Getting Financially Fit: Sunday, February 14 – Sunday, March 14, 9:30 am, CNC – room TBD

Sydney Cooley, CNC’s bookkeeper, is leading a small group on Taming the Money Monster and The Treasure Principle .

The 5 objectives for this class include the following:

1. Why we get into debt and how to avoid more.
2. How to get out of debt.
3. How to use credit.
4. Biblical perspective on credit and debt.
5. How to be practical.

Contact Sydney today: (635-5992, Sydney@cnchurch.org) with your RSVP. She wants  to order enough books in time for you to read the first chapter before February 14^th. The book, Taming the Money Monster by Ron Blue, is about $8.00, depending on the sale Sydney finds.

There is homework for the first class. First, read chapter one from Taming the Money Monster. Secondly, Read The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. This small book is given (free) to all who attend The Pastor’s Class. If you don’t have a book, contact Sydney today for your free copy.

Your Turn  . . .

1. What is your best tip for getting financially fit?
2. Have you attended one of Sydney’s groups before? If yes, what is the best thing you got from the group?
3. Have you read either of these books? If yes, what is the best advice you read? Why?
4. What are your top financial struggles?
5. Do you have a plan to cancel your financial struggles? Care to share it?
6. What financial information/help are you most wanting/needing to know?

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• 4 Week Hospitality Group Format
• 5 Ways I Saw God Take Care of Me Today
• Answer the following to see what you should do: P.S. Small groups is the answer
• Getting Financially Fit Will Happen This February-March: Attend This CNC Small Group
• Hospitality Field Trip Refreshes and Teaches
• Out of the Saltshaker and into the World
• Small Groups Help with New Year’s Resolutions: Especially When it Feels Like You Are Scaling a Wall
• The Power of a Praying Woman to Impact Small Group of Women

Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled “This could change your life.”  ~Helen Exley

Reading is obviously useful for day-to-day life. I.e. We need to read in order to . . .

• File our taxes
• Fill out a library card application
• Understand the employee handbook
• Check out the sports stats for our favorite hockey team
• Choose an appropriate birthday card or the correct type of oil for the car, and
• Buy the beans, meat and tortillas we need for dinner.

But reading can bring more than ease to daily living or increase our competency at work.

Below are a 13 reasons I’ve found reading to be beneficial. Reading . . .

1. Helps us develop better vocabulary and grammar
2. Exposes us to novel ideas, actions, geography and people so that we become more culturally & historically aware
3. Energizes us for action or de-stresses us after an action-packed day
4. Improves our general knowledge and imagination
5. Clarifies difficult topics (If there is a children’s book on the topic, I always read that first so I can get a simple overview.)
6. Gives us the opportunity to learn from the mistakes and wisdom of others
7. Encourages us to be the best we can be
8. Is a fun way to spend our time and/or learn
9. Enhances our creativity and concentration
10. Shows us how we can do life, work, health, relationships, etc.  better, easier, faster, cheaper
11. Increases family bonding when the reading is done out loud
12. Alleviates loneliness
13. Nourishes our soul and intellect

What would you add to this list? How is reading beneficial to you?

Related Posts

• 10 Read Out Loud Tips for More Enjoyment
• If Books Are Like a Personality Test, What Do My New Year’s Choices Reveal?

Brad Isaac at Persistance Unlimited has two good articles on reading. (1) Click here to read “The 26 Major Advantages to Reading More Books and Why 3 in 4 People Are Being Shut Out of Success.”  (2) Go here to read “5 Sneaky and Underhanded Methods To Add 30% More Time To Your Daily Reading Schedule.

• I usually read one book at a time. But this month, I couldn’t restrain myself. There are six that I am dabbling in at the moment.

Less Clutter , Less Noise: Beyond Bulletins, Brochures and Bake Sales by Kem Meyer. I picked this book because I am always looking for ways to make my ministries relevant. This title suggests the opposite of what I’ve known and done. Go here to read Kem’s blog. Here are some posts to get you started . . . Want to change people’s behavior? Make it fun. . . . Don’t talk about money…. . .  Top 5 places to start reading in the Bible… . . . What I’ve learned in 20 years as a parent…

Sanctification: An Alliance Distinctive by Samuel J Stoesz. This book is required reading for consecration. “This book documents the scriptural understanding of the experience of sanctification and the historical antecedents of the teaching as it concerns The Christian and Missionary Alliance.”

The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God by Stormie OMartian. Last year I made prayer a primary focus of my time and efforts. That study is continuing. Plus this books talks about praise; that sounds a lot like gratitude. Gratitude is something else I’ve been focusing on.  Combining the two sounds like an awesome and powerful combination.

The Shack by William P. Young. Everybody has read this book. My former roommate Janelle, Theresa, Pastor Mike, one of my seminary profs, Gerry Breshears (here and here), and CNC’s reading club. Time I read it for myself.

Words of Gratitude: For Mind, Body, and Soul by Robert A. Emmans & Joanna Hill. I am continuing on my quest to learn more about gratitude. I want my life to be led by gratitude especially gratitude to God.

How to Make a Journal of Your Life by D. Price. This sounds fun. These 2 books also sound fun: Making Journals by Hand: 20 Creative Projects for Keeping Your Thoughts and How to Be an Explorer of the World.

What do my choices reveal about me?

• I’m interested in improving my ministry and work.
• I want to keep tabs on the culture around me.
• Prayer and gratitude are still very important to me and still need more work and attention in my life.
• I want to have fun.

Your Turn

• What are you reading and why?
• What does your choice reveal about you?
• What book(s) do you recommend?

Related Posts

• 5 Reasons to be Grateful to God
• 10 Read Out Loud Tips for More Enjoyment
• 13 Benefits of Reading
• 40 More Ways to Cultivate Gratitude
• How Do You Spend Your Time?
• If Google Doesn’t Have God’s Phone Number, Try This One
• My Prayer 4 Today

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the wedding was so delightful.

Jaclyn and Joe married today (12.12.09). Jaclyn is the  daughter of a long time friend, Ann, whom I met in the college-career group at Sunrise Baptist Church in the early 80’s.

  The day was a blur of activity.  But time was just right when the wedding vows were shared. Their love was evident.  

I pray for God’s love, grace and mercy to surround, guide and protect these two.

Our time is ours to spend as we choose, wisely or poorly. 

To know how it is spent, it is a good idea to take a time inventory every once in a while. I recently did that at work.

For 2 months I charted how I spent my hours at work. 

I wrote down the amount of time I spent in doing the following: administration, study, pastoral care, women’s ministry, children’s ministry, and small groups. I went over the numbers with my boss. Turns out I’ve been spending my time well.

Dr. C. C. Albertson calculated that the average person spends their life in the following ways:

“There are 168 hours in each week.

• 56  of these we spend in sleep.
• Of the remaining 112 hours, we devote 48 to labor.
• This leaves 64 hours, of which let us assign 12 hours for our daily meals. This allows 30 minutes for each meal, and 1½ hours extra to promote good digestion.
• We have left 52 hours, net, of conscious active life to devote to any purpose to which we are inclined. Is it too much to say that God requires a tithe of this free time?

One tenth of 52 hours is 5.2 hours. How much of this tithe of time do we devote to strictly religious uses?

• If we attend church twice on Sunday, that will take 1 hour.
• If we attend prayer meeting, another hour.
• We have two-tenths of an hour left, our little margin—shall we not stay for the Morning Watch?

But when we review our lives, how few of us attend religious worship thus regularly!” Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Garland TX: Bible Communications

I’d like to do a time inventory of my personal time as well. I wonder how well it will match up with Dr. Albertson’s calculations? I have a feeling my free time is not balanced. Go to this link to see a chart of possible categories. Just looking at the possibilities makes me fret. I feel like I don’t have time to do it all. I think I don’t have enough time left in my life to do anything else well.

But Edward H. Griggs says, “Fifteen minutes a day devoted to one definite study will make one a master in a dozen years.”  I can do 15 minutes a day. I will most likely live 12 more years.

Question is, what shall I spend those 15 minutes on? I need to remember that my times are not in my hands. God has a plan for my time. So it would be wise to ask for His input.

How will you spend your 15 minutes a day for the next 12 years?

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• Time is a Mixed Blessing

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I am grateful that God is in the details. Of course I’m tremendously grateful for the enormous stuff like salvation, creation of the world, and that He holds all things together. But today, I’m quite endeared to Him because of the details.

Look, no hole!

My favorite pair of shoes is black and shiny and goes with every outfit, fancy or casual. This past week a hole wormed its way into the left shoe by my pinkie toe. Black electrical tape nor crazy glue mended the hole. I’ve been sad because I have a hard time  finding comfortable shoes. And to find them at a reasonable price is doubly hard.

Today I shopping for shoes. I found a replacement pair at the first store I went to! Amazing, yes? Even more amazing is that I found the EXACT pair that have the hole. And lastly, the price was a steal!!!

Yes, today I am very grateful that God is in the details.

 Previous Photos from November’s Photo-a Day.

• Day 1 Photo: Christmas Tree with Broken, Tangled Lights
• Day 2 Photo: Birthday Boy
• Day 3 Photo: Mums at the Church Entrance
• Day 4 Photo: Simple Technology
• Day 5 Photo: Mystery Ice Cream Gift
• Day 6 Photo: Rocking Godson
•  Day 7 Photo: Spontaneous Friends
• Day 8 Photo: Children’s Influence
• Day 9 Photo: Shoebox Gifts 
• Day 10 Photo: Changing the Woman in the Mirror
• Day 11 Photo: Devoted Sisters
• Day 12 Photo: Prayer Calmed Me 4 This
• Day 13 Photo: Gratitude on the Internet
• Day 14 Photo: Chip’s Sweater
• Day 15 Photo: Stop
• Day 16 Photo: Faithful Workers
• Day 17 Photo: Necessary Books
• Day 18 Photo: Friends & No-Knead Bread
• Day 19 Photo: Beauty & Those Who Create It
• Day 20 Photo: Creativity & Encouragers
• Day 21 Photo: New Beginnings
• Day 22 Photo: God’s Presence
• Day 23 Photo: Feelings
• Day 24 Photo: Generosity
• Day 25 Photo: Delicious Smells
• Day 26 Photo: Laughter
• Day 27 Photo: Places

Other Related Posts:

• 28 Things I’m Grateful For
• 5 Reasons to be Grateful to God
• Choosing 2 Express Gratitude During November
• Feeling Full On Gratitude
• We Cannot Be Grateful Without Being Thoughtful

P.S. Ann Tatum is hosting 30 Days of Thanksgiving. She encourages us to daily share our gratitude. Click here and be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post and click on Mister Linky. Then you’ll be able  to read other participants on this thankful journey.

Christmas Table of Contents 

• A Christmas Tale of Two Families I contrast my family’s 1996 Christmas with that of the Ramsey family. . . Snuggle & Pray. 
• Decorations Can be Emotional Bombs Unpacking holiday decorations means unpacking memories too. I found that some of these memories turned hurtful after my divorce.
• Do I Look Bossy to You? Reflections after a Christmas program
• Don’t have 22 Things on my Gratitude List. Instead it’s all about relationships. . . . In fact, that point is the theme for a movie I saw last night: 12 Days of Christmas Eve starring Steven Weber and Molly Shannon. Click here to read the rest of the movie review and to see who I’m grateful for.
• Christmas Dam is Broken – It’s OK to Sing Christmas Songs 13 Songs I’ve been singing.
• Christmas in July: 13 Things to Do By Mid October 13 things you can do in the summer to make Christmas preparation in December that much easier.
• Game Readies Ladies for Dec. 2nd Party Take this game to check you holiday spirit.
• Highlights from December 1-9 It’s fun to look back and see what I’ve during other Christmas years.
• Ladies Christmas Party in Two Days Invite to CNC ladies in 2007. White Elephant instructions found at this post.
• Ladies Christmas Party in Two Weeks White Elephant instructions found at this post. Invite to CNC ladies in 2002.
• The Nativity (movie) Filled Our Time and Minds Going to the movies was a way to fill time until the party. And it was a fun way to fill our minds with the Christmas Story. Click here to read my movie review.

What makes people laugh is an unexact science. What makes you laugh might not make me laugh and visa-versa. I tend to be a serious person and not prone to laughter. I’d like to change that especially after experiencing a day of laughter at our Thanksgiving feast.

“You laugh at me because I am different, but I laugh at you because we are all the same” (anonymous).

Have fun taking this True or False Quiz on Laughter.

1. True or False. The study of humor and laughter is called humology.
2. True or False. People laugh thirty times more often when they are with others compared to when they are alone.
3. True or False. As children go through developmental stages what makes them laugh changes.
4. True or False. Laughter is contagious.
5. True or False. Laughter is physically good for you.  
6. True or False. An adult laughs 400 times a day whereas a child laughs 17  times a day.

Click below on (more…) to read the answers.

1. False. The study of humor and laughter is called  Gelotology.
2. True. Both adults and children laugh primarily during social interactions with others. Click here to read this article on Why Do People Laugh?
3. True. What is funny at one developmental stage just isn’t funny at another. Click here to read this article about what makes young children laugh.
4. True. Laughter certainly is contagious. That’s why sound tracks are used.  Click here to watch my favorite laughing baby youtube viedo. Click here to watch 4 laughing babies. You just can’t help but LAUGH when you watch. 
5. True. Laughter makes an obvious difference on the physical body. Laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces pain, boosts the immune system, reduces stress hormones, and releases endorphins. In fact, laughter makes you feel good all over from the physical to the mental.
6. False. Children are the ones with the bigger number of laughs each day (400 compared to the adult number of 17). Read  How often Do You Laugh a Day? for more information.

If you are an adult, what can you do to up your laugh number?

Pain has an element of blank;
It cannot recollect
When it began, or if there was
A time when it was not.

It has no future but itself,
Its infinite realms contain
Its past, enlightened to perceive
New periods of pain.

By Emily Dickinson

“Grief disrupts your mind and thinking abilities. Confusion moves in and memory takes a vacation. . . Just as your leg can experience a cramp and not move, it’s as though your mind has a memory cramp. Your mind is paralyzed and shuts down…” (Wright, 12-13)1

Constant pain can also interfere with memory retention or recall. Fatigue, lack of sleep, depression, stress, and some medications also contribute to memory issues. This article about memory loss cites studies that show how disturbed sleep patterns and chronic pain affect memory.

Remember to cut yourself some slack if you are dealing with grief and/or pain. Your mind is working very hard right now trying to cope.You are not going crazy.  

You don’t have to wait for your memory to right itself. There are a few things you can do now.

1. Get adequate sleep. Figure out how to overcome your sleep issues. Getting the proper amount of sleep is necessary for your brain and body to function well.
2. Get adequate exercise. Do more than exercise your body though, exercise your brain too.
3. Manage your stress level. Prayer, exercise, practice gratitude, and journaling can help. Click here for 20 Ways to DeStress Your Life. Talk with a professional, if you are concerned about your memory, talk to your MD and/or a therapist.
4. Practice your faith. We have a God who loves and cares about us. Even if you don’t understand your “why’s,” you can still find great help from God.

Works Cited

1. Wright, H. Norman.  Experiencing Grief. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2004. 

Related Posts

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5 Things I Did in 2007 and Wish I Didn’t

10 Recommendations For the Mourner

13 Ways To Get Your Gratitude On

April s New Habit is a Sleeper (SMART Habit Saturday)

Grief Affects Behaviors, Feelings, Thoughts (Including Memory), & Body

I Just Gotta Read About Jesus Every Now & Again

Love is not a feeling; it’s a verb.

Mother Teresa’s Faith Crisis: Similar to Mine?

Mourning is a Choice

My ABC’s of Gratitude

Understanding God Through (some of) His Attributes

Why I Have Sleep Issues

Crafts

• Tie-On Shoes – A LA Doris Day Style

Health

• 14 Ways to Supercharge Your Brain – All are legal and most are fun

Ministry

• A Women’s Place in Ministry - What are your thoughts?

Writing

• The Why & How Scanable Content - This is the best way to write for blogs
• Writing Your Life - a few tips
• Storytelling – These ideas are good for copy writing and blogs, around the campfire and for bedtime stories
• Summer Writing Tips – While these tips are for kids, adults could benefit from them too.

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