Learning to Spend Less

"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food."

from Isaiah 55

When we created our first budget, we discovered that I spent a lot of money on food that did not satisfy.

Ignore your neighbor, as you would have your neighbor ignore you?

At the age of 28, I was teaching at Wright State University. I was living "the good life" as it had been presented to me by my church. I had a wife and two children who loved me,  and a solid job with a good future. My relationship with God through Jesus was warm and comforting. Prayer was a regular part of each day, we lived a simple life, and we had plenty of money to share with others. I was not the knock-down-drag-out evangelist that some of my Sunday School teachers would have liked, but I enjoyed discussing faith both in the church and with students at work. I loved teaching, and had as much leisure as I wanted.

I'm not quite sure when I realized how selfish I was, but it was sometime during that year.

Happy Days

"I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need."

The Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:12)

I know what it is to have plenty, and I think I've learned the secret of going hungry. But I've never seriously experienced the fear of being in need. This is primarily due to the family that raised me and my life experiences, and I see it as a gift - a gift I hope to be able to share with you.

WWJD?

"I'm not Jesus!"

a member of the Church Council

Once upon a time, in a galaxy not too far away, I needed to make a quick decision - one that required more authority than I had as pastor. The right thing to do was clear, but I needed the Church Council's blessing. A leader made phone calls to all of the Council members - some agreed right away, while others hemmed and hawed until she said "Well, do you think Jesus would vote yes?"
That question always got a quick "Of course." Hearing back, I went ahead with our planned course of action.
At the next Council meeting, one of the members asked to know what the vote was, and we reported that it was unanimous. He said "No it wasn't - I didn't vote for it." Upon recounting the conversation, he admitted "Just because Jesus would vote yes, doesn't mean that I did. I'm not Jesus."