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Living The Solution – Online Newsletter |
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| MARCH 19, 2003 ISSUE |
(read past issues here)
IN THIS ISSUE
Feature Article: Money and Me
In The Spotlight: Money Matters
What's New & Coming Soon
Daily Thoughts: It's All Good
Prayer Requests/Results
Quotables: Francis of Assisi
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| FEATURED
ARTICLE |
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Money and Me
by Tom Gilbert
I’m
going through a real challenge of late. Money problems.
I know we all have them. My problem is my relationship
with the “coin”. Let’s call it a learning
opportunity.
Money is necessary. Is it a necessary evil? Some people
would say so. There’s that famous quote, “the
love of money is the root of all evil”. Notice,
it doesn’t say money itself is
the root of evil. It’s the love
of money.
These days I don’t love money. I least I don’t think so. I’m
just frustrated by my lack of it. Through my own decisions
over the past years I’ve lived a less-than-responsible
way when it comes to managing finances. Whenever things
have become tight out comes the plastic. Just charge
it. When confronted with “pay me now or pay me
later” I kept choosing later. Well, later just
became now.
It’s sad that most of us are not brought up with good training when it
comes to money. Our financial knowledge is usually limited
to circling paydays on the calendar and spending. The
American society is driven by consumerism and it’s
pretty easy to get programmed into a constant buying/spending
mentality.
There’s not a lot of training in saving and investing. My impression is
that too many of us (me included) have paid lip service
to investing in God’s work and it certainly comes
after investing in our own welfare.
In my spiritual awakening of the past few years, I’ve been rewarded greatly
in seeing God at work. The lesson of being of service
to others, especially those in need, has not been lost
on me. However, as I’ve become more attuned to
this I’ve also traveled a bumpy path of employment.
Lower wages than previous years, debts coming due at
the time, all when I am now more willing than before
to spend my money properly.
What’s a Poor Boy to Do?
Is anyone out there relating?
What are the lessons here?
Read the entire article here
Discover more thought provoking articles
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| IN THE SPOTLIGHT |
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Money Matters
How
do we become better stewards of our finances? This is
always a difficult subject, at least for me. Some people
seem to have a natural knack for financial management,
or making money. But, there is hope-and help-for people
like me. Visit our Spotlight
Specials page and see some resources featured at our
e-store as well as some helpful (and free!) information
we link you to.
March
is “customer appreciation” month and we are
showing it with many specials at our e-store. One of the
best *investing* strategies is in yourself, so see
all the great books and resources to grow your faith.
We’ve also assembled some resources on financial
planning and good stewardship. We’re saving you
money with discounts – come shop
with the convenience of your computer and the top online
security we provide to serve you better.
Revisit our monthly feature on youth
ministry. We have some youth ministry specials
online, too
When you shop with us you support our ministry –
thank you!
See more at our Spotlight
Specials page
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| WHAT'S NEW & COMING SOON |
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Next month we will look at using the
Internet for good and how to help those who may be online
way too much or for the wrong reasons (addicted?). We
will also give you some resources to help people who are
dealing with various addictions.
Some of the new articles on our site include:
War! Coming Soon
to a TV Near You
Home Front by Angie Ledbetter
Revisit:
Why Pray?
New reviews on the following books:
Abba’s Child by
Brennan Manning
The Tao of Enron by
Chris Seay
Future Reviews:
“Cheap Ways To…” by Jason Boyett, Margaret
Feinberg
Josh Hatcher, and Katie Meier
“Hooked on the Net” by Andrew Careaga
“Letters Between a Catholic and an Evangelical”
by Fr John R. Waiss and James G. McCarthy
“The Love Languages of God” by Gary Chapman
— and I’ll try to do more movie and music reviews
;:-)
You can read the various reviews currently on site at
Reviews
New links:
Christian Emergency Network
Barna Research Online
H20 Church for the Next Generation
See more at our links page
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| DAILY THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS |
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We
know that God causes all things to work together for good
to those who love God, to those who are called according
to His purpose (Romans 8:29).
Pearls are one of the most beautiful jewels on earth.
However, their formation is not a glamorous process. It
starts with an oyster, a very plain, slimy animal that
lives in a shell. If a large grain of sand gets into that
shell, over time it can become a pearl. Here's how that
happens: The oyster surrounds the sand with a coating
called nacre that hardens. In time that coated grain of
sand will turn into a pearl.
In the same way that sand gets into the oyster, hard things
can come into your life. Those things can irritate you
or really bring you down. Yet, God can use those bad things
to bring good things into your life. Making a mistake
at work can motivate you to work harder and be more careful.
Getting your feelings hurt can help you to understand
other people who are dealing with hurt feelings. The death
of a family member can be the very thing that brings someone
to God.
When tough things come into you world, don't just gripe
about it. Instead, start to look for ways that God might
want to turn that sand into a beautiful pearl.
In His Grace
Pete Reinbold
Get daily inspiration with a Scripture verse and commentary
at
Daily Thought
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| PRAYER REQUESTS & RESULTS |
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Prayer
works. It really does. Only those who've never truly tried
it with the proper intentions would say otherwise. We
want to pray for you and your needs. If you have a specific
request let us know at prayer
requests.
Of course, we keep you information confidential.
We also like to share testimonies of answered prayers
at prayer results.
You can send us your testimony by email. Use our form
at contact us. If
you do not want your name to be listed simply let us know.
By sharing God's love and how He helps us you encourage
others in a powerful way.
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SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENCOURAGEMENT
We
welcome and appreciate your feedback. If you would like
to submit an article please see our writer's
guidelines.
Subscribe to Living The Solution
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ever give it out!
It is our hope that the content of Living The Solution
will stimulate you to deepen your faith. That is certainly
a result for us in both our writing and reading. If you
would like to see articles on a particular topic or you
have comments please let us know.
Send an email.
Quotables:
"Preach the gospel always; when necessary, use words."
– St. Francis of Assisi
Copyright 2003 Living the Solution, all rights reserved.
Tom Gilbert
Editor/Web-servant
Living The Solution
www.livingthesolution.com
Toll free 1-800-399-2564 ext 105
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Practical
Biblical Solutions for life's challenges |
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The
Tao of Enron
Spiritual lessons from a Fortune 500 fallout by Chris
Seay and Chris Bryan
READ REVIEW HERE
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