Grow Some Money

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I like working and having a job puts me in touch with some interesting people. There are jobs for those who are willing to put their passion and experience to good use.

I like working and having a job puts me in touch with some interesting people. There are jobs for those who are willing to put their passion and experience to good use.

I am hearing from some of my peers that they are definitely not living the comfortable retirement lifestyle they always imagined because the needed money is just not there.  Complicating matters, things keep getting more expensive, while incomes remains fixed. Something’s got to give.

The solutions are that same as they have always been.  Cut spending and increase income at the same time. Continue reading →

Prayer

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intercessory prayer intervention
I believe that intercessory prayer is the intervention that gives birth to a complete change of direction that leads to life and hope.

How does change happen?  Where does an observable change of direction occur and what is the catalyst that moves the heart and mind to go down a different path. 

What do you do when you can’t do anything?  There are times when we are confronted with situations that are heartbreaking.  Decisions made by those we know and love that are pathways to heartache and destruction.  People make choices and take actions that add to deeply rooted patterns of thinking that can’t be changed by reasoning, logic or even solid evidence.

Continue reading →

Money Test

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widows’ mite worth less that a cent

Now in my 70’s I can tell you that I have ALWAYS found God faithful to provide for ALL of my needs. Additionally I have seen that my heart has followed my decisions about money.

The tiny copper coin known as the “widows’ mite” was worth less that a cent.  To His disciples, Jesus commended the poor widow who gave two of the tiny coins to the temple treasury.  Furthermore, Jesus said she was giving all she had, even her whole livelihood!

Why would she give so much?  What motivated her?  And why did she give to the temple treasury?

In her day, she would have had knowledge of the scriptures of the Old Testament in which God invites His people to test Him by bringing tithes and offerings into the storehouse.  He promises to provide generously for those who will enter into this “faith” agreement with Him.  This is the ONLY place in the Bible where God asks us to test Him so that we can experience His faithful provision. Continue reading →

Purge Project

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Bathroom storage space

I love this feeling of freedom and anticipation as I rid myself of the stuff around me that serves no purpose for the present or future adventure I am anticipating.

One room at a time and I started in the bathroom.  It took, can you believe, THREE hours!  I sorted out stuff to throw, give away, store and take with me to Germany.

My past as a hair design artist meant I had lots of stuff related to that business.  Those were very good years when I worked in a lovely salon with a lot of creative colleagues.  Each day was devoted to making beautiful hair for the many clients I served and I loved it.  But now, most of the tools of that trade are no longer relevant to the present and in fact those tools might be well used by another.  The give away category took the majority of those items. Continue reading →

Retirement Ahead

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Retirement Ahead for Minnesota Marion

I will retire from my position as Resident Manager of Banfill Crossing in mid April of 2017.

I will retire from my position as Resident Manager of Banfill Crossing in mid April of 2017.  A search for my replacement is under way and I love thinking about handing off this terrific job to someone else knowing that I have developed order and structured organization into this setting.  Great Lakes Management Company has provided a fantastic working environment and I am so thankful for these last 6 years.

My job is “on the market” and everything I own is being stored or sold. I am lightening the load and the ground is shrinking as I move to a place of further dependence on the Lord of my life. Continue reading →

Corrected Vision

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The first wearing of my new glasses

The big surprise was the first wearing of my new glasses. Everything was sharp and in focus, but when I tried to walk it seemed to me that the ground was tilted to the left.

When I was young, I assumed upon my eyes.  They saw everything correctly and I never gave them a second thought.  One day, when I was about 36 years old I noticed something that looked like thick hairs floating across the page as I read a book.  Concerned, I went to the eye doctor who assured me that the vitreous floaters I was seeing were a normal part of the “aging process”.  With the pride of my youth wounded, I set about accepting “floaters” as part of the altered vision I would have to live with.

Some year’s later, severe pain in my left eye signaled the presence of some terrible problem.  “Shingles” was the diagnosis and I was dismayed to learn that the virus, which caused the pain, was already in my body.  It had been lying dormant in my spinal fluid since my childhood bout with chicken pox.

The pain brought life to a halt and I sought help in the doctors’ office. Continue reading →

Seniors Sharing

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Sharing is for seniors who like living on Reality Street. The key ingredient for success is to share with someone you know and trust.

The key ingredient for success is to share with someone you actually know and trust.

Sharing is a “senior season” idea that needs to receive thoughtful consideration for seniors who like living on Reality Street.  The big picture is to create a lifestyle that allows for maximum independence for as long as possible.  The key ingredient for success is to share with someone you actually know and trust.

Transportation is an ongoing need for seniors, but lots of seniors find our lovely, low mileage well maintained cars in the garage 95% of the time.  Finding a way to share the car and all the expenses associated with driving is a great idea and one that is working for seniors living in close proximity to one another.

Take the example of Mary and June who are neighbors again in an independent senior living apartment home community in a Twin Cities suburb.  Continue reading →

Puzzles

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Experience tells me that all the puzzle pieces fit somewhere and the finished design will emerge from the scattered pieces if I do not give up and keep looking at the design.

Experience tells me that all the puzzle pieces fit somewhere and the finished design will emerge from the scattered pieces if I do not give up and keep looking at the design.

I like puzzles. But why?

First I sort out all the pieces, turning them right side up and at the same time I separate out the ones that have at least one straight edge because I know that they will form the outer parameters of the picture.

But the process continues as I discover pieces with similar shapes or colors. They are sorted, gathered together, organized and viewed with great care in order to find out how they fit together with the other elements of the design. Continue reading →

Home Share

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Home share

Several home share landlord experiences were the tipping point on my resume when I entered my second career as a resident property manager at age 65.

Sharing space in my home was a good idea.  It still is.

While still raising 4 children I found myself alone with lots of years left to bring them to adulthood.

One of my financial solutions was to rent out part of my house to others, home share style while getting ready to sell my large property.  Several home share landlord experiences were the tipping point on my resume when I entered my second career as a resident property manager at age 65.

Now at 70 I am entertaining the home share idea again for retirement.  I have an eye toward a high end senior building with good amenities for maintaining health such as a pool, and properties of that type always come with hefty rents. Continue reading →

Prayer Helped

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Prayer helped anointing him with oil

…let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

When I was 40, after 23 years of marriage I was served with divorce papers and left to care for 4 young children on my own.  Over half of the money I had from the sale of our house was immediately handed out for rental housing that would accommodate our needs.

I was working as a self-employed hair stylist.  With less than 1 year of history in that position my income possibilities were not great but I was willing and able to work hard and I was good with hair.

At the time my Church, in obedience to the direction of James 5 in the bible, invited those who needed special prayer to be anointed by the elders (appointed leaders of the church) and to receive prayer for their needs.   Continue reading →

Rejoice!

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the entire multitude was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him

Are you at peace with God and your word today? Are you in a time-frame where everything is going fine and troubles of the past are a memory? Will you enter into the rejoicing that can be your experience as you see what Jesus is doing in the lives of those people you know?

Luke 13: 10-17

17         And as He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire multitude was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

……. and the entire multitude was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

The multitude were the people in attendance at the worship service where these events occurred and possibly would include others who may have been pressing in outside the building. Jesus had done something glorious among them by healing the woman who was bent over.

I am certain that there were many other people nearby that day that needed healing as well. Continue reading →