Haiti: Learning From "Their" Experiences

I have been cautious about writing too much regarding the plight of ten American missionaries who are currently being held in Haiti under charges of kidnapping and abduction. My caution stems from two factors. First, the media is swimming with reports about the situation and those reports have frequently been speculative at best. The last thing I needed to do was to add my own speculations.

Second, my previously stated relationship with three of the missionaries has made this more than a casual observation for me. Members of our family have been emotionally shaken by this event in the same way that the 7.0 started it all. We have prayed endlessly. We have carried on literally hundreds of conversations in verbal and written form since it began. (Our daughter has written some excellent blog posts here.) The raw emotion of it has served to make me even more cautious about publicly committing my ruminations to print.

As we continue to wait and pray, I think it's time for me to talk about a few "take aways" which can be gleaned from the situation. Perhaps this can help someone else avoid the same predicament and subsequent pain.

We Americans are frequently the quickest to jump into the world's problems. This can be a good thing, like the rapidity with which some mercy organizations made it possible to text a certain number on our mobile phones and instantly donate $10 to the relief fund. It can be a bad thing, like the times we have stormed into countries where we were definitely unwelcome and been seen more as conquerors rather than as caregivers.

The Christians in my country are not immune to these passionate acts; in fact we are often instigating them. On many occasions, our quick action leads to saving lives and offering hope which otherwise might have been lost. Isaiah (chapter 6), when he "saw the Lord high and lifted up", quickly responded with "Here am I; send me!" If nothing else, our unrestrained activity is heartfelt.

Conversely, our passion can, at times be driven more by human emotion than by genuine encounters with God's Spirit. We are quick to quote the Great Commission ("Go ye therefore into all the world..."), but we fail to remember that what Jesus said in the original language was not so emphatic. What He really said was, "As you are going..." There's a huge difference. Jesus never put the command to go above the wisdom of whether it is the right time, place, and way to go. I once heard someone say that we should make sure what we are perceiving is truly the unction of God's Spirit and not just indigestion.

I am not questioning the missionary call to go places where people have not heard and which are inherent with danger. The Gospel has traveled from generation to generation for two thousand years. Every culture that has been touched by it was once hearing it for the first time. On the other hand, short-term missionaries (we number in the tens of thousands, just from the U.S.) are remiss if they don't take into account the work of those who went before them. The incarcerated missionaries in Haiti had scant, if any, contact with established mission organizations which were doing significant work in the region long before the quake happened. No doubt, those organizations could have used both the financial help and the labor of a group willing to work.

A pastor friend of mine spoke to me recently about the experience his church had following the 2004 tsunami. They rapidly deployed a team to the scene. They caught the attention of the local press and people outside their church gave generously to assist them. The original team sat on the ground with nothing to do...for five days! Then, with no real work accomplished, all but two of the team members had to come home to their regular jobs. How many thousands of dollars were wasted because their passion got ahead of their wisdom?

In Haiti, even more is at stake. First is the emotional toll being endured by the missionaries, their families, loved ones and churches. Second, there's the financial cost of their defense. Third, this is a distraction from the ongoing relief efforts. Finally, it is being used as an argument that we Christians need to keep our Gospel to ourselves.

Surgeries Through The Night

This came in from Sonia Burnett a couple hours ago...

Tonight they are staying in Jimani at the Good Samaritan Hospital complex but they will not be sleeping. There will be 25 amputations tonight on people just flown in today. Our pastor, Pedro Juan, who is with Barry is a doctor and will be busy throughout the night. Barry is going to help organize their central supply tonight.

The desperate need is money for meds. These people have had exposed fractures for 4 days and no antibiotics so that is one of the main expenses. Barry will come back tomorrow but probably go back on Tuesday for several days to help with the administration of the center. There is only one man there right now and he is exhausted.

From the North...

Our friend, Pastor Patricio has been unable to get across the border in Dajabon. He will try again on Monday. His wife's family is in Port Au Prince and they haven't heard from any of them. Please pray.

From Pastor Manolo...

The Dominican Baptist leadership will meet again on Wednesday morning. At that time, they hope to have adequate information to let us know what kinds of help they need and how to deploy.

Please keep praying.

Please give! If your church wants to give through the Dominican Baptist Convention, they can send it through Stone Ridge Church. We have been in a partnership with them for several years and their integrity has been impeccable.

Here are the keys.

My young family was scheduled to head to the California coast for a nine-day trip which was mostly work-related. It was June and the heat rose in waves off the Interstate 10 asphalt. As we made preparations, I kept worrying about the first afternoon of travel.

Our son's last day of first grade was to end at noon and we planned to drive off across the desert in 110 degree heat. Our 8-year-old Ford station wagon had shown signs of wear and tear and I was growing concerned about it overheating. Long before cell phones, a person could get stuck out on the side of a highway for hours before someone stopped to help. I knew. It had happened to friends. One man lifted the hood of his disabled car and waited as hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of vehicles passed him on that crowded freeway.

I felt that we didn't have any choice but to leap out in faith and start the drive that last day of school. We had booked a room in San Bernardino that night and were due up in the Monterey area the next afternoon. I took care of what maintenance we could do and hoped for the best.

Those were our circumstances on Sunday, a few days before we left. Church services went on asusual that day, but afterward I was approached by Mark and Sue, a couple in our church. They asked about our trip, including a question about our old car. I told them the plan and they looked at me with smiles on their faces. "Would you accept it if we lent our our van?" Sue asked.

I was taken aback. They had a brand-new conversion van, loaded with every option you could imagine. "We want you to take it," added Mark.

A few days later, our little family climbed into a beautiful, cool, spacious van. The kids all fell asleep in the back. Cathy joined them. I set the cruise control, sipped on a large glass of iced tea and listened to the stereo as we crossed the desert.

It wasn't the last time we experienced the generosity of that wonderful couple. Mark is in heaven now, but I smile fondly when I think of his kindness to us.

I'm preaching on generosity this month at Stone Ridge. Could you help me? Tell us about someone whose generosity you have personally experienced.

When Does It Get Easy?

My son-in-law "The Engineer" asked me Saturday, "Do you want to get up and go for a run in the morning?"

"Sure," was my quick reply. I had gone to the gym with him earlier that day and looked forward to running outside rather than on a treadmill. I originally planned to run by myself on Monday, but this was even better. Ummm, this was even better! Do I sound convinced yet?

I know I need my head examined, but I enjoy running. So I went running with my almost-20-years-younger and a-good-4-inch-longer-legs son-in-law. Oh, did I mention that he was a cross-country runner when he was a kid? Oh, and did I mention that he just finished his first triathlon?

Like I said, I enjoy running. But this was closer to torture! It's much more humid where they live. And they live in a place with lots of hills. We live in the place where the term "flat terrain" was invented. I thought of that when we started up one of those hills. I was gasping for humid breaths. He was trotting along. Chatting.

I have run for a long, long time. I have taken years off. I have thought I would never run again. But I have been back at it for almost three years. However, I'm not sure I have ever received input from a well-coached runner.

The Engineer talked to me about breathing and about my stride. When we got back home and I recovered enough to concentrate, he reaffirmed what he told me. I thanked him. I meant it.

Yesterday, back at home in the desert, I went for a run. I told my running partner Kelly about what I had learned. I started putting the lesson into practice. When will it get easy? Probably never.

But it can get better.

Later that day, I had the chance to answer a, "When does it get easy" query about pastoring. I'll tell you that story tomorrow.

Gotta run...

Good Choices For Bad Times

I preface today's post by remembering that Sunday is Mother's Day. The good choices I'm about to describe have been significantly influenced by my wife Cathy. As a helpmeet and a mom, she has been the backbone of establishing priorities and discipline into the financial part of our home.

That said, here are four good choices we have made over the years. Establishing and living by these priorities has affected tens of thousands of tiny decisions. In turn, by God's grace, we are where we are.

1. We put God first.

I know that I'm a pastor, but this part of our lives is something we learned from both sets of parents. Remember, my dad was a mechanic and Cathy's dad worked for the Postal Service. We practice giving at least 10% of our income back to God because we are grateful for His provision. I call the tithe check our "Declaration of Dependence."

2. We use credit cards to our advantage.

We failed to completely pay off our cards each month for only one short season and that was early in our marriage. We started using the card to finish an unfinished room in the first house we bought. We sold the house, paid the balance on the card, and agreed that we would not use it again unless we had the money to pay it off. I had started our marriage with a small amount of consumer debt and I remember how much easier it was to spend credit than to spend cash. By God's grace and Cathy's insistence, we got out of that trap.

That said, we use several cards now and we use them often. We earn free flights and free hotel rooms that help us see our kids and grandkids. AND we pay them off in full every month.

3. We limit our spending.

This is where thousands of those tiny decisions come in. For instance, as our kids were growing up, we rarely went out to eat. Cathy used coupons to save money and watched her grocery budget like a hawk. We didn't regularly drop by the local convenience store for sodas and candy -- those were rare treats for when we were traveling. We often buy clothing and some housewares at yard sales. We have never purchased a new car. We set an affordable budget for Christmas and birthdays and live by it.

In addition, we set boundaries for how long we would provide for our kids. We helped them pay for college, making it clear that if they dropped out or if they got married, they were on their own. We gave them each a budget for their weddings. If they spent the budget on the big event, it was gone. If they had money left over, it was theirs to use as they wanted.

When our kids reached the age when they were influenced by their peers and more style-conscious, we had a rule: we bought the article of clothing and they bought the brand. If they wanted jeans, for instance, we found the price of good ones and provided that much money. If the brand they wanted cost an extra $30 a pair, they paid the extra $30.

4. We set long-term goals.

Our initial goal was to be completely debt-free (including our home) by the time I turned 50. We were on the way to reaching the goal when our church relocated and we made a decision to move across town near the new campus (which we have never regretted). We sold the old house and built one in a new sub-division. We limited the size and the amenities to keep the price reasonable, then paid as much down as possible. We took out a 15 year mortgage, with the goal of paying it off in 7 years. We made the final payment about 5 1/2 years after we moved into the new home. For the past several years we have been able to truly "owe no man anything, except to love one another." (Romans 13:8)

Again, I share all this with gratitude to God who richly supplies all our needs and to a wife who has helped us stay the course.

We have approached this difficult economic season with compassion for all those who have been negatively impacted. Our hope and prayer, for you and yours, is that you are able to set and live by some priorities which can help you achieve financial freedom.

Adding One More Block...

...until it all tumbles down.

It's hard -- especially now, in my role as "Sampa" -- for me to pass up blocks without stacking them. Ever since I can remember, I have had this urge to see just how many I can stack up before they come falling down. I grew up with this ornery sister that, I'm sure, took every opportunity to knock them down for me. I don't need her help now -- I live in an earthquake zone!

Anyway, it's easy for me to keep wanting to add just one more block. As an adult, I have found it tempting to keep adding one more toy to my collection. That's why I identified greed as my problem yesterday.

But I wanted to know what you think and I wasn't surprised that a) most people responding were female and b) you almost universally said that fear/worry/insecurity is what you struggle with. What I discovered Monday in our Small Group was that every female present struggles with insecurity and every male present struggles with greed.

I wonder what we should be learning in this season of history. We in the "first world" had been through a time of unprecedented prosperity. We have responded like the man in Jesus' Luke 12 story: "I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones." Or, "I'll build a taller building." Or a more elaborate theme park. Or a nicer house. Or a bigger SUV.

"I'll add one more block to the stack."

However, forces more powerful than our stack have knocked it down. Suddenly, our lust for more has been replaced by fear.

Please avoid diatribes about the government, Wall Street, the automakers, the banks or anyone else you find easy to blame.

What are you learning from this?

Name Your Poison

On Sunday, I told our church that Jesus talked about two different different money attitudes that can keep us from experiencing God's very best in our lives. Here they are...

"...be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." (Luke 12:15 NASB)

And the second one is found just a few verses later...
“...don’t worry about the food you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. (Luke 12:22 NCV)

I find it fascinating that Jesus seemed to describe those warring emotions as potential robbers that can take away our joy and our peace.

Greed.

Worry, or (simply) insecurity.

Would you do me a favor? Which of these do you struggle with the most? And, if you are married, ask your spouse the same question. I asked the question on Monday night in our Small Group and was fascinated by the answers.

By the way, I struggle more with greed.

Dicker Or Dictate?

I loved the story my aunt told when I was a boy. She had been in Juarez, Mexico and bought a purse. The price started exorbitantly high and kept going down each time she walked away. She finally paid a small fraction of the original price.

A similar incident took place many years ago with a pastor I knew. He had his eye on a particular leather briefcase in a local office supply store. He knew that the owner of the store was Jewish and that the man believed it essential to sell something to his first customer of the week for business to be good during the rest of the week. He waited patiently at the door as the store opened on Monday morning. He said he wanted the briefcase, but it was too expensive for him. The owner kept lowering the price until my friend could buy it.

Both of these people loved to dicker. They enjoyed the game of cat and mouse with sellers.

My dad, on the other hand, didn't want to dicker. Not at all. I'll never forget the last car he purchased for him and mom. It was unusual because dad had spent years in the car business. He knew it well and had a very short string with the typical ploys salesmen make to close a deal.

Dad went to a car dealer in a nearby town and found a car he was interested in. Here is what he told the salesman...

"I spent my life in the car business and I know the book value of this car. I also know that your company has to make some money just to keep the doors open and I have no problem with that. Here is the way I will deal with you. You tell me the best price you can afford to sell this car for. If it's a good price, I will buy it and won't dicker with you. If your price is high, I will turn you down and walk away. If you try to lower the price, I will know you didn't give me your lowest price in the first place. That will mean you weren't honest and I won't do business with you."


They looked at their records and gave dad the price.

He bought the car.

What about you? Do you dicker or dictate?

How Much Does It Cost?

I'll buy it!

I mentioned yesterday that Cathy and I bought a car this week. The story is -- I think -- worth telling. I'm going to give price details here, because I think it adds to the example of how we made our decision. It's a little awkward giving out that much info, but I decided to risk it.

It begins with the fact that we needed a car. Over the 36-plus years of our marriage, we haven't needed every car we bought. Cathy will tell you that I'm quite skilled at coming up with reasons we need something we don't really need. In times past, it's amazing how often I had great "reasons" for purchasing a vehicle, but those same features no longer meant anything when I wanted something newer.

This time we did need one. It's not because the wheels had fallen off the one we are selling. It's because the highway distances we must travel to see family -- it's 800 miles to Cathy's parents' home -- require something reliable. The car we have driven on those trips for the past six years (and which had 50,000 miles on it when we bought it) has become increasingly questionable. We had significant repairs done before we took it on a long Christmas trip and realized that this was the last time we were comfortable with it that far from home.

The combination of personal preference and reliability led us to choose a Toyota Camry. We had a couple of secondary choices if the Camry didn't work out. Either of those might have been the preference except the higher cost made them less likely.

We set our budget for what we could pay in cash. We haven't had any debt for a long time, which was the result of many years of careful money management (I thank Cathy for that!). Our hope was to buy a late-model used car with low miles.

Over the weekend, I discovered just the type of car and deal which sounded promising. As you probably know, buying a used car means you might get some of what you want, but you probably won't get all of it. I made a mental list of the equipment that I would like to have and one or two "deal-breakers". For instance, a dark color meant "no deal" for us. Why? Think 115 degrees in the summer. In the shade. (What shade?) Over 50,000 miles was a deal-breaker -- I hoped for significantly less. Finally, it had to fit in our budget.

I had been watching the local marketplace for possibilities and to get an idea on current pricing. I researched price and reliability on sites like Consumer Reports and Kelley Blue Book. Finally, I started a serious search in the local paper, Craig's List and AutoTrader.

To my surprise, the best deal I found on a car that met most of my equipment list was available -- at a good price -- at a dealer. This particular new-car dealer has been in business here for many years and has a good reputation in the community. I was shocked to find a 3-year-old Camry, very well-equipped, with less than 15,000 miles for less than $15,000. My research on Carfax indicated a one-owner car, meticulously maintained and never in an accident. It's beautiful! We're grateful! Bought it yesterday.

I commented on the irony of the 15,000 number for both the miles and the price.

My father-in-law said it's good the car didn't have 80,000 miles!

If his logic were sound, I'd have looked for one with less than 100.

Lessons From A Faucet

I stink when it comes to most repairs.

That's a bit hard to admit sometimes. My dad was skilled with his hands. Tight finances and a general awareness that he could fix most of the things around us meant that we almost never used outside people for repairs. My younger brother is pretty much like dad. Most of the time he does his own repair work. His job pays pretty well, but he does it because he can and would rather save the money for something else.

So here I am today attempting to put a repair kit in a kitchen faucet. The instructions in the package were simple. Well, maybe they are simple for someone else. When I got stuck in the middle of the job with the water off throughout the house, I went online and looked up a more detailed set of instructions. I wasn't encouraged when the writer described the job as "takes only a few minutes." Grrrr.

After much frustration, about an hour invested and the kit only partially installed, I put the whole thing back together enough to turn on the water and told Cathy I need a repairman to do it right.

The interesting thing is that I can do most of my own computer repairs. I have some confidence in my ability to install both hardware and software. I actually find that work relaxing rather than draining.

But the next time the faucet drips...PLEASE remind we what I wrote!

Here's a question for you. What are some of those things you would rather do yourself? What are some you would rather pay someone else to do?

The Rest Of the Story

Some weeks ago, I told you about some financial happenings in my life. After you read the original post, entitled "Bank Error (Not) In Your Favor, I will tell you the (current) "rest of the story."

We learned something in the young fires of adversity: God always provides!

I was one of those guys who squeezed four years of college into ten. Let me clarify... I went to school for three years and mostly goofed around. Then we got married, I worked in a local church -- during which time our son was born -- and I felt God wanted me to become a pastor. Soooo, after a four-year hiatus, I went back to college as a serious student. Taking classes as much as possible while I held down a full-time job, I graduated after three more years.

It was during that time that Cathy got pregnant with twins and we didn't have health insurance. To say that money was tight was understatement.

I'll never forget the conversation as we drove home one afternoon. Cathy said she needed us to stop and pick up a few groceries. I explained that we had no money. We kept a minimum balance of $5 in our checking account and we were down to that. She told me that we couldn't do without a few very basic necessities and that our son's piggy bank contained a little bit of change we could "borrow" until payday.

We headed home, took the money from the piggy bank and drove to the grocery store.

Arriving back at our house, frugal supplies in tow, we picked up our mail. Opening it, we found a nice card from one of Cathy's aunts. It said, "We remember how tight things got sometimes when your Uncle Don was in seminary. We thought you might need this." It contained a check for $20. Other than our wedding, that may have been the only time we heard from them. That card and money was such a message of hope! (AND that's only one of the times that we received unexpected financial help during one year of our own personal recession.)

Fast forward to yesterday. I was standing in my office talking to someone about an accounting error that is costing me some dollars. We had already discovered the mistake and had taken steps to correct it right away. I found out this week that it will cost more than we originally thought and yesterday afternoon I was being told that it might still be more than I understood in the morning.

Literally in the middle of that conversation, my cell phone rang. I had picked up my car following an $800 repair job just an hour before. My mechanic was now calling to tell me that Cathy's car, which was in for a normal check-up, needs $1500 worth of work. This auto repairman has demonstrated integrity over the last 20 years or so. I know the work must be done and gave him the go ahead.

Just a moment or two later, my Blackberry buzzed, telling me I had an email. It was from a computer company that was sending me a rebate. The email said that, if I have received a check from them, don't cash it. It will bounce!

I went home a short time later, knowing that God is faithful, but feeling a little shell-shocked.

I told Cathy about it all and, when I finished she asked if she could tell me about her day. She went on to describe something that happened yesterday morning. She was able to buy some much needed quilting fabric [it's her addiction :o)] for a tiny fraction of the cost. Because she uses her hobby to make beautiful gifts for loved ones, she actually saved a bundle of future dollars.

As she told me what happened, tears were forming in my eyes.

You see, we have enough right now to take care of all these unexpected expenses. I was struggling because, just maybe it has been too easy lately to depend on my own resources to handle financial problems. My false security was being whittled away. Quilting material reminded me of words spoken by King David in the Psalm where this blog gets its name... The little that the righteous person has is better than the wealth of many wicked people.
(Psalm 37:16 GW)

These are difficult financial times. How are they affecting you?

Now, back to the latest...

The accounting error looks like it's not as bad as I originally thought. The car repair had to be done and is paid for. Hey, it's a lot less expensive than payments! The bounced rebate check? The company I bought the software from took the hit and issued new checks without us having to even ask. The rebate is safely in the bank.

I have much to be thankful for in these tough times. How are you getting along?

I Saw Detroit Kissing Santa Claus...

...underneath the Capitol dome last night.

It looks like the Big Three will get our help. Folks more learned than me are commenting on the upsides and the downsides of the deal. But it has left me wondering about something.

In the Old Testament, the Jews were commanded to treat their own people differently than they might treat others. “Do not charge interest on the loans you make to a fellow Israelite... You may charge interest to foreigners..." (Deuteronomy 23:19-20 NLT)

The same can be said of the New Testament. More lifestyle than law, it is described: "And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. (Acts 2:44-45 NLT)

You, I believe, understand this principle. "There's nothing wrong with a little nepotism," the old saying goes, "as long as you keep it in the family." We expect people to treat their own differently.

Boston Becki told me about buying sunglasses from a street vendor at the Common. "How much," she asked. "15 bucks for two pair, $10 for one." Becki countered, "I just need one pair. I'll give you $8." When he hesitated, she said, "Look I'm local -- not a tourist. If you don't sell them to me, someone else will." The local girl scored the deal.

A friend told me long ago that he was uncomfortable charging interest to another Christian. He had a unique way of handling it. He said that some people need the personal incentive to repay what they owe. He would float them a personal loan at a fair interest rate. Then surprise them by returning the interest when they paid him back according to agreement.

Which brings me back to our friends in the auto business? I had the rare privilege to deal directly with the owner of a new car dealership many years ago. He showed me two new cars on his lot. Both of them were unsold, previous year models. Both, he thought, would fit my budget. Because I pastored one of his managers, he treated me like family. He told me exactly how much he paid the maker for the car and exactly how much they were rebating him since it hadn't sold last year. Then he told me exactly how much profit he needed to make to break even on his expenses, offering to sell to me at that price. I ended up buying a late model used car from him instead, but I will always appreciate the gesture.

As taxpayers, it seems to me that we will all own part of the automakers. It's our tax dollars that may bail them out. Soooo, what if you go car shopping, find the car you want, and receive total disclosure on every item making up the sales price? There would be no "wiggle room," no haggling. They simply give you the lowest price they can afford to sell the car for.

After all, from now on we're "family."

How do you like my plan?

Bank Error (not) In Your Favor

We learned something in the young fires of adversity: God always provides!

I was one of those guys who squeezed four years of college into ten. Let me clarify... I went to school for three years and mostly goofed around. Then we got married, I worked in a local church -- during which time our son was born -- and I felt God wanted me to become a pastor. Soooo, after a four-year hiatus, I went back to college as a serious student. Taking classes as much as possible while I held down a full-time job, I graduated after three more years.

It was during that time that Cathy got pregnant with twins and we didn't have health insurance. To say that money was tight was understatement.

I'll never forget the conversation as we drove home one afternoon. Cathy said she needed us to stop and pick up a few groceries. I explained that we had no money. We kept a minimum balance of $5 in our checking account and we were down to that. She told me that we couldn't do without a few very basic necessities and that our son's piggy bank contained a little bit of change we could "borrow" until payday.

We headed home, took the money from the piggy bank and drove to the grocery store.

Arriving back at our house, frugal supplies in tow, we picked up our mail. Opening it, we found a nice card from one of Cathy's aunts. It said, "We remember how tight things got sometimes when your Uncle Don was in seminary. We thought you might need this." It contained a check for $20. Other than our wedding, that may have been the only time we heard from them. That card and money was such a message of hope! (AND that's only one of the times that we received unexpected financial help during one year of our own personal recession.)

Fast forward to yesterday. I was standing in my office talking to someone about an accounting error that is costing me some dollars. We had already discovered the mistake and had taken steps to correct it right away. I found out this week that it will cost more than we originally thought and yesterday afternoon I was being told that it might still be more than I understood in the morning.

Literally in the middle of that conversation, my cell phone rang. I had picked up my car following an $800 repair job just an hour before. My mechanic was now calling to tell me that Cathy's car, which was in for a normal check-up, needs $1500 worth of work. This auto repairman has demonstrated integrity over the last 20 years or so. I know the work must be done and gave him the go ahead.

Just a moment or two later, my Blackberry buzzed, telling me I had an email. It was from a computer company that was sending me a rebate. The email said that, if I have received a check from them, don't cash it. It will bounce!

I went home a short time later, knowing that God is faithful, but feeling a little shell-shocked.

I told Cathy about it all and, when I finished she asked if she could tell me about her day. She went on to describe something that happened yesterday morning. She was able to buy some much needed quilting fabric [it's her addiction :o)] for a tiny fraction of the cost. Because she uses her hobby to make beautiful gifts for loved ones, she actually saved a bundle of future dollars.

As she told me what happened, tears were forming in my eyes.

You see, we have enough right now to take care of all these unexpected expenses. I was struggling because, just maybe it has been too easy lately to depend on my own resources to handle financial problems. My false security was being whittled away. Quilting material reminded me of words spoken by King David in the Psalm where this blog gets its name... The little that the righteous person has is better than the wealth of many wicked people.
(Psalm 37:16 GW)

These are difficult financial times. How are they affecting you?

Show Me The Money

"I can't afford it," my friend said seriously. The guy was a successful dentist who is also a very careful money manager. "It" was the daily (extra large) soft drink his assistants each bought at a local convenience store. I knew what he was talking about.

Little things add up. Make sure you get the point...

Little things add up!

About that time, my teeth-drilling friend took his wife down to the local Ford dealer and paid cash for a new Expedition. Actually, they had to "borrow" some of the price and pay it back after a couple of months. Otherwise, the factory wouldn't have tacked on the incentive they gave to the dealer to help make sure the buyer used their in-house finance company. Strange, isn't it? The dealer could sell the truck cheaper if the buyer borrowed money. Hmmmm.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. This was the guy who "couldn't afford" a Big Gulp. In fact, he was amazed that his helpers paid out that money every day. He did a quick calculation of how much it was costing them per week and compared it to how much they made. It left him just shaking his head. $1.25 a day. $6.25 a week. Between $25 and $30 a month. Little things?

Our economic road signs read "Danger Ahead!" The little things that we haven't noticed are likely to become much more important. They add up.

Which ones do you need to notice?

Let's Get Fiscal

I was not a happy camper. It just wasn't right that, since we lived on a corner lot, all the water washed down the gutter on our side street and left a deposit of sand as it made the turn. I mean, what's a person supposed to do? Six inches of sand spanning about five feet of curved curb -- right next to my house. Where was the City of Phoenix when you needed them, anyway?

Or, so my thinking went.

I grant you that this happened a long time ago, but I still remember my frustration. Clearly!

It was about then that a "truth" hit me. Here it is: if everyone in that city wanted the local government to clean up every mess next to his/her house, how much would it cost? AND, was I willing to pay my share of the taxes?

I began scooping up sand with a new attitude!

This lesson has implications, on both the macro and micro scales. First I heard people complaining about how our federal government planned to deploy their giant scooping machines and take care of some of the accumulated dirt on Wall Street. Now people are grousing because more behemoth scoopers are being sought out by the auto industry. That sand has sure piled up!

Don't get me wrong. I understand the disgruntlement when some politicians are telling us that they are doing us a favor by rescuing those poor people with so much dirt on their big, corner lots. Honestly, I'm disturbed because the money they are using to pay for the operation is something that we will still owe when my grandkids are old -- if the system doesn't collapse before then.

Here's where it gets interesting, though. The problem isn't just with big corporations. It's with us. You and me. Every time one individual or one family decides to live high on the hog today by borrowing (second mortgages?) against tomorrow, we have added to it.

And WE don't get a bailout!

I think it's time to buy a shovel. What do you think?

'Til Her Daddy Takes The T-Bird Away

We're in a sermon series called "Insuring Your Financial Future" right now, so I have money management on my mind a lot. I've learned a lot of money lessons over the years. Here's one of them...

When I was young, I managed a small office at a Christian college. We were able to hire "Work Study" students in that office. They qualified for government aid which helped us pay them a decent part-time wage while minimizing the impact on our budget.

One of the girls who worked there I'll call Liz. Liz was a quiet girl with great work ethics. She was a pretty good student who planned a career as a teacher.

Liz was also, I knew, from a difficult family background. She worked hard to be able to attend our college, which wasn't cheap by any means.

As Liz reached her Senior year, she was in a quandary. She needed a way to get back and forth to elementary schools for her training as a student teacher. Public transportation wasn't great in Phoenix in those days. I'm sure it still pales to what some of you have available in big cities in the East. (I love the "T" in Boston!)

The logical answer was for Liz to buy a car. True to form, she made a careful, conservative decision. She found a simple, reliable used car for an excellent price. That introduced her to another problem. Even though she had money for a down payment and had proof of adequate income -- even though she had good references -- she had no credit history. She also had no possibility of backing from her family in another state.

Not sure what to do, Liz came to Cathy and me. We both knew her and were impressed with her. We wanted to help her succeed and we fully believed in her integrity...

So we cosigned for a loan at the local Credit Union.

It took well over a year for this lesson to come home to roost. Liz graduated, got her teaching certificate and moved back to her home state where she immediately found work. We were happy for her and proud of her accomplishment.

Then, one day, out of the blue, we received an official looking envelope from the Credit Union. Opening it, we discovered that Liz hadn't made her car payment in over 60 days. In fact, within just a couple of weeks, the loan would be in default and would immediately reflect on our credit rating! In other words, she had missed two payments, but this was the first time they notified us as cosigners!

In those days our income and expenses were very tight. We weren't in a position just to start paying for Liz's car. But if we didn't, we would take the hit! In fact, it was legally possible that we could pay for the rest of the loan and she could walk away unless we took her to court. Even then we might have received nothing but a huge lesson.

No wonder Solomon wrote so long ago...

1 My child, be careful about giving a guarantee for somebody else’s loan, about promising to pay what someone else owes.
2 You might get trapped by what you say; you might be caught by your own words.
3 My child, if you have done this and are under your neighbor’s control, here is how to get free. Don’t be proud. Go to your neighbor and beg to be free from your promise.
(Proverbs 6:1-3 NCV)

Our story had a happy ending. We contacted Liz. She was deeply embarrassed and sorry. She had a setback because of unforeseen circumstances, but she got back on her payment schedule and paid us back for the payment we had made.

Our nation has entered a season of tight money. The easy credit of our recent past has us reeling. Many people who qualified a short time ago will now have trouble getting loans. No doubt, you will have a "Liz" needing your help.

Can you afford it?

It grows where?

The Boston Granddaughter recently discovered the joy of fall apples. She was surprised to find out that they grow on trees!

We all know about something green that can't be picked from a tree and seems to be more challenging to find anywhere lately. Like many churches, our giving slumps some during the summer. (Can you spell 110? In the shade?) In addition, it's the time of year with the largest expenses, like camps, mission trips and VBS. That doesn't even factor in our potent electric bills during the hot months.

Every year, we seem to get back on course in the early fall and have been blessed with great financial stability. We don't say too much about finances. (We aren't shy about it -- I preach a very "no holds barred" series on managing money each year -- and we emphasize that we serve a generous God who wants us to do likewise.) Well, we aren't bouncing back as usual this Autumn.

Our attendance is stable, about the same as last fall. That means a lot, because we have a ton of families from the military and Homeland Security who attend and this was a HUGE attrition year for us. The fact that God has given us enough new people to replace those who left is significant. The money, though, has slowed down. It could be the economy. Or the time gap between attending and faithful giving. Whatever the reason, we are forced to make adjustments.

Enter Josh. Josh is a fairly young guy who spent ten years flying helicopters in the Marines. Josh was the surprise applicant when we told the church we needed a new Office Manager. Josh has capably been learning to manage our day-to-day budget. Now, Josh is getting his baptism of fire. He didn't create this mess, but he somehow feels it must partly be his fault. I asked him to bring me a report of exactly where we stand. He brought that report to me yesterday, along with projections and prognostications based on past performance.

This is where it gets funny. Imagine Josh, still with a buzz cut, maintaining much of the bearing and control common among "The Few... The Proud..." Josh, the faithful listener to right-wing radio talk shows. Josh, the tall, strong, macho guy that I thought would strangle me when I quipped (joking) that I was voting for Hillary in the primary. Josh, I am certain, has lost sleep over our finances. What can we do? Where will this lead?

"The thing that concerned me most," he said, "was that I knew we would be okay if we could just raise church taxes. Oh, no! I've become a Democrat!"