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Walking in God’s Favor: But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if he has enough money to pay the bills?  Otherwise he might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh! Luke 14:28-29 TLB

Planning For Your Golden Years

Let’s face it, as we gracefully age we generally have less energy and our health slowly begins to decline. As a result, we need to decrease the amount of physical work we perform, so we don’t injure or prematurely kill ourselves. In other words, we have to work smarter not harder.

You must begin with the end in mind. If  you plan to become faithful stewards of your wealth in this life you must be willing to pay the price. You are going to have to develop the habit of saving and investing your money.

Living Life Intentionally

While you are young and healthy you must develop the practice of saving for your golden years. Otherwise, your golden years will not be so golden. Many employers are no longer contributing or providing retirement plans for their employees. Therefore you must become personally proactive in saving and investing money for your golden years.

With that in mind, what is your plan? Do you have an emergency fund for the storms of life that are sure to come if you live long enough? Have you begun setting aside money for your golden years? Years ago, Ardella and I began the practice of saving a certain amount of money from our income so that we could have the flexibility to follow our dreams, passions, and opportunities in life during our golden years.

A Life Journey Well Lived

The Joseph principle is the ability to look around the corner and anticipate life’s challenges you may or may not face one day. In the Bible, Joseph wisely counseled Pharaoh in the book of Genesis. ” And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh and let them keep food in the cities. Then the food shall be as a reserve for the land for seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt that the land may not perish during the famine.” Genesis 41:35,36 (NKJV)

Joseph was divinely given the principle of saving for the storms of life and saved the entire Egyptian nation and his family. There are many lessons you can learn and practice in your life from the Joseph principle. Where ever you are in life, trust God in your planning so you may end well.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord, help us to trust You.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance volunteers her time, talents, and financial resources to causes she is passionate about. She 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 seven grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking In God’s Favor: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 1Corinthians 13:11 NLT

Making Smart Choices

Moving from a life of struggle to a life of stability is an individual choice. Many of you cannot see yourselves  maturing from a life of struggle to a life of  stability; therefore you remain in a life struggle.

Faithful stewards learn to live on a budget and give their money a mission.  But more importantly,  faithful stewards are accountable to God. The faithful steward has learned to say “no” to the person in the mirror.

Moving Forward In A New Direction

One of the keys that differentiate the life of struggle with the life of stability is the will to delay immediate gratification for long-term goals. One sign of spiritual maturity is the will to choose long-term goals over short-term  gain.

I (Michael) clearly remember our parents teaching us the connection between work and money.  As a kid, they would give my two younger brothers and me money for doing chores like cutting the grass, raking leaves or washing the car.

As soon as I received my money, I would run down to the corner grocery store to spend every penny I had earned on Chinese Sweet & Sours Balls, Red Hots, banana flavored Now & Laters, and  my favorite, Hostess Chocolate Twinkies.

My parents would comment how  I had holes in my pocket when they observed how quickly I spent my money. They found teachable moments  to encourage me  to save.  They planted seeds of wisdom like ” Money don’t grow on trees” in  my life.  My parents were the first teachers who sowed into my life the importance of working hard and saving money.

Pursuing The Possibilities 

My truth (Michael) is,  even today as an adult I struggle with delaying immediate gratification for long term goals. The desire to spend money I don’t have, to  buy things I don’t  need, to impress people I don’t know.  That desire to spend money grew into an uncontrollable desire to have wealth without going through the process of  developing the financial skills necessary to manage wealth.

In order for you to move to a life of stability you are going to have to go through the process. It’s your choice. You have the ability to become a better steward of your wealth. We are a living example that God will empower in your life  to do that which you cannot do on your own. Remember keep praying, keep believing, with God all things are possible.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord empower us with your Spirit.

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“.

Walking In God’s Favor: If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:18 MSG

Living In The Overflow

We agree with Antonio McGinnis when he  says in his book The Game Is Deep,  “There is no greater feeling than being prepared for every opportunity when it comes your way”.  Faithful Stewards live each day as if  it is their last day, but plan as if they are going to live forever.

Faithful Stewards humbly recognize the awesome power of God’s favor in their life. You  can feel God’s protection covering your life, and have personally experienced over and over again God opening doors for you.  You know, that you know,  God has given you the power to have surplus in your life.

You cheerfully give your first fruit off the top and then some. You have moved beyond the 10% tithe and generously give a love offering out of your surplus. Faithful Stewards have a personal covenant with God and are living examples of what faithfulness is all about.

No Family Left Behind: Our Life Mission 

Most of you know instinctively, that you should have a will and last testament, living health directive, and power of  attorney in the invent of major accident or accidental death.  But how many of you invest in the time to secure these valuable life documents. You spend more time planning for a vacation than you do planning for your lives.

When Ardella and I invested in the time to plan our future lives together, it was very enlightening. We began to think about our financial assets  and the kind of legacy we desired to leave  to our children and grand children.

We considered the physical and medical challenges of aging together gracefully.  More importantly,  we shared our deepest thoughts of how we each wanted to  live our last days and hours of life on this planet.

Legacy: More than Money    

Unfortunately many of you will never experience Faithful Stewardship in your life time. You will never feel the peace of  God  in this area of financial maturity and responsibility.  You have no desire to move past the known life of stability into the faithful life of surplus.

The Faithful Steward’s life has become a reservoir of God’s bountiful blessings.  Blessings seems to overflow in the Faithful Steward’s  life.  I heard someone say it like this, ” I am drinking from my saucer because my cup is overflowing”.  When  God showers His blessing down on the Faithful Steward’s life, they wisely store some of their surplus for their future,  for the storms of life, and for their legacy.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord help us to be Faithful Stewards of Your wealth.

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“.

Walking in God’s Favor: I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress. Psalms 32:8 TLB

Reaching Your Highest Potential

The truth is, we all have areas in our lives that we need to grow in. Your area of growth is probably different from my area of growth. You must truthfully acknowledge your area of weakness and face it.

Take Charge of Your Time

My truth (Michael) is I consume far too much time watching TV and on the internet.  After reading Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Drive Life ” I was motivated to initiate 3 immediate changes in my life.

1. I  would begin to limit the amount of television and internet media I consume.

2. I would spend the best time of my day in prayer.

3. I would release my spiritual side.

My purpose was to seek the highest potential for my life. It has made an incredible difference. After making these 3 seemingly small changes I have been motivated to write this blog and several other books with Ardella. Our purpose is to share the goodness of God in our lives with family, meaningful others and our community.  I now choose to invest my time and develop my talents wisely.

Make Excellence Your Goal

Level 4 Stewards are willing to do whatever it takes reach their highest potential. Are you willing to do your part. Yes you have an extremely important role in your spiritual discovery.  You are called for a moment like this in time. You are given unique gifts to develop over your lifetime and you have a  purpose that you have the potential to fulfill.

Prayer of Blessings: Lord help us endure temptations that consume our life.

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“.

Walking in God’s Favor: Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. Luke 6:38 NLT

Givers Gain When You Sow The Right Seeds

Why does it feel so good deep down inside when you give? The Word of God says it is better to give than to receive. Giving is optional. You choose to give or not to give. When you choose to give, it touches the very essence of your soul and pleases God.

Faithful stewards give wisely of their time, talents or spiritual gifts and their financial resources so that their choices will honor God.  They are so connected to the Source, they have learned to set boundaries that helps them grow spiritually.

Seeing The Big Picture

Is it possible to give too much time and energy pursuing material riches? Jesus the CEO of the universe tells the story of a business man who was prospering financially.

All his time and energies were preoccupied with how to manage his overflow. Can you imagine having so much wealth that you, your children,  your grandchildren, your great grandchildren and your great great grandchildren could not spend it all in a lifetime?

Jesus calls this business man a fool because he did not recognize his soul was bankrupt and his spiritual life was in debt. This obviously successful entrepreneur was blinded by his addiction for more and more wealth.

God Created You to Do Great Things

We believe Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffet all recognize that stewardship is a matter of the soul. Where you spend your time, share your talents or spiritual gifts  and give your financial support tells the world what is important to you.

We personally believe that God blesses you so that you can be a blessing to others. We want to encourage you to make giving a part of your spiritual DNA today. You will be amazed at what God will grow in your life when you sow into the lives of meaningful  others. It’s a matter of the soul.

Prayer of Blessings: Lord, open our hearts to give more.

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“.

Walking in Gods’ Favor: Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. Philippians 4:11 NLT

You  Can Change Your Mind-set

If God blessed some of you with  money with your current character traits and mind-set, your desire for instant gratification, your impulsive  tendencies that are out of control, and your media-driven consumer mentality would cause many of you to blow most, or all of  God’s financial blessings.

Living on The Financial Edge

Queen Latifa stars in a movie titled  Last Holiday. She is mistakenly told by her doctors that she has a terminal illness and has a very short time to live. Believing that she is dying and her days are numbered, she decides to do the one thing on her bucket list that she has dreamed about all her entire life; travel to Europe.

She goes to her bank and withdraws all her life savings. She intends for this dream vacation to be an experience of a lifetime. Queen Latifa’s character in the movie books  her plane travel first-class in order to feel once in her lifetime, what the rich people enjoy when they travel.

She books her hotel reservation in a five-star hotel where the rich people stay and picks the high-rollers penthouse suite, which includes the luxury pamper  package only for the rich people. She dines out every night at the finest five-star restaurants where the rich people eat. She lives on the financial edge as if there is no tomorrow.

Healthy Financial Thinking

Many of you live your financial lives pretty much the same way.  You spend as if there is no tomorrow. One of the definitions of  maturity  is learning to delay pleasure. If you struggle in your spending like us, and many others, here’s 5 tips from Financial Peace University  www.fpu.com to help you make wise choices when buying items over $300:

1) Wait over night before buying. Sleeping on it takes the edge off you.

2) Consider your buying motives; why and why now?

3) Don’t buy things you don’t understand or can’t explain.

4) Consider the opportunity cost. Would the money be better invested or saved?

5) Seek the counsel of your spouse. If single, seek the counsel of a mature Christian you know and respect.

When God opens the doors of heaven to pour out financial  blessings on you, spend your money wisely.  Learn to say no to the person in the mirror and yes to a life of purpose God designed for you.

Your are invited to visit our Financial Peace University Class www.firstsdachurch.com  Tuesday 6:30pm September  30th. Our guest speaker  Minister Adolphus Elliott co-founder of “It Not About Us” Ministry.

Prayer of Blessings:  Lord, we will honor You in our finances.

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“.

Walking in God’s Favor: Don’t pattern your life after this world. Let God transform you from the inside out and give you a new way of thinking. Then you will know what is good and pleasant to Him and what is not. Romans 12:2

God’s Plans Are Better Then Your Plans

Over the past 2 decades of studying stewardship, inspirational and wisdom literature, we have discovered that people embrace one of three mindsets concerning wealth; a prosperity mindset, a poverty mindset or a stewardship mindset.

The prosperity mindset thinks, “I work to become wealthy”. On any given day you can turn on your television and easily find a TV evangelist asking you to sow a seed into his ministry (That’s preacher talk for give me some money) so he can send you a DVD or CD to teach you how to walk in your divine financial destiny. The prosperity mindset believes godly people are wealthy and ungodly people are poor.

The poverty mindset thinks, “I work to take care of my basic needs.” You might hear them say “I have food on the table and a roof over my head that’s all need.” They will quote Bible verses like “I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread”. The poverty mindset believes godly people are poor and ungodly people are wealthy.

Who Are You Living For?

The stewardship mindset thinks, “I work to serve God. God is my CEO. I am just a manager, apprentice, or steward of the blessings God provides for me. What I have God gave me, what I know God taught me, where I am God brought me.” The stewardship mindset believes godly people are faithful and ungodly people are unfaithful.

Your Life is A  Gift From God 

Stewardship is a holistic approach to life in which you realize everything you have is a gift from God even the very air you breathe. God is your CEO. You are only a manager, apprentice, or steward of His blessings. The better steward you become, the more God can bless and trust you to handle His business.

Today you can choose to be a faithful or unfaithful steward for a loving Creator. God is always willing and able to empower your life and transform your thinking. Remember God offers only the best for your life.

You are invited to attend our  financial empowerment session Monday September 22, 2014 www.mybestlifecounselor.net   call 256 457 4097 to reserve your seat today. The first (10) people who register will get our workbook  “The Stewardship of Wealth” for free.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord we choose to be faithful stewards for You.

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“.

Walking in God’s Favor: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth and be in health. III John 1:2 KJ

Find Your Area of Excellence

In his book titled The Reallionaire , Farah Gray, a young African-American man who went from public assistance to become a millionaire by the age of 14, says a reallionaire (a word he created) is someone who has discovered that there is more to money than having money. Understanding that stewardship of wealth is not just about being rich in your pocket-book, but realizing you have to be rich inside too.

I believe and agree with Farah Gray that wealth starts on the inside with a certain way of thinking. It begins with the belief system that governs how we relate to money. There are certain ways of thinking that can help you increase your financial health.

Three Steps to Financial Health

The first way of thinking is to stop trying to act rich. ” Live Within Your Means.” Living to impress others will only cost you. In the long run trying to keep up with the Jones will eventually result in financial pain and bring you down. Some people who appear to be living prosperous lives, in many instances are in debt up to their eyes balls and have mortgaged their future.

The second way of thinking is to start living on a budget. Spend your money on paper and on purpose before the month begins. Give your money a mission. If you dream of becoming wealthy, create a financial plan to get there. Write it down and look at it often. Remember a dream without a plan is just a hallucination.

The third and final way of thinking that can help you increase your financial health is to start counting your blessings. You are wonderfully made in God’s image. If you have life and health, you are blessed. If you have a family and friends, you are blessed. If you have a personal relationship with Christ, you truly are blessed. Learn to be thankful for what you have right now.

Until You Give Your Best, You Will Never Know Your Potential

How we plan for our future, take advantage of opportunities and how we spend our money all begin inside with our thinking. What do you want to become? What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to obtain? Remember, our thoughts direct our actions or inaction. You have the ability to become a better steward of your wealth.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord help us to become wise stewards of our time, talents & money.

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“.

Walking In God’s Favor: Don’t worry about anything. Instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT

We were first introduced to stewardship principles by Elder Harold Lee. A young family with four children, Ardella was a stay-at-home mom, while I was serving in the United States Navy at Rough & Ready Island in Stockton, California. Our life’s spiritual journey has never been the same.

You Can Live Your Dream

God has placed in each of you an abundance of potential, and you must make the choice to develop, or not to develop your God-given gifts. After learning and living stewardship principles for over 25 years, we have discovered certain levels of stewardship in which people are living consciously or unconsciously, each day of their lives.

Level 1 Stewardship – The Life of Struggle

Level 2 Stewardship – The Life of Stability

Level 3 Stewardship – The Life of Surplus

Level 4 Stewardship – The Life of Sustainability

Give Your Life a Mission

Level 1 Stewardship is the life of struggle. The Level 1 Steward is trying to survive; To keep the lights on, food on the table, and gas in the car. I remember as a young father, being so concerned about paying bills and meeting my family financial obligations, I could not think about my higher purpose. Something was missing.

If you are a Level 1 Steward, you can become so overwhelmed trying to survive, you cannot hear God’s voice calling you. The Holy Spirit speaking to your heart, is drowned out by the  immediate basic needs in front of you.

You Win When You Yield 

The first lesson you must learn in Level 1 Stewardship, is that God is the Creater/Owner of everything, and you are only a manager, apprentice, or steward. This spiritual truth must become the foundation of your life. You can easily become a millionaire and be a million miles away from God, if you do not internalize this truth.

The second lesson you must learn in Level 1 Stewardship, is to put your faith and trust in God. God will supply all you need according to His riches in glory. The wiser steward you become, the more God can trust you with, because He knows you can handle it. The Level 1 Steward walks by faith and not by sight.

Why is it, when God blesses you with a good education, you worship the education? God blesses you with a successful business, and you worship the business. God blesses you with talent, and you worship the talent. Instead of worshiping the Gift Giver, you worship the gifts. The Level 1 Steward learns to worship God as Creator/ Owner and giver of all gifts.

You are invited to visit our Legacy Journey class  Orientation http://www.firstsdachurch.com Tuesday 6:30pm September 16th  to discover how you can leave a legacy for future generations. Remember wise stewards plant trees who shade they will never sit under.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord teach us to plant seeds 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“.

Walking in God’s Favor: But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving. II Corinthians 8:7 NIV

The Magic of Generosity 

Among my siblings, our sister Vonseal has modeled the grace of giving. If you have a need and tell Vonseal, she will get it done. Even if you do not mention your need to Vonseal, when God speaks to her heart to meet your need, she will get it done. She is a living example of how God employs gracious givers to become a blessing in the lives of others and to spreadl His incredible love upon the planet.

We can personally say, having Vonseal as a sibling has been an tremendous blessing in our life. She is a tremendous blessing to our family, to her community of faith and the world. She graciously gives of her time, she graciously gives of her talents, and she graciously gives resources to whatever causes she is passionate about. Anyone who knows her, will tell you how God is moving all over her life and pouring His favor upon her each day, each hour and each moment of her life.

The Grace of Giving

Level 4 stewards are gracious givers. They are gracious in giving of their time, they are gracious in sharing of their talents, and they are gracious in giving of their financial resources. We all have people in our lives or know someone with the grace of giving.

Ardella and I can personally acknowledge, whatever we give graciously and cheerfully to God, He multiplies it back to us in so many ways. Jesus said in Luke 6:38 “Give and it will be given to you. A measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap”.

Level 4 stewards are not only gracious givers, they are motivated out of their love for God and for people. The heart of the faithful steward says, “All that I have is Yours, Lord.” When you choose to give out of your love for God, He pours His favor over your life. If you are seeking God’s favor over your life, begin giving graciously from a place of love and joy.

Giving back involves a  certain amount of giving up

As faithful stewards, you are examples to believers and non-believers in your circle of influence of God’s sustainable love. God loves you so much, He graciously gave up His Son. His Son, Jesus Christ, loves you so much, He graciously gave up His life. What are you willing to graciously give up to make a difference in the lives of others?

Prayer of Blessing: Lord empower us with Your grace of giving.

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