Paul had left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus.  Both letters to Timothy are referred to as Pastoral Letters giving instruction to him about the ministry.

1:1  “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and our Lord Jesus Christ….”

            Here Paul declares that he was called to be an apostle by the commandment of God.  For sure, he was not one of the twelve original apostles as he was saved after Christ’s ascension.

            There were basically 5 characteristics of full apostleship of the Twelve and Paul.

            1.         They were directly called and chosen by Christ (Galatians 1:1, John 6:70, 13:18).

            2.         They were eye witnesses of Christ’s works, especially of His resurrection, and were qualified for their job by Him (Galatians 1:12, I Corinthians 9:1-2, 15:8).

            3.         They were given a special endowment of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:10-13).

            4.         They were given special power to do signs and wonders (Matthew 10:1 & 8,  II Corinthians 12:12).

            5.         Their apostleship was given for life (Acts 26:16-18).

            Paul was an apostle of Christ, chosen and sent by Him.  Verse 1:1 closes with this phrase, “which is our hope.”  When circumstances of life seem hopeless, Jesus Christ is said to be our hope!  Hope is our confident expectation.  Christ made hope possible by the means of His Gospel.

1:2  “Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith.”  As mentioned before, Paul’s relationship with Timothy is that of his own son.  Here upon his son in the faith, he pronounces grace, mercy, and peace.  Grace is God’s unmerited favor extended to a sinner.  Peace is the result of reconciliation with God.  Mercy is only used by Paul in conjunction with grace and peace here in I and II Timothy.  Mercy is the affectionate compassion of God.

            The triad of blessing comes “from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

            Timothy was born the son of a Gentile (Greek) father and a Jewish mother named Eunice.  The Book of I Timothy has several different themes.  ”Mightest war a good warfare” as this pertains to Timothy (1:18).  “Thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God” (3:15) as it pertains to Christians.

            Important subjects are discussed in this book.  The law (1:7-11), prayer (2:1-8), appearance and activity of women (2:9-15), qualifications of bishops and deacons (3:1-13), the last days (4:1-3), care of widows (5:3-16), and the use of money (6:6-19).

            A careful reading of the six chapters of I Timothy will aid those who desire to know God’s truth.  May we learn together as we study I Timothy!

When the Sun Begins to Shine Again ….

Psalm 142

Depression is a serious battle in which both Christians and non-Christians sometimes find themselves engaged.  According to Psalm 142:7, depression is a prison!  It can be said that most Christians will deal with despondency sometime in their Christian walk.  Despondency makes us feel blue and discouraged, but depression is far more serious.

The superscription of this Psalm, “Maschil of David.  A prayer when he was in the cave”, will serve as our introduction.  Our introduction is in four parts.

A.        Maschil pronounced “Mas-Kil” means “to give wise instruction.”  There are thirteen “Maschil” Psalms, meaning they were written with the specific purpose of instruction.  The purpose of this Psalm is to give us instructions in dealing with depression.  Depression has been described as a “great overwhelming distress.”

B.        This Psalm was written by David.  While David did not write all the Psalms, he did write more than any other writer.

C.        This Psalm was written while David “was in the cave.”  David had escaped from Saul and was hiding in a cave.  Let’s notice I Samuel 22:1-2 for an understanding of what David was facing:

                        “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.  And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.”

            David’s time alone didn’t last long.  His privacy was invaded by four hundred distressed, financially burdened, and discontented men.  David was over-whelmed not only by his own burden but the burdens of four hundred others!

D.        This was a “Prayer” of David.  Charles Spurgeon said, “Caves make good prayer closets.”  Here in this cave we find David crying out to the Lord.  Notice the first two verses of his prayer.  “I cried.  I poured out my complaint.” Let’s look into these seven verses to find how David found the sun shining again!

            1.         Verse 1 - “I cried.”  Notice this was an audible cry.  David cried “with my voice.”  When depressed, find a place you can cry aloud unto the Lord.  David made his “supplication” unto the Lord meaning he begged God!  David had hit bottom, but he knew Who could help him.

            2.         Verse 2 - “I poured out my complaint.”  David laid everything out before God.  He said, “I shewed before Him my trouble.”  When he “shewed” his trouble means he held nothing back.  His trouble was what was binding him.  His trouble was more than he could handle.

                        God wants to be your Counselor.  He wants you to trust Him with every care and secret aspect of your life.  He wants to hear you confess what it is that binds and holds you.  Many people who face depression have the most difficulty of admitting to what really bothers them.  You can be brutally honest with God! 

                        Most depressed people want to find a cave and stay hidden while saying very little.  David was open about his problems.

            3.         Verse 3.  Here David continues to admit to God “my spirit was overwhelmed.”  Here he is saying my depression has caused my inner “spirit” to feel weak, but then he immediately says, God, I know “thou knewest my path”….God you didn’t forget me.  You haven’t left me!  You knew what I was facing even that “they privily laid a snare for me.”  Here David is openly admitting to God his fears of Saul and his men.

            4.         Verse 4.  David felt as though no one cared about him or his situation.  Depressed people are very apt to only look one way - that is toward themselves.  Depression will cause a person to become very selfish.  Please read the next statement - “While depressed,  you may feel alone and forgotten;, however, just because you may feel that way does not make it true!”  God knows the depths of your distress!  God knows your feelings, and HE CARES!

            5.         Verse 5.  Again David “cried unto thee, O Lord.”  Here he is beginning to mend his relationship with God - “Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”  The Lord is always there for you!  “There” meaning even in the cave of despair!

            6.         Verse 6.  David in this verse cries for deliverance.  He knew WHOM to go to!  He knew that only God could “deliver me.”  David moves to asking God to deliver him from Saul and his men “persecutors.”

            7.         Verse 7.  Here David describes depression.  “Bring my soul out of prison..”  Depression is bondage.  David knew that his depression had captured him.  He wanted out!

                        Another interesting note is “that I may praise Thy name.”  Depression and Praise are rarely found in the same person.  Depression can take the gratitude out of you!

                        “For Thou shalt deal bountifully with me” - David’s faith in God is plainly stated.  He knew God would “bountifully” meet his great need.  The sun will shine again and David is looking to the Lord to make it   happen.

What about your cave or prison?  Think about what put you there!  Here are some things that contribute to prisons of depression:

            1.         You fear the future.

            2.         A recent disappointing event.

            3.         Something that you feel very bitter about.

            4.         A recent resentment.

            5.         Relationship problems with others.

            Maybe something else has you trying to hide in a cave.

God sent four hundred very needy people to him.  They elected him as their leader.  David had little time to think about himself which helped his escape from the cave.  Helping others can and will change your life.

LOOK AND LIVE!

The Coalition of Hate

Psalm 83:1-8

This is a prophetic Psalm.  This Psalm is not usually thought of as prophetic - however, a closer look at its teaching plainly depicts for us a “coalition of hate” against God’s chosen people, Israel!  This is a fascinating Psalm revealing the players involved in a future attack.

The present Israel/Palestine conflict has the attention of the world.  This conflict will result in a war someday - maybe sooner than later!

Presently our U.S. forces are engaged in two wars in Islamic countries - Afghanistan and Iraq.  These wars are the result of the Islamic cowardly weapon of terrorism.  Our country is engaged in these wars against terrorism because of our support of the nation of Israel.  God promised to bless those who bless His people and curse those who curse His people.

The Muslim-Islamic world will never be satisfied with any kind of a peace proposal because they want all the land that God promised to Israel.  Remember, it’s the Isaac-Ishmael conflict continuing to this day (vs. 18).

This Psalm is a cry for God’s protection for His people the Jews.  It was written by a prophet named Asaph during the reign of King David.  Israel was experiencing great prosperity and peace.  It was written about a future event yet to happen.

Israel has always had wars and problems with her neighbors but never a coalition of nations.  Let’s dig in and see what this Psalm teaches us.

I.          The call for action - Psalm 83:1.  Here the Psalmist pleads for God to not be silent.  He urges God to speak up and be heard.  Followed by a plea for action (“…be not still, O God”!

So, if we were to use today’s names in the list of the coalition against Israel, it would be Lebanon, Syria, Northern Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

While these countries often are at battle together, they are all a confederate of Muslin countries ready to attack Israel.

Aspath saw this coalition coming together thousands of years ago.  The outcome of this war is not given in this Psalm.  God, however, promised an everlasting possession of the land and therefore we believe He will preserve His people and their land.

This Psalm reminds us that “Jesus Is Coming Soon”.

“Even so, come Lord Jesus!”

Thanksgiving having just ended and the Christmas season beginning is a perfect time to study Psalm 100 which is known by more people, just behind Psalm 23.

“Gratitude is an attitude” has been heard over and over. Gratitude is however, more than an attitude, it is a matter of the heart! Being thankful really begins by being rightly related to the Lord, Who is the giver of “every good and perfect gift.”

As we study this Psalm let’s notice:

I. Verse 1. This Psalm is addressed to “all ye lands” meaning everyone in all the lands or world. Here the Lord wants “all” to hear the message of this song and be grateful. Verse 5 says the “Lord is good” and then He says “to all generations.”God is addressing this Psalm to everyone and to all generations or ages. He wants us to hear and then act upon the message.

II. Verse 2. It is clear that this Psalm is about the Lord. Underscore in every verse what is said about the Lord. “Joyful noise unto the Lord”, “Serve the Lord”, “come before His presence”, “the Lord He is God”, “the Lord is good”, etc. Notice also “His people”, “His pasture”, “His gates”, “His courts”, “His name”, His mercy”, “His truth”, and “His presence.” As you can see, we will learn a lot about the Lord from this short Psalm of only five verses.

III. The commands of the Psalm. The last verse gives us the reason for God’s commands. Because “The Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.”

A. Command one: “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”. The word “noise” is the key to this command. It means to “get loud” and add to this the word “joyful” and you will have a powerful expression of thanksgiving and praise.

B. Command two: “Serve the Lord with gladness.” One of the evidences of a grateful Christian is that of serving - serving the Lord! He says we are to serve Him with gladness. Gladness is an expression of a grateful heart. When we have a right relationship with the Lord, we are happy to serve Him, resulting in genuine gladness!

C. Command three: “Come before His presence with singing.” It’s the song from the soul that He wants to hear. God wants the song to come from the heart of a grateful servant.

D. Command four: “Know ye that the Lord He is God.” He is saying I want you to know that the Lord you are serving is God Himself! He made us and desires our gratitude! We are His sheep and He shepherds us! Our thanksgiving is not to a statue, not to a creed and not to any religious person - our thanksgiving is to the One who made us, shepherds us, and to the One we worship and serve!

E. Command five: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” When speaking of “gates” and “courts” no doubt David was referring to the temple - the place where man approached God! When we come into His presence, we are to come with the attitude of gratitude! “Be thankful unto Him.”

F. Command six: “Bless His Name.” The idea to bless the Lord is the idea to kneel before Him. It includes honor and homage. His name is above every name! Many times the Psalmist commands us to “Bless His Name!”

Again, the final verse (5) gives us the reasons for the expectations of the previous four verses. (1.) “For the Lord is good.” God is always good! Like one preacher preached, “Ain’t God Good?” (2.) “His mercy is everlasting.” God’s mercy is never ending. Once a person has received God’s mercy it is everlasting! (3.) “His truth endureth to all generations.” We are grateful because we have the truth, know the Truth and are assured that His word endureth to all and every generation - all the past generations, the present generation and all the future generations!

This song of David is for those who “hunger and thirst” (Mattthew 5:6) for the Lord and His righteousness. Religion has failed man. Religion is based on activity, never to be satisfied. Religion is what man does, even at his best. God “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” so we can be saved and begin not a religion but a relationship with Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Relationship with Him is the all important aspect of being a Christian, yet many have never had such an experience.

A vital relationship with Christ begins with a longing to know Christ in a close, intimate way. (Philippians 3:10)

If you are one that is tired of religion, then you are a candidate for one who truly can have a personal relationship with the Lord and can have a “song in the heart” that comes forth with “Then Sings My Soul.”

In this Psalm, David reveals the basics in getting to know God. But first notice the title of Psalm 63. It reads “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” It is significant to note that David was not at the National Cathedral in Washington, nor at other famous churches or temples when he wrote this Psalm. He was in the lonely place of the wilderness when God gave him this song. It is also true that it is in the secret places that we meet the Lord. It is important to attend church where we hear about the Lord, but we will get to know Him in the lonely, secret places.

David begins this song by:

1. David admitted his need. Psalm 63:1. “O, God thou art my God” begins David. He confesses the Lord as “my God.” His heart is revealed when he says “early will I seek thee.” Then he goes on to say “my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee.”

David was thirsty and longing for the Lord. Here is where the relationship with the Lord begins - when we thirst for Him, when we long for Him!

Religion produces a “dry and thirsty land, where no water
is”(Psalm 63:1). May someone who studies this Psalm will get an appetite for the knowledge of Him!

2. David saw the Lord (vs. 2). David spent time in the wilderness framing a mental picture of the Lord, His power and His glory. He was concerned that His mind was brought into captivity. He had promised perfect peace to those “whose mind is stayed on thee.” As a man thinketh in His heart, so is he” Jesus said.

3. David praised the Lord (vss. 3-5). In the secret place of the wilderness, David said “my lips shall praise Thee” (vs. 3); “Thus will I bless thee” (vs. 4); and my “My mouth shall praise thee” (vs. 5). The entire book of Psalms is a book of praise! David says, “while I live I will lift up my hands in thy name” (vs. 4). A Christian’s soul can be satisfied because of praise according to verse 5.

4. David meditated on the Lord (vs. 6). To meditate means to “ponder or go over in one’s mind.” The old “cow chewing her cud” is a great illustration of meditation.

5. David rejoiced in the Lord (vss. 7-8). In the lonely place of a wilderness, David rejoiced in the Lord. No one heard him, but the Lord. The Lord was his single reason to rejoice.

6. David’s relationship with the Lord gave him personal victory (vss. 9-11). Here David reveals that even in the wilderness, there were those out to destroy him. David’s relationship had bound his heart to the Lord and gave him grace over the problems of his life. The great hymn “Come Thou Fount” gives us these words:
“O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy Goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee”.

I Corinthians 10:31

In this study, we are going to list a path to victory on the financial road. Time doesn’t allow extended comment, but a thorough study on your part is recommended.

1. After you save your $1,000 emergency fund, it is time to tackle your smallest debt and then your second, etc.

2. After your debt retirement has been completed (except for your home) you need to save three to six months of your total monthly income as your emergency fund.

3. After your emergency fund is where you need it to be, then go for a double goal - (a) Pay off home mortgage and (b) Save for retirement.

4. To pay off your home mortgage, set a goal, maybe 5 years, 10 years, etc. For retirement start with 10% to 15% of your total income, if possible. Set a goal of 15% to 20% after the home mortgage is paid off.

5. The closer you get to being debt-free, plan to give more. For example, move your tithe from 10% to 15%.

6. Plan for after retirement (when you are gone)! We need to be concerned that our assets which we leave in this world, will be a blessing and not a curse to our children and/or relatives.

7. Wealth inherited will be a blessing for those who receive it if only they have the spiritual wisdom to know that money is not the answer to life’s questions and problems. Many people leave money to relatives which ends up being a curse to them.

8. When a Christian considers the “after retirement” experience (death), he/she should consider including the work of the Lord through his/her church.

9. Every Christian needs to remind himself/herself often that the pursuit of wealth and “stuff” can easily become your god.

10. Remember the bumper sticker, “He who dies with the most toys is still dead!”

11. Remember the truth of a previous study. “Selfishness and abundance = greed. Greed = the love of money. The love of money = the root of all evil.” See I Timothy 6:10.

12. All our saving, spending, and earning of money must always be “to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

The Christian managing the finances of his home will find it difficult if he has been snared by living worldly, as it relates to money. However, like anything else in a Christian’s life, victory can be anyone’s who is totally committed, completely focused, with intense faith in the Lord.

According to Scripture, if we are in debt for a friend or in debt for ourselves, it is a snare. A snare according to the 1828 dictionary is “anything by which one is entangled and brought into trouble”.

Surety is signing and giving your signature for the security of a debt. Co-signing is giving your signature for the security of another person’s debt. The Bible warns over and over about being surety for another person. Proverbs 17:18 says, “A man void of understanding striketh hands and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.” See Proverbs 6:1 and Proverbs 22:26.

According to Scripture (Proverbs 11:15), “He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretyship is sure.” God says we are to hate debt! In fact, He says if we hate surety we are sure! God is saying “Get out of debt!” He is saying never co-sign for another person.

A principle that I have always gone by is if I have to get a co-signer, I don’t need what I think I do. If the banker says you can’t afford this car, house, loan, etc. so you need another person to stand for you in case you don’t pay, it is a sure indication that I don’t need that boat, car, etc!

The way out of debt takes a resolve that never waivers! Are you the one? Are you the one who is holding your wife back? Are you the one who is holding your husband back? The resolve to be delivered from debt is a unified, family resolve!

The first thing to do is stop charging! We must stop borrowing if we are ever going to get started on debt reduction. How would you like to live on your income and owe no one on payday?

“The good thing about principles is that they make life easy. I have heard it said that when someone bases his life on principle, 99 percent of his decisions are already made!” says Dave Ramsey. This truth can be applied to all areas of life! Bible principles applied to our lives keep us from going in the wrong direction in life.

Giving, saving, and earning money are all right and Biblical. It was Charles Wesley who said about money, “Make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.” These goals are honorable goals for every Christian. However, with debt hanging over the Christian’s head, it is difficult to give and to save.

Saving money must always have a purpose. Retirement must be saved for and is an important reason to save. Purchasing larger items, without charging, are also wise things to save for.

Money is not evil. Possessing money does not make a person evil. The way we make, spend, save and give money as a Christian must be to the glory of God. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” I Cor. 10:31.

UnTHINK Money: Money Myth
It is always best to have a home mortgage because you can count the interest on your federal taxes! WRONG! If your mortgage payment is $900 per month and the interest portion is $830, you will pay around $10,000 that year in interest. Is this a tax advantage? Do the math. If you had the $10,000 for yourself (no mortgage) you would pay $3,000 taxes. Is trading $10,000 for $3,000 a good deal? Oh my, “they” are wrong again!

Is purchasing insurance an indication of the lack of faith? Some may think so but I don’t. In this world we all live and then die and we should prepare for both.

Spiritually we must prepare for death, as well as make preparations for this life. The same is true in the finances of our lives. We need to secure our family’s future in the absence of the breadwinner. This leads to the necessity of the proper kind of insurance. Buying insurance is both a right and wise thing to do.

☛Auto Insurance. In North Carolina, state laws require liability insurance. Liability insurance covers the other person’s car, injury and property. You are required to have $25,000 property damage coverage and $30,000 bodily injury with a $60,000 bodily maximum coverage per accident. These are the minimum amount coverages…it would be wise to increase these amounts if possible. Would you be personally responsible for any amount above your insurance? YES! So it would pay you to check into more coverage.

Collision insurance covers your car. If you owe on your car, your lender requires you to have collision insurance. You should have collision insurance if your car has significant value.

Comprehensive insurance covers windshield damage, hailstorm damage, or if a tree falls on your car. Comprehensive insurance is good insurance. Your premiums do not go up because you have made a claim unlike liability or collision insurance.

Car insurance is not only a state requirement, it is a wise choice in protecting you, your family, and your assets.

☛Homeowners Insurance. Again, if you owe on your home, your lender will require you to have homeowners insurance up to the replacement value of your home. If you own your home, why would you not want to have homeowners insurance? The higher deductible (for instance $2500) the lower your premiums. In your “emergency fund” you should have at least the deductible amounts of all your insurances. Homeowners insurance is a very competitive insurance item. Shop around. Several other things are usually added to your policy which are benefits. Use wisdom and get the best deal.

If you rent, you need renter’s insurance.

☛Life Insurance. The best deal in life insurance is term life. Term life insurance can be bought in 10-year, 20-year and 30- year terms. A 35 year old male can buy $500,000 in insurance for 10 years for about $15.00 per month. A million dollars for about $25 to $30 per month. A good way to know how much insurance you need is to add your home mortgage plus ten years of annual salary. The earlier in life you purchase term life, the cheaper.

☛Disability Insurance. If you become disabled, you can not live on Social Security disability. Therefore, you need disability insurance. The amount that is usually offered is between one-half and three-fourths of your annual income. Your employer usually offers the best deals in disability insurance.

☛Health Insurance. Everyone needs it and more and more people either can’t afford it or have chosen not to be covered. The Health Savings Account plans have been noted recently as a better plan. The plan allows one to save for medical expenses in a tax-free savings account. Consult a trusted agent to give you the most coverage for the lower monthly premiums.

☛Long-Term Care Insurance. At age 60, one needs to take out this insurance. It is essential insurance for those approaching retirement age. Nursing home care can deplete a life-long savings account in just a few months.

There are insurance products that I personally don’t think are a good investment - one being Mortgage Insurance! This insurance is often required if you do not pay at least 20% down on your home purchase. This is very expensive insurance. This insurance pays off your mortgage in case of death. It sounds good, but again it is very expensive! You could include your mortgage in your term life insurance for only pennies on the dollar for what mortgage insurance costs.

If you have your home paid down to 80% you can cancel your mortgage insurance. You need to be sure you have term-life coverage for the life of your loan. Mortgage insurance makes the insurance companies very rich!

Another type insurance that I don’t promote is Universal Life or sometimes called “Whole Life”. It is a plan (very expensive) that builds a cash value and gives you life insurance coverage. It sounds good and is very profitable for insurance companies - but not for the customer. You can buy term-life so much cheaper. Invest the remainder in a good mutual fund and end up much better off.

Let me add this final note. Product insurance is usually a very bad deal for the customer. We buy a product (example a range) and they want us to take out insurance to repair it if it breaks down. I don’t buy them! If we need to insure their product before we even get it from their store - what does that say about their product?

Wisdom and care should always be used in purchasing insurance products. We can become “insurance poor” and we can also become poor if we don’t have the proper insurance.

UnTHINK MONEY: Ways to waste your money:

The Eternal Car Payment: Most Americans carry a car loan for most of their entire lives, paying about $378 a month. The same amount invested from age 25 to retirement would, on average, amount to more than $4 million dollars by age 65! “Sure hope you enjoy that smooth ride”

While prosperity continued it was evident that there were some significant cracks in our economic structure. Debt soon became the acceptable way of life. Our government became the leader of debt for the rest of us to follow. The government is in debt, all my friends are in debt, so debt must be for me too!

For the most part, Christians have followed the world’s steps. It is here that Christians must see a need to change.

In the abundance and affluence of our day selfishness has resulted. Remember our first lesson? It was on giving. Jesus said “it is most blessed to give than receive”. Selfishness is not the result of giving and having a heart to give. There is a process that takes place in anyone’s life if selfishness is not confessed and forsaken. Selfishness plus abundance equals greed. That’s where the “love of money” comes in and that results in the “root of all evil”.

For the Christian, financial planning is a must if one truly wants to be Biblical in his/her life. To answer questions such as “Will I ever have enough?”, “Will it continue to be enough?”, and “How much is enough?” must be answered from God’s prospective, which is, He knows all things, has all wisdom, knows our purpose in life and is in control of the future.

It must be said again that “we cannot live above our means”. We cannot owe more than we receive and think that things are going to be better some day.

I believe God is more concerned about my finances and your finances than He is in America’s economic uncertainty!

By now, I hope that you have made a detailed budget of your finances. If you are going to “build a tower” you must first of all plan, and a budget is a plan and guide for you.

Secondly, I hope you have made, raised, found a $1,000. Remember that emergencies are the greatest enemy of a budget.

You should now be ready to tackle your first debt, which is the debt of smallest amount owed. Your goal is to pay off this debt as soon as possible and then apply everything you were paying on debt 1 now to debt 2. Dave Ramsey calls this “Start the Debt Snowball”. NOW IS THE TIME TO GET STARTED!!!

UnTHINK MONEY!
Ways to waste money: Pay Banking Fees! Overdraw your checking account and you will pay from $25 to $50 for each check, so it pays to keep your balance current in your check book! Don’t pay for a checking account. Call the banks and find one which gives free checking. Refuse to pay checking fees. Not tomorrow - NOW!