Man’s economy or God’s call?Posted: 09.28.09 Act 1, Scene 1: God is knocking on your door. (OK, he probably won’t actually knock on your door, but we all know he does call us.) You open the door and God says, “Hi, I’ve got this plan for you. I need you to go work on … ” As God continues with his revelation for your life, you’re thinking, “This is not a good time to be called. I have a job and I need to work. I owe about $10,000 on my credit cards; I just bought a new car, and I’ve got this home mortgage that would choke a horse! I just can’t pick up and leave!” You’re not alone. Almost every American Catholic is in the same predicament. If God came today asking for help, would you have to say NO? Very often our ability to respond to God’s call is directly related to our financial situation, especially as it applies to debt. Are you honest or truthful?Posted: 08.06.09 Thirty or 40 years ago if you had asked someone if they were honest or truthful, they would have looked at you as if you had two heads. Back then there was no discernable difference between the two. Our attitudes have changed so much that people often manipulate their words and actions so they are scrupulously truthful without being absolutely honest. Unfortunately, the act of being absolutely truthful without being honest is acceptable in our secular society. Financial lifestyle roadmapPosted: 06.04.09 Over half of the marriages that take place today end in divorce. The major cause of divorce is communication problems and the No. 1 cause of communication problems is money. Many engaged couples spend more time talking about the wedding than about how they will handle money as a married couple. Yet our experience has shown that if couples take time to discus and agree on a plan for how to handle their money, many future problems can be avoided. ‘Secular?’ debt solutionsPosted: 04.28.09 Every magazine and newspaper is offering solutions to the current economic problems. And all of the talking heads on TV have help for the present financial mess. Most of what they are saying and printing makes sense, but if you step back and analyze their ideas, you’ll see that all of their solutions are secular versions of biblical principles. I recently heard a comment from someone who had been given a Scripture verse as a guideline for today’s economy. He felt Scripture verses may have had some relevance 2,000 years ago, but it really wasn’t applicable to today’s world. But a deeper look at many of the media solutions confirms that the Bible is a wise, applicable and relevant source of information for today’s situation. ContentmentPosted: 03.13.09 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Most of us recognize and can quote this verse from Philippians 4:13. It is interesting to note that in Verse 11 of this chapter, St. Paul writes to the church at Philippi that he learned to be content. This is St. Paul, one of the most prolific Scripture authors, a true apostle who worked tirelessly in the Lord’s vineyards, who had a personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, and who was martyred for his faith. And this great Christian leader had to learn the virtue of contentment. Good IntentionsPosted: 01.14.09 It’s the middle of January and the bills are piling up. In spite of your good intentions, you once again overspent on Christmas. And then there are the debts you owed before the Christmas spending spree. Where will the money come from to pay for all of it and how do you break the debt cycle? Continued... Cash is king?Posted: 01.14.09 The crisis that turned our financial world upside down was largely caused by greed and selfishness. Many people leveraged their lives to the max as they bought bigger houses, newer cars and more stuff. Our businesses and government institutions are guilty of the same voracious appetites. More, more, more is the rallying cry of our culture. Continued...
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