Hope for your financial life and beyond

An Open Hand: The Most Powerful Money Visual Ever

December 6, 2013 by 11 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #20 - “…you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need…” - Deuteronomy 15:7-8

money in open handGiving is especially on my mind as we enter the holiday season. I recently talked about why people give for the wrong reasons and how dangerous that can be. I followed that up on Wednesday by describing the five step giving plan my wife and I use to decide where our money goes.

What I’ve realized is that personal finance is all about making intentional and wise decisions with your money. Giving is no different.

Through it all, there has been one common theme related to giving - our attitude.

Several years ago I heard someone speak about our mental attitude in relation to how we view money. This person used a powerful visual that has stuck with me ever since. I’d like to share it with you today because it has revolutionized how I think about money and the opportunities I have to give.

The Open Hand Symbolism

[Read more…]

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

There’s a Robber Stripping You of Wealth

November 22, 2013 by 18 Comments

Hidden Nuggets #19 - “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.” - Proverbs 24:33-34

Robbers are all of a sudden a common topic for my 5-yr. old son. Several weeks ago his well-intentioned 7-yr. old sister informed him that there are people who sometimes come and steal little children away. She’s trying to help him be wary of strangers.

Now all the shadows in his room at night have him worried. A little bit of fear has crept into his mind. He is realizing, perhaps for the first time, the world is not altogether safe and he’s worried about being separated from his family.

However, in his unsettled frame of mind, he is forgetting all the elements we have put in place at our house for his protection. Dead bolt locks on the doors. The monitored security system. Two skeptical dogs that bark at ANYTHING! An equalizer locked in the gun safe.

We’ve taken measures at our home to protect ourselves from thieves. We have also taken measures in our personal lives to protect ourselves from ever experiencing poverty. That’s a place we never plan to go, mostly because we are not letting ourselves become vulnerable to it.

How so? [Read more…]

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

Fire Brings Out the Best in You

November 15, 2013 by 6 Comments

Hidden Nuggets #18 - “For you, O God, have tested us; you have refined us as silver is refined.” - Psalm 66:10

That silver or gold ring you are wearing didn’t always shine with such brilliance. When those elements were resting in the earth awaiting excavation, they had company - nasty impurities. These would have to be removed before that precious substance could be formed into something worthy enough to be displayed behind showroom glass.

To purify metal we need heat - so much heat that the metal melts. In that state, the impurities loose themselves from the metal and float to the top. The refiner scoops off this dross, leaving only the precious metal. The more refining steps taken, the purer and more valuable the metal becomes.

Insert “life” for “metal” here.

[Read more…]

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

Stealing From Your Employer

November 8, 2013 by 14 Comments

Hidden Nuggets #17 - “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” - Ephesians 4:28

You gonna pay for that?

Your employer needs your hard work to benefit the company.

That’s why they hired you. The company was looking to fill a void so it could make a profit. Something about you stood out. Match made in heaven.

They believed in you…trained you…even facilitated your success by assigning tasks that would maximize your skills.

So why are you repaying that generosity by stealing from your employer?

Stealing From Your Employer Actions

“What? Me? I would never think about stealing from my employer.”

Most wouldn’t. But before you dismiss the question, have you ever done these things at work:

[Read more…]

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

I’ll Take Money Over Love. Would You Ever?

October 25, 2013 by 13 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #14 - “…and every one of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” - Judges 16:5

What values would you betray for money? Would you take money over love? Would you lie or steal if you had a 100% chance of striking it rich?

Would you abandon your morals for one million dollars? Would it make a difference for $10 million? $100 million?

Even thinking about that question makes us feel dirty. We try to convince ourselves it would be impossible to forsake our core principles and beliefs for money. Deep inside, however, we know there would be serious temptation, especially if our financial situation was dire.

Such is the nature of our humanity.

Of course the scenario I set forth Hollywood has already made into a movie - the 1993 not-so-critically-acclaimed drama Indecent Proposal. (Kids need not apply to watch!) It’s not an original story line however, because the theme of someone taking money over love dates back much further than that.

She Took Money Over Love

[Read more…]

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

I’m Running Naked and Loving It

October 18, 2013 by 8 Comments

Hidden Nuggets #14 - “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” - Hebrews 12:1

Historians describe a revealing practice among the ancient Greeks. Apparently it was common for athletes participating in distance races and other athletic events to wear no clothing. That’s right…au naturel. Debate continues as to when and where this first occurred. The idea behind it however is clear - remove all encumbrances so the body can perform at peak efficiency.

How times have changed…thankfully!

Last Saturday when I completed the Baltimore Marathon, I did so with over 3,000 fully clothed marathoners. However, many of them were “running naked,” including myself. How’s that possible?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Inspiration, Running Tagged With: , , ,

I Need Patience Now!

October 11, 2013 by 11 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #13 - “…let us run with patience the race that is set before us…” Hebrews 12:1

The words found in the above verse are fitting considering the incredible task I face. At 8:00 AM tomorrow, amidst the coolness of the morning and the likelihood of rain, I will attempt to complete the Baltimore Marathon in 4 hours or less. I set this crazy goal back during the first weeks of January and the moment has finally arrived.

It’s about time because I hate waiting.

And when the gun sounds and the early stages of the race begin, I will again fight my ongoing battle with patience.

[Read more…]

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

Even Jesus Had a Side Hustle?

October 4, 2013 by 21 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #12 - “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Matthew 4:19-20

The title of this post makes me laugh. Who would have thought the words “Jesus” and “side hustle” could be used to communicate a personal finance idea?

side hustleUnless you’ve just emerged from a remote tribal region in South America, you’ve probably heard of this really good preacher named Jesus who lived several millennia ago, who many claim to be the spiritual Savior for all mankind. (Count me among that group.) But you may be unfamiliar with the term “side hustle.” Rest assured it has nothing to do with Pete Rose diving head first into third base or Paul Newman and Robert Redford conning their way to a fortune in The Sting.

Having a side hustle refers to someone pursuing a secondary stream of income earned aside from their full time job. So for instance, generating income from a blog on the side or delivering pizzas at night after work would be classified as side hustle money. Many times side hustles line up with a person’s passion and if hustled on long enough with success, could allow them to transition from their full time job into that hustle. At the very minimum, the extra money they bring in provides some breathing room in the monthly budget.

The potential side hustle ideas are limitless, only confined to the depth of imagination of what you could come up with to make money. J. Money at Budgets Are Sexy has a whole series devoted to people who are creatively pursuing a side hustle.

I admit the idea of Jesus having a “business-on-the-side” is purely speculative on my part and may amount to doctrinal heresy. But the idea is not without precedent in the Bible.

Jesus and His Side Hustle

[Read more…]

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

A Trick to Stay Motivated

September 27, 2013 by 18 Comments

Hidden Nugget Series #11 - “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9

Two weeks from today several significant milestones will take place in the Luke1428 household. On Friday, Oct. 11th, I’ll be flying to Maryland to compete in the Baltimore Marathon over the weekend. That event will bring to an end my arduous 5-month training schedule that has seen its share of nagging injuries, post-run ice packs and more diet restrictions than I care to think about. (Can I please just have a soda?!)

That same day Mrs. Luke1428 will turn in her final grad school assignment in what has been a three-year vocational transition from teaching high school math to becoming a full-fledged CPA at a private accounting firm. We’ve already celebrated the completion of her CPA requirements and this last class wraps up her quest to secure an MBA as well. I’ve written extensively in my monthly updates how mentally and emotionally challenging this has been for the entire family. I really can’t believe we’ve made it to the end of our long, dark tunnel.

Anything of value worth seeking brings some kind of hardship. Invariably the intense pursuit makes it incredibly difficult to keep moving forward day in and day out. The end looms so far in the distance. Weariness sets in. Discouragement soon follows. And then the questions begin.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Goals, Hidden Nuggets Series, Inspiration, Running Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Boy vs. the Blog - Exercises in Giving

September 20, 2013 by 18 Comments

Hidden Nugget Series #10 - “And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42

Too often my thoughts degenerate into believing that only quantity has value. In other words, I mistakenly believe that when giving, it needs to be done in great amounts. While there are times and places to give generously, perhaps even exorbitantly, I’m convinced that isn’t the norm.

Last week I’m seated one evening at our downstairs computer pounding out another Luke1428 blog post. I’m on a roll as each sentence is coming quickly. (Oh if it were only this easy to write every blog post.) Then half-way through my glorious blog-writing experience, disaster struck.

My 10-year old son peeks around the corner and asks me to throw the football with him.

Ugh. Major cognitive dilemma.

Do I go play with him and risk losing my train of thought? (It’s incredible frustrating to have a writing groove interrupted.) Or do I simply tell him “Sorry bud, daddy is working and can’t play right now?”

What would you do?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blogging, Giving, Hidden Nuggets Series, Kids and Money Tagged With: , , , ,

The Secret Weapon to Contentment (Philippians 4:11-12)

September 13, 2013 by 10 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #9 - “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Philippians 4:11-12

Once upon a time (circa mid-2002), an AmerIcan athlete produced a legendary press conference rant about the apparent need to show up for prActIce. After a first round playoff loss, his coach cAsItgated him for missing one prActIce, maybe two, maybe three…we don’t really know how many.

The AgItated player argued to the reporters that a discussion about prActIce was immAterIal compared to his performance in the actual games - in what really mattered. He concluded his prActIce rant by exclAIming “How can I make my teammates better by prActIcing?”

I hated practicing basketball when tired or aching. But you are fully aware of the same thing I came to realize about practice - it produces greatness. We aren’t born instantaneously great. Greatness comes slowly over time, as our mind, body and soul learns and adapts to whatever we are pursuing.

In the verse above, the missionary Paul shares with us in the Bible the secret of contentment. He learned it. This makes me think it didn’t come naturally for him, just like it doesn’t come naturally for me.

Contentment Doesn’t Come Easy

Contentment had to be achieved…most likely through daily submission and practice.

[Read more…]

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