Where You Are Weak, God Is Strong

Today’s Scripture…
25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. 26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you;  never again will my people be shamed.”  Joel 2:25-26 (NIV)

Devotional Thought…
One of the things we can usually count on with problems is that the longer we put off dealing with them, the worse things get.  Whether we are talking about the noise under the hood, the toothache that won’t go away, or the Lord calling us to make some changes, this principle applies.

In Joel’s day, God had been calling His people to make some changes for a long time.  They put off getting things right with God to the point that He allowed something to happen to get their attention. The Bible says that one year, right at harvest time; swarms of locusts came to the land and devastated all the crops.  Instead of a harvest of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, dates and apples, the people looked over the chewed up remains of what might have been.  In their despair, God called out to his people through Joel, hoping this time they would be willing to exchange their way of living with God’s abundant way of living.

Sometimes our finances are an area that we put off letting God have control in.  We know God has said some things about how we should handle our money, but the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) lead us to make financial choices that can be devastating.  When God finally gets our attention about it, we can look up to find that our level of debt and our financial situation seems maybe even too big for God! 

Whether its finances, a relationship, or some other area of your life that looks like it’s too big a problem for even God to fix, today’s passage gives us a great promise to meditate on with the Lord.

God told his people that though He sent the problem, if they would turn their hearts and ways back to God, he would repay them for the years the locusts had eaten.  God wants to restore our hearts but he also will help restore a bank account or a broken relationship.  Are you willing to take your financial or relational mess and lay it before God saying, “Lord, here is the evidence of what I can do.  Please forgive me and fix my mess.  As you fix my mess, please fix me and teach me how to do things your way.  Teach me your ways in this matter.” 

Are you willing to trust, believe, and express to God that you know He can restore the years that your locusts have eaten?  If we are willing to do things God’s way starting today, God will work wonders for us.  And one day very soon we will be telling others “where I was weak, God became strong.”
 
Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org

Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

Be Content With What You Have

Today’s Scripture…
5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Devotional Thought…
Not too many years after the Apostle Paul, lived the great Greek philosopher Plato.  In one of his philosophical moments, he is credited with coming up with the idea, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”  His observations were that most inventions come about NOT through some random idea that popped into the mind of a human, but usually they come because there is a need.  God has caused the human mind to work in a way that when we are frustrated or perturbed, we begin to say to ourselves, “There has got to be a better way to do this.”

Over the last several months, we have experienced an economic downturn of global proportions.  Retirement funds, savings accounts, the worth of homes and the net worth of many families and individuals has shrunk to levels that have caused many to become fearful and panicked.  Through the fog of economic uncertainty, many are evaluating the way they have valued and handled their money up to this point in life and are saying to themselves, “There has got to be a better way to do this.”

Today’s scripture gives us some great truths to meditate on when it comes to the topic of money…
Keeping our life free from the love of money means there should be NO place for it in our lives.  To “love money” means money is something we pursue, we think about, and is a passion for us. How much do you “love money?”  Could our current economy be a way God is showing us that we have a love for money that is hindering some things God wants to accomplish in our lives?  Is this something you need to confess to God?

We are called to be content with what we have.  Are you content with the money and things you have, or is there always something more you desire and seem to be striving to get?  Have you ever taken the time to walk through your house, your yard, and your garage and just thank God for your stuff?  Have you looked at your checking account, savings account or retirement account and thanked God for whatever the amount is?  Do you need to apologize to the Lord for not appreciating all that He has allowed you to have?

Our money will come and go, and so will our stuff.  But there is One who is eternal; one who will always be with us in His abundance.  When is the last time you have worshipped the Lord, honoring and recognizing Him as the Eternal, Abundant, Never-ending One?

The real question to ask during these days is not, “how much am I going to lose in these tough economic times?”  The eternal question is, “What kind of person do I want to be in these times and beyond these times?” 
 
Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org
Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

God Desires To Work IN You

Today’s Scripture…
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

Devotional Thought…
There are really only two kinds of people on planet earth.  Those whom God is working ON, and those whom God is working IN.

For those who have yet to enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the Bible makes it clear that God is working ON them (2 Peter 3:9).  God wants everyone to be a part of His family, and that is why he sent Jesus.  If you want to know how to have a real relationship with God, click here.

But for those who are in God’s family because they have a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the Bible says God is working IN them.  Today’s scripture gives us some great truths to meditate on today…

The same God who created the heavens and the earth LIVES IN US.  He is not some “far away” God, ordering us around from a distance.  The Bible says that God is IN us.  We are His temple, the place that He dwells (1 Cor. 6:19).  Have you expressed your worship and appreciation to Him for being willing to dwell IN you; for the opportunity to be IN relationship with Almighty God?
 
God is working IN us in two ways.  First, He is working IN us to give us the DESIRE to do what pleases Him.  There are times in the life of a Christian where we know what God wants, but the truth is we don’t DESIRE to do what He wants.  God knows when we don’t want to do His will, and when that is the case He promises to work on our DESIRE.  Have you been honest with God about the things He wants you to do, but you don’t DESIRE to do them?  Confess those things to God and pray for God to go to work on your DESIRE.
 
Second, God is working IN us to give us the power to do His will.  God is always asking us to do things that we don’t think we have the power or ability to do.  God isn’t asking us to do these things to show us how puny we are, He is asking us to allow Him to do His will through His mighty power.  Peter couldn’t walk on water in His power, but as the power of God flowed through Him he could (Matt. 14:29).  Have you admitted to yourself and to God that you need His power to do the things He wants you to do for Him?  If you are serving God in some way, are you desperate for God to be empowering you to do it?  Do you need to ask forgiveness for doing the work of God in your own human strength?
 
As we seek to live each day for God, let us celebrate the truth that God is IN us, and let’s be desperate for Him to empower us to live for Him.

Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org
Exerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

God Was, God Is, And God Forever Will Be

Today’s Scripture…

¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day.        Genesis 1:1-5 (NIV)

Devotional Thought…

Today’s passage has some great thoughts to meditate on today…

In the beginning, God….  Before the earth ever had its first day, God was there.  God had big, beautiful plans for the heavens and earth before they even existed.  The truth is, any big, beautiful God-sized plan begins with God, even yours (Jer. 29:11).  Have you taken time this year to say to God in a “heart to heart” way that you understand that He is God, and you aren’t?  Have you taken time to let God know that you want to embrace and pursue his God-sized plans for your life?

The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters…  When God first started his creative work, it was formless and empty… but God was at work and He hovered close to His work.  It may seem that for God to do God-sized things in us, big changes will need to take place.  We may feel that we are so far from anything that God could use in a big and beautiful way, and the truth is we probably are.  But just as God hovered close to his creative work in the beginning, He hovers close to us (Is. 40:11).  Have you thanked God that He hovers close to you?  Have you celebrated the truth that His mercy endures forever?

And He separated the light from the darkness…  In the beginning, God made a separation between what was light and what was dark.  It was an essential “first step” that would set the stage for the big, beautiful things to come.  If we really want God to do some big, beautiful God-sized things in and through us in 2009, don’t be surprised if God starts calling on you to separate from the sin that He knows is in your life.  We all have dark places, where sin has crept in and we have allowed it to reside.  God points it out not because He hates us, but because He loves us.  He loves us so much He sent Jesus to earth to die on a cross to take it away.  Don’t resist his call to expel the dark places.  Have you spent any time in confession this year, agreeing with God about the things in you that are sin and asking Him to remove them through Jesus?

Do you really believe God can do some big, beautiful God-sized things through you in 2010?  The truth is, He made a world out of nothing and He can make anything He chooses out of us, if we will make it our passion to know Him and love Him.

Kingdom Focused! 

Flora M. Kynard, author of

Prosperity Renewal: 14 biblical Principles for Truee Financial Freedom

info@prosperityrenewal.org

www.prosperityrenewal.org

Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with Him.

66 Painless Ways to Save Money

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

For several weeks I have wrote about the Resurrection of Your Finances. Last week
was a week of interaction between readers. Interaction was light but hopefully
more people will dive in and get their feet wet this week.

To continue the topic of Resurrection of Your Finances I am going to give you 66
painless ways to save money. I will give you about 12 a day so you can absorb
them.

Since we have learned that everything we have is God’s, let us be good stewards
with what He has given us.

I would like to get the number of tips to at least 101, so if you have some money-
saving suggestions, please leave a comment.

I have a WordPress blog so you must register with WordPress to be able to leave a
comment. If you do not feel comfortable doing that just send me an email at Contact Us.

Let’s help one another.

Save Money on Transportation

Airline Fares

1. You can lower the price of a roundtrip air fare by as much as
   two-thirds by making certain your trip includes a Saturday
   evening stayover, and by purchasing the ticket in advance.
2. To make certain you have a cheap fare, even if you use a
   travel agent, call all the airlines (or check online) that fly where you want to go
   and ask what the lowest fare to your destination is. 
3. Keep an eye out for fare wars. Be prepared to act quickly. 

Car Rentals

4. Since car rental rates can vary greatly, shop around for the
   best basic rates and special offers. 
5. Rental car companies offer various insurance and waiver
   options. Check with your insurance agent and credit card company
   in advance to avoid duplicating any coverage you may already
   have. 

New Cars

6. You can save thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a car
   by selecting a model that combines a low purchase price with low
   financing, insurance, gasoline, maintenance, and repair costs.
   Ask your local librarian for new car guides that contain this
   information. 
7. Having selected a model, you can save hundreds of dollars by
   comparison shopping. Call at least five dealers (or check online) for price quotes
   and let each know that you are calling others. 
8. Remember there is no “cooling off” period on new car sales.
   Once you have signed a contract, you are obligated to buy the
   car. 

Used Cars

9. Before buying any used car:
        a. Compare the seller’s asking price with the average retail
   price in a “bluebook” or other guide to car prices found at many libraries, banks, and credit unions.
        b. Have a mechanic you trust check the car, especially if the car is sold “as is.” 
10. Consider purchasing a used car from an individual you know and
    trust. They are more likely than other sellers to charge a lower
    price and point out any problems with the car.

 Auto Leasing

11. Don’t decide to lease a car just because the payments are
    lower than on a traditional auto loan. The leasing payments may
    be lower because you don’t own the car at the end of the lease. 
12. Leasing a car is very complicated. When shopping, consider
    the price of the car (known as the capitalized cost), your trade-
    in allowance, any down payment, monthly payments, various fees
    (excess mileage, excess “wear and tear,” end-of-lease), and the
    cost of buying the car at the end of the lease. 

Gasoline

13. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by using the lowest-octane called for in your owner’s manual.
14. You can save up to $100 a year on gas by keeping your engine
    tuned and your tires inflated to their proper pressure. 

Car Repairs

15. Consumers lose billions of dollars each year on unneeded or
    poorly done car repairs. The most important step that you can
    take to save money on these repairs is to find a skilled, honest
    mechanic. Before you need repairs, look for a mechanic who:
         * is certified and well established;
         * has done good work for someone you know; and
         * communicates well about repair options and costs. 

Save Money on Insurance

Auto Insurance

16. You can save several hundred dollars a year by purchasing auto
    insurance from a licensed, low-price insurer. Call your state
    insurance department for a publication showing typical prices
    charged by different companies. Then call at least four of the
    lowest-priced, licensed insurers to learn what they would charge
    you for the same coverage.
17. Talk to your agent or insurer about raising your deductibles
    on collision and comprehensive coverages to at least $500 or, if
    you have an old car, dropping these coverages altogether.
    Taking these steps can save you hundreds of dollars a year.
18. Make certain that your new policy is in effect before dropping
    your old one. 

Homeowner Insurance

19. You can save $100 or more a year by purchasing homeowner
    insurance from a low-price, licensed insurer. Ask your state
    insurance department for a publication showing typical prices
    charged by different licensed companies. Then call at least four
    of the lowest priced insurers to learn what they would charge
    you. If such a publication is not available, it is even more
    important to call at least four insurers for price quotes.
20. Make certain you purchase enough coverage to replace the house
    and its contents.
21. Make certain your new policy is in effect before dropping your
    old one. 

Life Insurance

22. If you want insurance protection only, buy a term life
    insurance policy.
23. If you want to buy a whole life, universal life, or other cash
    value policy, plan to hold it for at least 15 years. Cancelling
    these policies after only a few years can more than double your
    life insurance costs.
24. Check your public library for information about the financial
    soundness of insurance companies and the prices they charge. Consumer Report magazines are a
    valuable source of information about a number of insurers. 

Save money on Banking/Credit

Checking

25. You can save more than $100 a year in fees by selecting a
    checking account with a minimum balance requirement that you can,
    and do, meet. 
26. Banking institutions often will drop or lower checking fees if
    paychecks are directly deposited by your employer. Direct
    deposit offers the additional advantages of convenience,
    security, and immediate access to your money. 

Savings and Investment Products

27. Before opening a savings or investment account with a bank or
    other financial institution, find out whether the account is
    insured by the federal government. An increasing number of
    products offered by these institutions, including mutual stock
    funds and annuities, are not insured. 
28. To earn the highest return on savings (annual percentage
    yield) with little or no risk, consider certificates of deposit
    (CDs) and treasury bills or notes. 
29. Once you select a type of savings or investment product,
    compare rates offered by different institutions. These rates can
    vary a lot and, over time, can significantly affect interest
    earnings. 

Credit Cards

30. You can save as much as several hundred dollars each year in
    lower credit card interest charges by paying off your entire bill
    each month. 
31. If you are unable to pay off a large balance, switch to a
    credit card with a low annual percentage rate (APR). 
32. You can reduce credit card fees, which may add up to more than
    $100 a year, by getting rid of all but one or two cards, and by
    avoiding late payment and over-the-credit limit fees. 

Auto Loans

33. If you have significant savings earning a low interest rate,
    consider making a large down payment or even paying for the car
    in cash. This could save you as much as several thousand dollars
    in finance charges. 
34. You can save as much as hundreds of dollars in finance charges
    by shopping for the cheapest loan. Contact several banks, your
    credit union, and the auto manufacturer’s own finance company. A 0% interest loan is not necessarily your best loan. See New Cars section above. 

First Mortgage Loans

35. You may save tens of thousands of dollars in interest charges
    by shopping for the shortest-term mortgage you can afford. On a
    $100,000 fixed-rate loan at 8% annual percentage rate (APR), for
    example, you will pay $90,000 less in interest on a 15-year
    mortgage than on a 30-year mortgage. 
36. You can save thousands of dollars in interest charges by
    shopping for the lowest-rate mortgage with the fewest points. On
    a 15-year, $100,000 fixed-rate mortgage, just lowering the APR
    from 8.5% to 8.0% can save you more than $5,000 in interest
    charges. On this mortgage, paying two points instead of three
    would save you an additional $1,000. 
37. If your local newspaper does not periodically run mortgage
    rate surveys, call at least six lenders for information about
    their rates (APRs), points, and fees. Then ask an accountant to
    compute precisely how much each mortgage option will cost and its
    tax implications. 
38. Be aware that the interest rate on most adjustable rate
    mortgage loans (ARMs) can vary a great deal over the lifetime of
    the mortgage. An increase of several percentage points might
    raise payments by hundreds of dollars per month. 

Mortgage Refinancing

39. Consider refinancing your mortgage if you can get a rate that
    is at least one percentage point lower than your existing
    mortgage rate and plan to keep the new mortgage for several years
    or more. Ask an accountant to calculate precisely how much your
    new mortgage (including upfront fees) will cost and whether, in
    the long run, it will cost less than your current mortgage.  

Home Equity Loans

40. Be cautious in taking out home equity loans. These loans
    reduce the equity that you have built up in your home. If you
    are unable to make payments, you could lose your home.  
41. Compare home equity loans offered by at least four banking
    institutions. In comparing these loans, consider not only the
    annual percentage rate (APR) but also points, closing costs,
    other fees, and the index for any variable rate changes.  

Save Money on Housing

Home Purchase

42. You can often negotiate a lower sale price by employing a
    buyer broker who works for you, not the seller. If the buyer
    broker or the broker’s firm also lists properties, there may be a
    conflict of interest, so ask them to tell you if they are showing
    you a property that they have listed.  
43. Do not purchase any house until it has been examined by a home
    inspector that you selected.  

Renting a Place to Live

44. Do not limit your rental housing search to classified ads or
    referrals from friends and acquaintances. Select buildings where
    you would like to live and contact their building manager or
    owner to see if anything is available.  
45. Remember that signing a lease probably obligates you to make
    all monthly payments for the term of the agreement.  

Home Improvement

46. Home repairs often cost thousands of dollars and are the
    subject of frequent complaints. Select from among several well
    established, licensed contractors who have submitted written,
    fixed-price bids for the work.
47.  Do not sign any contract that requires full payment before
    satisfactory completion of the work. 

Major Appliances

48. Consult Consumer Reports, available in most public libraries,
    for information about specific brands and how to evaluate them,
    including energy use. There are often great price and quality
    differences among brands. 
49. Once you’ve selected a brand, check the phone book or check online to learn
    what stores carry this brand, then call at least four of these
    stores for the prices of specific models. After each store has
    given you a quote, ask if that’s the lowest price they can offer
    you. This comparison shopping can save you as much as $100 or
    more. 

Save Money on Utilities

Electricity

50. To save as much as hundreds of dollars a year on electricity,
    make certain that any new appliances you purchase, especially air
    conditioners and furnaces, are energy-efficient. Information on
    the energy efficiency of major appliances is found on Energy
    Guide Labels required by federal law. Check with your electric
    utility to learn if it has a program to help reduce the costs of
    any appliance purchases. 
51. Enrolling in load management programs and off-hour rate
    programs offered by your electric utility may save you up to $100
    a year in electricity costs. Call your electric utility for
    information about these cost-saving programs. 

Home Heating

52. A home energy audit can identify ways to save up to hundreds
    of dollars a year on home heating (and air conditioning). Ask
    your electric or gas utility if they can do this audit for free
    or for a reasonable charge. If they cannot, ask them to refer
    you to a qualified professional. 

Local Telephone Service

53. Check with your phone company to see whether a flat rate or
    measured service plan will save you the most money. 
54. You will usually save money by buying your phones instead of
    leasing them. 
55. Check your local phone bill to see if you have optional
    services that you don’t really need or use. Each option you drop
    could save you $40 or more each year. 

Long Distance Telephone Service

56. Long distance calls made during evenings, at night, or on
    weekends can cost significantly less than weekday calls. 
57. If you make more than a few long distance calls each month,
    consider subscribing to a calling plan. Call several long
    distance companies to see which one has the least expensive plan
    for the calls you make. 
58. Every few months, comparison shop to see if you’re paying too much for your telephone calling plan. If you find a better deal, contact your phone company and negotiate — or switch. 

Save Money on Everything Else

Food Purchased at Markets

59. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by shopping at the
    lower-priced food stores. Convenience stores often charge the
    highest prices. 
60. You will spend less on food if you shop with a list. 
61. 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. 

Prescription Drugs

62. Since brand name drugs are usually much more expensive than
    their generic equivalents, ask your physician and pharmacist for
    generic drugs whenever appropriate. 
63. Since pharmacies may charge widely different prices for the
    same medicine, call several. When taking a drug for a long time,
    also consider calling mail-order pharmacies, which often charge
    lower prices. See Consumer Reports
    (available in most public libraries) for a list of several of
    these pharmacies and their toll-free phone numbers. 

Funeral Arrangements

64. Make your wishes known about your funeral, memorial, or burial
    arrangements in writing. Be cautious about prepaying because
    there may be risks involved.  
65. For information about the least costly options, which could
    save you several thousand dollars, contact a local memorial
    society, which is usually listed in the Yellow Pages under
    funeral services or you can do an online Google search for funeral services in your local area. 
66. Before selecting a funeral home, call several and ask for
    prices of specific goods and services, or visit them to obtain an
    itemized price list. You are entitled to this information by law
    and, by using it to comparison shop, you can save hundreds of
    dollars. 

Kingdom Focused,

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom

The Introduction of the 36-part series of Resurrection of Your Finances states: 

It’s all God’s money.

Many Christians would nod their head in agreement with that statement, but when it’s time to open the wallet, it’s as if we have completely forgotten. Suddenly it’s our money and we try desperately to get or keep as much as possible.

How has the study of this series change the way you view money?

Flora M. Kynard, author of

Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom

The first principle in the book Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom the author suggests that God owns everything and everything belongs to God.  

The author suggests that since God owns everything (including us) that we are just managers or stewards of what God has placed at our disposal. 

Do you agree or disagree with such a statement?  Why or why not?

Flora M. Kynard,  Director

Prosperity Renewal Ministries

www.prosperityrenewal.org

12 Things We Should Be Thankful For

This year has been a season of trials for many but our situations are never our destination just a time of preparation. In this season of thanks and giving  take time starting TODAY and write down a list of things that you are thankful for. Here is a list of 12 Things We Should Be Thankful For from my pastor’s (Pastor Chad Selph of First Baptist Allen) November 12th sermon notes:

“TWELVE THINGS WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR”
(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from th Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17, NIV).

1. T – I am thankful for teachers (Ephesians 4:11).
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers…” (Ephesians 4:11, NIV).

2. H – I am thankful for home (Ephesians 5:21-6:4).

3. A – I am thankful for animals (Genesis 1:24-25)

4. N – I am thankful for neighbors (Galatians 5:14).

5. K – I am thankful for kids (Matthew 18:1-6).

6. S – I am thankful for Scripture (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
“are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ
Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15, NIV).

7. G – I am thankful for grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

8. I – I am thankful for intercession (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in
authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness
and holiness” (2 Timothy 2:1-2, NIV).

9. V – I am thankful for volunteers (Isaiah 6:1-8).
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8, NIV).

10. I – I am thankful for the incarnation (John 1:4).

11. N – I am thankful for our nation (Romans 13:1).

12. G – I am thankful for God being God (James 1:17).

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:1-5, NIV).

7 Ways to Sock Away Emergency Cash

Not having an emergency fund is the first step into the deep hole of debt.

With the economy forcing people to take a hard look at their finances, more people are realizing that they need to create an emergency fund, but how do you find the money to begin an emergency fund when you are just making ends meet?

Here are seven simple ways to find money to begin an emergency fund, which will allow you to create that all-important buffer for your finances.

1. Rearrange Your Current Costs
The least painful way to create an emergency fund is to rearrange the way you currently spend your money without actually giving up anything.

Chances are that you are paying much more than you need to be for a lot of the services you currently subscribe to such as cable TV, Internet access and phone service.

Calling these services with a competing offer in hand and asking for a better deal will often reduce the amount you are paying while keeping the exact same services you currently get.

The same can be done with home and car insurance as well. It usually costs companies much more money to find a new customer than it does to give you a discount, so they are often willing to give discounts to keep you from going to the competition.

You can then take the money you save to begin your emergency fund.

2. Play Saving Games
There are a number of saving games that you can play to get your emergency fund started. The most common of these is creating a money jar where you empty all your loose change at the end of each day, and collect the money at the end of the month to use for your emergency fund.

A wide variety of money games like this can serve the same purpose.

3. Increase Your Income

If you have already tapped all the ways that you know how to save money, another option is to make some extra money.

There are a number of ways that you can accomplish this, including finding a part-time job, doing freelance work or starting your own side business.

You can begin a number of jobs that cost very little money to create, and the extra money gained can become your emergency fund.

4. Sell Stuff

In all likelihood, you have way more stuff in your home than you need. A simple walk around you home looking into the closets, garage and other storage spaces should readily confirm this.

If you haven’t used it in the past year, you probably don’t need it. Instead of keeping it in storage and letting it gather dust, have a garage sale, put it up for sale on Craigslist or list it as an auction on eBay.

Set aside any money earned to initiate your emergency fund.

5. Pay Yourself

The reason that the IRS takes money out of people’s paycheck each month is because if they didn’t, they know that most people wouldn’t have the money to pay their tax bill come April 15. They want to make sure they get their money, so they take it upfront.

You should have the same attitude with your emergency fund and pay yourself first when your paycheck arrives. Have a set amount taken out of each paycheck before you pay any other bills that gets transferred into your emergency fund.

Another way to accomplish the same goal is to finish paying off a recurring bill such as a credit card or car payment. Instead of using this newly freed up money to buy new things, keep paying it, but this time to yourself earmarked for your emergency fund.

6. Set Up an Account

When setting up an emergency fund, you will want to open up a separate account so that the emergency fund money isn’t mixed in with your regular spending money since mixing makes it much easier to spend the emergency fund money on nonemergency things.

Online banks often offer money promotions for opening accounts, which can get your emergency fund started just for setting it up.

7. Pay Yourself for Things You Use

One of the easiest ways to always have an emergency fund available is to learn to pay yourself to use things you already own.

Getting into this habit ensures you have a mini emergency fund for all the things you use on a regular basis and puts you in a position of never having to buy things on credit again.

Embrace one of the above ways to begin the emergency fund, and give yourself a bit of breathing room.

* excerpt from Jeffrey Strain article at TheStreet.Com.

As lending requirements tighten even for the most responsible consumers credit scores are becoming increasingly more important. In order to get a loan these days, a consumer’s score not only needs to be healthy, it needs to be in fighting form.

Today, a FICO credit score of 750 or higher is considered the gold standard among lenders, says Ben Woolsey, director of marketing and consumer research at CreditCards.com, whereas in the past borrowers with scores of 720 or higher could land the best rates (FICO scores range between 300 and 850).

Banks are only lending to people with stellar credit and I think that will continue for some years, says Linda Sherry, spokeswoman for consumer advocacy group Consumer Action.

Those whose score falls well below this all-important 750 level can expect to hit some hurdles. They may have a harder time getting decent rates on a mortgage or student loan.

The problem is there are all sort of ways your score can get decimated and we’re not just talking about an overdue bill. Some strikes come unexpectedly and the damage is done before you know it. To prevent any surprises, here are five not-so-obvious ways your credit score can get tarnished:

Too Many Inquiries

Each time a lender looks into your credit history, the credit agencies take note. If too many creditors start dipping into your file within a certain timeframe — say six months to a year — it starts to have a negative impact on your credit score, explains Gerri Detweiler, credit advisor for Credit.com.

The problem here is that consumers don’t always realize when their credit is checked. If, for example, you shop for a new cellphone plan, the service provider will typically check your credit report and use the information in its decision to sign you up. Most utilities, including cable providers, fall into this category, as do (surprisingly) car-rental agencies. An inquiry shows on your credit report and can degrade your score if you actively sought out the credit relationship; inquiries made unsolicitedly (like when you receive a credit-card offer in the mail) won’t hurt your score, says Craig Watts, spokesman for Fair Isaac.

Similarly, when shopping for a mortgage or auto loan, Sherry advises that consumers apply for loans within a 30-day period. The FICO scoring model recognizes that if you go out to six car dealerships within two or three weeks and they all pull your credit, it’s seen as shopping for one car, not six, says Sherry. But if you visit six different dealerships over a span of several months, it might look like you’re shopping for six cars. You want to take your time but not too much, she says.

Small, Unpaid Debts

Believe it or not, that parking ticket you put off paying can come back to haunt you. The same things goes for the movie you returned a week late to Blockbuster and the book you borrowed from the library in 1999. After a certain period of time has passed, some cities will turn a bunch of unpaid debts over to a collection agency. The agency pursues the overdue amounts, and when a collection agency record shows up on your credit report, it will absolutely hammer your credit score, says Watts.

Store Credit Cards

Landing a 15% discount on that new winter coat — just for signing up for a Banana Republic store card — can be really tempting. The problem, though, comes when the collection of cards in your wallet look like the store directory at the mall. All those cards for individual retailers means you have a lot of open lines of credit, which the credit bureaus tend to view as potential trouble, especially when the cards aren’t affiliated with a national provider such as MasterCard or Visa, says Woolsey. The negative impact on your credit score will most likely outweigh those one-time discounts at the store, he says, not to mention that APRs on retail cards can reach as high as 26%.

Authorized Users

Whether it’s to make sure their college-age son or daughter can access emergency funds or pay for a hotel room over spring break, many parents add a child to their credit-card accounts as an “authorized user.” This means the principal cardholder (in this case, let’s say the mother) allows her son to use the account, but does not hold him responsible for making the payments. For the most part, it’s a win-win situation for the son. He not only gets to put pizzas for his friends on the family plastic, he also gets the added benefit of building up his short credit history. But if Mom is late paying the bill even one time, her credit score will drop and so will her son’s, says Watts.

Name Changes

Something as innocuous as a middle initial can impact your credit score for the worse. Say you’re known as Jenny E. Smith on your credit report. You apply for new credit one day and drop the E, or decide to go with Jennifer instead (or you take your husbands name). The credit bureau will create a separate file for you even though Jenny E. Smith and Jenny Smith both live at the same address, says Watts. To prevent these kinds of errors from spoiling your credit score, notify your creditors and the credit bureaus of any name change, says Watts, and make sure they understand you’re the same person.

*excerpt from October 20, 2008 article by Lisa Scherzer at SmartMoney.com. All Rights Reserved.