Financial Future

The bill collectors are calling. When you are within the 10 day countdown, final payment is due on lots of things: cake, venue, photographer, flowers. People are getting paid for services about to be rendered. It can be overwhelming for the one holding the purse strings, because all of a sudden all your penny pinching, all you've scraped together, all you've saved is now flying out the window in many directions. Some big gulps are taken as you watch the savings account dwindle, then realize it's not over when you need a little here and a little there for those last minute bits. For some of us, you are left with little at the end, but hopes for a beautiful, wonderful memorable day.

Unless you have saved for years and years for this or are independently wealthy, this is the nature of the wedding beast, unfortunately. Weddings are expensive. There are many folks who go into debt to pay for them (not the best practice for starting a marriage and budgeting). But I know my kids. I know they've worked hard to make wise wedding choices and purchases and to stay within budget. And knowing it's time to ante up just means the wedding is right around the corner, and it's almost time to celebrate.

Post wedding you will have new financial things to think about:

1. Merging bank accounts and changing names on utilities and other now common responsibilities and property.
2. Creating a budget for the two of you.
3. Creating an emergency fund for when the unexpected pops up. Financial advisers recommend three or six months of your salary in savings for this.
4. Setting goals for your future. Will you start saving for a house or a car or vacations ... or children. What kind of retirement plan do you have?
5. Avoiding debt. Zero debt is the goal, but not always a possibility (especially with house purchases), but make every effort to eliminate outstanding debt and prevent new debt. 
6. Pray. Give God your finances and every decision you make with your money. Remember every penny is His to start off with. Ninety percent of it is yours to do with what you want. Those first fruits, the full tithe, is His (Malachi 3:10).
7. Be content with where the Lord has blessed you financially (Philippians 4:12) and be sure to give whenever you can. Know that the Lord has blessed you to be a blessing to His children.

Well, my darlings, we're down to the wire. We are keeping you close in our prayers, hearts and minds and look forward to finishing up plans and celebrating soon. Find joy in every moment of this last week before your wedding. On this day, in one week Rob and Ayla will join as husband and wife. And we cannot wait to glorify God with you in it.

And then start putting money away for the next wedding!

Discussion: Did you anticipate correctly how much your wedding would cost? How difficult has it been paying for parts of the wedding? Do you have a financial plan for after the wedding?

Prayer: Lord God, all we have is yours and we thank you for it. Father, we pray you are praised and glorified in the wedding. We pray your children in attendance will see you everywhere in be in awe of you. Father we ask for your direction on our future finances, that we are wise with what you have blessed us. In Christ we  pray, Amen.

New Year's Resolutions

Only 288 days to go! Whoop, whoop. Less than 10 months until you become Mr. and Mrs. Doesn't sound so far away any more! Happening this year, baby! 2015! An exciting year ahead between your wedding and Anton's college graduation. (Also the year your Daddy and I turn 50, but we won't go there yet). We are getting so excited! Praying this whole year is a happy one filled with gobs of blessings for everyone.

Your Daddy and I are kicking off this new year in New Orleans ... newspaper duty calls: Sugar Bowl with Alabama and Ohio State. It is exciting to see all the fans here celebrating the start of 2015. So many amazing things to see and do and taste in this wild city. A bunch to hide your eyes and ears from as well. That's where using Scripture and God as a filter come in.

If there was anything we would wish for you in 2015, that would be it. That everything you do be filtered by the grace of God. Every decision you make, every word you speak, every thing you watch or read, every action you both take, that you use the best-selling book of all time and the Creator who wrote it to guide your steps. Friends told me recently that they as a couple are reading through the Bible together during 2015. While both have read through the Bible independently before several times, this is the first time they have read it through together. A sweet time of togetherness, devotion, study and spiritual growth. Imagine facing every day together after a morning of Scripture time. What a perfect plumb line they will have to set their day by.

Set yourself some goals this year, including spiritual ones. Back in November we talked about ..spiritual measurement. Make good on growing ever closer to our Father. Read the Word every day. Pray. Take a new study. Get involved in a small group. While you are at it, stretch yourself creatively, learn something new, volunteer in some aspect, do random acts of kindness, spend time with God just to be with Him, and make every effort to love each other faithfully and  preciously in word and deed.

Know that we are praying for you in this new year. That you grow every more in love and ever closer to the One who brought you together. We love you both. Happy, healthy, blessed 2015!

Discussion: What are your individual goals for this year? What are your goals as a couple? What is something you have always wanted to do or learn that is reachable this year? What can you do this year to grow spiritually?

Prayer: Father we dedicate this year entirely to you. We pray your Holy Spirit and Word guide us. Help us be wise in our decision making and quick to love your children. In the name of the One to whom every knee will bow, Amen.