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Friday, March 15, 2024

DOING HARD THINGS #FinanceFriday

You can do hard things. Whether it’s creating a budget and sticking to it, or growing in your relationship with God and others, I hope my story inspires you today. #financefriday #moneycoaching


Friday, March 08, 2024

5 MONEY DECISIONS YOU WILL NOT REGRET

If you want to be successful with your money, here are 5 things you can do TODAY that you will not regret: 

1 - Spend less than you earn.
I know this is a “Duh!” moment… but it’s so easy to over spend. I have been guilty of this in my life. I had to stop using credit cards for daily purchases because it was too tempting to go beyond my budget. Using the bank debit card or cash forces me to stay within my means. 

2 - Step up.
Take responsibility for your life and your finances. Do not let a “victim mentality” dominate your thoughts. (I am guilty of this at times.) God has blessed you with your abilities, so make the most of it! Step up and make the necessary changes so you can start winning with your life and your money.  

3 - Invest in yourself.
Learn what you need to learn about managing money. There are many resources available to help you navigate your finances. 

4 - Seek wise counsel.
You do not have to navigate this financial journey on your own! Find a Financial Coach like me or another trusted financial advisor to encourage you on this path.

5 - Seek God first.
I saved the best decision for last! The most important relationship in your life is your relationship with God. Ask God to help you be a wise and faithful manager of His money. After all, everything we have comes from Him! 

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

TROPHY LIFE

Growing up I had a trophy shelf in my bedroom. It was full of little league and basketball awards, and even my 3rd grade spelling bee champion trophy. I was very proud of these trophies. So proud that I would take time to dust them in order for them to shine brighter.

As I grew up and moved away, I left those trophies behind at my mom and dad’s house. But the idea of trophies never left me. 

My life and my Christian service became about the collection of trophies on my shelf. 

I was very proud of them. 

But God did not create me to be a trophy collector. God did not call me to shine so I would be noticed. God created me to shine His glory, so that people would notice Him. 

If I make being a consistent Christian my goal in order to accumulate more trophies, then I’m missing the point. My trophies do not make me more appealing to God. Anything that shines brighter than God in my life will actually cause me to be separate from God! 

I have to let go of past trophies (and failures) and focus on the true prize that Jesus has called me to win. 

I cannot follow Jesus into the future if I’m holding on to the past. 

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

God did not create me to be a trophy on His shelf. He created me to be close to Him and reflect His glory so others would notice Him, not me. 

Friday, February 23, 2024

MAKING DREAMS A REALITY

This is the time of year when most of the people who made New Year’s Resolutions have already quit. They’ve thrown in the towel. They started strong, even signed up for a spinning class, but 6 weeks into the new routine, they have dropped out. 

People drop out for many reasons… it’s hard to make a change and start exercising when you’re not used to it. It’s hard to say no to sugar. Especially when you don’t see any progress. After a few weeks I thought I’d be further along. I thought I would have the beach body instead of the dad bod. The results aren’t what they hoped for and they are ready to give it up. 

Exercise experts say the thing to do is to push on through. A person who keeps going for a few more weeks will likely turn the corner and begin seeing genuine change.

The same is true for starting a budget and controlling your spending. The first few weeks (even months) are tough. You may feel like giving up. But if you can push through, you will soon see the results you hoped for. It won’t be easy, but you’ll be glad you did.  

An Inc. Magazine article stated that 92% of all New Year’s goal setters will never achieve their goals. Which is kind of depressing. (Sad) 

But what if you could be part of the 8% who do reach their goals? 

What if your dreams become reality? 

Accomplishing goals is an important part of living a faithful life. Whether it’s a financial goal or a personal goal or a spiritual goal, we all have dreams we want to see become reality. 

It’s just that reaching these goals is not easy. And research backs this up when 92% of us do not make our New Year’s resolutions happen. 

But what do the 8% do to actually reach them? 

What can I do to be part of that 8% group? 

Here are three elements for goal setting that will increase your odds in reaching your goals. 

#1 - See the vision. 

You have a clear understanding of what it is you want to achieve and why it is important to you. 

I want to be financially secure so I can take care of my family and be generous to others. 

I want to build this business so I can make a positive impact on my community. 

I want to read through the Bible this year so I can grow in my faith and better understand God’s will for my life. 

I can see the vision. This is what I want to do. This is why I want to do it. 

#2 - Build the Stairway. 

Once you see the vision, you then build the steps to make that vision a reality. This stairway is the plan to reach my goals. These are the steps I’m taking to accomplish this goal. 

Sometimes it helps to reverse engineer your dream. Work backwards on what you would have to do to get from where you are to where you want to be. 

#3 - Define your core values. 

Your core values are the principles you live by that make you who you are as a person. When you can be authentic, combined with knowing your vision and your steps to make that vision a reality, that brings a focus to your life that will help you build something meaningful. You can make a huge impact when your vision lines up with your plans and they stay true to your core values. 

So, I encourage you to embrace this dream you have. Pour yourself into achieving these goals. Don’t give up! Don’t throw in the towel! Do these three things… 

See the vision.

Build the Stairway.

Define your core values. 

And you will greatly increase your odds for success. 

This is how we achieve the things that are important to us. And oh, by the way, this is how we also accomplish the goals that are important to God. 

So, embrace these challenges and know that with God as your ultimate Guide, you can live a life that takes incredible steps of faith! 

If you want to learn more about setting financial or spiritual goals, please reach out to me. I’m happy to help.