Well hello there on this beautiful MONDAY morning. Bet you weren’t up for talking about MONEY on a MONDAY. Well, we are. And like I always say, no matter how tough the subject is in our Stress Point online study, we are doing this thing TOGETHER. So grab your Bible and your copy of Stress Point and let’s just get to it.
**If you are joining us for the first time, so glad to have you! Please don’t feel rushed to catch up. Take your time. You can start HERE with week one. :)
**Also! If you are joining us from my {inspirational entry} over on She Seeks, so glad you clicked over!
Ready to jump in?
The Real (Video Blog)
The Raw (Discussion Questions)
~Which girlfriend case study do you most relate to and why?
~What is stressing you out about MONEY these days?
~On page 164 I asked you to make a list of your guilty pleasures. (I showed you mine!) Please know that there is nothing wrong with buying things UNTIL they become an obsession and a way to fill a void. (Read Worship At The Throne section of the chapter). Take some time to make out your own list. Share with us what you learned about how you spend your money and how that might reflect what voids you are trying to fill.
The Relevant (Bible Study Discussion Questions)
~In the video I talked about giving your money to God. This can take the form of tithing (giving 10% of your income to the church) and just being flat out generous with your money when you see a need arise.
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-9:
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.” (ESV)
I’d like for you to have an honest convo with Jesus about being a cheerful giver. (see page 162 of Stress Point). How can you give more freely starting TODAY?
~On pages 151-154 I write about the voids in our lives, the empty spaces in our hearts that we attempt to fill with things…things that cost money…things that we accumulate. I then give examples of how we can bring our empty “cups” to the Lord first and foremost. Look on page 153 and take some time with the Scriptures I list for each “empty cup.” How do these Bible verses speak to you? How will you bring your empty cup, your empty spaces in your heart to your King, TODAY?
Alrighty friends. I can’t wait to see how your King of Kings speaks to you on this very important topic. Promise you will take some good time in conversation with Jesus? Pinky swear? Good…now get to it and then come back to tell me what you think!
Hugs!
~Which girlfriend case study do you most relate to and why?
I relate most to you Sarah.. wal mart is my real downfall.. I recently cut up my credit card but if i felt i needed something i would go and put it on my credit card.. or recently just last weekend i brought 70 dollars with me and my checkbook bad idea!! I Should have left my checkbook at home cause i ended up spending 50 more dollars than i wanted to!! But i say at least its paid for and not on my credit card. BUt now i am stressing about money.. leaving for alaska in a a few days and making sure all my bills are paid and my tithing and making sure i have money when i get back to paid more bills!!
Meg-totally identify. God will provide! Hugs!
oh and i also wanted to point out that everytime i bought something i thought it would fulfill me and it didnt!!
~What is stressing you out about MONEY these days?
Well i mentioned a little bit above but wanted to go more in depth… What is stressing me out is that I have only worked maybe 3 days in the last few weeks. babysitting.. . I normally work 5 days a week.. I am afraid to say something to her though.. but its a cut in my paycheck and i need something consistant and her and i have talked about this before.. I am trusting that when i get back from alaska that i will have more hours..
I was hoping that since i am leaving that i would be able to get all these hours in,, since she wont have anyone while i am gone but its not happening biut i am trusting the Lord to provide exactly what i need.
I was having a serious meltdown about this last night.. BUt I have such peace right now.. its amazing!!
Meg, wait until after your trip to Alaska. Pray so hard while you are gone that God will pave the way for you to have some honest conversations with your employer. I’m so glad He is speaking into your life about money today!
I agree, prayers really do work! He has answered so many of mine, even the smallest of ones.
Meg here is an idea that I fall back on from time to time….we are all talented at something. Find what your best talent is and think about what you can do to turn yourself into a business and start making a profit. This may not be a full-time job, but if it makes up for the hours your lacking, then why not? Sarah and I have both thought about starting our own Etsy shops because she is really good at painting and drawing and I thought about mine because I like to create beaded jewelry. So whether its a product or a service you can offer, get creative and think about how you can sell yourself!……along with lots of prayers :)
Good luck Meg :)
Thanks Ashley H!!
Actually this is what I love to do! I ordered business cards a few monta ago and pt up someflyers a few months ago as well! I just applied to work more hours with my client Sam who is autistic so maybe that wil work out!! Thanks for orayiń!!
Very good video blog Sarah as I’m planning God-Willing to move from France to Texas in a year , but money and jobs don’t come in easily so I’m just doing my best to trust God and that if it’s His Will he will provide and open the doors.
You are doing all the right things, Rebecca! This will be an exciting adventure for you!
thanks !:) I know I’m excited !:) Thanks for being such an inspiration to me. The Lord already answered as I might have a place to live in the States if the details work out !:)
When I began reading this chapter I thought to myself: “I am good with my money, I am on a budget!” And for the most part, I am. I use mint.com and base my budget off of Dave Ramsey’s guide. And I always tithe. Entering into graduate school and taking a pay cut has caused me to re-evaluate my spending habits because I do not like debt. However, making a list of my “guilty pleasures” helped add new perspective. Mine are: coffee, gum (I am addicted to chewing gum while in class– mint makes you focus, right?!), grocery shopping at Whole Foods/Earth Fare (that adds up!), occasional jewelry/clothes, monthly pedicures, and fitness expenditures (yoga, new shoes, etc). I realize that most of the things I spend money on aren’t extremely expensive, but the culmination does add up, especially over the course of a year.
I recently listened to an interesting lecture on making changes in our lives. Most of it was psychology-based, but there were a few good take-homes. One that sticks out to me particularly was the idea that anxiety breeds more anxiety. In this case, when we are stressed out about money or feeling guilty from spending too much, our willpower is drained and we are more likely to then be driven to that thing that offers artificial peace (fills our cup)… which is usually the behavior we want to change. What a horrible cycle! I think it is so important to notice our triggers to compulsive behavior. What makes us feel a void? Is it anxiety? Stress? Friend or boy trouble?
After writing the list in Stress Point I noticed something that I never realized before. As I have shared, I am on a journey of self-worth, especially related to diet and exercise, and never realized how much this was intertwined with money. I’ve noticed that times when I felt particularly “out of shape”, I want to then compensate with money by signing up for a boot camp or getting a gym membership. But then, when I don’t use the membership or don’t see the results I had hoped for from training, I end up having MORE stress. Eeek!! I am glad to have finally realized this (thanks, Stress Point!), and it just goes to show that we try to fill our “empty” areas with all kinds of things, sometimes without even realizing it.
It is important to remember that we are all imperfect humans and to expect perfection in all areas of our lives is unreasonable. Simultaneously, laying these areas of stress before God and remembering that ultimately HE is in control, and all of our resources belong to HIM is comforting and freeing :) … we are made whole through Him.
Sarah! Whoa girl! This is great stuff. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m glad that you were able to make the chapter personal to your particular life circumstances. Yes!!!
By the way everyone needs to read Dave ramsey Money make over book. I was doing his debt snowball the last two years and I was able to have myh 1,000 emergency fund, pay off a small school loan and pay off my car. Which now that I am unemployed thank God that my car is paid off. http://www.daveramsey.com
Jodi, that is great! Dave Ramsey is great!
Sarah, timely post. :) I realized just this morning that I was stressing over a recent change at work and gave it all back to God again. Then I open my inbox and see you were talking about the very same thing here. :) Wonderful, the way He works to reinforce what He’s teaching us about, huh?
Blessings,
Rachelle
-Journal 1 – Identify Yourself – 7/30/12
Question #1- With which of the girlfriends in this chapter’s case studies do you most identify? Why? I feel I relate to Sarah’s case study where she talks about retail therapy. I was living in Harrisburg at the time, in a beautiful row house two blocks from the capital building with a great roommate and cheap rent. I also had a really great job and plenty of money but I was completely miserable. My family was three hours away, I had no car when I first moved there and my relationship with God was almost nonexistent even though I grew up in a Christian home. Between the stress of work, no car and being so far away from home the only thing I felt I had at the time was money to spend. I had money, no credit card debt but I was still not happy. I even had a good chunk of change in my savings account. But because I wasn’t giving back to God or going to church and reading the Bible I wasn’t happy. Today however, I am unemployed, I only have a few hundred bucks to my name, I live at home with my parents, my school debt would make you sick if I told you how much that was, but since I have turned back to God, started really reading my bible, going to church and giving everything in my life to God I am more happy now then I was even a year ago with a good job and money. So I thank God for my unemployment because it has given me time to really focus on what God has given to me. The stress about paying my loans off for school isn’t hanging over my head because I gave it all to him.
Jodi, I’m unemployed and live with my parents, too. As a result, my relationship with the Lord has also grown. I know exactly what you mean when you mentioned that you’re thankful for this time, because it’s shown you to be thankful.
I LOVE this Jodi. Thanks for sharing!
WOW!! That was such a GREAT story Jodi, thank you for sharing :) It’s crazy how God brings us to such low points to show us what we were really missing in our life (Him).
I feel like I’ve lived the same life at one point or another. I’ve lived in two different cities outside of my hometown after I left for college, and although no situations were ever great, I was living a life away from God and without my family, close friends, or a support system it was a struggle that put me in a deep depression. I gave up the fight of trying to prove myself to the world and came home.
Over time I’ve been growing so much closer to God, by means that include sharing stories with you girls here on Sarah’s Bible study. So glad to hear that someone has shared those same experiences..Thank you Jodie! Praise and glory be to our King!
It’s been so great going through different seasons with God holding my hand through it all. i just graduated from college and planning on starting med school this fall even though there are major trials. Money had never bothered me much but now i feel like a full blown adult with all these grown up issues to worry about lol. I’ve been trying to get a student loan for medical school but it’s been so tough finding a cosigner.
I’ve been praying so hard about it and working hard to figure it all out because my dreams of going to med school will crumble if i’m not able to get a cosigner. I’m praying and believing that God will make a way where there seems to be no way. Through it all,my Faith remains because i know that God is never asleep.
Norma, You have the right focus. Going to God in prayer FIRST is most important. I love your attitude! Hugs!
Good luck to your Norma! I hope that God answers your prayers and your dreams come true, but if things don’t go the way you planned just remember that life is about what He sees for you and not always what we want for ourselves. I will pray for you tonight along with some of the other girls on here :)
I’m frugal and also try my best to live a minimalistic life. So, what I found particularly helpful with this chapter is tithing.
I don’t have a job right now and haven’t been making monetary donations. I’ve made contributions in other ways, such as making blankets for abused and neglected children (http://www.mystuffbags.org), and growing out and cutting my hair to be made into wigs for women fighting cancer (http://www.pantene.com/en-US/PanteneBeautifulLengths/Details/beautiful-lengths-about-the-program.aspx).
Here’s an inspirational story: Danny Thomas, comedian and actor, was struggling in his career and about to become a father. He visited a church and was so moved that he placed his last $7 in the collection box (about $112 today). He prayed for a way to pay his bills. The very next day, he was offered a small part that would pay 10 times the amount he’d given to the church. A couple of years later, he was struggling again. He prayed to St. Jude Thaddeus and asked to find a way to build a shrine to the patron saint of hopeless causes. In 1962, Thomas founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year marks the 50th anniversary of a hospital that doesn’t turn anyone away even if they can’t pay.
Sarah’s words and Danny Thomas’ story made me think that I can do more. Thank you.
Bree–I love how you are being creative in using your talent and time to give to God. It is all about the heart and where your focus is that matters. Great stuff!!!
~On page 164 I asked you to make a list of your guilty pleasures. (I showed you mine!) Please know that there is nothing wrong with buying things UNTIL they become an obsession and a way to fill a void. (Read Worship At The Throne section of the chapter). Take some time to make out your own list. Share with us what you learned about how you spend your money and how that might reflect what voids you are trying to fill.
Wow this is a toughy!! I want to say i didnt really know that i was filling a void when i was buying things… Like just last weekend i bought a book for myself to read. Books used to be a hug thing for me i bough them all the time now i only buy them once in awile is that still trying to fill a void?
I used to buy iced coffee all the time like everyday and it was 3 dollars a time and that really added up! NOw i buy my ice coffee is Cumberland Farms where they are only $1 and i get one 3-4 times a week but i dont think thats filling a void?
Fast food is anohter thing for me… I am single and I HATE to cook… I know sometimes its a void that i fill cause i do it when I have been crying or upset or even when I am mad! But I have to say that over the last month its gotten better for me!
My mom is a hairdresser so this is all free to me but i get my hair colored, highlighted and cut alot and everytime i do i cant wait to show my friends! Is that trying to fill a void?
I dont know here I think that I am confusing myself even more here!!
Meg,
This is such a great comment and a great point to bring up. I honestly can’t answer for you if those things you listed are attempts to fill voids or not. Money in and of itself is not bad. Spending money in and of itself isn’t bad either until we use money and buying things to fill an emptiness in our hearts that only God can fill. It is one of those things where you have to have a conversation with God about it. God blesses us with ways to buy nice things and do fun things that cost money, but when that replaces our need to go to Him for fulfillment, that’s when it becomes a problem. Does this help?
A little bit thanks..
Money is the biggest stressor in our household. last october I made the decision to stay home with our children which cut our income in half. My husband and I are in our late 20s and we are just recently learning what it means to budget and take control of our bills. I recently prayed to God to help me understand our financial situation and to help us because we are struggling to make ends meet. Thankfully my husband has gotten a second job which will be hard on our family and our marriage but I keep praying to God to help us make it through this.
These video blogs have really helped me lately as we have just started our journey with God (just started taking the family to church a few weeks ago) I am hoping to get your book soon!
Thank you for all your passion!
I just stubbled across your website the other week right after I found that I didn’t get yet another elementary teaching placement. In these hard times it’s hard to find a school district where I can start my “dream job.” I read the first chapter on career and then skipped to the money chapter to be on the same page as the study (I will go back and read the other chapters! :D). I think that God is really working on me to trust in him and allow him to have control in my life. It’s always been hard for me to give away control with my job and money. I haven’t been tithing because I’ve been scared of not having money but now I think I need to take a leap of faith. Thank you for your words of wisdom.
Go for it, Heather, take that leap of faith and be ready to see how God will blow your mind. :)
PS…I LOVE teachers. Thank you for all you do. Hugs!
I am one of those go is guilty of not giving His money back where it is belongs and is deserved. I have never had a church that I call home. The one that I attend now, I can not go on Sundays which makes it hard to feel like I am a part of the church. Just 2 days ago I went to Walmart and spent a chunk of money on items to prepare cancer care packages. That was probably one of the best feelings I have had after a purchase like that. I am in the process of finding a clinic or hospital that I can donate them to.
I would like to ask for some prayers this week. This is a hard thing for me to do but I have been struggling lately. I used I be outgoing, energetic, and always busy. I would go to school full time, work, and train for triathlons and running events. Ever since I moved back home after school I have lost all of that desire an passion. I am not sure what is going on but I pray for help and guidance to help “reignite my fire” again.
Oh Ashley, I will pray for you!!
Ashley! Girl, I LOVE that you made those care packages. Great idea.
Father God, You know what is in Ashley’s heart and life that is stifling her passion. I pray that she will see You in little special ways through out her day that will kindle her passion and desire to worship You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Hugs!
I am just jumping on here to do a quick entry before bed, but I will come back and post again since I’ve only read over the case studies for this chapter as of right now.
Of all the case studies, my best guess would be that I am the trifecta. Originally I got a credit card to build good credit buying shoes on clearance and small things here and there. Eventually I found myself with a large credit card balance. During times of lonliness or boredom, I have been known to fill the void with trips to Michaels craft store or Target also.
Mostly though, I am like Samantha. I LOVE to travel. It is one of my most passionate pastimes. Work hard, play hard, right? Even though I feel so deserving of a weekend get away here and there, I am regretful to see how quickly the money pile burns up during just a short vacation. My work signed me up for a 401k account and they match what I pay, but at some point I decided I needed every cent of my money NOW and dropped the 401k all together. Probably not such a good idea..
I’m so glad, Sarah, that you brought up the topic of giving because I do have a question regarding that. Recently a church pastor gave a sermon on the very same thing, so maybe this is God speaking to me. I have no problem giving, I love to, freely..it’s just the 10% is hard. I try to give “almost” 10% and even though I would love to give above and beyond 10%, it’s just hard with medical bills, credit card debt, gas and two dogs to take care of. Do you think our Lord looks down on me if I am giving as much as I feel that I can, but not meeting the 10%? Maybe we can only speculate..maybe I just need to Obey, I’m just scared of the risk of not being able to pay the bills.
Ashely,
You’ve brought up a really great and relevant question. I’m afraid that I can’t totally answer it for you, though. The Old Testament tells us that 10% is what we should give to the Lord. I’m all about following what the Bible tells me to do. (to the best of my ability–not always perfect, though). I also think tithing and giving is truly a heart matter. Taking a look at our money as it is all God’s money takes faith. It takes trusting that He will provide especially when we trust Him enough to obey His commands. I whole heartedly believe that if God commands us to do anything, He a) gives us the means and strength to follow through and b)will bless us for our obedience.
This takes having some tough conversations with the Lord and stepping out in faith. If you believe that God is bigger than any money concerns, do you believe that He will provide when you obey Him?
So glad you brought this up, Ashley! Hugs!
I think I am going to take that leap of faith and obedience. This is something that has been calling to my heart for a few weeks now, especially with the preachers sermon and your lesson. The little bit of money that we give up and the little bit of money we thinks have left & are anxious about could mean millions to someone in another country or a blessing to a mission group thatjust needed the extra $50, $100,etc. to do God’s work. Thanks Sarah, you have convinced me this is what I need to do, obey.
…Trust and Obey, for there is no other way…
A WITNESS TO GOD’S MIRACLES :)
It was so very important that I come back here to make a follow-up post and I hope that everyone on this thread gets to read this to see what miracles God provides.
First, Sarah, I have to thank you so much for teaching us the TRUTH and never deviating from that. I am so grateful to have discovered you and this Bible study via the internet. When I asked you if God would frown on me for not giving 10%, but giving what I thought I could, that I was worried about the financials, you responded by telling me that 10% is what God’s word instructs and that for you, following that is important.
Now, to understand what a breakthrough this is and how much God’s miracle means to me, let preface what I’m about to share with this: I hate my current job. It makes me 150% miserable and I have been trying to get out for MONTHS! For 5 years I have been applying off and on to a very, very large financial company that my aunt has worked at for quite a long time. Recently I’ve been trying harder than ever, but for ALL of the applications I’ve ever submitted…I’ve had zero success. At all. I have NEVER once been called for an interview or anything, just received back to back rejection e-mails.
The *MIRACLE!*: A week or two after I prayed and made the decision to just trust God, to forget the financial worries and obey to give the 10%….I received a telephone call to schedule an interview with 4 members of leadership in the department I applied to in that company. This is the FIRST time I’ve ever had the opportunity to actually interview with this company. There is NO WAY this was just a fluke or a coincidence…this was God showing me that if I just obey and trust Him that He will make it all work out.
The way God answers my prayers just leaves me speechless and in tears sometimes. I hope that by being a witness to His amazing grace and blessings that this could be an encouragement to some others in the same way that Sarah encouraged me :)
Ashley H, I had a huge smile on my face as I read your response. I know how it is to submit many applications and have zero success. I’m currently in this situation, except that I’m unemployed. I haven’t been called for a single interview and only receive rejection emails. I love how you said, “there is NO WAY this was just a fluke or a coincidence…this was God showing me that if I just obey and trust Him that He will make it all work out.” I really needed to hear this today. I was feeling so discouraged last night about my situation. I have to start trusting Him more and not allowing negative and unproductive thoughts enter my mind. Thank you for the update and congratulations!
Hey Bree,
I am praying for you! I was unemployed for a very long time too, so I know how the application process can be so soul-draining and down right depressing. All I can say is that when you get down or think negative thoughts, just go to God and channel all that energy to feel His presence. He is with you.
Honestly I was blindsided by this blessing, as it usually goes, I was completely surprised by His answer to my prayers. You know that saying, “It will happen when you least expect it”? Well, I think that is how God works. Maybe He wants to see us give up & forget our own worries and just trust that He will take the wheel. I will pray for you and the other girls on here. If you ever want to cconnect outside of here feel free to shoot me an email, it’s missashleyh @ gmail.com
Ashley! This is so stinkin’ cool. Keep surrendering to Jesus and be ready for Him to blow you away with His goodness! Thank you for sharing. Keep us posted on your job interviews!
Hi Ashley H! Thank you for your prayers and advice. Yes, I agree, the job hunting process can be soul-draining and depressing. It’s definitely a roller-coaster of a ride! Some days I feel so excited and energized at the possibilities, while other days I feel like my situation will never change. I know this is not true, as Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that the Lord has plans for us to prosper and give us hope and a future. However, it can be so discouraging after hearing nothing, I allow my emotions and negative thoughts to supersede the truth. I pray multiple times a day, asking Him to lead me to a job where I may help others with my education and skills, but I need to remember to also go to Him in times of discouragement. It’s like Sarah wrote in Stress Point, He wants us to go to Him with everything on our minds. I found this awesome PDF file on truths, perhaps you’d like to have it, too – http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/assets/files/LYWBpp204-5.pdf. I should also read it when I’m feeling down. I’m so very happy for you!! Do let us know how it works out. You’re in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you again!
I’d like for you to have an honest convo with Jesus about being a cheerful giver. (see page 162 of Stress Point). How can you give more freely starting TODAY?
I have to say that I am a cheerful giver right now except when I have to tithe my Social Security money its a big chunk of change and it is very hard for me each month to take the money out of the bank for my tithe. Especially when money is very slim.. I actually have no problem when there is still lets say 100 dollars in there but when it get to be 50 or 75 dollars left after i tithe that i get anxious. I just had an honest Convo with God and pray that my heart will change and that he will provide for my other bills.
Meg, I love that you took this matter straight to God and that you are allowing Him to work through this in your heart!
Hi Meg,
I hope you get this. I thought of you when I made my follow-up reply to Sarah’s original post here. Please read my comment about God’s recent miracle provided to me. It is dated today, Aug 26, and is directly above this post of yours. I pray that this will be of encouragement to you and ease your stress of the same worries I also had :)
I receive the encouraging words daily devotional from christianitytoday.com. I thought I’d share today’s devotional, since it goes with this week’s topic about money.
“Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.” (Psalm 119:36–37)
You can receive this free daily e-newsletter by subscribing here: http://www.christianitytoday.com/lyris/encouragingwords/subscribe.html
Love that ! Thanks for sharing those encouraging words :)
Hey Friends!!
I am leaving for Alaska tommorrow morning at 3:00 am and it will be a 14 hour day!! Please pray for us! Also just lost one of my jobs.. the gal that i babysit for quit her job last night. I am not doing a good job of keeping my cool either… I am leaving for two weeks and didnt want this hanging over my head.. But I will need to be praying hard about what to do when i get back and get wisdom and direction from the Lord!
Meg, I have been praying for you since I first read your post about your struggles with work 2-3 nights ago. Maybe there is some irony in you losing your job before the trip, because I know my prayers are. OT in vain. I truly believe that our King will answer our prayers in His time. Maybe it’s a test of your faith & trust, so hold strong!!! :) Praying for you and wishing you better things in your future!
Meg!! Girl!! Praying. I think your trip to Alaska will be a great time to regroup and pray outside of your everyday routine. Trust God…He WILL come through. Praying for you.
Thank you Ashley and Sarah for praying I told my mom this morning that I am going to go an have fun and not worry an she said well I am !! I hope that my testimony to my mom will see that the Lord will provide!!
Just wanted to wish everyone a farewell and I will be on hoepfull a few times over my trip to say hi and to check in!