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Personal finances have been on my mind lately. It started when my friend Ruben began talking about his own situation. He uses Quicken to help manage his money including paying bills and budgeting. He really lead me to think about my own finical well being.

I’m not broke by any means. I’ve been blessed with the discipline of saving weekly. I give beyond 10% to the Kingdom. I have a good foundation but I’m not where I need to be. Too much of my money is wasted and I am not sure where my money goes.

My house in Crawfordsville has had difficultly in selling and finding tenants. (I think I have found someone to rent it on a 6 month lease.) A mortgage to pay with no rental money coming in is a huge concern. I started an IRA four years ago but haven’t placed anything in it since. I pay off my credit card bill every month but I amazed how much I have spent. My pocket cash seemed to disappear from the numerous trips from dinning out. I handle my money fairly well but it could be much better.

A part of my weekly routine is to listen to sermons online. Andy Stanley is in a six week sermon series on money. I clicked on a sermon titled “The Theology of Plastic Surgery” by Rob Bell of the Mars Hill Church. Little did I know it was about money! I knew God was talking to me then.

Until the house is sold there is little I can invest in but I can learn to do without. It will sell. It’s just a matter of when. A few weeks ago I began to use software to help mange my money. I can tell it will help track my spending. I even began to use online bill pay which helps saves on postage and eliminates the chance of late fees.

My investment of a house has cost me thousands but God is using this unfortunate decision to teach me to better handle my recourse. I will be better off in the long because of the lessons I am learning now.