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Emily G. Stroud

True Wealth Comes from God

Secret #1 to Financial Freedom

November 20, 2017 by Emily G. Stroud

I don’t want you, my reader friend, to be living one flat tire, medical bill, or broken household appliance away from financial devastation. Trust me, it’s such a stressful way to live your life.

Now take a deep breath. I have good news for you. There is hope and there are ways to be proactive with your finances, rather than reactive. Proper financial planning is the key to avoiding many financial pitfalls. The most basic financial planning task, but the most critical for success, is a realistic monthly budget.

I want to encourage you to see creating a budget as a way to be responsible and respectful of the resources that God has entrusted you with. What you give attention to in your life is what you will gain affection for. What you have affection for changes your activities and attitude. If you truly love God and want to show affection for him, one of the ways to do that is to actively and responsibly manage your personal finances.

If you have a realistic monthly budget that you actually commit to follow, it will allow you to live a more fruitful and peaceful life from a financial standpoint. You will have a handle on how much income is coming in to your household and how much money is being spent each month. Also, careful budgeting ultimately allows you to give a portion of your income to kingdom causes, such as your local church or non-profit organizations, because you are not spending more money than you earn. There are missionaries, pastors, and non-profit organizations all over the world that are currently acting as the hands and feet of Christ by serving God’s people. They could truly benefit from your financial support so they can continue to do the kingdom work that God has called them to do. Stop and pray right now about whether or not your budget is being properly managed. Do you currently have a tithe or financial offering as part of your monthly budget? If not, consider starting with a small portion of your income each month and see if God blesses your finances.

The biggest objection I hear is that people do not know where to start when it comes to actually sitting down and creating a budget. As a result, I have done all of the hard work for you because I believe this is so important. Simply enter your name and email address below and I will then send you a complimentary budget worksheet.  All you have to do is fill in the blanks and then add and subtract.  That’s it.  So no more excuses!

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Filed Under: Budget Planning, Faith, Faithful Finance, Saving, Trusting God's Plan

The King and I

March 8, 2016 by Emily G. Stroud

emilyking

According to Wikipedia, Christ the King is a title for Jesus Christ. It refers to the concept of the Kingdom of God where Christ is seated at the Right Hand of God.

Since last fall, I have been working out at a new gym. When I started my new workout regimen, I really thought that I was going to the gym to get my body in shape. However, God works in mysterious ways. You think you are doing something for one reason, and His plan is actually so much better for you than you ever could have imagined. He really is a good, good Father.

So how does Christ the King intersect this story?

The name of my personal fitness trainer is King. Yes, that really is his God-given first name.

The more that I get to know King, the more he is a living, breathing refection of The King of kings. Through difficult physical exercises and weight training, he pushes me beyond my pre-conceived physical limits. He lovingly disciplines me, encourages me, stretches me, and is helping to mold me into a better version of myself.

I would not consistently work out at the gym if it were not for the encouragement of King. If allowed, I can come up with numerous reasons for skipping my regularly scheduled workout.

Much to my chagrin, I cannot hide from King, just like I cannot hide from Jesus. They both keep tabs on me. If I tell King that I am too tired to work out on any particular day, he happily responds, “I am so happy you are tired. That means you are working hard. What a blessing! I can’t wait to see you at the gym today.” I sigh . . . and then I put on my tennis shoes.

King reminds me quite often, “Emily, there are no shortcuts. Being healthy and fit requires discipline and commitment. The same goes for your spiritual life. You need to stay in the Word and stay connected to your Heavenly Father through prayer.” Just like my Heavenly Father, King sees all of my shortcomings and still believes that I can be used for a bigger and greater purpose.

In essence, God says to me:

“Emily, in order to teach people about Jesus and how to handle their finances in such a way that they can live a more fruitful and peaceful life, you must be sharp physically, mentally, and spiritually. I am here to support you. I believe in you. I am on your team.”

King is very well known for the following phrase: “Not to worry.” He uses it in every context imaginable. It reminds me of how our Heavenly Father responds to us as well. The conversations go a little like this:

Me: “Good morning King! Sorry I am late today.”

King: “Not to worry. I am glad you are here. I have been waiting for you and I am proud of you for making the effort to come today.”

Me: “That barbell is too heavy for me. I cannot lift it by myself. I just can’t do it.”

King: “Not to worry. I will help you. You are stronger than you think you are. You can do this. I believe in you.”

Me: “I cannot come today because I do not have childcare for my kids.”

King: “Not to worry. Bring the children here. They are always welcome.”

Me: “King, I am discouraged. My burden is heavy today.”

King: “Not to worry. Rest in the knowledge that today, no matter what your shortcomings, you will definitely have Grace to finish the day well.”

Me: “King, will you pray for me and my ministry today?

King: “Not to worry Emily. I pray for you every day. It is my honor to walk beside you in this season of Jesus lifting you up, because you are lifting Him up through your ministry as an author. I am excited for you and I pray that you have His wisdom, discernment, grace, and peace in these and the coming days.”

Who is the King of your life?

I pray that it is Jesus Christ. He is the most loving encourager, protector, and friend we will ever have in this life and in eternity. Don’t miss out on a relationship with the King of kings!

Filed Under: Faith

Good News If You Didn’t Win Powerball

January 14, 2016 by Emily G. Stroud

Emily G. StroudSimple Definition of lottery: a system used to decide who will get or be given something by choosing names or numbers by chance. Webster’s Dictionary

It seems that everyone wants a chance at becoming rich overnight this week. We are even putting pools of money together to increase our odds of winning the Powerball lottery. However, what we all seem to have forgotten is that the chances of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292 million. We are more likely to get struck by lightning TWICE in our lifetime than win this lottery.

Now don’t get me wrong: the hype that built up this week was fun to play off, and it was fun for people everywhere to think they might have a chance to win. But at the end of the day, players were throwing their name into a hat for the slimmest of slim chances at a distant dream. There was no guarantee; there was only luck.

What if we all ran to get a free ticket for something that was guaranteed, rather than bought a ticket for something not guaranteed? What if we ran to the feet of Jesus instead of ran to the convenience store to purchase a lottery ticket? Let us not forget that our chance of winning eternal life has already been guaranteed and it cost us nothing!

Jesus paid the price for all of our sins on the cross over 2,000 years ago. He paid all of our debts. He promised us the free gift of forgiveness and life more abundantly with Him. However, in this modern world of shiny, fancy things, we have simply forgotten that we have already won. We have no need to play the lottery. We have the opportunity to spend eternity with the King of Kings and walk on streets of gold.

Let us all remember that nothing of this earth that will be bought with money or a winning ticket will ever be more magnificent than eternity with the King! Let’s focus on the guarantee of the free gift of eternal life rather than the odds of winning or most likely, losing, the lottery.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

 

Filed Under: Faith

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Registered Representative: Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.,a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisor Representative, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Stroud Financial Management, Inc. are not affiliated.


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