Ken

When I was in kindergarten, I broke my leg trying to climb a neighbor’s retaining wall. The only thing worse than having a teenage girl carry me home was the long recovery process. The cast ran from my toes to my upper leg. Even with crutches, it was almost impossible to walk without someone helping me. Initially, I couldn’t stand up on my own. To go to bathroom, I had to call for help. If I wanted something to drink, I had to call for help. Eventually it got better and I learned how to milk the situation to my advantage. As I saw signs of progress, I had hope things would change. What happens when there’s no hope? Perhaps you find yourself at a low point in life – or you love someone who is losing hope. Here’s what I didn’t know in kindergarten: If we really want to…

Ever since I gave my life to Jesus, I’ve wanted to serve him and to help others know him better. I am 47-years old and still learning. One thing I’m still learning is the difference between stewardship and ownership. One thing I do know is this: All I am and all I have is from God – it’s not mine. The same is true for you. As Christians, we were meant to be channels of God’s blessing, but too many of us are content to be reservoirs. I want us to take a short journey through the Bible and see what it says about stewardship. Here’s why … You don’t just need money to live on. You need something to live for. The principle of stewardship emerges early in the Bible. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And…

My first job in high school was making t-shirts at the Heart of Illinois fair. At the time, I didn't understand why the owner paid me cash (I do now!) but I didn't complain. I worked next to two brothers in a giant lemonade stand who whistled at the girls. The unfortunate part about getting paid in cash was that I was working at fair ground … you could find deep fried anything within a five minute walk. My understanding of money at the time was that you made money and then spent money. To be honest, I was better at spending than earning. Financial planners will emphasize five aspects of money management. I was learning about the first two: Earning Spending Saving Investing Giving It’s not only teenagers who struggle with this. Many adults never move past the first two stages. A 2016 GOBankingRates.com survey found that 69% of…