Money Matters: Learning the hard way

I’m curious about what young people are being taught about money. Is anyone teaching you how to earn it and how to manage it once you get some?

Money was a constant struggle for me when I was growing up. Mostly, I didn’t have any. What I needed for school activities I sometimes had to swipe from my grandmother before she used it all to buy alcohol. When I got to college I was often just as broke but at least had work study on campus. It was in graduate school that my education, the hard way, began. I had a nice apartment and car but a very small graduate fellowship. Therefore, I lived on loans and credit cards. Not once had anyone told me that I needed to live within a budget!  I met the man who was to become my husband and we doubled the debt. He hadn’t been taught any more than I about how to manage finances. It seems obvious but I learned a couple of things. First, if you buy something with a credit card, the company eventually expects you to pay. Second, you will never get out of debt by paying the minimum on credit cards and continuing to use them. It took bankruptcy and years of being treated like a criminal to fully understand that. Naturally, when I had children money was at the top of my list of subjects to teach. So, why does it sometimes seem as if [young] people have to learn the lessons the hard way instead of listening to wise counsel? Must we always touch the hot stove for ourselves to see if what we are told is really true?

Tell me where you are regarding money. Are you learning the hard way or are you listening to what is being taught?

Is Something Missing From Your Life?

Just recently one of my young friends posted a message on facebook that something seemed to be missing from his life. This is my response. Chat back at me.

It’s normal to question who you are, to search for meaning, to wonder about your life. Just be careful about who you expect to help you answer. The lost and confused cannot help those who are in the same situation. What I want both of you to know is that you are awesome men of God. You were created by God for a purpose and God made you special and gifted you in ways that only you can be. You won’t find your identity in a girlfriend or in the friends that you hang out with. You will only truly find your identity through a relationship with the God who made you. Once you get that part together, once you know who you are in Christ, then the world is open for you, my friends! The world doesn’t need anymore men who look good on the outside and are hollow and empty on the inside. We need men who are willing to stand up and be counted. We need young men who are willing to treat young women like the gifts they are. We need young men who know they are royalty. We need you.

Prayer for College Students

To say that there are a lot of hurting people is a gross understatement. Almost daily we see the evidence of that pain in senseless violence and destruction. Today was a horrible example. My heart goes out to the families of the injured and fallen students at Northern Illinois University (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1305546,00.html?f=rss)

We send our children to college to get an education. Instead of being trained in their chosen disciplines many, unfortunately, are learning that college can be a dangerous environment. In times like this, those of us with faith in God are bound to wonder why these kinds of senseless things occur. I wish that I had a satisfying answer. The question of why bad things happen to good people has the been the subject of many books and many conversations. God, the creator of the universe, does not force God’s will on anyone. As a result, there are people in the world who are just not very nice. In fact, there are some very mean and ugly-acting people in the world. There are also people who have, themselves, been so abused or neglected that they cause terrible harm to others out of their own pain. I don’t know why these kinds of tragedies occur. I do not pretend to understand it myself. However, one thing that is absolutely certain is God’s love. When things make no sense whatsoever, God remains a shelter. God is able to provide peace in the midst of all of our storms. On days like this when our hearts are broken over the loss of these beautiful young people we can turn to God for comfort knowing that God really does care.

Pray with me.

Lord, I ask that you be very present in the lives of every student who is impacted by the violence at Northern Illinois University. God, we do not understand why this occurred. And our hearts grieve for the senselessness of this act. But God, we trust you. Our hearts are overwhelmed so lead us to the Rock that is higher than we are (Psalm 61:2). Lord, the scripture teaches that your strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We feel very weak right now, Lord, and need to lean into your strength. Uphold us with your right hand. God, give us the peace that passes all understanding. Speak peace into hearts that are fearful. Speak peace into hearts that are angry. Speak peace into hearts that are anxious. Speak peace into every part of our lives, Lord. And God, you promise to work all things together for good. We cannot see the good right now, Lord. But we trust that you will reveal it in due time. Lord, do not let the deaths of these young people be in vain. We thank you in advance for being God! We anxiously await the healing that you will bring.

Amen.

If you do not know God as savior, I invite you to give your life to him. If you need to know more about how to do this, please write. Either post here or email me at revdonna.cox@gmail.com.

God bless.

Rev. Donna