As you get ready for Mother’s Day, enjoy these money-related quotes from five celebrity mothers—two first ladies, an author, a saint, and a famous (or perhaps infamous) TV mom.

1. “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” –Maya Angelou, author/poet and mother of one

2. “A housewife deserves to be honored as much as a woman who earns her living in the marketplace. I consider bringing up children a responsible job. In fact, being a good housewife seems to me a much tougher job than going to the office and getting paid for it.” –Betty Ford, former first lady and mother of four

3. “Yes, you must live life beautifully and not allow the spirit of the world that makes gods out of power, riches and pleasure make you forget that you have been created for greater things—to love and to be loved.” –Mother Teresa

4. “You see, Barack and I were both raised by families who didn’t have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable – their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.” –First Lady Michelle Obama, mother of two

5. “Al, what kind of selfish wife like me would give their own husband his money? It just isn’t done. I haven’t finished spending it all yet.” –TV mom Peggy Bundy from Married…with Children

There are lots of reasons to get (or stay) in shape. One that isn’t always at the top of the list is the fact that fitness is good for your wallet.

In general, healthy people have fewer health care costs. They aren’t in and out of the doctor’s office as often, and they aren’t shelling out tons of money on prescription drugs for preventable health problems. Continue reading

I’ll admit, I don’t typically spend a lot of time in the book of Exodus. But the other day I wound up there, and a particular story really struck me.

Just one month after God rescued the people of Israel from a life of slavery in Egypt, they were journeying through the wilderness and grumbling the whole way.

Have you ever prayed and prayed for God to give you something—or take something away—and when it finally happens, you rejoice for a whopping 24 hours before finding something else you’re dissatisfied about? Continue reading

What comes to mind when you hear the word “investment”?

A 401(k)? A business venture? The New York Stock Exchange?

If you associate investments with money, you’re tracking with the traditional definition of the word, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there’s so much more to investing than just money. Continue reading

The term “living paycheck to paycheck” is used to describe any financial situation in which there is no reserve money between pay periods. This can create quite a stressful situation, especially when unexpected expenses pop up. For some families this can be disaster. One emergency can send the budget into a tail spin which cannot be easily recovered from. Continue reading

Christian debt management is all about making changing in the present. In order to get out of debt major spending and behavioral changes must take place in your heart and mind. Every dollar you spend must be considered and accounted for in order to make a Christian debt relief program work. You may find your mind swirling with information and choices every day and all of these things are focused on right now, changing things right now in your financial life. While you are in the throes of this major life adjustment you will see commercials are hear people talking about “planning for the future.” These moments may have you thinking, “I’m just trying to survive right now! I can’t think about the future!” You may not realize it, but if you have sought out Christian debt help, you are securing your future in more ways than you might imagine.
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If you are in the trenches of a Christian debt consolidation program, the last thing on your mind might be helping the needy in your community. You might very well be feeling as if you yourself are the needy one right now. However, the Christian obligation toward the needy is a relevant financial issue and as you continue your journey toward financial freedom you will have more disposable income with which to give. The question for many individuals is not should they give. Most Christians understand the giving principals and want to keep blessings flowing their way by giving to others. The question is to whom do we give? And how much of our own personal prejudice gets in the way of our giving to others?
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We talk about money a lot around here. Like it or not, the way money is managed (or mismanaged) has a profound effect on just about every aspect of life, from relationships to physical, emotional and spiritual health.

But as we prepare to celebrate Easter, we are reminded of one gift that money could never buy.

More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus chose to leave his perfect home in heaven and become one of us. He could have entered the world as a king in a palace. Instead, he took the lowly position of a carpenter’s son, spending the first hours of His life in a feeding trough for animals. Continue reading

He is risen! – Matthew 28:6

Holy week is upon us and soon we’ll be celebrating the good news on Easter, that Christ is risen! If you’re like most Christians, you’ve spent the past six weeks of Lent reflecting on your life, your faith and your commitment to God and your church. It’s the season of spiritual rebirth, of cleansing and of hope. You can apply this feeling to most any aspect of your life, including your financial affairs. If you’re looking to rebuild and reinvigorate your finances, below are a few things you can do to easily enrich your financial health this Easter season.

1. Start or Add to an Emergency Fund

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In our society there is often great confusion concerning wealth and increased income. One definition of wealth states that wealth is, “an abundance of valuable resources or material.” This could be pretty broad range of things. You may not have one dollar to your name, but if you had a chest full of rare diamonds, you could still consider yourself wealthy. So then, wealth can become subjective to whatever you may deem “valuable.” When an individual is in the trenches of a Christian debt consolidation program some days can seem dark indeed. The level of financial sacrifice you are making may seem unbearable some days. You may even experience some level of ridicule or judgment from people who do not understand what you are doing or why you are doing it. There may be days when you feel poor indeed. This is when you must reevaluate the true meaning of wealth.
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