Columbia County Fire

Chaplain's Corner

April 2008

Personal Financial Stewardship

Last year was the worst year for US foreclosures since 1932, at the height of the Great Depression. 2008 looks set to be even worse. The economy may be in trouble, but there are steps you can take to prepare for the times ahead, whether good or bad.

1) Before buying a house, count the costs. Make sure you plan your budget wisely, ensuring you have enough to make the monthly mortgage payment. Do not assume your income will increase. Rather, plan for the possibility of a decrease or even a temporary loss of your job. This is a Biblical principle found in Luke 14:28-30.

2) Get an education or qualification, and work hard. This is for everyone, even our family members. Not everyone is book smart. However, most of us are smart in at least one area. Cultivate that area and doing that will ensure steady employment when the economy is weak. Work hard, otherwise your employer will have second thoughts about your value to his company. Proverbs 6:6-8 is a great passage to read concerning this topic. Check it out.

3) Beware of borrowing. The United States is the most in-debted nation in the world, indeed, the most in-debted in history. According to a recent report on the BBC World Service, Amercians lead the world in personal debt with Britain and Austrailia in second and third place. We are addicted to deficit spending at the household level. Now that credit has become harder to obtain, the result will likely be a recession with the economy going backwards for a while. On the brink of a recession, the less debt a household has, the better prepared they are to weather the storms that lie ahead. Stay out of debt. Pat down debts you already have. Live within your means. If you don't have the cash to pay for it, you can't afford it.

4) Stay close to God. Americans are learning, as many around the world already know, that no human government can provide total security, financial or otherwise. Only God can, so it's important to always stay close to Him. Mathew 6:19-21 speaks of your motives concerning money. Also, Malachi 3:8-12 is for the people of God who may be struggling with this topic.

PRAYER REQUESTS AND NEEDS

Please e-mail me or call me with your prayer requests. With your permission I will post them here. More important, let me know the outcome. I will post praise reports also! My prayer request is that all of our members in the department are kept safe with no injuries. I also pray that all our men and women in the Fire Service keep focused and continue to support each other. Remember, we may be the only family some members have.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven

A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted

A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up

A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance

A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing

A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away

A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak

A time to love and a time to hate, a time of war and a time of peace

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time, also he hath set the world in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Spiritual Food for Thought

We are well into the year 2008. How quickly time goes by! Just think of where you were last year at this time. CCFD was well on the way to a great start. Yes, there were a few problems, but none that could not be corrected or improved upon. As I was blessed to be with our CCFD family on January 3rd, a scripture came to mind. It is in the study this month. It was penned by a great and wise King Solomon. Here is a man that God was ready to grant him anything he wanted. What did he settle for? Gold, Silver, mansions? No. The one thing Solomon asked for was Wisdom. God granted it to him. What do you want from God? Think about it. Does what you want line up with the passage above? The thought that came to me that evening was this; everyone has worked so hard to put the foundation of this department on a sure footing, trying not to miss anything but being forward looking in every step that has been taken. 2008 looks to be your time to shine brighter than last year. The right pieces of the puzzle have come together, the core group has jelled and the new men coming in have a great future ahead of them. I have watched this department go from a stumbling child to a group of mature and dedicated men.

This is your season! The leadership is gaining momentum and I pray that they seek Godly wisdom in the decisions they make this year. King Solomon did not do too badly, did he! Think about it!

Columbia County Fire Chaplain John Davis P. O. Box 113 Ft. White, FL 32038

Phone 386 497 1137 Cell 365 7727 D.C. 157*139*302

E-mail: ccfd_chaplainjohn@windstream.net

Servant to the Fire and Rescue Community