Category: Christmas

5 Options to Avoid Debt Next Christmas

A client of mine recently mentioned that he had dropped $7,500 on gifts this Christmas.  That’s a lot of money.  This man has a large family, and he had a very good business year. Maybe he was making up for leaner Christmases during covid, or perhaps he wanted to celebrate a great increase in the volume of his business.  Either way, he spent a lot of money.

5 options to avoid debt next Christmas with a Christmas background

Americans tend to spend more money on Christmas presents, food, decorations, and trees than they have saved, and wind up dealing with after-Christmas debt each January.  Here are some numbers that illustrate this:

Average spending per couple$1,864
Average money spent on each child$330
Average cost for a Christmas tree$200
Average after-Christmas debt$1,242

 If you are an average family who spends $1,864 all-in for Christmas, you need to save $155 per month to avoid being in debt in January. Of course, you do not have to spend that much on Christmas, and you should not unless it fits into your budget.  Whatever amount you decide that you can spend for Christmas 2023, you should start saving now.  That is easier said than done, and it is unlikely to happen without plan. 

What are your options for starting to set aside money now for Christmas 2023?

  1. Christmas club account. Christmas clubs allow you to set aside an equal sum of money each week, month, or paycheck. Money cannot be withdrawn without penalty until November.  The interest rates are on the low side; however, the plan is simple, it pays interest, and payments can be deducted from your paycheck.  This was popular when I was a child, and I had such an account for many years.
  2. Opening a savings special account just for Christmas.  The idea is the same as the Christmas club, but you have access to the money at any time. So, you must be able to resist the temptation to withdraw the money for other expenses that arise during the year.
  3. Creating a sub-account in an existing savings account.  A sub-account allows you to save money for special events, such as Christmas, by automatically transferring money each month or pay period.  To learn more about savings sub-account: https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/tip-using-sub-savings-accounts-for-unexpected-expenses/#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20sub%2Dsavings,each%20of%20my%20sub%2Daccounts.
  4. Budgeting the money.  If you have great self-control, you can simply budget the amount you need and not spend it on other things.  Most people don’t have that much self-control so another option will work better.
  5. Buy presents throughout the year.  This is the strategy that I employ.  I start shopping in the summer for gifts for my eight grandchildren.  This allows me to pay for gifts a few at a time. This method works well, if it is done in conjunction with a budget.  You must track your spending and stay within your budget.

Budgeting is important to manage your finance and control your spending on all categories.  If you struggle with budgeting, I have many blog articles on creating budgets under the Finance tab.  I have also published a Bible study, Honoring God with Your Money, to help you learn and implement godly principles of money management.

The Light Shining in the Darkness

December would be a dark and dreary month were it not for Christmas lights. Days are shorter, and the sun has set by the time I leave work. As I drive through the streets of our town and into our neighborhood, I am cheered by the bright lights of Christmas. White icicle lights hang from eaves, beautifully lit trees gleam through large picture windows, and brightly colored lights are draped around trees and shrubs. The lights bring joy and cheer. They remind us that darkness can not hide the light.

Town decorated for Christmas
Photo by Andrew Nevins on Pexels.com

The Bible does not provide the date of the birth of Christ. We do know that Jesus was born at a time of great spiritual darkness. His birth brought light into an oppressed world. The darkness of December, with the shortest days of the year, symbolize the oppression of sin and the heaviness of living in bondage,

Jesus’s birth was heralded with bright light, “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.” Luke 2:9 The shepherds soon learned that they had nothing to fear, but rather a reason to celebrate. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior-to-be, had been born.

The words spoken by the prophet Isaiah had come to pass, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2

Photo by Burkay Canatar on Pexels.com

Jesus’s birth brought light to a darkened world. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it….That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” John 1:4-5,9

Darkness entered the world at the Garden of Eden, and ever since we have lived in a fallen world. The only escape from the darkness is to seek the Light. Jesus is that light. He has promised to reveal his light and his love to all who seek Him. During the Christmas season, I urge you to allow the true light of Christmas to permeate your heart and bring joy and peace into your life.

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1 

Preparing for the Holiday Season

We are a few weeks into fall, and the holidays are just around the corner. The holiday season will not be back to “normal” this year, as covid-19 continues to wreck havoc with schedules and supply chains.  It’s always a good idea to start early and have a plan.  This year, planning ahead is more important than ever.  Here’s some steps to help you have a blessed holiday season.
1) Savor time spent with family.  Many of us will feel a bit more comfortable traveling this fall and having guests in our homes than we did last year.  Make up for lost time.  Invite family and friends for simple meals, fellowship, and games.  Spend less energy planning the “perfect” event and more time enjoying being together with those you care about most.
2) Focus on the real reason for the holidays.  Take time to reflect on how God has blessed your family during the past year.  Even in challenging times, we are a blessed nation.  Thank God for the blessings He has bestowed on you and for the gift of His Son, whose birth brought hope to a darkened world.
3)  Avoid revenge spending.   Many people have put their spending into high gear this year to make up for fewer opportunities to indulge in 2020.  Economists have dubbed this phenomenon “revenge spending.”  This is not a good idea.  Spending more will not make your holidays merrier, and it might eat into savings accumulated last year.
4) Budget.  In the next few months, you will be shopping for food, candy, gifts, and decorations for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  Plan now for spending, in accordance with your budgets.
5) Set aside time.  Plan to take a few days off from work or set aside some Saturdays to begin shopping, planning menus, and start decorating.
6) Delegate.  Share duties with your spouse, children, and family and friends with whom you will celebrate.  They may come up with great, new traditions to include in your celebrations for many years to come, and you will save a lot of time.
7) Plan ahead and be flexible.  The past year and half have taught us that we don’t know what the future holds from day to day.  Covid-19 has presented us with new challenges and obstacles.  Celebrations had to altered last year and that may be true again. 
8) Start early.  Covid-19 has played havoc with the supply chain.  We experienced shortages last year, and we will again this year.  Transportation of goods is taking longer.  If there are items that are “must-haves” on your list, order early and be prepared to accept substitutes.

Photo by Kristina Paukshtite on Pexels.com

This is reprinted from my new quarterly blog which focuses on helping you manage your money in ways that reduce stress and honor God. Click here to subscribe to my quarterly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hG1VjT

I would love to hear about how you plan to celebrate the holidays this year. What will you differently to make this year special for your loved one?

It’s a Wonderful Time for Giving

It is now 3 weeks until Christmas.  For those of us who like to prepare well in advance, our shopping is down to those last few hard-to-buy-for loved ones.  Procrastinators still have 20 shopping days left and some have 18 or 19 days until they begin shopping.

Whether you have been done with your shopping for weeks or haven’t begun, there is still time for you to think of others who are less fortunate.  It isn’t too late to put some money in the Salvation Army kettle or buy a gift for a needy child.

In case you haven’t decide which worthy charity to support this year, I am offering up a few of my favorites.

Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child–The ministry founded by Franklin Graham has provided shoe box gifts to 157 million children in impoverished countries for 25 years.  It’s too late to drop off a box at a collection point, but there is still time to build a shoe box online.   For a $25 donation, you can select items for a boy or girl.   You pick the age range and are lead through the process of picking a Wow item, 2 small toys, and 3 accessories.  Essential items, including toothbrush, comb, crayons, colored pencils, and a notebook, are added to each box.   https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Ministry–Donations to this ministry provide gifts to children who have an incarcerated parent.  2.7 million children in American have a parent in prison. Prison Fellowship provides gifts to more than 10 percent of those children using donations collected.  To learn more about this ministry and/or make a donation, go to https://www.prisonfellowship.org/about/angel-tree/.

Toys for Tots–The Toys for Tots toys collection drive sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps since 1947 has another week or so left in their toy campaign to provide toys to less fortunate children.  You can drop off a new toy at a collection bin and the toy will be given to a child in your area.  Or you can make a cash donation.  97% of donations go to provide toys and 3% is used for fundraising expenses.  To find your nearest collection site, go to https://www.toysfortots.org/donate/toys.aspx

These are just a few of the many organizations that are devoted to helping children in your community and around the world have a very Merry Christmas.

“The Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  Acts 20:35.

May your family be blessed as you share His blessings with others this Christmas Season.

Sharing Christ’s Love With Shoebox Gifts

For many years my own family and my church family have participated in packing shoebox gifts to be distributed around the world by Samaritan’s Purse. It is that time of year again.

Shoeboxes to be sent to Samaritan’s Purse to distribute to children worldwide.

We will wrap shoeboxes or pick up the easy-to-identify green boxes with red lids at Christian book stores, Hobby Lobby’s, or Chick Fil A’s. Small toys, articles of clothing, school and craft supplies, and personal care items will be stuffed into each box. The boxes will be shipped to Samaritan’s Purse processing centers and then delivered to boys and girls by Samaritan’s Purse team members. For many of these children, the shoebox will be the first gift they have ever received.

Also packed into each box will be a booklet, The Greatest Gift, which tells the gospel story in the recipient’s own language. In this way, each child is introduced to the good news that Jesus died for their sins and rose again.

Sharing God’s love through shoebox gifts is a wonderful way to bless a child. These simple gifts remind, or inform, a child that God loves him and wants a relationship with him. They open the door for that child to be able to accept Jesus as his Savior and look forward to an eternity in Heaven. And that is truly the Greatest Gift of all.

I encourage everyone reading this to prayerfully participate in this ministry this year. Pray about whether you should pack a box for a boy or girl, pray for direction as you pack your box or boxes, and pray that the heart of each recipient will be open to the good news of the gospel.

Christmastime

A poem by Erica Green –December 2013

A tree in every window;
Shoppers fill the malls.
You hear the distant jingle bells
As people deck the halls.
 
“Christmastime is coming!”
You hear the people cheer,
“Buy more presents! Sing more songs!
The day is almost here!”
 
People don’t remember
All throughout the year,
They don’t think on goodwill toward men
Till Christmastime is near.
 
The baby in the manger.
A gift from God above,
Welcomed to earth by angels,
He was a gift of love.
 
So please try to remember,
As you trim the tree,
He gave the greatest gift of all,
The gift that set you free.
Nativity

The Story of the Christmas Guest

When I was a child, we received a Christmas card featurning Helen Steiner Rice’s poem ‘The Story of the Christmas Guest.”  This beautiful poem quickly became a favorite of mine.  It reminds me of Jesus’s words to His disciples regarding caring for those in need found in Matthew 25:34 – 40

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

I hope this poem speaks to your heart and reminds you that the true joy in Christmas comes from sharing God’s love with those He brings into your life.

The Story of the Christmas Guest
by Helen Steiner Rice
 
It happened one day at December’s end
Some neighbors called on an old-time friend.
And they found his shop so meager and mean,
Made gay with a thousand boughs of green.
 
And old Conrad was sitting with face ashine.
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched the twine.
And he said “My friends at dawn today,
When the cock was crowing the night away,
 
The Lord appeared in a dream to me.
And He said, ‘I’m coming your guest to be”
So I’ve been busy with feet astir,
Strewing my shop with branches of fir.
 
The table is spread and the kettle is shined,
And over the rafters the holly is twined.
And now I’ll wait for my Lord to appear;
And listen closely so I will hear,
 
His steps as he nears my humble place.
And I’ll open the door and I’ll look on his face.”
Then his friends went home and left Conrad alone,
For this was the happiest day he had known.
 
For long since his family had passed away.
And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas Day.
But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest,
This Christmas would be the dearest and best.
 
So he listened with only joy in his heart,
And with every sound he would rise with a start,
And looked for the Lord to be at his door.
Like the vision that he had had a few hours before.
 
So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,
But all he could see on the snow covered ground
Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn.
And all his clothes were ragged and worn.
 
But old Conrad was touched and he went to the door
And he said, “Your feet must be cold and sore.
I have some shoes in my shop for you.
And I have a coat to keep you warmer, too.”
 
So with grateful heart the man went away.
But Conrad notice the time of day
And he wondered what made the dear Lord so late,
And how much longer he’d have to wait.
 
Then he heard another knock, and he ran to the door,
But it was only a stranger once more.
A bent old lady with a shawl of black,
And a bundle of kindling piled on her back.
 
But she asked only for a place to rest,
A place that was reserved, for Conrad’s great guest.
But her voice seemed to plead, “Don’t send me away,
Let me rest for awhile this Christmas Day.”
 
So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup
And told her to sit at the table and sup.
After she had left, he was filled with dismay
For he saw that the hours were slipping away
 
The Lord had not come as He said He would
And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.
When out of the stillness he heard a cry.
“Please help, me and tell me – Where am I?”
 
So again he opened his friendly door.
And stood disappointed as twice before.
It was a child who had wandered away,
And was lost from her family on Christmas Day.
 
Again Conrad’s heart was heavy and sad,
But he knew he could make this little girl glad.
So he called her in and he wiped her tears,
And he quieted all her childish fears.
 
Then he led her back to her home once more.
Then as he entered his own darkened door,
He knew that the Lord was not coming today,
For the hours of Christmas, had all passed away.
 
So he went to his room, and he knelt down to pray.
He said, “Lord, why did you delay?
What kept You from coming to call on me?
I wanted so much Your face to see.”
 
Then softly, in the silence, a voice he heard.
“Lift up your head – I have kept My word.
Three times my shadow crossed your floor.
Three times I came to your lowly door.
 
I was the beggar with bruised cold feet;
I was the woman you gave something to eat;
I was the child on the homeless street.
 
Three times I knocked, three times I came in,
And each time I found the warmth of a friend.
Of all the gifts, love is the best.
I was honored to be your Christmas guest.
 

Proverbs 31 and the Ten Commandments of Thrifty Living

The Christmas season is a time for being generous and gathering with family and friends.  However, after the holidays are over, many people find themselves saddled with significant debt accrued by giving gifts and throwing parties that went beyond their budgets.  Even as we seek to be generous and shower affection on our loved ones, we must remember that the true spirit of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ and sharing God’s love with those around us.  Being generous and sharing with others does not require one to go into debt.  It does, however, require some time, effort, and planning.

Today I am sharing some ways you  “Applying Proverbs 31 to the Ten Commandments of Thrifty Living”.  The ‘commandments’ in bold were created by the author of this list–I found it many years ago and I no longer have any idea who authored it.   The Scriptures were included in the list and are from the New International Version. The application of these principles are my own ideas.  I believe these principles are still valid, and if you apply them to your holiday planning and spending, you will be able to have a meaningful Christmas celebration while staying within your budget.  

Applying Proverbs 31 to the Ten Commandments of Thrifty Living

1) Roll up your sleeves.  “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.”   Proverbs 31:17

Convenience items can save time but cost more.  Sometime the trade off is worth it as the time saved may be more valuable than the money spent.  Be wise in choosing convenience items that give you a good value for your money and do truly save time.  Likewise, paying others to things you are able to do will save you time but cost you money.  Make wise decisions about what taks you should do yourself and what tasks are worth paying someone to do for you.

2) Organize your world.  “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”  Proverbs 31:27

Organization helps you save time and money.  Organize shopping trips to accomplish multiple tasks while out to save gas and time.  Organize online shopping to ensure that you get free shipping and don’t have to pay rush delivery charges to get gifts delivered by Christmas.  To get ahead for next year, organize holiday decorations and leftover gift wrap and cards so they can be stored properly and be found easily next year.

3)  Provide for each day’s need.  “She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family.”  Proverbs 31:15

Caring for your family should be your first priority.  Don’t let the business of the holidays interfere with taking care of the day-to-day needs of your family.  It easy to get so busy that we end of eating out a lot and making multiple trips to the store for groceries and other necessities, both of which can wreck havoc with your budget.

4) Waste not; share your excess.  “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”  Proverbs 31:20

The holidays are a good time to clean out closets and give away items no longer needed.  They are also a good time to share generously with others what God has given to you.  I set aside a portion of my Christmas budget each year to buy new gifts for one or more children whose families need a bit of help. There are many, many ways you get share with others in deed.  A few ideas are:  donate unwanted items to Goodwill or similar organizations, buy new toys and clothing for children in need and donate through the Salvation Army, and pack a shoebox with small gifts to be donated to children in improvished countries through Samaritan’s Purse.

5) Discover your creative genius.  “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”  Proverbs 31:26

God has endued each one of us with creativity, although we each express it differently.  Pray and seek God’s direction in using the creative gifts He has given you to bless others.  I enjoy knitting and knit Christmas stockings as gifts.  I have friends who bless others with homemade jams, jellies, and baked goods.  If decorating is your talent, your gift to a friend could be to help her decorate her home.  Handmade gifts can save money but do require an investment of time, so plan ahead and be organized.

6) Learn prices.  “She sees her trade is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.”  Proverbs 31:18

Don’t fall for ads declaring that something is marked down 50% or more.  Many stores mark prices up before the holidays to give the illusion that you are saving more money than you really are.  The Internet and phone apps make comparison shopping easier than ever.  Check prices on the items you need before you go out shopping.

7) Presentation is everything.  “She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.”  Proverbs 31:22

You can make even simple meals special by using nice dishes and decorating the table to be festive.  You can make your home welcoming and inviting by adding inexpensive decorations, such as lights and tinsels, to your entrance. Simple, inexpensive embellishments can dress up your presents. Presentation does not have to be expensive to add a nice touch to your home and gifts.

8) Adjust your attitude.  “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”  Proverbs 31:25

Don’t let the holidays cause you to become overwhelmed and stressed.  If you get too concerned about buying everyone the perfect gift or creating the perfect holiday, you will wind up not enjoying the holidays.There is no such thing as a perfect holiday, anyway.  Remember Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ and a time to spend with friends and family. Keep your focus on Christ and you will have a more satisfying holiday.

9) Out with impulse.  “She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.”  Proverbs 31:16

Plan your shopping before you leave the house.  Know how much you plan to spend on each family member and stick to your budget.  Impulse shopping leads to overspending and often to being less satisfied with your purchases than planning ahead and sticking to your plans.

10) Honor God.  “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”  Proverbs 31:30

Everything we do should honor God. When our focus is on God and celebrating the birth of His Son, our celebrations will truly be meaningful and enjoyable.

T’was the Years Before Christmas

I read this stirring poem tonight.  It was written by a good friend Steve Weber.  In Steve’s own words, “God gave me a poem that came faster than I could write it for my sermon this morning based on the “silent” 400 or so years before Jesus’ birth. the title of the poem is, “T’was the Years Before Christmas”. Hope this provokes you to realizing that when God appears to be silent in your life it may very well be because He has something climactic planned.”

I am reprinting here with Steve’s permission.  I hope it blesses you and helps you to keep your focus on the true reason we celebrate Christmas–the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Merry Christmas!

 

Twas the years before Christmas and all through the land
The people were restless under Rome’s command
God’s silence was deafening in every home
His voice not heard for centuries as His people groaned

Who would deliver, who would set free
These people who once had such vic’try
When would God come to set His people free
When would the King Jesus return for you and me

As each voice rose up with a clatter, Lord Jesus knew what was the matter
The sheep needed their Shepherd so to the throne He did go
Dear Father they need me down below.
The time has come, all is in place, though they know not now, they will soon see my face

So to a young girl did Gabriel arrive, to deliver a message no man could contrive
“Dear daughter of the king, you shall carry His seed, that the world may know I am indeed…
The One whom the prophets spoke of before, the King, the Messiah, the Jesus of lore..
Fear not my dear girl, for you have been chosen, for with God the impossible is what has been spoken

The world as you know it will not be the same, your sins forgiven, no more shame
But He will not come as a prince or a King, but the Savior wrapped in clothes bearing “the Name”.
To Shepherds will I announce his arrival in time, and you will be called blessed because you are mine
Though the world may mock and your heart will be broken,
fear not my dear daughter, for your God has spoken”

Then turning away from heaven above, the seed entered Mary with tremendous love…
Now they shall know, now they shall see, T’was the years before Christmas prepared just for thee.
Now receive Him my friend, do not turn away
Let His love lift you as you surrender each day.
Though the journey be long and troubling at times
I am with you dear child because you are mine

by Steve Weber

Honoring God With Our Money: Lesson 6

In week 6 of our Bible study on honoring God with our money, we look at what the Bible says about the value of work and God’s commands regarding charity.  This lesson concludes our exploration of what the Bible says about money.  In the coming weeks, we will examine practical applications in regarding to budgeting and living debt-free.

God commands those who can work to work and provide for their families. 

Prov. 10:4 Lazy hands make a man __________, but diligent hands bring __________.

Prov. 21:17 He who loves _______________ will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be __________.

Prov. 28:19-20 He who works his land will have _______________ food, but the one who chases _______________ will have his fill of poverty.  A _____________________ man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go ____________________.

Yet God commands us to be generous and share with the poor. What do the following verses tell us about how we are to treat the poor?”

Deut. 15:7  If anyone is poor among you…do not be __________________ or ______________________.

Deut. 15:11  There will always be poor people in the land.   Therefore I command you to be ______________________ toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Read Deuteronomy 26:12, Leviticus 19:10, and Luke 14:13.  To which specific groups of people are we commanded to show generosity?

1)      ______________________________

2)      ______________________________

3)      ______________________________

4)      ______________________________

5)      ______________________________

6)      _______________________________

In 2 Corinthians 9:11 and Proverbs 19:17, what does God promise to those who are generous?

1)      ______________________________________________

2)      ______________________________________________

Read Proverbs 17:15, 21:13, and 28:17.  What does God promise to those who do not assist the poor?

1)      _______________________________________________

2)      _______________________________________________

3)      _________________________________________________

Acts 10:1 – 4  Story of Cornelius—

 “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”

What did Cornelius do that attracted God’s attention?

____________________________________________________________

What characteristics of Cornelius’s life should we emulate?

____________________________________________________________

 

Life Application:

Luke 12:33, 34 Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Provide purses for yourself that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

%d bloggers like this: