Category Archives: Uncategorized

Walking in God’s Favor: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Today we will help celebrate the marriage of the son of our good friends,  Donell and Lynn Collins, in Brooklyn, NY. 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 plan 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 who 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 for God 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 love 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 me with 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.

Walking in God’s Favor: I will instruct you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over  you. Psalm 32:8 NIV

My truth (Michael) is I was raised in a Christian home and for most of my adult life believed the desire for increase profits and wealth was  immoral.   After reading Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s  book “Thou Shall Prosper”  I was inspired to make 3 immediate changes in my attitude regarding wealth.

1. I  would begin to believe in the dignity and morality of business success.

2. I would follow the opportunities in life that increases my wealth.

3. I would educate myself in ways that increase my potential to help to others.

My goal 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 take key leadership roles in my church and the business community, as well as launch a business networking organization www.gg4life.net  I now choose to intentionally  invest my time and develop my talents wisely in recognition of God’s ownership.

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 an assignment or  purpose that you have the potential to fulfill.

Prayer of blessings:  Thank you Lord for guiding and watching over our lives.

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 resides in Huntsville, Alabama.

Waking in God’s Favor:  But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Luke 6:27  NIV

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 experience the transformational power of forgiveness in their own lives and extends 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 we are connected to the Source of forgiveness.

Prayer of Blessings: Creator  God, we ask for healing from painful memories of the past. Place Your spirit of forgiveness in my heart.

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.

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

Level 4 Stewards have taken care of business. They 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. They 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.

Have you prioritize your time in relationship to your life goals,  dreams and  purpose?  Moments in US history like September 11th can change your priorities forever.  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 mission.

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 layed 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.   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 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: Father God, I will follow where You lead me.

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.

Walking in God’s Favor: Love God with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 20:27 NIV

We empower others to grow when they can see a living example. Nothing is more discouraging than a person  who gives good advice but sets a poor example.  On the other hand, nothing can be more encouraging or inspiring than a person who lives the life he or she talks about.

Level 4 stewards internally recognize the importance of being who you say you are. Personal integrity has a tremendous impact on our own lives and those around us. In my early 30’s, as a young husband and father,  I made a decision  I would not teach or speak publicly about principles I was not practicing in my own life.

This idea to be transparent in my public life  has help me to set positive examples of faithful stewardship in how I prioritize my time,  develop my God- given gifts,  care for my body-temple and invest my financial resources.    Spending quality time with my spouse, attending my children and grandchildren events,  exercising and eating healthy foods, budgeting our personal finances, along with setting business goals has required me to consider who I am and the example I’m leaving others to follow.

Prayer of Blessings: Thank you Creator God for loving me without 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 resides in Huntsville, Alabama.

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

We were first introduced to stewardship principles by Elder Harold Lee.   A young family with four children, Ardella  was a stay-a-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.

God has placed in each of us more potential than we will ever develop and we must choose to develop or not to develop our God-given gifts.  After learning and living stewardship principles for over 25 yeas we have discovered certain levels of stewardship in which people are living  consciously or unconsciously each day of their life.

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 Sustainable Increase & Significance

Level 1 Stewardship is the life  of struggle. The Level 1 Seward 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 your immediate basic needs in front of you.

The first lesson you must  learn  in Level 1 Stewardship is, God is the Creator Owner and you are only the 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 us with a good education, we worship the education. God blesses us with a successful business and we worship the business. God blesses us with  talents and we worship the talent.  Instead of worshiping the Gift Giver we worship the gifts. The Level  1  Stewards learn to worship God as Creator Owner and giver of all gifts.

Thank you for stopping by.  Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook. We welcome you to post  how Level 1 Stewardship has helped you to become a better steward of your wealth.

The Lord will bless you so you will become the leading nation in the world, if you pay attention to what He said and faithfully keep the commandments and laws that He has given you. Deuteronomy 28:14

North America  is the richest country on the planet. Mel Gipson, movie actor/producer,  earned over 350 million dollars from the movie The Passion of  Christ. Oprah Winfrey is the richest African American woman on the planet.

Such enormously powerful income can support lavish lifestyles, magnificent mansions, awesome automobiles, exotic vacations, unlimited shopping for designer clothes & luxury personal items. The media is more than willing to make known to the general public the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Unfortunately, many Americans believe that anything less than  excessive luxury is equivalent to poverty. If your goal is the Hollywood style of prosperity, more than likely that is something you will probably never reach. The bling bling life style of professional athletes and recording artists influence people young and old to get rich or die trying.

We believe there is a difference between riches and wealth. You can become rich without God in your life. We can easily find unethical Wall Street Bankers, greedy CEO’s, drug dealers and pornography pimps who are rich. That’s because riches are material possessions.

On the other hand wealth is obtained through spiritual wisdom, character development and the observance of God’s laws. We should not worry or focus all our time on getting rich. But instead, focus on loving God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul. It is He who gives you the power to get wealth.

God will take care of your needs according to His riches in glory. God’s plan for your life is greater than anything you could ever dream or imagine. God loves you more that anyone and has a plan for your life.

Prayer: O God, thank  you for your love.

Moreover when God give any man wealth and possessions and enable him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work is a gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5:19

Our definition of wealth is holistic and difference than most people. We define wealth as things money cannot buy such as good health, loving relationships, peace of mind, creative abilities, knowledge and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Having a fat bank account,  strong investment portfolio, or family trust fund, doesn’t  necessary mean you are truly wealthy. If you have million dollars net worth and you are always worrying about losing it or someone trying to scam your money, you aren’t truly wealthy.  You have a scarcity mentality.

The first truly wealthy person I was able to observe over the years was my father-in-law the late Howard T. Williams. This barrel chest, quick to laugh man was always willing to share a smile and words of wisdom with anyone who crossed his path.

Mr. Williams was a productive employee for  Chrysler Corporation for 32 years and had one of those long-term relationships. He was married to the same woman for 42 years. He gave back to his community by serving as a member of the Detroit School Board for 13 years.

He saved money for a college fund for all (5) of his children.  Paid off his home mortgage early, avoided debt & credit cards, and had emergency fund for the unexpected. On the day of his death Mr. Williams had a will and his burial arrangements in place. He was man ahead of his times.

In the world’s economy it says wealth is measure primary by material possessions and the things money can buy. In God’s economy true wealth begins with things we cannot necessarily see and is measured with certain things money cannot buy.

Thanks for stopping by. Follow us on twitter and  like us  face book. We welcome to post how personally defining wealth has helped you to become a better steward of your wealth.

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

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.

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.

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.

Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath  fulfilled the law. Roman 13:8 KJV

We believe overcoming financial bondage is one of the greatest struggles for anyone seeking financial freedom. Many of us only dream of saving money. In many instances we do not experience financial health because we are trying to borrow ourselves into wealth. We want to look rich to cover are raggedness. We desire to appear prosperous to hide our poverty. We feel that wealth can heal our wounds.

Many of us do not see anything wrong with living in debt. The more I can borrow the better. I didn’t either at first; just like the story of the frog . I’m told if you put a frog in a pot of water on a stove with no lid, and gradually turn up the heat, the frog will remain in the pot until it is cooked alive, even though the frog has the ability to easily jump out of the pot at anytime.

Initially I felt debt was a good thing; just a financial tool. It allowed me to obtain things I felt I needed  now and I could pay for it later….WOW! That sounded like a good deal… Just like when the serpent lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden. He told Eve if she ate of the tree of good and evil she would not “surely die”. Listen to me people, if you play with snakes you will get bitten.

Debt has been successfully marketed by banks and financial institutions in the United States as your pathway to prosperity. As a result, many of us have found ourselves in financial bondage with little or no hope of ever experiencing financial freedom again.

If you are in bondage because of debt, your first step into financial freedom is to admit your finances are out of control. If you continue to live in denial, you won’t seek help and you won’t break free.  The Bible says that “the borrower is slave to the lender”. Ask God, in prayer, for the power  to break break free of  debt. With God, and a made up mind, you can experience financial freedom.

Thanks for stopping by. We welcome you to post how not borrowing money to maintain a life style that is above your means has helped you become a better steward of your wealth.