The Morning Cruise w/ Suz

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Ten money-saving strategies to reduce household expenses.
By Cynthia Sumner
...portions were heard on The Morning Cruise...

Simplify, Substitute and Share: You can cut down on household expenses and clutter by considering three words before making a purchase:
• Simplifyo I really need this item?
• Substitute:Can I get something else that costs less? Can I make it myself?
• Share:Can I borrow this item? Would someone else agree to split the cost?

Declare a Time-Out: If you need to save money to catch up on bills or just get a little ahead, declare a "no spending" month in which you only pay bills and buy necessities such as food, diapers and gas. That means no toys, books, haircuts, movie rentals, clothes or eating out. You'll be amazed at how much you'll save.

Clean Up: The markup on household cleaning products is huge, so consider making your own household cleaners. An excellent how-to book on the subject of nontoxic homemade cleaners is Clean and Green by Annie Berthold-Bond.

Get Thrifty: Remember infants and young children have no label preference (unless you instill it). You can save a lot during these years by using hand-me-downs or buying at secondhand stores and garage sales.

Save at the Grocery Store:
* Save money when you buy bread, rolls and snack cakes from a bread or bakery outlet.
* Purchase nonfood items at a discount store instead of the grocery store.
* The best deals on grocery store aisles are on the top and bottom shelves. Manufacturers pay a premium to display their goods at eye level and pass the costs on to you.
* Don't buy food you're not going to use from a warehouse club. Buying more than you need is wasteful regardless of how low the price. Consider dividing bulk goods and their costs among friends and neighbors.
* Keep nonperishable snacks and drinks in the car to cut down on visits to fast food drive-throughs and convenience stores.

Save Seasonally: There are times of the year when certain items are less expensive. Shop off-season and save yourself a bundle.

* January: Christmas decorations, cards and wrapping; winter clothing and bedding.
* February: housewares and small appliances; furniture; jewelry and chocolates.
* March: outerwear; gardening supplies; luggage.

(Author unknown)

Monday Wash Day
Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and
Vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility
Through the week ahead.

Tuesday Ironing Day
Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles
Of prejudice I have collected through the years
So that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday Mending Day
O God, help me mend my ways so I will not
Set a bad example for others.

Thursday Cleaning Day
Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults
I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday Shopping Day
O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal happiness for myself and all others
In need of love.

Saturday Cooking Day
Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly
Love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday The Lord's Day
O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please
Come into my heart so I may spend the day and the
Rest of my life in your presence.

Kimberly Daniels’ column, “Draw the Line,” which ran in the November issue of Charisma, appears below.

Draw the Line!
White Christians can’t say this—and black preachers won’t touch the issue. But it’s time black Christians faced the reality about Barack Obama’s dangerous moral values.

As a child in the 1960s I rode in the back of the bus. I was at the front of the riot lines in the 1970s, when I hit white boys on the head with bricks and dragged white girls down sidewalks near my school. I also experienced serious racism when I was an athlete in college.

I have been called the "N" word many times. I was taught to hate white people, and some of my relatives still call white people names such as "honky" and "cracker." But after I found Jesus, I was delivered from racism. I am free indeed!

The residue of my abuse has dried up at the root, and I am no longer a victim of what I call "ricochet racism." This occurs when the abused becomes the abuser.

Ricochet racism is a boomerang that grips the victim with pride and makes him think he has a right to hate. When I was saved, God taught me that I did not have a right to hate white people. Jesus nailed all my excuses to the cross, and I moved on.

Now that I am a born-again Christian, I do not consider my race to be my primary identity. I am a Christian first—before I am an African-American, a Democrat or a Republican. That's why I am troubled that so many African-American Christians are voting for Barack Obama simply because he is black.

If someone won't vote for a person because of race, we call this racism. But it is also racism when someone votes for a person because of his race!

Believe me, I would love to see a black brother in the White House—but not someone like Obama, who has embraced humanistic doctrines. Many white preachers are afraid to say this, and many black preachers won't touch it with a 10-foot pole.

I love Obama and pray for him and his family. But as Elijah troubled Ahab in Israel, I will challenge his views because they are dangerous to our religious liberties. It's time to draw the line.

Black Christians today need to put their faith first when they step into the voting booth. Does Obama represent godly values?

We know, for example, that he is an inclusionist. For 20 years he attended a church in Chicago that preaches that (1) Jesus is not the only way to God; (2) there is no hell; and (3) God will allow homosexuals to go to heaven even if they remain in their sinful state. Obama also has defended the killing of unborn babies, even in the third trimester.

He claims to be a Christian, but in his book The Audacity of Hope he calls the first chapter of Romans an "obscure" passage of Scripture. God's admonition about the sin of homosexuality is hardly obscure. It is very clear!

Jesus is the only way to God, and God will surely send homosexuals to hell if they do not turn from their ways and accept Christ—just as He will do for all other sinners who do not trust Jesus.

Regardless of political opinions, the Bible makes it clear: Those who support the homosexual agenda and the murder of unborn babies will be judged (see Rom. 1:32). These were the main issues in the days of ancient Israel, and they are critical issues today.

The pro-abortion movement is tied to the worship of two idols, Chemosh and Molech, the gods of child sacrifice. The movement toward gay marriage is rooted in the spirit of gameo, a Greek word that refers to same-sex marriage (see Matt. 24:38).

How can we vote for politicians who favor these ungodly movements? The Bible says we must separate ourselves from sin and wickedness. God is looking for faithful Christians who will not bow to the gods of this world.

I know what I am saying is not popular, and some people will denounce me for it. But I believe it is time to draw a line.

Believers can no longer make excuses by pulling their race cards, leaning on their lukewarm denominational rules or hiding under the covering of a political party. If we want America to recover, we must repent. We must choose the right side.

We must stand strong for what we believe and hold our ground. We must declare, as Joshua did, "Whoever is on God's side ... stand with me!"

Kimberly Daniels is the founder of Spoken Word Ministries in Jacksonville, Fla., and author of several books including her new release, Inside Out. Her website is www.kimberlydaniels.com.

The Best Way To Help Your Child's Faith Stay Strong
By Marlene LeFever

Q. Our daughter is in second grade and she's already starting to notice that other children see movies she's not allowed to see, talk about sex in ways she's been taught are wrong, and use language she knows is inappropriate. How can we help her hold on to her Christian values when many of her peers live so differently?

A. All Christian parents wish they could protect their children from the dangers of our secular culture, but the truth is you can't. So rather than simply pulling children away from the world, I encourage parents to create a "parallel culture" where their children can discover a different way of living in a world that doesn't always honor their beliefs. In doing so, we can help them become agents of redemption who bring their best into a world that desperately needs Jesus. Here are some ways to start:

Create a safe place for questions.
Give your child the freedom to talk about her concerns. Do your best to help her understand why your family chooses to live the way you do. Ask her what she thinks about the language she hears or the topics others are talking about. Use these family conversations to help your daughter begin to develop her own filter for what's appropriate and what isn't.

Make church a family habit.
Expand on what your children experience while they're at church with questions, prayers, and real-life applications. Commit to your Christian community and involve yourselves in the lives of others you meet there.

Provide alternatives.
If your child is feeling left out because her peers are watching movies she's not allowed to see, help her discover the positive movies out there (go to dove.org for suggestions). Encourage her to invite friends over for family movie night. As she gets older and music becomes more of a concern, steer her the huge variety of Christian alternatives. Or skip media altogether and spend an evening telling stories. Talk about how Grandpa became a Christian, read about one of the heroes of our faith, or tell each other about times when you've felt God at work in your life. One study found that the average child spends just 12 minutes a day in intimate conversation with parents, so just hang out and talk.

Build new traditions.
When my friend Amy was young, her father bought her an expensive pen that would be hers when she grew up. Every Christmas and Thanksgiving he would use the pen to write her a letter telling her why she was special and to share his dreams for her. Now Amy has the pen and is doing the same for her son. This kind of tradition helps a child feel connected to something bigger than the world of peers and popularity.

Model good stewardship.
Show your kids how to share what they have—time, talent, money—with others. One man I know, Caleb, says he's never forgotten the year he and his family saved enough money to buy a mule for their missionary friend, Ed. Brainstorm ways your family can give of your resources and help your children see that this is part of bringing God's kingdom to life here on earth.

Connect with other families.
Building relationships with other Christians can help your children understand that there are plenty of other people who do share the values they've been raised with. Get together with these friends often to talk about the ways God is working in your lives and to encourage each other as you seek to impact the world for Christ.

Marlene LeFever is the Director of Church Relations at Cook Communication Ministries.

Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Parenting Today magazine.
Fall 2003, Vol. 16, No. 1, Page 23