THEY

I was at Starbucks about a month ago and saw a guy come in and ask for a free cup of coffee.  He looked like he might be homeless, but not so far gone that he really was living on the streets for any length of time, more a panhandler than someone really in need.  The Barista said, “I’ve told you before, you can’t come in here and get free coffee and you aren’t allowed to ask customers for money.  You can have water, but that’s all.”  He gave the guy a cup of water and the panhandler said, “What, no ice?,” as he walked out the door.  A female customer at the cash register started castigating the barista. 

“Why couldn’t you just give him a cup of coffee?, she asked, “Why did you have to be such a jerk about it?”  She continued to harangue him about how Starbucks can afford to give away coffee because they make so much money.  Why should the barrista care if they lost a few cents giving away one cup of coffee?

I wondered at the irony of her situation.  Here she was castigating Starbucks for being rich and not being as generous as she thought they should be, but she, who was standing there waiting to pay $5 to Starbucks, never once offered to buy the homeless guy a cup of coffee. 

It’s so much easier to blame They than to blame ‘I’.

They are mysterious. 

They are aloof. 

They are different from us. 

They are faceless. 

They cause all the problems.

They are to blame.

They don’t care. 

Government.  Politicians.  Corporate fat cats.  Banks.  Investment Companies.  They.

As if some alien species came to earth in the last few decades (during the Bush years if you are a Democrat or during Obama’s administration if you are  a Republican), suddenly, there is this ober-class of people who are to blame for all that’s wrong in this country.

Any serious student of history can tell you that it’s always been this way.  J.P. Morgan.  Leland Stanford.  John Jacob Astor.  Dale Carnegie.  Cornelius Vanderbilt.  Charles Schwab. Fisk. Duke. Plant. Ford. Seligman. Frick.  The Rockefellers.  The Kennedys.  The Du Ponts. The Lehmans. Many of these names we recognize as street names and product names.  Many are responsible for some of the greatest acts of philanthropy in our nation’s history.  Many are also responsible for terrible depredations on their workers, the environment, and on consumers.

It’s no different today. 

There are rich people like Steve Jobs, so lately lamented, but known specifically for his lack of generosity and his cutthroat business decisions and tyrant management style.. Or perhaps Bill Gates, also known for cutthroat business, but also known for enormous acts of charity and generous donations. 

It sure is easy to blame those rich people for our problems.  It’s even easier to blame the anonymous banks and big corporations.  If there is no person’s name attached, they become an even easier target for our ire. 

 “How dare they have billions of dollars when I struggle to pay my mortgage, my car loans, my student loans, and my credit cards?!?!?,” we demand with righteous indignation! 

“What’s up with these politicians, why do they keep screwing us so badly with laws that don’t help the little guy?!?!?!,” we yell out with all the moral anger we can muster.

Good questions.

No.  Not really a good questions.  Actually, quite bad ones.

Perhaps we should rephrase them:  “How dare I complain about faceless bankers when I keep using their money so poorly?” and, “Why do I keep voting for the same people just so my party stays in control, with little or no consideration to the best choices for the country?”

The problem with our nation comes down to 308, 600,000 individuals (give or take a million) who need to start taking personal responsibility and quit blaming the unnamed They for our problems.

We need to swear off debt.  Quit borrowing from Bank of America and suddenly that BOA constrictor loses its power.  Don’t like that they are charging a fee for debit transactions… Vote with your feet.  Don’t spend another dime with them.  Period.

Upset that hedge funds, junk bonds, and mortgage securities were at the heart of our current economic recession?  Maybe it’s time to reconsider the idea that everyone should own their own home, including people who cannot afford one or people incapable of paying their bills on time.  Perhaps it is time to take personal responsibility for wisely purchasing just enough home for what we need and not overburdening ourselves with large houses just because, at the top of the market, we could convince a bank to give us that much.  Perhaps it’s time for families to live together again, supporting mom and pop or giving the kids a chance to save up for a better start.  Perhaps it’s time for us to educate ourselves on mortgages before we take whatever product the realtor, banker, and broker convince us to take.  Perhaps it’s time to go back to the idea of saving up a huge down payment, learning discipline in the process, and then paying off that mortgage as fast as we can.

Don’t like that partisanship in politics?  Quit voting your party line and take the time to educate yourself on the individuals on both sides.  Consider that there are people on both sides of the issue and perhaps we need to give a little credence to the other side and the middle too.  Perhaps, instead of complaining about gridlock, we should stop listening to soundbites and recognize that a nation of 308 million people are actually going to have different points of view from you and perhaps that’s a healthy thing.

At the heart of this is individual responsibility.  Let’s not enable those who are occupying Wall Street now and blocking real working people from their jobs.  Let’s encourage them to occupy themselves with working.  .  If you have large amounts of student loans to get a degree in art history, perhaps it’s time to learn a hard lesson about the real world.  Get a job.  If there aren’t jobs there, create something new.  Start a new business or create a new product.  Maybe, consider moving to a place where there are jobs.  This is the American way and it is this innovation, stick-to-it-iveness, and willingness to work that have made us such a leader among nations.  Most of those rich people that we covered above didn’t start out that way. 

Finally, let’s not lose sight of the fact that we are the richest people in the world.  As the richest 4% or so of the entire world, let’s try to keep a clear focus on the fact that there are billions of people who would be willing to tell us, in a multitude of languages, where we can stick our pre-printed 99% signs.  In one loud and raucous voice, they would shout together in Hindi, Farsi, Spanish, Swahili, Arabic, Mandarin, Urdu, and a hundred other languages that they would be more than willing to take our jobs and work without complaining, that they would gladly accept our educations and put them to work, that they would give anything to have won the cosmic lottery that is a U.S. citizenship.

For those who are occupying Wall Street and other locations – I respect your voice that times are hard.  I don’t respect mob control and I certainly do not respect the politicians who are trying to make political hay out of this.  Clean up your mess.  Put down the signs.  Ditch the ridiculous hyperbolic rhetoric of, “hitler’s bankers,” “crimes against humanity,” “enslaved.”  Grow up and join the real world.

Yes, times are hard.  Yes, the Economy is rough.  Yes, corruption has happened.

But, stop blaming “They” and start saying, “I will take responsibility for myself.”

* For the record, I spent more than a decade working for banks and mortgage brokers, including at least half that time at Bank of America.  As a corporate culture, they are not a good company to work for.  They have led the charge on almost every fee that could be charged to their customers.  They regularly reorganized, right-sized, downsized, rif’ed, and every other pseudonym for messing with their employees lives in the interest of increasing stock-holder profits.  I always wondered at what point someone would realize that you can cut a pie a hundred ways and still have the same amount of pie, just much messier.  I don’t bank with them and I don’t recommend anyone bank with them.  If A.P. Giannini truly was the man that they said he was, who built his bank by working with the common working man, then I am absolutely sure he is spinning like a dervish in his grave at the company that Bank of America has become.  Let me take advantage of this blog to recommend that you never work for, borrow from, deposit money with, invest money in, or even walk too slowly past Bank of America or any of the other large banks.  Use small local banks and credit unions for deposits, and live debt free.  If enough of us do that, then real change can occur in that industry.

Ten Things the Government Needs to Learn About Budgeting That I Learned From Running a Church

Here we are again. It’s crunch time and the politicians are making a big fuss about the budget. Democrats blame the Republicans, Republicans blame the Democrats, the sky is blue, grass is green… Such is life.



In the past two years, I have become the Senior Pastor at a small church here in Phoenix. As a youth pastor for years, I never had to worry much about the budget, the elders and Senior Pastor did that. Now, it’s my job and I’ve learned that it is harder than I ever realized. Running a church is really just running a small business from a financial point of view*. Running a Government is no different from running a small business, either, just a matter of scale.


I’m still trying to get my mind around all of the issues of the business side of church, but here are some lessons I’ve learned that might just help Congress.


1. It’s easy to nickel and dime your way to deficit spending.


Most of the issues I’ve encountered when it comes to going over budget aren’t about the big expenses. Yes, occasionally an AC compressor will give out in July or an irrigation accident will destroy a neighbor’s yard and require repair, but the truth is, it’s all the little expenses here and there that build up. Paper is $35 a case. Toner is $120 a cartridge. We chose to print a hundred of those posters and suddenly, we are over budget. Workday projects, repairs, and maintenance always cost twice what you expected and necessitate three trips to Home Depot. Whoops, we did it again. This is what makes budgeting so hard, because $28 here and $55 there doesn’t sound like much until you do it too many times.






2. It’s easier to spend when it’s someone else’s money


My family is all about debt-free living. We don’t use credit cards, we don’t get car loans, and we try very hard to consider our expenses so we don’t overspend. However, when it comes to making choices of what to buy or not to buy at work, it’s easier to think, “Oh, we’ll just move the money over from another area to cover it,” or, “This item is on sale and we’ll surely use it someday, so we’ll go ahead and buy it now and replenish the fund later.” The problem is: it’s much easier to be brutally realistic about finances when you are talking about paying the rent to keep the roof over your head and paying the electric bill to keep your own lights on.



3. You don’t reduce the deficit, cut it entirely and work on paying off debt.


My earliest recollection of politics comes from the budget fights of the early eighties. I remember the politicians saying, time and time again, “We must cut the deficit.” Even as a teenager, that sounded very weird. I wasn’t even good at math, but I knew that a negative is a negative whether it was $1000 or $1 billion dollars. That’s like trying to dig yourself out of a hole by using a trowel instead of a spade. Either way, you’re still digging a deeper hole. Nope, you gotta learn to live within your means and NEVER spend in the negative.






4. There’s always a bunch of good things to do with the money, but not always a bunch of money to do good things with.


Church is all about this. There’s always someone who has a ministry need. The homeless need fed. The orphans need shoes. People in Africa need medicine. People in Japan just had a natural disaster. Poor families need Christmas presents. Missionaries need sent. Tots need toys. Trees need angels. Drives need canned food. On and on and on and on. All of these are good things, and all cost money. The simple truth is we just cannot do them all. We have to say, “No,” to some of them. That hurts, that’s difficult, and that’s absolutely necessary.


5. Look at your priorities.


Yup, that’s what this comes down to. Prioritizing. Sounds easy, right? List all your bills in order of urgency. Begin dividing up your money to pay for those. Then, create a rainy day fund and put a good percentage of money into that account to cover unforeseen problems. Then, if (IF) there is money left over, begin adding those things you want to do in priority order. Parcel out any remaining funds for those items until you run out of money. Then, say, “I’m Sorry,” to the rest of the items.






6. Consider other options to pay for things.


So, there are good things leftover from your list (see items 4 & 5 above). Gosh, there is one of them that you really, really want to do. It’s such a good idea, but we just don’t have the money in the budget for it. Great. Let’s do it. Here’s how: go to the people and sell it to them. Tell them what a great idea it is and why we should do it. If they’re on board, then they’ll help pay for it. If not, then back to the drawing board. What other ways might we fundraise for this? Who else can we get behind this idea that might help? Where else can we cut or where else can we earn the money to make it happen? What if the church as a whole doesn’t provide for it, but individuals within the church who are passionate about it get creative and make it work?


This leads us to an especially important message for the American People and our Silly Politicians. Are you ready… Wait for it…


The Government is not the only one who can provide money for good things to happen! Whoa! Step Back! You mean that private investors can do charity? You mean that churches and community groups can be responsible for some of this stuff? You mean families can actually help each other? You mean communities can get together and make something work? All of this without our Mommy the Government doing it for us?


Abso-stinkin-lutely!



7. Good stewardship matters for good character.


I know you may not believe it, but church is not about money. Our message is one of hope and truth. We point people to a righteous God. But, our message gets awfully muddled when we misuse the money that is entrusted with us. Why would someone trust us to listen to our message if we aren’t open and transparent about something as basic as our finances? Why would someone believe that God wants us to care for the poor if the church community spends all its money on events for themselves? Where is our integrity when we say we care about the poor in third-world nations who live on less than a dollar a day, but we spend $50 million on a new building for our church to meet in? As a church, the message is simple: people see the way we spend our money and it reflects on their perception of the truth of our message.


Dear Congress, this applies to you. America was once a shining beacon in the world. Is it anymore? If we expect people in developing nations to believe that democracy works, we’d better be showing them that it does. Our message of the American Way is marred by our financial failures.


8. Someone has to pay the bills and it ain’t fair to leave it for someone else.


A house of cards is bound to come tumbling down someday. It’s funny, but there is a parable about building your house on sand versus building it on solid rock. Now, Jesus wasn’t talking about our budget there, but the lesson still rings true with our finances. We may be able to spend in a deficit for a few years (or generations if you are the government). We can get away with it for a little while, but eventually the bills are going to be called in. It will be time to pay up. It just isn’t right to spend freely now, knowing our children will one day face crushing austerity measures and crumbling economy, just so we selfishly can have everything we want now. For a household, this may mean bankruptcy. For a church, it could very well close us down. For a nation, the end results are almost unthinkable.






9. Brutal Realism is Required.


This is true of thousand dollar family budgets, hundreds of thousand dollar church budgets, multi-million dollar industry budgets, and trillion dollar governments. When it comes time to cut, EVERYBODY must give a little. Pet projects must go by the wayside. If they are good, then maybe they can return someday. This is probably the biggest problem we face as a nation. Everyone agrees that the budget must be cut, but nobody is willing to give away their pet project. The arts community wants the budget cut, just not the National Endowment for the Arts. Soldiers want the budget cut, just not a dime from the military. Teachers want the budget cut, but nothing from the schools. Seniors talk about how they lived through tight times in the depression, but the AARP isn’t about to discuss ANY changes to Social Security or Medicare. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, you want everyone else to tighten their belt, just not you. It’s time to cut everywhere. It’s hard, but sometimes you have to go through EVERY line item on the budget and make adjustments. It hurts, but it is necessary.


10. Yes, budgeting is Hard – Quit Whining About It.


I hate numbers. I detest accounting. I loathe detail work. So what? It’s my job and I have to buckle down and do it. Every year, we have to look at the budget. We have to crunch numbers. We have to make hard decisions. We have to give up things. We have to say, ‘No.’ So, I get a cup of coffee, treat myself to a donut that I’m not allowed to have, I sigh a little; and then I get to work.


Dear Congress and Mr. President (of any administration and any party). Despite what you may have been led to believe, we did NOT send you there to enrich yourself. We sent you there to make hard decisions and to be leaders. Please listen clearly to the following Public Service Announcement: “Suck It Up!!!” Quit whining, work together, give till it hurts, and tell the lobbyists and your own constituents, “I know you want this, but we just can’t afford this, so the answer is No.”






There are some who would say all of this is naïve. Sure, this stuff applies to households and small businesses, but the government just doesn’t work that way. Well, they are right about that last part: it doesn’t work. What we are doing with our money doesn’t work; it is a house of cards that is past due for a collapse. We, the American people of any party, truly are naïve if we think this can continue much longer.


I don't have all the answers, and trust me, this is still a work in progress in my own life.  But, I do know that this lesson will be learned someday... The easy way or the hard way.



* Oddly enough, I wasn’t required to take a single class in Bible College or Seminary called How To Run A Small Business 101.

Financial Tip # 10 - It Ain't My Fault

The recent crash in our financial markets that destroyed our economy for the last two years has been blamed primarily on banks (although, for some reason, our beloved leaders in Washington are focusing on fixing Wall Street.) I worked for 13 years in banking and can honestly tell you that the banks ARE largely to blame for some of the practices that lead to this fiasco. They sold complicated loan products to people to buy houses they couldn’t afford. They encouraged people to refinance and take money out for debt consolidation and for home improvements. They even gave loans that were purposely worth more than the house was appraising for at the time. And that makes it all the bank’s fault right? Let’s punish those greedy, evil, fat cats sitting in their plush offices, because they are responsible for predatory lending. Right?

Yes. At least partly so.

But let’s not forget that other people had a part in this too. The government required banks to give loans in areas that were high risk and to people who were high risk through the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 and most importantly through the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. They then established companies like Sallie Mae and Freddie Mac who guarantee credit for student loans and home loans to those who cannot afford (or cannot qualify for) them under normal lending guidelines. These laws, while well intentioned, helped create a house of cards that was destined to fall. So let’s blame the government. Right?*

It’s funny how we like to take complex situations and narrow the blame down to one single person or group of people. That way, we feel better about ourselves forget that the problem ever happened.

Except, there is one more group of people that we mustn’t forget. Not Wall Street Investors. Not Bankers. Not the government. Who could we possibly blame then?

It’s you and I. It is us and all of our friends and neighbors. To quote the old Sunday cartoon, Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” We are all at fault.

• Every person who took out a mortgage on a house that was well outside of their budgetary range and didn’t realize how deep they were is responsible.
• Everyone who signed on the dotted line for an adjustable rate mortgage that they didn’t understand is at fault.
• Each person who accepted cashout on a mortgage to buy things such as cars, boats, toys, or other items because the broker told them that they could do it shares the blame.
• All those who had B and C credit who went to mortgage brokers and bought a home or got a second mortgage with a future balloon payment or a 125% equity product because they believed the loan officer about their ability to repay it shares the liability for the failure.
• Anyone who financed their car for five or six years so they could buy a more expensive car with lower payments because the finance guy showed them how it would work, shoulders part of this burden.

We have to be honest that it is our own greed and lack of education that got us here.

This is our last and final financial lesson in this series. You HAVE to educate yourself.

Yes, financial issues are complicated. These concepts are hard to understand. If you can’t define amortization, APR, equity, cost basis, accrual, escrow, LTV, per diem interest, PITI, no-load index fund, capital gain, prime rate, ZBA, REIT, or RESPA; then you need to get educated before you go into a bank or before you begin investing.

Yes, this stuff is hard. I'm sure there are some strange accounting types for whom this stuff is enjoyable. They're probably good a poker too. I'm not one of those people. I worked for years in banking and only learned a small portion of the financial information that I need to know. I did tax analysis on some of the most complicated taxes for companies and individuals seeking financing. I worked with first and second mortgages, with a mortgage broker, and in dealer financing. I understand lending quite well, but when it comes time to invest money, I have to study the products. When it came time to do my taxes as a pastor (the IRS has some really weird regulations regarding pastors), I had to learn about it.

Don’t let your rush to purchase something blind you to the need to understand it. Don’t fall victim to your finances because reading all that paperwork is mind-numbing and difficult. Greed and laziness will be your downfall when it comes to your money.

If you want to be poor and in debt all your life, keep buying things with credit, keep trusting what bankers and brokers tell you, and never get educated on money and finances. There is no one responsible for your financial issues but you.

Don’t stand there and blame everyone else. Take responsibility for your finances and do something about it.

Want to get educated? Here are some of my recommendations:

Dave Ramsey – www.daveramsey.com – writer and radio host, Dave teaches you about how to become debt free and how to gain control of your money. I believe that he would agree with much of what I have written in these last ten segments. My wife and I recently found his program and, though we were already working towards living debt free, we changed to his model because there are parts that make a lot of sense. I recommend following his baby steps, found in his book Total Money Makeover.

Crown Financial Ministries – www.crown.org – a Christian ministry that provides financial education for people. I have not personally used their program but know several churches that do.

Feed the Pig – www.feedthepig.org – lots of great tools and information on saving money and getting control of your finances.

FDIC Money Smart - http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/index.html A government program for educating people about finances. They have some good resources, but I have to wonder if anyone in congress has had any financial education.

My Money – www.mymoney.gov – Another government website teaching financial literacy. Wow, with all these tools, you’d think we could pass a balanced budget.

The Dummies Series - http://www.dummies.com/how-to/personal-finance.html - I love the ‘for Dummies’ series of books. They are written by subject matter experts, but are written in laymen’s terms. They have a whole series on personal finance and budgeting. They are definitely worth your time.

Disclaimer: I am not a trained financial advisor, I just play one on this blog. Seriously. Get good financial advice in life. My information comes primarily from personal experience, working in consumer lending in the banking industry, and watching friends, family, and parishioners struggle. But, much of this is common sense; most people just don't use their common sense when it comes to financial matters.

* Note: If you are a Republican, feel free to blame President Obama or Clinton. If you are a Democrat, feel free to blame President Bush or Reagan. It’s never your party’s fault.**

** If you fail to note the extreme sarcasm here, please insert your voter registration card in your nearest paper shredder. Then, take the pieces and burn them with a lighter. Take the leftover ashes and flush them down the toilet and never, ever vote again.

Financial Tip # 9 - Planting Trees

We just had two new trees planted at the church today; they were a donation in memory of Mark Tibben, a former member who passed away recently. These skinny little trees are just under two inches in diameter and about nine feet tall with a little foliage on them, but not much. I’m told that in a few years they will grow quite large, ultimately with a spread of about 35-45 feet on their branches. Within ten to fifteen years these trees will grow over 20 feet and can get up to 40-60 in height with care.

Planting a tree is a hope-filled act. They provide no shade today and little in the next few years. But, there is hope. In later years these trees will bring joy to many other people. Children will climb in the branches. Teens will cuddle in the shade. Picnic blankets will be thrown under the branches. Parents will point out bird’s nests to their preschoolers. Deep discussions will be had and perhaps a few naps.

When we are looking at our money, we need to remember an incredibly key point: you have to give some away. The Bible is replete with God’s desire that we provide for the poor, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, adopt the orphan, and support the widows in need. This is how you plant trees with your finances.

There are few greater joys in life than giving away some of what God has provided for you. Many people use a 10 percent rule, but don’t let that limit you. When you give money away to a good cause, it changes you. You grow too. You experience joy too. It’s not just about the person receiving the gift.

Let me encourage you to recognize the power of wealth freely given. It doesn’t take much, but it will grow if you let it. I once worked with a guy who was always on to the next get-rich-quick scheme. He once told me, “Rodger, I want to be rich so that one day, I can make a big donation to a church, or have a homeless shelter built in my name. I want to do good with my money when I get there.”

I then asked him the hard question, “How much did you give to others last week?”

“Why nothing,” he said, “I’m not rich yet.”

“If you aren’t giving when you have a little, then you won’t give when you have more,” was my reply.

I have observed in life, that it is often the poorest people who are the most generous. I hope I made him think. I don’t know if he ever made giving a habit, but I hope so.

Generosity is a lifestyle and it is one that can touch people’s lives. Every year, I take a group of high schoolers to a summer conference that occurs on college campuses in California or Colorado. There is always a point during the week where we have an evening off and go off to do some fun activity such as white water rafting, horseback riding, or go to the beach. Taking a dozen teens into town can be challenging. A few years ago, we took the group to a Mexican restaurant for dinner on our free night and the kids were a little rowdy and silly. So, when we collected money from everyone for dinner and a tip, I asked each kid to give above their normal tip amount so that we could bless the poor waitress that put up with us. The adult volunteers and I did the same. When all was said and done, we paid $150 for the meal and left $150 for tip!!! We quickly left, because I didn’t want to be there when she found the tip. We went into town and walked around for a few hours waiting for time for our next event. At one point, I realized that I needed to use the restroom and all of the businesses had signs that said “no public restrooms.” I decided to go back to the restaurant, since I had been a customer there and it was only a few blocks away. When I walked in, our waitress saw me and glumly said, “I figured you’d be back. You paid too much.” I smiled really big at here and said, “No, I know how much we left you, that was all a tip for you. God bless you.” She got tears in her eyes and quietly said, “Thank you,” then started crying and turned towards the back. I will never know what all was going on in her life, but I know we touched her life that day.

Let me recommend that you plant some trees (figuratively). Invest in someone else by providing for their needs. Donate money to a local church ministry. Give to a homeless shelter. Write a check to an afterschool program for poor families. Leave a big tip for a waiter or waitress. Be generous.

Let me ask this also, spend your money on people. I know that there are hundreds of charities out there that help animals and the rainforest and other such causes. Don’t be afraid to give to them too, but let me ask that your primary giving be towards helping people. Life is short and can be very brutal for some people, so let’s work together to touch their lives. There is a lot of hurt out there and never enough people willing to help.

Planting trees is an act of hope. So is generosity. It gives you hope in humanity and it gives other people hope in humanity. It changes everyone it touches and, just like trees, acts of generosity will continue to spread joy for years to come.

When you get your next paycheck this month, take something from it and give it away.

Plant a tree of generosity.

If you need some suggestions of places to donate, here are a few local, national, and international organizations that I can recommend:

Phoenix Rescue Mission – www.phoenixrescuemission.org – Helps provide shelter, food, and skills training to assist homeless men, women, and families.

Streetlight Ministries - www.streetlightphx.org – Helps rescue underage girls forced into prostitution at an average age of 13 years old. Provides drug rehab, job training, GED classes, and counseling as well as shelter and a home until they can take care of themselves.

HOW Home – www.thisishowhome.org – provides a home and helping hand to transgendered people living on the streets. Helps them get back their life.

Rapha House – www.raphahouse.org – an international group committed to stop sex slavery in Southeast Asia. Provides housing and job training for teen and preteen girls (as young as six) to get out of forced prostitution.

The Dream Center – www.dreamcenter.org – Provides help for the poorest and most marginalized people in Los Angeles, New York, and Phoenix.

World Vision – www.wvi.org – Provides immediate international emergency relief in disaster and war torn areas of the world and long term help to villages and communities through child sponsorship, education, clean water wells, etc.

Mountain View Christian Church Benevolence Fund – www.mvccaz.com – Our church (and most other churches) maintains a Benevolence fund which provides immediate financial assistance with food, rent, and utility bills to those in need. This money goes directly to those in the immediate community who are in need and does NOT pay salaries, building repairs, or any other day-to-day costs. You can contact us at 602-955-9414 if you want to make a donation to this fund OR, call up almost any church or synagogue to do the same.

Disclaimer: I am not a trained financial advisor, I just play one on this blog. Seriously. Get good financial advice in life. My information comes primarily from personal experience, working in consumer lending in the banking industry, and watching friends, family, and parishioners struggle. But, much of this is common sense; most people just don't use their common sense when it comes to financial matters.

Financial Tip # 8 - What is Between Before and After?

You see it all over the internet. It’s in magazines, newspapers, and on television: The Two Picture advertisement. The picture on the right-side shows a very attractive woman. She’s thin, toned, and usually wearing a bikini. Her hair is done up and her makeup is perfect. That’s the “After” shot. The left side, the picture you should have looked at first shows a different woman. She’s not so pretty. She’s fat, wearing frumpy clothes, an out of date hairstyle, and only draws your eye in mockery of the other picture. That’s the “Before” shot. Sometimes these ads use men, in which case you see a dumpy guy with love handles magically transformed into a muscular, ripped hunk who somehow has more hair and got tanned. The suggestion of these advertisements is usually that, if you use the instant diet/fast-working cream/15-minute program/etc. that they are selling, you too will go from bumpy to beautiful in no time at all.

Let’s be honest here. Life just doesn’t work that way. There are NO magic potions. No matter what you choose to lose weight, there is pain and work involved if you really want to lose the weight. I have a friend, Danny, who used to weigh close to 500 pounds. It took him about three years of working out and eating healthy to reach a healthy and muscular 250 pounds. He now helps other people do the same. He’ll tell you that there aren’t any magic potions or pill, just will-power, accountability, discipline, effort, and time. Personally, I have struggled with weight and have taken almost four years to lose 70 pounds. That’s four years of struggle, falling down and getting back up, eating right, working out, etc.

This brings us to our financial tip of today: There is space between the before and after. If you want to have a relatively secure financial situation, it takes work. If you want to be wealthy, you have to have discipline. If you want to be in control of your money it takes effort. If you want to be debt free and no longer a slave to your creditors, it takes time. There are plenty of books, cd's, and programs that promise you get-rich-quick ideas, but these just don't generally work. It takes real work to get there.

Hard work is not a four-letter word (yes, I know it is two four letter words). Discipline didn’t use to be a bad word. Our culture has become saturated by get rich quick schemes. Microwave food, fast food restaurants, instant financing, quick money making opportunities… Now, now, now. The problem is, this type of attitude just doesn’t work for most people. Sure, some people do hit that big idea that turns them into an instant millionaire. But, most of your millionaires didn’t get there that way.

I’m not a millionaire. I’m just a guy who sees the pain and suffering that friends and family suffer in the throws of debt and I know there is a better way. It just takes hard work.

Don’t be afraid to sit down and look at your real financial situation. It’s like taking out a camera and taking your before shot. Your finances may be bumpy, ugly, and not something you want to look at; but, with brutal honest, hard work, accountability, and discipline, you can have sexy finances too. Not through magic potions, but through work.

Hard work and discipline worked for our grandparents, getting them through the Great Depression. It works for immigrants and refugees who come here with nothing. Let it work for you too.

Just remember, it takes time to get from Before to After.

Proverbs 13:11 - Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

By the way, if you want Danny to help you get from Before to After in your weight loss goals, he can be found at www.dviiifitness.com. I promise you, he will help you, but you will have to work hard for it.

Disclaimer: I am not a trained financial advisor, I just play one on this blog. Seriously. Get good financial advice in life. My information comes primarily from personal experience, working in consumer lending in the banking industry, and watching friends, family, and parishioners struggle. But, much of this is common sense; most people just don't use their common sense when it comes to financial matters.

Financial Tip # 7 – The Old Man and the Mountain

As I sit writing this, I can look out my office window and see Squaw Peak Mountain. Every day, dozens, if not hundreds of people climb this mountain. I’m not sure why, because it is all desert and just plain hard work, but people do it anyway. I have climbed Squaw Peak several times with friends who got a wild hair and decided this was a wise idea. The last time I climbed Squaw Peak, I was huffin' and a puffin' about halfway up and I heard this huffing sound behind me. I looked back and there was this old man who looked to be about 100 years old running up the mountain. He was all skin, sinew and bone and must have weighed less than his age. But, he was moving and fast. He wore a determined look on his face and never looked side to side at the people he passed; he focussed only on the trail ahead. He ran past me and soon disappeared up the trail. I continued plodding along and by the time I had hit the ¾ mark (where it starts to get really hard), the same old man came running back down the mountain at full speed. He had already been to the top and back!!! That was very discouraging and I considered turning around and going home then and there. I didn’t want him to pass me again going back up a second time!

This brings us to our next financial tip. You have to focus on your own goals. No two people are alike. No two families are alike. There are some basic financial principles that apply to most people, but the way you employ them in your own life may differ from your neighbor.

It’s really easy to look at the guy next to you and wish you had it as good as him. This budget and finance stuff would be easy if we had a paid off house like he does. That family over there makes much more money than we do, we’d be farther along in our plan if we made that much. Look at her, her family bought her everything in life and now she just received a huge inheritance to boot; we can’t ever catch a break.

I didn’t know the story of the old man on the mountain. Why was he running? What did he have to prove? What had happened to him in life that got him there? The same is true of finances. I don’t know what other people really have going for them or what they’re dealing with. All I can focus on is myself and my family when it comes to financial planning. Our situation is the one that matters to our budget. I must keep the faith. With disciplined spending, wise budgeting, and focus on our goal, our family will get where we need to be.

On that trail that day, there were dozens of people going at different speeds. Some took side trails. Some stopped for a water break and to look at the view. There were some who quit part way and others that doggedly made it to the top. I made it that day, not as fast as the old guy, but I did make it. With that same determination, you too can make it with your financial goals, making a wise budget, becoming debt free, funding your retirement, and reaching the point where you can spend for fun, but only if you focus on your goals and not on wishing you had what someone else has.

Disclaimer: I am not a trained financial advisor, I just play one on this blog. Seriously. Get good financial advice in life. My information comes primarily from personal experience, working in consumer lending in the banking industry, and watching friends, family, and parishioners struggle. But, much of this is common sense; most people just don't use their common sense when it comes to financial matters.

Financial Tip # 6 - A Cheap Trick

If you weren’t alive in the 70s, perhaps you’ve never heard of the band, Cheap Trick. They wrote a song in the late 70s called “I want you to want me.” The lyrics, sung in a soft seventies pop sound, go something like this: “I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I’d love you to love me, I’m beggin you to beg me.” I am not a fan of Cheap Trick or this song, but there is a lesson here. The singer understands that wants and needs are different.

We’ve taught our daughter an important question to ask. Whenever she says something like, “I need an iPod,” we have her ask the following question. “Is it a need, or is it a want?” Now, as a parent, it sometimes sucks to teach your kids something like this because the day WILL come when I say, “I need a new …. (fill in the blank)” and she will promptly respond, “Daddy, is it a need, or is it a want?” Don’t kids know that they should be quiet and not question their elders?

This is an inconvenient but terribly important tool in your financial tool box. The rule in our house is that we discuss any purchase over $50 and take a breather on anything over $100. Large purchases require (in most cases) a three-day waiting period where we talk about it, pray about it, and question whether this is the right choice. I have to be honest here, it wasn’t always like that. We used to spend willy-nilly on whatever we wanted and then immediately prepared the rationalization about how we really needed it.

What really brings this home is the process of having a yard sale. As you drag all the junk out of closets, from under beds, up on shelves, and off the back porch; you really get an idea of how much money you have wasted over the years, buying on impulse. Retailers know this about us, that’s why infomercials actually stay on T.V. People actually DO buy the New and Improved Electric Dog Polishers or the Amazing Milkahol Device that changes ordinary milk into gasoline for your car or the Moptastic that cleans your floors and can also be used to brush your teeth!!! You see the ad for this and you begin to go into a trance. “I need that!” you suddenly exclaim, “I don’t know how I ever got along without one!” You promptly call the telephone number on the screen before the time runs out so that you can take advantage of the $5.99 savings and free shipping. “Heck,” you think, “I’m probably making money on this deal!”

But wait, there’s more.

That object ends up in your garage only to come out when time for the next yard sale. You then look upon it wondering why in the hell you ever bought that stupid piece of junk. Sometimes, you even throw it in the trash because you don’t want the people coming to the yard sale to judge you.

I know. I’ve been there.

If you want to control your finances and ever truly get ahead in life, you have to ask yourself this one question. “Is it a want or is it a need.” Needs get taken care of first.

Air, food, water and medicine first. Feed your family. Take care of medical needs.

Shelter is second. Pay your rent or mortgage.

Keep the lights on at home. Pay your electric bill.

Save for a rainy day. Savings are important so you don’t get faced with emergency financial decision.

Give. Tithe. Donate some to help others.

Provide for your family’s future. Retirement. College. Etc.

Once your needs are taken care of, then, and only then, do you consider wants.

It is amazing how much money we waste, culturally, on junk. Buying bigger and better televisions, a newer and more powerful computer, a newer and shinier car; these things consume us and consume our money. This is one of those places where you have to be brutally honest with yourself. Every dime, dollar and nickel you waste on useless junk is multiplied in its damage, because it is money that you cannot invest and earn interest on in the future.

If you want to be financially secure, learn this Cheap Trick – know the difference between needs and wants. Ask the question “Is it a need, or is it a want?” and then base your spending decision on the answer.

Disclaimer: I am not a trained financial advisor, I just play one on this blog. Seriously. Get good financial advice in life. My information comes primarily from personal experience, working in consumer lending in the banking industry, and watching friends, family, and parishioners struggle. But, much of this is common sense, most people just don't use their common sense when it comes to financial matters.

Financial Tip # 5 – Listen to Noah

Noah built an ark to survive the coming flood. It took a long time and a lot of work when the skies were bright and beautiful and there was not clue that there was a storm on the horizon. “Ha, ha,” his neighbors would say, “Look at dumb Old Mr. Noah and the stupid ugly boat he’s building on dry land.” When the rains came, they learned their lesson too late as they sunk under the waters while Mr. and Mrs. Noah and family floated safely by. God told Noah to be prepared and now I’m telling you.

OK, I’m taking that out of context for a financial series, but the idea of being prepared is a good one. If you aren’t saving money for a rainy day, then you will be in trouble when the storm comes. As I’ve written these tips, I’ve had several people comment on Facebook and in person about how they had to get a loan because of the position that they were in. That is the message of all of this, if you take control of your finances instead of letting them control you, then there should never come a time when you have to get a loan. This is why payday lenders exist – people don’t have a cushion of savings and investments. This is why car dealers make so much money off of car loans - people aren't prepared to buy their next car because they are still paying on their old one.

Every good financial advisor will tell you that you have to pay yourself first. Now, I would say pay God first (giving) and then pay yourself second, but we’ll talk about giving later in another blog. Right now, we'll talk about savings. This is building a boat before the floods come.

Every single paycheck, put a little back. If you are already in a tough financial position (as most people are), then you may only be able to put a few bucks back at a time. But do it. No excuses. Even if it is five dollars a paycheck right now, take Nike’s advice and just do it. Open a separate savings account at the bank, for which you do not have an ATM card. As each paycheck is deposited, move whatever you can afford over into that account and then DON’T TOUCH IT! This account is only for emergencies. For the record, emergencies do not include buying a better car than the one that you already have that is running. They don’t include dinner out with the family. Vacations are not emergencies.

Ultimately, save back three to six months of expenses and then some. I used to think that this was an impossible goal. But, a little at a time gets you there.

Once you have your cushion, then you begin two new steps: investing for the future and saving for specifics.

Investing for the future means retirement, college for the kids, and future medical expenses. This is done through a good financial advisor with mutual funds, IRAs, 401ks, and the like.

Saving for specific things includes your next vehicle, car maintenance and repair, vacations, house down payment (if you don’t already own one), etc. These can be specific future needs or fun desires. The key is you save for them now and then you won’t use debt to get them later.

Emergencies DO happen. The rains WILL come. The question here is whether you have built a boat to survive the flood or will you be drowning when the waters close over you.

Disclaimer: I am not a trained financial advisor, I just play one on this blog. Seriously. Get good financial advice in life. My information comes primarily from personal experience, working in consumer lending in the banking industry, and watching friends, family, and parishioners struggle. But, much of this is common sense, most people just don't use their common sense when it comes to financial matters.