Time is more valuable than money. In America, actually, nearly everything is more valuable than our money, but I digress. The day I draw my last breath, all the money in the world won't change the fact, my time on earth is over, but this isn't the topic for today's article. I was speaking with a friend the other day about communities gathering and he shared some insight on the subject. Unfortunately we ran out of time before he shared many details, but it got me thinking again about the idea of working together when currency is not the goal. I'm not suggesting communism, but more along the lines of the apostles following Messiah and the lifestyle in the book of Acts.
As these end of days continue to speed headlong into what will eventually become impoverished anarchy and famine, money will mean nothing. As a matter of fact, believers are claiming they will not take a mark to buy or sell, but what will not buying and selling entail? Chances are we won't need so much stuff! Even if we think we do, we don't need everything we've accumulated now! We'll probably see a real move from having such an attitude of "disposable."
Even more than eliminating non-essentials, though; I believe we are going to be looking at talents and abilities as the real essentials in sustaining our existence. Obviously, a deep faith in our Creator is necessary to experience the fullness and purpose of our life, and that will take us beyond a casual enjoyment of our own interests. We will view our abilities and talents as something of value to contribute. We will also develop a true appreciation for the talents and abilities of others. We are moving away from an appreciation of money and materialism.
Scripture tells us our Heavenly Father will bless the work of our hands. Why settle for cash by the hour, when our Creator wants to bless us in our talents and abilities?
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Reality
The reality is: not all of the "remnant" are part of the other one percent. I'm sure there are members of the remnant that are uber wealthy, probably not many, but statistically, the uber wealthy are a small number anyway. I'm sure there are members of the remnant who are suburban Middle Class, and undoubtedly; there are those who have little in this world. These people are considered impoverished by financial standards, but are content in their relationship with our Heavenly Father and His provision.
The Other 1 Percent has an odd trait that just can't be ignored. The Other 1 Percent finds earthly wealth that isn't based directly on currency. The Other 1 Percent just defines economic status by a different measure. I said different, not wrong or absolute right, just different. In some ways the other one percent can seem very idealistic and out of touch, yet in other ways, quite down to earth.
Regardless of socioeconomic status, the one thing the remnant shares is their absolute belief that we need Messiah. Without Messiah, we would not know our Creator, and without a relationship with our Creator, life is meaningless. Now, I've said all that to say this.
This week, my "stock" investment has dramatically increased. February 1, including my grandchildren's goats, there were 11 nannies on the place and 2 bucks. Three of these nannies were too young to breed through last year's breeding season, so they are simply an expense for now, but do appear to have great future potential. As for the other eight nannies, with two yet to deliver, the number of the herd now stands at 23. This is my kind of stock investment!
A "group photo" is now virtually impossible, but this new little doeling has real potential as an up and coming future milker.
The Other 1 Percent has an odd trait that just can't be ignored. The Other 1 Percent finds earthly wealth that isn't based directly on currency. The Other 1 Percent just defines economic status by a different measure. I said different, not wrong or absolute right, just different. In some ways the other one percent can seem very idealistic and out of touch, yet in other ways, quite down to earth.
Regardless of socioeconomic status, the one thing the remnant shares is their absolute belief that we need Messiah. Without Messiah, we would not know our Creator, and without a relationship with our Creator, life is meaningless. Now, I've said all that to say this.
This week, my "stock" investment has dramatically increased. February 1, including my grandchildren's goats, there were 11 nannies on the place and 2 bucks. Three of these nannies were too young to breed through last year's breeding season, so they are simply an expense for now, but do appear to have great future potential. As for the other eight nannies, with two yet to deliver, the number of the herd now stands at 23. This is my kind of stock investment!
A "group photo" is now virtually impossible, but this new little doeling has real potential as an up and coming future milker.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Economic Recovery for the Wealthy
It's time to take a serious look at what has divided this nation economically. It didn't just begin in 2007 or 2009 or even 1909, but that's closer to the beginning of this economic mess.
In researching, we can find something all the way back to the land grab of the earlier settlers from the Native Americans and say the loss now is simply a matter of reaping what was sown for the foundation, but I believe our Creator is much more benevolent than that. The real problem is we keep trying to resolve the last problem, by creating a new problem. That tradition can be traced all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
We are only going back as far as the time before the Great Depression, known as the Roaring Twenties. That was a time in which the mindset changed across the country. Labor was no longer exchanged for goods, because an Income Tax became a part of America in 1913, as well as the founding of the Federal Reserve. Once everything had a dollar value, the true value of everything became askew. Sadly, the most detrimental change was introduced when inherited land became collateral.
The land was no longer seen as the true valuable asset it was to produce in perpetuity, but rather it had a value at the bank. So large properties were often divided amongst the heirs, with many of them heading to town on the proceeds from the sale of the land. Smaller parcels did not produce what had once fed a large group of children around the table, so debt for seed became common place. Others used the land to borrow for extravagance and "live large" which left them in debt with no way to repay or pay taxes, when the economy crumbled in 1929.
The next generation enjoyed the post war economy, but few realized it was founded on debt. VA loans were offered to all those young men who served in WWII. They literally began their adult lives in debt. For those who did their part of the war effort on the home front, there was FHA loans. Every American had their chance at the American Dream, which for most included a mortgage. As the economy blossomed with industry, there was time to pay off that mortgage. I'm not sure many today would remember the "mortgage burning parties" of early sixties, by those who married in the WWII era.
Once mortgages became part of the American dream, a car payment was no problem, what with all the job security abounding in Industry! Credit cards were a great way to get what you "needed" as the social status standard continued to appear to be upwardly mobile. Incrementally, debt became the foundation, while gold and silver left the equation.
There are many boomers now figuring mortgages, car payments, and retirement options, simultaneously, while may in the following generations have decided to just live large for the moment and never seek to acquire or amass. The American dream has simply been redefined for the majority of Americans. And as for the wealthy few at the top, many of them are invested in the debt of the lower 98%. It's truly that simple. Our nation went from seeing land as the way to provide for a family in perpetuity, to living "hand to mouth" with money.
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/why-wal-mart-is-getting-too-expensive-for-the-middle-class-215417616.html
In researching, we can find something all the way back to the land grab of the earlier settlers from the Native Americans and say the loss now is simply a matter of reaping what was sown for the foundation, but I believe our Creator is much more benevolent than that. The real problem is we keep trying to resolve the last problem, by creating a new problem. That tradition can be traced all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
We are only going back as far as the time before the Great Depression, known as the Roaring Twenties. That was a time in which the mindset changed across the country. Labor was no longer exchanged for goods, because an Income Tax became a part of America in 1913, as well as the founding of the Federal Reserve. Once everything had a dollar value, the true value of everything became askew. Sadly, the most detrimental change was introduced when inherited land became collateral.
The land was no longer seen as the true valuable asset it was to produce in perpetuity, but rather it had a value at the bank. So large properties were often divided amongst the heirs, with many of them heading to town on the proceeds from the sale of the land. Smaller parcels did not produce what had once fed a large group of children around the table, so debt for seed became common place. Others used the land to borrow for extravagance and "live large" which left them in debt with no way to repay or pay taxes, when the economy crumbled in 1929.
The next generation enjoyed the post war economy, but few realized it was founded on debt. VA loans were offered to all those young men who served in WWII. They literally began their adult lives in debt. For those who did their part of the war effort on the home front, there was FHA loans. Every American had their chance at the American Dream, which for most included a mortgage. As the economy blossomed with industry, there was time to pay off that mortgage. I'm not sure many today would remember the "mortgage burning parties" of early sixties, by those who married in the WWII era.
Once mortgages became part of the American dream, a car payment was no problem, what with all the job security abounding in Industry! Credit cards were a great way to get what you "needed" as the social status standard continued to appear to be upwardly mobile. Incrementally, debt became the foundation, while gold and silver left the equation.
There are many boomers now figuring mortgages, car payments, and retirement options, simultaneously, while may in the following generations have decided to just live large for the moment and never seek to acquire or amass. The American dream has simply been redefined for the majority of Americans. And as for the wealthy few at the top, many of them are invested in the debt of the lower 98%. It's truly that simple. Our nation went from seeing land as the way to provide for a family in perpetuity, to living "hand to mouth" with money.
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/why-wal-mart-is-getting-too-expensive-for-the-middle-class-215417616.html
Sunday, February 2, 2014
The Change
I've had a couple of eye-openers along the way in two of my careers that have made me truly re-evaluate what it is I'm working for. As a servant of YHWH, a paycheck isn't the goal. I think most of us now realize, money in the bank and investments mean nothing, in the event of an economic crisis, and few of us are deemed too big to fail!
The first one, was when I answered the call while still in the funeral industry. I couldn't figure out a way to be in ministry, while unclean for seven days, and every day at work began a new seven days . . . So, I resigned and returned my license to the state.
Through this same time, our family owned a small old fashioned "burger joint" providing employment for our then teens and some of their friends. The deal about this "burger joint" is that we bought it the year before I began following Messiah and it was famous for it's pork tenderloin sandwiches. YHWH is no respecter of persons, and He doesn't bargain. Of course, the pork was off the family menu immediately, but it continued to be on the menu at work, until YHWH laid on my heart, the boy with the fishes and loaves, and the left overs! YHWH showed me, the blessing of abundance would not apply to what He called an abomination, and so . . . the menu changed dramatically. It wasn't long after that, I was presented with the opportunity to sell the business and enter full time ministry.
It was also through that time that my old health issue raised it's ugly presence, and my marriage went bad. With the restaurant sold, and the house sold, I launched into the responsibility of full time ministry with a little money in the bank and $500.00 a month income from an investment annuity. Neither my husband nor I were interested in keeping the big home, so selling it was the agreed upon solution. I wasn't interested in collecting disability, as I could write from a wheel chair if that was what my future held. I had enough from my share of the sale of the house to buy a small building in the blighted section of town . . . I refurbished it and the Living Water Mission was established.
Now, I will say this, I've never had a month in which my income was limited to $500.00, but at the beginning of my walk, I had no idea there would be more. What I did do, was prepare for this move, with the extra income. I had heard YHWH tell me He was bringing me to land with a well, so prepare. Every dime above utility expense, and outreach went toward readiness for the move, whenever that happened. In that time, however; I learned that I really didn't need what we've been programmed to consider "necessities." Money is just what the electric company accepts in trade for electricity to my home. Money is what the internet service provider accepts for internet service. Our Heavenly Father has promised to provide my need, according to His riches in glory in Messiah Y'hshuwah; and He doesn't need money.
But my G-d shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Messiah Y'hshuwah.
The first one, was when I answered the call while still in the funeral industry. I couldn't figure out a way to be in ministry, while unclean for seven days, and every day at work began a new seven days . . . So, I resigned and returned my license to the state.
Through this same time, our family owned a small old fashioned "burger joint" providing employment for our then teens and some of their friends. The deal about this "burger joint" is that we bought it the year before I began following Messiah and it was famous for it's pork tenderloin sandwiches. YHWH is no respecter of persons, and He doesn't bargain. Of course, the pork was off the family menu immediately, but it continued to be on the menu at work, until YHWH laid on my heart, the boy with the fishes and loaves, and the left overs! YHWH showed me, the blessing of abundance would not apply to what He called an abomination, and so . . . the menu changed dramatically. It wasn't long after that, I was presented with the opportunity to sell the business and enter full time ministry.
It was also through that time that my old health issue raised it's ugly presence, and my marriage went bad. With the restaurant sold, and the house sold, I launched into the responsibility of full time ministry with a little money in the bank and $500.00 a month income from an investment annuity. Neither my husband nor I were interested in keeping the big home, so selling it was the agreed upon solution. I wasn't interested in collecting disability, as I could write from a wheel chair if that was what my future held. I had enough from my share of the sale of the house to buy a small building in the blighted section of town . . . I refurbished it and the Living Water Mission was established.
Now, I will say this, I've never had a month in which my income was limited to $500.00, but at the beginning of my walk, I had no idea there would be more. What I did do, was prepare for this move, with the extra income. I had heard YHWH tell me He was bringing me to land with a well, so prepare. Every dime above utility expense, and outreach went toward readiness for the move, whenever that happened. In that time, however; I learned that I really didn't need what we've been programmed to consider "necessities." Money is just what the electric company accepts in trade for electricity to my home. Money is what the internet service provider accepts for internet service. Our Heavenly Father has promised to provide my need, according to His riches in glory in Messiah Y'hshuwah; and He doesn't need money.
But my G-d shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Messiah Y'hshuwah.
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