SERVING STRONG

Bumbles, Boobs, and Baubles

Our capacity to serve strong is diminished in 3 ways (rate yourself as you read):

Bumbles. We all mess up now and again. We make mistakes. Everyone does. I make mistekas all the time =).  If you're like me, when you make a mistake you receive forgiveness from others but don't forgive yourself. It's one thing to fall down and get back up. It's another thing to fall down and stay down, trying to serve while dragging yourself along the floor.  Next time I make a mistake I'm gonna admit it, ask for forgiveness, forgive myself and move on. How about you?

Boobs. We all know difficult people. Not the person who has an honest disagreement with an opinion we hold (these people make us stronger if we take the time to listen to them). I'm talking about the irrational person. You know, the person who disagrees with you just for the sake of disagreement. The person who exercises transference of all their problems onto you, making you the lightning rod of their pain. We cannot let these people get to us. Lovingly extend grace. Lovingly extend mercy. Hold out hope of their personal growth in Christ. But don't let them tell you who you are in Christ. (And don't embody their problems as your own. I posted an article on this called, "Bridge People.")

Baubles. They are known as trinkets, toys, and "treasures". They are the stuff we buy for ourselves, thinking they will be the answer to our need for fulfillment. But we underestimate the cost when we buy something. Say you just bought the new iPad. Cool. Now, what will that cost you in terms of maintenance? What will it do to distract you from your focus? How much time will it take to drive it to the nearest Apple store for repair? I'm not against technology, that's not my point. But the next time you are faced with a buying decision, think about the real cost of the purchase. It extends beyond the price tag.

How are YOU doing on the Bumble-Boob-Bauble scale?

Good |_____________________________| Bad

 

RELATED POSTS:

The Power of 10

Overcoming Distraction

The Path of Forgiveness

You Are Here

Ten Questions Of Strength

[the following is an update of a Feb 28, 2010 post]

So you lead others, huh? How's that working out for you? Are you sure about how your leadership is going? When we are weak, our leadership is weak. When we are strong our leadership is strong.

Here are 10 questions you can ask yourself to do a quick check (the more "yes" answers, the better):

1. Am I free from any unresolved conflict with others?
2. Do I take care of my physical well-being (remembering doctor's recommendations)?
3. Am I eating a well balanced, healthy diet including fruits and vegetables?
4. Do I spend a good amount of time each week sitting quietly, listening to the heartbeat of God for my life?
5. Do I stop at least once per week and review my priorities and goals; celebrate wins; and strategize next steps?
6. Am I working at quality connections with my spouse and children?
7. Am I actively pursuing meaningful relationships with friends and family members?
8. Do I have a plan to get, any remain, out of debt?
9. Do I know what my passion, personality, and proficiencies are (any am I engaged most of my waking hours honoring these?
10. Would God be pleased with the internet history file on my computer?

My prayer is for strong leadership on your behalf. Don't neglect who you are as you serve others.

What other questions have you used to ensure your inner strength?

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You And Money

Here are three resources to check out as you have time. They are designed to help you augment your efforts at staying financially strong as you work with people in your calling:

Dave Ramsey
Maintain your financial health

Christian Debt Solutions
Providing quality financial services

Ronald Blue & Co.
Nationally recognized fee-only financial
and investment consulting firm

You may find a list of free downloads and other links on the Serving Strong resource page.

NOTE:  Although Serving Strong provides these resources, it may not condone or agree with
everything contained therein.

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Marriage And Money

Do you fit this profile:

• You are called to help other people.
• You are married.
• You have money coming in and expenses going out.
• You and your spouse argue over your budget.

Marriage and money are a contentious pair. More fights break out over the use of, or lack of, money in a couple's relationship. When this conflict occurs, it saps energy from you. This is energy you could be devoting to helping others in your calling.

Take a few minutes and review the following links. Perhaps it's time to do a marriage money makeover. Perhaps it's time to sit down and map out a spending plan (I like that much better than calling it a "budget") with your spouse.

Finance Wisdom from Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott

Money and Relationships from Dave Ramsey

Marriage and Money: Getting On The Same Page from Matthew Paulson

Gain control of the money inpact on your marriage and you'll be Serving Strong!

Weak Tips

From observations, reading, coaching client interactions, I've compiled a list of surefire ways to maintain weakness in service to others:

1. Stay In Debt. Use credit cards like they are going out of style. Then justify your expenditures with a phrase like, "I've got to build up my credit score."
2. Serve Alone. This will take a little more work for the outgoing, people-oriented. But do your best to engage in ministry without any regard for leaning on the strength, perspective, and assistance of others. You are all you need.
3. Serve Exclusively. Even though you have a number of plates (marriage, parenting, fitness, spiritual growth) forget all that. Your work in helping OTHERS is paramount. If that means neglecting your spouse, kids, health, or walk with God - so be it. The work must be done. Give, give, and give some more. It's the only way.
4. Stop Learning. That's right. You know just enough to be dangerous. Get out there and do the work of a servant. Experience is all you need. Some people believe in 10 years of learning. Not you, 1 year of learning 10 times is good enough. Plus, when you invest in yourself, that's that much more time you could be out there doing the work.

There. That should help get you started. I'm sure there are other tips you can add to the list. Perhaps you may even take the time from your busy schedule to comment on the post (but not if it means helping someone else out - that would mean they would learn. And we don't want that!)

This un-message brought to you by Serving Strong (and, no, the picture is not of me - although I would probably look worse!)

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Too Much Of A Good Thing

Today is a special day for Americans. Freedom is celebrated all across the country. The staple of the celebration: Fireworks.

It's a beautiful thing to behold fireworks when they burst from the earth and explode in the sky with an array of colors and sound. They have evoked "Ohhh"s and "Awww"s from children and adults for years.

It's also a dangerous thing when fireworks go wrong. The picture in this post apparently is what happens when a homemade firework meets the human hand.

Fireworks: A paradox of beauty and danger.

Working with people: A paradox of a satisfying career and burnout.

You are a people helpers. You labor in the craft of others' burdens. You are problem solvers. You feel others' pain. How do you keep this tremendous callling from eroding into burnout? I suggest 4 habits:

1) Spin. Be sure your plates (Christ follower, spouse, parent, financial, relational, physical, etc.) are spinning with approriate speed and attention.

2) Swing. Be sure to go full out in your work AND go full in to rest and recreate. Remember, it's not so much that you rest from your work as it is you work from your rest.

3) Align. Be sure to spend most of your waking hours engaged in where your passion lies and where your skills are used.

4) Center. Start each day in a posture of brokenness before the God who calls you and stay in that posture the remainder of the day.

Spin, Swing, Align, and Center. These are the habits which help you keep your profession beautiful without burning out.  Serve Strong!

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Subscriber Ideas On Debt

As you may already know, one of the services Serving Strong offers is a free weekly eNews that goes out every Tuesday morning at 6:00am EST. It's a short read designed to challenge and encourage people helpers to keep their balance and self care in mind as they pursue their calling. Because of God's grace, subscribership comes from 10 countries around the world.

A couple weeks ago, the eNews dealt with the issue of debt and how it can freeze up the mental and emotional space we need in order to serve strong in our profession. A couple subscribers responded with what they have done that really works for them in this topic of debt:

"I have had to think twice (OK, three times) before buying something that was not a basic need. And an important part of my becoming debt free was accepting the advice of a financial advisor.  In my case, it was a son who has handled his money well over the years.  I tell him what I am considering buying, and why it is important to me.  Sometimes that alone talks me out of it because it really isn't that important.  Then we talk about the options, and where it would be best to look for it.  He's taught me to read and heed the comments of people who have bought them there. Next month I will end a 2 year retired pastor's appointment, and for the first time I can breathe easily not knowing whether it will be replaced with another income."  ~SC.

"I still find my best route is to take away the temptation in the first place. I have two automatic deductions from my paycheck going to separate savings vehicles adn I never "see it" in my paycheck. I can access if I need to, but it takes another intentional action to remove it and I am able to check if I really HAVE to take out that money... works for me."  ~SR.

I couldn't have said it better. The eNews subscribers are tremendous people who work hard to help other people. If you would like to join them in the Serving Strong community here's the link:

http://www.servingstrong.com/jointhecommunity

Taking control of your debt and eliminating it makes room for you to Serve Strong!

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Life Fitness

Recumbant bikes, treadmills, stair-steppers. These are all the tools of the physical fitness world. People join YMCAs and other fitness companies all across the world to stay fit.

But have you ever considered fitness in other areas of your life? Consider the following areas and ask youself how fit you are? What tools do you need to stay fit in each area? What is your "exercise routine" for each area?

Spiritual Fitness

Marital Fitness

Parental Fitness

Financial Fitness

Interpersonal Fitness

Mental Fitness

Vocational Fitness

Work on the fitness in all of your life's areas and you''ll be Serving Strong!

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Your Kids, Their Money

You're a people helper.  You're also a parent.  Serving strong involves raising kids right when it comes to money.  What are you doing to instill sound financial habits in your kids?  What kind of view do they have of money?

Fortunately, there is a great resource by Dave Ramsey.  It's called Junior's Clubhouse.  It can help you, the parent, teach your kids how to manage money early.  Here are a couple things you're find if you visit the Clubhouse:

• Games
• Jigsaw puzzles
• A sample book
• A parent's room with helpful information

CLICK HERE TO VISIT JUNIOR'S CLUBHOUSE

Serving Strong (tm) is here to provide resources to help.  You help other people.  Don't let your parenting role suffer along the way.

How To Make A Good Decision

Each day we wake to a new set of hundreds (perhaps thousands) of choices.  Since our time, energy, and resources are limited, we must make the best choices at each fork in the road.  This is the essence of pursuing excellence.  It's also a key to living in balance.  Choices impact our role as people helper, spouse, parent, and so on.  Choices impact our life areas such as our career, finances, physical health, spiritual health, and so on.

But how do I know I'm making the right decisions each time?

For example, if I'm on the floor at home playing with my two young children in the evening and I get a call on my work phone, how do I know if I should take the call?  The answer is partly based on your objectives; your masterplan.  Let me explain...

Choices Based On Objectives

Consider the evening call as an example.  But this time, instead of simply being on the floor playing with your children, you have determined what the kids really need is a relationship with you.  You understand a relationship with them now will help when they reach the turbulent teen years.  So instead of just killing time with the kids, you are intentionally developing this relationship with them via, say, a lego building exercise.  Now you get that call on your work phone.  A choice must still be made.  Do you pause your relationship-building time to take a work-related call?  Or do you let the call go to voicemail and check it after the kids go to bed?  The choice is still yours.  But a good choice will be made when it's based upon your objectives.

We make choices on a whim when there are no objectives or masterplan to guide us.  We are swayed by the winds of "I ought to do this" or "I ought to do that."  And many people end up imbalanced in their work and life.

Start designing your objectives; your masterplan.  It's the the key to Serving Strong!

Note:  Email me (coach@progressmax.com) for your free coaching session.  If you're serious about making the best decisions this new year, experience how life coaching can benefit you as you design your own personal masterplan.

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Make A List, Check It Twice

If you're in the middle of the gift-giving cycle of Christmas, here's a simple, yet powerful technique to avoid going into trouble with your finances.  Make a list and stick to it.

We want to get things for people.  It's our nature.  That's why we're people helpers in the first place.  But for some, the desire to give comes with a heavy financial price: debt.  But you can curb this tendency when you're in the thick of the shopping trip by preparing ahead of time and making a list.  Then, when you're out there looking at "incredible-one-day-only" sales, you can check the list again.  If it's not on the list, don't buy it.

A little secret stores don't want you to know:  If you're coming in for one thing, you'll most likely leave with 7 things.  That's the power of Wal-Mart.  If you're going in for groceries, why not mosey over to the auto department and see how much those car air fresheners are?  Before you know it, a trip to the store for a dozen eggs ends up a $270 venture complete with towels, makeup, air fresheners, cat food, pens, and a new chair for the office.

Lists, if used appropriately, create boundaries.  Boundaries ensure safety.  Use a list this Christmas and keep your finances under control.  It will help you Serve Strong!

Photo Credit: www.lifeorganizers.com

Couples and Financies

A friend of mine, Linda Stoll from Creekside Ministries, posted a great note on her blog.  She lists several steps couples can take to ensure a strong marriage when it comes to money.  Two ideas include...

Identify each partner's patterns of spending & saving

Increase your financial teamwork as a couple

Read the entire post.

A strong marriage is behind the people helper who is Serving Strong!

Wise With Money

Dave Ramsey was asked how Christians can prepare for financial times like the ones we're experiencing globally right now*.  His answer reveals 6 distinct best practices worth building into your personal money management:

1. Have money in savings
2. Get out of debt
3. Live on a budget
4. Live on less than you make
5. Do not co-sign
6. Diversify your investments

Look at the list again.  Which one(s) are you violating right now?  What are a couple next steps you will take over the next 36 hours to move forward to a more positive personal financial picture?

Be wise with your money.  It will allow you to Serve Strong!

* The question and Ramsey's answer can be found in the November 2008 issue of the Christianity Today magazine.

The Gift Of Thrift

In the November 2008 issue of the Christianity Today magazine there is a page full of quote dealing with the topic of Thrift.  One such quote lept from the page and onto my lap:

"Thift, the power to save, which means self-restraint, is mainly important, not because it means wealth in the end, not because it enables you to make others work while you watch or play, but because it gives you peace of mind.  Without peace of mind no one can do his best work or lead a life really worth while."  Bolton Hall

Thift gives you peace of mind.  Without peace of mind you cannot do your best work.  One of the principles of this Serving Strong blog and its companion website is that in order to Serve Strong one must not be consumed with financial troubles.  When you are fretting over late payments, creditor's calls, debt, lack of savings, and so on, you are unable to put your all into what you do as a people helper.

Weave thrift into the fabric of your life and ministry.  Start small.  Open a savings account with $50.  Then commit to depositing $5 per week.  Make it fun - when you reach $100, take yourself out for a cup of coffee and brainstorm ways to increase your weekly deposit.

When the condition of our finances doesn't consume our mental space, we are better able to Serve Strong!

Managing Debt

These days of bail outs, political posturing, and shaky credit markets can make a person quite anxious about how they are doing financially.  With all the winds of change, there are still some constants upon which we can rely.  One of those constants is the benefit we enjoy from reducing debt.

Debt is something which, if left alone to grow, can negatively impact the kind of service we, as people helper, are able to provide to others in need.  Here are a few ideas for dealing with debt:

1. Track your money. Know how much you have and how much income you can reasonably expect in the near future. Know what your monthly expenses are and what you have left to pay creditors.
2. Save before you borrow. The best time to charge is when you really could pay cash. Although that’s not always possible, it is possible to build a money reserve that can cover several months’ expenses if you run into financial problems.
3. Investigate before you borrow. Look at borrowing as “buying money”. Comparison shop to find the best money bargain available whether you’re shopping for money through a bank, a finance company, or applying for a new credit card.

These 3 ideas are just a few of the complete list you can find at Money Management Tips.  Check it out.

Keep debt from ruining your ability to Serve Strong!

Inflation Is Good For You

The cost of groceries is going up.  The cost of gas is going up.  Believe it or not, this can be a good thing.  Before you write me off as crazy, hear me out.

What it can do for us is make us more aware of what's happening in our budget.  It can make us better stewards of our money.  When we're paying almost $5 for a gallon of milk, we say, "ouch!"  Little things like that grab our attention and we start looking closer at how we spend our money.

I've run across a cool website that lists 66 ways to save money.  The list is categorized into areas such as Transportation, Insurance, Housing, Utilities, etc.

Here's a sample of what you will see when you go there:

Food Purchased At Markets:

You can save hundreds of dollars a year by shopping at lower-priced food stores. Convenience stores often charge the highest price.

You will spend less on food if you shop with a list, take advantage of sales, and purchase basic ingredients, rather than pre-packaged components or ready-made items.

You can save hundreds of dollars a year by comparing price-per-ounce or other unit prices on shelf labels. Stock up on those items with low per-unit costs.

Check out the site here

Being smart about your finances frees mind space and energy which you can devote to your calling and Serve Strong!

Signs Of Financial Health

• Budget
• Savings
• Credit Cards
• Insurance Coverage
• Retirement Plan

Each of these areas are explained in an article entitled, "Are You Financial Healthy?"  Check out the list and see if you are healthy for yourself.

When we are not distracted by personal financial sickness, we are better able to Serve Strong!

The Basics Of Money

Doug Horn, with Blount Today, recently wrote an article about 5 basics of finances.  He says that even though these basic 5 won't ensure that you are done with your planning, you will have the basics covered and avoid most major problems.

The basics are:

1. Basic Will
2. Related Estate Planning Documents
3. Life Insurance
4. Home & Auto Coverage
5. Retirement Plan

Doug explains that this is only a place to begin, not stop.

Read the entire article.

Having finances under control allows us to Serve Strong!

Record It

"How do you stay frugal without being miserly?  I don’t want to feel guilty every time I need to make a purchase.  At the same time, without a budget and limits, my bank account would soon be empty.  My solution to prevent overspending is sitting right next to my wallet.

In my wallet I keep several index cards.  Whenever I buy anything, I write down the date, what I purchased and how much it cost on the card.  It’s not an original idea by any means, but I’ve found it is incredibly useful both for avoiding post-purchase guilt and overspending."

This is a quote from a recent blog post by Scott H. Young.  He points out the importance of keeping record of your expenses.  The benefits include knowing where your money goes.  This, in turn, allows for greater use of money in the long run.

Financial woes take our eyes off our service to others.  Keep your finances in order and you'll be be able to continue Serving Strong!

Save Money Now!

1. Make money as quickly as you spend it
2. Become an automatic saver
3. Keep your outgoings the same when your circumstances change
4. Get a piggy bank
5. Learn to wait
6. Become a haggler
7. Change your timing
8. Get your scissors out
9. Be "loyal" to everyone
10. Don't fill up on a Friday

These 10 suggestions for saving money come from Emma-Lou Montgomery, editorial director of the Zurich Club.

Read the entire article for more details behind each of the 10 suggestions.

When finances are going haywire, we are using our mind to worry or scheme out of the mess.  This is precious mind space we can use for serving others.  Keep your finances strong and you'll be Serving Strong!

Flexicurity

Crown Financial's blog posted a thought recently about a concept called, "Flexicurity" - a government established, 3-legged financial program in Denmark.

Crown suggests doing a personal Flexicurity program (which is actually the first 3 destinations of the Crown Money Map):

1. Save $1,000 for emergencies (Destination 1)
2. Save one month's living expenses (Destination 2), then
3. Save three month's living expenses (Destination 3)

Read the entire article.

This is more doable than jumping to Destination 3 all at once. And if you need to, add your own pre-destination (no pun intended) of saving $500 for emergencies.

A strong financial position will help ensure we are Serving Strong!

The Nerd And The Free Spirit

Who keeps the checkbook updated in your marriage? Is it supposed to be the man? Or are women more likely to keep better track of the details?

Dave Ramsey was asked this question and posts his answer on his website.

Dave points out in each family, there's a nerd and a free spirit. The nerd is the one who can keep track of things and put everything in its place. The nerd gets excited when the checkbook balances. The free spirit is the opposite. They are interested in other things.

But BOTH must make financial decision together to maintain a healthy marriage.

Key word: together

Just because the nerd keeps the checkbook up to date doesn't give them exclusive right to lord it over the free spirit. The combination of one person working within their strength of administration updating the checkbook AND both planning the finances is part of a healthy financial picture.

Respect each other when it comes to finances. This will free up space for you to Serve Strong!

On A Budget Yet?

Wow, what an eye-opening experience to start tracking where the money is going!

When faced with a $249.35 expense we say, "Oh man! How are we going to pay for THAT?" But $9.95 here and $12.50  - these small amounts don't catch our attention like the larger expenses. But they sure add up. Before long, we look at the eroded balance in our checkbook and wonder where all the money went.

What's part of the solution? A budget. There, I said it. The "B" word. (If you don't like that word, perhaps you'll like "spending plan" better!)

Dave Ramsey offers a wealth (no pun intended) of help and information on his website, www.daveramsey.com. One of these helps is a "Basic Quickey Budget" form. If you're not operating with some sort of tracking system to see where you money is going, start with this and begin your journey to financial freedom. It's been said that "self awareness is the prelude to transformation." Start your transformation today.

Click here for Dave Ramsey's "Basic Quickey Budget" form and start getting your finances under control.

It so much easier, with little financial burdens, to Serve Strong!

Improve Your Car Expenses

Money only reaches so far. When expenses increase but income stays the same, it's wise to take steps to make your dollar worth more.

Brian Jones offers some great tips that will help the dollar stretch. The advise is specific to your car. Here are a few of Brian's thoughts:

• Find a local gas station that consistently sells the cheapest gas.
• Buy regular gas.
• Don't let the car idle.

Read the entire article.

The business of helping other people has enough stress of its own. It's important to avoid adding to that stress by having a difficult financial situation to have to handle. Improve your finances and you'll be Serving Strong!

Improve Your Finances

I just read a quick 10-step article on improving your finances. The author is Raymond Heng. Here are 3 of the steps Raymond lists:

1. Know your current financial standing. It all starts with knowing where you are currently. Not knowing this, you can end up going in the wrong direction with your financial planning.
2. Save regularly. Keep putting a little away each opportunity you have. Keep this up until you can sustain at least 3 months without a salary.
3. Control your cash flow. The simple rule: What comes into your pocket needs to be more than what goes out of your pocket.

Read the entire article.

Your finances are a part of your overall health. Take care of that and you'll be Serving Strong!

Saving Money For Emergencies

Not having the money to pay for unplanned household repairs can be a real drain on you when you're trying to minister to others. One way to keep that from happening is to regularly put money away. Here are a couple tips:

1. Go around the house and determine the age of all your major appliances (or whatever you think could be a real drain if you had to repair it.)
2. Given #1, decide how much you need to have in your emergency fund.
3. Set short-term and long-term goals, making sure the goals are attainable, considering your income and expenses. Be specific. Write down the exact amount of money you want to have put aside and the exact date by which you will reach these goals.
4. If necessary, open a new savings account and start putting the money in it. If you keep the emergency fund part of your checking account, you're more likely to spend it.
5. Celebrate when you reach your short-term and long-term goals!

Our minds are on serving the needs of other people. When we are preoccupied with financial challenges at home, it lessens our ability to Serve Strong!

Are you learning but never seem to get any smarter?

Ken Blanchard, Paul J. Meyer and Dick Ruhe have published the book, Know Can Do! in which they highlight the obstacles that prevent people from implementing what they learn. These obstacles include:

• Information Overload (too much learning in too little time)
• Negative Filtering (holding onto negative thought processes which prevent an open mind)
• Lack Of Follow-Up (not having a plan to put the new knowledge into action)

I have indicated in previous posts that there are two well-documented realities:

1. First Reality: There is overwhelming evidence that pastors are struggling with burnout, depression, stress, low self-esteem, loneliness, and obesity. Some say is is a result of the very profession pastors are in. They are expected to be all things to all people. Plus they are dealing with people and their struggles.
2. Second Reality: There is an over-abundance of information that addresses burnout, depression, stress, low self-esteem, loneliness, and obesity. I Google'd "stress" the other day resulting in over 285,000,000 hits in 0.5 seconds. The first page of results gave me enough information to learn what good stress is, what bad stress is, what its effect is on my life, and steps I can take to reduce the bad stress from my life.

There is a gap between the struggle pastors face and the resources that sit in bookshelves and websites across the world. The problem is in what the autuhors highlight in Know Can do!

Coaching is the key to filling this gap. With a personal coach, a pastor overcomes the obstacles mentioned above:

• The learning is in smaller bits of information more frequently
• The pastor and coach discover a positive perspective for longer-lasting impact
• The pastor and coach design a follow up plan of action that is do-able

Check out more about what coaching is.

Contact me if you're interested in exploring a coaching benefit for yourself. Learn the art of weaving balance and self-care into the fabric of your ministry.

Consumerism & Credit Card Debt

"Debt and lifestyle go hand in hand in American society. When you use debt to fund a consumptive lifestyle, not only do you have the consumptive lifestyle working against you financially, but you also have the additional burden of debt working against you financially. Both should be avoided like the plague!"

This is a quote from an article on www.mastermoney.org.

One of the biggest hindrances to being effective in any endeavor is the burden of debt. Our society constantly preaches a consumer-driven lifestyle rather than a purpose-driven one. Take inventory of your decision-making process by asking yourself these questions:

• What do I buy that maintains my lifestyle?
• How do I decide what to purchase?
• What current debt am I carrying? How can I reduce it as quickly as possible?

Your finances cannot be ignored. Having a proactive plan to strong finances will help ensure you are Serving Strong!

What's your personal financial score?

Christmas is on the way. And so is January 2008. On what financial criteria will your Christmas purchasing be based? As this time approaches, the worst thing is to make financial buying decisions without knowing where you are financially.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension offers a list of areas to evaluate on what they call The Personal Financial Scorecard. Some items on the Scorecard are emergency funds, credit card debt, household consumer debt, savings & investments, etc.

Check out this Scorecard. See if you're able to get to January without a lot of regrets.

Strong financial management will help keep you Serving Strong!

Got debt?

Are you getting calls from creditors or collectors about past due accounts?  Are you considering filing bankruptcy?

These are two questions raised by the folks at coeing.org, a website dealing with financial freedom.

They list (10) things you can do if you answered "yes" to both questions.  But I thought they were good for each of us to review as we are serving others, regardless of where we are financially.  Here are a few steps they suggest:

1. Destroy all credit card accounts with balances and STOP trying to borrow your way out of debt.
2. List all of your creditors and the balances you owe them, starting with the lowest balance at the top.
3. Try to reduce high interest rates by rolling existing balances to lower rate offerings.

Check out the entire list and website.

Finances can be a source of extreme frustration or freedom.  It depends on how you view it and the behaviors that follow.   When our finances are strong, we are better able to Serve Strong!

Financial Resources

I've found the following to be good for dealing with the financial aspect of life balance & self care:

• Crown Financial Ministries (www.crown.org)
• Dave Ramsey (www.daveramsey.com)

Wise financial planning and execution means we are able to serve strong!

Do you expect to live long?

An article by Miranda Hitti on WebMD.com the other day points out that the life expectancy is is as high as it has ever been in the U.S. (just over 78 years) - she cites the CDC, which bases their stats on preliminary data on over 2.5 million deaths nationwide in 2005.

Some of the details in her article include,

• Life expectancy continues to be greater for women than for men.
• Life expectancy grew to a record high for African-Americans.
• 26 countries have higher life expectancies for both men and women.
• Japan has the world's greater life expectancy (86 years) for women.

Miranda also points out the top causes of death as 1) heart disease; 2) cancer; 3) stroke.

Read the entire article.

What does this mean for serving strong?  Here are just some thoughts off the top of my head.  Perhaps you can add more...

• A healthy lifestyle promotes more time to serve other people
• NOW is the time to get your finances in order (you won't have money flowing in from a job forever)
• Check your family history for heart disease, cancer, or stroke.  If there's something there, start healthy routines to stay ahead of them.  Get a doctor's input.

We live in an amazing age!  If we live a lifestyle with proper balance and self care, we can serve out our calling longer.  Capitalize on your life expectancy and you will be serving strong!

Personal finance habits

There's a great post by Brett McKay on his "The Frugal Law Student" blog about maintaining sound finances.

In general, he lists 3 habits which I think we all can benefit by cultivating into our way of life:

1. Review your accounts weekly
2. Keep track of your spending
3. Use the envelope system

Read the entire article for the details behind each habit.

These are 3 very basic, but powerful suggestions to help maintain good finances.  Do this and you will be serving strong!

Ways to save money

If you're looking to buckle down this September, now that school is back in session, here's a resource you may want to consider.  It's on the Crown Financial Ministries website.  For a small price, you can receive tips on cheap ways to

• travel
• buy a computer
• entertain
• buy a car
• ...and the list goes on...

The book isn't about being cheap.  It's designed to assist you in making your resources go further.  At its essence, it's about living simpler while increasing your appreciation for the little things.

Check it out.

As you handle your finances wisely, you are better able to serve strong!

Pastors and money

In a recent edition of the Rev! Magazine, Dave Ramsey explains 3 areas where pastors tend to create problems for their financial foundation:

1. Maintaining a False Image
2. Not Planning for Retirement
3. Not Creating a Budget

Read the entire article.

There is a lot of ministry that gets canned because the servant is so heavily weighted down with financial woes.  A clear plan of attack regarding finances will not only do wonders for the stress levels, but re-vitalize the ministry.

Plan your finances and you'll be serving strong!

Are you new to investing?

Are you new to investing?  If so, there is a helpful article on the Crown Financial Ministries website that just may help you.

The article points out some guidelines for the rookie investor.  Some of them are...

• An investment should be simple to understand and easy to track
• Investments must not change your lifestyle or cause stress or worry for you or your family
• Investments must have liquidity so you can get you money back in case of an emergency.
• ...check out the entire article...

As a person who serves other people, finances can have a major impact on you.  If your finances are out of order or incomplete, your service to others will eventually suffer.  For example, imagine trying to listen to someone in need and, at the same time, put aside the stress of that bounced check you wrote at the grocery store last week?

Investing can be a great piece of your overall financial pie.  If you are going to include it, make sure you go about it wisely and you'll continue to serve strong!

Is your personal bank balance dragging down your ministry?

Some say money is the root of all evil.  Actually, it should be stated, "THE LOVE OF money is the root of all evil."  That's biblical.

But when there's no money in the first place, what's to love?????

I bet there are a lot of people in ministry today who are struggling with the distraction of the wallet.  There never seems to be enough money to do the things we really wish we could do, or have to do - as in paying the electric bill, the mortgage, gasoline.

What do YOU do to maintain financial health?  How to do you keep your financial condition from becoming a distraction to your ministry focus?  A lot will have to do with spending habits.

The folks at Crown Financial have a great article on their website regarding compulsive and impulsive spending.  They outline a few guidelines to help us with controlled spending.  One of those guidelines is to create a "want-to-buy" list.  Wait seven days and find two additional prices for the same item.  If the need or want for the items remains after a week, go ahead and buy it.  But remember to keep only one item on the list at a time.

Visit the site for the entire article.

Also, visit their Money Map Coaching page.  If you really are in need of help, get coaching.  It's a proven method for identifying and achieving the goals you need to succeed.

When finances are where they need to be, you are serving strong!

Is debt keeping you from serving strong?

Debt.  One of America's little 4-letter words.  It can help put some pretty neat stuff in the living room or garage.  But boy, does it ever come with a ball & chain!

So much has been published regarding debt in recent years.  I just did a simple Google search on "debt" and yielded 163,000,000 hits in 0.38 seconds.

So, what's your current debt status?  Do you have a mortgage, car loans, credit card debt, student loans, home equity line, department store debt?

How does debt effect your everyday living?  Is it on your mind most of the time?  How much does debt take you away from being fully present in your ministry moments to your span of care?

I am impressed with the wealth (no pun intended) of information on the Crown Financial Ministries website.  You will find resources to help you get on top of debt (wouldn't that be tremendous!?!) so you can concentrate on the calling you've received by God to serve others.

Don't let debt keep you from serving strong!