Practical Savings

Through this season, it's easy to become aggravated.  The controversy abounds and whatever someone is celebrating or not celebrating seems to offend someone else.  As the controversy through the years continue, it would appear that many in our society seem to celebrate being offended.  Somehow we've parlayed "Happy Holidays" into a "war" on our chosen celebration and actually have the audacity to equate non-celebration by others as some sort of persecution.  Rather than allow this season to bring out the Scrooge in all of us, I have a few ideas I'd like to share.

Regardless of what you celebrate, be it Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa.  Regardless of whether you observe these celebrations religiously or from the secular perspective, I'd like to share a few things I've gleaned along the way.  I celebrate Hanukkah, from an historical and religious perspective, so I'm not promoting any other celebration, just acknowledging reality.

First and foremost, those who are making the most noise about their particular celebration seem to be able to afford or are willing to spend quite a bit of money on the celebration.  Second, there are a great many sales on practical items through this time of year.  Third, many poorer children will not be receiving school lunches for two weeks.  Fourth, the weather is colder with potential for the elderly to be snowed in.

For those who truly believe "Jesus is the reason for the season," teach your children it's not about them.  Make a point of focusing only on the birth of the babe in Bethlehem.  Keep it strictly based upon Luke 2, I think you'll be surprised what you discover!  No omniscient fat man in a red suit, regardless of characters added later.  And let's face it, there's no mention of a big decorated evergreen in a Bethlehem stable.  Keep your Christmas celebration based upon Luke 2, only, no added characters or decoration and see where that takes you.  Take the Christmas budget and use it to truly make a difference in someone's life.  This could be a wonderful opportunity to teach children about what it is, to truly give.

Once Hanukkah and Christmas became enmeshed beyond comprehension in my family, and my gifts simply didn't measure up . . . I stopped buying Hanukkah gifts.  I still remember the conviction the last year at the attempt to celebrate Hanukkah with those who had to reschedule for their Christmas plans.  I knew it was time to quit.  Most of the rest of the world doesn't exchange Hanukkah gifts, it's just an American Christmas "knock-off" for Jewish kids.  There are a number of items I can provide to the food pantries that SNAP benefits do not cover, such as soaps and cleaning products.

There are some very practical aspects to this shopping season.  I will not be leaving my home on Black Friday, but there is a practical and reasonable side to holiday sales, and the after holiday sales are often really good!  Heavy socks and gloves, boots, hats, and jackets hit the sale racks after the holiday season.  There are still at least two months of winter weather, so if the winter chore-wear is in need of replacement, it's the perfect time to save some money.  I would think the same would apply for any apparel in department stores.  Following the holiday sales and gift returns, "gift sets" hit the clearance rack and bargain bin.   Whether it's fragrances, candles, candy, or gift sets for kitchen and bath, the holiday packaging can be tossed and the items themselves be enjoyed at a significant savings.

Now to the practicality of it all.  With the savings and teachings of "doing for others" for the holidays and transferring the budgeted funds with either fewer purchases or greater savings, those funds can go toward funding some backpack snack programs for kids or food for kids on church bus ministries for the two weeks they won't have school lunches.  It can also be used toward helping someone, especially at the end of the month stretch their food or utility funds.  If there is snow in your area, getting the kids bundled up to shovel a sidewalk for the elderly is a wonderful way to teach what it is to be a good neighbor.  It will also make for a wonderful opportunity for coming back in to warm up with hot cocoa and fun times around your own kitchen table.

Here it is, a few days before Thanksgiving and I'm already tired of the holiday debate.  Let's just avoid that whole issue by saving some money on "needed" sale items, doing something for someone that cannot pay us back, and making it a point to use some of the school vacation days to focus on some old fashioned family fun!

The Dollar Dropped our Standards

The title of this article may sound like it should appear in the Business and Investment section, and I almost did that, but the true subject is about so much more than money.  Before the American dollar became the standard for business, there was gold, silver, product, and service.  Money was not the goal!  Even gold and silver were only valuable if you needed to purchase land or needed a product or service for which you had no barter exchange to offer.  Money was only used if you had nothing of value to exchange!  There is a growing awareness in this country that certain voices of reason and faith have been silenced.  Although I would agree with the current observation, I think we're mistaken in the cause.  Scripture tells us the love of money is the root of all evil, which in America translates to the love of the dollar is the root of all of our social problems.

When our society moved from raising produce and providing services to just making money, we changed a great many standards.  The main one happened long before the Supreme Court ruled against prayer in school.  Although the day had already been changed from Sabbath to Sunday, most Americans still ceased from their labor on Sunday.  It was the wrong day, but at least there was an effort to set one day apart.  A farmer could cease from working one day with his crops and herds, and much of the industrial revolution still offered the national set aside day of Sunday, as a day off, but . . . along came overtime.  Retail stores were closed and many states, my own included, had what was called a Blue Law a.k.a. Sunday law.

Overtime crept in so subtly and it was always out of "necessity," but . . . it also came with pay incentive.  Overtime pay meant a wage differential and that meant more money for working on that set apart day.  Since Sabbath had been changed, Saturday was usually only time and a half, but Sunday was double time.  Once everyone justified that their particular job was a necessity to the wellbeing of someone else, working weekends became justified if the opportunity arose.  Once a willingness to work weekends was established, two things transpired.  Overtime pay for holidays gained an even greater wage differential in some careers, while for others Saturday and Sunday simply became another work day.

Whether it was a good career of M-F with increased income on weekend overtime or a career in which the days of the week no longer made a difference, both classes of workers became enslaved.  Those who gained great increase couldn't get enough, and those whose schedules required straight pay for weekends couldn't say no, and maintain employment.   America had already missed the mark by laboring and conducting business on Sabbath, but for many that was done in ignorance, while they did still honor a set apart day.

When American workers chose money over any set apart day and justified it with self importance and martyred indispensability, the dollar became the standard of the value of time and the value of a worker.  Ignorance of the Truth was replaced with a disregard of the Word of our Creator.

It's Later Than We Think

There has been a serious miscalculation about time and preparation that we simply must correct.  We have separated the term and concept of preparation from the present tense.  Obviously preparing can pertain to future events, but the future can be an hour from now or tomorrow, it doesn't have to be years down the road.  When I first began homesteading or "prepping" as it's called, I thought in the context of the future, the somewhat distant future.  Thankfully, I did have some time to learn and prepare, but as my life changed into living off the land, I discovered preparation by the season, even by the day.

Many speak of coming troubles and even unbelievers see potential calamity on the horizon, yet so many are continuing business as usual.  So many speak of what is in store for America, from economic struggles to potential disease, to invasion of the homeland, yet we're still going about life the same way we were, last year and the year before that.  It seems many believe there will be some sort of countdown warning, right before the collapse.  If many of us do think we are the brink of some sort of calamity or chaos, have we considered this may be the countdown warning?

What if two wars, devastating hurricanes, and the great recession have been the countdown warnings since 9/11.  Six years of quantitative easing has ceased, and the modern Tower of Babel, a.k.a. One World Trade Center has opened just this past week.  The first tenants were scheduled to begin moving in November 3, 2014.  The deadline for Iran in the Nuclear Deal is slated for November 24, yet, the camping plans at retailers, for Black Friday are already in the works.  How do we prepare without fearmongering?  Are we conspiracy theorists if we connect the dots?

I'm not so worried about the labels any more, I have to seriously look at my own situation.  I can sound the warning and shout about readiness, but the question boils down to me as an individual, a servant of the Most High G-d, and disciple of Y'hshuwah.  If everything listed in the previous paragraph, and many things not mentioned were all countdown warnings, am I ready?  I've been praying for a five fold ministry to gather here.  Am I ready for 4-12 more people to assemble here?      

Y'hshuwah didn't say, "get ready," He said, "Be ready!"  

Tempted to Throw in the Towel

This week has been a doozy!  It seems there is so much discord in the body and unbelievers are getting downright hard to work around!  Every once in awhile, I get the urge to move!  Moving is the way I used to manage stress before walking with Messiah.  The last time I was this tempted to chuck it all and start over was spring of 2012.

I'd allowed the serpent into Goshen and when I realized it, I didn't know what to do!  I prayed, of course, but I honestly didn't know how to get rid of it.  This serpent came along with folks I dearly love and immediately the tension was horrible.  I don't do well with mockery and then of course, my track record of success with any family dealings falls into the negative numbers, so I was ready to sign over the deed, hand them the keys, pay the title company myself, and go searching for another place.  It was that intense!  When it did finally explode, although it was painful for a time, there was a sweet relief in the fall out, yet I digress . . .

In looking back, of course, my fleshly solution would have been abject rebellion against my Dear Heavenly Father.  If I'd have responded in surrendered defeat, not only would I have missed the Plan of Adonai, I'd have literally given the spoils to the enemy, only to watch the vision become the worst lamented memory of my life.  So, I'm hanging on to that piece of history as I am tempted, once again to "give it up and get moving!"  This time I am much more resolved in my steadfastness.  I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is where I'm to be, and this is what I'm to do, so I won't be entertaining the notion of giving the place away to hit the road.  What I will be considering is expanding the ministry in yet another area.

Obviously, many are going through trying times, so it's clearly time to realize, "it isn't about me!"  There are hurting people out there who don't have what I have and need Who has me!  Trying times are at hand and Messiah said to be ready.  The last thing I need to do is to take all this time of preparation and throw it out the window, just as it's needed.  As I continue to seek Him and hopefully gain spiritual maturity, I realize, I've already been called to prepare for those who will be heading to the wilderness.  Even when it feels as though what I'm doing is useless, I cannot abandon my post!  Rather than throw in the towel, I must keep my eye on the prize of the high calling.  Throwing in the towel would definitely leave me unprepared for His bigger purpose.