A book to make you think about your relationship with material goods and money. Scriptural references and the teachings of Martin Luther are used as touchstones to provoke thought. This is not a "how to" or financial planning book. But the goal is to inspire the reader to live generously. ( )

This pair of authors combine their theological and financial planning perspectives to advocate for toward a more balanced, Christian approach to managing the pursuit of enough. Their book is rooted in scriptural references, anecdotes from Martin Luther, and practical stories from their own experiences. It's a worthy point of view likely to spark a bit of self reflection in anyone, even more so to anyone caught up in the modern race for more of everything. ( )

This book has some excellent ideas to help you save money going into the future, but most important of all, it gets you to start thinking differently about your attitude about money, and how you handle your money. I never really thought I had an attitude towards money, but now that I read this book, I see that I DO have an attitude towards money! I have to change that!
One part of this book that really stands out to me is how a young woman was so happy with her life! She said she was happy because she really knew what she wanted out of life and her money. This woman had Down’s Syndrome and I was pretty interested in what she had to say. She said she knew she would never have this position or be in a certain position. Because she was so realistic about where she would go with her job in her life, she felt “content”. WOW! That was a new one for me! I never really thought about life and money like that before. SO interesting.
This book really picks at your thought process about money, and it really gets you thinking. It shows you how you can be happy with what you have now, already and into the future. There are things you can do that make it even better, but only if you really want to. This book even goes so far as discussing saving money for your community, i.e., United Way! THAT was VERY interesting! This is a must-read regardless how you look upon religion.
I HIGHLY recommend reading this book! I know there may be a lot of references to God and church in this book, and perhaps that may not be your ‘thing’, this book is so worth reading because of the way it gets you thinking about money so differently than you ever have before, if you can do read it and get through the parts that perhaps you may not agree with, PLEASE DO IT. for YOUR benefit!
(Thrivent USED TO BE ONLY for the Lutheran Faith, but NO LONGER!!! As of March/April 2014 they expanded and now allow anyone to join their banks, financial services, etc. It’s completely different than it used to be for you possible naysayers out there. You may like it VERY much, or at least love what these authors have written about!)
I received this book for FREE from the publisher, Tyndale, in exchange to read and write a review about this book. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive or negative, but of my own honest opinion. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. ( )

If you are looking for straight $x budgeting, see Dave Ramsey. This book is all about change your heart and you will change your relationship with money. How do you do that? By first going back to the basic teachings of Jesus. We have enough, share. Most of us suffer from "stuffocation". Being generous does not have to be just with money but can be time, energy, talents. Giving, say 10% does not have to be cash. Just give. This will start to change your focus, thus changing the consumer mindset we are working on transforming.
This is an easy book to read and although the message is one that has been written before, it's a good reminder to have handy. There are discussion questions in the back and the anecdotes are relevant and relatable to most readers of a lower middle class to wealthy socio- economic status. It's a book you can pick up as a reminder and would make a good gift for graduates and newly married couples or couples joining assets. ( )