Clicking here will take you to the Federation of Tax Administration's webpage about State sales tax holidays, which in turn includes links to many of the state's webpages about the rules for their sales tax holiday. Most of these states started their sales tax holiday today or will start it tomorrow, though, so check on this information now! Hopefully if you lived in one of these states you already knew about the sales tax holiday and planned to take advantage of it. If not, now you do, and I hope you do!
Does it Make Sense to Use Credit Card Protector Plans?
In this post, I'm NOT going to be getting into the wisdom of using or avoiding credit cards . . . though that is in the plans for future posts! IF you do you use a credit card (or cards), this post is to help you to determine if you should enroll in the 'Credit Protector (Citi),' 'Payment Protection (Discover)' or similar program.First: Consider the Cost These programs sound so cheap. Citi's Credit Protector only costs "85¢ per $100 of the previous billing period's New Balance." Discover's program sounds very similar, but is not. It costs "89¢ per $100" of "your total balance at the end of each monthly billing period" thus including your old balance that you are still paying on. So, if a person is carrying a balance of $1,000, and charged $500 in one month, Citi's program would cost $4.25, and Discover's would cost $13.35 - quite a difference! Even Citi's program would cost $102 per year if you purchase $1,000 per month on average!
Second: Consider the Benefits Each program yields different benefits. Citi's program will cancel any new balance in the event of your death, up to $10,000. It also allows you to defer the total balance on your card for job loss, hospitalization, military reserves called to active duty, disaster relief, and many life events. "While your account is deferred, finance charges and fees will not accrue and you will not be required to make payments on your account" (see full description here). Discover's program has similar benefits, but in the case of death would completely cancel your balance - up to $25,000 (see full description here). Thus Discover yields better benefits in the event of death. The benefits on these programs is similar, but not identical!
Third: Consider Your Situation If you are a regular user of credit cards, using them for regular purchases, then the cost of these programs is probably more than it is worth. To pay $102 per year or more would be foolish for most people, but you have to consider your situation carefully. There is one situation in which I think these programs makes sense! If you have stopped using your credit card and are currently working on paying off the balance, these programs might make sense - depending on which card you have. If your card's program is similar to Citi's, and would only cost you if you are accruing new balances, then it shouldn't ever cost you since you aren't using the card! Thus, it would be free protection, enabling you to keep paying off the balance, but to be able to suspend both payments and interest from accruing in the event that one of the listed events does occur. If the program on your card charges based upon total balance (like Discover's program), then the program probably will not be cost efficient.
Consider the factors for yourself. If you use your cards regularly, try to avoid these programs, as they seem to me just another way for credit card companies to take more of your cash. If you are working to pay off the balance on a credit card and are no longer using that card, look into it, as it may make sense for you!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
WYTI Links: 08.01.07
It's August...school's almost here :)
- 10 Ways to Entertain Young Children for $1 or Less (without the TV) (via Lifehacker)
An August Journey
While we don't plan to be too personal on this site, our blog is about personal finance. As such, I thought it would be interesting to share our financial goals for August and then let you know how we did at the end of this month.
As a youth minister, August is an interesting month. There are still youth activities going on (which require money), but, then, the young people go back to school. In other words, life gets back to "normal" (whatever that is!).
Here are some of our goals:
As a youth minister, August is an interesting month. There are still youth activities going on (which require money), but, then, the young people go back to school. In other words, life gets back to "normal" (whatever that is!).
Here are some of our goals:
- Only spend money in our envelopes for those expenses. Nothing extra!!!
- Buy materials (or begin saving for them) for a minor bathroom remodel, and get prices for a couple of other upgrades to our house (do-it-yourself stuff--not professionally done).
- Pay at least $500 extra on our debt (above the required amounts).
- Compare our electric bills before CFLs and finish installing them in all lights.
These may not be huge goals, but they are what we are trying to accomplish this month. Money will be tight. We will be going to Tennessee in August for the birth of our niece (yeah!!), and we have a youth trip planned later in the month. Also, beginning today, we'll eat out at lunch with the youth group for 3 days in a row. These things add up and make it harder to stay on budget, but we're going to do it!
Or, at least, we'll do our best!
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