Proverbs 31 Woman

Archive for the ‘Finance’ Category

This 16 DVD set with 38 sessions features Wade Myers, Harvard MBA.  More importantly, though, Mr. Myers is a godly man.  This set , offered by Franklin Springs Media, contains 38 sessions, 6 workbooks, and a preloaded USB drive.  Have you wanted to become an entrepreneur?  Are looking for sound teaching on this subject from a Biblical perspective?  Are you at a crossroads in your vocation?  Take a few moments to check out this resource.  www.franklinsprings.com

Just a few areas you’ll learn about are:

**Entrepreneurship

**Stewardship

**Deuteronomy 8:18

**Productivity and Creativity

**Matthew 25 – Parable of the Talents

**Success : is it really the one with the most toys who wins?  Or is it obedience to God’s commands?

Have you considered what it means to be fruitful?  We are here on the earth to advance the Kingdom; it’s not about us.  When we bear fruit, we are glorifying our Lord.  Fruitfulness is a consequence of obedience.

There is so much more that could be said; be sure to check Venture Academy out today.

It’s been said that if one prays for patience he/she better be ready to go through (or is it grow through?) some trying times.  Back in the early days of my marriage, I prayed for patience….God gave me 5 children!!  This past week we’ve been learning more about patience as we await the official final word of the Ford Fiesta Contest.  A 100 winners will be chosen to be Fiesta Agents for 6 months, going on one monthly special secret assignment.  The winners will get to use the Fiesta , free fuel and insurance, too!  My husband submitted his video entry several days ago now and we expectantly await news.  We naturally think his video was one of the best and he would be an asset to the team of Agents.  My husband actually compared this week to being in labor and giving birth……….hmmm…………I don’t think he really knows what we womenfolk go through in our labors and deliveries.  But, it’s a good analogy and I hope the birth is soon!

Could this be God’s provision for our auto needs til Fall?!  We hope so!

My husband is a social marketing strategist!  Enjoy his latest project!

He has entered this video in a contest to promote Ford’s new Fiesta!

Yes, our home is a flurry of activity as we prepare for another child to be married – this time, a daughter.  Being a traditional family, we are putting on the event, and with great joy!  We are preparing to release our daughter, in a sense, giving the responsibility of protection and provision to her beloved.

So what advice would I give to a family with lots of children, especially several daughters?  Since some have asked, I would say to begin the conversation now, between husband and wife, regarding courtship (what is it?), budget, expectations and more.   Some have lumped dating and courtship together.  But the big difference is that a man and a woman in a courtship are heading towards marriage.  Dating, however, seems to imply a lack of commitment.  Yes, some who “date around” end up marrying that one, but dating around can leave great wounds.

Why talk about the budget when your children are young or teens?  Because this is a big issue.  We know folks who have gone into debt to put on their child’s wedding.  We know folks who spent $40,000 on the wedding only to be divorced a couple years later.  A wedding is a wonderful celebration, but it can be lovely and memorable even on a modest budget.  So, set a budget now, while you are thinking clearly, and when the time comes, make every effort to stick to it.  Pray, be creative, do some research.

In our case, our daughter wanted lots of guests, 100’s in fact.  So, the sit down dinner option was nixed.  But we will have delicious food for the guests:  fruits, vegeys, crackers, cheeses, shrimp, desserts, hors de voures, etc.  The setting is our home church for the ceremony and reception.  Since children are very important to the bride to be the wedding party includes 2 ring bearers and 4 flower girls, in addition to 7 bridesmaids and 7 groomsmen, ushers, musicians, and 2 ministers presiding.

This is also a time to let go……….to realize that the couple is establishing a new home.  It’s time to say, “I’ve raised you and love you and will continue to love you.  But if you want advice from now on, you will need to come to me and ask.”  That can be a very hard thing to grasp for a parent, especially a controlling parent.  But do you really want to treat your 20 something child like he/she still has a diaper on?  Cut the apron strings, in fact, start to loosen them little by little as the years roll on from ages, let’s say 1 , until the late teens.

Rejoice with us at this time!!

I acquired my Polo by Ralph Lauren at the Edison Street Sale last Saturday. Everyone’s heard of Ralph Lauren, but have you heard of the Edison Street Sale? It’s an annual event now in our city, usually held the first Sat. of June, although that’s spilled over to include the few days prior and a couple days after.

People actually come from out of state now to shop the Edison Street Sale. Many people, like me, make a list of things to look for at this event; my list this year included a new winter jacket, some tennis shoes or sandals,milk glass dishes to add to my collection, a pair of summer shorts (I haven’ t worn them in years but my wonderful 13 yr. old daughter practically coerced me into getting a pair this year), a globe for my friend named Jennifer, a shirt or jacket for my husband, something for my new grandchild, and some tomato cages.

I found just about everything on my list within an hour or two. But it’s funny, I never made it onto Edison Street. You see, over the years the adjacent blocks, including mine, have joined in the fun. Yes, it’s still called the Edison Street Sale, but it spans several blocks now. I didn’t even make it off my block; actually, I still had money in my pocket, but I had four bags of goodies to carry after going to about 6 houses and so I went home and put away my loot!

I missed getting my annual hotdog sold by the boy scouts on Edison Street. But, I found a Polo by Ralph Lauren! Enjoy the Summer.

ps. maybe you can start such an event in your town

The Boyntons have some great new resources available. The Prospering Homemaker is now available in e-book, DVD, or printed book formats. Loaded with money-saving tips and personal stories, this information is bound to encourage moms, young and old, in their role as homemaker. And for those of you who would like to get out of debt or re-direct your income in other ways, this material is for you! So, check out their website today: http://radicaldebtelimination.com/

We have some helpful fact sheets available. Each fact sheet is FREE; we just ask for a small fee to cover shipping and handling.

1. 10 great books to know about when you homeschool. I guess you would call this our Top Ten Books Relating to Home Education. ($2.00)

2. Oral Histories – the Hidden Gems. This is actually an encouragement for everyone reading this to collect an oral history of your parents/grandparents, etc. Plus, the sheet includes poignant questions you’ll want to ask. ($2.00)

3. Getting Into College – This fact sheet is a personal testimony from a young man’s point of view. Having received over 3/4 of a million dollars in college scholarship offers, he gives some simple tips re: how this came to be. ($4.00 – this is a few pages long.)

Later this year, we hope to offer these as e-pamphlets. For now, send cash to: IX Publishing, Inc., Dept. FS, PO Box 2578, Dearborn, MI 48123-2578.

You’ve heard about the Boynton’s book, Radical Debt Elimination in the previous post. I wanted to share a few lines from section 13, the Conclusion. “A whole new life begins when your debt is paid off, and this book was merely the doorway. By continuing to employ the tools we discuss in our book, your income will increase without your taxes increasing. Instead of needing financial help yourself, now you can help others directly……People need to know that others care. Be the one that brings hope to the hopeless. While you were in deep financial bondage, you were not able to do this but now…..”

The book is organized well. There is an introduction, followed by 4 chapters which discuss 4 phases. Phase I is Determine Your Current Location which talks about where you are at right now financially. Then, in the next chapter we read about Phase II: Thinking Radically – Developing the Plan. The nitty gritty of preparing a budget is covered along with an explanation of reducing and redirecting one’s spending. Phase III is covered next: Executing the Plan. There are 4 sections within this phase: Radically Attacking Your Debts, Finding “Hidden” Money, Nickels & Dimes, and in section 10 there is an explanation of “The Malachi Factor”TM. Phase IV is titled Mission Accomplished! There is a discussion about streamlining cash flow and what’s next, after debts are paid.

I agree with much of the contents. God is sovereign and Mighty. His ways are not our ways. As we learn more of Him and His principles, we are better able to make wise decisions. Christ is our Great Redeemer and Life-Giver. He is our all in all.

Why talk about this book on a website called Prov. 31? God calls us to be good stewards of what He has given us. He wants us to be able to reach out and to help others. This may be in the form of explaining to them the claims of Christ, that He died on the cross to pay the debt that His people owed. This outreach may be in the form of reaching out to a family hurting because they do not know what a budget is or how to make one. The Boyntons have decided to write down and share the joys and trials they have gone through with the intent of reaching out to others. Jesus reached out to those around Him by giving bread, by bringing comfort to the sick, by welcoming little children. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man comes to the Father except by Me.”

Happy New Year to all!

As we begin a new year, we often set new goals, make resolutions, establish priorities. An area sometimes neglected in the new year goal setting (or any goal setting period) is finances. A wise man of old summarized how to handle finances in three easy maxims: Earn all you can; Save all you can; Give all you can. Now each of these could be a message in itself and we may give more details in the coming months on these maxims, however, we have been listening to folks for years and a recurring struggle that folks are having is debt elimination.

For us just to say, don’t get into debt won’t really help those who find themselves in debt, whether $1000 or $10,000. In the next few blog entries, we will be discussing a book called: Radical Debt Elimination. Check out the website at: www.radicaldebtelimination.com/aboutourbook.html.

There are many books, programs, and people stressing debt elimination. “Just pay off the smallest debt, then use that money plus the money budgeted for debt elimination to pay off the next smallest………..da de dah………” What’s unique about the approach in the book Radical Debt Elimination is what the Boynton’s call The Malachi Factor (TM). “We coined the phrase “The Malachi Factor (TM)” from the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi…..We had nearly $80,000 worth of debt that was eliminated in just six years (including the mortgage)! While we were paying off our debt, we added five children to our family. At the end of those six years, we had a total of eight children (we have nine now) and my husband’s annual income averaged $28,700 over the six years. We want you to see that it is not necessary to earn a huge paycheck to eliminate debt quickly…….”

Check out their website, check out the book and stay tuned for more information on Radical Debt Elimination soon!