financial advice

Happy Valentine’s Day to You! My Daybook, Friend to Friend, is now available on Amazon–get your paperback, hardcover, or e-book and start every day with good thoughts and inspiring words!

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

The 24-Hour Money Saving Rule

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

Before I get to the money saving part, I would like to share with you the difference a day makes when writing queries to literary agents. I wrote a simply marvelous, utterly irresistible query yesterday, and because the internet went down, I had to obey my rule: Always wait 24 hours before submitting what you write to such luminaries as literary agents (I call them luminaries because they are readers and writers with power in my life!). And they seem to get a kick out of ridiculous/desperate query letters–I’ve noticed this when reading about how NOT to write one.

Back to my stunning query. When I approached it this morning with thoughts of a bit of tweaking (mostly just to enjoy my brilliance before sharing it) it had, in a mere 24 hours, become riddled with mush. It was confusing, disjointed, wordy–headache inducing.

I hope I fixed it. Perhaps waiting yet another twenty-four hours would have been wise.

And now for the money-saving part. This is hard to write because I’d rather not tell. But I am here to help! Last night (DON’T BUY THINGS ON THE NET AFTER MIDNIGHT) while listening to a YouTube video (DON’T WATCH YOUTUBE AFTER MIDNIGHT–also perhaps another good idea) I learned about Wal-Mart Plus–they deliver! I promptly signed up ($98 dollars with just a slight movement of a finger), made an order and then learned, well no, they don’t deliver to my house.

“Oh, sigh,” as my daughter used to say when things didn’t go according to plan. You know the rest of this sad tale: If I had heeded my own 24-hour rule, and waited until today, I would have perhaps done a little research before blithely tossing $98 down the Wal-Mart hole . . . And now I get the intense enjoyment of trying to sort this out.

So, just back off. Tell your money you’re the boss of it and it doesn’t get to go flying out of your hands whenever it wants to. Tell it you’ll talk again in 24 hours.

Creative and Convivial Cooking

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

You have have seen this already on here or on my YouTube channel, but it’s worth another reminder, I think. Enjoy!

Running From What Will Save Me–A Homemaking Thing

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

For someone who loves home and family as much as do I, I certainly can get bent out of shape when my runaway plans go awry. This morning, after six days of shopping dates thwarted and nixed by various and sundry entities and events, I finally let it go. I finally said, “Maybe it’s best I stay home. Maybe I’ll make like a big girl Jesus-truster, and be still. Rest. Stop chomping at the bit, whining, fretting.”

I have quite a list (been adding to it for six days) of things I “need.” Is it possible that all those things I think and hear myself say that I “need” are just me justifying spending money that will be needed later for a better cause? “Patience, my dear. We know from experience where pressure gets us.”

Could it be that all I’ve said and re-said about home is true? That it is the most excellent place, the place for a creative grace to be had only at the hands of a truly attenrive home artiste? Might it be so that time and attention at home are always rewarded, as I’ve so often maintained, even as time and attention to shopping is often more regretted than rewarded?

I sit now in peace–the taker of my own advice: when at all possible stay home, and when you least want to do so, there’s likely a prize hiding behind that desire to flee, a treasure to be found and had by simply being still.

It could be the treasure of a new book idea, or finding and using what I have to recover those filthy bar stools, or thrilling my heart by trashing all my makeup unless I bought it in the last six months (nothing left except my almost-gone mascara). I might even fertilize my plants! I can even iron my linen shirts while listening to a French lesson or calling my sweet friend Pam. Snow’s coming–I’ll build a fire, fill the wood box, make a pot of soup. And back to the makeup idea–I can feel the thrill of putting it all in the trash even as I am writing this post!

Who knows what I’ll get up today? The brain is stirring up possibility.

Not About Me, Not About You

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

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 It’s about us, and “us” includes our author, and a mighty fortress is our God!

I don’t know how it happened, but we, John and I, got crossways this morning.  Over money.  Sort of.  Maybe.

Or maybe it was about deeper issues, like his need to “get excited about giving” (his words) and mine to “get excited about saving.”  Seems pretty straightforward – we balance each other, help each other.

Or, as is the case when Satan gets his way, our differences become his strengths.  Our filters came into play: mine that says any miser can save and money is to be shared and enjoyed; his that says any imbecile can spend and money goes in the bank where it belongs.

Ideally, we put both these filters where they belong–in the trash, and seek God’s word on every aspect of money.  Better still, we simply seek God, and as always when we do, these things looming so large and untenable, become quite insignificant.

I am quiet inside, basking in revelation upon revelation:  John wasn’t mad at me, he was frustrated and rightly so; his personality and background are not something I have to be frustrated about, as God has shown that even when Satan gives it his best shot, it only turns to our good; I am going to start a savings victory booklet beginning with the book I asked the library to get for me, rather than ordering it ($17.00 saved).  After that comes the burritos for tonight that I’m making homemade salsa for, rather than running to the store for salsa and no doubt much more (easy $15.00 saved).  I think again of how God heard and answered my (and no doubt John’s) prayers and rejoice that in Him, even mistakes are not really mistakes, just opportunities to grow and kick the enemy in the teeth.  Always and in all things, He seeks and delivers our good.

It is SO much our good for me to realize that any discord between us, two people He decreed to be one flesh, grieves His heart.  I don’t like pain, I REALLY don’t like hurting John, but when it comes to grieving our Lord, I’m simply not going there again.

I heard my worst self muttering (out of John’s hearing) “If you want to be a (you fill in the blank), fine. Two can play that game, and I’m better at it than you are.”  That’s right.  I am.  What an accomplishment, right?  I repented of my sorry attitude only to go right back there with more nonsense not worth sharing or remembering.

But the good news continues, taking precedent over the bad, as I choose and decree it to be so.  Things to be quite glad about:  I didn’t say ugly things to John.  I recognized their source and repented over and over.  I chose forgiveness.  I prayed God would handle it (and of course, He did).  Each time I was tempted to revisit John’s words, I spoke aloud:  “Love does not EVEN consider a wrong suffered.”

“I will trust in You.  I will trust in You.  Amen.”

P.S.  I will re-read my book, The Maker’s Marriage, and suggest you do the same if you recognized yourself in any part of this post.  Thanks so much for letting me share with you.