THE GIFT OF MONEY 16; THE RAINY DAY

"Enough is better than too much" - French Proverb 

For the most part, deciding where the line is drawn between wise saving and foolish hoarding is not a matter of money; it's a matter of the heart. Certainly, in our quest to live as stewards of God's resources, it makes sense to maintain a reserve large enough to handle some of life's tougher financial circumstances, such as an extended period of unemployment.

Teaching us about saving money, the Bible uses the word "fool" a number of times. (Consider Proverbs 21:20, and Luke 12:16-20).

The key to figuring out how much money you should keep in reserve, includes knowing your household's essential needs monthly. If you were to lose your (source of ) income, taking your next vacation or updating your wardrobe probably would (definitely) not come up as important, on your priorities list - but there are certain bills you'd still need to pay, such as your mortgage, utilities, groceries, and insurance. If you don't already have a budget, create one today. Financial planners often recommend maintaining an emergency fund large enough to cover three-to-six months' worth of essential living expenses. So, take your one-month figure and multiply by six.

BURY THE HATCHET

“You should either avoid quarrels altogether or else put an end to them as quickly as possible; otherwise, anger may grow into hatred, making a plank out of a splinter, and turn the soul into a murderer.” – Augustine

Argument, contention, controversy, difference, fighting, quarreling, and dissension refer to disagreement and conflict. Quarrel applies chiefly to a verbal disagreement between individuals or groups and is used with reference to a large variety of situations, from a slight and petty difference of opinion to a violent altercation: It was little more than a domestic quarrel. Their quarrel led to the bar room brawl.

Dissension usually implies a profound disagreement and bitter conflict. It also applies chiefly to conflict within a group or to members of the same group.

In July 1831, a volcano off the coast of Sicily erupted. Out of the water rose an island in the Mediterranean Sea. A British Royal Navy ship observed it and named it Graham Island after Sir James Graham, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Sicily also saw the military importance of the island and named it Firdinandèa after the King of Sicily. Not to be out done, the French claimed it and desired to make the island a resort. Immediately, diplomatic wrangling broke out. For five months conflict raged in newspapers and elsewhere as the different nations fought over the 200-foot high rock. Tourists traveled to the island to see its two small lakes. Sailors watched it when sailing by it. Then on December 17, 1831, officials reported no trace of the island. As dynamically as the sea mount had appeared, it disappeared, defusing the conflict of ownership.