Genesis 41:35-36 NLT Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.” (Additional reading: read the entire chapter)
In the above referenced scripture, God spoke to Pharaoh through two dreams serving him notice of what was about to happen to his land. There was going to be seven years of prosperity and seven years of famine. Joseph interpreted the dreams and advised him to put an intelligent and wise men in charge so that they may save food for the period of famine.
The great thing here is that Pharaoh was warned about the period of famine that was about to come upon the land. Oftentimes, we are not warned when we will experience a period of lack, such as a loss of a job, underpaid job or a period of recession. Joseph's advice was great advice to Pharaoh and great advice to us today. Save a portion of your income.
In many instances, this can be difficult especially if you haven't been saving. You will need to make lifestyle adjustments so that you will be able to live if and when these things do happen. I've been to many financial seminars and workshops and each one suggests a different thing. Some say to save 6 months, 9 months or even 12 months of expenses in the event your family experiences a period of famine.
Take some time to look at your finances to see where you can cut back and begin saving. If you have debt, saving may be difficult.
Things to consider: Invest in your company's 401k. If your company matches a certain percentage, at least invest that amount (it's free money).You also reduce the amount of income tax you pay because your investment is pre-tax. When you receive a raise, put aside the increase. You were living off the pre-raise salary before, you can do it now. Direct the increase to go into your savings account, preferably one that you do not touch. If you do this in the beginning, you won't miss it.
***My book, The Life Your Spirit Craves, has been nominated for the Henry Award in the devotionals category. In addition, readers may vote for their choice to receive the reader's choice award. Please take a few seconds to vote for my book here: http://christianliteraryawards.com/2013/09/30/readers-choice-voting/ ***
Monday, October 21, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Do Not Despise Small Beginnings
Zechariah 4:10 NLT Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
Managing finances and becoming a good steward over the finances that God has given you can oftentimes be intimidating and in some cases, discouraging.
Let's talk about saving. This is left up to your own discretion based upon what you have and what you want to do. We all want to be comfortable and enjoy the fruits of our labor but we must do it wisely. Saving requires commitment and discipline. Once you set money to the side as a reserve, you practically have to ignore that its there, especially if you lack discipline.
So how much do you put aside? Depends on your goals and what you can afford to put aside. You may have to start with $1, $5, $20, $50. The point is that you need to have some kind of savings system in place and not get discouraged by the amount that you put aside when measured against your ultimate goal.
Most banks now have clever ways to help you save money. Two ways that immediately come to mind are: 1) Every time you swipe your debit card, the bank automatically puts $1 in your savings account and 2) The bank will round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and put the change in your savings. For example, if your purchase is $28.30, the bank will put .70 in your savings account.
You can also set up balance alerts to keep you from draining every penny out of your bank account.
Another smart way to find extra dollars to throw into your savings account is to trim your grocery bill. This is one of my favorite things which I think deserves its own post. Until then, if you don't already have one, come up with a savings plan. If you have to start small, that is perfectly okay. Small things often become great things. (Think about seeds that are planted) The first step is simply starting and the second is sticking with it.
***My book, The Life Your Spirit Craves has been nominated for the Henry Award. The award will be presented at the Christian Literary Awards next month in Plano, TX. In addition, readers can vote for their favorite book in the Reader's Choice category. Please vote and share the link with others. It takes less than 10 seconds. Thank you!!! Voting ends on 10/31/2013. http://christianliteraryawards.com/2013/09/30/readers-choice-voting/ *****
Managing finances and becoming a good steward over the finances that God has given you can oftentimes be intimidating and in some cases, discouraging.
Let's talk about saving. This is left up to your own discretion based upon what you have and what you want to do. We all want to be comfortable and enjoy the fruits of our labor but we must do it wisely. Saving requires commitment and discipline. Once you set money to the side as a reserve, you practically have to ignore that its there, especially if you lack discipline.
So how much do you put aside? Depends on your goals and what you can afford to put aside. You may have to start with $1, $5, $20, $50. The point is that you need to have some kind of savings system in place and not get discouraged by the amount that you put aside when measured against your ultimate goal.
Most banks now have clever ways to help you save money. Two ways that immediately come to mind are: 1) Every time you swipe your debit card, the bank automatically puts $1 in your savings account and 2) The bank will round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and put the change in your savings. For example, if your purchase is $28.30, the bank will put .70 in your savings account.
You can also set up balance alerts to keep you from draining every penny out of your bank account.
Another smart way to find extra dollars to throw into your savings account is to trim your grocery bill. This is one of my favorite things which I think deserves its own post. Until then, if you don't already have one, come up with a savings plan. If you have to start small, that is perfectly okay. Small things often become great things. (Think about seeds that are planted) The first step is simply starting and the second is sticking with it.
***My book, The Life Your Spirit Craves has been nominated for the Henry Award. The award will be presented at the Christian Literary Awards next month in Plano, TX. In addition, readers can vote for their favorite book in the Reader's Choice category. Please vote and share the link with others. It takes less than 10 seconds. Thank you!!! Voting ends on 10/31/2013. http://christianliteraryawards.com/2013/09/30/readers-choice-voting/ *****
Monday, October 7, 2013
Write it down
Habakkuk 2:2-3 NKJV Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. (you knew this was coming, didn't you?) :-)
What is your vision for your finances? What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to save more money? Pay off debt? Make a large purchase?
Answer these questions before you begin with establishing a budget. It is very important to know why you're setting a budget because the "why" will help you stick to it.
Now that you've sorted through your finances to determine what your monthly income and expenses are and you have your vision in place, begin creating your budget (WRITE it down). Note: You do not have a budget if it's in your head and not on paper.
Begin by first writing down your fixed monthly expenses. These are things like tithes, mortgage, rent, daycare, car notes, insurance, and savings. These items are the same amount each month. Then write down your variable expenses which is everything else that you allocate funds to each month. Variable expenses such as food, gas, utilities and miscellaneous expenses can be budgeted based on how you've spent money in these areas in the past.
Spend some time and play with the numbers to get them to look how you want them to look if possible. Add another line item for the extra amount of money you want to save or the additional payments you want to make towards debt. Remember that your budget is yours and it needs to reflect your vision for your finances. Keep in mind that it takes time to reach financial goals so don't give up or become anxious if things do not look the way you want them to look at the time.
One thing that I do to manage the family's finances is to set the budget based on when the income comes in (by paycheck). Things look a lot different based on when bills are due. I think this is a more realistic approach because it allows you to see exactly how your money is being spent every time money comes in. It will also help eliminate "thinking" you had x amount of dollars left in the bank (or in your budget) when you really don't. I'm a huge fan of writing things down so you really need to keep a check register and write down every purchase as soon as possible. Do not keep track of purchases in your head (no matter how good you are at this).
Does your financial picture look anything like what you thought it looked like?
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. (you knew this was coming, didn't you?) :-)
What is your vision for your finances? What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to save more money? Pay off debt? Make a large purchase?
Answer these questions before you begin with establishing a budget. It is very important to know why you're setting a budget because the "why" will help you stick to it.
Now that you've sorted through your finances to determine what your monthly income and expenses are and you have your vision in place, begin creating your budget (WRITE it down). Note: You do not have a budget if it's in your head and not on paper.
Begin by first writing down your fixed monthly expenses. These are things like tithes, mortgage, rent, daycare, car notes, insurance, and savings. These items are the same amount each month. Then write down your variable expenses which is everything else that you allocate funds to each month. Variable expenses such as food, gas, utilities and miscellaneous expenses can be budgeted based on how you've spent money in these areas in the past.
Spend some time and play with the numbers to get them to look how you want them to look if possible. Add another line item for the extra amount of money you want to save or the additional payments you want to make towards debt. Remember that your budget is yours and it needs to reflect your vision for your finances. Keep in mind that it takes time to reach financial goals so don't give up or become anxious if things do not look the way you want them to look at the time.
One thing that I do to manage the family's finances is to set the budget based on when the income comes in (by paycheck). Things look a lot different based on when bills are due. I think this is a more realistic approach because it allows you to see exactly how your money is being spent every time money comes in. It will also help eliminate "thinking" you had x amount of dollars left in the bank (or in your budget) when you really don't. I'm a huge fan of writing things down so you really need to keep a check register and write down every purchase as soon as possible. Do not keep track of purchases in your head (no matter how good you are at this).
Does your financial picture look anything like what you thought it looked like?
Monday, September 30, 2013
Know Your Status
Proverbs 27:23 NIV Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.
Being a good steward over the resources that the Lord has blessed you with is part of being spiritually healthy. As you go about assessing your spiritual fitness, spend time reviewing your financial status.
The bible instructs us to know the condition of our flocks. In biblical times, their wealth consisted of herds and flocks and not money, stocks, and investments as wealth is measured today. How do you determine your financial status?
A great way to start is take a pencil and paper (or use your computer) and write down your monthly expenses. Also take note of your monthly income. Include all sources of income: salary, wages, child support, alimony, self-employment income, illegal funds, etc.
Compare what you're spending to what you're earning/receiving? Are you overspending? Are you being wasteful?
You should assess your financial situation every month or at least every other month to have a solid grasp of your financial status. Once you know your status, set financial goals.
*I'm going to dedicate Mondays as "Money Mondays" to discuss money management. Next week, I will continue by discussing setting financial goals and developing a budget. If you have an area in money management that you'd like to see posted, let me know. I will work to get a guest blogger if needed.*
Be blessed and manage that dough! :-)
Being a good steward over the resources that the Lord has blessed you with is part of being spiritually healthy. As you go about assessing your spiritual fitness, spend time reviewing your financial status.
The bible instructs us to know the condition of our flocks. In biblical times, their wealth consisted of herds and flocks and not money, stocks, and investments as wealth is measured today. How do you determine your financial status?
A great way to start is take a pencil and paper (or use your computer) and write down your monthly expenses. Also take note of your monthly income. Include all sources of income: salary, wages, child support, alimony, self-employment income, illegal funds, etc.
Compare what you're spending to what you're earning/receiving? Are you overspending? Are you being wasteful?
You should assess your financial situation every month or at least every other month to have a solid grasp of your financial status. Once you know your status, set financial goals.
*I'm going to dedicate Mondays as "Money Mondays" to discuss money management. Next week, I will continue by discussing setting financial goals and developing a budget. If you have an area in money management that you'd like to see posted, let me know. I will work to get a guest blogger if needed.*
Be blessed and manage that dough! :-)
Thursday, September 19, 2013
You can say NO when you KNOW!!
An encouraging word from my dear friend, Tiera. Be blessed!
In order to grasp your Purpose in God, and take hold of your destiny, you must have an understanding of Who and Whose you are.
Unless you KNOW what God declares about you, you won’t have the courage to say NO to the fallacies and temptations of the enemy (my people perish due to lack of knowledge, Hosea 4:6). There are plenty of times when I approach God with a heart weighted by “whys”. Why do I continue to fall for the same tricks and traps? Why am I not where I want to be financially? Why have I not tapped into my purpose? Why am I not where I desire to be professionally? Why am I still single? Why, why, why???God recently blessed me with a revelation that has forever changed the trajectory of my life: “When you don’t KNOW your true worth in me, you’re easily manipulated by the enemy and don’t recognize when to say NO to his counterfeits.” Just like with counterfeit money, if you don’t know what a real hundred dollar bill looks like, you’ll be bamboozled by its counterfeit. This is exactly what the enemy hopes for and preys on. Your adversary walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8). He seeks out those areas where we are blind to the truth and presents a counterfeit. The enemy’s deceits about your marriage, your finances, your relationships, your children, your employment, your health, and your worth must be battled with the truth of God’s word. The only way to say NO to the enemy is to KNOW who you are in God.
Transparently speaking, God has more for me and thinks higher of me than I could ever imagine. Generally speaking, at times we lose sight of the GEM we are in His Eyes. We get overwhelmed by the “little big things” in life, and become blind to how FAB (Favored, Anointed, and Blessed) we are. God declares that we are Fearfully and Wonderfully made and His thoughts towards us are to give us a hope and a future. I have learned that we must remind ourselves daily about our true identity. We must look in the mirror and celebrate Who and Whose we are. Otherwise, our self-esteem will go whichever way the enemy blows. And like the three little pigs, our straw house of esteem will come crashing down.
Yes, it is vital to surround yourself with people who are going to rejoice with you and where you are going. Nevertheless, always remember that it starts with YOU recognizing and appreciating how FAB you are. Only when you KNOW that you are God’s treasured possession, is this truly possible (Deuteronomy 7:6).
To KNOW more about who you are in God’s eyes, and gather the audacity to say NO to the enemy, please read: Psalm 62:5-8 and Psalm 139.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
I can do ALL things
Philippians 4:13 NKJV I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
What dreams or visions have God placed in your heart? What have you done to prepare yourself? What have you done to see them come to pass? There are several truths about the dreams/visions that God gives to you:
*He chose YOU to see it to fruition.
*He has already equipped you to accomplish it.
*It is for His glory.
*He knows that you can do it.
What can you do to beat procrastination, fear and doubt? First, you must know that these are all of the enemy. His job is to kill, steal and destroy your spirit. He does not want you to live out God's will by doing what God has called you to do. He will do anything to stop you. Secondly, develop a written plan to hold yourself accountable and stay on track. Begin by setting goals and working on seeing your vision come to pass one step at a time. Sacrifice time in front of the television or some other time stealer.
Keep yourself motivated by not giving the enemy room to work. Remember that you are doing it for God's glory and you can do ALL things that you were destined to do. You can do all things through Christ because He is the one who gives you strength.
Prayer for today: Father in heaven, thank you for the visions that you've given me. Help me to stay focused and commit to doing your will. I desire to live a life that is pleasing to you. Order my steps and lead me in the paths of righteousness so that I may bring glory to your name. In Jesus' name, Amen.
*** Be sure to check out my website: www.encouraging-works.com ***
What dreams or visions have God placed in your heart? What have you done to prepare yourself? What have you done to see them come to pass? There are several truths about the dreams/visions that God gives to you:
*He chose YOU to see it to fruition.
*He has already equipped you to accomplish it.
*It is for His glory.
*He knows that you can do it.
What can you do to beat procrastination, fear and doubt? First, you must know that these are all of the enemy. His job is to kill, steal and destroy your spirit. He does not want you to live out God's will by doing what God has called you to do. He will do anything to stop you. Secondly, develop a written plan to hold yourself accountable and stay on track. Begin by setting goals and working on seeing your vision come to pass one step at a time. Sacrifice time in front of the television or some other time stealer.
Keep yourself motivated by not giving the enemy room to work. Remember that you are doing it for God's glory and you can do ALL things that you were destined to do. You can do all things through Christ because He is the one who gives you strength.
Prayer for today: Father in heaven, thank you for the visions that you've given me. Help me to stay focused and commit to doing your will. I desire to live a life that is pleasing to you. Order my steps and lead me in the paths of righteousness so that I may bring glory to your name. In Jesus' name, Amen.
*** Be sure to check out my website: www.encouraging-works.com ***
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
But with POWER
Romans 8:11 NLT The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
I have watched the movie, "The Lion King" at least 365 times. When my baby sister was about 2, she wanted to watch it everyday and we did! Sometimes, we watched it several times per day. It is a really good movie. Now that I am an adult with my own child, she has watched it a few times. "The Lion King" is actually a very powerful movie with quite a few life lessons in it.
As a young cub, Simba was excited to become king! In fact, he sang about it and talked about it quite a bit. It was his destiny. He was born to become the next king and he knew this. As life happened and he grew older, Simba lost sight of who he was and who he was destined to be. He started to live as though he had no purpose because of something terrible that happened to him and caused him to become discouraged.
Simba's new found friends, Timon and Pumbaa eventually learned that Simba was supposed to be king. When they became aware of this, their attitude changed toward him. Pumbaa started graveling at his feet and Timon said, "wait, he's not the king! Are you?" Simba then commented that he was going to be but that was a long time ago. He told them that they didn't have to treat him differently because he was still the same person. Timon said, "yes, but with POWER!" I love that part of the movie!
It reminds me of us as God's children. When we accept Christ as our savior, we are still the same people but with the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside of us!
Don't take this lightly or for granted. You were created for purpose and you have the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside of you. Do not allow past circumstances to cause you to become discouraged. If you have, today is the day to reclaim the power that you have been given by the Holy Spirit.
Walk in the power and authority that you have been given!
Many blessings to you this week!
www.encouraging-works.com
I have watched the movie, "The Lion King" at least 365 times. When my baby sister was about 2, she wanted to watch it everyday and we did! Sometimes, we watched it several times per day. It is a really good movie. Now that I am an adult with my own child, she has watched it a few times. "The Lion King" is actually a very powerful movie with quite a few life lessons in it.
As a young cub, Simba was excited to become king! In fact, he sang about it and talked about it quite a bit. It was his destiny. He was born to become the next king and he knew this. As life happened and he grew older, Simba lost sight of who he was and who he was destined to be. He started to live as though he had no purpose because of something terrible that happened to him and caused him to become discouraged.
Simba's new found friends, Timon and Pumbaa eventually learned that Simba was supposed to be king. When they became aware of this, their attitude changed toward him. Pumbaa started graveling at his feet and Timon said, "wait, he's not the king! Are you?" Simba then commented that he was going to be but that was a long time ago. He told them that they didn't have to treat him differently because he was still the same person. Timon said, "yes, but with POWER!" I love that part of the movie!
It reminds me of us as God's children. When we accept Christ as our savior, we are still the same people but with the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside of us!
Don't take this lightly or for granted. You were created for purpose and you have the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside of you. Do not allow past circumstances to cause you to become discouraged. If you have, today is the day to reclaim the power that you have been given by the Holy Spirit.
Walk in the power and authority that you have been given!
Many blessings to you this week!
www.encouraging-works.com
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