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October, 2000
 Prophecy Ministries Aunt
Eller's Garden
 Whose Money Is It,
Anyway?
Disagreements over money
are cited as a leading cause of divorce in nearly every
Western nation. What a sad commentary on today's society,
and Christians are by no means immune... nor are the well
to do.Chances are that if you have been married for more
than a few months, you and your mate have had at least
one dispute over financial matters.
Failing to note the
difference between money management and money mechanics
is one of the primary causes of misunderstanding. Let's
have a closer look at these different yet confusingly
similar concepts:
Money Management
is an executive, decision making process.
Choosing a bank, buying a car, creating a household
budget all fall into this category.
Money Mechanics
includes such things as writing check to pay bills,
keeping a record of income and expenses, filling out
income tax forms.
The CEO of a large
corporation, along with the Board of directors make money
management decisions for the company, but they don't
write the checks or keep the books. Employees who take no
part in fiscal decision making perform these duties.
In the arena of the
family, money managers may also deal with the mechanics
or vice versa, but the two can function quite well in the
hands of different parties, or shared by both partners so
long as they communicate and agree on the system.
Generally, I believe it
is most efficient to leave the mechanics in the hands of
one person. This avoids any confusion with bookkeeping
and bill paying. In our family I have been the money
mechanic for our entire marriage. I am the more detail
oriented and computer literate of the pair, whereas my
husband has better common sense and is less apt to make
impulse purchases.
Teamwork
Approach
While Richard is far more level headed than I, and earns
the lion's share of our income, we share money management
responsibilities equally. Whether only one, or both
partners earn an income, rarely if ever, does it work to
leave decisions to either the husband or the wife. Such a
system may have marginally worked 200 years ago, but I
would venture a guess that not one couples in a million
could make smooth sailing of it now.
Even though the two of
you are one in the eyes of God and hopefully each other,
you'll still need another member of your money management
team - the actual OWNER of it all, the Lord. With him at
the head, even if you and your mate come from quite
different financial backgrounds, you should be able to
work out a system for the wise stewardship of your
assets, particularly the liquid ones.
It's Not Your
Money! And, No, It's Not YOURS, Either!
Did you read the sentence above where the Lord
is listed as owner of all your assets. These assets are
not yours, nor are they your spouse's, they all belong to
GOD! Now, since you neither own these assets, it does
seem rather inane to squabble about them, does it not? My
husband and I have not had a money disagreement since we
came fully to that realization many years ago.
With the Lord as your
team leader, you'll want to follow His sound Biblical
teaching about money. Bear in mind that there are more
verses in Scripture dealing with money, wealth, assets,
etc. than there are about salvation! Not because material
things are more important, of course not! But God know
man would tend to be obsessed with temporal wealth, and
He knew we would need to be taught the same lessons time
and time again! So, without going into great detail
(books have been written on the subject) let's have a
quick review of a few smart money rules for couples:
Values: Mutually
discuss and decide on your own personal value system
regarding assets (so long as it isn't outside of God's
will) and write down a list of of your values and goals.
Doing this when there is no big money decision looming on
the horizon is a very smart move. Then when the stress of
home or car buying or some other major issue is upon you,
you can safely refer to you master plan for stability.
Debt:
If your in it, get out as quickly as possible and don't
go back there! If you have no debt, stay that wise.
'Enough said!
Budget:
If you have one, stay on it. If you don't have one, make
one now... and stay on it!
Savings &
Retirement: Even a small amount invested every
month over time can make you millionaires by age 65.
Consider this... If you invest $100/month from age 25 and
that investment returns the long term market average of
15%, you will have $3,101,605.48 at age 65!!! Many
families fritter, away that much on worthless doo dads or
repetitive trips to Burger King... Thank about it...
Hamburgers fried at home are just as full of cholesterol
as the fast food variety. Hmmmm, perhaps this is a good
time to revise some of your money values, eh?
Emergency Funds:
All advisors agree with Scripture that you should have
some money set aside for emergencies... but no one seems
to agree on how much. Some say a six month supply, others
opt for much less. You own choice will depend on your
personal circumstances and style.
The more difficult issue
is defining what constitutes an emergency. Dear hearts,
your Uncle Fred's birthday is not an emergency! Neither
is car insurance for that matter, for as vital as it is,
it is not an unforeseen expense; it should have been
planned for in the budget! An emergency is an unplanned
expense that MUST be met.
Needs vs. Wants:
We live in a society that can't seem to differentiate
between needs and wants. You need food, but you want it
to be lobster... there's a huge difference! I know folks
who "can't" pay their bills, but they can
somehow manage to afford cable TV with all the premium
channels... There's something deeply wrong with that sort
of thinking.
Money &
Kids: Now, here's a sticky one! How many folks
do you know who are money wise yet when it comes to their
kids, they lose all semblance of sense? I know plenty!
The kids are growing up with excellent spending skills
(they can pillage a mall in an hour!) but no earning or
management know how. Remember this, then, children learn
money management, self control and a host of other
virtues from their parents. Wise and loving parents do
not overindulge their children.!!!
Mad Money:
Let us leave the well disciplined frugal walk for a
moment and make a wise but seemingly foolish funds
allocation. Each person in the family needs a bit of
"Mad Money." How much will depend on the
overall family resources, the age and maturity of each
individual. Children who never have money or are always
supervised as they spend will never learn fiscal lessons
only life can teach. Adults who never have a spare dollar
to fitter away as they please tent to ultimately go on
spending binges.
Conclusion
If you can or have put all this counsel into practice, I
applaud you! If not, work on it as best you can, but
through it all, even when mistakes are made (yeah, you're
gonna blow it now and then) do not let then erode the
peace and joy of your marriage relationship... which is
far more important than any financial disaster either of
you may meander into.
Symbolism
of the Dollar Bill
Submitted by Crystal Owings
Take out a one
dollar bill and look at it. The one dollar bill
you're looking at first came off the presses in 1957
in its present design. This so-called paper money is
in fact a cotton - linen blend, with minute red and
blue silk fibers running through it. It is actually a
cloth material. We've all washed it without it
falling apart.
A special blend of
ink is used, the contents of which we will never
know. It is overprinted with symbols and then it is
starched to make it water resistant, and pressed to
give it that nice crisp look. 
If you look on the
front of the bill, you will see the United States
Treasury Seal. On the top you will see the scales for
the balance - a balanced budget. In the center you
have a carpenter's T-square, a tool used for an even
cut. Underneath is the Key to the United States
Treasury.
If you turn the bill over, you will see two circles.
Both circles, together, comprise the Great Seal of
the United States. The First Continental Congress
requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men
come up with a Seal. It took them four years to
accomplish this task and another two years to get it
approved.
If you look at the
left hand circle, you will see a Pyramid. Notice the
face is lighted and the western side is dark. This
country was just beginning. We had not begun to
explore the West or decided what we could do for
Western Civilization. The Pyramid is un-capped, again
signifying that we were not even close to being
finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing
eye, and ancient symbol for divinity. It was
Franklin's belief that one man couldn't do it alone,
but a group of men, with the help of God, could do
anything. "IN GOD WE TRUST" is on this
currency. The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT
COEPTIS, means "God has favored our
undertaking." The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS
ORDO SECLORUM, means "A new order has
begun." At the base of the pyramid is the Roman
Numeral for 1776.
If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it
carefully, you will learn that it is on every
National Cemetery in the United States. It is also on
the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida
National Cemetery and is the centerpiece of most
hero's monuments. Slightly modified, it is the seal
of the President of the United States and it is
always visible whenever he speaks, yet no one knows
what the symbols mean.
The Bald Eagle was
selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons:
first, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong and
he is smart enough to soar above it. Secondly, he
wears no material crown. We had just broken from the
King of England. Also, notice the shield is
unsupported. This country can now stand on its own.
At the top of that shield you have a white bar
signifying congress, a unifying factor. We were
coming together as one nation. In the Eagle's beak
you will read, "E PLURIBUS UNUM", meaning
"One nation from many people."
Above the Eagle you
have thirteen stars representing the thirteen
original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding
rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one.
Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds
an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace,
but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve
peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive
branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the
arrows.
They say that the
number 13 is an unlucky number. But, think about
this: 13 original colonies, 13 signers of the
Declaration of Independence, 13 stripes on our flag,
13 steps on the Pyramid, 13 letters in the Latin
above, 13 letters in "E Pluribus Unum", 13
stars above the Eagle, 13 plumes of feathers on each
span of the Eagle's wing, 13 bars on that shield, 13
leaves on the olive branch, 13 fruits, and if you
look closely, 13 arrows
Actual
Letter to Bank
This is an actual letter
sent to a bank in the US. The bank thought it amusing
enough to publish in the New York Times:
Dear Sir, I am writing to thank you for bouncing the
check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last
month. By my calculations some three nanoseconds must
have lapsed between his presenting the check and the
arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I
refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my
entire salary, an arrangement which, I admit, has only
been in place for eight years.
You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of
opportunity, and also for debiting my account with $50 by
way of penalty for the inconvenience I caused to your
bank.
My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this
incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial
ways. You have set me on the path of fiscal
righteousness.
No more will our relationship be blighted by these
unpleasant incidents, for I am restructuring my affairs
in 2000, taking as my model the procedures, attitudes and
conduct of your very bank. I can think of no greater
compliment, and I know you will be excited and proud to
hear it.
To this end, please be about the following changes:
First, I have noticed that whereas I personally attend to
your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact
you I am confronted by the impersonal, ever-changing,
prerecorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.
From now on I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh
and blood Person. My mortgage and loan repayments will,
therefore and hereafter, no longer be automatic, but will
arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and
confidentially to an employee of your branch, whom you
must nominate.
You will be aware that it is an offense under the Postal
Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please
find attached an Application Contact Status which I
require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it
runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much
about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no
alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her
medical history must be countersigned by a Justice of the
Peace, and that the mandatory details of his/her
financial situation (income, debts, assets and
liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.
In due course I will issue your employee with a PIN
number which he/she must quote in all dealings with me. I
regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but,
again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses
required to access my account balance on your phone bank
service.
As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Let me level the playing field even further by
introducing you to my new telephone system, which you
will notice, is very much like yours.
My Authorized Contact at your bank, the only person with
whom I will have any dealings, may call me at any time
and will be answered by an automated voice.
By pressing buttons on the phone, he/she will be guided
through an extensive set of menus:
1. To make an appointment to see me
2. To query a missing repayment
3. To make a general complaint or inquiry
4. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am
there. Extension of living room to be communicated at the
time the call is received;
5. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am
sleeping. Extension of bedroom to be communicated at the
time the call is received;
6. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am
attending to nature. Extension of toilet to be
communicated at the time the call is received.
7. To transfer the call to my mobile phone in case I am
not at home.
8. To leave a message on my computer. To leave a message
a password to access my computer is needed. Password will
be communicated at a later date to the contact.
9. To return to the main menu and listen carefully to
options 1 through 9.
10. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the
attention of my automated answering service. While this
may on occasion involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music
will play for the duration.
This month I've chosen a refrain from The Best of Woody
Guthrie,"Oh, the banks are made of marble With a
guard at every door And the vaults are filled with silver
That the miners sweated for" After twenty minutes of
that, our mutual contact will probably know it all by
heart.
On a more serious note, we come to the matter of cost. As
your bank has often pointed out, the ongoing drive for
greater efficiency comes at a cost - a cost which you
have always been quick to pass on to me.
Let me repay your kindness by passing some costs back.
First, there is the matter of advertising material you
send me. This I will read for a fee of $20 per page.
Inquiries from your nominated contact will be billed at
$5.00 per minute of my time spent in response.
Any debits to my account, as, for example, in the matter
of the penalty for the dishonored check, will be passed
back to you.
My new phone service runs at 75 cents a minute (even
Woody Guthrie doesn't come for free), so you would be
well advised to keep your inquiries brief and to the
point.
Regrettably, but again following your example, I must
also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of
this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever-so-slightly less
prosperous, New Year.
Your Humble Client, Bob Jones
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