76% of people live paycheck to paycheck, almost 8 out of 10 people 64% of people can’t pay for a $1,000 emergency Another goal for our financial well-being is setting up a savings plan for future needs, both short-term and long-term. Instead of reaching for a credit card every time there is an emergency, it’s…
This original poem by our friend, Janet Blessing, addresses the dilemma of whether to talk with our children, our pastors, our church friends about the abuse, the pain, the hurt, the sin infesting our home. STILL GRIEVING of all I’d put my children through; of all I’d done to me– but worst of all, the…
Paying off debt is not the only reason we need to find margin in our budget. We all have things we need to save for such replacing our car, projects in our home or take a vacation. The following are ideas of ways to save and earn money that were previously posted on the FOCUS…
We continue to recognize February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month with this excerpt from our recent publication, Time To Talk. I can’t even count the number of women who have said to me, “I wish I would have told someone what was happening to me. I was afraid back then, but if I could…
The majority of people have 24% of their income going towards consumer debt We need to come to the realization that expenses over 100% of our income are not sustainable. Something to ask yourself, “Is my spending in line with my financial goals, vision and values as a Christ follower?” Everything we have are gifts…
February is a month to recognize that teens are getting hurt out there — those times of hanging out and building relationships and trying to find love in all the wrong places — it is real and it is not healthy. Dating abuse is serious! Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience abuse from…
FOCUS Ministries (in a wonderful collaboration with illustrator Maya Dzik) is very excited to announce the recent completion of our latest publication, Time To Talk. Just in time for February — Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month — this booklet is specifically designed for families and church youth groups to start those very important conversations about…
In February, we “focus” on ways that teens and young adults can avoid abuse in their relationships. Here’s a story about Little Wife and the things that happened to her when she was young…that actually groomed her to become a “little abused wife” later on in life… Little Wife was looking in the old…
The month of February is near and dear to our hearts….of course, there’s Valentine’s Day on the 14th, but also it is a time to focus on ways to help teens develop healthy relationship skills. In these difficult days, teens are struggling more than ever with this problem. It’s very good to remember that safe,…
Creating a spending plan is essential to being a good steward of your resources and to reach your financial goals. Now that you have reviewed 4 months of expenses you have a good idea of what you are spending each month. Let’s begin with the categories and recommended percentages to use as guidelines in setting…