Financial Prosperity

Growing Prosperity: 18 Financial Stewardship Principles

Growing Prosperity: 18 Financial Stewardship Principles

Financial Stewardship PrinciplesOur main goal, here at Growing Prosperity,

is to provide resources that will help

empower you to live a prosperous life.

And when it comes to financial prosperity,

stewardship is key.

Today I want to point you toward a helpful

article by Christian author, Tom Blubaugh.

While Tom was doing financial planning with a couple,

he shared some biblical wisdom for dealing with money

and he lays out 18 powerful financial principles.

You can find his complete article here.

You work hard to earn your money. Why let it slip through your fingers? Why not learn to be a good steward and manage, save, invest, budget, and spend wisely? God wants us to be wise stewards and He has provided us with instructions on how to do just that.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
Luke 16:10 NIV

18 Financial Stewardship Principles:

The powerful financial principles Tom shares are briefly mentioned below…

1. Pay yourself a minimum of 10% of your gross income.  Start a…

2. Analyze your previous twelve months spending.  This will be…

3. A budget is an operating plan.  It is not…

4. Plan for recurring expenses.  When you…

5.  Debt reduction.  List all of your debts…

6. Never eliminate a payment from your budget.  When a…

7. Become your own banker.  This is a result of…

8. Buy interest free as much as possible…

9. Use community tools…

10. Plan purchases.  This will…

11. Get the best price…

12. Tax wise investing.  An Ira, a 401k, a 403b are…

13. Transportation costs…

14. Pay off loans early the easy way.  Let’s say you…

15. Offset inflation by increasing your savings/investments by the…

16. Don’t spend any change.  Put it in…

17. Sell, trade, or barter any item you are not using…

18. When buying a car or any other product you are financing, never…
(read complete article here)

Go now and read the details Tom Blubaugh has written for these 18 financial stewardship principles here. You are sure to gather insights, wisdom, and tips to becoming a better steward over the money you manage. You may even want to bookmark this resource for future reference.

“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
Matthew 25:23

May you be a wise financial steward and live a life of growing prosperity!

Be Blessed to Be a Blessing –

Cheers,
Brenda

p.s. Looking for a great adventure novel to read?

Then you’ll want to check out Tom Blubaugh’s “Night of the Cossack” at Amazon…

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Tithe Rap Video – A Fun Look at the Important Principle of Tithing!

Tithe Rap Video – A Fun Look at the Important Principle of Tithing!

Tithe Rap Video

Here is a fun video that takes a look at the important principle of tithing.

As Christians we are often way to serious, and we have to remind ourselves to lighten up and have a good laugh once in awhile!

“God loves a cheerful giver.”
— 2 Corinthians 9:7

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse…and prove me now, saith the Lord, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
— Malachi 3:10

Enjoy this video and Have a Blessed Day!

Cheers,
Brenda

P.S. If you are looking for an excellent resource on tithing, you’ll want to check out “The Path To Wealth.”

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Growing Prosperity – 5 Keys to Stay Positive and Hopeful in the Midst of Financial Problems!

Growing Prosperity – 5 Keys to Stay Positive and Hopeful in the Midst of Financial Problems!

Help When Discouraged by Financial Problems

Growing Prosperity Help in the Midst of Financial ProblemsGrowing prosperity is still possible even

in the midst of financial problems and setbacks.

Are you discouraged by financial troubles?

Well an important part of turning things

back around is learning to stay positive

and hopeful.

5 Keys to Help You Stay Positive and Hopeful in the Midst of Financial Problems:

1. TRUST GOD

Stay positive and hopeful, knowing blessings follow those who trust in the Lord.

Many people, myself included, have discovered this “secret” during months of unemployment or other hardships. Our burdens must be put on the Lord. He is able when we are not.

“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.” 
— Proverbs 16:20 NIV

When we learn to trust God, we discover how few things we really need, such as new clothes, restaurant dinners, vacations and new cars. We also quickly learn to recycle and reuse, not to mention many different ways to cook rice and beans.

2. KEEP GOD AS YOUR FINANCIAL PARTNER

Stay positive and hopeful knowing blessings are promised to those who partner with God through tithing.

If we trust God, we will continue to partner with Him and tithe 10% of our income, even during the difficult times. In order to get, we must give. And we cannot out give God.

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse…and prove me now, saith the Lord, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
— Malachi 3:10

Cultivate a giving, loving, prosperous attitude and you’ll notice your circumstances begin to change for the better. If you don’t have extra money for offerings, then give of your time, your love, and the things you don’t need.

3. SAVE – Pay Yourself Second

It is definitely much easier to stay positive and hopeful knowing you have emergency savings because you’ve learned to pay yourself second. (God of course gets His tithe first.)

Successful people have learned, when managing their finances, to pay themselves second. God is first, savings second, then living on the balance. By learning to save consistently, regardless the amount, the discipline helps develop encouragement and goal setting.

Trusting God, keeping Him first, and paying yourself second will help you move to a place where your relationship with the Lord grows and your financial struggles lessen.

4. SEEK OUT POSITIVE PEOPLE

Stay positive and hopeful by surrounding yourself with positive people.

“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” 
— Proverbs 27:17

Associate with positive people and read motivational and inspirational books. We’ve heard it said, “If you hang around broke people, you become broke; if you hang around successful people, you become successful.” How right that is!

5. NEVER GIVE UP

Stay positive and hopeful knowing help is available to those who choose not to quit.

“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” 
— Psalm 31:24

When things get tough, keep yourself going by committing to do the best you can, expect God to do the best He can, and never give up!

Conclusion: Don’t lose hope. Financial problems can be overcome. Stay positive and be encouraged by others who have pulled themselves out of financial slumps. Turn to God as a partner and put His financial principles to work in your life.

May you stay positive and hopeful and enjoy a life of growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

Cheers,
Brenda

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Financial Prosperity – Why Not Claim Victory Over Your Finances With a Bold Faith?

Financial Prosperity – Why Not Claim Victory Over Your Finances With a Bold Faith?

Bold Faith For Financial Victory!

Financial Prosperity with a Bold FaithFinancial prosperity is a growing process

that lots of people find hard to master.

However, God has provided many

financial principles that can help anyone

claim victory over economic decline.

Learning to replace fear with bold faith in His principles will lead to victory.

Financial Difficulties Anyone?

If, perhaps you’re going through financial difficulties, like a great many folks these days, do you possess any kind of a plan of action? Or do you merely keep on moaning, as well as stressing about just how hard circumstances are, and how the government is simply not dealing with joblessness, overspending, high taxes, and on and on?

Letting Go of Financial Fear

The sooner we learn to let go of the fear, worry, and stress over the economic circumstances we simply cannot change, the better. You may legitimately have much to complain about. You may see your income declining while you work harder for less money. Or maybe your previous income source is gone and there is genuinely much to fear.

Regardless of the circumstances, keep in mind: Dwelling on the fearfulness of the situation will do no good. If we want to claim victory over our finances we must quickly replace the fear, anger, and worry with faith and hope in God’s financial principles.

We must dwell on the available abundance of God and His Word.

The Blessings of God’s Financial Principles

God’s financial principles work in combination with a bold faith in Him and His Word. If we want to have faith to grow our finances, then we must repeatedly hear God’s words of possibility, blessing, and abundance.

Words of faith are needed to drown out words of fear, doubt and discouragement.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” 
— Romans 10:17

There has to come a point in time when we take a stand with God and look at what He can do, instead of what our government, and local leaders are doing or not doing. As surprising as it might seem, no individual ought to look to employers, clients or any source of income as their ultimate source of help.

God is our source and that is who we should look to!

Bold Faith for Financial Victory

Ideally the time to look to God is when things are going well. Whenever individuals practice faith and trust in God when everything is good, as soon as circumstances become difficult they are prepared to stand bold in faith, instead of in fear.

On the other hand for individuals who are new to faith, is it too late? Or what if you have never had a financial breakthrough, ever, and you’ve constantly struggled? Can you still claim victory over your finances?

As a believer, you must realize there is a greater One living in you that can overcome all things. The doorway of possibilities with God is wide open and ready for you to enter.

If you determine to see this time period as being an opportunity to become strong and bold in your faith, you certainly will start to see just what God can do! I myself am speaking out of personal experience, not just from practical knowledge.

No doubt: Now is the time to see and discover possibilities rather than misfortune; financial growth rather than financial disaster. This is your time to claim financial victory with God. You can allow your faith in God and His promises to empower you to have financial prosperity.

May you have a bold faith to claim financial victory and a life of growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

Cheers,
Brenda

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Tithing – The Secret Prosperous Ingredient in the Wealth and Abundance Recipe!

Tithing – The Secret Prosperous Ingredient in the Wealth and Abundance Recipe!

The Power of Tithing to Tap Into the Source of All Supply!

Tithing ProspersTrue wealth and abundance have a spiritual foundation.

God is the Source of all supply.

How do we tap into this supply?

We can tap into the abundant Source of all supply

through our giving of tithes.

This takes faith and action, just like prayer takes spiritual and natural steps to connect with God to request His help.

Who Do You Trust as Your Financial Source?

Tithing is a natural activity with a spiritual foundation. It requires faith and action. Believe that God is your source and supply and have faith that He will take care of you financially.

The tithe is our first fruits; the first ten percent of our increase. (Proverbs 3:9) And God tells us to bring all the tithes into the storehouse, which is His house. He even tells us to test Him in this and see if He does not poor out a blessing greater than we can receive. (Malachi 3:10)

Tithing is a step of trust and obedience that God will take care of your finances.

It’s Not About the Money, It’s About Your Heart

It has been said that there are over 2,000 scriptures in the Bible on money. That is a lot to say about money. But get this: The tithe is not ultimately about your money – it’s about your heart. God doesn’t want your money, he wants your heart.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 
— Luke 12:34

Our money is a reflection of who we love. And we can, on purpose, choose where our heart will be by choosing where our money goes. The tithe is about our attitude and honoring God!

Give the Best, Receive the Best

As previously stated, and worth repeating: God is the source of all supply. It’s important that we stop looking at people as our source, and look to God.

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”
— Psalm 24:1

Tithing is partnering with God and I’m sure you’ll agree there is no better partner to have than God. A sweet deal for sure.

God is the biggest giver and first gave to us freely and in abundance. All that we have came from God, and He wants us to be blessed coming in and going out. The giving of our tithes keeps us tapped into His flow of abundant provision.

David is an encouragement to us in that he prepared with all his might to give. Giving is an act of worship and thanks to the God who provides for us. And think about it: As children of God we have the Holy Spirit living in us and He is not stingy. Our giving is a sign of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.

Remember: A man’s harvest in life depends entirely on what he sows. God loves a cheerful giver because it shows our heart is right when we give. And as we tithe and give generously, God shows up on the scene and does things money can’t do. He shows us the secrets to unlock wealth and abundance.

May God multiply your faithful giving of tithes and offerings and shower your life with growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

Cheers,
Brenda

P.S. “The Path to Wealth” by TS Linscott is now available as an affordable soft cover book.

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Dave Ramsey on Holiday Shopping – 4 Tips to Celebrate Debt Free

Dave Ramsey on Holiday Shopping – 4 Tips to Celebrate Debt Free

Why Go Into Debt to Celebrate?

Debt Free Holiday Budgeting TipsHappy Holidays.

If the holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of the year, why does it often seem like the most stressful time of the year?

Financial stress is at the top of many people’s list this time of year.

Many folks just don’t have extra money available to do all the celebrating and shopping they desire. Yet the world puts the pressure on to buy more and keep up with Joneses; even if it means going into debt. Throwing it all on the credit card seems to be the solution.

Although after the New Year, the bills start coming in and the struggle just to pay the minimum payments begin. The struggle to get the debt paid off can go on late into the year or longer. And that only adds to the stress the following holiday season. So instead of planning and enjoying the new season, there still remains the hassle of left-over debt and the stress that goes with it.

Are you ready to end the cycle and say no more debt, no more credit? Then it is time to make a plan early in the year and stick to it so you can avoid piling up mounds of debt on credit cards.

Dave Ramsey provides the following holiday shopping ideas and tips for celebrating debt free this year:

1. RESEARCH

Look for deals online before heading to the stores. Find out what the prices are at the stores you plan to visit and don’t waste your time shopping at one if you know another store down the street has a better deal.

2. MAKE A BUDGET

It’s common sense stuff, but amazing how many people have no financial plan for their spending. And when they go shopping they are like kids in a toy store buying the first flashy toy that catches their eye.

If you plan to work your way out of debt, it requires becoming disciplined during the holiday season. If you must buy for many, keep it simple and stay within your means. Don’t get caught up in the mindset that bigger is better or it will just come back to bite you when the bills start coming in after the new year.

3. USE CASH

As Dave always says, you spend less when you use cash. So stop by the bank or ATM to get your pre-planned amount of shopping cash before you hit the stores. And when it’s gone it’s time to stop shopping.

If you’ve planned ahead and followed the previous two steps then using cash should be easy. You will know what you need to buy and how much it will cost before you start. Planning time well spent!

4. START NOW – PLAN EARLY

If you haven’t made a plan this holiday season, then stop now and take some time to evaluate your situation and make a budget. Look at the big picture and consider the outcome of your choices this holiday season. Shop smart and keep it within your means.

And if this holiday season caught you off guard once again, well remember, it is never too late to try again. Next year you can make better decisions and do things differently.

Happy Holidays to All & a Very Merry Christmas!

God bless you,
Brenda

P.S. Check out www.daveramsey.com for a wealth of information on finances and budgeting. Dave Ramsey also provides a tool that allows you to create a budget online in 60 seconds.

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Manifesting Abundance – The Power of Changing Your Thinking to Manifest Money!

Manifesting Abundance – The Power of Changing Your Thinking to Manifest Money!

Your Thoughts and Beliefs Hold Great Power to Manifest Money!

manifest moneyManifesting financial abundance and money…

requires managing your thinking.

Make no mistake about it;

there is great power in thoughts and beliefs.

So what thoughts and beliefs do you currently hold about money?

Common Negative Thoughts About Money

  • It is not good to have a lot of money.
  • Rich people really aren’t happy.
  • Money isn’t everything and I don’t care about money.
  • Money isn’t important.

People who say these things might not care about money, but you can be sure that the landlord does, and the banker, the car dealer, the utility company, etc. A common misconception regarding money relates to its importance. Truth is, who can deny how important money is to any person living in a civilized society and using it as their currency.

Money has a greater influence in our lives than almost any other commodity. It is one of the most talked about subjects in the Bible. Consider how a sudden loss or gain of money affects a person’s attitude to a great extent.

I think you would agree that we all should have a practical understanding of exactly what money is and the laws governing its manifestation. This one individual area of study will not only affect your own life, but the lives of those around you.

Out with the Negative and In with the Positive Money Thoughts

Thinking is the highest function we are capable of. Yet many people fool themselves into believing they are thinking, when often they are just replaying old movies in their mind. It is important to take notice of this and begin choosing your thoughts and developing a prosperity conscious mindset.

Mental awareness of prosperity always precedes manifested wealth. Thoughts will create ideas, which will help you create a plan of action to then go do those things, and put yourself in the position to manifest more money.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2

Think of children born into prosperous families; they have been conditioned from birth to be prosperity conscious and think prosperous thoughts. These children only see themselves surrounded by wealth, and they in turn play that out in their adult life with their choices of careers, like minded spouses, and lifestyles. It’s as if they feel it is their birth right and they don’t even entertain thoughts of poverty and lack. Any setbacks are only temporary because they are prosperity conscious.

Unfortunately, the majority of people have not been born into that kind of environment and raised to have a prosperity mindset. The opposite is too often the case and living in a poor environment with poor thinking and poor conversations is the norm.

Anyone can change their way of thinking. It is not always easy, and takes a desire to do so and a lot of effort. But the results from the effort will be well worth it.

Lack and limitation only exists when we give it room in our minds. Opening our minds to prosperity consciousness helps us see money as an obedient servant that we are master over, and that we can tap into unlimited earnings potential.

Remember, that we must have something mentally before we have it physically. So let’s make those private thoughts and conversations in our minds be wealth conscious, and move us to a higher potential.

You can begin to positively affirm:

  • I am prosperous and wealthy.
  • Money is good and I am blessed to be a blessing.

Just think about it. God created this world full of abundance and has given each of us talents and abilities, far surpassing what we use. With God’s help we have what it takes to be a success. With God there is no lack and He gave us the ability to think. So why not start to penetrate the world of wealth today by using the power of thought to manifest money.

May you use the power of thought to create a life of growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

God bless you – cheers,
Brenda

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Growing Prosperity – Get Yourself Prepared to Prosper!

Growing Prosperity – Get Yourself Prepared to Prosper!

Grow Financially as You Grow Spiritually

Grow Financially as you Grow SpirituallyGrowing prosperity is – 

a process that…

requires starting at the beginning.

This means we have to prepare to prosper.

First we have to lay the foundation…

and then build on it.

Build a Strong Foundation to Prosper

Think about it. You would never try to build a house without first laying a foundation. It doesn’t matter how excited you are to finish the house so you can buy furniture and decorate, you must take time to put down a solid foundation first. Otherwise, you’ll soon find you’re living in a house so unstable, it comes tumbling down.

Now, that’s simple advice, isn’t it? Anyone with a little common sense knows it.

Yet why is it then, that in the spiritual realm, people make that mistake over and over?

We so often get excited when we see a blessing God has promised us in His Word. And we are so eager to have it, that we can find ourselves ignoring the foundational basics of godly living and pursue just that one thing.

This seems to be especially true in the area of prosperity. Out of desperation for a quick financial fix, people often pull a few prosperity promises out of the Bible and try to believe them, but without allowing God to change anything else in their lives.

Then of course, when it doesn’t work, those same people end up disappointed. And many will also then come to the conclusion that it just wasn’t God’s will for them to prosper.

Grow Financially as You Grow Spiritually

In preparing to prosper we need to come to the understanding that it is God’s will for all of His children to prosper.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.” — 3 John 2

Notice that this verse doesn’t just say ‘I want you to prosper.’ But it says, ‘I want you to prosper as your soul prospers.’ Financial prosperity is tied to the prosperity of our mind, will, and emotions.

We grow financially as we grow spiritually. How can we expect to handle financial prosperity without being spiritually mature? God knows how dangerous it is to put great wealth into the hands of someone who is too spiritually immature to handle it.

“The Prosperity of fools shall destroy them.” — Proverbs 1:32

You don’t have to look far to see evidence of that fact in the lives of people who have acquired financial riches apart from God and His ways. Most of the time, such riches just help people die younger and in more misery than they would have if they had been poor.

Why? Because they use their wealth to sin in greater measure. They often use their money to buy illegal and addictive substances and pay for an immoral lifestyle that eventually destroys them. So, when people gain wealth and use it to sin, it results in doing them more harm than good.

In light of this, it’s easy to see why God wants us to increase financially as we increase spiritually. In order for our prosperity to bring us blessing and not harm, we need to outgrow our fleshly foolishness.

Get Busy Growing and Prosper

“Okay, okay,” you say, “But I need financial help fast!”

Then quickly get busy growing and building your foundation for prosperity.

How? By finding out what God says in His Word and doing it. You see, the foundation of prosperity is a continual lifestyle built on the Word of God. It is doing, thinking, and saying what His Word says.

Financial miracles and breakthroughs can happen at any time, but that doesn’t mean we stop growing spiritually and building on the foundation. Godly prosperity is the result of putting God’s Word, all of it, not just the parts about financial prosperity, first place in life.

Make no mistake about it: Growing prosperity continues when we apply these principles on a daily basis and not just because we want money. We always put ourselves in position for increase when we seek after God and do things His way. Go now and build your foundation, continue to grow spiritually, dare to believe, and you will surely prosper.

May you get yourself prepared to prosper and live a life of growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

Cheers,
Brenda

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