1.       Keep a record of every time you spend money. Know where your money goes, in order to stay out of debt. This can be done by using an Excel sheet to track expenses. Keep all your receipts from purchases (in store and online) and record them as soon as possible. It takes time, but is well worth the minutes.

2.       Going off of that, here’s something called a “Cash Challenge” you can try. Especially in the dorms, you don’t really need to spend money on a day to day basis. You withdraw say $40 for the month in CASH and you can only spend that amount. This is helpful because it gives you a definite, tangible limit that you can physically see pass through your hands and see it diminish in your wallet.

3.        Start a building up your credit by applying for a credit card (there are a lot of options out there so be careful to read the fine print before making any commitment). Be mindful of how much you use—refer to number 1. Being in debt with a credit card can lead to interest building up quickly, increasing the amount you owe.

4.       It is never too early to acquire the needed financial knowledge from the right sources. Be knowledgeable about the financial choices that you have in order to make the best decision. Especially once you start earning a regular income, seek trusted professional help for your finances.

More specific things you can be practicing from day to day:

- Make a monthly budget that is reasonable. Stick to it. And if there is extra money that month, rather than use it on yourself, use it to give to missions, or something predetermined.
- Another thing you could do with your money is save and multiply it (investing and such, especially when you have an income).
- Make a grocery list before you go to the store of things you NEED and only buy those things!
- Coupons are a great old-fashioned way to save a couple dollars here and there. They do add up!
- Shop during sales and at grocery stores that are generally cheaper (i.e. Jon’s, Ranch 99, Von’s…etc)
- If you don’t need it, don’t buy it.
- Have someone keep you accountable for your finances.
- And lastly, it’s also important to think about our stewardship of time as well. We’ve all heard that “time is money” so we should be mindful of maximizing both of them and choose what is best. That might mean buying food the night before you have a midterm, or even cooking more when you are less swamped and saving the food for later!

Let’s continue to pursue holiness as we seek to excel in faithful stewardship! Our hope is that God is pleased and ultimately glorified through the way we handle our finances. So that when we see our Savior face to face, we will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:21

In Luke 16:11, Jesus says “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?” As college students money is often the area where many people differ. While some students are still financially dependent on their parents, others are on their own. Regardless of which category you fall into, or somewhere between the two, as a believer, the Bible does give instruction on how to handle our money. We are to be faithful stewards of all that God has given us and it is a good reminder that none of what we have (time, money, skills…etc.) are ours to begin with.

As we continue pursing excellence there will be many decisions to make and alternatives to choose from. Needless to say, it takes thought and careful monitoring of our monetary expenses and use of other resources. In Proverbs 31, the excellent woman described is one that is wise in her resources, aside from being frugal and not wasting what she has been entrusted to, she is also resourceful and generous, making the most of what she has.

Some Biblical Principles Regarding Stewardship and Finances

2. Financial contentment is important. Often, we know that God owns everything but many times we fail to live that out. (Psalm 24:1)

4. God promises to provide for our needs. Think back to when you’ve actually struggled to survive. For some of you, that may be a reality, but for most of us, it’s not. Just as God clothes the lilies of the fields, so much more will he provide for us! (Matthew 6:25-34)

5. Heart Check! Where does your heart lie? “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.

It is easy to go on either extreme on this topic. The culture we are in often idolizes the “ideal body”, where people undergo strict exercise regimes solely so that they can have that perfect set of abs. On the other extreme, people may say that exercise can be put on the back burner because they are investing time in things that are more worthwhile. What is important is that we understand why exercise is important and what kind of heart we should have when doing it.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” –1 Corinthians 6:19-20

In this verse, Paul is addressing what it means to belong to Christ and how this truth should motivate the way that we maintain our bodies in purity. But the truth that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit extends beyond the topic of purity. Back in the biblical times, the temple of God was viewed as sacred and undefiled because it was the dwelling place of God. In the same way, our bodies are not merely for our own pleasures or desires, but rather it is a sacred dwelling place of the Holy Spirit that functions to bring glory to God. Some ways that we can bring glory to God include serving the church, discipling other believers, and evangelizing. Our physical body is an important tool that enables us to do these things on a regular basis. When we fail to take care of our physical bodies, we can limit the ways in which we serve God. Ministry becomes more challenging and restrictive when health problems due to lifestyle choices lead us to experience fatigue and pain more often. Despite the tiredness and sweat, we are extending our physical potential for ministry when we exercise. My prayer is that we cultivate hearts motivated to exercise based on a desire to serve the Lord with excellence…all the years of our life so that He may receive the most glory!

Here are some practical tips to get you started!

1. Be creative: Exercise is not only going to gym, but can include swimming, playing tennis/racquetball, or even vacuuming! Try out new pilates or kickboxing moves for a change
2. Take a study break: Instead of going on Facebook as a study break, go for a short run or do an exercise video from Youtube.
3. Go right after class: Save some time and go right after class before you head back to your dorm room or apartment.
4. Get an exercise buddy: Add some fun by going with your friend and take the time to catch up!

Let me explain:

There are mornings when I wake up and have these totally irrational and crazy thought battles that sound something like:

“I wonder why he didn’t text me today, maybe he doesn’t like me anymore….”
“Wait, NO. We’ve talked about this and I’m not allowed to assume this”
“I wonder why she didn’t spend time to talk to me after class, I feel we’re not as close as we were last week…”
“No no NO!!  That’s not fair, you’ve been busy too! And she’s not purposely trying to ignore you”

Mind you, this is all within the time span it takes me to brush my hair.  Some people might call me crazy, but I’m going to take a bet that a majority of you empathize to some degree of  what it’s like having 10 different pop-up windows in your brain- each flashing, conflicting, and competing to take control.

So within the time span it takes me to brush my teeth (this is considerably longer than the hair), I began to recognize that I’ve been trying satisfy my thirst for attention through relationships and that I hold them up as idols that I’m willing to bow down to until I feel like I’ve received what I came for.  If Christ is my gain and all else is but rubbish- I should be perfectly content whether or not my boyfriend or my mom or my roommate or whoever else, isn’t fawning over me the second I wake up.  That it’s not even about getting attention, but giving attention to the One who is worthy.

Hence: While I am aware that relationships and love and possessions are graces from God meant as blessings, I am fully and completely dependent on Christ and simultaneously free and independent of the idolatry of the things of this world.

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” —2 Cor. 10:5

1. We’ve gotten used to wearing our favorite cardigan with our dresses, but at 90 degrees even a light sweater can make you feel like you’re suffocating.  Try wearing a nice shirt over your dress, it cuts down the heat yet gives the coverage we’re looking for.  This works best with slightly cropped shirts or a belt to cinch it in at the waist.  A spring scarf or necklace can go a long way in completing the look!

2. I LOVE coral and teal together. This may be off topic, but I can’t help sharing!

3. Maxi dresses and full length skirts are in style and can be found at stores like Forever 21 for less than $20 or Target for about the same price.

4. Know what length, in inches, will allow your clothing to fall where you want them to on your legs.  This helps so much when shopping for clothes online and can save a lot of walking around/window shopping time.  The simplest way to do this is to measure a dress that you already know fits well from the shoulder to the hem.  This will vary depending on your height and body type, for example I’m around 5’4″ and look for a 36″ to 37″ shoulder to hem spec.  Another good measurement is to know the inseam of your shorts, I look for about 5″ to 6″ which lands mid-thigh on me.  And when there are no measurements given- read the reviews!!

5. If you really like a store, sign up for their emails which notify you when there’s a major sale.  OR look around online for coupons and deals that you can print out before going shopping.  This sometimes works for stores like Express, the Limited, American Eagle, or Macy’s.

“…Cultivate me and sow liberally more of the Spirit’s fruit-bearing-seed.
Send showers and storms (if need be); shine brightly on my soul.
Then I will sprout forth patience and kindness and love– and self-control– in abundance,
And my tongue will learn to help and heal and praise the Name of the One through Whom I pray, Amen.”

When I first read this poem from the book War of Words, by Paul David Tripp it reminded me of the weight that my words carry and the quality that it should possess.You know how it is, the familiarity of good friends and family often gets the better of us. Words jump out of our mouths before we are able to think about what we’re saying. With non-family, words are fewer and more thought out… and usually kinder. With family and good friends, words are more plentiful and often times less wise.

Source of our words: Our hearts
A correct understanding of what words should come forth from our lips comes from a correct understanding and view of God. Study, memorize, and constantly immerse yourself in the Word. As the words of God are engraved on our hearts, so our speech will align with His truth.

Psalm 119:9-11
“How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.”

A high calling to purity:
In Philippians Paul exhorts the Philippians to be pure in all things. Our standard for excellence in life is God, His Holiness, and so our standard for excellence in our words is God’s Word.

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

I’ve learned, often in painful ways, it is sweet and God-honoring speech that is the key to unhindered communication in all relationships. We must humbly submit our actions, thoughts, and words to our Lord Jesus Christ and let go of our own selfish desires and motives.

Take a step further …..
Know that pure speech is not only referring to words that come out of our mouths. It includes our thoughts, emails, instant messages, texts, letters, blogs, and more! How are your posts on your friends’ Facebooks honoring to the Lord? What about the things on your wall? How are they excellent and pure?

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

Let’s continue striving together towards holiness in our every word so that it will truly be seasoned with grace, to the praise and glory of our Great God.

Let’s check out this verse from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians:

“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more” –1 Thessalonians 4:1

So, why is Paul exhorting the church to excel still more? Is it because he said so? No. Is it because that is what they should do? Incomplete. Paul is encouraging the church to strive for the best in order to obey and please God. How do we maintain this kind of lifestyle? It all begins with the heart. We can exert all our physical and mental strength to study for midterms, to meet-up with small group, to complete tasks for internships. But what matters most is that our lifestyle is motivated by a heart that strives to obey and please the Lord. Whether you are lacking motivation or still going strong, take some time to examine your heart and make sure your efforts to excel are centered on bringing Him glory!

For the past couple weeks, I have chosen to do what is easier: sleeping in, watching TV, spending a lot of time on Pinterest or Facebook, and sleeping some more… It’s really nice to have more free time, but just a couple days ago I was convicted of how I have been spending that time.  Busy-ness was always one of my biggest excuses for not having enough time to read my Bible or pray, but it is still difficult now, even when I definitely have more time.  Why is that?  Because having more time means having more time to waste.  Since I will be held responsible for my actions, I must actively choose to believe and obey what the Bible says.  Instead of being lazy and doing what is easier, I must endeavor to do what is most profitable, which is not always easy. Of course none of the things I mentioned above are inherently wrong, but it comes down to how much time you devote to these things.

Some practical ways I’ve found helpful to organize my time are:

• make to do lists (“things I need to do today”, “things that I will do tomorrow”, “long term to do”) and check off things when you complete them – this way you can know what you need to do and how to better divide your time. sometimes I even add the amount of time I want to spend on each thing.
• use Google Calendar, iCal, or a planner to record your activities and see how much time you spend on certain ones
• install StayFocusd – a Google Chrome app that lets you set a certain amount of time that you are allowed to spend per day for a list of websites
• learn how to say no
• be okay with not going to every event

Jonathan Edwards was resolved to “live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.” I encourage you, whether you are still in school or not, to use your time wisely and in ways that you will not regret.  Time is precious and short, so constantly evaluate how you spend your time.  Let’s use whatever time we have in a way that is most pleasing to God since we are living on time borrowed from Him!

A: This should be a fun question, I have to be careful since half my co-authors are my apartmentmates  Here’s a few thoughts that jump out:

First off- I LOVE my apartment, I cannot thank God enough for those girls who are some of my best friends.  HOWEVER!!  This does not mean that EVERY apartment needs to be BFFs or that everyone spends 5 hours every night talking into the wee hours of the morning.  Most of the time apartment life is very mundane in that we eat, sleep, clean, rejoice, cry, laugh, study, cook, and get in each others way at times together.  There are periods of time that we see each other A LOT and periods in which we don’t see each other for a few days in a row.  It’s strange because I can’t say enough, and yet I’m hesitant to say anything at all since it is so dependent on who you live with.

Is it more difficult with more people?  Yes, simply being that there are more preferences with more people.  For example, my family waits to wash dishes at certain times like after a meal while other girls were used to washing dishes right after using them; I had to change habits to my new living situation.  I’m sure there are a lot of other examples, some silly, some passive aggressive, etc.  but the verse I always keep in mind is Phil. 2:3 which says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”.  Also keep in mind that openly bringing up issues in humility is a way to sharpen one another and can clear up miscommunications. If you are consistently putting aside your own preferences and looking to serve one another and are slow to anger or assumption making, then you’ll find apartment life  much more enjoyable!

For practical tips on what to bring:
I suggest bringing only the essentials when you start off and then evaluate what you need over time.  This way you’ll avoid having 36 spoons like my apartment (although great for eating ice cream with!) or having more Tupperware than can fit on a shelf.  Some things you’ll need that we didn’t realize at first: ziplock bags, plastic wrap for food, cleaning supplies, and lighting for the living room.

Before my apartment moved in we made a Google spreadsheet with columns for each separate room with a list of items that we were planning to bring.  We color coded the items by person so we knew who was bringing what.  We also had questions to get to know each other like: allergies (Jenny is deathly allergic to mangos!), pet peeves (hair on the floor…), times that we usually sleep, as well as our likes or dislikes.

In short: die to yourself daily, be honest and never gossip about each other, make memories, pick up each others idiosyncrasies, and leave college more godly because of one another than when you first moved in!

*yikes! I meant that we’re posting once or twice a WEEK this coming quarter