To my kids

My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. Proverbs 3:1-2

This morning's passages in Daily Light are as follows. Please read them before you read my following comments. These words are more important than mine.

One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. Luke 12:15

A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. Psalm 37:16

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. Proverbs 15:16

Godliness with contentment is great gain. Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 1 Timothy 6: 6, 8

Give me neither poverty nor riches--feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, "who is the Lord?" Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8-9

Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25

"When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." Luke 22:35

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Few of you will remember the training days Dad and I had in Pea Ridge; some of you will remember our mention of them. Perhaps we have not served you well in these years of your becoming grown up by our easy use of the credit card. These passages were convicting me this morning wherever there was need. But I also remember that I carry around in my soul a restraint built out of my parents' frugal example, my credit card abuse in my first year after college, and God's training of Dad and me in our years in Pea Ridge where he did not get a regular paycheck. So now when I use credit cards, I am always thinking of frugality and our present debt (house, monthly credit card bills which get paid off each month), and that knowledge guides my restraint; that is something that you might not see, while you see me ordering this for us or that for you online, or taking you to a store to let you get what you need. That we don't have much put away for emergency is not ideal, but I remember the promises above.

Dad taught well in Prosperity and Poverty about food and clothing being the measure of our being out of poverty. I think about how much we actually have, including a great variety of clothing and an abundance of food, and I realize we are wealthy beyond the imagination of most. Keep 1 Timothy 6:8 in your mind. Let us turn our sometimes grumbling hearts to gratefulness as we serve the Lord with our possessions.

And learn from my words that using credit cards can be a snare. We are instructed to owe no one anything but love. I urge all of you to be wise with your incomes, carefully planning, wisely saving, and contentedly spending. Read the Proverbs a lot for wisdom with money. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase. So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold...

I love you.

Mom