Strike Your Balance Financial Devotional

Crown Financial Ministries is providing a new 31-day devotional free of charge. As a nonprofit ministry, Crown’s passion is teaching people how to make money, manage money, and fulfill God’s purpose.

I challenge you to join me with this devotional during the 31 days of March. You’ll spend a few minutes each day with God and learn His principles for financial success.

Get ready for a life-changing journey and download a copy of this free devotional HERE

Lesson 5 of Og Mandino's University of Success

My notes from reading lesson 5 of Og Mandino’s University of Success this week include 10 causes of failure and how to conquer them:

1. Blaming others - take responsibility for self
2. Excessive self blame - forgive yourself
3. No goals - set goals
4. Wrong goals - make sure you have the right goals
5. Taking short cuts - work hard
6. Taking the long road - enjoy today
7. Neglecting details - pay attention to details
8. Quitting too soon - have persistence
9. Burden of the past - adapt to the present
10. Illusion of success - continue the effort

Taxes Are Done!

This past Monday was a holiday for me (President’s Day) so I worked a few hours on my Federal and State taxes and got them e-filed. I’ll be getting small refunds from our friendly Federal and State governments. In April I’ll pay about half of the refunds back to the city of Xenia and the Xenia school district. Oh well, easy come, easy go!

Wednesday evening our family participated in house church and had a good discussion around James 1.

Thursday my 16-year old son interviewed with Walgreen’s and came away with a new part time job. Next week he’ll be starting there as a service clerk a couple of days each week. Ah, the hurdles of growing up!

My time in Scripture this week produced the following thoughts:

• Jesus was baptized, called some disciples, began teaching and healing, went to a solitary place to pray, which are all good examples for us (Mark 1)
• Folly is undisciplined and without knowledge (Proverbs 9:13)
• Jesus was associated with sinners…they were/are the ones who need him. Jesus was angry and distressed about people with stubborn hearts (Mark 2)
• Laziness makes poor, diligence brings wealth (Proverbs 10:4)
• In Mark 4 we read the story of the farmer sowing seed, some seed the birds ate, some seed fell on rocky soil, some seed grew among thorns and eventually were choked out, and some seed landed in good soil and produced a harvest
• Some people are seeing but not perceiving, some people are hearing but not understanding (Mark 4:12)
• Leviticus is just so full of rules and regulations; thank God we’re not under that system!
• People were amazed at the wisdom of Jesus; he was amazed at their lack of faith (Mark 6)
• You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth – each man is but a breath (Ps 39:11)
  

How are you progressing on your 2007 taxes?