MoneyWalk 463b Teach Your Children To Be Good Stewards

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Allowance for children and teens should not be tied to everything they are expected to do around the home or elsewhere. Some responsibilities are simply the privilege of being in the family and having parents or guardians meet their needs (washing dishes, taking out garbage, vacuuming, dusting, etc.). They should not be able to opt out of any duties you deem necessary for them to share that teach them how to progressively become responsible, disciplined, diligent, and fruitful members of the home and society at-large.

You can identify types of work that are optional that can provide minor amounts of pay that fit within the parent or guardians financial wherewithal, such as helping clean the pool, mowing grass, shoveling snow, etc. You could provide an extra $5 or $10 per month for thorough completion of such tasks. This will help them have extra money for hanging out with friends or engaging passions (drawing, painting, crafts, music, etc.).

Teach them the following principles and order of priority for managing allowances and other money received:

(1) God owns everything including any money the parents or they will ever have via gifts, work, allowances, bonuses, and any other income or asset. Therefore, they should look to His commands and principles to learn how to spend money that reaches their hands or bank accounts.

(2) Giving to help share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others who do not know Him and to helps those that do know Him become fruitful disciples should be the first thing they do each time they receive money. Preferably, they should be taught through your communication of bible passages and your personal example to give a tithe and free-will offering to the local Church you all attend and other worthwhile ministries / charities that please the heart of God, like rescue missions for the homeless, Christian orphanages, and Christ-center homes that care for widows without the resources to care for themselves. Explain the great benefits that God said tithers and givers would receive, such as give and it will be given unto you full measure, running over, Heaven’s windows opened over you pouring down overflowing blessings.

(3) Saving and investing to put money away for rainy days, later in life when you need living comfort the most, and simply because the LORD said it is wise to do it because we never know the moment or duration at which economic trouble will come upon the land. Each time they receive allowance or income from jobs, they should save at least ten percent in an emergency fund until they have at least three months of their gross allowance and income saved. After the emergency fund is built the ten percent should be aimed at investments such as no load low expense stock index mutual funds at brokerages that allow low dollar monthly investments. Such accounts may have to be kept in the parent’s or guardian’s name with the kids as beneficiaries until the kids are adults. Beyond this, you can teach them to put away an additional five percent for short-term goals, like buying a gamebox, giving birthday and holiday gifts to other people, and purchasing a used car after getting their driver’s license. In the meantime and in-between time, expose them to people and books that can explain how the U.S. banking and investment systems work. You should explain the wisdom and blessing that God said savers have: a wise man maintains stores of treasure but a foolish man spends everything he gets.

(4) Spending is the final step in the children’s good stewardship teaching process even though it will occur throughout their lives and often be a greater percentage of their income even while tithing, giving, saving, and investing. They should be told to stay away from using debt to obtain anything (no loans from Dad, Mom, or others) and to stick to using their own cash for purchases they make. If they cannot at the moment afford something, instruct them to set a future purchase goal and then save the entire amount of money before purchasing the item. You should explain that spending is a process that God established to allow us to receive many blessings. Yet, He tells us which spending pathway / decisions allow us to be blessed. Walking off this pathway (using consumer / non-mortgage loans) is not wise and brings curses into our lives that show up not long thereafter as poor credit histories, foreclosures, repossessions, and bankruptcy. This will put them in bondage, hamper them from pursuit of the LORD’s purpose for their lives, and give money to creditors He intended for them to put toward building a legacy of wealth for themselves and their future family.

The above good stewardship principles / priorities process requires that you help them establish a budget, maintain it, and over time help them take the major responsibility for updating it and following it. You should label three jars: one for giving (at least 11% of gross allowance and income), one for saving (at least 10%), and one for spending (at most 79%) and help them learn to put the correct portion of their allowance and income in each jar and spend it during the month or year for the particular associated budget items. When your income grows and the children mature, you will likely be able to give them more allowance and higher pay for optional duties.

When they reach age twelve you will want to increase their responsibility for purchasing basic needs (clothing, shoes, etc) while providing optimal guidance so they stay within reasonable, godly parameters in cost and style. Turning this responsibility over to them to a greater degree (by giving them a portion of what you budget to spend on them) will help them learn to make appropriate choices within money they receive and will grow them into adulthood by imparting responsibility and wisdom that will bless them throughout their lives.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Galatians 6:7, Ephesians 6:1-4, 1Timothy 3:4-5, Titus 1:6

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and Linkedin

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ

MoneyWalk 463a Teach Your Children To Be Good Stewards

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Children do not learn by osmosis how to walk uprightly in life. They must hear the truth and see godly examples from parents and be encouraged to make choices and initiate processes, in a manner that pleases the LORD, that will make them fruitful and successful throughout their lives. They are going to make mistakes because they are human, but through these mistakes and continual parental guidance they will learn which is the best path to reach their goals.

God has placed in each of us a knowledge of right (good) and wrong (evil) and we know there are consequences we will ultimately have to pay when we consistently choose wrong. His principles for being good stewards provide parameters that allow each person flex-ability to make different decisions and still be within His will. You walk in rebellion against His righteous path when you choose to go outside the parameters of His principles that tell us not to commit sinful acts (coveting, stealing, fornicating, adultery, etc.). You will bring negative consequences upon yourself when doing so. This needs to be continually shared with children via scripture, so they understand Daddy God is speaking to them for their benefit because he does not want to see them hurt and disadvantaged.

You should speak and act under the moral authority of Jesus Christ. His example was (after a time of teaching and exampling how to serve people) to let His disciples go into surrounding communities without Him to serve the resident the Kingdom of God. This constituted sharing the gospel, teaching His commands and principles, and using the power of the Holy Spirit to meet physical needs (healing, deliverance from bondage, giving to help the poor, etc.).

In order to establish a solid foundation for your children’s future, you should utilize age appropriate allowances that allow children to manage a portion of the money you plan to spend on them each month. As members of the household, they should automatically be expected to do some tasks without pay. But others should be optional tasks they can perform in order to develop skills they will need to be fruitful and prosper when they are old and to purchase some desirable, wholesome products and experiences. They should be taught that payment can only be expected for tasks completed well.

Your adherence to a giving, saving, spending plan should be an example of how to properly manage money. Children should also be encouraged to draft and follow a giving, saving, spending plan for displaying and planning allowance and work income, abundant giving from these resources, and right-sized spending according to the income they have each month. They will do well throughout life when they understand their upkeep will be their downfall when outgo exceeds income.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Galatians 6:7, Ephesians 6:1-4, 1Timothy 3:4-5, Titus 1:6

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and Linkedin

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ

MoneyWalk 462 Be Ready For Season Changes

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Do not be afraid of seasons and circumstances changing around you. Politicians come into office in a blaze and then are swept out just as quick. Laws get passed that change what we must comply with and sometimes laws get overturned or changed that we thought were best for our nation. Some business people operate in change mode out of godly vision and love for the people they serve while other business people bring about change based on immoral, oppressive, prideful, or greedy objectives. Not to mention that impure motivations we have had from time to time caused someone else to deal with change that wasn’t good for them or us.

God allows men to make trillions of choices each day that interact. You cannot stop change from occurring. What you can and must do is pray activities that would cause negative change be stopped in their tracks and that activities you, society’s appointed leaders, and other people engage would be pure as directed by the heart of God for the betterment of His kingdom and the people you are to affect in this world. Now, put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to stop worrying about the ultimate outcome of the political race, economic situation, job market, or other change that He might still allow to take place. In this way, you will be free from bondage to negativity that would otherwise immobilize many great opportunities that God wants to bless you with during season changes or storms.

God is more than able to take care of your need according to His riches in glory and will do so when you delight yourself in Him more than anything else. This must be in everlasting covenant with and commitment to God instead of a short-term activity meant to get the goods from Him then return to self-centered ways. Remember, He knows every heart and is the Judge of the motives and intent of every action. Unbelief and disobedience in following His ways will be found out and will ultimately destroy you if not repented of.

The key to peace and joy, financially and in other areas of life, is to recognize that God has not given you a spirit of fear. He has given you power, love, and self-control - The mind of Christ that, when listened to and obeyed, will lead you to follow scriptural principle in every circumstance and area of life. He will also, by the Holy Spirit, teach you to avoid ungodly activities so you can be fruitful in every good work.

Many are the methods that could be given to follow the few principles contained in the bible that describe how we should live and manage money in order to be fruitful. Yet, the most important thing is to seek the Lord with all your heart, asking Him what He specifically wants you to do to serve His kingdom and other people, then start doing it step by step while you also engage the main lifestyle principles He instructed every believer to be engaged in: daily prayer, daily bible reading, weekly fellowship with a family of believers (a local church), serving in the local church and workplace.

Now, mix these elements of a godly life with telling family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and others what Christ means to you and how He changed your life. As you draw closer to Christ doors of opportunity will begin to open for you for evangelism, making disciples of others, and engaging in the ministry for which you are gifted.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Psalm 145:14-15, Proverbs 3:5-15, Philippians 4:16-20, 2Timothy 1:7-8

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and LinkedIn

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ

MoneyWalk 461 Create A Giving, Saving, Spending Plan

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Some advisors say people should budget by saving as much as they can afford and then be free to spend all the rest of the money at their disposal, but I say unto you create a giving, saving, spending plan. They say start with 2 to 3% of your pay, if you can, and later save more when you can afford to, but I say unto you do everything you can to increase your income and right-size your spending to enable you to tithe to the LORD's Church and save at least 10% of your gross income. They say a budget recognizes that taking out some types of loans to get what you want when you want it is alright, but I say unto you the better situation you can be in if you really want to is to owe no man anything but love and refuse to be a slave to lenders because for the majority of people debt reduces the ability to properly care for things important to (1) the LORD, (2) their families, (3) wealth-building.

The problem with these advisors' point-of-view is (a) the priority they put on doing all you can to first get all the temporal material things you want, (b) it motivates you to put off saving when you do not feel like you can do it, and (c) it has no spiritual focus that pleases the LORD such as giving to spread the gospel, make disciples, and help others that are truly in need. This is not the proper priority of heart and mind for you. You should think and act upon GIVING first, SAVING next, and then upon SPENDING to care for responsibilities. Fulfilling the bulk of your desires through spending should come well after you are adhering to the first two principles.

The improper spending-based view of managing money makes it easy to condone taking on debt to keep up the lifestyle you want instead of shedding debt in order to be in good financial condition. In the spending-based form of budgeting (which some people try to masquerade as saving-based budgeting) the debt monster will eat you up and bring turmoil into your life. Because the focus is much too much on the spending side of the equation, you will set aside only a little savings and later must deplete those savings to pay on debts you should not have incurred in the first place. Finally, not knowing what to do, you will inevitably stop saving altogether and continue to take on more debt to do your own thing until you are stressed out and pressed out with monthly debt payments, high finance charges, and credit scores spiraling down as your ability to pay all the debts decreases.

Satan always attacks by tempting us to fulfill the lust of the flesh and eyes and to operate in the pride of life. He wants us to have our priorities in the wrong order and to keep them there. He knows that when he can keep you focused upon your material desires your ability to serve and be an example of Christ-likeness will remain hidden from view and may be entirely non-existent.

How you manage money that comes into your life is a very telling barometer of your spiritual condition because if you love Jesus Christ you will keep His commandments for where your treasure is, there your heart dwells also. The Word has given us specific instructions as to how true faith motivates us to good works through the acquiring of income and the giving, saving, and spending of it.  No one can serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Budgeting does not have to be complicated. If you will remember the priority that is in God’s heart and faithfully use it as you write down on paper / computer how you will manage the income God has entrusted to you, then you will do well in the budgeting arena and thus bring more blessing into your life.

GIVING to the work of Christ via tithing and a free-will offering should be accounted for first in your budget and given to your local Church and worthwhile gospel teaching / preaching / good works ministries.

Next, you should SAVE a reasonable portion of your income. First as a $1,000 emergency fund to help cover rainy days. After all consumer debt is eliminated you should grow it to $10,000. Then focus on creating a wealth building foundation by investing at least 10% of your gross income in a diversified array of at least seven different no load low expense stock index mutual funds that over the past several decades have historically produced returns equivalent to the average annual growth of the American stock market over the past hundred years (approximately 11%). Remember, you will get older, desire to live comfortably, travel, care for yourself when inevitable rainy days and health issues arise, and give abundantly to gospel work throughout your life.

Finally, you should focus on making sure you SPEND without taking on debt. Spending should be primarily focused on taking care of the most important priorities such as reasonable housing, food, clothing, and transportation. Fulfilling desires can and will come once you have put yourself on good financial footing and find that you have much greater disposable income.

Right-sizing spending means right now you may be unable to purchase unnecessary material things. You can use your Giving, Saving, Spending plan (income statement / cash flow plan) and wealth building statements (net worth / balance sheet) to help you determine when to purchase specific desirable things in a manner that will not put your finances in jeopardy or derail the LORD's plan for you to enter the Wealthy Place. Getting in God’s financial flow will please Him and allow you to afford some of these things in the future while you are also able to avoid irresponsible money management behavior that leads to foreclosure, bankruptcy, and the inability to properly care for your family and personal responsibilities. Faith in Him and His way of managing finances also causes Him to move in the hearts of other people (at times when it would truly be a blessing to you) to give you desired goods without you having to purchase them or engage debt bondage to get them.

  Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Luke 6:38, 12:29-34, 14:28-30, John 14:15, 2Corinthians 9:6, 1Timothy 6:5-19

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and LinkedIn

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ

MoneyWalk 460c A Work Plan For The Unemployed

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Spend time fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit in worship via thanksgiving, praise, and prayer petitions to Him to help you find work that provides great income. Never forsake the Church assembly with other believers because, as you share your need/desire with them, they will provide encouragement, uplift, and help.

Augment your physical job search with resume mailing to businesses located in places you can travel to when an interview or job is offered and at which you desire to work due to gifting, talent, skill, etc. Quickly and often follow up with phone calls and visits and do so every few weeks asking to speak with managers who would hire prospective employees and who would be willing to share more about the employer. This shows prospective employers your work ethic, perseverance, and passion that will benefit them.

One of the best ways to find employment is networking with other people. List all your family, friends, and associates in the locations in which you are applying for work and let them know you are out of work and looking for employment. Ask them to put in a kind word for you with their employers and any other business-owners / employers with whom they have rapport. Also, ask if they have insight into job openings and opportunities you could take advantage of. Contacts with people in your network should be made over and over every few weeks until employment is found because you want to keep it foremost in their mind that you are still searching for employment to provide income to help you care for yourself and family.

Look for opportunities to volunteer at churches and charities and do part-time internships / apprenticeships with business. Via computer and mobile phone apps you may be able to do on-line part time contract work (Fiverr, Damongo, Zaarly, TaskRabbit, Upwork, etc.). These opportunities help you sail until you can transfer to a bigger / better ship and they provide networking opportunities for the future.

Unfortunately, some say they aren’t going to work for the little bit someone might pay them for personal services. They remain in financial bondage and suffer because it is never better to sit around doing nothing during the day than to make the few dollars you can doing any type of morally acceptable work. Look for a job like that is a job because this help unearth resources that release you from financial bondage.

When you take reasonable daily steps to find gainful work God will provide helps and tools to get you to your destiny. The determination of how long and how much other people will lend themselves to help you is based on the effort they see you putting into making your situation better. Remember, when an able-body man will not work he is showing that other people should not feed him. So, give those who can help reason to believe you truly desire to be fruitful and profitable.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Genesis 2:15, Proverbs 19:24, Ecclesiastes 11:4-6, Matthew 25:20-21, Luke 19:16-17, Romans 12:6-13

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and Linkedin

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ