Saturday, April 19, 2008

Affluenza

This has been a record breaking year for people who have been infected with influenza. But there is another virus sweeping the country that is even more dangerous than the flu. Please read the following article to find out if you are suffering from affluenza.

"It's not your typical virus, but rather a highly contagious disease of epidemic overconsumption, and the symptoms include compulsive shopping, high debt, overwork, inability to delay gratification, a sense of entitlement, obsession with externals and "having it all," wastefulness, and stress. The disease is called afflueza... (click here to read the rest of this excellent article).

Michael Dungan is a Christian financial planner who wrote the book, "Prodigal Sons and & Material Girls: How Not to Be Your Child's ATM." He helps people to "do" money in ways that honor their values. His simple philosophy of "share, save, spend" helps adults and their children find the antidote to hyper-consumption. Here is another brief article from Physicians Money Digest that does a good job of putting Dungan's ideas into practical advice for someone suffering from affluenza. Read especially the information at the end of the article.

Jesus said where our treasure is our hearts will follow. He also said we cannot serve both God and Money. Is it possible to be a sincere Christian if one is infected with "affluenza?" Do you think it could ever be labeled a true "disease"?

Tell me what you think.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Real Financial Heroes

Sometimes humor gets the message across better than the direct approach. I laughed out loud at these videos - especially the second one! Thanks, Libby.









Tuesday, April 1, 2008

It all goes back in the box?

It all goes back in the box. But where does the box come from, and where does it end up?

In response to the man who asked Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance, Jesus warned the man to, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." (Luke 12.15) Then Jesus went on to tell the story about the landowner who built bigger and bigger barns only to discover that his dream of a luxurious retirement was cut short. The point of the story, according to Jesus, was this is how it is for those who store up things for themselves but are not rich toward God.

Do we have enough stuff? How much is enough? Is there never any end to this rat race? Do you ever wonder how we get all our stuff and where it ends up? And, why does it seem we have to keep buying more and more? The image below is a link to an interesting website that has been getting a lot of play. The brief film on the website is simplistic, but it will provoke you to think about the consequences of our consumer culture in a global economy.