At lunch yesterday I saw this: Now even God takes credit cards! The article lists a number of new (or relatively new) places that have come to accept plastic for payment, and number 2 on the list was churches. Some churches now have debit- and credit-card kiosks for charging a donation. (Closely related to this … Read more
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost?” Luke 14:28 First off, Happy Independence Day to my American readers. Happy July 4th to others. 😉 Gary North’s Tip of the Week (subscribe for free in the upper right of this page) was on outsourcing. He … Read more
Each week at church we have “children’s church” for kids up through fifth grade. This gives the kids a church experience that’s a little bit more suited for their age so that the grownups can concentrate on the message without constantly telling their young kids to be quiet. And just like the parents’ church, the … Read more
I’m not sure if there is any explicit biblical opinion on coffee, but a number of friends from church really enjoy their daily grind — almost as much as I do, I dare say. My wife isn’t a big coffee drinker, though she does enjoy other Starbucks drinks as an occasional treat when she’s in … Read more
One of No Credit Needed’s posts asked people about what exactly constituted six months’ worth of expenses, which led naturally to a discussion about emergency funds. The last of four questions he asked his readers to respond to: What is the smallest emergency fund with which you would be comfortable? I said “75 years” with … Read more
Our church has an emergency fund to get itself through lean times. Our elders call this emergency fund the “Elijah Barrel.” The reference to this is in 1 Kings 17:13-16: 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring … Read more
Today we went to a neighboring town to help friends with their part in a community yard sale. We “donated” a bunch of things to their sale because they’re in the process of adopting a girl from China through the Philip Hayden Foundation, and these kinds of adoptions are very expensive, even with federal tax … Read more
Our church bulletin this week had a bulletin from Focus on the Family. The bulletin contained some money principles from a Christian perspective: Debt can sentence you to a lower standard of living in the future. Quite true: if you pay off only the minimum balance on your credit card, you end up paying for … Read more