#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan
Day 047 | The Wilderness
Numbers 22 – 24, Psalm 47
Source: Bible Project Reading Plan
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
SUMMARY ATTEMPT | THE ONLY BUDGETING BOOK YOU’LL EVER NEED | TERE STOUFFER | CHAPTER FOUR
Chapter 4 | What Are You Spending?
It’s absolutely essential that you are completely honest with yourself about how much you spend and what you spend it on.
You need it in order to make a careful and honest evaluation of your outgoing funds.
You have two ways to free up money for your financial goals: making more or spending less.
(Find out whether your employer offers direct deposit, You’re more likely to save than spend if you use this feature.)
What Are You Spending Every Day?
You either report what you spent last week — day by day, expense by expense — or you start fresh this week and record every expenditure going forward.
What Are Your Monthly Expenses?
You’ll want to go back through your receipts, checkbook register, and bank statements, and also use your memory.
To more quickly get a clear picture of your monthly expenses, dig out your bank statements, checkbook register, receipts, and so on. If you use online banking, go back through the electronic register of your transactions.
Prioritizing Which Items You Want to Spend Money On
Have a list of your expenses by category, with a priority attached to each one.
You are the only one who can determine your priorities.
Remember also, while you’re making these hard choices, that your goal here isn’t to make your life less enjoyable. Instead, it’s to find a path to realizing your dreams. Such a path may require you to make some sacrifices in the present in order to reach your goals in the future.
Occasional Splurges
So does keeping to a budget mean you can never go out for dinner again or spend a romantic weekend in a nice resort hotel? No, of course not. It just means that you need to budget for these things.
Look for ways to splurge but without necessarily spending as much money.
There’s nothing wrong with spending money to enjoy yourself — provided that this is what you want to do and that you’ve included it in your budget.
All Summary Attempts | More Resources | Connect with Bayor
Disclaimer - Misrepresentation of the author's perspective is unintentional. Contents of this post and all other post in the "Summary Attempt" series (and all posts by other authors) are in no way intended to be an infringement on the rights/copyrights of the author/publisher/representative. Neither are they provided as a substitute to the book(s)/resource(s) but an invitation to buy the books wherever they are sold. Liability for this blogpost or any other information (or the use of such information) provided on this blog is not accepted from any source.
#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan | Day 046 | The Wilderness | Numbers 19 – 21, Psalm 46
#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan
Day 046 | The Wilderness
Numbers 19 – 21, Psalm 46
Source: Bible Project Reading Plan
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
SUMMARY ATTEMPT | THE ONLY BUDGETING BOOK YOU’LL EVER NEED | TERE STOUFFER | CHAPTER THREE
Chapter 3 | What Do You Have?
Before you can create a budget, you have to know every detail of your financial situation. Although you probably understand in general how much you spend and where you spend it, you may be amazed at how much you actually spend on certain items that don’t seem like they could add up so fast.
What Counts as an Asset
An asset is essentially anything that you own. It’s necessary to know your total worth in order to figure out how to realize your dreams.
What doesn’t count as an asset is money you can’t count on; things you will or might own in the future.
Determining Your Income
Your income is the most immediate and obvious asset and the one that has the most immediate impact on your budget.
Your income includes any money that comes into your possession and can be counted on in the near future.
Whatever money comes in—money that you can count on—is what you want to consider as income.
Determine How Often You’re Paid: First, determine how often you’re paid at work:
- Weekly: Common for temporary and contract work
- Biweekly: The most common way companies pay their employees — usually every other Friday
- Semimonthly: Often paid on the first and fifteenth of each month
- Monthly: One paycheck each month
- Quarterly: Four times a year — this is rare
- Semiannually: Twice a year — this is also rare
- Annually: Almost unheard of unless you’re on a board of directors
Identifying Your Sources of Income
Don’t write down the income you think you’ll have after a promotion or other situation; what you want to look at is exactly how much money you have to work with right now.
Your House as an Asset
Note that this only applies if you own your house or condo.
Understanding Equity
Equity is the portion of your house that you own, mortgage free. You can calculate your equity as follows:
1. Determine the current value of your home. This amount may be higher, and in some cases, much higher, than the amount you paid for it.
A mortgage company requires an appraisal, done by a professional, to determine this value, but you can guess, based on what homes in your neighborhood have been selling for.
2. Determine the current payoff on your mortgage. If you don’t receive a monthly statement or receipt that tells you the payoff amount, call your mortgage company and ask for it.
3. Subtract the payoff from the current value. This is the equity in your home.
Now let’s move on to your car, often the second most valuable asset you possess. If you own a car, go online to look up its blue book value. Remember that cars depreciate swiftly, so don’t be surprised if today it’s worth a lot less than what you paid for it.
(The term “blue book” in this context refers to Kelley Blue Book, which is the standard automobile valuation guide in this country. Their website is www.kbb.com. Before purchasing a used vehicle, look it up on their site and determine if the price being asked is a fair one.)
Finally, add in any extra assets, including property you own and anything of special value, such as antiques or stamps.
Now you’ve found out how much income you have and what assets you own, It’s time to take the next step: investigating how much you spend and what you spend it on.
All Summary Attempts | More Resources | Connect with Bayor
Disclaimer - Misrepresentation of the author's perspective is unintentional. Contents of this post and all other post in the "Summary Attempt" series (and all posts by other authors) are in no way intended to be an infringement on the rights/copyrights of the author/publisher/representative. Neither are they provided as a substitute to the book(s)/resource(s) but an invitation to buy the books wherever they are sold. Liability for this blogpost or any other information (or the use of such information) provided on this blog is not accepted from any source.
#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan | Day 045 | The Wilderness | Numbers 17 – 18, Psalm 45
#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan
Day 045 | The Wilderness
Numbers 17 – 18, Psalm 45
Source: Bible Project Reading Plan
Monday, February 13, 2023
SUMMARY ATTEMPT | THE ONLY BUDGETING BOOK YOU’LL EVER NEED | TERE STOUFFER | CHAPTER TWO
Chapter 2 | Setting Your Goals
Budgeting is all about getting from where you are financially to where you want to be. And in order to do that, you’ve got to decide exactly where you’d like to end up.
You’re going to start by asking yourself some hard questions.
What Do You Want?
Meet Billie DeSantos, age thirty-eight, whose budget we’re going to peek at to see how this process works.
Billie’s decided that she needs a realistic, achievable budget with some goals. To that end, she’s come up with the following list:
- Help the kids pay for college
- Pay off the credit card
- Retire
- Put away some income in a savings account
What’s Realistic
Having set general goals for herself, Billie has to look at them again, this time with an eye to what’s realistic and reasonable.
This is what she comes up with:
- Help the kids pay for college: Pay for half the expenses at one of the three large state universities (currently $14,500 per year for tuition, fees, room, and board) or put that same amount toward a private or out-of-state college.
- Pay off the credit card in nine months Get the balance to zero, and then if it’s used at all, pay it off in full every month.
- Retire from the company at age fifty (in twelve years): Billie’s current salary is $49,248 after taxes but before deductions for insurance and 401(k) contributions.
- Save six months of income over the next twelve years. This money would be for emergencies only, not to be touched for any other expenses.
Stretch Goals
It’s a good idea to have a stretch goal — something you aspire to but only can attain by working very hard.
Ways to Reduce Debt
- Cut down on utilities
- Spend a maximum amount per week on groceries: Limit eating out to pizza or Thai takeout once a week
- Eliminate the small stuff
- Investigate car insurance options
- Limit vacation spending
Billie’s success depended on her ability to do two important things that are essential to the budgeting process: prioritize and compromise.
All Summary Attempts | More Resources | Connect with Bayor
Disclaimer - Misrepresentation of the author's perspective is unintentional. Contents of this post and all other post in the "Summary Attempt" series (and all posts by other authors) are in no way intended to be an infringement on the rights/copyrights of the author/publisher/representative. Neither are they provided as a substitute to the book(s)/resource(s) but an invitation to buy the books wherever they are sold. Liability for this blogpost or any other information (or the use of such information) provided on this blog is not accepted from any source.
#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan | Day 044 | The Wilderness | Numbers 14 – 16, Psalm 44
#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan
Day 044 | The Wilderness
Numbers 14 – 16, Psalm 44
Source: Bible Project Reading Plan
Sunday, February 12, 2023
SUMMARY ATTEMPT | THE POWER OF A PRAYING HUSBAND | STORMIE OMARTIAN | CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER FIVE | HER MOODS
Solid, identifiable emotions have names like depression, sadness, anxiety, or anger.
Moods are far more difficult to pin down. They are often very hard to recognize, identify, or understand.
First of all, you must keep in mind that there is a process always going on in a woman's mind and soul, all her thoughts, fears, hormones, responsibilities, memories of previous offenses, the amount of sleep she got last night, the devil's plans for her life, her entire past, and how her hair is behaving that day, are simultaneously competing for her attention.
Try to understand that as a man can have simple, clearly defined needs, such as food, sex, success, appreciation, and recreation. Your wife, on the other hand, is a complex being. Her needs are so intricate that even she is at a loss for words to explain them to you. Only God, her Creator, can fathom it all.
A woman can be emotionally sensitive in the days before, during, and after her monthly cycle.
It's better to first pray, "Lord, reveal to me what is happening in my wife and show me what I can do about it." Then say to your wife, "Tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours."
Keep your mind from thinking about the more important things you could be doing. Women have a special ability to spot that from 50 yards away.
Here is some advice that can help you navigate these waters successfully, including a few good lines that always work. Say them to your wife in any order, and then pray for her.
1. "I love you."
2. 'You are the greatest woman in the world to me."
3. 'You're beautiful when you're upset."
4. "Tell me what's on your mind, and I promise not to get mad."
5. "How have I let you down?"
6. "How can I make it up to you?"
7. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"
8. "What would make you happy right now?"
9. "I don't have all the answers. But God does."
10. "Do you want to pray about this together?"
This whole process, prayer included, could take less than 15 minutes of your undivided attention, and it will dissipate the power of all those converging forces. What a small investment of time in order to have such great rewards!
In the midst of the complex manifestations of your wife's moods, there will come forth a simple message.
Ask God to help you hear the message and show you how to pray accordingly.
Please pray for your wife that:
1. She will have the peace of God.
2. She will not be subject to mood swings.
3. Her hormone levels will be balanced.
4. She will express her feelings openly to you.
5. She will believe that you love her.
6. You will listen and hear what she is saying.
7. She will rely on the Lord more.
POWER TOOLS
Isaiah 66:12
Psalm 131:2
2 Timothy 2:22
Psalm 30:5
Philippians 4:7
Chapter Four | Chapter Six
All Summary Attempts | More Resources | Connect with Bayor
Disclaimer - Misrepresentation of the author's perspective is unintentional. Contents of this post and all other post in the "Summary Attempt" series (and all posts by other authors) are in no way intended to be an infringement on the rights/copyrights of the author/publisher/representative. Neither are they provided as a substitute to the book(s)/resource(s) but an invitation to buy the books wherever they are sold. Liability for this blogpost or any other information (or the use of such information) provided on this blog is not accepted from any source.
#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan | Day 043 | The Wilderness | Numbers 11 – 13, Psalm 43
#23MinuteChallenge | Bible Project Reading Plan
Day 043 | The Wilderness
Numbers 11 – 13, Psalm 43
Source: Bible Project Reading Plan
Saturday, February 11, 2023
SUMMARY ATTEMPT | THE POWER OF A PRAYING PARENT | STORMIE OMARTIAN | CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER FIVE | ESTABLISHING AN ETERNAL FUTURE
Above all else, we want our children to come to a knowledge of who God really is and to know Jesus as their Savior. When that happens, we know their eternal future is secure; we know that when they die, we will see them again in heaven. What a wonderful hope that is!
My son and daughter both made a decision to receive Jesus into their lives when they were around five years of age. We had taught them about the things of God, read Bible stories to them, prayed with them daily, and took them regularly to church, where they were instructed in God’s ways. They had much exposure to the idea of receiving Jesus, but we never forced it on them or asked them to make a decision.
We prayed that what they learned would penetrate their heart and give them a desire for a close relationship with God. We wanted that decision to come from their heart and be theirs alone. When that moment occurred, each child started a conversation with us by asking questions about Jesus and ended up wanting us to pray with them to receive Him as Savior. My husband and I have great peace knowing our son’s and daughter’s eternal future is joy-filled and secure.
We want our children to open the door of their hearts to Jesus and experience God’s kingdom, both in this life and forever after. Remember, if you don’t pray for your children’s eternal future, they may not have the kind you want them to have.
We want our children to always be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding” and to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10). Paul and Timothy prayed this for the children of God in Colosse, and we should pray it for our children.
Praying for the Lord to pour out His Spirit upon our children must be our ongoing prayer.
WEAPONS OF WARFARE
John 6:40
1 Timothy 2:3-4
1 John 5:20
1 John 5:11
John 14:16-17
Chapter Four | Chapter Six
All Summary Attempts | More Resources | Connect with Bayor
Disclaimer - Misrepresentation of the author's perspective is unintentional. Contents of this post and all other post in the "Summary Attempt" series (and all posts by other authors) are in no way intended to be an infringement on the rights/copyrights of the author/publisher/representative. Neither are they provided as a substitute to the book(s)/resource(s) but an invitation to buy the books wherever they are sold. Liability for this blogpost or any other information (or the use of such information) provided on this blog is not accepted from any source.
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