Hope for your financial life and beyond

Giving: Like Never Before

Have you ever taken a moment to evaluate and reflect on how you organize your monthly budget? What line items find their way to the top of the column? Mortgage…food…car loan…clothing…pet food…Netflix subscription? What tends to get left over and … [Continue reading]

In Whom Do You Trust?

Christmas 2012 is behind us, which means there are only a few short days until the calendar turns the page to a new year. If you are like me, you have already begun to plan ahead and maybe have already listed two or three resolutions to pursue in the … [Continue reading]

What I Learned About Blogging From My First 50 Posts

We can learn by reading and studying a topic, but nothing serves as a better teacher than experience. There comes a time in any endeavor when you are required to gain that experience by jumping in with both feet. I chose to jump this past July when I … [Continue reading]

5 Great Articles From This Week (12/22/12)

Enjoy these five articles that I found helpful this week. Have a great weekend! 10 Ways to Keep Your Holiday Season Simple (Budget and the Beach blog shares some cool things you can do to take the pressure off this time of year.) I Got A New … [Continue reading]

What My First 50 Blog Posts Taught Me About Myself

On July 3, 2012 I started writing this blog. It’s taken six months of part time posting to reach this, my 50th blog article. So in honor of this personal milestone, I am writing a two-part series on what my experience has taught me thus far about … [Continue reading]

3 Reasons Credit Cards Didn’t Work For Me

To use credit cards or not? That is the question. Like most of you, I have placed a good many credit cards in my wallet through the years. I believed what every American hears - that using credit is convenient, it’s safer than carrying cash or … [Continue reading]

5 Articles Worth Your Time (12/15/12)

Here are my top 5 reads for the week, plus a bonus read. Have a great weekend! The Top 6 Scientifically Proven Ways to Persuade and Encourage Others (Persuasion is a science not an art. You just need the right approach.) The Social Sickness … [Continue reading]

A Secret to Success (For Men Only)

We men are an interesting bunch. We love our fast cars, big guns, and BBQ on the tailgate. We play Black Ops II until our thumbs cramp, go shirtless with body paint (or armor and skulls) to our favorite sporting event and engage in all types of … [Continue reading]

5 Articles Worth Your Time (12/8/12)

Here are my top reads from the week. Have a great weekend! 44 Actions You Can Take Now to Boost Your Energy (What actions would you add to this list?) How to Ask For a Raise (Want to ask your employer for a raise? This article offers 7 tips on … [Continue reading]

Change Your Family Tree – Be a McFly

Each Christmas, the church I attend produces a musical comedy/drama to tell the story of how Jesus Christ came to be born into this world. These productions are written and directed by our worship leader who develops each year’s theme around a … [Continue reading]

Don’t Go It Alone – Effective Leaders Get Help

Have you ever tried to do it all? In my years of serving in various leadership capacities, I have found this to be one of my greatest challenges…the tendency to take on more responsibility than I can manage. It is a basic and constant battle every … [Continue reading]