Prosperity gospel

Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer... two proponents of the "prosperity gospel."

I believe that Christians should be wise and shrewd with their money. I don't believe it is wrong to make money honestly, provided that money never becomes an object of worship or the driving force in your life. Likewise, I also believe that in many instances, God, who knows our hearts and our temptations, chooses not to supply us with an abundance of money because it may ultimately lead us away from Him.

Money is like fire. It has many practical uses and can be used to do very good things. It can also be a destructive force if it isn't treated with great caution and care.

We live in a day where there are many so-called "pastors" who love to teach that God wants all men to be financially wealthy. And to become financially wealthy, they suggest that you and I send financial support to their "ministries," (as if that should be our driving motive for giving).

I was very happy to read the following news piece on Yahoo just a few hours ago. I'm thankful that some of the best known preachers of the "prosperity gospel" are being looked at a little closer. This is a very healthy thing and I hope it catches on.

'Gospel of wealth' facing scrutiny

Investment update 1

I took this picture last week when I first went to visit the house.

Well, I arranged financing and made my offer on the house. I was bidding against another potential buyer so we went back and forth for a little while. I just received the call that my offer was accepted and the closing is scheduled for January 31, 2008.

I also heard back from the Realtor who is selling my house in Plymouth. A family toured it last night and liked it. They want to come back for a second showing tomorrow. In addition, there is another family that may be interested that is also going to tour the house.

A big thank you to those of you who have been praying about this for us. Even though I have been down this road before, it's still a stressful/anxiety-inducing experience. Please continue to pray and I will update you on the progress.

I enjoy getting my life in order.

My phone knows

Why does my cell phone ring whenever I have to use the bathroom? How does it know? It seems to have an uncanny knack for ringing in the very moments when there is no possible way to answer it.

So, if you happen to call and I can't immediately pick up the phone,.... feel free to assume the worst.

The next step

People love to vacation in the Poconos. A few years ago, I bought a home in the Poconos and rented it to vacationing families. I sold it at a profit a couple years later.

What would you say if I told you I figured out a way to buy the house pictured above with just about no money out of pocket? It all depends on how cooperative the seller is willing to be. I'm going to present my offer to him later this week.

This is the next step in my 8-year financial strategy. Step one was figuring out how to reduce financial liabilities (trade FJ for Civic, sell Miata, reduce expenses, restructure debt at lower interest rate = better cashflow). Step two is buying property with the bank's money and letting renters pay the mortgage.

I'm touring the house and arranging the financing tomorrow. I'll let you know if it works.

Big fat update 12

Date I started trying to lose weight: 7/8/07
Starting weight: 205-209 lbs.
Goal weight: 150-155 lbs. (revised lower)
Current weight: 165 lbs.
Total pounds lost so far: 40 lbs.

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I am back to only weighing myself once a week, preferably on Wednesdays. I find that it is much less pressure when I compare my weight, week-to-week as opposed to day-to-day.

The funny thing about this update is that 165 lbs. was my original goal weight. I picked that number arbitrarily thinking that losing 40 lbs. would take forever. I've revised it lower a few times since then. Ideally, I would really like to lose another ten to fifteen pounds. I'm playing that by ear based on the remaining girth of my belly. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I have decided that that is what will determine whether I need to lose ten or if I should pursue fifteen pounds. Either way, I will still be a few pounds over what is recommended for my height and that's fine.

Steaming attic

A few months ago, I turned my attic into an exercise room. Over the years, I have purchased plenty of exercise equipment and much of it has been collecting dust. I'm finally making good use of it on a regular basis.

Now that the winter weather has descended upon the Pocono Mountains (our temperature is typically at least 10 - 15 degrees cooler than most other places in Northeast Pennsylvania), the attic gets quite chilly. It's especially cool in the mornings. I have no interest in knowing how chilly it really is, but I'm certain that I could refrigerate or more likely freeze food in my attic.

Overall, this makes the attic a great place to exercise. The first ten minutes or so are grueling while my body adjusts to the temperature, but after that it feels perfect.

My favorite part is the ridiculous amount of steam that drifts from my head once I've worked up a sweat. I'm convinced that I look like I'm about to vaporize or possibly turn into a cup of coffee.

Goodbye friend

One last picture of the Miata before it was sold. 12/3/07

When I was in college, I always admired a dark green Mazda Miata that one of my professors drove. I had in mind that some day I would own a car like that. Nearly three years ago, I bought one and when I had the chance to drive it around, it was always a joy.

Just last month I was driving it with the top down on a particularly warm day. "Jumper" was on the radio and I was singing it as loud as I could while cruising Suscan Rd. on my way back home. I had one of those rare moments of pure joy that you wish you could re-create at will. If you asked me then if I thought I would be selling the Miata barely a month later, I probably wouldn't have believed you.

But, in my reading of Robert Kiyosaki's books, I have been learning a lot about financial strategies that help build wealth long-term and I realized that I needed to make a few changes. You can read about some of the changes I have made in previous posts. In essence, I have re-structured my monthly budget by cutting out unnecessary expenses (needless financial liabilities) and I'm in the process of re-investing my monthly savings (currently up to $1,070 / month) in real-estate with a positive financial return.

So I sold the Miata. I had paid cash for it and didn't owe anything on it. Now I'm saving money every month that I would have spent on insurance and upkeep. I'm going to use the money I made on its sale as a down-payment on a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home in Luzerne County.

My family loved that car so I assured them that I would buy another one someday when finances allowed. Daniel in particular was a big fan of the Miata, so I let him ride in it one last time as we delivered it to Endicott, NY where its new owner lives. He fell asleep during the drive, but it was still fun.

Daniel sleeping just before we arrived in Endicott.

I searched through my archives and found this post from when I first bought the car. http://www.pastor.us/2005/02/name-that-miata.html.

Goodbye friend.