living your awesome life one oops at a time
  • living your aweswome life one oops at a time
  • contact me
  • Contact Us
  • Program video
  • about me and why you should care
  • OUR STORE

Growing into wealth; beginning with quarters (PT 2 of 2)

2/16/2016

3 Comments

 
Everything I am about to tell you about money begins and ends with education. I can say this because I do not have a trust fund and I already used up my forty acres and a mule.

On my fortieth birthday, one of my closest friends asked me, "How does it feel to be a millionaire?" This was a question I was not prepared to answer. CONTINUED

I wanted to say a million dollars is not a lot of money. But how would that make me look and sound? I wanted to say a million dollars is a lot of quarters. That is how I really felt. I wanted to say money changes you. It takes a whole lot of self-awareness to live with money and you can never ever fall in love with it. Money does not work that way. Money does not love back. No amount of money is a panacea for any amount of unaddressed pain.

I have much respect for the value of money since my early days of growing up without a lot of it around to count. When I first began to acquire wealth, I knew things would be different. I grew up saving money. I also tithed 10% of anything I had in terms of money beginning at age 13. Tithing continues today. I graduated from college with $13,000 in the bank. On the day before graduation, I was sold a brand new Ford Escort straight off the lot and I did not have a driver's license. I had only a Permit.

So my experience with money has been saving it. Outside of lifestyle-sustaining necessities, I like spending it only when it creates more wealth, or when I am helping someone in need, or when I am creating a memory. Most everything I spend money on falls into one of these categories. This has worked for me.

I have made mistakes in each of these categories too, big ones. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in bad investment deals, money given to help someone and they were not good stewards of the blessing, or paying too much for a vacation because I had the dates all wrong and had to pay hefty surcharges. But these too have shaped my treatment of money.

Through my husband’s and my generosity we have provided fantastic opportunities for others, mostly anonymously. Once we paid private school tuition for a year for a African-American young man whose parents simply ran out of money. We never learned who he was, we only knew he really needed it. We have sent people on mission trips to South Africa; they never knew from where the blessing came. We have loaned our family down payments for first time home ownership. That kind of stuff.

But we have also said no. We have said no a lot. I have gotten better at it. Like I said, money changes you. Not only those with it, but also those looking in on those with it. I don't give or loan money to anyone who brings with them a spirit of expectancy. No one comes out ahead. No one. I should also mention I rarely ever loan money any longer. I must be willing to give it before I can loan it. Otherwise lots of feelings get hurt, starting with mine.

So why is all of this important? For me this is the point. You can never do enough, spend enough, give enough in God's eyes if done through a prism of his purpose. He is always waiting to outdo you. He has and he will repay our giving. I believe those that have should give with a giving heart. It is a test of our stewardship over gifts from above no matter big or small. And when we show ourselves worthy and ready, he will give more and more and more, until there is not enough room in our storehouse to receive it.

My growing wealth is a true testament to my obedience and his promises kept. Every time I do something with his name on it, he completely blows my mind. There is no monetary value I can place on that!

BOOK SALE http://www.liveyourawesomelife.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
3 Comments
Talania
2/16/2016 10:38:04 am

This is an awesome read and definitely puts things back into perspective.

Reply
La Detra White
2/16/2016 12:13:41 pm

Thank you and amen!

Reply
Felicia Simmons
3/21/2017 07:53:04 am

This truly touched and encouraged my heart. I too grew up struggling due to bad decisions my mom chose due the issues in her life. Then I followed in her footsteps, rasing three children out of wedlock and struggling from being on welfare to always working, but still not having enough. Now after my children are now grown up and have children of their own, the Lord has now allowed my deliverance and healing from a lot of hurts, pains, rejections, and rebellion. I'm now at the tender age of 51, am now discovering who I am and what my purpose is. No, I'm not rich, but I'm a giver and this is one of the best gifts the Lord has instilled in me. Thank you for sharing and I know my barns will be full to help those who too need help and most of definitely, love!!!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    La Detra Joy

    I love being around people. I would rather live falling than break my spirit never trying anything hard. This blog is about trying and retrying life.

    SUBSRIBE TO FEED

    Archives

    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    Categories

    All
    Family
    Life
    Love
    Marriage
    Mistakes
    Relationships
    The Spirit
    Travel
    Victories

    Booking Inquiries

    RSS Feed

 copyright 2013 Noble Insight, Inc. All Rights Reserved