Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Harriet Tubman

Walking in God’s Favor: The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets. Proverbs 21:20 TLB

Many of you only dream of saving money. Here’s a quick snapshot of America’s finances. The Oprah Winfrey Show indicated in an online survey that 70% of responders have no savings anywhere. The Wall Street Journal indicates that 70% of all Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. You almost have to pull a gun on Americans to get them to save.

We have learned in Financial Peace University (3) key reasons to save money; for emergencies, for purchases, and to build wealth. Working in the risk management and academic arena for over 20 years, we label emergencies in 5 categories that we call the 5 Storms of Life or the 5D’s.

1Disasters – Car accidents, weather related perils, any unexpected incidents

2Disability – Any physical condition that prevents your daily living activities

3Downsized – Loss of employment, bankruptcy, or divorce

4Death – The loss of a person who contributes to your financial well being

5Deployment- Active and reserve military called to serve 6 or more months away

If you want to become a faithful steward, you must begin the process of saving money. Moving to a higher level of stewardship requires dedication, discipline, and diligence. Living the life of surplus and overflow takes wisdom.

Many of you have struggled so long in your financial lives, that now you are comfortable with a life of stability. This is not the time to rest; keep moving. There is so much God has for you to learn, experience, and become. You must choose to make saving a top priority. The choice is up to you.

You are invited to visit our Financial Peace University Class www.firstsdachurch.com Mondays 6:30pm as we share God’s blueprint for handling money.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord, help us to save for the future. 

Michael Vance is a senior account executive with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is a gifted educator and a Master Guide in the Pathfinders Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people. The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.