TAX DAY...bless my friends.

From the whirlwind of life here in Singapore, I realize this morning it's April 15th and remember that in USA, this is a red letter day. I think about the funny ritual Jim and I had on April 15th every year. We'd find out which local post office was open the very latest in the evening and make our reluctant pilgrimmage in the 11th hour, not wanting to give anything to Uncle Sam and his Government Racket until it was absolutely demanded of us!

Living overseas, we don't get that fun anymore, but this morning I'm still thinking about my friends and family over there, and wonder how you're doing. I'm asking God that he would prosper you so much in the coming year that the sting of taxes will be more like a mosquito bite than an amputation!

Those of you who know this head-in-the-clouds artist, probably would imagine that I've not invested much in thinking, scheming, or worrying about money. I come from a frugal upbringing where my parents modeled saving more than spending, and giving more than buying, I don't really like shopping, and have been married nearly 20 years to a man who I've been happy to let "take care of all that money business."

Not to mention my Evangelical upbringing. Whatever room in my right brain there has been for financial thoughts has been fed with meditations on Scriptural investment advice of passages like this gem from Proverbs 30:7-9:

Two things I ask of you, O LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, 'Who is the LORD?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonour the name of my God.

My all time favourite sink-into-the-core-of-my-world-view passage on money has been Matthew 6:19-24.

Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and theives break in and steal, but store up for yourself treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Of course, as a Christian, I wanted to be devoted to Christ, so I've always thought it was godly to despise money. At best, having learned to despise it, it was a necessary evil. Something we utilize for life on this fallen planet. Something we pray we use wisely hoping God is glorified in our spending. Something we give away to advance the good news that through Jesus, we can have a place in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and there's no need to lock our heavenly mansions from theives, because there won't be any. My beliefs about money were informed and conformed by teachings of aescetic persuasion than King Soloman. The LORD I follow was homeless afterall!

In the past couple of years, there has been some tremors in the core of my worldview. Perhaps the real shaking started when we purchased a car here 3 years ago. After roughing it with public transport for 4 years, we took the plunge. Ouch. The cost of cars in Singapore is OUTRAGEOUS. To buy a used minivan cost us the same as a new luxury sports car in USA! But we'd prayed about it and knew that having a car would eliminate a lot of stresses, siginificantly change the quality of our lives, and make us more productive in our ministry. I thank God every day for our car, and have never questioned that step of faith we took in putting such a chunk of our resources toward this blue Honda Odyssey. God HAS provided for more than our daily bread. We're not in any danger of having too much and getting to a point of disowning God, but we're also not anywhere being tempted to steal!

As I've gone through the rough waters of cross culturall adjustment these past 7 years, I've enjoyed Richard Carlson's books DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF, and DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF FOR FAMILIES. Recently at a book sale, I came across another title by the same author: DON'T WORRY, MAKE MONEY Spiritual and Practical Ways to Create Abundance and More Fun in Your Life. It almost sounds sacreligious! If I hadn't read the down-to-earth good advice of his earlier books, I'd not have picked it up or begun reading. And have begun learning! Now, I know, for those who are financial wizards, a book title like this sounds like a pre-school board book, but I imagine you are spending your time on more productive and lucrative activities and are not taking the time to read my ramblings here, so I'll write on.

In all of this; the purchase of our car, finding this book, the search for our next apartment, God has been slowly introducing me to a richer way of viewing resources. He's showing me that in the same way he has given some a gift of Voluntary Poverty, He has also gifted others with Administration, which results in a knack for making money. He's put a few people in my life who have this knack and are both comfortable and godly with a life of relative luxury. These people who, to me, are quite rich, are not hoarding it but generously exercising a gift of Giving; giving to which the Creasmans have been a recipient. He has begun stretching my faith not just in his ability to provide for our needs through those who are financial partners in our ministry, but in seeking His heart for learning how to invest well, or make money and make it work for us and the work we are doing for the advancement of His Kingdom.

So, on April 15th, I pray for you about this too. I pray that you get good investment advice. I pray that if you're in transition with work that God provide you with a satisfying and well paying new position. I pray that God would RICHLY prosper all of you as you yeild your life and your money to His Lordship. It's true that you cannot serve both God and money, but I've started to believe that God's plan for many of you is to serve him by making money! And that because ot the way he's gifted you, you are able to make even money serve Him!

From Isaiah 55:10-13
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower
and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills
(Your bankers and financial advisors)

will burst forth in song before you,
(will use your portfolio as an example of investment savvy)

and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow
(Instead of credit debt, you'll grow)

the pine tree,
(the dividends)

and instead of briers the myrtle
(Instead of unexpected expenses,)

will grow
(your stuff will all function without breaking down.)

This will be for the LORD's renown,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed.

(This will be for our great God's glory
because your heart will remain
steadfastly devoted to serving Him, not money,
because your real treasure is eternal
and cannot be destroyed!)

Praying today for your ble$$ing and great JOY.