Part II - The Joy Of Budgeting: Navigating the Course

By Renee, LSWA

Starting a budget is like starting on a journey. You have to know where you are to set your course. Step one is knowing your present level of spending. You may want to keep a daily spending diary for a few weeks to a month to help you know how you spend your money. Compare that with your monthly income.

Step two is determining what represents a reasonable standard of living at your present income. For example, according to Crown Financial Ministries, a family of three/four with an income of $45k should not be spending more than 32% of their net spendable income on housing in an average housing market. That's about $890/month total on all housing expenses including utilities and maintenance. In high cost housing areas, the recommended amount is 55% or $1551/month. This website also provides percentage values based on your income for other areas of spending as well.

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Parenting Teens

By Roger

Parenting teens start way before the age of 13. You have to start when they are of elementary school age. That's the time you should gey your children invovled in certain activities. For my wife and I it was dance class, brownies, and baton twirling for our daughter and scouts, bowling, and martial arts for our boys. Not only should you sign your children up for these activities, you should try to be a part of those activities even if you are just there to cheer them on. I became an assistant scout master, while my boys were in scouts and always cheered them on in the other activities. My wife became involved in the baton group my daughter was in and now my daughter is teaching baton twirling to girls who are the same age as when she started.

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Homeschool Art: Simplicity Works

By Sandra

I‘ve been contemplating what kind of art to teach with my kids in the next school year. I’ve seen so many curricula that can easily be applied at home. But the first semester of our art lessons, I’ve concluded, will be comprised of pencil drawings. Believe it or not, we’ve never delved into drawing basics at our homeschool.

As someone inexperienced with drawing, I wanted to find something that looks easy and fun, not overwhelming for a beginner. I’m hoping my kids will enjoy the practice, and the process of learning and improving, and not feel the pressure to compete for a ribbon at some homeschool fair!

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Letters From The Heart

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

Part of child sponsorship is writing letters to your sponsored child. Sponsorship actually changes two lives- the child's and the sponsors. I know I can't wait to open every letter that one of my sponsored children sends me. Each day I hope to get a letter. I can imagine it is the same way for them. I tell many sponsors it is not the $38 that counts but rather the relationship that you are building. A sponsored child does not understand the monetary amount- that is what enables them to be in the program and provides for them. What makes a difference in their lives is that connection that is built through letter writing. Hearing from their sponsors shows that we care and love them unconditionally. When I saw Linda in May she brought every letter I had written to show me that she had saved them. Having been on two Sponsor Tours to Honduras I cannot tell you how many children have come up to me and said "Will you tell my sponsor to write to me?" I don't know their sponsor and this breaks my heart.

When I am talking to a potential sponsor I make sure that this fact is clearly made known. To release a child from poverty is not just about $$$$ but about giving hope through encouragement and sharing. Compassion does have a correspondence program in which people who understand the importance of letter writing will write to those children who do not have sponsors that write letters. I have included with permission an excellent slide show of some photographs of children with their letters. Look at how much they care.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child and making a difference let me know.....it really does impact two lives.

How Is Your Battery?

By Pat

A few weeks ago, the battery in one of our cars died. Instead of buying a new one, my husband found one we had bought a couple of years ago and had never used. It had been sitting in the garage and had been moved from one spot to another, so he thought it would just need to be charged in order to be usable. He hooked it up to a battery charger, and for several days it sat, connected to the charger, but it never regained its full power. Something inside the battery just wasn't right, and all the charging in the world wasn't going to fix it. We ended up having to buy a new battery. This whole episode made me see that, at times, I can also be like that old battery. I can charge myself daily with Bible reading, devotionals and prayer, but if there's something inside that isn't receptive to the charge, meaning my HEART, it just isn't enough. So every day, I ask God to "create in me a new heart and renew a steadfast spirit with me," as David did in Psalm 51:10. If my heart is right, I can receive my daily charge and have a much better walk with God.