To Tithe or Not to Tithe

It’s no secret that our country is facing difficult times. Last month, the unemployment office reported a record number of filings. Few areas in the country have been left unaffected by our nation’s financial crisis. A car plant not too far from my house just closed its doors last week, leaving thousands without jobs.

It is tempting during these tough times to stop giving our tithe. We might look at our income and see that we have more money going out than coming in. If only we could save that extra 10% for ourselves, we’d be a bit better off.

I was sitting at lunch the other day with some co-workers, when one of them made the observation that his future in-laws were losing their house because they insisted on giving 10% of their income to their church. This announcement began a flurry of religion-bashing, blaming the churches for “conning” good people out of their hard-earned money in order to profit the church.

As the conversation buzzed around me, I turned to the man who had started the subject and said to him, “You know, I find it really hard to believe that people would lose their house over 10% of their income. Are you sure there wasn’t something else going on there?” He confessed in a low voice that these people had indeed gotten themselves into a heap of credit card debt and had made other careless choices with their money.

I had a choice at that moment—to speak up or to sit tight. I spoke up. I announced to the table that my husband and I tithe and feel better off for it. Sure, there are weeks when writing out that check is difficult to say the least, but we have yet to go hungry.

I remember a few years ago, right after I had bought my house as a single woman. It had taken a rather large stretch in my finances to be able to buy my home, and I was feeling the strain of living paycheck-to-paycheck. I was having a conversation with a friend and told her that I’d like to tithe, but I just couldn’t afford it. She replied, “Oh honey, you can’t afford NOT to tithe.”

She went on to tell me about the numerous times her husband and she almost lost their business and their farm, but each time the Lord would pull them though. She confessed to me that she used to lie awake at night and worry about money, but experience had taught her not to, because God never let them down. Now when they are experiencing an economic downturn, my friend sleeps soundly, knowing that everything is going to be alright.

Leviticus 27:30 states, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Remember when you are tempted to withhold your tithe to pay some other bill, that really that money is not yours, but God’s. And if you have not been a good steward of God’s money, try to make things right if you can. After all, it is our covenant with God that if we are faithful with what He has given us, He will not let us falter.

Unconditional Love

Sometimes I am amazed by the capacity that I have to love and forgive--my animals. If my dog disobeys me, or if my cat has a spaz moment and tries to bite my arm off, sure I get a bit peeved. I even scold them and, in the dog's case, send him to time out. Yet at no time during those incidents do I feel any less love for them than normal. And when I see that they are sorry and want to make up, my heart practically overflows with love for them.

So why is it not that way with other human beings? When a friend or co-worker slights me or hurts me in some way, I take it much more personally. I might try to distance myself from that person for a few days or, depending on the infraction, permanently. I tell myself that I "forgive them" but that I just don't want to get hurt again. Why do I react differently to my animals?

I believe it is because of intentions. I know that my dog loves me and wants to please me with all his heart. That is pretty much the way all dogs are with their owners. Yet sometimes his rebellious nature just gets the best of him. It's not that he is trying to hurt me or doesn't love me, he just gets himself into a pickle sometimes. Knowing that his heart is in the right place allows me to forgive him. On the other hand, I don't always know where the hearts of my fellow man or woman are. This makes it much more difficult to forgive them.

During prayer this morning, God pointed out to me that the way in which I love my animals is very similar to the way in which He loves us. In fact, the love and forgiveness that He has for us is one hundred times what I feel for my animals. When we disobey Him, He doesn't take it personally because He knows the true nature of our hearts.

It makes sense, really. You and I cannot possibly know the true nature of our fellow man or woman's heart; only God can know this. Therefore we are much more likely to take offense when they do something that we perceive as an intentional slight. Maybe the key to loving our fellow human being is to convince ourselves that despite what we see in their behavior, their hearts are in the right place.

What do you think?

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Three-Eyed Susans

If you're looking for a yummy yet simple cookie recipe, try these delightful little zingers.

1 c. Bisquick
1 small pkg. french vanilla instant pudding mix
3 T. vegetable oil
1 egg
Chocolate chip morsels

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips until well-blended. Form into balls about the size of a teaspoon and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Add three chocolate chips to the center of each ball. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Makes about 15 small cookies.

Enjoy!

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God Bless you all and have a great week!

Good Stewards

Given the state of the economy these days, it's hard not to think about money. Maybe you are one of those who are fortunate to have more than enough, but chances are, you have at least had to cut back a little. Having gotten married recently, finances have become a major discussion in our household. It's difficult when one spouse likes to spend and the other likes to save. We do pretty good meeting in the middle for the most part, but there are some fundamental differences in how we view money.

Lately, I have been pondering the meaning of money from a Christian perspective. It is my belief that whatever we have been given is not really ours to keep, but rather is on loan from God. He has granted us money not just so that we may have food, clothing and shelter, but also so that we may glorify His Kingdom. For example, if we tithe and give charitable donations, we are glorifying Him. Now, is that to say that we should never be self-indulgent? I honestly don't know. On the one hand, we work hard, so shouldn't we be able to enjoy the money we earn? On the other hand, how can we spoil ourselves with meaningless material items when there are people in this world who do not even have their basic needs met?

It occurred to me the other day that our dog and cat live higher quality lives than many people in this world. They have shelter--the dog has a sweater and a ski jacket, and even sleeps in our bed with us at night--plenty of food and treats, and regular healthcare (including dental!). How many people in countries like Haiti and Bolivia can say that?

I sponsor a young boy from Africa through the Christian Children's Fund. He sleeps on a straw mat each night. My dog actually sleeps in a more comfortable bed than this young boy! So how can I go out and buy all kinds of meaningless stuff and feel good about that? On the flip side, I cannot possibly solve all of the world's problems or eradicate poverty by myself.

A couple of years ago, I took a trip to a border town in Mexico on a missions trip with my church. We had set up a health clinic there for two days. We saw over 400 men, women and children. Most of them were very, very poor. But you know what? They were happy. And the children were very loved. So we look at them and see that they don't have comfy couches and Nintendo and feel so sorry for them, but they don't feel deprived of that stuff. Why not? Because they've never known that kind of life. How can you miss a lifestyle you've never had! Sure, I'd love to have a yacht and a vacation home in Europe, but since I've never had those things, I'm not thinking about them day after day and feeling sorry for myself. I think it's the same thing. The only thing these "poor" people in Mexico lack that we don't is material items. They have their faith in God, they have their families, and they have lots and lots of love. And as for food, clothing and shelter? They manage. They get by. And I bet you that they are ten times more grateful for what they do have than you and I are. So should we really feel sorry for them?

I apologize for my tangent. I'm thinking/writing in circles here. My original intent was to ask what does it mean to be a good steward of God's money. Any thoughts?

God Bless!

Funny little quiz...

I found this quiz to test your American accent. It nailed mine!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North   You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The South
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

A Christian In Progress

Welcome to my new blog! I chose this title because oftentimes it feels deceiving to call myself a Christian when I fall so very short of living the kind of life that would make me worthy of that title. However, I am a Believer and hope to be worthy of the title Christian someday.

A bit about me:

~ I am in my mid-30s
~ I live in the Midwest
~ I am an aspiring writer
~ I love animals, cooking, gardening, reading, and spending time with my husband

Why I started this blog:

~ I used to blog long ago, but gave it up after discovering I didn't have time. At that time, I had a lot of friends in my blogging community and it was difficult to keep up with reading everyone else's blogs as well as posting to mine. I am starting this blog back up (this time anonymously) as a way of sharing my thoughts and feelings on all sorts of things, from spirituality to recipes. I am hoping to connect with other women who share similar interests.

Stay tuned for more soon!

Peace and Blessings