Hope for your financial life and beyond

The Problem With Infomercials, Televangelists, Mechanics and Pretty Much All of Us

August 22, 2014 by 13 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #53 - “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers…whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.” - Titus 1:10-11

man on Ab Roller doing situps

Uuuh…not an affiliate link.

“Just five minutes a day and you can have rock solid abs like this. All it takes is three easy payments of $29.99!” blared the infomercial, waking me from my late-night, post-baseball game dozing. I’ve seen this bit before and like a sucker fell for the Ab-Roller (excuse me…I meant the “Ab-make-every-hot-girl-hang-on-you-roller”) years ago.

Maybe it worked for you. It did nothing for me except hurt my back.

Being Taken by Others

We’ve all been taken or at least felt taken by someone. Like the mechanic who expertly claims the car repair will require a new Johnson rod. Or the televangelist who promises your $100 donation will go to feed orphan children in Romania (when in reality it pays his six-figure salary). And the aforementioned infomercial, promising instant results with so little effort. (Why do we fall for these ridiculous products? LOL)

In reality, we all have an agenda. That agenda, however altruistic it appears, does possess a level of selfishness. We want and do things that benefit ourselves in the long run. Our own self-existence is the foremost thought in our mind. “If others are blessed (or harmed) through what I do then so be it.” So often goes our logic.

Which then makes it really hard to build trust in others.

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Relationships Tagged With: ,

The Joys and Rewards of Whitewater Rafting

August 16, 2014 by 15 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #52 - “They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your pleasures; For with You is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” - Psalm 36:8-9

whitewater rafting As you read this today I’ll be floating…uh, white water rafting down the beautiful rivers of the Oconee in Tennessee. Depending on my luck, or more accurately the acumen of my raft mates, I’ll have hopefully not gone overboard yet. The last rafting trip on vacation this past summer - the first in probably five years - I deep-sixed on the first class three rapid we hit. Nailed it perfectly right on my side of the boat.

I love days like this, even if it’s only for a few hours. The chance to be on a river and let my senses drink in the sights and sounds of nature remains something I always look forward to. It brings me pleasure and peace even when bouncing out and into the drink - life preserver, oar and all.

We’ve been given so much that satisfies our desires to the fullest. This extraordinary world and all it contains can bring life to our soul as we enjoy and explore it. It’s rejuvenating, precious and thrilling all at once.

I believe there was purpose to that.

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Travel & Health Tagged With: , ,

All Work and No Play: Combating the Dangers of Workaholism

August 8, 2014 by 24 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #51 - “Six days you shall do work, and on the seventh day you will rest…” - Exodus 23:12

All work and no playNo, I’m not writing from a snowed in mountain resort lodge. I have to admit for years I assumed the proverb “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” came from that Stephen King horror novel turned Jack Nicholson movie thriller The Shining, which mistakenly came in front of my eyes as a youth (thank you older cousins). I say mistakenly because no one under the age of 21 should put that imagery into their head. (And maybe if you are over 21, you shouldn’t either.)

Turns out the phrase “all work and no play” was originally published in Proverbs in English, Italian, French and Spanish (1659) and is attributed to a writer by the name of James Howell. It turned out to be his most popular proverbs. I certainly cannot think of another one.

The warning of the all work and no play proverb seems clear enough to me - that if we don’t release ourselves from the pressures of work from time to time we will become dull and uninteresting. We run the risk of becoming bored with life, as work becomes our sole focus day in and day out. We’ll neglect time for hobbies, family, friends, exercise, watching sports, reading, or just plain vegging.

That type of existence doesn’t spark a fire in me.

A Guideline For Work

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Work Tagged With: , ,

My Top 10 Favorite Proverbs About Money

August 2, 2014 by 20 Comments

proverbs about moneyIt’s an exciting milestone day for me as my Hidden Nuggets Series is turning 50…as in this will be the 50th post in the series I started just over a year ago. It’s been an encouraging experience for me personally as I’ve explored how verses in the Bible and proverbs about money relate to my personal financial journey and issues in the world at large.

In case you are wondering, my interest in what the Bible said about money began while leading Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University class in 2010. In the middle of a video session, Dave made an off-hand remark saying that a person could get a degree in personal finance just by reading the Biblical book of Proverbs. “It’s in there…really!” he said, and then went on with the lesson.

That statement intrigued me. For days I couldn’t shake the comment.

So I started reading from Proverbs - one chapter a day for a month. That month of reading and recording all the proverbs about money I could find so inspired me, I decided to read the entire Bible through in a year and record all the verses that discussed a money related theme. I would find over 400 passages in all…you can find them categorized here.

That exercise taught me that if God takes the issue of money and our use of it seriously then so should I.

Top 10 Proverbs About Money

To celebrate my 50th post in the Hidden Nuggets Series I’d like to list and rank my personal top 10 proverbs about money and share a brief snippet about what the verse means to me. Here they are from #10 to #1.

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Filed Under: Biblical Money Truths, Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: , , ,

A Sobering Takeaway From the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Crash

July 26, 2014 by 12 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #49 - “See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” - Ephesians 5:15

rocket launcherTragedy always catches our attention.

So my thoughts have been perked this past week as the news outlets have reported the gruesome scene at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. 298 people were gone in an instant, their bodies littered with the airplane debris over the Ukrainian countryside. Their families will be impacted forever, perhaps never finding resolution.

Like you, I’ve flown countless times. The tranquility of cruising at 30,000 ft. sets the mind at ease. We can find relaxing peace there, sipping our drinks and gazing out the window. The sun shines brightly on the clouds below, magnifying the beauty of God’s creation.

To be in that moment and have it be your last is more than I can bear to dwell on. I can’t imagine what those last seconds were like as the surface-to-air missile struck the plane.

Outside of the TV series 24, who does this? It’s shocking. It’s inhuman.

Except that it’s not inhuman because it was accomplished by at least one human. Which brings me back to a sobering conclusion that I’ve known all my life - the world can be a very evil place.

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Filed Under: Current Events, Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: , , ,

Rethinking the Definition of Success

July 18, 2014 by 17 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #48 - “Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.” - John 3:29

definition of successWhat is the definition of success?

Such a loaded question and a difficult thing to determine. I would say most measure whether a person has been a success based on a position attained, an amount of wealth accumulated or the level of power they possess. Other views may define success as simply reaching a goal or leaving an impact on others - a legacy that lasts after the person is gone.

Either way, there seems to be a fine dividing line between success and failure in the world’s eyes. To borrow a famous movie line from Trading Places, “One minute you are up half a million in soybeans and the next, boom, your kids don’t go to college and they’ve repossessed your Bentley.” One misstep it would seem can have that big an impact.

Complicating the definition of success even further is that we struggle evaluating ourselves. More often than not it’s the world and other people’s opinions telling us whether we are a success or not. Instead of gauging ourselves and being good with that, we let strangers define our level of success - people who may not have all the facts, who misread our motivation and fail to understand our endgame.

I don’t believe in a magic formula that defines success. There is too much subjectivity involved. For example, as I describe the life of this particular person, would you classify him as a success?

A Success Profile?

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Inspiration Tagged With:

I’ve Scrapped My DISQUS Commenting System To Run A Blog Experiment

July 12, 2014 by 52 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #47 - “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge…” - Proverbs 18:15

figurine at computer with blank comment cloud

Will you now be more likely to share your thoughts here?

I find it frustrating when people make blanket statements about a topic without proof to back up their claim. They present their argument as the gospel truth when, in reality, it is only based on speculation. At the most they have anecdotal evidence to support their claim, not anything that would validate their position.

Truth is, I also do this more often than I should.

Evidence is the best indicator of truth. That’s why it’s so vital in a court of law. Without sufficient indicators that connect the dots, the accused will more than likely walk free. That’s why the prosecutor works diligently to acquire the necessary knowledge to convince the court his arguments are valid.

The Bible says in Proverbs 18:15 that “The heart of the prudent [wise] acquires knowledge…” Why? I’m convinced it’s how we make better decisions, produce surety and make us prosperous. As Solomon would later right in Ecclesiastes 7:12, “…the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.”

What does this have to do with a blog commenting system?

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Filed Under: Blogging, Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: , , ,

How to Play the “Take This Money - No Thanks - I Insist” Game

June 27, 2014 by 13 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #46 - “But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” - II Samuel 24:24

I insistNo doubt at one point or another, you’ve been caught up in the verbal posturing known as the “Take this money” game.

The conflict in this game centers around one person’s refusal to take a sum of money being offered. The format can be played in two directions. In one scenario, you are the person offering the money. In scenario two, you are the person receiving the money.

In either configuration, the person being offered the money refuses it, thus leading to some tricky verbal exchanges:

“Here, take this.”

“No thanks.”

“I insist.”

“No really, that’s not necessary.”

“No, I have too…you went through so much trouble” (said while thrusting the money at the other party).

“I don’t want it…really, it was no trouble” (said with hands held head high and palms outward in the “stick-em-up” position).

“Here, you must…” (said with a hyper voice while trying to physically put money in the person’s hand or jacket pocket).

“No, please…I’m not taking it…” (tone starting to get defensive).

And on the exchange can endlessly go.

As a child, I watched several of these exchanges devolve into heated arguments. I never understood why either side would be so stubborn. More than anything, it boggled my mind that someone would refuse money of any amount being offered them. Why? “It’s money for crying out loud. Take it already!” I remember thinking.

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Random Fun Tagged With: , ,

The Two-Faced Giver: When It Looks Like Rain It’s Supposed to Pour

June 21, 2014 by 3 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #45- “Whoever falsely boasts of giving is like clouds and wind without rain.” - Proverbs 25:14

the dark clouds of a thunderstormPopup thunderstorms dot the landscape of summertime. You know the kind that develop as the afternoon heat and humidity build. Atmospheric conditions can change quickly producing dark clouds and high winds. The next thing you know, a torrential downpour is watering your garden or causing gridlock on the roadways as you drive home from work.

When an entire weather system crosses through your area, it is obviously going to rain. The front can extend for hundreds of miles, drenching everything in its path. When we see the prediction of 100% rain on the morning news it’s easier to plan the day around the approaching weather. We anticipate and know almost for certain rain is going to come.

Not so with the pop up thunderstorm.

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Filed Under: Giving, Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: , ,

Beware: All That Glitters Is Not Gold

June 13, 2014 by 9 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #44 - “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.” - Joshua 7:21

all that glitters is not goldYou could see in his eyes the burning desire to possess the golden treasure. The moment he had waited for his entire life had now come. The reward was within his grasp and nothing could stop him now.

Except the chain reaction that occurred once Indiana Jones lifted that little idol off its intended resting place. You just knew that bag of sand he used to replace the idol when he picked it up was not going to work.

In the next few moments, he would face a collapsing cave roof, poison darts shooting from the cave walls, a giant rolling boulder, and natives with spears. The worst part is he didn’t even get to keep the idol, having to turn it over to his treasure-seeking arch rival. Sure does seem like something bad happens when we try to attain something that we are not supposed to have.

The Eyes Are The Window to the Soul

Of all our senses I believe we are most enticed by what we see. We see people with power…we want it. We see wealth…we pursue it. We see people take shortcuts to get ahead…we attempt them. We see fame…we crave it, even if just for 15 minutes.

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Vices Tagged With: , , , ,

Bugs Bunny’s Quest to Beat Cecil Turtle Cost Him Dearly

June 6, 2014 by 8 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #43 - “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” - Proverbs 28:20

Cecil TurtleOver a six-year period between 1941 and 1947, Bugs Bunny and Cecil Turtle engaged one another in three epic racing duels. Bugs was steamed upon learning the story of The Tortoise and the Hare in Aesop’s Fables. He set out to debunk the legend that a slow turtle could ever beat a speedy rabbit.

In their initial race, Cecil employs the help of his eight look-alike relatives/friends to serve as doubles. He positions them along the race path to confuse Bugs. Of course, one is waiting just past the finish line claiming victory when Bugs arrives.

In the 1943 rematch, Bugs builds an aerodynamic turtle shell that slips over his body. Cecil counters by wearing a rabbit suit. The not-so-bright Bunny Mob, who has placed all its bets on the rabbit, confuses Bugs for the turtle and prevents him from winning the race.

Four years later, Bugs gets one final shot. In classic Looney Tunes style this race would end with a dramatic twist.

Cecil Turtle Gets to Bugs

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