How Saving for Tomorrow Improves the Quality of Life Today

http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/2009/10/how-saving-for-tomorrow-improves-the-quality-of-life-today.html

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor…He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. – Proverb 21:21, 23

Lord, help me to guard what I say and what I do. Help me to be restrained when I need to be restrained and abundant when I need to be.

Assorted reading

Today has been pretty productive and lazy at once. I helped with the SOAR (Student Orientation, Advisement, and Registration – our university’s freshman orientation program) carousel this morning and had the opportunity to interview some great young men and women.

A nap was then in order (after a long night of Cities and Knights of Catan). Now, I’m ready to head to be with a few of my Saudi students / friends for a traditional dinner and conversation. Pretty excited!

Some links of love:

Trent from The Simple Dollar writes about lessons in finance that rock his world (they did mine, too)

Brett from The Art of Manliness publishes the poem “Give Me Men!”

Craig from Money Help for Christians writes about being stuck in a rut.

Peter from Bible Money Matters writes about building our faith by reading God’s Word.

It is good to praise the LORD, and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts! – Psalm 92:1-4

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. – Psalm 81:17-19

The text in bold is repeated three times in Psalm 81. When something is repeated three times (think “holy, holy, holy”), the Jewish context was that it was perfect, extremely significant. In this psalm, the author refers to the trials Israel has faced already and what is to come. The main theme is that the Lord’s favor is the only merit of salvation – unmerited, truly abundant grace.

He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. – Proverbs 15:32-33

Lord, bring me lower. Help me to worship you in spirit and truth, destitute in everything but rich in love for you.

Phil Wickam’s “You’re Beautiful”

Was at Crusade last night promoting Perspectives and was very blessed to partake in teaching and worship with them. As we finished out, they played Phil Wickham’s “You’re Beautiful:”

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You’re beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It’s all proclaiming who You are
You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful

I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You’re beautiful, you’re beautiful

When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful

I see Your face, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
I see Your face, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
I see Your face, I see Your face
I see Your face, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful

I’m excited that Heaven will contain a million voices singing praise to Him – sometimes without words!

Sitting at the dock of the computer

As I sit, reading some RSS out of the inbox, sipping a hot apple cider, and watching the sun’s orange, blue, and purple radiate through the sky as it starts to rise – I am thankful for many things.

I am thankful that I am alive. God plans to use me for another day’s service.

I am thankful for family and friends. Their encouragement and prayers help me move along through my days and my pursuit of God.

Wonderful article over at Bible Money Matters: http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/2009/09/changing-how-you-think-about-money-and-seeking-gods-direction-with-your-finances.html

We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your heart with joy. – Acts 14:15b-17

Thankful for my job…and the ladder

I need to write this because I’ve been working this morning hammering out e-mails. So, if you got an e-mail from me around 4:30, this explains why…

It’s easy for me to complain about the long hours and seemingly endless stack of requests. It’s easy for me to complain about irresponsible students. I had a conversation with one of my students from class about my job and how I’m paid (not how much, mind you). That conversation has made me more thankful for what I have.

Along these lines, I really liked this Art of Manliness post: The Importance of Paying Your Dues.