Stewardship Quotes and Newsletter Bits

"A penny saved is a penny earned!" OK, We can do better than that.... Try these...

When it comes to giving, some people stop at nothing. —Unknown

The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give. —Walt Whitman

There is only one real deprivation, I decided this morning, and that is not to be able to five one's gifts to those one loves most. —May Sarton

Anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given. —Deepak Chopra

It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding. —Kahlil Gibran

Anything that has real and lasting value is always a fight from within. —Franz Kafka

That's what I consider true generosity. You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing. —Simone De Beauvoir

The only gift is a portion of thyself. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Giving is a necessity sometimes... more urgent, indeed, than having. —Margaret Lee Runbeck

     I've seen you stalking the malls, walking the aisles, searching for that extra-special gift. Stashing away a few dollars a month to buy him some lizard-skin boots; staring at a thousand rings to find her the best diamond; staying up all night Christmas Eve, assembling the new bicycle.
     Why do you do it? So the eyes will pop, the jaw will drop. To hear those words of disbelief: "You did this for me?"
     And that is why God did it. Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing, and listen as heaven whispers, "Do you like it? I did it just for you." —Max Lucado/The Great House of God (Word)

If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way. —Buddha

Interesting priorities:
In the US, for every dollar spent on political agencies, we spend nearly $10 dollars on international ministries, almost $13 in Christian book and music stores, nearly $25 on evangelical higher education, and almost $31 on evangelical elementary and secondary schools. —Michael Hamilton in "Christianity Today" June 12, 2000

I've learned that if you give a pig and a boy everything they want, you'll get a good pig and a bad boy. ~Age 77

I've learned that beyond a certain comfortable style of living, the more material things you have, the less freedom you have. ~Age 62

Like fire, money itself is neither good nor evil. It is neutral, its character determined by the eye of the perceiver, the hand of the user. ~Jerrold Mundis, Making Peace With Money

The Wise Ant
     "Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise. Without having any chief or officer or ruler. It prepares its food in summer, and gathers its sustenance in harvest. How long will you lie there, O lazybones? When will you rise from your sleep?" Prov. 6:6-10
     This proverbial ant knew the importance of preparing for tomorrow. Unfortunately, there are more of us who are like the lazybones than the ant when it comes to planning for the future. Recent studies indicate that approximately 70% of Americans die without a will, without a plan for the future of their accumulated gifts and assets.
     As Christians, the preparation and periodic review of a will is an act of faithful stewardship that expresses our belief about God's claim upon us - and upon what we have been given to use and manage. A will provides for the distribution of our possessions in keeping with our values and beliefs and ensures that what we have acquired during our life will become available to benefit others after our lifetime. ~WNI Conference news, UCC, Seattle WA.

     I've seen you stalking the malls, walking the aisles, searching for that extra-special gift. Stashing away a few dollars a month to buy him some lizard-skin boots; staring at a thousand rings to find the best diamond; staying up all night Christmas Eve, assembling the new bicycle.
     Why do you do it? So the eyes will pop, the jaw will drop. To hear those words of disbelief: "You did this for me?"
     And that is why God did it. Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing, and listen as heaven whispers, "Do you like it? I did it just for you." ~Max Lucado, The Great House of God

Forgive me God, for worrying about my needs when you have promised to provide for all.

Eternal creator, keep before me the challenge to live the servant role as lived so perfectly by Jesus.

Luke 12:34 asks; "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also." Where is your heart? Consider today how you respond to the gifts that God shares so freely with you.

Give thanks for the children who love and give with gusto! Pray that you can be free to love and give with the gusto of the child!

"If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." Matt. 19:21

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through or steal.... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt.19,20,33 KJV

Show that commitment in love and sharing every day for the glory of God and your neighbors' good.

"Another Way of Living" – Not special poetry, but everyday words to live by.

"Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received." 1 Peter 4:10 NRSV

There is a will for our life, other than our own will.
There is a will for our money, other than our own will.
There is FREEDOM in letting go of our own will. ~Dr. Walter Brueggemann

It's the impulse to give that puts you in touch with the best part of yourself – and the principles of abundance that are alive in the world. ~Suze Orman, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom

Remember, it is all a gift. Remember, there was a time when you weren't so well off too!

When the 7th day is recovered as the Sabbath, we will have time for generosity! ~Walter Brueggemann

"Thou shall not covet" is economic policy. When you get into a safe place you will become greedy. Your stuff will make you forget that it is all a gift! ~Walter Brueggemann

We are living in a time of great abundance, perhaps the greatest ever. Why do we act like it is a time of scarcity? Are we ruled by fear rather than love? ~Ken Neher

Stewardship is everything – a call, a gift, a lifestyle. We, the women and men of today, are stewards of...the ongoing creation. ~Rosemary Williams, "Giving" Magazine #1

"Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work." 2 Cor. 9:7-8

As we dedicate our offerings, we present and dedicate ourselves once more, we proclaim our trust in God's provision, and we remember the firstfruits offering of the cross. ~Michele Hershberger, "Giving" Magazine #1

If I acknowledge God as the creator, it occurs to me that all I am and have is a gift. ~Martin E. Marty, "Giving" Magazine #1

Giving is worship. Nothing could be more simple. ~Mark Vincent, editor, "Giving" Magazine #1

Money flows through our lives just like water – at times plentiful, at times a trickle. I believe that each one of us is, in effect, a glass, in that we can hold only so much; after that, the water goes down the drain. Some of us are larger glasses, some of us smaller, but we all have the capacity to receive plenty more than we need when we allow it. When you make an offering, the glass will be filled again and again and again. ~Suze Orman, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom