Uncertainty and In Whom do YOU Trust?

When I write my books and articles, it is always off of a combination of research and things the Lord taught me. I don't want to just rehash the same stuff to you, my readers. That would be pointless. I want to share with you what God taught me, and what I personally know to work...not just the same thing you read in every money management book.

Well, a few years ago when I wrote my book, Thriving on One Income, I got some emails saying things like,

"I think you are wrong to say that if you can't save towards retirement right now, don't sweat it! I work just so we can have a retirement! Don't you realize how much you are going to need...."

"I feel like I am right to work to save towards my children's college education. I want it to be there for them in 18 years, and if I start now, and invest, it will be a sure thing. I don't want my children to not be able to go to college or to start college in debt" (For the record, I am very much against debt for college, because that is what started my husband and I off on the wrong foot too)

There were more but that was the jist of it.

There are no sure things.

My point wasn't that faith means not investing or not saving. As I wrote in an earlier post, and even in my book itself, I have invested too. However, I was making the point that we all make decisions based on what is important to us.

If you sit down with some of these financial guru people, they will scare the wits out of you making you think you need to put asside hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month towards retirement and college for the still infant children who need their mommies right now. When we had 4 young children, one of these guys came over to our house, and had us convinced that we needed to double our income just to save enough for college for all four as well as for our retirement savings. He left and we felt really down and low.

Is that God? Is He not our provider? You save what you can save...that was my point.

So, I wonder...how's that working out for those who have put the babies in daycare so they could work towards a goal some 18 or even 30 years into the future?

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:5)

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (1 Timothy 6:17)

We got our 401K statement in the mail yesterday...as of last week Wednesday we have 50% less than what we had before.

I wish I would have just taken the money and blown it on something fun. I can say that right? I'm human...if money is going to be wasted I wish I was the one who blew it on something I at least got to enjoy.

That's not just money that was lost but also time...my husband's valuable time with his family went up in flames because of the bozos who invested in the bad mortgage loans (as I said, without a fancy Ivy League degree in finance I don't think I will ever understand the illogical decisions made that caused this to happen).

Wanna hear the real shocker?...neither one of us said, as we read it together, "Gee I wish you would have stayed employed so that we could have had even more in that 401K when it imploded." No in fact we both expressed regret that we put all of his last raise directly into the 401K when we could have better used it in the day to day operation of our home.

We have to be wise about these things...we have to save what we are able, and wisely manage what God gives us, and trust in Him for the outcome.

Coming soon: a Recession Supplement for Thriving on One Income, as well a Workbook/Study Guide! (Pray for me).