We may have gotten past the global Covid-19 pandemic, but there’s another pandemic that’s been going on a lot longer — a global pandemic of obesity. In the U.S., more than 42% of adults area classified as obese. What’s to blame? In part, it’s our “food environment,” according to Andy Bellatti, cofounder of Dieticians for […]
Archive | Faith & Finances
Money & Marriage: Knowing Where You’re Coming From
God’s vision and intention for marriage is oneness. Unity. Each person making sacrifices, dying to self for the good of the other and the good of the relationship. There are countless factors that get in the way of oneness: Selfishness, in-law issues, the stresses of life, and more. But the one issue that often rises […]
How To Truly Change Your Financial Life
Financially speaking, what are you trying to change? Are you trying to get out of debt? Earn more? Save more? Part of the process will probably involve gaining some new knowledge. And part of it will involve changing behavior. But getting to a better financial place isn’t just about knowledge and behavior. It’s also very […]
Lessons From the Mulch Pile – How to Save Money and Build Community Along the Way
Have you ever walked through your neighborhood on a warm day and looked inside other people’s garages? Didn’t the contents look familiar? Didn’t they look remarkably similar to the contents of your own garage? I’m not suggesting that we all start forming communes, but couldn’t we do a better job of sharing? On a memorable […]
The Happiest Uses of Money
If you want to know the secrets to happiness, you’ll find plenty of suggestions online. But there are quite a few serious studies on the topic as well, and one of the most authoritative is the Harvard Study of Adult Development. Some 85 years ago, the school started tracking and analyzing the lives of 724 […]
Profitable Ideas: Your Money Or Your Life, How Young People Are Buying Homes, and More
Weekly collection of curated personal finance articles from around the web. Your money or your life (Of Dollars and Data). Helpful ways of thinking about what money is really worth to you. Millennials have found a way to buy houses: living with mom and dad (Washington Post). People may criticize this trend as a “failure […]
Christmas — What’s Fear Got To Do With It?
We don’t usually associate Christmas with fear. We associate it with joy and the celebration of Christ’s miraculous birth. And yet, if you make the mistake of paying too much attention to the news, it’s easy to get all wrapped up in fear. There are wars, inflation, rumors of a recession — oh my! So […]
Are You Financially Asleep or Awake? An Advent Lesson
“What does Jesus have against sleep?” One of our kids asked that question several years ago while we were on our way to church on a Sunday morning in December. Our family had been invited to lead “a responsive call to worship” that morning – a short time at the beginning of the service in […]
Just Passing Through
Shortly after moving from Chicago to Louisville in 2012, I was back in Chicago for a short visit. It was so good to be back in the city I love so much. I love the family and friends I have there, the architecture, the lakefront, the grittiness, the character, the beauty of the city, and […]
What is it About the Holidays?
We’re entering a season that seems to play out in three different ways for people. For many, it’s “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” — most importantly, a time of celebrating Christ’s miraculous birth. Of course, it’s also a favorite time of year for shopping, with many people eagerly anticipating the Black Friday and […]