An area of everyone’s life that is almost always a struggle is in managing our money. Most of the people in my life are always working at staying out of debt and paying bills and dealing with emergencies. Regularly there is the choice of purchasing something that is on the “not needed” list. You could do without it, but you would really like to have it. You think about it, decide to get it and then change your mind, and then you decide again to get it, back and forth. If you are married you try to decide together and then sometimes you fight about it.  If you are wanting to faithfully give to the Lord through your church or other mission you often feel guilty when you move into the “extravagant” in spending. Then there is the same struggle with the use of time as we attempt to manage it well. There is the very serious and profitable use of time and then their is the fun and frivolous. How much of each? Words that I want to be a description of me is responsible, faithful, wise, self-controlled, but then having fun is good and healthy and renewing. Some guidelines that have worked well for Patty and I are (1) peace between us, that is we are both comfortable with the decision be it time or money or both, (2) daily asking God for wisdom in making choices, (3) not being in a hurry so we can think clearly what we want to do, (4) managing both time and money on paper before we spend it in reality, and (5) always thinking about our use of time and money from an eternal perspective. The struggle to be wise, generous, and balanced as a steward of the treasure of time and money is what potentially moves us to Christ like maturity in our character.