Faith and Finances
When you think of the link between faith and finances there are several ways to view it. The most common way is to simply ignore it. After all, we earned…
The Dishonest Steward
The Gospel reading yesterday always confused me, until I really concentrated on the details. Luke 16:1-13 tells the story of “The Dishonest Steward.” To summarize, a steward was fired because…
Homeless – Handout or Not??
I am sure all of you reading this have run into the situation where you are sitting comfortably in your car at a stoplight. You are singing along with the…
Simplicity Matters
Being part of a financial ministry is challenging sometimes due to the mission of "walking the talk.” If I'm going to lead a Bible study designed to help parishioners get…
4 Ways to Manage Christmas Spending
It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is only weeks away. Seeing the first Advent candle lit in Church this past Sunday reminds us all to focus on the real reason…
An Attitude of Gratitude
First, I have to give my daughter credit for this post. She was required to write an essay on this topic and it got me thinking about it, too. Stewardship…
The First 4 Building Blocks of Parish Stewardship
In last week’s blog post, we discussed the importance of reaching out to trusted advisors, friends, and loved ones to receive wise counsel. This sense of community is one key…
Back To Basics: Entertainment
When considering discretionary categories in our Spending Plan, entertainment, like clothing, tends to get a little out of control. I am as guilty as anyone when I say I don't…
Don’t Retire—Rewire!
From the moment we first enter the workforce, we are told to begin preparing for our retirement. Indeed, given today’s economic state and the spending and saving habits of Americans,…
Back to Basics: Clothing
Continuing with our Back-to-Basics series, another potentially problematic area in our spending plan is clothing. I find it interesting when I coach people on their finances to find that most…