Guys can be wise & generous with their money too. (Free ebook today.)

Anticipating a few calls, talks and emails about my wife’s new book, Faithfully Frugal. I’m convinced it’s her best one yet, and yet it might cause a stir in your home. Maybe in your wallet.

Kari has the audacity to write about a taboo subject: money. Especially our relationship with money. It might cause some people to squirm. And … then … if they stick with it … to find happiness. Especially if a husband and wife team can get on the same page in their finances.

Faithfully Frugal

There are dozens of great resources out there on finding financial freedom and becoming savvy with your money. Take a course, buy an audiobook, create a budget, stick with it.

Yet, we see a gap between the “how to” of saving money and the “why” of being generous. Most courses and books seem to promise “more money for you,” as if keeping more of your money will ultimately make you happier. (And make God happier and proud of you.) Fear and pride go a long way to changing behavior, though they won’t producing lasting change, which must take root in the heart.

This isn’t a guilt trip. This isn’t a call to sell all you have and give all the proceeds to the poor (though Jesus told one guy to do just that). 1 You cannot save your soul by giving away all your stuff. At the same time, while you can’t buy happiness, I’m convinced you can give it away. That’s what Jesus did.

We intentionally went FREE with the releases of Plenty and Let in Light because we think the words carry weight. It seemed like both books were meant for the ladies (I guess Plenty clearly was, as the subtitle suggests: “31 Sips of Joy for Moms Everywhere.”) Even still, Faithfully Frugal, though foo-foo sounding, isn’t just for frugal moms everywhere.

Men, I implore you to read this book. At the very least, download it free today. (Works on Kindle AND any other computer or device.) If your wife brings up the subject, put on your work boots, pour a cup of black coffee, and listen to her. There’s something happening in the garden of her heart, and she wants a husband (literally, “gardener”) to tend it and help her grow.

I hope many men read this book.

In fact, it’s so short — though lacking pictures, sorry — you could read it in under a half hour. Great words packed into this tiny book. Like how they should “show DIY-manuals with pictures of people crying or punching holes in walls.” You might even laugh in that half hour. Yet the effect I hope it has on you will last far longer.

Maybe the retro cover is too feminine for you? 2

Men, if , try this man version…

Faithfully Frugal for Men

Think of the Capital One vikings running across it plundering and hollering, “What’s in your wallet?”

Better yet, “What’s in your heart?”

(It’s an e-book, so there’s no cover to hide in real life.)

Faithfully Frugal isn’t about penny-pinching. Not trying to be “penny wise” yet “pound foolish.” I promise there are no tips in there on hoarding coupons, though you could make your own laundry detergent (maybe), and certainly eat at home for less. Plus, invite others over and make a hospitable night of it.

The subtitle gives away the three big ideas: Spend Less, Give More, Live More.

The point is: when we intentionally look at our money as actually being God’s resources, and we move ourselves from greed toward generosity, we will find more freedom and joy than you ever imagined. Happiness cannot be bought, though it can be given.

Jesus, The Man, gave all He had. Let’s do the same, men.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
2nd Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

  1. I’m convinced if Jesus said those words to a woman she would have done it right away, all the way, and with a happy heart. And then asked what else she could do as she left all to follow the Master. In the real scene, the man walked away dejected.
  2. (Thank you, Pepper, for creating the real retro cover.)
 

Jubilee: Hymns & Lullabies (feeling God’s thoughts).

When we sing good theology we feel God’s thoughts about ultimate reality.

It’s a joy to think God’s thoughts, and we get to do that when we read the Scriptures. If you’re reading the Bible and you’re not moved to pray, pause, and go back. You missed it. Go back there and sit and listen. That will lead you to feeling His thoughts too. What if

I’m not much of a music snob. Pretty much find a few songs from a few artists and run with them. Literally, I run with the same mix in my ear over and over, miles and miles. There’s something that happens in your soul when while emptying exerting yourself at the same time you’re being filled. These voices are companions up steep hills and through the rainy runs. During that time I am a worshiper. (Actually, we’re all worshipers all the time, but that’s the topic of another post.)

Even when disciplining my body through exercise and work, I’m free. I could constantly compare my pace to what it was a decade ago (a lot faster back then), or just sit mired in the thoughts of how things used to be. As a pastor I talk to people all the time who long for the “days of old” (a couple decades ago) when music was “good” and told a Gospel story. It’s true that songs these days are often repetitive and sometimes shallow. They long for the hymns of old. What we forget is that we can come boldly and confidently before the throne of Jesus and sing His praises 1, no matter if we liked the “song set” on Sunday.

pagecxvi_badge_jubilee

There’s a band that has done the hard work of bringing songs written long before the “days of old,” with historic theology meeting future hope and sweet melodies. Page CXVI is a project started with the idea of making hymns accessible and known again. They are some of the richest, most meaningful, and moving pieces of music ever written.

Page CXVI is giving away their entire 74-song catalog of music.

Their entire catalog of music is free for a limited time. Their music is good enough to buy too 😉 Continue reading

 

What if our churches were generous?

On this morning’s run I ran past a dozen plus church buildings and many more dozen empty commercial spaces looking for a renter.

Our church is walking through the facilities game, praying and researching what possible spaces we can rent for the future. (Haven’t been entirely received with open arms by other churches, and that is expected.) As Jared Wilson wrote this week, there are three levels of generosity for churches, giving reasons why each one is more challenging than the previous one.
MoneyChurches shall be:

  1. Generous with Facilities
  2. Generous with Money
  3. Generous with People

The simplest and easiest way for an established church is to share their biggest brick and mortar resource: their building. Lots of churches do this, and I am grateful to work with two churches in the last seven years who are immensely generous with their buildings. When Willamette built a new building it was meant to be a blessing for the whole community, and it has. Scores of groups use it freely or for a nominal fee. It’s a regular meeting place for all kinds of good organizations. The city is better for the presence of generous, courageous and wise Christians, and their gathering place.

I recently taught that an implication of “getting” the Gospel is embracing whole-life hospitality. Without it we won’t become who we are. Part of being hospitable is opening our homes and using our stuff to bless others. That’s a first step to opening our actual lives. Yet it’s necessary to resist the first-world urge to splurge on ourselves and skimp towards others. Consider these statistics, shared in Kari‘s newest ebook Faithfully Frugal 1 (to be released next week):

It’s a very sobering statistic indeed that only 4% of Christians tithe to their local churches. That Christians give, on average, only 2% of their income. 2 That of that 2%, only 2% then goes to funding international work—the world. It’s sobering that the total annual income of American churchgoers is $5.2 trillion, that the amount available if each of them gave 10% of their salary is $520 billion. That the estimated annual cost to eliminate extreme poverty in the world is only $65 billion. That the annual cost for universal primary education for ALL children in the world is $6 billion. That the annual cost to bring clean water to most of the world is $9 billion. That the annual cost to bring basic health and nutrition for the world is $13 billion. That, therefore, the total amount needed to eradicate the world’s greatest problems: $93 billion (just 1.8% of American Christian’s income). Quite simply, the world God loves in dying and we are … doing what?

Yep. I might want to ask Jesus why He let all these atrocities happen in the world. Then He might flip the question and ask me the same. We are responsible to steward and provoke ourselves to radical generosity. An explosion of joy can overwhelm your heart when you give your life away for bigger things. Our core emphases with RENEW aim at embracing and embodying these truths.

When a church leadership is courageous and generous, increasing financial gifts to groups and causes beyond their walls, it can become contagious, even leading to a new culture of generosity. This is the second level of generosity, as Wilson continues:

“A church’s budget will tell you what is most important to them, just like our bank statements reveal what is most important to us. It can be difficult for a church to be generous with its money because the drift to inward focus and enhancing the internal experience of the church is automatic.”

While a building is a valuable asset, and cash money is king, there’s something even more valuable in our churches that needs to be given away. And since this level holds more valuable resources, it’s the hardest to open up freely. Wilson concludes on this third and hardest level of giving:

This is the hardest generosity, especially as it pertains to our “best and brightest.” Churches tend to be stingy with their leaders and leadership prospects.
Many churches will not endeavor to plant churches because they cannot trust God enough to send quality missionaries away — or, more bluntly, to drop in attendance.

Many churches will not cooperate with other local churches for fear of losing people to the other church. This stinginess with people is an idolatry very difficult to kill.

But a gospel-centered church will grow into a kingdom-mindedness that is a constant reminder that no local church owns anybody and that what is best for every local church is whatever is best for the expansion of the gospel and worship of Christ.

On this level we become not only generous. More than that, we are becoming courageous in a way that will lead others to taste and see the Lord is good. Grateful for the churches and leaders who have been generous with Kari and I.

  1. Faithfully Frugal: Spend Less, Give More, Live More, releases the first week of March on Amazon Kindle (ebook only at this time).
  2. Research by the Barna Group: “Americans Donate Billions to Charity, But Giving to Churches Has Declined.”
 

Where’s your elephant? Does it have a name?

“Daddy, I didn’t have these all night. I didn’t. I just now grabbed them.” So said Heidi proudly early this morning as she showed me one of her stuffed kitties and her snuggly koala. It’s a big deal when we find any stuffed animal in this home. These ones weren’t missing, just forgotten out in the loft before settling into bed last night. Somehow she managed to overlook their absence. So happy to see them this morning!

20130206-053314.jpg That got me thinking about the last year of change for our family. And the bigger “Family,” the Church. 2012 may be remembered in the broader Evangelical Church world as the year pastors really got serious about talking about talking about making disciples. Discipleship was the elephant in the room that we finally named. It was like, “This is really important! Let’s make sure we’re making disciples. Really.”

Previous years could be summed up with words like “authentic worship,” and “be missional,” discovering “God’s Kingdom,” “become an influencer,” and whatever you do make it “Gospel-centered.” These are all good emphases.

Yet with all the buzz and new trends, it sort of seems like we’re collecting elephants the same way my kids gather up all their stuffed animals before going to sleep. Missing one is reason to panic. Can’t sleep in peace without them all. But during daylight more than a few are set aside as the kids pursue the days fun.

More than once Kari and I have said at bedtime, “Clackamas (the stuffed leopard) has to sleep outside in the loft. I’m sorry that disappoints you, but he’ll be alright; he’s wild and can fend for himself. In the morning you can see him. And tomorrow night you can be sure to grab him along with all of your animals and bring them to bed before brushing your teeth.”

Having all the animals ready for bed means planning well ahead of the moment you notice they’re missing. For something to be added, something must give.

This got me thinking more about recent trends and the hype and confusion surrounding Christians today. Why do the lives of most Christians look essentially the same as the rest of society? Why are we missing out on the power, the conviction, the joy, peace and creativity God plans for His children? Where is the Kingdom of God we’re told by Jesus has already come? Continue reading

 

Work: when you need to think.

20130201-064508.jpgEver get frustrated at your lack of productivity, especially when “work” comes down to coming up with good ideas and implementing them? Feel like you’re constantly running out of time?

Take heart. Doing good “knowledge work” involves approaching one’s work in a different way. Think of it as gathering the right tools for the job. Time is one of the tools, though not the best tool for measuring – or limiting – success. Give yourself (and those on your team) time to succeed. Consider these words from Scott Belsky:

“In a knowledge economy it doesn’t make sense to use time as a measurement for a job well done. Knowledge work requires a different set of assumptions about productivity. It requires fluidity (ideas can happen at any time), concentration (being rested and engaged is more important than being on the clock), and creativity (regardless of the hour).”

Source: Matt Perman, who writes one of my favorite blogs, What’s Best Next.

 

The early bird gets to learn.

Learners take responsibility for their own development, and the growth of others. Even when it comes to a fascination about life “in the days of old,” as in our son’s case. He’s learning about medieval life, castles, fortresses, and how things work (in LEGO world).

This involves waking up with wonder and fascination, winning the battle of the blanket. There needs to be an urgency in our hearts to meet the day with God’s energy, and curiosity about what He will teach you. This is more than obtaining information; there’s a heart sensation takin place.

The early bird gets to learn.

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See Ephesians 1:15-23.

 

Remembering our purpose in the place He gives us to inhabit.

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“The place He gives us to inhabit.
The few things He gives us to do in that place.
The persons He invites us to know there.
These our days,
our lingering.

It is enough then,
this old work of hands
His and ours
to love here,
to learn His song here,

like crickets that scratch
and croon,
from nooks unseen,

carrying on with
what they were made for,
the night craft of
unnoticed faces,
with our wings unobserved,

until He walks again
in the cool of the day,
to call our names once more.

And we then,
with our stitched white flags,
will from behind His evergreens,
finally unhide ourselves,
unblushed with Him to stroll
once more.”

Excerpt from: Sensing Jesus: Life and Ministry as a Human Being, by Zack Eswine (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2013).

 

A man with a dream for others.

“When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'”
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking during the Civil Rights rally on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963.

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Listen to an audio recording, or see video of the speech.

Continue reading

 

Son: go back to the old paths, and you’ll find your way.

Put this in the category of songs every father should listen to.

A music video of “You’ll Find Your Way” by Andrew Peterson from his new album, Light for the Lost Boy:

Listen as a son, listen as a father. Andrew wrote it for his second son Asher. 1

Lyrics: 2 Continue reading

  1. Behind the Song: (2/15/12 The Warren) Jeremiah 6:16 / Hebrews 10:23 For Asher, second son of a second son.
  2. Words and Music by Andrew Peterson / AP: vocals Jill Phillips: background vocals. Ben Shive: piano, keys, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, string arrangement. Andy Gullahorn: electric guitar. Cason Cooley: bass, keys, percussion. Tyler Burkum: electric guitar. Will Sayles: drums. Eleonore Denig: cello, violin. ©2012 Jakedog Music (adm by Music Services) (ASCAP). HT: JT
 

WHOs before DOs: when you really need to know who you are.

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Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
—Galatians 5:25

How many times have we been asked to do this exercise? Especially at the new year:

  • List out your priorities as you want them to be. 

Of course we’re supposed to put God first, then family second, or wait, maybe we’re supposed to put ourselves first, but then what about our spouse, and then work is a must so where does that fit in?

Here’s what I’ve noticed:

  • No matter how many times I’ve listed out my priorities it’s never revolutionized my life.

Here’s what’s revolutionized my life:

  • Understanding that it’s not knowing my primary priority that matters but knowing my primary identity.

Continue reading

 

For a New Year: how to not give up.

There are no quick fixes. While it is tempting to find a drive-thru, feel good solution and “just do it,” we know life is far more complex for using simple methods to get a new you by Friday.

“Christian life does not arise spontaneously in us. The truth of the gospel cannot always be reached through a process of reasoning. We need to meditate long on the words of Jesus. It is only through familiarity and association with the Gospels that we begin slowly to learn to live like him.” 1

How do we not give up?

If we begin our days by staring at the one who never gave up, who was joyfully obedient to God His Father until the very end. And then follow in His steps.

That’s what it means to be a Learner.2

If I invite Jesus into my life — which is a mess — I will become discouraged when He doesn’t change me as quickly as I want, or provide the comfortable life I envisioned. (Many “try” Jesus and conclude He doesn’t work. That is, He doesn’t meet their expectations and fulfill their self-centered dreams. Because Jesus spoke mostly about the Kingdom of God and invited us to flee from the kingdom of self, He offers a better way than this.)

But if I respond to Jesus, who invites me into His life, I will place Someone at the center who can effectively navigate the twists and turns of life.

Know this: out of His great strength, He can make you and me whole.

Will you surrender? Will I surrender?
Continue reading

  1. José A. Pagola, Following in the Footsteps of Jesus: Meditations on the Gospels for Year A. Translated by Valentine de Souza, S.J. Miami: Convivium, 2010, page 23.
  2. Learners take responsibility for their own growth in the Gospel, and the growth of others. See more on the Learner “identity” with RENEW.