Applying "luo" to your journey

Making time to read is challenging for me. It requires commitment and discipline, and if I don’t read with a pen and notepad in hand, all is lost.

Recently, I’ve discovered that I’m not unusual. I’ve heard so many others talk about the ever-growing pile of books on their desk or bedside table.

But there’s value in plodding through the stack. Over the past few weeks, I’ve gained new insights about good practices, about how “givers” differ from “takers,” about how real impact comes with vulnerability, and finally, an understanding of a new Greek word: luo.

When I first encountered that word, I had no idea what it meant. So I looked it up, and Google told me this:

Luo: to “loose” a person (or thing) tied or fastened; to release from bonds.

We find the word “luo” used several times in the New Testament: to “loose the cords” when Lazarus is raised from the dead; to “loose hostility” in Ephesus; to describe freedom in Christ as a “loosening of our sins.” The “luo” offered by Christ sets us free from selfishness and fear.

You know where I’m taking this, of course.

Much like reading, biblical stewardship demands discipline and commitment. But it also demands “luo.” I must be loosed from my self-centered attitude and the bondage of “me first.” I must be released from the selfish notion that I deserve material things and a secure future, and instead find freedom in trusting God for continued abundance and grace.

A stewardship guided by both discipline and “luo” is not stewardship for my own sake. It’s not about seeing my name in lights. It’s not about personal gain. This kind of biblical stewardship is an act of worship.

In that context, it becomes clear that stewardship isn’t about duty or obligation (though these habits can lead us to better places). Rather, stewardship connects us to true joy, to the fulfillment of serving a greater purpose.

Today, let’s apply “luo” to our journeys and commit once again to a biblical stewardship of time and resources.  

Wholistic Stewardship

When I was a child, a favorite series of books for me was The Borrowers. This series followed little people living inside the homes of full-sized people and all the adventures that came with “borrowing things” and going unnoticed so as to keep their existence comfortable and safe.

I have been a “borrower” as of late, learning about extending grace and dignity to mistreated people groups during two conferences in January. First came the Gay Christian Network conference in Portland, Oregon, and then basking in the wisdom of Nick and Claire Wolterstorff during the Justice Conference in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Add to these experiences the opportunity to absorb the refreshing and inspiring presentation of Marva Dawn from her book Keeping the Sabbath Wholly during Calvin’s ReGathering celebration. (You may notice I am “borrowing” from Marva and adapting a bit for the title of this blog.)

As I grow in years, the quantity of my questions is also growing—rather than resolving. How does one conduct him/herself in such a way to keep stewardship wholly? Does justice have a role in our stewardship practices? Are my stewardship practices self-serving? Are they promoting dependency rather than dignity?

A previous post on this blog addresses the idea that all our resources are gifts from God in various stages of abundance—placed under our care for purposes of advancing the kingdom, holy expressions of worship while caring for the global community.

When I consider what it means to fully embrace stewardship, I consider the new understandings of justice and the more holistic approach needed to redeem injustice. These are corollary principles for stewardship.

The holistic approach to stewardship, much like the call to act justly, demands that we ask the hard questions about the social or political structures that are operating in our communities which often cause injustice, fear and dependency. Justice has a role in our stewardship practices in that we are to respect all of God’s creation and treat others with dignity. A holistic approach to stewardship calls me to manage all my resources such that basic needs are provided to others without creating a culture of dependency.

How much easier is it for us to check the charity box and feel satisfied we have given rather than to investigate and pursue matters of justice. We prefer to give a gift, and often even expect favors in return, than to think deeply about matters of justice. We prefer to not investigate too deeply for fear that social and/or political change might impact our personal, comfortable situations.

Let’s be courageous enough to ask: Am I willing to surrender any of my comforts for the opportunity to bring greater justice into our communities? Am I willing to surrender my privileges for another’s safety and dignity?

I think we believers might agree that the real challenge gets personal. The real questions get personal. The real growth gets personal. But it’s all for a global purpose.
Along the way, we can find encouragement in the fact that we are prompted in this questioning by a God who holds the answers.

The Nozzle

Walk the neighborhoods in Southern California and discover the trees dying from an extended drought or be an eyewitness to flooding in the streets of Scottsdale, Arizona, or enjoy the wonderful frequency of rain in Michigan that waters the shrubs so that underground sprinkling need not operate. 

I find a metaphor here that helps any of us consider our hearts and attitudes in times of hardship, abundance or "just enough." In any of the above situations, there is opportunity to examine ourselves. 

What happens to my heart of stewardship when through my eyes, there aren't enough finances available to express gratefulness to God through offering or charitable contribution? When abundance comes through inheritance or salary increases, do I first consider how I can distribute God's abundance to me to others in need? Does complacency take over when a steady flow of income allows me to determine an amount each year and then just "let it flow" unconsciously and without hardship?   

Circumstances certainly have a way of influencing our hearts and responses. Thanking God for his abundance in all circumstances is a challenge to the depraved heart. 

Let's commit to not turning off the nozzle on the end of the hose of flowing resources regardless of the stream of abundance we humanly observe. God doesn't stop caring and providing even when you think you don't have enough. 

Tug of War

Participating in various physical and mental activities takes on many forms; from the physical intensity of tug of war to the mind bending strategy demanded in Game of Thrones. We start early with sports camps, music camps, wilderness vacations and exploring new places. The games we play, the places we travel and the books we read can all teach us stewardship lessons.

Take tug of war. How tight is your grip? How bad do you want to win? Who do you pick for your team mate? Someone with endurance or the short-termer with big muscles? One helps you win quickly, while the other helps you endure for the long haul.

When it comes to stewardship, we make a commitment in our heart to both enjoy God’s abundance and give from our resources to bring justice and healing to brokenness and pain; living out Micah 3 to walk humbly with our God and seek justice.

A recent reading of Jeff Manion’s book, Satisfied, helped me gain a stronger grip on stewardship. The day-to-day tug of war between being satisfied and comparing my situation to those who appear to “have it better” is wearing. My heart often crosses the line into discontent and selfishness.

But the knowledge of God’s great gift of salvation turns me to gratitude for His saving grace. Eliminating competitors for my heart demands commitment, endurance and a strong desire to keep God on my side of the rope—where His grip on me is made complete. 

Stewardship Lessons from Zambia

A first glimpse into the neighborhoods near Lusaka, Zambia, the real beauty of the compounds goes unnoticed by my American eyes. The signs and smells of apparent poverty consume the senses. Careful to not assume or judge, I wanted to understand how – in this challenging setting – a person understands the concept of stewardship of God’s abundance.  My initial impressions of this neighborhood were false. This was not a place of limited resources and people who were both poor in spirit and lacking daily sustenance. 

My wondering mind tried to project; how does a person living in Kanyama view the scriptures that address first fruits for God? My American lens saw shortfall and great need. My American heart wondered how I would view my creator God if I spent every day in the compound of Kanyama. Getting out of the bus with fellow muzungu (white people) raised many more questions and reactions: “Why this experience, Lord?” “What do you have for me to learn today?” 

Time and reflection provided the refraction needed to consider these questions. 

Reading from the book of Hebrews during this trip provided some insight. In Heb. 10 we have insight; we are made holy, not by our sacrifices and offerings but through the body of Jesus on the cross.   John Calvin’s commentary describes “right stewardship” as that which is tested by the rule of love.  Check out 1 Sam 15: 22; the Lord delights in our obedient hearts. 

Repeated trips into Kanyama - with corrective lenses - revealed a culture that places people above time and tasks. Hospitality reigns in these homes.   Careful observation reveals children playing with sticks and old hubcaps, street vendors creatively displaying their crafts and colorful vegetables, and teachers who share their time and resources with their students and offer their wisdom and time to families who needed encouragement.  A community spirit thrives in Kanyama. Loving your neighbor, even the muzungus who dropped in now and then, seems a better understanding of stewardship and the rule of love described in Hebrews. 

The material riches of the people of Kanyama are shared in community to support family and neighbors alike. Enough for each day – enough for each child and neighbor – comes in ways not that unusual or surprising when the American “scales” fall off.

Stewardship lessons – whether in Zambia, Israel or America – are available to the awakening heart.
Stewardship is richer by far in the context of possessing a heart for God, His people, and gratefulness for God’s saving grace. Abundance is not found in resources alone, but in God’s unconditional love. Eyes to see God in others and hope in difficult settings; these contribute to a deeper understanding of stewardship.  

In gratefulness for my new friends in Zambia. Your hospitality and resourcefulness are a testimony of God’s love.  

Cousins

 Here we are again—nearing the end of tax season. For many people, these final days leading up to submitting taxes is full of angst. We look over our income and investments, consider our charitable contributions and check tax records to make sure we are getting all our possible deductions. 

Tax season raises many questions for me. Did I give enough to charity this year? Is 10% of gross or net the real goal? Should I lower my standard of living and give the rest to non-profits who have real impact? Am I grateful for what taxes provide for me? Do I trust the system that operates all around me for how taxes are distributed? Are my elected officials using common sense?

For me so many questions do not have clear answers. At what point do I trust first and expect that common sense follows closely behind?

Are trust and common sense distant cousins, much like taxes and philanthropy? Is asking the right questions, at least during tax season, an opportunity to find the new normal for acknowledging God's abundance to me and thinking through best practices for supporting charities?

We know God clearly created humankind with hearts of compassion and minds for critical thinking. We are obligated by obedience to God to resolve these questions, as part of the process of God's sanctifying work in me and the world.

Tax season is complicated far beyond the question of “How much do I owe this year?” Let's continue talking, researching, voting appropriately and keeping stewardship a top value in our lives.

The situations around us—and what really matters

Circumstance. 

At first glance, it is a bit of an odd word—until you consider its etymology. First, take “stance,” meaning sense of position or place of feet. “Stance” points us, ultimately, to our situation. When combined with the prefix “circum,” we see how the full word refers to our “surrounding” situation.

As I gain a healthier biblical perspective about God's abundance to me, I've needed to make the transition from looking with judgment at other people’s situations to honestly looking at my own situation before God. I need to be on guard of the way my sinful nature has a tendency to look at other's circumstances and make a judgment call.

When comparing God's abundance to me verses those who appear to have so much more than me, my stance becomes jealous and creates an attitude I'm not proud of. Quite the opposite happens when I look at the circumstances of others who experience much less privilege than I do. Now I feel blessed—almost prideful—

and satisfied with my circumstances. My stance becomes a bit more entitled.  

Both stances are out of line with biblical mandate. God knows my heart, and He desires that I consider my stance before Him alone. My sacrifice of resources should not be about obligation or entitlement, but rather my heartfelt response of obedience and worship.

My circumstances, and yours, don't matter as much as the fact that God knows our hearts and He desires that we offer who we are and what we have fully to him. Furthermore, let’s remember that God's abundance flows to all, though circumstances vary greatly. 

My hope is that today we recognize that everything belongs to the Lord and gratefully manage His resources for the good of His kingdom.    

Trust God, not the familiar

My frequent travels to LA, the metropolis of Houston or the Canadian countryside are made possible with the aid of Google Maps and the “show traffic” option. Finding my way around traffic or through shortcuts is made so much easier with vehicles that have GPS installed. I have become dependent on these assistive devices in unfamiliar situations as well as familiar.

I am confident I can get around any obstacle that may come my way: accident, traffic jam or construction zone. Trusting the familiar takes over most of my daily decisions and activities, not just my driving. I often rely on my personal knowledge and experience, rather than God’s leading.

We have a desire and resolve to trust God for all things, which we often exercise in times of new experiences. But learning to rely on Him in situations that are familiar is often our biggest challenge.

Recently our household revisited our plan for financial stewardship for 2014. We fell into our familiar pattern of looking over our past support and talking through increases or changes. It took some additional, intentional conversation to consider how we would trust God for the unknowns along the way. It’s easier to apply the 10% rule and tithe to favorite organizations than it is to determine a point of impact and sacrifice in our stewardship plan, agreeing to trust God for all the unknowns that will come in 2014.

When we know the way, we behave in a familiar way. But when a new season of life or dramatic change comes to our journey, it seems more compelling—desirable even—to reassess and consider if this is an opportunity for trusting God for what’s ahead.
 

Can I be resolute for trusting God in all the familiar spaces and not just the new situations? Can I trust God’s abundance when I think I know the way already? 

Circumstances and gratitude

When he bought the house, James knew about needed repairs. He researched the repair costs, anticipated the financial demand, and knew of the time and patience it would take to restore his new home. Still, his enthusiasm around the purchase remained high; he was pleased with himself and the plans he made. And the circumstances surrounding the purchase were just as he expected.

That is, until move-in day.

Placing storage boxes in the basement revealed that, in the month since purchasing the home, the foundation cracks had grown and revealed a larger problem that couldn’t be ignored. Suddenly, gratitude for this home turned into disappointment, frustration and self-doubt.

Surprising circumstances often shake our faith foundations too. When suddenly confronted with the unexpected, we respond by diminishing our core values and commitments. Finding solutions that will return us to a place of comfort and control can take priority over trust and gratitude. Disappointment often reduces our sense of gratitude for the resources of time, energy and wealth that we enjoy daily.

Disappointment is part of my everyday life, and I imagine that is true for you too. Circumstances for all of us also change frequently. Families grow, cars need repairs, tuition increases and purchases can’t wait. The question is; what gives? When car repairs demand more of the tight budget, we grab dollars from our “first fruits” meant for church or various non-profits.

But foundational values of trust, faithfulness, obedience and stewardship are non-circumstantial. We rob ourselves of opportunities to see God’s miracles at work when we suspend our commitments in favor of doing it ourselves. Gratitude is foundational, not circumstantial.

  

I encourage you to count your blessings this Thanksgiving and to include all your circumstances in that list. 

Buckets, envelopes or expense columns

Which budget management plan best describes your approach to saving, spending and gifting? I have heard others reference their household budget as if it were cash in buckets; Dave Ramsey describes the envelope system, and many others track expenses using programs like Quicken.

The tool or management style you use is less important than the perspective you have of the overall picture of earning and spending. Consider what happens to your budget when a significant change to your earnings takes place.

Whether it is a recession, a pay cut, the loss of a job, or increased expenses for childcare or tuition, how you consider the next step in a time of budget change speaks volumes about your understanding of the resources you have, where they come from, and to whom those resources belong.

In times of reduced income, we like to rationalize away our guilt for cancelled giving. We use explanations like: “I'm giving my time to church, they don't need my money and time,” or “I’m paying tuition now, that's my gift to X Christian School or Y College.”

We might even “spiritualize” our new situation by turning it over to God through the convenient belief that “When God blesses me again with a return to previous income levels, I'll start giving again” or, “If this is my new situation in life, then God understands that I can't give to charity anymore.”

I've done this dance as well, so I speak from a point of confession. Separating purchases from charity can get a bit cloudy at times. Paying tuition to a nonprofit can feel like giving to charity, especially when we have to sacrifice other purchases to cover the cost.  We join the leadership of our church and consider all the time it takes from family as a sacrifice; therefore we assume our gift is our time.

But God's abundance and resources to me, no matter the amount, do not come with this caveat from Him: “Only when I bless you with enough do you get to enjoy the blessings of giving from the first fruits of my gifts.”
 

So let's recommit to not holding back. Let's give from the best, not the lefts. Do we really have buckets of separation? Isn't it all God's to begin with? It is not the amount that matters—think of the widow's mite—but the obedience, worship and sacrifice that honor God. God's love for you is not directly correlated with your income. Your love for God motivates your worship, obedience and giving. 

Approaching

I recently accomplished a bucket list experience and gained some new insight. My Labor Day weekend 2013 was spent in San Francisco attending to the many matters involved in a family reunion. 

The time and location for this reunion coincided with the official opening of the new Bay Bridge, a global project for which my brother played a key role as engineer and project manager. This is a significant accomplishment when one considers the urgency of replacing the current bridge that could not withstand the next major earthquake.

The decision to support my brother came a few years ago—I knew I had to celebrate this pinnacle of his career and affirm a relationship that grew out of ashes. 

Due to VIP status, the opportunity to drive across this new magnificent bridge, before it was open to the public, was the privilege of only a few. Added to this privilege was the depth of my love for this brother who graciously brought healing to what was broken between us. 

Crossing the bridge at night; led by my brother, with my certificate of permission on the dashboard, unaided by security, dodging construction vehicles, slowly traversing the magnificent, beautiful and unique structure, was an experience that parallels how I should approach my God and career. 

Approaching God daily can become mundane; almost routine—similar to picking up the phone and calling for appointments to raise support. 

With as much emotion, awe, and fresh experience as crossing the new bridge—this is how I must prepare my mind, heart and soul to approach a God who is renewing, healing, forgiving and delivering grace everyday. Can I do this? Can you do this? In our daily activities of work and play, we should pay attention to the approach we take with stillness before God, with reading the scriptures and whispering our prayers, with preparing for conversations involving our work with clients, with relationships at home and work. 

God leads, freely and openly, to a place of magnificent beauty. Join me in learning to approach God, work, and all of life appropriately.  

Hospitality takes first place

Do either charity or hospitality have any part in living intentionally as a faithful steward? 

For me, being charitable comes more easily than being hospitable. Kindness, warmth, empathy and encouragement all come to mind and action easily when meeting people. When the opportunity to "entertain a stranger" comes along, my inclination is to be friendly and encouraging but I'm not sure I'm hospitable.

God's abundance is sufficient for all things, including interactions with others. By definition, to be hospitable is to be charitable, generous and sustaining of a friendly environment.  For me the question becomes how much time and energy am I willing to invest to create the sustaining environment? Do I trust God enough to provide the time and resources to be hospitable in such a way that God would be pleased?

Stewardship is so much more than what I give from my checkbook—that is the minimum, the easy part. Let's learn hospitality and not settle for charity. 

Stewarding shalom

Shalom is not an easy word to define if you depend on the English language for clarification.  I think the closest anyone has come is by using the phrase, "God's peace." A recent sermon on Jehovah Shalom (“the Lord is peace”) from the Old Testament prompted my "wonderings" about stewarding shalom. 

Shalom is given from God; it is His gift to us along with grace. A sense of shalom is captured in the beauty of creation, when all seems "right in the world," when reconciliation and renewal are evident. Still, even with our glimpses of shalom, it is so much more than we can see. It is spiritual, emotional and physical in its manifestation. I've written here previously about oikonomia, the concept of managing God's abundance to us.  Perhaps the essence of oikonomia includes stewarding shalom.

Stewarding shalom means participating in activities that bring peace, reconciliation, insight, deeper understanding and complete acceptance. Stewarding shalom is wise use of time and energy; taking in the surroundings, noticing the details, surrendering the pressure, listening to the still small voice. I find shalom after the conversations I didn't want to have, marveling at the variety of people I meet each day as well as arriving home from a business trip.  Discovering how to "take charge of stewarding shalom" is another one of the paradoxes for me. I find rest in knowing that truly “taking charge” is best accomplished by putting God in charge. 

Hospitality! Is that also something to be stewarded? Maybe I’ll probe that next time. Stay tuned.

Pair of ducks?

I love paradoxes. I enjoy explaining them to young people with the use of my favorite riddle. 

Question: What gets larger the more we take away from it? (Answer below)

Paradoxes help me grasp difficult concepts; I just don't always embrace them fully.

I believe the Scriptures are full of examples of paradoxes.

Take affirmation for example. Affirmation only comes when we surrender our self-image to God and identify ourselves as image bearers of God. Then my self-image has definition and significance.

Now think about freedom. I have often given the example of a fish in a fishbowl when explaining about the paradox of freedom. If the fish in a fishbowl desires to jump out into the larger world, the fish obviously surrenders to death. Accepting the boundaries of the glass fishbowl actually bring freedom and life. Accepting my circumstances as a gift from God versus my own selfish ambitions frees me to serve him more fully and gratefully.

The idea of paradox applies to managing God's abundance too. Learning to give freely is also paradoxical: Abundant living is actually a result of abundant giving.

Answer: A hole

Where is your line?

Like many I have encountered along the way, the question of how much is enough has become a common thread of conversations pertaining to stewardship, philanthropy, tithing and generosity.

My recent trip to the Q conference in LA provided helpful insight. If the goal is to learn to not live in excess of generosity, then determining the line of "enough" is necessary.

I really appreciated the challenge presented by Jeff Shinabarger, Founder of GiftCardGiver.com: "Is generosity possible in an age of self?"

In a culture that successfully convinces us that we always need to have more, it is important for us to learn to shed the excess of our lives. Imagine the continuum of suffering, enough and excess. We can more easily assess the difference between want and need when we realize that “want” is anything greater than enough, and “need” those things that reduce our suffering and bring us closer to the line of enough.

When we choose to live with less, we stop living in excess of generosity and we stop the cycle of want more, spend more, get more.

Experience matters more than acquiring.

A really lovely experience just two weeks ago; listening to a younger man express gratefulness for how blessed he is. In contrast to a culture of entitlement, this experience stands out as one of the top fund raising stories of the past 7 years. After completing medical school, residency and landing in a spot just right for him, he chooses to impact the lives of others similar to him before acquiring the new home and starting the family. Not sure who had greater joy that day; the giver or the listener? 

Is there an app for that?

Remember the school days when the guest speaker came to give a care-for-the-earth pep talk? That’s when I started turning off the water while brushing my teeth and feeling guilty for long showers. Conserving water is a good thing; it’s environmentally conscious and it fosters responsible stewardship. The pep talk gave us the awareness and motivation we needed to take action in this area.

My wife and I recently purchased an ’09 Camry, complete with onscreen monitoring of our gas usage. While traveling through the city and down the highway, this vehicle records and reports our usage. My driving habits have been significantly impacted by this immediate feedback—my acceleration has slowed, I roll to a stop far in advance, and I find myself setting the cruise control lower. The feedback (and subsequent personal goal setting) has had an amazing influence on my driving. I’m conserving fuel like never before, and I’m highly motivated to increase my miles per gallon with every new tank.

It makes me wonder: What if there was an app for my stewardship of God’s abundance to me? If my iPhone recorded my daily efforts at sharing my wealth, would that awareness make me more motivated? And is this motivation the appropriate motivation?

The end results of my changed driving habits are positive in so many ways, carrying me another step in learning to manage God’s abundance to me. Overall, I like this modern day shift in consciousness towards stewardship. How about you?

Revealing contrast speaks volumes

The Widow’s Offering
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” Luke 21:1-6 (NIV)

A Lenten commitment brings me into the book of Luke this season. A previously unnoticed contrast struck me recently: The story of the widow's mite is set in the temple grounds. Jesus observed the sacrifice of the widow giving all she had, and next we read of the disciples asking about the beauty that adorns the temple. Jesus' response is to talk of the destruction of such things and to encourage them to not be deceived.

Deceived by what? The false security of comforts that come and go and quickly fade? The impression that wealth provides safety, security, protection and evidence of “rich” faith?

Jesus knew the widow's heart; her motivation was the love she had for her God. She had no fear, reminding me of 1 John 4:18, which says there is no fear in love—perfect love drives out fear.

Do I have the love exemplified by the widow, or do I hold tightly to what will fade away? Do I have the courage to live like the widow? Am I willing to give all I have with no worry about tomorrow? These are questions I can carry with me throughout Lent, and beyond.

Ramsey: Only part of the story

Prior to my oldest getting married more than eight years ago, my wife and I provided tickets for our four children to attend a Dave Ramsey presentation. Each child was nearing the years when they would be managing their own accounts and moving out of the house, and our hope was to have them begin the good practices of budgeting and a commitment to debt-free living.

The presentation illuminated several good points about establishing wise habits in personal finance. At the conclusion of the event, a personal testimony was given, which included the assertion that young people should not go into debt for college tuition.

I was uncomfortable at the time and have since come to realize why I thought the example was problematic: The "pay as you go mantra" was based on a false assumption. For Ramsey, the college education is about the degree; the piece of paper at the end of the four years that helped you get a job, not about the life formation of thinking and character that develops during the college years.

In the past two weeks, several conversations with students and graduates have solidified my thoughts. Students shared with me the life-changing experiences and formation of character that took place during their time in Christian college. Vocation became about everyday life and choices; not just the job.

College education choices also have to be about stewardship of the mind and heart; developing both to full potential. Choosing an institution of higher education should not be based solely on the question: "Where can I go to gain a degree and remain debt-free"?

If a career is, as I believe, more about learning to live daily in fulfillment than getting a paycheck at the end of the month, then perhaps the education that prepares you for that career should be based on more than the degree at the end of your studies. 

The “O” word

Four years ago a seed was planted by a friend of Calvin College!

A conversation began standing around a kitchen counter—sharing, praying, celebrating God's abundance. It was then I learned of the Stewardship Bible; now a daily part of my life. Years of disciplined reading the scriptures because it was a good habit has turned into eager anticipation of "what do YOU have for me today?" 

Reading the scriptures from a perspective of stewardship has made me familiar with the Greek word "Oikonomia." It is the root of the word for economy. More than that, it is a word that means "managing a household." All that is entrusted to me demands my faithful attention, my intentional watch of detail, my purposeful accountability. I like to think of all these perspectives as definition to the task I am called to, a task we are believers are all called to, that of stewardship.

Oikonomia was chosen with intention as the subject of this blog. Let's travel this road together. Enjoy, respond, change, adapt and join me on this journey of understanding stewardship. Those who know me know of my love for adventure; this journey is not for the weak of heart.