I’ve acknowledged my early struggles with money so that won’t be news to you but years ago I was hoping to help my pre-school age sons get a clear grasp on some basic financial distinctions that I had to learn as a young married man.  When we started giving the boys a small allowance I made a holder for each of them that held three empty peanut-butter jars.  We told them that money has three basic categories; giving, saving and spending.  When we gave them their allowance we put 10% in the giving jar, 10% in the saving jar and 80% in the spending jar.  I told them that God was quite generous in only asking for 10% and that someday they would see that we can actually live better on 90% than on 100%.  Now, some of you will argue with me about allowance.  Some of you will argue with me about tithing.  Some of you will argue with me about percentages.  I don’t want to argue with any of you.  You’ll have to ask our sons whether the lessons worked or not.  My point in this little flash-back is not that I was a good parent; I thank God regularly for His grace to our family!  My point is, we are stewards or managers of what has been entrusted to our care.  Too many people in our culture spend more than they make because they choose a lifestyle first and try to figure out how to pay for it later.  Living on less than we make is possible and learning this early is important.  Whether or not you participate in this project we call “Our Story Continues” is between you and the Lord.  I do hope however that in the process of thinking about it you have given due thought to saving, giving and spending and that you will manage what you have been given “before the Face” of our good, good Father.