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 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

Rabbi Daniel Lapin www.rabbidaniellappin.com  says helping your mind to know and believe that what you do professionally is good, noble, and worthwhile in itself helps to fuel your energies and propel your efforts.

In his book titled The Reallionaire , Farrah Gray www.farrahgray.com  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.

We believe and agree with Rabbi Daniel Lapin and 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.  The stewardship of wealth is not just about being rich in your pocket-book, but realizing you have to be rich inside too. We believe there are certain ways of thinking that can help you increase your 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 keep you 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 intimate relationship with Christ, you truly are blessed. Learn to be thankful for what you have right now.

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: Father God thank you  for the opportunities you have provided us.

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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking In God’s Favor:  I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plan to prosper you and not harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

You are dealing with an urgent deadline, April 15th. You have put off  many of the details of filing your taxes until the last minute. After it’s all said and done, you wonder why you ever put yourself through the headache of waiting  til the very last minute.

Most of us know instinctively, that we should have a will and last testament, living health directive, and power of  attorney in the invent of a major accident, serious illness, or death.  But how many of us have  invested in the time to prepare these valuable life documents. We spending more time planning for a vacation than we do planning for our lives.

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”.

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. We discussed what we would  owe the government  in terms of estate taxes.  More importantly,  we shared our deepest thoughts of how we each wanted to  live our last days and hours of life on this planet.

Level 4 Stewards humbly recognize the awesome power of God’s favor in their lives. They  are prepared for the opportunity to handle their business in situations such as taxes, estate planning,  will and last testament.  The Level 4 Steward lives each day as if  it is his last, but plans as if he is going to live forever.

Those in Level 4 Stewardship cheerfully give their first fruit off the top and then some. They have moved beyond the 10% tithe and generously give a love offering out of their surplus. Level 4 Stewards have a personal covenant with God and are living examples of what faithfulness is all about.

The Level 4 Steward’s life has become a reservoir of God’s bountiful blessings.  Blessing seems to overflow in the Level 4 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 blessings down on the faithful in Level 4 Stewardship, they handle their business, giving the government their share in taxes. Then they wisely store some of their surplus for their future, their legacy, and for the storms of life.

Prayer of Blessing: Thank you God for the Your wisdom to plan for our 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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor:  Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 NIV

There are no short cuts to Level 4 Stewardship; a life of sustainable increase and significance. We must be willing to go through the process. Gospel music icon James Cleveland wrote a song that says ” Please be patient with me. God is not through with me yet.” Level 4 Stewardship is a lifelong journey, not a destination. We must be in it, to win it.

After raising four successful children of our own, Ardella and I understand the power of patience and prayer when you have teenagers and toddlers in your home. When your authority is challenged, your sanity is questioned, and your energy level is depleted, it takes patience to love the blessings of parenthood.

I believe God, the Source of all power, is working in our lives even when we can’t see it or don’t believe it. One of my favorite biblical leaders is Joseph. Reading his life story is absolutely incredible. Joseph’s own brothers put him in a pit to die, then decided it was smarter to sell him into slavery for money. He served 14 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He was falsely accused of sexual harassment by his boss’s wife. His partners in prison forgot their promises they made to help him when they were released from prison.

With all this history, at the young age of 32, Joseph became one of the most powerful and wealthiest leaders in Egypt; second only to Pharaoh. Joseph shows us the power of patience when you have purpose in your life. Inside of Joseph ‘s heart, the seeds of greatness were planted when he was only 17 years old. He didn’t know when or how long it would take to mature. So when the storms of life came upon Joseph, he kept his confidence in the Source of All  Power working on his behalf.

Growth is often a painful and scary process. When the Creator calls us to Level 4 Stewardship, we sometimes feel uneasy and uncomfortable with ourselves. Like Joseph, we can trust in the Source of All  Power in our lives. Our Creator will do whatever is best for our good and what will ultimately give Him glory. Like Joseph, we can ultimately say, “What others meant for evil, God meant for good.”

Remember when the Creator calls you to Level 4 Stewardship, He has already equipped you to handle going thorough the process. The process is not graded on the speed of your growth as much as is it on how strong you become. God will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for eternity. As you travel this spiritual discovery of Level 4 stewardship, keep in mind, masterpieces takes time.

Prayer of Blessing: Creator God, thank You for having patience with us.

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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor:  But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV

To think like a servant requires a change of heart. A servant thinks more of how I can serve others rather than myself. Once we have acquired a servant’s heart, we no longer focus on our own needs so much, but turn our hearts to the needs of others.

I clearly remember walking into my office twenty-one years ago as a young insurance agent, disappointed with my sales production I had closed for the  month. I knocked on Mr. Hundley Batts  door and asked if I could speak to him for a moment.  “Mr.  Batts”, I said, ” I have been out selling all day long and  cannot find anyone to sell insurance to.”

Hundley Batts replied, “That’s your problem son, find people you can serve.” Those five words, “Find people you can serve” changed my whole entire paradigm on how I operate my insurance business,  www.battsandassoc.com . These days, eighty percent of my insurance business comes from referral business of people who are satisfied with my service.

“Lead Servant” is one of the best ways to describe the heart of a Level 4 Steward. Many faithful stewards begin their spiritual discovery as servants, however they end up as  celebrities. They become addicted to the spotlight, unaware that constantly being in the lime light can blind you.

There are four areas of life in which the Level 4 Steward focuses:

#1 How we care for our body(temple)

#2 How we invest our time

#3 How we develop our talents or gifts

#4 How we manage our treasure (financial assets)

This is a holistic approach to service. God wants all of you – not just little pieces of you.  The Level 4 Steward accepts the truth that God owns it all, and we are only caretakers, managers, and apprentices .  Level 4 Stewards think like servants, not like owners.

Can you be trusted with wealth, power, and social capital? God inspired Michael to start a Business Networking International  Chapter  www.givers4life.net to help businesses increase their revenue.  The heart of the Level 4 Steward is in giving service to others and to God. Level 4 Stewards make sure their lives honor  God and make the planet a much better place to live.

Prayer of Blessings: Creator God, thank You for a heart to serve meaningful others.

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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Waking in God’s Favor:  But I say to you who are listening now to Me: in order to heed, make it a practice to love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred. Luke 6:27 (Amplified)

This weekend we are giving presentations on “The Power of Love & Forgiveness” at the Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland for their Parent Weekend. Shortly after our arrival, we  were offered a night tour of the Washington DC mall by our good friend Louis Matthews.                                                                                                                                                                               We were surprised at the number of people who braved the 20 degree weather to view the various monuments and memorials that commemorate our American Heritage. One  inscription at the Martin Luther King Memorial that really spoke to our heart says “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

We believe love and forgiveness are divine qualities that comes from God. When we understand and receive the sacrifice Christ made for us, we then can offer that same kind of love and forgiveness to meaningful others.

In our society people will take advantage of you. They will scheme, swindle, and fraudulently go after your wealth. People like Bernard Madoff, who perpetrated over a 50 billion dollar Ponzi scheme, have made money their God. They have no problem ripping you off, if it puts money into their pockets. They knowingly take advantage of their influence, power, and wealth.

Level 4 Stewards practice the spiritual principle of forgiveness.  They have personally experienced the transformational power of forgiveness in their own lives and extend that kind of forgiveness to others.  When someone takes advantage of you , your faith can restore your loss in many ways.

Forgiveness is not an option for the Level 4 Steward. They extend grace to others, learn from the experience, and move on with their life’s mission. You can only experience this kind of forgiveness when you are connected to the Source of forgiveness.

Prayer of Blessings: Creator  God, place Your spirit of forgiveness in our hearts.

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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: That you may walk,  live and conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and  desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight,   acquaintance, and recognition. Colossians 1:10 Amplified Bible

We Christians in America have become so materialistic in our thinking. You have probably heard someone say, ” The one who dies with the most toys wins” or “The one with the gold makes the rules.”

The things in this world are temporal, but the things of God are eternal.  We believe Jesus Christ is returning for a people – not possessions. So, what are you doing to build intimate relationships with those you love? How are you investing your financial resources to better your relationship with God, family and meaningful others?

Ardella and I had the wonderful experience of attending a marriage empowerment session lead by  MyRon Edmonds.  In his new book “40 Days of Life Changing Family Worship”  http://tinyurl.com/b2scazm   he discussed the importance of families sharing time together daily to  connect spiritually, emotionally and  physically.

When you develop intimate relationships, you do it one-to-one. Your attention is focused on one person. Their needs become your priority. Dr David and Teresa Ferguson, co-authors of Intimate Encounters says, “Intimate relationships takes time and communications.”

This includes sharing one’s feelings, putting others first, sympathetic listening, and caring for one another. Sharing your heart with family and having meaningful relationships with others is what life is truly about. Life is meant to be shared. Sharing the love of  God with those we care about is priority for the Level 4 Steward.

There is nothing like the power of your own life story. Everyone has a story to tell.  How are you being blessed today? Sharing your life experiences with others encourages them and gives them hope.  Tell others how you have overcome life’s struggles; how your faith brings stability in your life; how living by biblical principles gives you the wisdom to look around the corner to prepare for the storms of life. And finally tell others of your spiritual discovery for your life’s vision.

Prayer of Blessings: Creator God thank you for a life of wisdom to share with family and meaningful others.

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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: And He replied to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).”  Matthew 22:37  Amplified

Recently we attended the wedding of a young couple in our church. They introduced us to the “hand ceremony” in their marriage ceremony to express their love for one another. It was stated that the hands of the newly wed wife would massage the neck of her newly wed husband when he returned home from a hard day of work, and the hands of  newly wed husband would massage the belly of his newly wed wife when she became pregnant with their children.  We believe marriage is the highest level of commitment for a man and woman  to discover their love for each other.

Level 4 stewards have discovered in their  spiritual journey that God’s nature is love.  That He gives each of us the freedom to discover His loving nature for our own selves.  The Creator freely gives us opportunities to experience His divine love.  Level 4 stewards understand that He only wants what is best for our good and His glory.

Our Creator has a purpose for your life and He is calling you to a higher level of stewardship. I love what the book of Jeremiah says in chapter 29 verse 11. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans for your hope and a future.” Wow! Now that is the kind of God I choose to worship.  I know He has everything under control. When we learned to let go and let God…That’s when things started happening.

I clearly remember when I began the process of looking for a life partner. I prayed that the woman whom I planned to marry would be someone who truly loved God.  That she would be someone I could spiritually connect with. It was very important to me that we shared our love for God with one another.

I am so thankful to God for bringing Ardella into my life. Every area I have allowed Ardella to touch in my life has turned to gold. I have prospered in my spiritual life, family life, professional life, and financially  life.  Over the years God has blessed our marriage, our family, and our lives as we continue to grow more in love with Him as well as each other.

Level 4 Stewards have learned to make intimacy with God their highest priority. God is faithful. He loves us with an unending love. There are no boundaries to God’s love for each of us.

Prayer of Blessings: Thank You Creator for loving us with no limits.

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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor:  I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me. I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me. I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. Philippians 4:13 Amplified

How serious are you about becoming the person God designed you to be? Many times we say words with our lips that are inconsistent with our actions. Why is there so often a disconnect between what we say and what we do?

The answer to this question is not the same for everyone. For some,  it’s just lip service, but for so many others, it has sincerely been a struggle to do the things we know to do. We can relate to Paul when he says in the Bible, “For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Romans 7:19  (KJV)

Ardella’s and my journey out of the financial bondage of debt has been a long, tedious one. There were times when we felt like we were treading water, making no progress at all. Then there were times in which we would take one step forward and one or two steps backwards. What was it, that motivated us to keep going, even when we could not see the light at the end of the tunnel? We have two answers for that question; prayer and Bible promises.

Prayer has given us strength, power, and wisdom to make the tough decisions needed to change our lifestyle. God’s Spirit has given us hope when we felt weak or discouraged. We stayed faithful even when it looked like it was impossible to remain faithful.

Wherever you are in your spiritual journey, find a promise that you can use for whatever situation you find yourself in. The Bible contains over 3,000 promises  and one has been tailor  made for you at this moment in your life.

We serve a God who is bigger than our problems. He knows the beginning and the end. He is personally concerned about our needs. How can we not succeed? There is no limit to what God can do in the lives of faithful stewards.

When you begin to experience success and victory,  remember to give  God the glory.  Resist the tendency to feel like you did it by yourself. Remember the words of  Wernher von Braun, ” I have learned to use the word “impossible” with the greatest caution.” Keep praying, keeping believing, with God all things are possible.

Prayer of Blessings:   Dear Lord thank You for all You have done thus far.

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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Level 4 Stewards realize the importance of time and manage their time wisely.  Staying connected to the Source is always their first priority. Level 4 stewards are aware that the choices they make today will impact future generations.  They understand that staying connected to the Source is critical to the success of their life mission.

We agree with what President Barack Obama says,  “Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition.  It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”

We have discovered in our spiritual lives that when we allow God lordship over our will, dreams, and ambitions, we experience more peace, love, and happiness in our world. God’s blessings in the life of  the Level 4 Steward will also be a blessing in the life of others. I believe God blesses the lives of Level 4 Stewards so they can be an example of  what He can do in a life that is connected to the Source.

We have developed the daily practice of investing time in prayer.  This allows us to say no to the good in order  to say yes to the great.  For example, in order for us to live a healthy life style, we say no to certain foods that may taste good and yes to foods that gives us the proper nutrition to support our goal of healthy living.

Here’s another example.  In order for us to live a debt free life style, we say no to financing our desires with debt, and yes to saving and investing to support our goal of wealth creation. The challenge for Level 4 Stewardship is to remain connected to the Source when you have the financial ability to acquire and do anything you desire.

Connectivity to God is the source of all blessings.  Connectivity to people is how the blessings flow from the Source into our lives. I love what Mary Kay Ash  said “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What  you believe,  remember, you can achieve.”  Level 4 Stewards are determined to stay connected to the  Source and practice the process of connectivity.

Prayer of Blessings: Creator God, we desire to stay connected to 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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking God’s Favor:  And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Have you prioritize your time in relationship to your life goals,  dreams and  purpose?  Tragedies  like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut can change  our life priorities forever.  The Level 4 Stewardship must learn when to say no to the good in order to say yes to the great. They prioritize  activities  that  align with their life mission.

The Level 4 Stewards have taken care of business. We have a last will and testament  in place and a financial plan for the golden years. (Age 70 is now the new 65 for retirement) Level 4 Steward continues to  develop their talents and abilities well beyond their 60′s, 70′s and 80′s. Level 4 Stewards are always growing mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. We age gracefully with wisdom and live exceptionally active lives.

Are you called to a higher level of stewardship? Are there pieces of your life you know needs to change.  We define stewardship from a holistic perspective. Beginning with our body temple.   How are  you taking care of yourself? Are you positively pushing yourself  beyond your physical boundaries by making healthy choices daily.

What is your bucket list of  things you want very much to accomplish, experience or become.  What gifts have you been given that you have laid aside  that you need to pick back up. Ardella and I have  always loved music, it is a lifelong passion we’ve both had since childhood.  Over the years  we have found creative ways to  keep  the music  playing in our souls and share our lifetime passion of music with others.   http://m4mcamp.blogspot.com.  Don’t die with your music still in you.

The Level 4 stewards intentionally mentors and sows into the lives of  the next  generation. They willingly share their life experiences and resources with family, friends and meaningful others.  The Level 4 stewards looks for meaningful ways to significantly impact the lives of people around them. They believe in the Givers Gain philosophy or law of reciprocity.  You reap what you sow.

Prayer of Blessings: Dear Lord, help us to set priorities in our lives that honor 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 four grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.