Success and Failure Blog

One Christmas Eve back in the mid-90′s I headed out to Kensington Avenue with my good friend, Shirley. She had called me a few days earlier to invite me on a very special mission. So, I said yes, as I was always ready for a bit of intrigue.

Packed in her trunk were about twenty gift bags filled with toiletries like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc. Shirley had prepared each bag with loving care and a silent, yet thoughtful, prayer went up as every one was completely filled.

Kensington Avenue is located in one of the ugliest areas of North Philadelphia known as the “Badlands”. I used to live and work just five minutes from the strip. After dark, and after most of the shops along this street (covered by the Elevated Train track overhead) were closed, out of the shadows crept the prostitutes who were ready to begin their workday. Dressed in dingy, skimpy clothing, with tired and vacant eyes and slouching shoulders, each girl began her silent sales pitch.

As we began our journey down this dimly lit avenue, bundled up and tucked safely in Shirley’s car, I could recall the words she spoke to me over the phone. It went something like this: “These girls just need to be touched with God’s love. Who else is going to do it? We’re His hands, Summer. I just want to make sure they know that God knows who and where they are, and that He loves them.” How could I resist?

One by one, as we inched along the street, we gave the bags away with a few words of hope. I wish I could say that they all responded with immense gratitude and that many decided to walk away from their lifestyle. But, no miracle happened that night. None that I could see anyway.

But, the memory of that evening is branded in my mind. And I thank Shirley for the invitation.

In 2002, I helped start a ministry to prostitutes along the railroad tracks in Zone One of Guatemala City. I’m no longer with that ministry, but my husband and I have maintained a relationship with one of the ex-hookers I’d met there. Her name is Sheny, and she’s HIV positive. She’s got three kids and we help them throughout the year with food, clothes, school supplies, etc. Sheny’s got a job, but only earns the equivalent of $200 a month, which barely provides for the rent, food and medication she needs to keep from dying too soon.

She’s got quite the story, Sheny does. Her life history makes mine seem like a fairy tail – and I didn’t have it easy.

I’m not tooting my own horn or patting myself on the back by sharing this with you. The truth is, it’s a sacrifice for me to give of my money, time and energy. Oftentimes, I’d rather stay inside my cozy home and enjoy being with my husband and son. But, I’m always haunted by the fact that there are millions of people hurting in this world.
So I give.

I wish I could give more. I wish I could do more.

We have gifts nicely wrapped under the tree for Sheny and her kids this year. Nothing fancy, really. Just blankets and some toiletries. But, we’re happy to give, because we know that through giving God’s love is communicated.

Shirely’s still living in Philly, giving of herself constantly.

How will you spend your Christmas? Will you give to someone in need? Who do you know that’s hurting?

It’s a challenge.

Don’t do it to make yourself feel good or to ease your conscience. Give because you know someone needs it. Open up your heart and life and pour out kindness and gentleness and mercy.

Don’t think you have anything to give? Everyone has something.

Our budget was extremely tight this year, what with the newborn baby and all. But, It’s worth it to love someone else, no matter what the cost. So we’ll be in debt for a couple of months. So what.

Give.
Help.
Love.

Merry Christmas!
Summer

(Originally written December, 2007)

Are You Living Beyond Your Means?

The American spending habit mentality of living beyond your means has created more people deep in debt than are actually out of it.  What does this mean exactly?  And are you one of them?  Do you need to learn how to manage money a little better?

Living beyond your means implies that you are spending more than you should be, and more than you can actually afford to pay out every month. You are spending more than you make.  This is quite a big problem and a main reason why you may now need help with debt problems.  If you look at your own situation and see there is a possibility that you are creating a big pile of excessive credit card debt, here are three indicators that your suspicions are true.

1.  You Have Multiple Credit Cards

If you do everything with your credit cards from shopping to gas to business attire to pet supplies and fast foo and not paying it off in full each month, then you are spending beyond your means. If you have more than two credit cards that you actually use every week, that is another sign that you are spending more than you should. If possible, adopt a rule that if you cannot pay for it with cash then you cannot have it. Or, start using your ATM/DEBIT card with a Visa or MasterCard logo a bit more often.  The ugly flip side to these are the transaction fees, so be careful.

2.  You Buy Everything You Want

If you buy everything you want, you are probably living beyond your means. Why? Because you may not have considered that those who are not really wealthy still get most of every single thing that they want.   To the contrary, wanting things keeps us working hard; being patient builds character and teaches your children by example and experience.

Let yourself want a little. Sure you can get those sneakers on sale if you want to, but why charge it now when you get paid in two days? You do not have to impulse buy everything.

3.  You Have No Budget Whatsoever

You need a formal written budget.   This spending plan is your conscience that screams ‘wait!’ when you purchase something that you will need the cash for later.  This impulse spending may give you some short term satisfaction, but in the long run your financial, emotional, spiritual, and physical well being greatly suffers.

There you go:  three tell tale signs that you might be living beyond your means.

What is the solution?  Learn about budgeting money by curbing your desire for instant gratification, spend less than you make, save money, get out of debt, and live financially free.  A mouthful, I know.  Yet, a mouthful worth savoring, digesting, and acting on.

To further your understanding, check out these articles on YahooFinance.com and Mint.com.

We were dancing

When the music stopped

I wondered where it had gone

I tried

to listen

to discern

What had happened to the beautiful music that had once played

The music that had

kept me

held me

Embraced me with so much love

I did not know where to turn

What would happen next

Would all the life be gone

Would I wake up and see that I was just another

Virgin without a lamp

Would I find out that I had

Chosen the wrong way

Taken a wrong turn

Taken my eyes off the One I love

Will I be the one

Who’s left

Never seeing

Never perceiving

Never knowing

Never Trusting

No I will NOT

Let this be said of me

I will be the one who

listens

hears

knows

I will be the one

giving

dancing

To the beautiful music

I will be the one embracing the One I love so…

Allow me this once more

To hear the music

Give me the freedom in You once more

To feel the rythm

To know the beat

To hear what others don’t

To walk that walk

Dance that dance

Love that love that I have known

~Bambi
March 30, 2010

It’s official. LeBron James has announced on ESPN he will sign with the Miami Heat. A story with a lot of speculation has finally ended. Now, one of the best NBA players today has his next few years set.

This is important, because in all this talk about his loyalty, when “King James” might win an NBA title, or whether Chris Bosh might have refused to join him in Cleveland or not, there are other things to look at in this story: things such as talent, money, loyalty, and the manning of life.

Really. Because, no matter what happened with him, there is a faithful friend to save you from the evils of this world, help you build Heavenly treasures that last forever, and, help you make the right decisions, no matter what.

1. Obviously, it means he’s got a lot of basketball talent. Top actors get millions of dollars for acting talent. Top athletes get the same for athletic talent. Their jobs, as entertainers, aren’t as crucial as many others, but they share one thing: In this society, they can earn tons of money based on the fact they’ve used their God-given talent to the best of their ability.

We don’t often think about actors and actresses making millions per role, because we only see them in movies or on TV. They’ve gotten their millions long before the movie or show we see. If it bombs, they can hide behind the character, or the script gets blamed. Athletes, on the other hand, do what they do thousands of times a season – shoot a ball, throw, putt, what have you. Their misses pile up more than that performer’s one big miss on the big screen or TV, which is surrounded by so much else.

Both, however, use abilities that aren’t their own. Sure, hours of practice a day pays off, and some have to work harder. But, most people couldn’t shoot a basketball while being guarded like even the worst NBA player, even practicing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most people couldn’t memorize every line flawlessly, doing all the proper inflections and really bringing a character to life, for months at a time. Yes, there are club pros in golf and local radio station voice actors who pitch great local businesses. But, these are far cries from Tiger Woods or Tom Hanks – or even the Maytag Repairman.

Jesus tells us to consider the gifts God gave us, and thank Him for them. None of us can add an inch to our stature by mere thought.(Mat. 6:27) We can’t just think and suddenly become talented. God gives some people those talents, just as He gives some people other gifts, such as teaching, or the ability to learn manual skills like plumbing, or complex math.

Every one of us has different skills. You have a special skill, even if you don’t quite know what it is yet. If you put energy into it, you can accomplish great things with God’s help. However, remember that this skill is something you were born with, something given by God. We need to be thankful for our skills.

2. LeBron will also get a lot of money. No, some people don’t get as much money as others for their skills. And, some are certainly more important than acting or athletic ones. However, the important thing is, God sees and understands what you are given. And, He will reward you in the end, if you use it for Him and build treasure in Heaven.

The old maxim is true that money doesn’t buy happiness. It can buy things that make us happy for a time. Still, in the end, those things will grow old, wear out, lose value, or even, possibly, be taken from us. However, Heavenly treasure will be forever new, and can never be taken away. This means that LeBron will get a lot of something that will one day have no value. But, he can use it to build rewards in Heaven by helping others.

However, God doesn’t care about how much money we have here on earth. He cares about our heart. He knows our hearts, and just wants us to give what we have for Him. He doesn’t care that we don’t have a lot – Jeuss said that s widow who gave a few little coins as an offering had given more than a rich person who gave millions.

Even when we mess up and go after our own desires, though, God will lovingly call us back to Himself, so we can choose to do that which is right. Because, He is always loyal to us, alwys faithful even when we’re not.

3. Loyalty was discussed during the debate over where LeBron would go.

We need to keep focused on the one who is always loyal and faithful, though. It’s easy to put our trust in people. However, God has given us His Word, that He had something special for us. He has a plan for each person’s life that is better than we could ever plan for ourselves. He has a plan for LeBron’s life. Whether LeBron followed God’s plan, I’m not sure; nobody can know his heart for certain but God Himself.

We know one thing, though. Since different people wanted different things, God’s plan went against some peoples’ idea of what he should do. That’s normal, and it shows that our ways aren’t always best. If LeBron doesn’t know God personally, God can use this to lovingly draw LeBron to Him.

When we don’t like what goes on in our lives, all we have to do is trust in God. He will always do what’s best for us. Each of us is where we are in life today, because God has put us there, or God – in His love giving us free will to choose – allowed us to get there so God could help us to learn more about His great love for us. That is the loyalty God has for us, always working to make things better in our lives, though we sometimes flat refuse and turn away from Him.

The awesome thing is, He can be loyal to all who have received Him at once, as He lovingly calls those who haven’t. Because, He has ways to work things for the best for each of us in the end. Romans 8:28 promises that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.”

So, no matter what, God can work it for good, along with all the other things in life. Because, God is always trying to work things together for good, to those who love Him; even if our choices get in the way. The story of LeBron James is one of a person who has made a lot out of his God-given talent, using it to play a game. I don’t know if he’s doing anything for the Lord to earn eternal treasures in Heaven, or if so, what it is. Only God knows his heart, and whether His perfect will played any role in LeBraon’s decision.

Life, though, is all about putting others first, and using those talent to bring glory and honor to God by drawing others to His great love. Because, He is willing that none perish, but that all come to repentance. He will be loyal to all who come to Him by faith.

It won’t always be just what we want, but for those who receive Him, they will have a faithful Friend who will live in them and always work things together for good.

How do I have that in my life?

It’s as easy as ABC – Admit, Believe, Choose.

A. Admit you need Him in your heart and life to save you. See, all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each one to his own way. And, the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Is. 53:6) This means all of us have turned away from Him. Oh, we might not have meant to, but we do, because we choose our own way.

LeBron is just like you and I and everyone else in one important way. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) That means we’ve all fallen short of His mark, which is perfection. Whether he chose what God wanted, I don’t know, but each of us has sinned – that means we’ve fallen short of God’s standard of perfection.

We need saved from that sin, because only then can we have that relationship with God here, and be in His perfect Heaven someday; a place where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears. Nobody can do mean stuff there. No one can imagine the wonderful things that will be there. There won’t be any sin, though, so we must accept we need God to take the punishment for our sins, and change us on the inside. The wages – what we earn – of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal lie through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

Next is:
B Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31) That means to believe that Jesus Christ is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14; 10:30; etc.), and that He took your punishment for your sin when he died on the cross for you and rose from the dead. He shed His blood for you; because that was the only price high enough to cleanse this whole world from sin. He died for you, but then, He rose from the dead, just as He will raise us one day, some to eternal life, some to everlasting destruction.

You must believe that He took the whole punishment for your sins when He did that. There is nothing you could do, because none of us can achieve perfection. And, He has to make it perfect, or it wouldn’t be Heaven. If He let even one drop of sin into Heaven, there would be suffering somewhere, or pain, or something else bad. Then, it wouldn’t be Heaven. So, He has to keep all sin out.

Finally,
C. Choose to repent and receive Him as your personal Savior. That means that you need to choose to let Him make you new on the inside. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, all things are become new. (2 Cor. 5:17)

Once you have done that, you can know for sure you in his family (1 John 5:13), if you have received Him by simple faith. (John 1:12)

That’s how Jesus makes you fit for Heaven. He first changes you when you trust Him to save you by simple faith. You receive Him into your heart by calling on Him to save you and repenting – turning from your sin. Once you invite Him into your heart, Jesus lives in you through God the Holy Spirit. Then, He will help you grow to be more like Him; more loving, compassionate, and so on.

You can receive that now – while the prayer itself doesn’t save you, you can pray something like this, in your own words, and receive Him into your heart and life: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I know I haven’t always done what’s right. I’ve tried my way, Lord, and I realize I need to trust You completely instead. I believe You died on the cross for my sins, and rose from the dead; You took my punishment for my sins, because I couldn’t get to Your perfect heaven myself. Lord Jesus, I invite You into my heart to live in me and change me on the inside, so I can follow Your perfect ways, and have a Friend to help me if I mess up. Thank you Lord Jesus, for hearing my prayer, saving my soul, and coming to live in my heart, In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

It’s not the prayer that saves. But, it’s your faith, which you can remember putting in Jesus easier when you have a time you know you prayed to receive Him.

And when you receive Him, He will never leave you, nor forsake you. (Heb. 13:5) He will help you to make all the right decisions, if you just trust Him, because He will always give wisdom to those who ask. (James 1:5)

Psalm 34:1

I will bless the lord at all times.  His praise shall be continually in my mouth.

Wow, his name shall be continually in my mouth.  All the daylong I need to bless the name of the Lord.  Have I gotten this wrong?  Have we as a Christian people gotten this wrong?  Devotions.  There is nowhere in the Bible that talks about devotions.  We get so caught up in making sure we do our “quiet time” with God, make sure we have our “Bible time”.

We sit down, and we do it, and we open our Bible, and we read it, and we pray and then we get up and continue on with our day.

That is not the way it was meant to be.  It was not meant to be something we do but something we live.

Not just 10 minutes, not just for 30 minutes, not just for 2 hours a day just sitting down.

His praise shall continually be in my mouth — all the day long.

There are so many ways to do that.  Praising, worshipping, talking.  There are so many songs based specifically on the Psalms.  So many old time hymns, so many new songs.  Yes, a lot of the music is just screaming, trying to replicate what is popular in the culture and appeal to them.  Yet, there is so much good stuff out there that sings the praises of God.

Why can’t we be like my three year old who makes up songs and sing praises to the Lord?  Just make up words and a tune – whether it sounds good or not.

How can his praise be continually on my mouth when I am arguing with my spouse or trying to figure out the next best way to just make money?   Yes, with my financial coaching, I am in the business of helping people concentrate on honoring God with their money.  But it goes way beyond that.

No, I need a paradigm shift in my thinking, in my actions, and in my attitude.

And it is more than just singing.  I look out at my green grass and the dawn rising early this morning.  And I praise his name for what I see.  I can close my eyes or I can lift my head up and hold up my hands and praise him out loud.

Praise him continuously.

As I walk in my kitchen I can praise him for who I am and what I have.  Yes, I can do this.  His praise can continually be in my mouth.

So, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.  Join me in the new paradigm shift in thinking and in actions.  Let us bless the Lord at all times and may his praise be continually in my mouth — and in yours.

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice — to worship you.  Oh, my soul rejoice.  Take joy, my King.  In what you hear.  May it be a sweet, sweet, sound.  In your ear.

Somewhere around age 40 a strange shift happened.  When I was younger, I literally fed on being busy.  And I’m not talking about a healthy busy…you know, living with purpose – having a few places to go, some people to see, etc.  No, I’m talking about insane busy – life on overdrive 24/7.  And I loved it!  I loved having every single moment so compressed that even Einstein would have said, “If this woman adds even 15 more seconds of activity to her day, she is going to upset the time continuum!”

I remember one day in particular.  I was working for a Los Angeles radio station and I was a little late to an appointment (first time ever) so I was flying down the 5 Freeway (just a few miles over the speed limit).  Well, I wasn’t exactly behind schedule – let’s just say I didn’t have an extra 30 seconds to spare.  I was weaving around the “slow pokes” with amazing skill …when a thought flashed across my mind.  ”I am really an important person because I have an appointment!  And better yet, it’s not my only appointment, I have lots of appointments which is why I’m barely going to make it to this one on time.  I have really arrived – I’m busy so I’m important!”

Now of course it is fun to have purpose and commitments, etc, but I hope you can see that this attitude was a little off.  And here’s the thing…I really believed it.

Well, again, somewhere around 40 this vague cloud of exhaustion started following me everywhere I went as I sped around on overdrive.  I still believed that being busy meant I had value, but the crazy pace was beginning to wear on me.  After a few years, I still kept up my workday pace, but I started to find myself withdrawing at nights and on weekends.  At first it was just one night a week, but it slowly grew to the point I almost resented having to make any social plans at all…didn’t want to be pinned in.  What if when that scheduled time came around I didn’t feel like it? Everyone wants something from me and I have nothing left to give!  “I gave at the office” took on a whole new meaning.

Again, as I noted this growing behavior, I grew to like it.  Ok, that’s just me – I’m maturing.  But then it seemed that I couldn’t get enough time alone and away from the crowd.  If I had too many social activities on a weekend I would find my anxiety rise exponentially – which also would guarantee a very short fuse the entire next week.  I became aware of how much time I needed to “recoup” from all the workday “performing” and all that I thought others demanded of me.

Well, I’m not a total recluse today, and don’t get me wrong – I know I need my friends probably more than they need me.  But I do still find myself needing to retreat and give myself plenty of unstructured “down time.”  When I don’t, all the activity becomes completely meaningless…even depressing.  I was enjoying some of this precious alone time rattling around in the garden a few Saturdays ago.  Then I remembered a social event I had committed to. Agh!  I watched myself instantly begin brainstorming ways to get out of it, and of course, the internal angst level started rising.

That’s when I thought of Him.  How did Jesus handle it?  How could He stand all those crowds, people pressing in on every side, following Him everywhere, trying to catch Him in His words – with not a second to Himself?  How did He do it!? 

Well, first of all, He snuck off regularly to be alone and talk with the Father. But often His compassion for the overwheming needs of the crowds caused Him to postpone His solitude and keep going.  But how did He do it? Sometimes I feel that I just can’t handle another detour, another glitch, another interruption! 

Why did He push Himself?  I mean, He already had the great networking thing of the 12 apostles going.  Couldn’t they just pass along His teachings?  Endless lines of people that wanted something from Him! Ugh!  How could He stand it?

But then it hit me – He pushed Himself, He kept moving to the next town, and the next town and ketp healing, kept teaching…  Why?  I think He pushed Himself because in each incident He had someone’s face on His mind – someone waiting in the next town who needed to hear about the love of the Father…and He had to get there. He had appointments!  Oh, they didn’t think they had appointments.  No, they didn’t know, but He did. I think Jesus had individuals’ faces on His mind and on His heart.  He knew their hurts and confusions, their hopes, their disillusionments. 

He not only knew the people who would be changed forever with a word, or even a glance, but He knew exactly where each would notice Him and what would catch their eye or ear.  Yes, these people were usually in crowds, but they were individuals to Him…individuals that He loved.

I wonder if He would have walked all night to meet with me?  Well, the Bible tells me that He did more than that – He died for me. 

So how can we follow Jesus’ example and have an ongoing reserve to help us balance out difficult people, ongoing pressures and crazy schedules?  By spending time with Him.  “But I’m so busy already!” you say.  Yes, I understand…I am too.  But I promie you that the 15 minutes you spend with God will make the rest of your 23.75 hours flow much more smoothly!  He will literally go before you, like a linebacker – knocking pesky time and energy tacklers out of your way.  Remember what He did with the few fish and loaves of bread?  He can do the same wth your time and your life.

Learning the discipline of setting time aside daily for uninterrupted communion with God Almighty was difficult for me. Like dieting or quitting cigarettes, I started and failed many many times.  But the pain and longing in my heart to not be a ”performance” saint only, but to develop a real relationship with God drove me to keep trying. 

Oh, I’m not perfect now.  I still go through times when I just don’t think I can stand another moment with so-in-so at the job, or another church event, or… (you fill in the blank).  But He has taught me that I can trust Him to redeem my investment of time for Him.   And more than that – when I ask Him, He shows me what He sees in those difficult people, and what I still don’t “get” I just surrender to Him.  God help us all to walk in the Spirit and see the world and all his precious masterpieces (humans, that is) through His eyes.  But you can’t do it on the fly. Give Him time to speak to you daily.

Remember, resetting your schedule and priorities for God can seem difficult.  But difficult is not impossible…and in this case – so worth it! 

Also see Seeking God, Laziness, Success, Peace, Trusting God, Money, How to succeed in tough economic times

When I talk about American Idols, I’m not talking about the TV show American Idol.  I’m talking about the idea of idols.  Idols can be anything.  Some people might have money, a big house, fame, sex as their idol.  Wikipedia’s definition for Idol is “An idol is a man-made object that is worshiped in some way.”

Now, let me stress that there is nothing wrong with sex, fame or having money, etc. in the right context.  Let’s take money for example.  Many well known godly people in the Bible had lots of money and wealth, like Abraham, Solomon, David and many others.  The question is, where is your heart?  Is your money controlling you?  Are you a slave to your money?  Are you focused on just on the accumulation of money?   When money becomes your focus, in other words your idol, it is then when you’re getting into real trouble.

It’s worth thinking about.  First of all, you will never experience lasting fulfilling success if your focus is on money.  Bill Gates did not make his money by focusing on money.  He had a passion for computers and software and money was a side effect of his passion.  Besides failure, having the wrong attitude about money can cost you everything including your soul?  Here is what the Bible says about money and success.

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26 (NKJV)

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”  Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “  Matthew 4:8-10 (NKJV)

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  1 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.  1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NKJV)

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.  1 Corinthians 7:23 (NKJV)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.  1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV)

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  James 4:4 (NKJV)

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.  1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV)

“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  John 12:25 (NKJV)

The amazing thing is that when we focus on God, he takes care of us.  His promises are amazing for people that focus on him.  He provides true, lasting and enjoyable success.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Josh 1:8 (NKJV)

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.  2 Cor 9:8 (NKJV)

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.   Psalms 1:2-3 (NKJV)

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.   Prov 18:10 (NKJV)

then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Phil 4:19 (NKJV)

Frankly, it’s hard to change some of our attitudes like the one about money by ourselves, however, if we ask God, he promises to help us change from the inside out.

Other related articles Success Stories, Addictions and Struggles, Money, How to succeed in tough economic times.

Learn to Negotiate Your Own Credit Card Debt

Why should you pay a credit counselor or loan consolidation service for their help when you could be negotiating your own credit card debt yourself?  It will not pardon what you owe, but could go a long way to eliminate unsecured credit card debt.

First, you must have all of your ducks in a row.  You are going to be speaking one-on-one with a representative who can help reduce your payments, so it is imperative that you be prepared.  Know exactly your total credit card debt.  Be certain to have the exact amount of your minimum monthly payment requirements at hand.  Have a detailed personal budget in front of you so you can informatively discuss what your monthly earnings and expenses are and suggest what sort of payment you can afford.

Let the credit card company know that you do indeed intend to pay your account in full, but you are looking for some help in reducing interest rates and eliminating late fee charges.  Ask the representative what you have to do to get a zero percent APR for six to twelve months.  Negotiate from a position of strength.  After all, you owe them and they want to get their money.  In the event that they tell you a zero percent APR is not available, tell them that you are sorry to hear that, as you may have to consider transferring the balance to another card and closing this account with them.  Be polite and courteous, but firm, when negotiating your credit card debt yourself.

The Bible admonishes us to be good stewards of what God has allowed us to have.  Doing so involves honoring the vows we made to pay for the item not matter what it takes.  Our reputation before others is much more valuable than the cost of what is owed.

In this effort, never lose your cool or start to sound exasperated.  If you are transferred to another party, start over from scratch.  Never assume that the person you spoke to formerly has passed any information on to the next person with whom you speak.  It is quite possible that the first representative just passed you along to get you out of their hair.  When you are told that they cannot help you, politely ask to be passed along to someone who might be able to help.  This is referred to as escalating the call, moving along to a higher authority.

I know this can get tedious, but patience and persistence often pay off well emotionally and financially.

Remember that you are in the process of saving yourself a lot of money.  By negotiating credit card debt yourself, you are saving fees and interest rates that would come from credit counseling and debt consolidation options.  Once successful, you will also be saving yourself interest charges and late fees.  So, if you get passed along and find that you’re repeating yourself over and over again, stick with it. The end result will definitely be worthwhile.

There is more help with credit cards to help you save money, live debt free and enjoy the many blessings around you.  Also, be sure to sign up to receive a free report, tips on budgeting, and encouragement to make your money worries go away.

For more reading on this, check out a further perspective on credit card debt settlement.

Reasons to Start a Personal Budget

We explore how a personal budget plan makes setting financial goals obtainable.  First, write down a paragraph or list of where you would like to see yourself five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years from now.   Make this list financial, spiritual, career wise, etc.  Pour your heart out and write your true desires and passions.

Next, clearly see where are you are right now; time for some honest introspection.  Do your finances support your goals?  Look at what your earnings are in comparison to your spending.  Similar to starting a business, you need to consider all of the variables.

These variables include things such as what you spend the most money on, what expenses you can easily cut back, and what expenses are unavoidable.  Take a look at your checkbook.  There you will be able to see what you have spent your money on over the last several months.  Go back as far as a year if you can.  Some of the things you are writing checks for might surprise you.  How many of them were actual necessities, and how many could you have easily done without?  Without realizing it, you have now begun making a budget.

A key to success is in the Proverbs 21:5 admonition that, The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

Next, think over your cash expenditures.  We usually spend a lot of cash on the “little” things.  Write down the items you can clearly recall spending cash on recently.  Are these repetitive items?  Do you purchase them every day?  Every week?  Add them together over the course of a month.  How much of this money could you save, or use to pay down credit card debt, or apply against the principal of your mortgage?  Can you now start to see your personal budget plan coming together?

Saving money alone does not equal happiness.  How does a life free of worry about paying bills and making ends meet sound?  Peace of mind is priceless.  What about being able to be financially free to go where God has given you passion for?  If you are encumbered by debt, you will not be free to serve at full capacity.

Your personal budget plan will help you to spend less than you earn, creating positive cash flow for you to save and to apply to meeting financial obligations such as paying off a car or house faster than you thought possible.

The best part is that it will not take long.  As soon as you begin the initial phase of your personal budget plan, you will be spending less, saving more, and setting financial goals almost immediately.  The achievement process takes time, but you will experience it step by step.  You will have a clear idea as to how you are getting ahead, even before you fully reach your goals.

Get started creating a personal budget now as you are setting financial goals that will lead surely to advantage.

What do you think?  Leave me a reply.

When I became a Christian, just after I arrived here in the USA, I was taught the lesson of tithing and I never forgot it.  My wife, then my girlfriend said that I should give 10% of my income back to God.  I thought she was crazy. “10% ! I said.  Are you crazy? I only made $800 per month…that’s $80!   That’s a lot of money to me! I don’t even have enough to live on!”  It’s probably the same you would say.  After some convincing, I gave it a shot.  To my surprise, the next month I made $3,000, which is the most I ever made.

The question is, who is your provider? Is it you?  I realized, as a Christian, you give that job over to God. He becomes your provider.  By giving back 10% of your income you show that you trust God to be your provider.  If you’re a Christian and you don’t exercise that principle, you’re missing out on some great blessings from God.  I would not be surprised if you’re struggling financially because of that.  Give it a shot…you’ll be surprised as well!

Having money or making a lot of money by itself without having  joy, peace, good health, a great marriage is a very disappointing success.  There are many examples of great success stories like Elvis, Michael Jackson and many others who have lots of money, and they will tell you that they would all trade it in for having good relationships, good health, a great partner, etc.

Focusing On Money:
Focusing on money will lead to eventual failure.  I’ve done both.  There were times when I focused on just making the big bucks…wanting to make it in the worst way.  I learned that lesson in my twenties.  Coming to America, I wanted desperately to make it in this country.  I was in advertising sales then.  I rose to the top very fast, however, my focus was on how much money I could make…and I did make good money.  However, pretty soon I was consumed with having success.  It was a pretty big disappointment, because I was working 60 to 70 hours per week.  I did not have balance in my life.  I’m not saying that you should not have money goals in your life…you should…just don’t make ”Making Money“ your main focus.  What’s amazing is, that the most money I made when I put God first and having fun doing what I was doing.  The money was just an end result of that.

Even focusing on the lack of money works the same way. It’s hard not to focus on money when the rent is due and you’re short.  I understand…I have been there too.  Regardless, you have to change your thinking…your self talk and your focus.  I challenge you to give away money to your church or to a charity when you don’t have enough money…it’s one way to get the focus off yourself…and it works.