Blurbs Of Wisdom 34 Patience

Continued…

Patience is a character quality that can be sought after and actually achieved. When you begin smiling more, relaxing more, and laughing more, you are on the path to peace! 

How many things in your life can you really control? Most events that happen to you are out of your control. We like to think we have mastered the outcomes by clever and intricate planning, but the truth is that things happen anyway. The only control we have as human beings is in choosing how we react to situations. Control is a lot like sticking your finger into a glass of water. You can start sloshing around and make as many waves and ripples as you can. When you take your finger out, the water returns to what it was before. 

What are some practical ways to achieve the quality of patience? To get more out of the game of life, my suggestion would be to go fishing more often. I have found that fishing is an excellent character and soul builder. When I go fishing I get to experience all the good things in life.  Patience is the calling card of a true fisherman. I catch more fish when I am patient. 

I also have to concentrate. I have to mentally prepare for that moment of opportunity when that fish strikes.  If my thoughts are not calm and focused, I will miss catching that fish. I have found that if a fisherman is angry or upset in his mind, he will not have a good fishing day.

It takes some slowing down and concentration on peaceful surroundings to get into the proper mood for fishing. When I’m truly there, my attitude helps me appreciate the thrill of being in the outdoors. I heard a story the other day that illustrates what fishing and patience have in common. A pastor of a church found out that one person in the church was a sales representative for a very well known fly-fishing company. The pastor had always wanted to learn to fly fish and so the two of them quickly became good friends. The pastor wanted the sales representative to tell him everything about fly-fishing. The pastor asked him to show him everything about fly-fishing. 
John 14: 27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

For several weeks, the two of them went to the park beside the local library and practiced, over and over. The salesman coached, encouraged, and demonstrated to the pastor all the necessary casts and techniques. The pastor was an avid and eager learner and caught on very quickly. The salesman told the pastor, “You are ready to go up on your own. When you get back, call me and let me know how it went.” The pastor went fishing as soon as he could. When he returned from the fishing trip, he called the salesman.

“Tell me pastor, what did you see when you were up there fly fishing?” The pastor began replying, “Well, I didn’t catch any fish…I got tangled up a lot…I had one on the line….”

“No Pastor, what did you see?” asked the salesman. After the pastor started thinking for a while, he said, “Well, I saw the trees…the rocks in the water… some birds flying over… the white pillow clouds… the blue stream rippling around….”

The sales representative replied, “Pastor, that’s what fly fishing is.”

That’s what patience is all about…slowing down and enjoying the scenery. Patience and fishing involve slowing down.  How can you have patience if you hurry to go fishing and then hurry to get back? Try taking half of your fishing and camping gear and just slow down and fish! When I fish, I don’t think about the problems of the world. I don’t think about business problems. In fact my thoughts turn to thinking about pleasant memories. My mind focuses on how thankful I am.

I begin to appreciate more fully the decision to take time to go fishing.  Time does slow down. Then time starts expanding because I allow myself to relax. I find that the enjoyment of time begins to be prominent in my thoughts. My thoughts become clear because I am becoming patient in my surroundings. My mind is like a recharged deep cycle battery that is being charged up by simply being outdoors and fishing. My entire body starts sending messages of peace to my joints and muscles. I allow the peace of God to fill my mind. 
Isaiah 26: 3
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal.”

I do have patience. I have chosen to put myself in a position of rebuilding my soul and spirit. That’s why I fish. That’s why I recommend fishing to you. That’s why I recommend developing patience in your life!

For the majority of my working and business life, I didn’t recognize the need for time off and fishing. I did not take care of  “me.” I didn’t comprehend and take into consideration the value of becoming peaceful. I didn’t realize that peace leads to patience and patience circles back to peace. All of us have a tendency to work hard to achieve financial stability. I had always heard speakers talk about the “balance” in life. Most of the speakers I heard were just motivators encouraging me to go out and work more, as long as I brought home roses to my wife, once in a while. No one told me to take time for myself. No one encouraged me to take time to get peaceful. Most of the motivators encouraged me to take expensive travel vacations, which I did with my family. 

But all my working had a price to pay. The price was borrowing money, second mortgages, divorce, bankruptcy, and a heart operation. Yes, I was diligent in all my efforts to achieve. I became totally out of balance with “me.” I let my battery run down. I forgot to take care of the provider, “me.” As I worked harder, I became unclear in purpose and direction. I suffered from stress. I didn’t take time to go fishing. I had no peace. I did not know how to relax. I didn’t know about patience. I realize now, that I was almost always working out of fear. Do you work out of fear? Can you find ways to alleviate the fear by seeking to become more peaceful and patient? Patience, time off, and peace all work together in harmony. In life, like in fishing, you have to enjoy what you are doing. Your hobby or peaceful activity may not be fishing, but I encourage you to get out in the fresh air, out of town, in the midst of nature. I encourage you to take time to rebuild and recharge your battery. Find an activity that is fun for you! I suggest taking the time it takes, to be quiet and peaceful. Did God intend for you to choose to be stressful?  I don’t think so.

Phillippians 4: 7
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Is your life complicated? Is your life centered on peace? Is patience a deliberate procedure in your life? Simplifying your life can produce patience and peace. “Oh,” you say, “My life is too complicated to be simple. My problems are real. There are no real easy answers.” This may be true but there is one thing you can do about your “real problems.” The truth is that you have the ability to change your attitude about your problems. Most of us can’t solve a multitude of problems all at the same time anyway. Most of the time, it takes working on problems one at a time. It’s a matter of setting priorities and working on the right problems at the right time.

I suggest that you take time to be peaceful, time to prepare, time to decide, time to prioritize, and time to think. Being outdoors in nature’s front yard is what helps me the most. Patience is taking the time to wait and watch for solutions. Many times “perceived problems” are “opportunities in disguise.” Patience and peace help you see the possibilities. “Invention is just a fresh pair of eyes.”

There is a prayer that many people say.  It goes like this, “Lord, give me patience…and I want it right now!” In this fast food age we live in, we always want something now, and we expect it now! We get upset if the fast food order takes 25 seconds longer than normal. People are in such a rush that they hurry to get in line at the drive up window. Isn’t the drive up supposed to be faster? Do the people in the drive up line have more patience? Why do people hurry all of the time?

In Steve’s current business, as he stated above, he deals with the aspect of “compressed time.” That phrase describes our modern day era. Computers are supposed to save us time. So why do we not have more time? We have become the “computer headache generation.”
 
Learning and changing can become harder as we grow older in age and spirit. Frustration can erode away patience. Peace becomes harder to achieve because we want everything now, and faster. Watch TV commercials now. There are so many commercials packed in between, even the sardines feel squished. Also, the makers of the commercials have flashing, in front of your eyes, microsecond images so the consumer won’t miss the message or change the channel. How can you be patient in this fast-paced environment? To be continued…

Chapter 9

Blurbs Of Wisdom #33 Patience

Continued…

Every day, two personality traits battle and compete for our thoughts. Patience and impatience want to surface at the same time. What is the difference between impatience and patience?

Impatience refers to concepts such as: annoyance, irritation, edginess, and intolerance. Patience refers to concepts such as: endurance, staying power, tolerance, and lack of complaint, persistence, fortitude, and serenity. Let’s examine time, treasures and talents as companion traits to patience.

Time

Steve is a very good friend of mine. He is a very successful Christian businessman. Steve’s goal at age 21 was to start seven different businesses. He is on business number six now. He explains how the factor of time has been an integral part of the business operations. Steve’s first business was a backpacking and outdoors business. He describes his customers as people who wanted “more time.” His customers wanted to “expand time.” Then Steve purchased and operated a hardware store. He described his customers as people who wanted items “just in time.” Steve’s current business is computer software development. He describes his customers as people who want things right now, immediately, preferably yesterday. His business now deals in “compressed time.”

Steve’s experiences obviously are quite varied. A lot of business knowledge has been acquired by running six different businesses. There are always unexpected setbacks in any business. Changes in the marketplace have to be considered with an ever-present vigilance. Many times a business owner is required to venture into the unknown. He can only wait and see what happens. Without the passage of time, businesses would go nowhere. Patience has to be in full bloom at all times when operating a business.

 

John 14: 7

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Patience, in full blossom, is the fruit of previously planted seeds of peace. Patience is the ability to remain calm in the midst of changing economic conditions and competition. Frustrations can surface at any moment just because of one individual decision. Being in business involves making a series of decisions, both right and wrong. There are no real wrong decisions. Wrong decisions are gentle, sometimes vigorous, nudges to help you change direction. Inside a business, the results of “no patience” are obvious. The owner gets angry easily. He snaps at vendors and employees, and he growls a lot. Sometimes the owner is just unhappy. It is very possible that the owner can miss income possibilities because he hasn’t been patient and peaceful.

It is also very possible to utilize the factor of time in a very unproductive manner. There is a cartoon showing a salesman, with a huge cannon, knocking at the door of a customer. In back of the customer, a war is going on with people fighting with swords and clubs. As the customer opens the door to the cannon salesman, the caption reads, “Go away! I don’t need a salesman. I haven’t got time to talk to you. I have a battle to win.”

Putting out fires, as a habit, robs the owner of the time it takes to make decisions from a peaceful perspective. Peace produces patience. Patience produces peace. Both concepts allow you to experience truth and freedom in life. Both patience and peace are free gifts to you, if you will accept them and cultivate them. Can patience be obtained by practicing? Yes! It just takes time.

Treasures

In operating six businesses, Steve has always been very conscious and aware of his “treasures.” What do I mean by the word, “treasures?” The treasures of a businessman are the principles by which he runs the business. Some examples are: honesty, how employees are treated, commitment to excellence for customers, and the owner’s foundation of personal beliefs.

Psalm 29: 11

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

I have known Steve for over 25 years. His decisions are always based on ” the right thing to do.” In his business locations, he has always displayed on the wall a wooden carving with a Bible verse from Isaiah 40: They that wait upon the Lord shall rise up as with wings of eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.”

Steve always has always had a vision for his company. He has always had a mission to “operate his business in a manner which gives glory to God.” This vision principle is obviously one of Steve’s most valued business principles. Steve is not afraid to display openly to his customers his foundation of personal beliefs. If you were the business owner, would you have the courage to display a Bible verse for everyone to see?

Talents

Steve has another attribute principle. He is very talented at helping other businessmen. Whether personal troubles or business problems, or both, Steve takes time to help. No matter how pressing Steve’s own business becomes, his policy is to take time with a friend or another businessman. Steve’s door is always open and he spends the time it takes. Friendships have developed and continued over many years and Steve has plenty of friends to call upon. Steve is a very fortunate man.

He has helped me and I have helped him. That’s another treasure principle in which we both believe. Recently, Steve purchased an office building. Between making the move, and having a couple of contracts fall through, the cash flow of the business became extremely tight. In addition to Steve’s business dilemma, his oldest son was getting married in Australia. Steve didn’t have funds for the extra airfare. Steve’s friends found out about the situation. They rallied together and raised enough money to make it possible for Steve to take his whole family of six to Australia. Many friends simply gave the money to him. The amount raised, with no strings attached, was just short of $7,000. I believe Steve was rewarded for all the help he had extended to others over the past years. Steve is now taking the longest vacation of his career and I am assuring him that when he comes back, he will be rested and fully able to tackle all the problems far more effectively.

My challenge for Steve is to help him find out that scheduled time off is healthy and productive for anyone. I am encouraging him to develop the talent and skill of “taking more time off” as a pre-planned activity. It’s all too easy to keep working, more and more. It’s all too easy to work harder to keep the money rolling in. In working harder and longer, patience can fade away, and financial pressures can press in and begin to weaken your principles.

Combining time, treasures and talents leads to a well- organized business life. Taking time to understand the value of these concepts makes for a better business and personal life. Concentration on patience allows for clear thinking, staying power, and serenity. Persistence, with fortitude and lack of complaint, leads to a rewarding and peaceful life of patience.

Has my friend had financial setbacks? Sure! When the economy was bad a few years ago, the banks would not renew business loans. Steve, and many others, lost their businesses and had to start all over again. Because of all the adversity, patience had to react to economic conditions and patience had to blossom fully. How would you react, if all of a sudden, the business you developed couldn’t operate any more? Have you already been there? What would your thoughts be?

What happens if sometimes you simply make a few decisions that turn out wrong? Getting upset and angry at the world, yourself, and blaming God can lead only to frustration and unhappiness. How do you respond to adversity?

Personally, in the hard times, I usually tried to work harder and longer. I spent a lot of time running away from any kind of confrontation or reality checks. I wouldn’t take time to be patient. I kept busy. I erroneously believed that if I were busy, I was at least working hard. No one could ever accuse me of not working hard! Are you working harder and longer? Why?

What are your talents? What are your “treasures?”

2 Thessalonians 3: 16

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way…”

 

To be continued …

 

 

Continued…
Chapter Eight Epilogue

I want to invite you to get to know my best friend, God. I want to be an encourager to you who have already started on the Christian walk. If you allow him, you realize that God is in control, not you. Hearing and reading the words of the Bible brings a time when you begin believing. There then comes a time when you start sharing your faith with another person. There comes a time when you know for sure that God is with you and will never leave nor forsake you (it says so in the Bible).

In a hectic world of spending money, saving (putting money aside) is the foundation for a peaceful life. Believing in God stores up treasures in heaven.

Whether “saving” or “believing”, both concepts allow you to live a fruitful life today, right now. Saving, in a sense, costs you money up front. Believing is a free choice, free for the asking. Both concepts are well worth the investment, don’t you agree? The truth to life is actually so simple, that everyone trips over it. Who made the rule that life has to be complicated?

When you begin seeking peace, you will uncover the secret of living triumphantly. Yes, all of us human creatures struggle for food and clothes, and possessions, and honor, and respect, and achievement, but in the end God has the last word. In the Bible, God said, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” We all reach death at the end of our lives. Saving helps you be comfortable with financial peace. Believing helps you be comfortable with eternal peace. Isn’t eternal peace far better than eternal agony?

If you are a procrastinator, you will probably never start saving on a regular basis. The good news is, that, even a procrastinator can change. The really good news is that God can help you change when you ask for help. You still have to take that first step. You have to go out and find a coffee can to put your money into, if that is what it takes to get started. Good habits don’t just pop up easily. Good habits, however, do change, for the better, your quality of life. You usually only get one chance at victorious living. Sometimes that extra saved money separates you from the rest of the financially struggling masses. God will honor your diligent efforts if you ask for help. Life does become much simpler.
Action Plan:
1. Pray (Just talk to God using your own words)
a. Write down an action step you can take:
Say a prayer before going to sleep.
Pray for your son, daughter, and grandchild.
Pray for financial guidance.
2. Read the Bible (Read 10 chapters)
a. Your next action step to take:
Read Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John
Read 2 Corinthians 5:7
“We live by faith, not by sight.”
3. Begin choosing who you want in your boat of friends
a. Your next action step to take:
Meet with some positive friends.
Look for someone you can help.
Invite someone to your home.
4. Start counting your blessings. Be thankful for what you have
a. Your next action step to take:
Write down a list of 10 blessings.
Do a garage sale. Save the money.
5. Exercise faith and belief on a daily basis.
a. Your next action step to take:
Five times today, say out loud, “I can save.”
   Ask God for a quiet time for praying.
Start a savings account now, at a bank,
or in a coffee can.

To be continued….

Blurbs of Wisdom 31 “Saving”
Continued…

How many bills do you have that require a monthly payment? Wouldn’t you like to be free from monthly payment stress? Wouldn’t you like to have some money in the bank for immediate withdrawal when needed? Wouldn’t you like to set up an immediate deposit into savings as one of your monthly obligations?

Where does peace come from in a practical way? We know, or at some point in life, we learn, that peace comes from knowing God. If we ask of God, he answers. If we have faith, he carries out our requests. He is such a loving God, that he knows what we have need of, even before we ask. Have you thought about asking God to help you have clear direction about managing your money?

It’s one thing to use words to express our thoughts. It’s another thing to apply our efforts in a practical manner.  It’s called “walking the talking.” Saving eliminates most of your stress. Looking for money, when you don’t have it, takes up a lot of time. Saving saves time. Having time to think gives you a chance to sit back, relax, and talk to God.

I have experienced a full financial circuit, growing up with no money, opening up a credit union savings account, buying a car, loaning money out without getting paid back, budgeting, buying houses, living on commission income, making money, going through divorce and bankruptcy, and financial medical disaster. But why am I happier now than I have ever been?  I don’t worry any more!
I have these 7 primary concepts in my life right now.
(1) First of all, I trust in God. He takes care of what I need.

(2) My monthly income is more than my monthly outgo.

(3) I put aside money out of every income check.

(4) I am happy.

(5) I am full of peace.

(6) I have time.

(7) I am thankful for what I have.
Do you find more pleasure in possessions or do you find more pleasure in peace?

Do you have time to spend your money?

Are you happy?

Have you started trusting in God yet?

What is your peace based upon?

Bible References:

Proverbs 23:4-5
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Ecclesiastes 4:6
Better one handful with tranquility than 2 handfuls with toil and chasing the wind.

Proverbs 16: 3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

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

Galatians 5:  22
“But the fruit of the Sprit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

To be continued…

Continued…

When income and outgo are balanced, then you can think about saving for the future. But if you are short every month, how can you even think about saving? Do you wait until income exceeds outgo, before you begin to save? The answer is No! Can you start saving now? The answer is Yes! Every time you get a paycheck, you can save.  No matter what your bills are, and no matter what your income is, you can begin to save now, today!

Saving for the far-off future is a nice thought, but does that type of saving help cash flow right now? How can I make such a bold statement that it is possible, right now, to save, no matter what your income and expenses are?  The answer lies in how you and I perceive what saving is. Saving, in my definition is simply setting aside some money for future use. By future use, I mean setting aside some money out of every paycheck, every time. Yes, I may pay bills right away with the set-aside money. I may use it all to pay necessary bills. But the cash is always there for immediate use. I call it my own personal cash reserve. 

No matter what type or amount of income I receive, I put away a small portion every time, so that my personal cash reserve gets continually replenished and eventually begins to build. The secret of saving is to save a small amount on a consistent and regular basis. Sporadically putting money in, and taking money out, never works over the long term. Sporadic saving doesn’t accomplish peace of mind. A small amount invested on a regular basis makes a positive difference. Sooner or later, I will have excess in my personal cash reserve.

I then begin making better financial plans. Financial decisions start becoming more and more important. I start thinking before acting or reacting. I learn how to plan the use of my money rather than always purchasing by impulse. If you get a raise, do you spend more or do you save more? Do you have a written plan outlining your use of money? Is planning worth the effort if you are just shifting money back and forth? Yes! 

Yes! Saving is that important. Saving is worth all the effort. Having your personal cash reserve makes things easier for you, today and tomorrow. A personal cash reserve gives you confidence and a sense of well-being. If a person learns to use money rather than spend money, saving becomes fun and profitable.

After 17 ½ years of the grocery business, I entered the realm of commission sales, the world of real estate. My savings plan evaporated into thin air. I ran into several problems. (1) I no longer had a credit union. (2) I no longer had a steady income. (3) I made “0” money for the first six months. (4) Monthly expenses somehow kept recurring every month, and (5) we used up all our savings.

I enjoyed being in real estate. I started becoming successful out of pure necessity and fear. In fact, I had help from the Lord. I was at a desperation spot financially early in my real estate career. I said a prayer, “Lord, you know what a predicament I’m in. I don’t know what to do. If you will help me be successful, I will always never fail to tell people that you helped me.” I didn’t know at the time what “successful” meant. At the end of the year, at the office Christmas party, I received the award for being the top salesman. I didn’t know they even gave out awards! My wife was totally surprised and I almost fell out of my chair. Like I said, I promised to share the reason for my success and I’m telling you about it now.  I have kept my promise.

Also, during this “get started time” in real estate with no money coming in, another answer to prayer has to be shared with you. One Tuesday morning about 10:00 AM, my wife was home washing dishes. She said a prayer, “Lord, I’ve never believed in praying for money, but we really do need it, right now.” About 25 minutes later, out of the clear blue sky, the phone rang. It was Roy calling from the church we attended. Roy told my wife, “We just had a board meeting and we want to know if you and Ron would be the janitors for the church?” 

We had never applied for that job at any previous time…and we don’t know why our names came up.  No one knew how serious our financial situation was. It was truly an answer to prayer. They asked us how much we wanted to be paid. We had no idea what to ask for in pay, so we left the money decision entirely up to the church. That’s how I started becoming successful in real estate. There were lots of long hours; but dependence on God and answers to prayer were the foundation of my becoming successful…after all, I was just a caddy boy to begin with.

Psalm 29: 11
“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

Well, by now, putting away money was not an option for me. I worked on commission and it didn’t matter whether or not I had a closing that month. The monthly bills always came in steadily, consistently, every month. At that time, all the seminars I attended emphasized the fact that, to be successful, you had to look successful. Real estate motivational sales trainers proclaimed,  “Fake it until you make it!”

In the old grocery business steady income paydays, my wife and I always managed to budget and pay cash for our cars. Now, buying a new car was purposed for the prestige and image. Instead of paying cash, we started making car payments. The real estate market had cycled into good times. But I also learned, that bad real estate cycles rolled around, too. 

I remember one time, when the real estate market was extremely tough, and there were not enough sales to go around, I didn’t have $800 to do needed repairs on my car. I had just paid off the car 2 months ago (after making 3 years of payments). The car was free and clear and in good condition overall. I couldn’t afford to pay for the repairs. Do you know what I did to solve the problem? I went out and bought a brand new car that I didn’t really need, and signed up for 4 more years of payments. Here I was, in dire financial straights, and I obligated myself to more payments and more stress. Have you ever made a wrong financial decision just because you were stressed out over money? I sure did. I helped dig my financial hole deeper and deeper.

Living on sporadic commission income is a budgeting nightmare. Some months, we had excess. Some months, we had zero. Our cash flow could be described as “trying to take a drink out of a fire hydrant.” The stress began. We no longer had a personal cash reserve. We started depending on each sale to get us where we wanted to go. Guessing made all decisions, because there was really no way to plan. We lived conservatively and not extravagantly. The answer always seemed to be “more sales!” But that answer was wrong. We got squeezed out of the habit of putting money aside and planning ahead. Then I realized first-hand the after shock of income tax shock. In commission sales, every 3 months, you are required to send in estimates of how much income tax you will owe. Almost every real estate person I knew never sent in income tax money early.

It was always a scramble at income tax time. Almost every real estate person spent the money “today” and lived on the hope that more sales later on would be enough to catch up with unpaid income tax. No set-aside cash equals more stress, agony, and desperation.

What plan do you have in place to handle not having enough money to pay the bills this month? How do you feel when you have no cash reserves? How many credit cards do you have? How many credit cards get paid off every month?

Is it really true that unbudgeted people spend more frivolously? Do “credit card purchasers” spend more money per transaction than “personal check purchasers?”

Who do you ask when you need help budgeting? My youngest daughter had no use for math when she was going through high school. I liked math and I had always had a desire to be a math teacher. No matter what technique I used, she did not want to understand math and figures. Somehow, she managed to get through. 

After graduating from high school, she worked full time as a receptionist in an office filled with psychiatrists, psychologists, and even an acupuncturist. She did very well greeting people and keeping all the doctors organized. In fact, she organized the entire office and kept it running smoothly, even though the egos of the doctors made it difficult. Since she now had a job, she wanted to help her mom and dad financially and start paying off some of the college school loans we had taken out. She was feeling proud that she could now start helping. After making about three payments, she asked me, “Dad, just how long do these payments go on?” I said, “Oh, I think about another year and a half on this loan.  We’ve already paid off two other loans.” She replied, “You’ve got to be kidding!”

Later on, when she got married, I was helping her negotiate a lock-in rate on her mortgage loan for her new house. She leaned over and whispered a question to me, “Dad, what’s this stuff about
8 ¾ % or 8 ¼ %?”

“Remember,” I said, “it’s the numerator divided by the denominator.” “Oh,” she said, “That’s where it comes in!”

My daughter has 3 boys now and is in her second house. Her older sister showed her how to do a manual budgeting system by using a notebook, notebook paper, and a philosophy of always wanting to know her family’s financial status.

It’s very simple, actually. She takes the money that comes in and distributes into about 12 categories. Each page is a budget for that particular expense.  She simply keeps track of the money that goes into each budget item. She then writes down the actual check amount for each expense for that budget item. She adds up all the balances remaining on each budget page. The grand total of the 12 budget tracking pages always balances with her checkbook balance. It’s simple and very effective.

By the way, it took quite a while at first, but I kept on encouraging her to have money taken out of each of her husband’s paychecks, so they wouldn’t be tempted to spend it before thinking about what they wanted to spend it on. They have done just that and they now have savings and I am extremely proud of her. She didn’t like math in school, but she uses math all the time to make life peaceful and fun for her family. She always knows her figures! She made the comment that, “It doesn’t make any difference how much money shows up in your checkbook balance, you can’t just go out and write a check! Everything comes out of its proper budget page.”

Friends are now asking her to come over and help them with setting up a budgeting system. My daughter enjoys helping them. But, she states that some friends she can help, some friends she can’t. I asked her, “Why the difference?”

She replied,  “I think it’s because of the way different people think! If the attitude isn’t right, then budgeting doesn’t work for them. If the attitude is good, and the desire is there, then I can help.” What is your attitude about living within the boundaries of your income? If things aren’t going well financially, are you willing to begin making changes? Do you really need everything you buy?

To be continued….

Chapter 8
Continued…

At age 16, my first job was being a caddy boy for a major grocery store chain. This was when carryout clerks actually carried out groceries to customers’ cars. We only had paper bags, not a choice of paper or plastic.  Each caddy boy had to learn how to pack a grocery bag so the bread didn’t get crushed or the eggs didn’t get smashed. The weight of the bag had to be balanced so that the bag didn’t rip. The most important part of sacking was creating a solid square base. The sides of the bag had to be built as a part of that solid base. Each sacking assignment for each customer was always a challenge. I became the best and fastest sacker in the store, mostly because I took time to build a base to start from. 

I started earning more money than I had ever seen. Having never earned money on a regular basis before, I had lots of money to spend on whatever I wanted, cokes and candy, hamburgers, and all that kind of other junk food. I had just received a raise.  My hourly rate had gone from 64 cents per hour to 80 cents per hour. I worked after school 4 hours a day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

On Saturdays, I worked 8 hours, every other Saturday early 9-6 and every other Saturday late 11:30-8:30. All grocery stores closed at 8:00 PM. All grocery stores were closed on Sundays (except for the new 7-11 stores that were just opening up). We were a 5-checkstand operation and we were always busy.

Jim was a grocery stocker and cashier.  Jim was a stout solid-looking guy with a tall crew cut haircut. He was ornery. Jim enjoyed being antagonistic. When he found someone, like me, to rile up, he pursued his relentless attack on making that person miserable. Why he did that, I’ll never know. He just saw that he could rankle me and he enjoyed making me upset.
Then one day, while business was slow, Jim came up front, grabbed me by the arm, and said, “C’mon, we’re going back to the back room!” I resisted, “What for?” I asked. “We’re going to get you signed up for the credit union.” “What’s a credit union?” I asked, while he ushered me towards the office in the back of the store.

“Don’t worry about it. Here, fill out this blue card.  It’s in 2 parts. The bottom part stays here at the store and the other one gets sent in to the credit union. How much money do you want to put in each week out of every paycheck?” “Jim, I don’t want to give money away! I’m not going to spend money on something that I don’t even know what it is!”

“Don’t worry,” Jim insisted. “It’s still your money.  All the credit union does is take it out of your paycheck each week. It takes $5.00 to open up the account and you have to leave that amount in at all times, to remain a credit union member. Give me $5.00 to put with the card so you can join. How much do you want to save each week?  Here, let’s start you off with $5.00 a week.”

Jim started filling out the card for me and gave it to me for my signature. I hesitated, but because of Jim’s forthright insistence, I found myself reaching for a five-dollar bill. “But what if I need the money for something?” I asked. “Oh, that’s easy. Here are some withdrawal slips.  You can draw out your money once a month as long as you leave in the five dollars.” I gave Jim the five dollars and signed the enrollment card. For the first three to four months, I did just as Jim said. I withdrew $20.00 per month (4 weeks savings), once a month, and left the initial $5.00 remaining. 

Then, it was summer time. I started working more hours and I forgot about the $5.00 per week being taken out of my paycheck. The money started accumulating. I started receiving quarterly statements showing my progress. Along with the statements came information that I could buy a car by obtaining a loan from the credit union. When I found a car that I wanted to purchase, I went in and talked to Roger, the credit union loan officer. Roger made me feel special and helped me set up an automatic withdrawal from my paycheck to make my car payments. Roger encouraged me to leave my savings plan intact. He told me that I could have two accounts going at the same time, a savings account, and a car payment account. That sounded OK to me. I still appreciate what Roger did for me.

Psalm 37: 37
“Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.”

As I worked my way up into a produce clerk position, I started gradually increasing my weekly paycheck savings, especially when I received a raise.  Then one day, the car loan got paid off. I went to Roger again, to get my car title. He must have had a caring spirit for me because he asked me, “Ron, why don’t you just let that amount you have been making for car payments all go into savings?  We can do it real easy, right now.” I took Roger’s suggestion. All that advice I received from my old archrival, Jim, and the helpful loan officer, Roger, was the first step towards peace for me. At the time I did not know I had started a journey on the path of peace.

I had grown up in an environment of never having any money, anywhere, at any time. Money was something to spend, usually as quickly as possible. What kind of “money climate” did you grow up in? My mother was the worst money manager ever. What she didn’t mismanage, she gambled away on bingo and entering “limerick” and “jingle” contests.  She was a terrific borrower. She always borrowed; she never paid back, ever. We moved somewhere new at least once a year. She was always behind on the bills and the rent. In fact, when she found out that I had money in the credit union, she started borrowing from me (and never paying it back). She started a policy around the house that I should start paying rent. I didn’t understand it all, so I went ahead and paid rent like I thought I was supposed to do.

My joint venture with the credit union helped me buy other cars, helped me to go to college, and even helped me after I got married. All the time, my regular weekly paycheck deductions helped me have some money and helped me stay current on the bills. I would like to point out, that two weeks after getting married, I ran completely out of money. My wife wanted to buy some cooking pots and pans, but I had to tell her, “I don’t have any more money.”  Two people living on one income does cost more money.

2 Thessalonians 3: 16
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way…”

Joining the credit union was an amazing win for me because I learned the principle of having cash on hand at all times. I accidentally learned how to live on less than I earned. I learned the value of “setting some money aside for a rainy day.” Keep in mind that I had no premonition in those days of what life was really all about. Do you see yourself reflected in my early experiences? Are you beginning to think about saving? Is saving a totally foreign concept to you? What kind of savings plan do you have in place, right now?

My venture into saving was a very crude happenstance. I had no philosophy of saving nor any goals or direction. There was no guidance given at home. I was really all-alone. What is the reason for telling you these excerpts from life? I believe these stories illustrate one important fact. To build a life of peace, you must first build a base to grow from. What would you do, right now, if you wanted to begin building a peaceful life? What can you do right now to eliminate stress?

Just as in bagging groceries, when the base and supporting sides had been expertly crafted, the rest of the groceries fit right in. The bread did not get crushed, and the eggs did not get smashed. The bag itself was balanced, not too heavy and not too light. It’s like life. The better your base of beliefs, the better your balance. I was a fast and efficient sacker because I started with a good foundation. Speed came later, as I practiced. 

One of the first foundation bricks of a peaceful life is “saving.” In all financial planning, the most important principle is this: You can’t spend more each month than you make each month. Either income has to be increased or spending has to decrease. These are the only 2 choices.

Thinking about borrowing, or using a credit card to cover negative cash flow, only creates inevitable stress and ineffective, unfruitful living. To be effective in fruitful living, the fruit tree has to have strong roots. These concepts of fruitful and peaceful living will continue to have more meaning as we journey together in this discussion. 

Phillippians 4: 7
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

To be continued…