2008 Year in Review

Happy New Year

by Angie VanderVinne

Happy New Year! Most of us make new year's resolutions to improve our health, fitness, finances, habits, relationships, etc; and most of those resolutions go by the wayside by the end of January. My belief is that we try to improve everything at once, we feel too constrained, and so we give up. Change is difficult, no matter the area of your life, so my suggestion is work to improve one or two areas. One critical area, for everyone probably, is finances.

Take a look at where your money went in 2008. If you get your W2, look at the figure, and say to yourself “where did all this money go?”, then you need to get a plan for 2009 – NOW! Vow to make 2009 different from previous years. God's word says that we are a new creation, and we can begin again everyday if we confess our sins and ask for his forgiveness. That includes our finances and every area of our life no matter how “bad” you consider the sin. Sin is sin to God, and you can be free from sin if you give the sin to him and receive God's forgiveness.

What does sin have to do with money? More than most people choose to believe. Everything we have is God's, and we only have what we do because God has allowed us to have it. When we misuse or waste what God has entrusted to us, we are sinning. “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” James 1:17. Next week we will begin working on your financial plan for 2009, but this week I suggest that we give thanks to God for all that he has given us and ask for his guidance in being better stewards.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
December 31, 2008