Double WoW!

Wow! WoW!

2010-09-11T09:36:00.000Z

Hello people

No I didn't think I was going to take such a long break from this blog. Thanks Truth for your comment. I will be back soon. I need to evaluate some of those goals and update on how far I've come and what is still left to do.

What about you? What plans have you set in place? We all know about the financial crisis but what have you learnt, are you learning, do you hope to learn? Please share your thoughts, click comment!

Remain blessed and highly favoured. You're a woman of worth, a woman of wealth. Start having wealthy habits.

ZoeB

Wealth creation: Finding your why?

2009-09-08T09:53:00.004Z

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.....'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:35-36; 40 (NIV)

Today I would like you to think about your motivation for wealth creation. Why do you want to have money. The verse above is one of my reasons why. The others I can think about at this moment are;

1) I love my freedom, I don't want to live my life stuck in a job I don't like just because I am tied to a salary

2)I want to pick my kids from school and bring them home. I want to see them on weekdays and weekends

3) I really, really want to make a difference in the lives of children especially in the area of education. I want to sponsor more children, I don't want to start an orphanage or an NGO, I think we have a lot of 'organisations', I believe in joining forces with those already on ground and on the field to make a difference. I would also like to support missionaries who have answered a higher call and forsaken all for the sake of Christ

4) I would like my grandchildren to be proud that I was their grandmother not necessarily because I left them tons of cash but if I can learn how to create wealth then I can teach it as well.

5)Before I start sounding like a Mother Theresa, I would like to say I like good things, I want to travel, I want to live comfortably not excessively but luxurious comfort

Your reason why keeps you on track, when you say NO to a pair of shoes so that you can invest in your ISA or buy some stock/shares or save towards a down payment on your first rental property. I want to go further and get what I call 'the picture of my future', snapshots that represent my why. This is an individual and personal thing, everyone has their own reason why so think about it and make a note of it.

Stay motivated!

Update: To take these thoughts even further, we need to reflect on what we are doing at this present time to make a difference. Yes, things might be tight but if it's difficult to give £1 it will be difficult to give £1,000,000. I would like to encourage us to find ways to be a blessing NOW in light of what we still hope to do.

Remain blessed and highly favoured.

Financial statements

2009-08-06T23:11:00.003Z

I'm about to round up reading Rich Dad's Prophecy, another recommended reading from the Rich Dad series. Mind boggling. Funny how a book written in 2002 is addressing a lot of the issues we are facing today!

I promised myself to always make at least 2 action points from every book I read and work on acting them out. It doesn't matter how small, change in the right direction is always a good thing. I'm working on my financial statement at present. This comprises of an income statement and a balance sheet. I've never liked accounting but Robert Kiyosaki in his book emphasises the need for financial literacy and an understanding of basic accounting for one to succeed in wealth creation goals.

Financial statements lets us know where we are on our journey, the numbers tell the truth and sometimes provide a necessary 'kick in the pants' to enable us strive to achieve our goals. If one does not know their present location, it might be a bit difficult for someone else to give you directions.

Both the income statement and the balance sheet show how much money is coming in and also how it is going out, one way or the other money must flow. The income statement shows how much of the money 'in-come' comes from your job or your assets, dividends, real estate or business and also how much is going out in expenses.

The Bible tells us to take care to know the condition of our flocks, I don't see anyway of explaining this any better. We will never be rich until we make more, much more than we spend, we will never be rich if we cannot say NO to some things. I'm looking at my liability column and assessing whether the things in my bad debt were really worth it! I'm lucky enough not to be paying interest but I must develop discipline in my spending habits if I am to succeed?

What do your numbers tell you? Buoyant, struggling or drowning, you'll never know if you don't face it.

Till next time, I leave you with the words of Albert Einstein that "to solve problems we need to go to a higher level above which the problems were created" to be financially free we have to go higher and yes we can!

Minding your own business! (MYOB!)

2009-07-18T11:10:00.004Z

So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him SHEEP and CATTLE, SILVER and GOLD, MENSERVANTS and MAIDSERVANTS and CAMELS and DONKEYS...Genesis 24:34-35

A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it separated into FOUR headwaters Genesis 2:10

OK people, so what's Ms. Believer on about, what does minding your own business have to do with our finances. It's a term that we usually use to tell people to stop poking their noses into what does not concern them isn't it. Well yes, but this time I'm speaking to me and you for us to mind our own business. One thing I'm rapidly beginning to realise is that for wealth creation one has to begin to break a lot of mindsets previously held and begin to build new ones. Today I want to try and get us thinking on a different path, I truly believe that to become wealthy we have to go beyond the having a job mindset and begin to embrace the building a business mindset/becoming a smart investor mindset.

There is nothing wrong with having a job, I believe in working, everyone should work as I believe we learn from working on a job. We learn to respect authority, time management, honing skills like teamwork, negotiation and leadership. I'm always a bit wary of people who have never had a job and are in a perpetual state of waiting for capital for them to start their own business! Also, being on a job lets true entrepreneurs know that they're not just cut out for the 9-5 drill! I'm also not saying hand in your notice but to look beyond having a job to wealth creation through business ownership.

In our jobs, we mind our bosses business, we mind our shareholders business, think of this while we are working, our shareholders are sleeping because their money is working for them. I recommend everyone reads The Cashflow quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki. Mind boggling, I also just finished reading Duncan Bannatyne's biography 'Anyone can do it', totally mind boggling, requires a post of it's own but I'm very inspired. Except you work in the city and are expecting a bonus of half a million pounds or more, then for most of us who work in the real world, there is a cap on our salary, in most cases even with bonuses we cannot earn beyond a certain amount but when we mind our own business the sky is the limit.

The Bible says Abraham was rich in gold, silver,sheep, cattle e.t.c. I'm not a Bible scholar but I take this to mean that he was rich in assests, precious metals will always be valuable whether the markets go up or down and even more so when the markets are down because people realise how useless cash can be! Sheep and cattle, sheep provide wool, cattle provide milk, you don't have to kill these animals to gain from them, remember an asset is anything that puts money in your pocket. What are you accumulating? Women, we need to wake up. Shoes, bags e.t.c are good but I hope we are not using the money that could be working hard for us to amass things that the value drops immeadiately we step out of the shop. I'm not saying don't look good but take stock! All over the world, I hear people talk about womens rights and freedom but how can one be free if they are not financially free? Minding your own business doesn't have to mean opening a company, it is minding your assets, have you increased your assets this year? What are you rich in? Assets or liabilities.

The Bible also says that the river in Eden separated into 4 rivers, Tudor Bismark interpets this to mean that every believer should have 4 streams of income.Your salary can be one, but what else? Don't be so busy minding other people's businesses and forget your own. Remember for most of us there might be no pension because they are using our money to pay our grandparents now! I haven't done so well in increasing my asset base as I would have liked, I have to sit down and refine my financial plan. Part of minding my own business is getting the financial education I need to make wise investment choices and not just jumping on the latest bandwagon. One thing I firmly believe is not investing in ANYTHING or ANYONE I don't understand. Don't do it because everyone is doing it and please beware of very quick and very high return on investment. Usually by the time everyone is buying or doing something the educated investors have already made their money and smiled off to the bank.

An important thing to note, look at the richest people in the world, none of them are employees, they could have been at some point in their lives but they had to move to the business owner or investor side of the cashflow quadrant to make it to the big leagues. In the world we live in, wealth creation is no longer about being greedy or becoming a millionaire but the security that even if one were made redundant today, there is something somewhere that will pay the mortgage in the interim.

So I'm learning to mind my own business, what about you? I'll end this post with some words from two songs that show how the world is changing. When did it go from...

I will do anything for you
Yes I would
I'll give you all
the things you want
baby there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do (3T...anything)

...to

She's got her own thing
That's why I love her
Miss Independent

Lol! MYOB!

Financial goals 2009

2009-06-16T11:11:00.006Z

Hi everyone,

This blog has really been neglected. I'm updating with my financial goals for this year, no use talking about things I'm not doing, I really need to get focused. Something else I realised about plans is that they direct your actions, it's funny how my thinking about money has changed these days. I'm finding it easier to channel my limited resources into different areas so that my money is working for me and it's thanks to the plans that I have.

£5 can be £5 in your wallet, £5 in an ISA tax-free interest account, £5 towards paying off debt, £5 towards my shoes, £5 for investment in shares or something else. Make your money count, make your money work for you.

Increase my financial knowledge

Read at least 8 financial books this year covering investment in shares/real estate and starting your own business

Write a post on this blog about what I learnt from these books and at least 1 or 2 things I will either start, stop or continue doing as a result of what I have read

Attend at least 2 financial seminars on real estate investment in the UK

Prepare my financial statement including income statement and balance sheet

Start a new stream

Research and pray about different options available to me

Divert at least £60 a month from ISA into RW

Get out of 'bad' debt

Determine how much I am owing and consolidate into one account

Divert 'excess' into AB and give card to Y.A

Pay at least £100 each month towards offsetting the amount

Make the most of my ISA

Set up direct debit for £x per month from salary account to ISA

Divert at least half of this amount into investments

Open KK account

Open KK account in 2 geographical locations

Research on options

Giving

Pay my tithe (10%) and offering faitfully from every paycheck and profit

Continue to support D.A through World Vision

Support another ministry outside KICC at least twice this year

Well, this is a very skeletal plan, I aim to refine it as I go along, rephrasing and also adding the time at which the goals should be accomplished by. I've already done some of the things on the list but I know I definitely still have a lot more to do. So what's stopping you? Get to writing. You haven't defined your dream, vision or goal until you've WRITTEN IT DOWN. Next step, 5 year financial vision!

Stay focused!

Wealth creation: Setting goals

2009-04-28T09:11:00.004Z

In the previous post, I discussed about having a vision for your finances. I hope you have put this into practice because as my pastor says "you cannot arrive at a destination that you have not defined". If my financial vision gives me an idea of where I want to be, setting goals are the vehicles to take me there.

goal:the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; (Dictionary.com). The definition of a goal carries with it the implication that it's something I think about before I actually achieve it. Getting my finances in order is not going to just happen to me, I need to work towards getting to where I want to be.

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Financial goals must be specific, If my vision is to save more this financial year, my goals ask the question, how much more? How will I save? My financial vision for 2009 includes getting the maximum amount of money I can into my ISA. If you live in the UK and you don't know what an ISA is well, one of your goals could be to find out what it is lol! That's about £3,600, my goal therefore is to divert £300 per month into my ISA, preferably by Direct Debit as I might not have the discipline to faithfully take it out each month so let the bank work for me a little.

Financial goals should be measurable, setting time dates by which time such and such should have happened will enable you make progress. I'm not so strong on this one but I know I shall get better. My financial vision includes increasing my financial literacy by reading at least two books on finances per quarter, so far I've read half, so I'm lagging behind but I wouldn't know that if I wasn't measuring.

Financial goals should be attainable and realistic. I believe in the area of our finances, our only limit is our financial education. Sorry to say, but I'm tired of an attitude that keeps waiting for someone to show up at the door with £xxx by someone sent by God to bless me, in itself I have no problem with it but why can't I be the someone that will be the blessing as opposed to the one waiting. So while I can say, I would like to save £1,000,000 from my salary it is very unlikely that my job will be paying me that amount any time soon so I set realistic and attainable goals. Setting goals and attaining them gives me strength to keep on pressing forward. I believe in a God of miracles who can open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, pressed down, shaken together and running over but into what container will he put it? Are you ready to receive the blessing that He wants to give you? When Jesus was in Peter's boat, there was so much fish that the net began to break, to me that means if he had a bigger net, he would have more fish so he couldn't receive beyond his capacity.

Financial goals should be timely, this is closely linked to measurable in that setting specific times by which you would have achieved the goals that have been set. I will need to review my vision and goals by the end of the month to see where I'm succeeding and where I'm lagging behind. Remember to review your goals regularly. This is usually where I have a problem, I write things down but do not take time to review and ask myself how I'm doing on the journey, sometimes some goals may need to be changed, scrapped or stretched but you'll never know if you don't review them.

In one of the earlier posts on this blog, I discussed about the motivation we each have for creating wealth. This is very important because this is what will keep us focused. I need money to do a lot of things, believe me even if you're going to be a missionary, your ability to go depends on someone giving the money that will support you while you are there. In these days when we realise that a 'credit crunch' is not actually a type of cereal, it is even more important to remain keyed in to why and how important it is as people (more especially as women..) to have our finances in order.

So what are your financial goals? Do you believe in setting goals specifically for your finances? Please leave a comment. My financial goals for 2009 should be appearing in the side bar soon.

Remain blessed and highly favoured.

Wealth Creation...Write the vision

2009-02-27T11:23:00.002Z

Then the LORD answered me and said: WRITE the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry Habakkuk 2:2-3 (New King James Version)

And then God answered: "WRITE this. WRITE what you see. WRITE it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time Habakkuk 2:2-3 (The Message)

Hi people, it's been a while I know and I apologise. 2009 is a year of better time management skills! This has been on my mind for a while now and I just thought to share it. Every year at KICC we are encouraged to write our vision for the year. Even now, Pastor Matthew talks about having 5 year, 10 year and 20 year visions.

What is a vision or what is vision? Vision simply means to see, I can see the words I am typing because I have vision but to have a vision is to see something that is beyond the ordinary. Martin Luther King had a vision about freedom. Richard Williams had a vision about his daughter's careers. So what is our vision for our lives? What is our financial vision?

We've been reading about money, spending it, making it, talking about it but now we need to have a vision for it. Think about 2009, where do you want to be financially. Think about it and write it down, no matter how small or big your vision is write it down. If possible, write it where you can see it on a regular basis so you can keep track on what and how you are doing. It doesn't have to be written with big words, the Bible says make it plain! it's not an essay it's a vision of what you want your financial status to be at the end of 2009, for some people it's simply becoming debt free. Say it out loud to yourself, my vision for 2009 is to be debt free, for some it might just be to acknowledge TRUTHFULLY to yourself what the state of your finances are..

In a few days (hopefully!!) I will put up my financial vision for 2009 on the right hand column of this blog. I like the way the Message translation says it, write what you see in BIG letters. The next step is actually setting SMART goals to enable you walk towards the vision. Your financial vision is like a destination, your goals are the steps you take to get there. That's a different post.

If you are a praying person, ask God for grace and strength. It doesn't matter where you are now, what matters is what we do from this point onwards. So what you doing? Get to writing...

Question
Do you usually write down a vision for your finances?
Why/Why not?
If you do, where do you write it?

Remain blessed and highly favoured. 2009 has to be a different year for us financially.

Wealth creation...

2009-01-19T10:26:00.003Z

I've just a read a post on A Day in God's will on not a job but your Eden. See here. I encourage you all to read, there is some thought provoking stuff there.

It's made me think about wealth creation. I really want this blog to be as practical as possible. What are the strategies for wealth creation? I use the word wealth and not money because I believe wealth is more than money. I see wealth as something that is beyond me and mine but includes good health and also being able to be a blessing to my generation. I am reminded of Bill Gates and all the research he and his wife fund all around the world.

Question is what can I do to create wealth in 2009? I am working on my vision for 2009 in the area of my finances. I think that is a step in the right direction even though it's not enough. What about you? What are you going to do to make 2009 a different year for you in the area of your finances?

A season of prayer; Day 20

2008-12-29T12:51:00.003Z

A prayer for finances

Jehovah Jireh, I praise your name. I give you praise because you are worthy to receive all the glory, honour and adoration. I thank you Heavenly Father for your goodness, your mercy and your grace. Thank you for your word; you said that this crisis is for our increase therefore I give you praise in anticipation of the good change that you are bringing into my life. You are the God who provides, you have never allowed me to lack any good thing. Thank you for your provision, I am housed, clothed and well-fed this is a testimony of your goodness. I look at my bank account and then I look around me, it can never correlate, thank you for blessing me O Lord.

Daddy in this season, I'm praying about my finances. I'm committing my finances into your hands. First of all, I'm rejecting every spirit of fear about my finances. Your word says that you have not given me a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind. I am not afraid because I am standing on your word not FTSE, NASDAQ, Nikkei, NSE, DowJones e.t.c are saying. Your word has already told me that money has wings and can fly away so I do not put my trust in money, I put my trust in you. Your word says that your blessing maketh rich and adds no sorrow to me therefore I confess THAT I SHALL NOT FEAR. The sons of Korah testified to that fact that they would not fear even though the earth gave way and the mountain fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam for God was their refuge. This is my prayer O Lord, I shall not fear even though job security is low, house prices are low, banks are refusing to give mortgages and there is a general sense of desponency I SHALL NOT FEAR. Even the letter I received last week, I SHALL NOT FEAR in Jesus name. You provided manna and meat in the wilderness for your children, you enabled Isaac sow in famine and reap not 30 or 60 but a 100 fold. You fed Elijah by the brook Cherith, in the mouth of 2 witnesses your word is established. You relocated the Israelites to Egypt so that they would not perish in the famine because of the promise no convenant you had with Abraham. Father, I have a covenant of wealth with and in you so I SHALL NOT FEAR.

Rock of Ages, I commit the finances you have endowed me with before you. If truth be told, it is your money for the cattle on a thousand hills belong to you and I am only a steward. Give me specific instructions regarding my finances O Lord in Jesus name and give me the grace and strength to obey. Lord sometimes the ridiculous comes before the miraculous. You asked a widow in Zarepath to make of her last meal and give the prophet, it wasn't enough for her but you told her to release what was in her hand that you might release what was in your hand to her. O Lord, let me give what I should give and willingly in Jesus name. Instruct me so that this crisis will truly be for my increase.

Daddy, I commit my financial life before you O lord, in 2009 I want to be an investor in Kingdom work. I want to remain a tither and a giver, show me avenues where I can be a blessing. Lord, as a tither you said the devourer has been rebuked for my sake and that the windows of heaven are opened unto me. Open the floodgates of heaven over my finances in Jesus name. In 2009, teach me how to create wealth even in adverse circumstances. You showed Jacob when he worked for Laban that although people might try to scheme me they can never scheme You and you will bring me out into a place of abundance.

Father I confess that 2009 IS MY YEAR OF A GOOD AND GREAT CHANGE IN THE AREA OF MY FINANCES. AS A TITHER AND GIVER I RECEIVE ALL THE ACCRUING BENEFITS. I SHALL NOT FEAR BUT REJOICE AS I WALK IN TESTIMONY AFTER TESTIMONY, FAVOUR AFTER FAVOUR, GOODNESS AFTER GOODNESS. I SHALL SEE THE REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HERE IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING. 2009 WILL BE A YEAR OF ACCUMULATING ASSETS AND OFFLOADING LIABILITIES. THE FAVOUR OF THE LORD WILL MAKE RICH. NO SORROW ADDED. 2009 IS MY BEST YEAR YET IN THE AREA OF FINANCE BECAUSE GOD WILL TEACH ME HOW TO CREATE WEALTH. HALLELUYAH. I WILL NOT BEG, BORROW OR STEAL FOR NECESSITIES FOR I SERVE JEHOVAH JIREH WHO WILL COME THROUGH FOR ME IN WAYS THAT I LEAST EXPECT IT. MY HANDS ARE BLESSED, MY BASKET IS BLESSED, MY STOREHOUSE IS BLESSED, THE WORKS OF MY HANDS ARE BLESSED, THE CROPS OF MY LAND ARE BLESSED, MY LIVESTOCK ARE BLESSED, I AM BLESSED WHEN I COME IN AND WHEN I GO OUT. AMEN

Take the glory O Lord, now and forever more...concerning the finances of your children in Jesus name.

But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant...Deut 8:18

Take stock!

2008-11-27T13:59:00.003Z

It's been a minute I know, I am the busiest I have ever been in my life and I am loving it. Learn to love being under pressure, it reveals all. The good, the bad and the ugly. I have allowed procrastination to steal a lot from me, if not for pressure I wouldn't know but now I am actively fighting W.A.P, war against procrastination! Lol!

Today's post is about taking stock, the more I read my Bible, the more I am aware how it covers every area in our lives. There's nothing you need to know that is not in the Bible. Today I came across this passage in Proverbs 27;

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;

24 for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.

25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.

27 You will have plenty of goats' milk
to feed you and your family
and to nourish your servant girls.

What I learnt from this passage is the importance of taking stock. With our finances, especially these days we can't afford to be careless or mess around. In my last post I asked about the difference between assets and liabilities and which of them we were acquiring. Isn't it interesting to note that we are not asked the condition of our clothes or shoes but the condition of our flocks and herds? To me this means, take stock of your assets because your assets should fund your liabilities. From your herds you get money, wool from the sheep, milk and meat from the goats (i don't like goat's milk but you get my drift). If you take care of your assets, your assets will take care of you.

To get to a destination, one needs to know where they are. Financially, where are you? Right now, I am in an ok place but I'm definitely not where I want to be which is debt and financially free. Although my debt was used to fund an asset, it is a debt nonetheless and I want to learn how to reduce it. I ask again, where are you? What are the assets you posses, cashflow from real estate, dividends from stocks/shares e.t.c and what are your liabilities; monthly bills, credit card bills e.t.c. Are you living within or above your means?

For those with assets, how are they doing? I must admit, I'm a bit careless here, i want to trust what the stockbroker is saying, what the mutual fund manager is saying, what the real estate guy is saying BUT I need to do some underground work as well because in my experience, professionals talk posh and sometimes rubbish to those who don't know what to ask. So now, I'm making more effort to see how my assets are doing and how I can create more in this climate!

Remember the future you dream of is being created today. Is what you are doing today ensuring a better tomorrow for you.

Selah.

What you don't know..

2008-10-20T11:47:00.001Z

'Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me', I remember singing along to this a zillion times as a little girl but as I've grown older I've come to realise this statement not to be true. My bones have healed from many injuries but some words..hmm! Another saying which is quite popular is "what I don't know, won't hurt me!" True or false?

I've found that as well to be false, sometimes catastrophically so! What I don't know about myself will make me struggle with insecurity and self esteem issues. What I don't know about my friends may make me hurt them, what I don't know about my purpose in life will make me wander aimlessly, just marking time but not really making any progress as minutes turn to hours, hours turn to days, days to weeks and so on until I realise I've reached a certain age and I'm not really sure what I have to show for it! Ouch!

What we don't know about money and finance will keep us from achieving financial freedom. This blog is about financial education. I am a firm believer that the solution to poverty is not more money but more education. This is why majority of lottery winners find themselves back in debt or even in deeper debt within a short time. See here. The Bible says "of what use is money in the hand of a fool since he has no desire to get wisdom?" (Proverbs 17:16 NIV).

So what do I know about money, investments and finance? Unfortunately, not a lot but at least I am aware that I do not know a lot and am seeking out ways to get myself a financial education. I agree with Robert Kiyosaki when he says that our educational systems that we have in place now do not prepare us for financial freedom, what they really do is prepare us for a job which my pastor jokingly refers to as being Just Over Broke!

I am painfully becoming aware of the cost of ignorance in quite a number of areas (more on this later), especially in the age that we are now; the 'Information Age', he who has the information and walks with the information gets the gold. A definition of insanity is to repeatedly carry out the same actions and except a different product so for me to move from where I am to where I want to be I know there need to be a few changes. Like every field, finance has it's own vocabulary and depending on what investment vehicle you choose you will need to learn to speak the language.

The Bible says to remember the Lord our God for He gives us the power to get wealth (Deut 8:18), He says that we should call unto Him and He will show us great and mighty things that WE DO NOT KNOW (Jer 33:3).

Questions to ponder on, feel free to leave the answers as comments (anon if you wish). Remember no google or wikipedia answers, this is for personal reflection in your own words

What does financial freedom mean to me?
What is the difference between an asset and a liability?
Which of them (i.e assets/liabilities) am I acquiring?
Who will/ how will I support myself in retirement?
What is investment?
What tools for investment are out there?
Is there a need for financial education?
What have I done in the past week, month or year to increase my financial education?

Sorry I know there are a lot of questions but please take the time to reflect on them. I will be putting up my own answers shortly!

Remain blessed and highly favoured. 2008 continues to remain our year of uncommon testimony because we have been empowered to PROSPER.

Just a little note,

2008-10-08T23:18:00.002Z

Hi everyone

Sorry for the break in transmission, it's really been busy but there has been a lot on my heart that I would love to share. I will be back soon.
Please if there's anything you would like to share on this blog, please send me an email, it could be something you've read recently or a question or two?

Remain blessed and highly favoured. This is our year of UNCOMMON TESTIMONIES escpecially in the area of our finance.

I WILL INCREASE!!

2008-09-21T19:34:00.002Z

Hi all,

Short note, for those in the London area, Pastor Albert Odulele will be preaching on "This crisis is for my increase" at Glory House, Canning Town. More information here. There is a shaking going on in the realm of finance, when it is over I want to be on the winning side! We can thrive in famine.

The Word says there was a famine in the land of the Philistines, yet because the Lord blessed him, Isaac was able to sow in the land and reaped a hundred fold!! Some say there is no crisis, I don't agree. What I know is that I can prosper even in famine because I serve a God of increase. In Egypt, there were seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine, the famine was real, it's also real that what my £20 could get me this time last year can't even be gotten for £30. It's real that my gas and electricity bills are skyrocketing, it's real that this past week a lot of people lost their jobs, it's real that a lot of companies are recording record losses this year, it's also real that I serve a God who teaches me how to make wealth (Deut 8:18).

There was a severe famine in Egypt, it affected the whole world the Bible says "the money failed" (Genesis 47:15) but at the end of the day this resulted in the repositioning of children of God in Egypt where as the Bible says they had posessions and grew and multiplied exceedingly (Genesis 47:27)so we can prosper in hard times. Come if you can, I'm sure you will be blessed.

This is our year of UNCOMMON TESTIMONIES.

Some statistics on women and money..

2008-09-17T11:29:00.003Z

These statistics came from the book 'Rich Woman' by Kim Kiyosaki. I can't talk about this book enough, I would encourage every woman to read it. The data she presents reflects the present situation in the states but I'll still do some research to see if I can find similar data for the UK as well although I think the data will be quite comparable wherever in the world you are! Please I would like to know your thoughts on this and whatever you read here. We are all learning and the issue of finance and money are very personal therefore quite sensitive. Remain blessed!

: 47% of women over the age of 50 are single which means they are financially responsible for themselves

: A woman's retirement income is less than men because a woman is away from the workforce an average of 14.7 years as compared to a man's 1.6 and when coupled with the fact that a woman usually earns less than a man in the same job means that their retirement benefits could end up being 1/4 that of a man (National Center for Women and Retirement Research-NCRWRR)

: 50% of marriages end up in divorce with the woman usually ending up with the children innit? A major source of conflict in marriage is from money and finance related issues!!

: In the first year after a divorce a woman's standard of living drops an average of 73%

: On average, women live longer than men which means someone must provide for those extra years if the man has been the primary source of finances.

This is the one that got me the hardest!!

:Of the elderly living in poverty, 3 out of 4 are WOMEN (Morningstar Fund Investor) and 80% of these women were not poor when their husbands were alive!!

Now I've never been a big fan of statistics but I think this data suggests that as a woman I have some stuff to think about. I included the data on divorce not because I think I will be a divorcee someday but because the statistics of divorce rate in the church is becoming comparable to what we see outside the church and I don't believe anyone goes into marriage with the thought that it might break up though it's a reality that we see.

Personally, I need to be financially educated not because I want to earn more than my husband or be the provider but because I need to develop good financial habits, the wise woman builds her house (Proverbs 14:1). Another statistic which comes a bit closer to home is also that on average, women are getting married later. At my age, my mum had 3 children so I think this is an area that really needs a lot of thought.

As a believer, I know GOD is my source but remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the bible says the master gave the servants talents "each according to his ability" v.15. Also know that although that parable could be related to skills, talent in the context of the story was money! I want to be educated so I can increase my ability and be a faithful servant!

Hmmm, please feel free to share your comments. Remain blessed. 2008 continues to remain our year of UNCOMMON TESTIMONIES as we have been EMPOWERED TO PROSPER.

starting small; FINISHING RICH!

2008-09-12T14:14:00.003Z

As you can see, I'm still meditating on those verses I talked about on Zoe. See here This is just an encouragement on this journey that we are taking that it doesn't matter where we are now, whether in debt or just barely surviving we can make it to the top because our God is a God of increase. By applying practical and biblical principles, we can achieve our financial goals.

We are starting small but by His grace we will finish rich!

Questions to think about. There are no right or wrong answers but I would really like feedback on this, please leave a comment (as an anon if you prefer!). I'll put an answer on there as well. Please make it as personal as you can, no textbook, google or wikipedia answers!Lol!

Question

Money is..........

Freedom is........

I want/don't want to be rich

I want/don't want to be rich because......

I usually set financial goals for myself Yes/No

Remain blessed and highly favoured. 2008 remains our year of uncommon testimonies in Jesus name because we have been EMPOWERED TO PROSPER!

Welcome!

2008-09-05T12:10:00.000Z

This blog is inspired by a dream and a passion. I have a dream to one day be financially free. By this I mean, not depending on anyone or any job or any government to take care of me financially. A day where my investments bring in more every month than the expenses that I have. A day where I can say "How can I afford it?" instead of "I can't afford it." A day where I can sponsor as many Daniel's as I want without thinking about how I will pay my bills. A day where money can work for me instead of the other way around. It's a dream that I believe is achievable, i'm way off from where I want to be but I know I can get there. Why? The Word says, God has EMPOWERED me to get wealth (Deut 8:18). God is my source and I know He has an inheritance for me.
The reason why I am pitching this at women is because this is not a journey that I can make on my own. I know that when women get together things happen! Also, I get this feeling that this is not an area that women really think about! I'll share some statisics about women and money that I got from a book I read recently later but I think this is really important for us to think about. So share your comments, your knowledge, your experiences.
If there's anything you want to know about or want to share in the area of finance, from information about stocks/shares to there being a big sale at NEXT! please send me an email at amarasviewonstuff@yahoo.com. Also, if you're on a journey like this, I would escpecially love to hear from you.

Remain blessed.