Mary's Musings

May 2010

2010-05-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

The Invisible Person

Have you ever been in a group and someone join the group and not notice that you are there? They come into the group talking. They face the other people or persons on all sides of you but they don’t act as though they hear you or see you.
Or maybe you are in conversation with someone and another person walks up and starts to talk to the other person deleting you permanently from the conversation. Are you invisible? That is how you feel.
These people walk up and in their own importance think what they have to say supercedes anything or any conversation that might be going on in the world.
No one needs to be put into this position. Even a simple, “excuse me” to the excluded one will go a long way toward preventing hurt feelings and feelings of invisibility and unworthyness.
Watch and listen carefully what is going on when you are joining a group or in a group. Be observant and get the whole picture before you open your mouth. If it is not an emergency, “Your child just ran into the street!”, do not interrupt the ones in conversation. If you wait they will give you opportunity to deliver your message and no one will be hurt.
Pay attention to your actions you may be making people feel hurt from you because of your rushing in and taking over when you had no intention of being pushy. It is not all about you. The world does not revolve only for your words and action. Give the same courtesy to others that you want for yourself. Learn to listen. Learn to be observant. Learn to be a part.

the Gender Wars Are Over — We Won

2010-04-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hah! I knew it all alogn! The tip off was when they got women to burn their bras as a sign of male opression. I have yet to meet a male who prefers them on.

Pajamas Media » Men, the Gender Wars Are Over — We Won

April 2010

2010-04-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

So You Think You Are Lonely

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and taken to a foreign land where he knew no one. There he was unjustly arrested and put into prison. (Genesis 37-39)

Job’s children were all killed. His wife berated him. His friends thought he should lay down and die. (Job 1-8)

Mary was young and unmarried when it was discovered that she was pregnant. There were no friends to rejoice with her. No showers or celebrations and she could be locked away. (Luke 1:26, 2:7)

Jesus abandoned by his closest friends. Beaten and made fun of. (Matthew 26:36-56)

Moses was driven away from home. Away from both mothers who loved him. Away from all of his friends and family.

Everyone suffers from loneliness. It’s part of being human. It is an awful feeling of being misunderstood , unwanted, unloved, deserted, unlovely, Invisible, awkward…lonely.

Just like in the stories in the Bible, these people were not alone. God was with them. Just as he promises us that he will, “never leave you or forsake you”. He never finds anyone that he likes better and never runs out of time.

Next time you are feeling lonely take some time for devotions. Read some scripture, spend some time in prayer and praise. Refresh and renew your communion with God and see how comforted and unalone you are.

March 2010

2010-03-01T15:42:00.000-08:00

Dreams

“Hold fast to your dreams for if dreams die life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly” Langston Hughes.

Do what you can, even if it doesn’t seem like much. Face your problems squarly. Stay true to your dream. A little gain toward your goal is gain. Remember that no matter what happens God will never leave you. If tragedy happens, it happens in everyone’s life. You are not being singled out. You are not being punished for trying.

Extend your hand to others as Jesus would. Offer Love and compassion to those in need of it.
Search your heart and discover what your dreams really are. Prioritize them so you know where to start.

Pray and as God to direct your steps so that you can accomplish the works that make up the dream he has given you.

No matter how old or how young, there are dreams for you to conquer. We just need to get off our seat of do nothing and start.

February 2010

2010-02-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

Mary Tell yourself the truth
Tell Yourself The Truth

Too often we get in the habit of looking in the mirror to see the perfection that we want to be. What we see however, goes to far the other way.
“I’m ugly.” “My hair is horrible”. “I can’t do anything right.” “I’m stupid.”

Chances are you aren’t ugly, your hair just needs cut or permed or washed. You’ve made a few mistakes, who hasn’t. You are not stupid.

We get into the habit of thinking negatively. Sometimes we voice those ideas to others. O course, they won’t say that they agree with us but it doesn’t make us feel better.

Take an honest look at yourself. Are you really so unattractive that little children and puppies go running away screaming when they see you? I don’t think so.

Make the best of what you have. If you are over weight, try to lose. Fix your makeup, for yourself, even if you don’t plan to see anyone this day. Curl your hair. Put on nice earrings. Look in the mirror give yourself a wink and say out loud, “Not bad!” And mean it. God doesn’t make junk, but he does need our help keeping the area in order.

If you usually are negative when someone wants to do something with them practice giving it an honest consideration. Don’t speak too soon. Think, “Is there something positive I can say?” Or, “Even though I don’t think I want to do this should I do it any way?” Being in a group where we can just be our self will help you feel better about yourself.

If you are really feeling stupid in some area, make an effort to study that subject until you can carry on a conversation about it and hold your own. Libraries are wonderful for this or if you are more modern the internet works too.

The thing is God made you. He gave you all the attributes that you need to be healthy and wise and pleasant to look at. It is really up to you what you do with what he has given you.

December 2009

2009-12-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

During this year I have used Dave Ramsey’s Total money make over as a guide. The two of us, Dave and I, have been repetitious I know. But now it is time to sum it all up.

Take baby Steps. You can’t fix it over night. The Bible says line upon line. Or one step at a time. Focus on the step that you are on even if it seems strange.

Have patience. Make a written budget every month. Spend every penny of what you make on paper before the month begins. This way you will know exactly how much goes where and what you can use it for, rent food, gas entertainment etc.

Luke 14: 28 says, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”

Some more scripture that might help:

Proverbs 22: 7 “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”

Proverbs 6: 1-5 “ My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou are taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou are come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.” (Basically this scripture says if you get yourself in debt, get out.)

Read: James 1:2-5

Gods word does not bar us from having a surplus. Some of us are placed at every level of financial areas. So we can witness to those around us.

Psalms 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” So what are the desires of our heart? For those who seek to serve God it is not material indulgence.

God promises abundance if we care about other's needs. Psalm 112:5 “it is well with the man who is gracious and lends." God has no difficulty with our affluence as long as it is used to help others and glorify him.

We adjust our expectations to the level of those around us. We tend to be overly concerned and depressed by what we do not have instead of focusing on what we do have and being thankful for that Most of us suffer from unrealistic expectations of our self and some of the promises God has given us. To the point that if we cannot give our family as much as others give theirs we feel that we are a failure. That in turn causes us to be discouraged. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Hebrews 13:5 “Let your way of life be free from the love of money”

Know where your money goes before you spend it. I believe there is a Biblical answer to every financial decision a person needs to make. Proverbs 14:12 “The plans that seem right to a man often end in disaster.

Malachi 3: 10 God says, “Test me now in this”

Proverbs 3:12 “for whom the Lord loves he reproves even as a father (or mother) the son (or daughter)in whom he delights.”

November 2009

2009-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Joneses are broke. Yes it is true they owe on the house, the cars, the furniture the clothes on their back and probably the food in their pantry.

If you could look into their heart you would not find peace and contentment. What you would find is worry and frustration. Not a pretty sight.

It happens seemingly over night. Just a little spent here and there. One more thing to make our life picture complete and before we know it we are in such a habit of over spending that it seems impossible to stop. Our debt to income ratio has been passed so long ago we don’t hardly know what it means.

Think about it. How did you get to this point? What are you going to do now that you have awakened and know where you are?

Get out last months journal where I listed the names of the books that will help and buy one. Look on e bay or on Amazon.com for a bargain.

Ignore your peers ignore family and friends you are doing this for your immediate family to build love and peace. Those things that God speaks about that bring a family together. No you don’t have to live forever without the nicer things of life but get these old problems and debts taken care of first then decide one at a time what things are worth. What they require to have and add them to your household if you have the cash to afford them.

Many ads on tv are trying to teach us to use plastic for purchases because it is faster. Don’t fall into this trap. Take your time when deciding on a purchase and don’t be afraid to pay cash or write a check to pay. I tell my students if the person behind you is getting upset just look at them sweetly and say, “My accountant will kill me if I don’t write this down now.” How can they get mad when it’s a matter of life or death?

You are your accountant and it is your responsibility to make your client uphold his end of the bargain by writing down every purchase atm or check.

Be bold be assured that this is your life. You are taking into your hands and you are responsible to make it work and make it better. Your quality of life depends on it.

They call it “ Getting rid of the fat”. That means finding a less expensive house to live in; yes there are some out there. Selling the car with the high payments and buying an older one in good shape that will do the job. Get your clothes at Walmart or target. They have cute stuff that isn’t as expensive as specialty shops.

Even shop around for your food. Walmart and Smiths are almost always cheaper than some of the other stores. And why not look at the places like canned food outlets they have good buys too. Don’t be afraid to look for sales. Smith’s for instances has case sales about every six months. You save a lot by taking advantage of them. Search it out and remember if you put all those pennies that you save in savings your savings would build pretty fast.

October 2009

2009-10-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

In these hard economic times it is getting more important that we keep on track. Saying that you have no problem in your financial world when you struggle at every paycheck is lying to yourself.

I know that I have said this before but it is so important that I want to say it again. If you haven’t already done it and if you have but really need to do it again ( I try to do it at least every three months.) Look at your money spending for the last two weeks. The total should match your income. If it doesn’t, then try to figure where that money went. Then look at your expenditures that should give you an idea where your problem is.

No one is born with the knowledge of how to handle money. We must learn how. But it is hard to find someone to teach us.

Admit that you are having a problem. Research to find out about how to control finances. Some good books are:

Debt Free Living by: Larry Burkett
Living well on one income (in a two income world) by: Cynthia Yates
The Total Money Makeover by: Dave Ramsey
The financially challenged by: Wilson J Humber

Go on a quest to learn more about money. You don’t have to enroll in school or watch all the tv programs you can find. Just read something about money at least once a year to keep you on track

Learning about money shows that you care about yourself and those around you.

Wealth doesn’t just happen. You need to spend some time and effort on learning how to manage and use money to your best advantage.

The need for approval and respect drives us to do some really dumb things. One of those things is buying things that we don’t need in order to look wealthy to those around us or to just have something to do. We must get to the place that others opinions are not important. What is important is that we learn to manage our money so that we have adequate food clothing and shelter and a peace of mind that only comes from being out of debt, having a little money in savings for emergency and knowing that our family is together and taken care of.

September 2009

2009-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Changing habits is the only thing that will save you financially. Just as you must change your habits to lose weight. You must treat the problems not the symptoms. And if you are still reading this blog after all of these months you are serious enough to do something about your problems. Most likely you have started already. Have you made your lists? Have you analyzed your spending habits? Have you taken a good look and discovered some places where you need to change? If you have then you need to know that it isn’t easy and you have made good headway. Keep it up.

Using cash is the best way to go. If you use cash you will spend less and spend more carefully. It eliminates spur of the moment purchases and causes us to think carefully about what we put in our basket.

I have heard of many people who, and have done this myself; will go through their basket and do a final evaluation of the things in it to see if they do indeed want or need the item in it.

Impulse buying is curtailed by the fact that you do not have the cash in your pocket to indulge in unneeded items. But it also saves the, “Why did I buy that” statements to yourself when you get home.

Knowing that you have a credit card in your wallet that you could use gives a sense of security but the real test is to promise yourself that you won’t use it and then honor that promise by leaving it securely in its slot.

By doing a budget you will know how much cash you have to spend.

More and more people are just using their debit cards not realizing that they are adding fees to their purchase by doing so. Some gas stations charge you if you use your atm. Some atm’s will charge you if it is not your primary card source. Some automatically take out more than your purchase amount until your purchase has cleared leaving you with less money in the bank than you think is there and then you get added fees for overdraft.

Cash has no added fees, no hidden charges, no over drafts. It is what it is. You have $x's to spend and that’s all. No surprises at the end of the month.

Cash allows you to say no to yourself.” David Ramsey. Saying no to our self isn’t always easy but it is often necessary. The more you practice it the better you will get at it. At first you probably will run out of money but for a few months as you are getting used to using cash keep close records of what you spend. Check those receipts and make it a mystery hunt to figure out how you can do better. Just because we must change doesn’t mean it can’t be fun

August 2009

2009-08-10T12:00:00.001-07:00

I don’t understand a lot about insurances but I know that there are some that do not give you the value that you think they will. Be sure that you check it out thoroughly. Do the math for now and for the future. Will it really do what it is supposed to do?

Lotteries, slot machines, gambling of any kind are not created to make you rich. They are made to make the casino owners rich or to increase some government program.Gambling represents false hope and denial. Diligence and thrift are how wealth is built not by chance.

Prepaying for things like college and funerals is not a good idea. The same money unvisited will bring a better return. Again do the homework. Add the numbers. What is the rate of increase that I would be saving. What percent of increase would I earn if this money were invested instead? See which is the greater advantage to you and choose that way.

Most people concentrate on the urgent instead of the important.Estate planning is never urgent until someone dies.If you want to win with money you must think about today as well as the future. IRA’s, 401 K’s, Estate planning, retirement. Remember these things are important for everyone. You are not excluded.

Debt management companies sound good. They take your money every month and distribute it to your bills. That sounds good but what they don’t tell you is, going this way will ruin your credit. They negotiate lower payments and sometimes lower balances and the equivalence of a chaper 13 on your record. So the best thing to do is stay away from these companies.The only thing that can be changed on your credit history is mistakes. Otherwise it takes seven years for a bad record to be taken off of your credit history..(except with chapter 7 bankruptcy) your credit report is your financial reputation.People who say they can repair your bad credit are lying and probably asking you to do the same. You could get into serious trouble by going this way so avoid it.

In a divorce if your name is still on the debt the company can still come after you for payment no matter who the judge says should pay it. This leaves you very vulnerable.The answer is to refinance all debts . Her half in her name. His half in his name. Or sell as much as possible but don’t share the debt by keeping your name on the contract.

Any deal, special plan or settlement that you make with a collector must be in writing before you send them money. Never allow collectors electronic access to your checking account, and never send post dated checks. Collectors are not your friend. They will abuse you if given the chance because you owe them money they can get away with it.

Filing bankruptcy is not the answer. It will leave you scared for life. Emotionally as well as financially. A chapter seven bankruptcy stays on your record for ten years . A Chapter thirteen bankruptcy stays for seven years. But for the rest of your life on loan papers and job applications you are asked if you have filed for one of these. If you lie technically you have committed a criminal fraud.These things I have mentioned in this article are things to avoid. They look good for the moment but leave scars that are hard to get rid of and some are permanent.Next month we talk about using cash.

July 2009

2009-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Get Rich Quick…….”When something sounds too good to be true, it is.”

Keeping that in mind when you are thinking of using one of your credit cards because they offer “rewards” is a case in point. Do they offer frequent flier miles? Consider do you ever fly anywhere? How often? Comparing the interest that you pay to get enough flier miles to go where you want, wouldn’t it just be cheaper to buy a ticket? On one credit card that I saw recently it said, “Cash in your rewards or you will lose them.” So I looked at the catalogue to see what rewards they were talking about. They had listed about five things that could be bought with reward points. Nothing was exchanged straight across. You also had to pay for the item. The prices were not cheep. A neighborhood store would have these same items at a lesser price. Check out the offer from your credit card company. Are these the kind of people that you want to support?

Every one wants something for nothing. Quick fixes. Easy money. Looking for that “get rich quick” secret that will make all of their worries go away.

I’m sorry to tell you this but there is no magic wand waving secret that will suddenly give you all of the money that you want.

There is no rich relative, for the majority of us, that is going to leave enough wealth to sustain us past our golden years. It is entirely up to each individual to take care of themselves. You won’t be able to do that if you don’t start now.

Here I want to add that if you have a few dollars and are thinking about investing. Make sure you do your homework. Don’t leave it entirely in your broker’s hands. Find out for yourself the history of the stocks or products that you are interesting in then make a wise decision getting good counsel on the matter.

The thing that will really make a difference is a lot of hard work. Live on less than you make, get out of debt and live on a plan. These are the things that will work. Not the get rich quick scams that abound.

June 2009

2009-06-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Using debt does not ensure the economy of our nation. If every one started saving and paying cash our country would make the adjustment and we would get more goods for the amount of money that we spend. If we as a whole were debt free we would prosper and so would our country.

Our economy would be more stable. Giving would increase and many social problems would be privatized with the government out of the welfare business. Taxes could come down and our spending capital would increase.

To sum it all up debt is not the way to wealth. Paying cash and saving is..

May 2009

2009-05-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Many financial advisors agree that debt is not the problem. It is only the symptom. Debt is the symptom of over spending and under saving.

I have read that 78% of the time after someone consolidates his credit card debts, the debt grows back.

The problem is that we don’t realize we must have the habit of paying cash or not buying at all and that we need to save for unexpected expenses.

Debt consolidation seems like a good way to go but when examined we find we are often paying more in the long run. They are, after all, in the business of making money. Be sure to read the small print. Is this a longer loan? Is it a reasonable amount of returnable money? You have checked the interest but does it go up at any time during the life of the loan and what about fees. You must read the small print.

Make a list of all of your bills and list them in the order of highest interest to lowest interest… also list the amounts of the bills. Start this pay period putting all of the extra dollars you can on that one with the highest interest. Even a few dollars will go against the principle and will get it paid off faster.

April 2009

2009-04-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

The question I am asking is do you want to look good or be good? Looking good is when people are impressed by what you have: your house your car etc. Being good is having more control over your life than they do.

You have to reach the point where what people think is not your motivating factor or even a consideration.

Reaching your goal of debt free living must be your motivator. You must have a change of heart. A change that continually encourages you to pass up that sale or good deal in order to put that little extra on the next credit card bill to reach the goal of having it paid off.

Did you know that you don’t need a credit card to rent a car or check into a hotel or buy something? Your debit card can do all those things for you and leave you not owing more money. Paying as you go is a great way to save. You will need to do a little advance planning to make sure you have the money in the bank and also that your debit card will be taken at the places you want to use it. The lesser known car rental places, for instance, are cheaper and will take your debit card, where the more known ones won’t.

Remember that by planning ahead and having the money in the bank before you decide to spend will help you

Some people think that it is risky to use your debit card for these kinds of transactions. According to noted financial expert Dave Ramsey, “Visa’s regulations require the member bank to afford the debit card the exact same protection in cases of theft or fraud.” You can go to visa’s web site to verify this statement if you like.

No matter how good the deal looks using a credit card is trouble. We don’t discipline ourselves to pay it off every month. We don’t keep a check on what we buy with it because it isn’t coming directly out of our pocket this minute. And we don’t think about the fact that we have just put a stumbling block in our path to debt free living.

Proverbs 14:12 “ The plans that seem right to a man often end in disaster”

March 2009

2009-03-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

March 2009

Like a child screaming for instant gratification, we go into a store and see something we want and before we can take a look at whether or not we need it or can afford it we purchase it. Using twisted logic, rationalization and gradual changes allows normal intelligent people to be party to these hurtful spending habits.

Every where we look there are people encouraging us to purchase something anything. The banks want us to take out loans or change our loans. Sometimes that is good and will help but not always. Credit card companies (banks) are on us every time we get the mail to get another card or use their checks, “it’s so convenient”.

Clothing ads, car ads, house ads, computer and accessories, cosmetics, vitamins , gyms and more all beg us to come spend, don’t think about it just do it. It will make you more beautiful, more acceptable sexier, and what they don’t mention, more in debt.

Actually, it won’t make you more beautiful. God places an inner beauty inside of you that cannot be bought but will draw others to you when his will for your life is exercised. Being over whelmed by bills and financial problems won’t let that beauty through.

If people like you only because of the car you drive or the clothes you wear or the house you live in they don’t really like you.

With our society encouraging us to spend whether we have it or not at every turn it’s hard to realize that there really is a thing called debt free living.

Proverbs 22:7 “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” nkjv

Did you look at your list from last month? What did you discover about yourself?

Have you said or heard someone say,” I deserve that.” What does that mean? What was done to deserve that?

February 2009

2009-02-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

On our journey we must first realize that we need to make a change. If the bills are not getting paid the way we are doing it now, the need for change is a given.

The next step can be hard but I think that most of us already know what is behind our spending. We must take an honest look at what we spend and why. Not piling guilt onto yourself but getting down to the nitty gritty of what pushes you to make the financially unhealthy decisions that we make. Why do you have to have or purchase all the things that catch your attention.

Does it make you feel loved or in line with the “Jones’s”? Does it bring you satisfaction just because you can? Are things comforting? Figure out why you spend like you do and why the “warm fuzzies” are connected to your money.

Be brutally honest. No one but you can hear what you bring up so tell the truth. Drag out all those old feelings that up until now only rear their heads when you enter a store or get on the internet and are pushed into oblivion by spending yet more money. Why is money controlling you? Why does spending give a false sense of security?

It’s time to come out of denial and realize that if your bills are mounting up and your paycheck seems to be getting smaller someone is going to have to do something and that someone is you. When you realize that things are not getting better and you are desperate for answers then and only then will you be ready to make the huge hard changes that will get the results that you need, it wont be easy. Change is uncomfortable even painful but with God’s help and a little good advice and especially a strong desire to move from where you are now to the more comfortable place of being debt free. You can be successful at arriving where you want to be.

Think about make a list of all your purchases this last week. List every cup of coffee and every piece of gum…..everything. Now look over the list and figure why, exactly, did you purchase each item…..write it down it will help you to see it on the page.

January 2009

2009-01-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

The bills are due and it’s over whelming. It seems to get worse every month. Even though you have tried to cut back it doesn’t seem to work. You realize that you have a problem. You need a change with your finances. Do you know who is responsible for making that change? It’s you. The person in your mirror. If you can get that person under control you can get your finances under control.

Dave Ramsey says,” Financial winning is 80 % behavior and 20% head knowledge.”

The problem isn’t so much that we don’t know what to do about our spending. Putting that knowledge into action is the hard part.

It’s a hard job keeping ourselves in control. Making wise decisions and delaying instant gratification. Taking time to think about our spending and then deciding whether it is a good idea before we spend.

Let’s face it, you are the problem with your money. Like it or not you are the one in charge of your future.

I think everyone wants to get out of debt and gain control and in these times of turmoil it is a must. Too often we buy things we cannot afford. Let’s work on delaying immediate pleasure by exercising sacrifice and discipline for a greater result.

The rewards to your self appreciation and feelings of success will be unmeasurable.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT YOU ALLOW AND TAKE CONTROL OF WHAT YOU DO.

ARE YOU A SLAVE?

2007-11-29T15:55:00.003-08:00

Are you a slave? Interesting question isn 't it. My first reaction is to say emphatically, "NO. Of course not!" , 'and yet as I think of my financial status I realize that Yes, I do at times put myself into a situation where my debts tell me how to live. (Can 't with a clear conscious go out or buy something new because I owe my paycheck to my creditors. I can 't take the day off unless I am about dead because I need that money for my bills.) So I guess the answer to the question is, "Yes, I am a slave." I have put myself into servitude to many people. Each debt, credit card, personal loan, car loan, Etc. is another person I must "slave " to please.
My next question is: "Is this really what God wants for my life? How can I please him when I can 't even answer the phone for fear someone wants money from me that I don 't have?
How do we start to mend our ways?
Realize that God owns everything. Begin to pray about your material needs. Pray before you buy so God may let you know what you need and also what you want (No impulse spending.)
Exercise self discipline. Become aware that there is no "money tree". We need to practice moderation. You don 't have to live impoverished lives but it is important to have self discipline.
Everyone needs a budget. A budget is simply a plan for managing your money as you make it.
;There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up. Proverbs 21:20,
Mary

Money—Finances—Loans—Savings Bank Accounts

2007-11-29T15:55:00.001-08:00

The Bible says;
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another…." Romans 13:8,
quot;For the Lord they God blesseth thee as he promised thee and thou shalt lend unto many nations but thou shalt not borrow…" Deut. 15:6.
"The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations and thou shalt not borrow…" Deut. 28:12.
"The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Prov. 22:7.
These and many more scriptures are given in the Bible to guide us in our daily transactions. One recurring theme is "Thou shalt not borrow." How do we in this day and time implement this command? What happens to us if we ignore this command?
"The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Prov. 22: 7
Sums up the way it is. If we borrow (cash, credit cards, whatever, etc.) we owe more than just money to the lender. We owe them a part of our life. The credit card company, or doctors or garage, or bank or who ever we owe have a right to contact us and say, "ok, when are you going to pay me back?" We gave them that right when we made the debt with them. How would you feel if someone owed you a debt and would not talk to you or explain to you why they were not paying it? Don't they as lenders deserve to know what is happening with their investment? The story of the talents lets us to know that yes it is the responsibility of the borrower to keep the "Master" informed as to what is happening on his behalf.
What I am mostly concerned about is what it does to God's people when they are in bondage to the people they have been indebted to. How can we be free in him, or to do his work if our mind is continually consumed with the worry of how we can pay the debts we owe. How do we get out from under this cloud of obligation? Let's explore that in the next few months.
Your friend
Mary

2007-11-29T15:54:00.001-08:00

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and taken to a foreign land where he knew no one. There he was unjustly arrested and put into prison. (Gen. 37-39)f
Job 's children were all killed on the same day. His wife berated him. His friends thought he should lie down and die (Job 1-8)
Mary was young and unmarried when it was discovered that she was pregnant there were no friends to rejoice with her no showers or celebrations. (Luke 11:26, 2:7)
Moses was driven away from home. Away from both mothers who loved him. Away from friends and family.
Jesus abandoned by his closest friends was beaten and made fun of tortured and nailed to a tree. (Matt.26: 36-56)
And we think we have problems,
Mary

Be heart smart

2007-11-29T15:53:00.001-08:00

: incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.. Psalms 141:4
At the heart of relational humility is self-forgetfulness. So often we live as if our primary calling is to make us healthy, happy, comfortable and wealthy. If anyone or anything dares to get in our way we erupt into anger, resentment, and bitterness.
It is hard to realize that the world doesn't revolve around us. Humility acts like a filter to let us realize that everything doesn't have to bend our way. Pride always leaves the aftertaste of frustration. Humility, on the other hand, can never be disappointed.
By serving others we will experience the joy and fulfillment of Christ.
your friend
Mary