Credit Card Traps and Tools

Credit Cards Traps and Tools

When you find yourself in the credit card trap, where you want to pay your card off but don’t have enough to clear the entire balance. Add to that, you also use your card, you might feel frustrated and stuck. Maybe you don’t want to get rid of credit cards altogether, but you also don’t […]

Puzzling reflections in a mirror…

Through a glass darkly as it says in the Bible. We don't see everything as clearly as we think

So there’s this verse in the Bible, right in the middle of the “love” chapter in fact, where Paul says, “we see through a glass darkly”. The modern translation would be “We’re looking through a dirty window” or “We’re looking at a dirty mirror”.  In other words, we don’t see clearly. Or as clearly as […]

Bootstraps: Proof that some people don’t understand sarcasm

Boots and bootstraps. What does pull yourself up by your bootstraps really mean?

I am, by nature, a sarcastic person. I try not to be the mean kind of sarcastic. I guess maybe the right term would be sardonic, but most people have even less of a clue about what that means. Witty. Yeah. I’m witty. I also wrestle often with the current advice to the poor (having […]

Actually, Good Credit DOES Matter

Actually, good credit does matter. Why you should stop listening to Dave Ramsey and build your credit.

Does having good credit matter even if you are avoiding debt? The short answer, yes. Here’s why. Back when I was young and thought I knew everything, I was also a big fan of talking heads who also think they know the One Right Way to Do Everything. Looking at you, Dave Ramsey. Any Dave […]

A Story About Debt, Self-Righteousness, Shame, and Grace

Dandelion Background

This post is just a little more insight into who I am and where I’m coming from. It took me a while to put it into words, and to pare it down so it wasn’t 20,000 words long. I know it’s still long.  But this is my story, at least the parts where money, passion, […]

Hypocrisy and Calling

Hypocrisy and CAlling

Ever notice those who manipulate you to ignore your calling because some other activity is “more spiritual” are also usually the ones pursuing their calling and manipulating people to take part? Am I the only one who sacrificed my calling for someone else’s? I was just thinking about this. For YEARS…literal years…I was in churches […]

1 Simple Trick that helps you manage life better

This one simple trick will help you manage your life better and build better habits

In a perfect world, I’d create the ideal daily schedule, full of all the productive things, and stick to it without a hitch. I’d fill each minute of each day with only good things that help me press forward towards my goals. …In a perfect world. Alas, the world is not perfect. I’m not perfect. […]

But is it Enough? Who cares!

But is it enough? Learning to build a habit of savings when you are already stretched

How much is “enough”? I often wrestled with knowing what I “Should” put into savings versus what I “Could” put there. I built a small but significant habit during our lean years that helped change everything for our family. I decided to start putting money into savings, no matter how small the amount, whenever I […]