{"id":307455,"date":"2022-04-01T08:02:08","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T12:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/whats-god-think-about-my-money\/"},"modified":"2022-04-01T08:02:08","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T12:02:08","slug":"whats-god-think-about-my-money","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/whats-god-think-about-my-money\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s God Think about My Money?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Author CJ Cagle challenges us to rethink our resources in light of God&#8217;s advice &#8212; commands &#8212; on money: what&#8217;s dangerous, what&#8217;s wise, &#038; how to get out of debt.<\/p>\n<p>Show Notes and Resources<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLIfe&#8217;s Weekend to Remember is on sale<br \/>\n \tFind resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com.<br \/>\n \tFind more content and resources on the FamilyLife&#8217;s app!<br \/>\n \tHelp others find Familylife.\u00a0 Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.<br \/>\n \tCheck out all the Familylife&#8217;s on the FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author CJ Cagle challenges us to rethink our resources in light of God&#8217;s advice &#8212; commands &#8212; on money: what&#8217;s dangerous, what&#8217;s wise, &amp; how to get out of debt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/mp3.familylife.com\/fl2022-04-01.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:29:50","filesize":"27.32M","filesize_raw":"28646406","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2867],"tags":[7065],"podcast_series":[],"cwp_profile":[9767],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-307455","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church-involvement","tag-get-out-of-debt","cwp_profile-cj-cagle","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/307455\/whats-god-think-about-my-money","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/307455\/whats-god-think-about-my-money","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"6gXI4fkWRo\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/whats-god-think-about-my-money\/\">What&#8217;s God Think about My Money?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/whats-god-think-about-my-money\/embed\/#?secret=6gXI4fkWRo\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;What&#8217;s God Think about My Money?&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"6gXI4fkWRo\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Author CJ Cagle challenges us to rethink our resources in light of God's advice -- commands -- on money: what's dangerous, what's wise, &amp; how to get out of debt.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2022-04-01.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Okay, one of the things I hate to admit is\u2014you\u2019ll know as soon as I say this\u2014when we pay our bills every month\u2014[Laughter] Why are you laughing? Go ahead and tell them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Something happens\u2014actually, you <em>don\u2019t<\/em> pay our bills every month anymore\u2014because something would happen that you would turn into a different person. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> What do you mean? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> You were so stressed; you were <em>so<\/em> angry. It would permeate the entire house for about a week. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> So we changed who paid the bills. Ann started paying the bills.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Well, one Christmas\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Oh, you don\u2019t have to go here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014when our kids were little, and I was at Toys-R-Us. I only did one shopping day because our kids were little. I am at Toys-R-Us, and I have all of Christmas in my cart. I get to the checkout, and my credit card doesn\u2019t go through. I\u2019ve got this line behind me. I am <em>so<\/em> embarrassed; and I had to leave the shopping cart and go home and ask Dave, \u201cWhat happened?\u201d And\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Why did I bring this up? [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Ann Wilson.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> And I\u2019m Dave Wilson, and you can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com or on our FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> app.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I should have never brought this up; but the card was maxed out. They wouldn\u2019t let us put anything else on it. So\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I think you were late in paying the bill, because we didn\u2019t have the money. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014we didn\u2019t have any money. That was the year, by the way, we said, \u201cThat\u2019s it! Number one, Ann is going to take over the financial part. Number two, we\u2019re not going to put stuff on a credit card anymore.\u201d It was a <em>discipline<\/em> not to do that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnyway, why are we bearing our soul to the world about our financial check paying? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Did that hurt your feelings? I shouldn\u2019t have brought that up; is that bad? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> No; that\u2019s reality. I think we share it because we learned from it; and hopefully, others can learn from it. But we needed a lot of help; we all do. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe have CJ Cagle with us today, who wrote a book about retirement, <em>Reimagine Retirement<\/em>; but it\u2019s <em>more<\/em> than reimagine retirement. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes; and Chris, welcome back to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Thank you. Good to be here again. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> We\u2019re happy that you are here to counsel us. Thank you. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> You are going to counsel us, and hundreds of thousands of others as well, because we\u2019re not the only ones who have made a mistake like that. Fortunately, that was in the first five years of our marriage; and we\u2019re thirty-five years beyond that; but if we hadn\u2019t changed something financially then, we might not even be able to sit here with you today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Ann:<\/strong> We might not be <em>married<\/em> because this, many times, is a cause for a divorce. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> It can be. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Absolutely. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Have you ever had that kind of discussion or tension in your marriage about money? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Absolutely; absolutely. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Good; it\u2019s not just us! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> No, since 50 years, I\u2019ve been\u2014no, no\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I\u2019m guessing you\u2019re the saver. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> I was the budget tyrant\u2014[Laughter]\u2014that\u2019s how I would kind of describe myself. I would sit down each month with all my\u2014because I was kind of nerdy; I\u2019ve always been kind of nerdy\u2014I would sit down with my spreadsheets, and my computer, and my software, and my books. I would come down from on high; my hair would be white, and I would be glowing. I would say, \u201cThus sayeth the Budget Guru, \u2018Wife, here is our budget.\u2019\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe would kind of lovingly comply\u2014but she didn\u2019t; right?\u2014her heart was to comply, but she didn\u2019t. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Oh, she had secrets. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> As soon as I caught the first deviation: \u201cAha! Where were you?!\u201d \u201cToys-R-Us.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>CJ:<\/strong> \u201cI saw Toys\u2014who, where?\u2014that\u2019s not\u201d\u2014my favorite phrase was\u2014\u201cThat\u2019s not in the budget.\u201d It was really through my first exposure to <em>Financial Peace<\/em>, Dave Ramsey\u2019s course, that I realized I had never ever sat down with her and actually had a conversation about our money. I <em>assumed<\/em> that I was in charge, and that I knew best, and that out of my well of infinite wisdom, was going to come the very best budget for us and the very best financial plan for us. It wasn\u2019t <em>bad<\/em> in a lot of ways. The problem was she wasn\u2019t at the table; she wasn\u2019t even in the game. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Oh, Chris; this is a <em>bad<\/em> move. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> That was a bad move; but what I decided to do is: \u201cOkay, honey, we\u2019re going to have Budget Day.\u201d We did this one Saturday. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> You didn\u2019t call it \u201cBudget Day\u201d? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> I called it \u201cBudget Day.\u201d [Laughter] We sat down, and I brought out all\/I said, \u201cHoney, we\u2019re going to go through every single item on the budget, and I want to hear your perspective on it:\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Oh, that\u2019s good. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> \u2014\u201ctoo much, too little?\u201d \u201cWhat should be in? What should be out?\u201d There were things not in the budget that ended up in it; I\u2019ll give you an example: we were leading a small group at the time. She said, \u201cHoney, you don\u2019t know this; but I take ladies in our small group out to lunch two or three times a month.\u201d My immediate response: \u201cWell, that\u2019s not in the grocery budget! That\u2019s not in our date night, eating out!\u201d She says, \u201cExactly. Do you want me <em>not<\/em> to do that?\u201d \u201cNo, I <em>love<\/em> that you do that.\u201d It opened my eyes to the fact that I needed a category for it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That\u2019s good. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> And then, she loves to give little gifts to her lady friends. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Oh, I like your wife; me too! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Yes; she got the opportunity to say, \u201cCan we factor this in the budget?\u201d I started\u2014\u201cWell, this goes in; that has\u2026\u201d\u2014it took about almost four hours\u2014three-and-a-half\/four hours to get through it. We, for all practical purposes, have that same budget today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Wow; and if your wife is the one that is really good at the budgeting and the numbers, would you guys be okay with that?\u2014with her budgeting? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Absolutely; absolutely. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes; me too. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Well, here is the question\u2014and you know this\u2014couples fight over money. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Right; oh, yes! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> It\u2019s a <em>huge<\/em> tension in a marriage. There are couples listening to us right now; maybe, they can\u2019t even talk about it because it is such a tension. What would you say to them? How can you help them? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Well, if it gets to that point, where they just can\u2019t talk, it\u2019s because they haven\u2019t talked. There may be other issues at play, which may well have to do with different views of money\u2014the purpose of money: \u201cWhy does God give us money?\u201d \u201cHow are we to rightfully use our money?\u201d\u2014even different perspectives on what the Bible teaches about money. I think this is where getting good, sound, biblical counsel really, really is important: getting on the same page, so to speak. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> In our break, you mentioned the word, \u201cfinancial infidelity.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Ooh; yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Talk about that; what is that? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Yes; that\u2019s a danger that can kind of creep into relationships where, one partner is much more focused on and involved in the finances than the other; and the other partner is like, \u201cI don\u2019t care; just do it. Just do it; I want to go do these other things.\u201d They just assume that everything is okay. The infidelity part doesn\u2019t necessarily have to do with wrongdoing; it\u2019s just not being honest. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBecause I believe strongly that a couple becomes one flesh when they are married, and God sees them that way\u2014in many practical ways, their finances have to become one as well\u2014not that you can\u2019t have individual accounts. Some IRS rules and other banking laws require certain accounts to only be\u2014if you have a retirement account, it can only be in your name\u2014but your husband can be your beneficiary. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> This gets really complicated in blended families, especially. I know that Ron Deal, with our blended family ministry has talked about this. It would probably be worth, even listening to him at times.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen my mom came home from shopping with me\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> This is a true story; this is not hypothesis. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> I feel it coming. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014this is a true story of a lot of women\u2014she would say, \u201cDon\u2019t take the bags out yet, and <em>don\u2019t<\/em> tell your dad what we\u2019ve been doing.\u201d Is that financial infidelity? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Yes; if you are spending money from a shared account\u2014and if there is, and has been, a mutual understanding up to that point that we are going to make certain purchase decisions together\u2014now, that doesn\u2019t mean, in my opinion,\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> \u2014that every single penny [is accounted for]\u2014but any kind of <em>significant<\/em> expenditure, that could have an impact on the budget, that isn\u2019t, at least, discussed. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> And it is more of the <em>hiding<\/em> aspect. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Yes; it\u2019s more of the idea that it\u2019s for some reason. The question is: \u201c<em>Why<\/em> the concealment? What is the reason?\u201d <em>Or<\/em> it may be just not sharing information. I often will talk to couples in\u2014we were talking about retirement savings earlier\u2014I\u2019ll have a wife say to me, \u201cYes, my husband\/he handles all the investments, and I don\u2019t have any idea what we have or how it is invested.\u201d It doesn\u2019t mean that he is intentionally trying to hide something illegal, illicit, or immoral\u2014or whatever\u2014but why would he not share that with her? Well, maybe, she has never asked: \u201cHoney, you know, it would be helpful if I kind of knew where we are financially.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>When I decided to retire about three years ago, I had to sit down with my wife and say, \u201cWe\u2019ve got this. With God\u2019s help, we can do this.\u201d As you\u2019ve heard me say many times, it wasn\u2019t just about the numbers. It is about what it is we are going to do in retirement; but I had to give her some reassurance. I had to <em>share<\/em> a lot of information with her. I don\u2019t want her to think that there is anything in our personal finance life that she can\u2019t know about or ask about if she wants to know. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes, that\u2019s\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Sometimes, she puts up the hand, \u201cI don\u2019t want to hear all this detail, financial, mumbo jumbo. Just cut to the chase; tell me what I need to know.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> I\u2019ve learned what serves her and what is loving toward her. Think about it in those terms: \u201cHow can I be <em>loving<\/em> toward my spouse when it comes to sharing with about our finances and managing our finances together?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I\u2019m guessing secrets are not good. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Secrets are totally opposite of that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> You even wrote a blog about \u201cLoving Your Widow Well.\u201d What in the world is that? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> I asked men\u2014could be a woman; I mean, it could be a wife\u2014either way, if you are a wife and you have reason to believe you might pre-decease your husband\u2014it would be something to think about if you handle all the finances; so it works both ways. Statistically, most women will outlive their husbands; that\u2019s the statistics. God is sovereign; God sets the time\u2014not you and me\u2014nobody else; just Him. <br>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the ways we can love our widows is to think about what is going to be the financial condition of our spouse after we are gone. Now, that has to do with provision on the one hand. In my book, I talk a lot about social security and the benefits for many couples having a good, sound social security benefit strategy: how they receive benefits, delaying social security for as long as possible to allow their benefits to grow. One of the ways that that loves your widow, for example, is that, if I am the primary earner, and I maximize my social security benefit, then when I\u2019m gone, my wife\u2019s survivor benefit is maximized; that\u2019s one way. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere is another way: I have a letter that I jokingly\u2014not jokingly but a little tongue-in-cheek\u2014refer to as: \u201cA letter from your husband, who is now in heaven.\u201d In that letter, I tell my wife\u2014or anyone who might be assisting her\u2014everything that I think she needs to know about our financial situation, our day-to-day affairs, including all the passwords. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI have a password vault that I keep all my passwords in\u2014which I would <em>strongly<\/em> suggest people have\u2014how to get to the vault, how to get to the passwords, who to contact if they need help. Our life, in some ways, has gotten simpler since I retired; so I have fewer accounts, fewer this, fewer that; because I\u2019m all about simplification for just that reason. That\u2019s another way to love your widow is to simplify things so you don\u2019t have ten accounts spread across ten financial institutions and a hundred different passwords all over the place. You can simplify to help do that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut she won\u2019t let me read it to her. I\u2019ve said, \u201cYes, I\u2019ll read it to you,\u201d or \u201cYou can read it if you...\u201d \u201cOh, no, no, no; I don\u2019t want to see it now. I don\u2019t want to see it now.\u201d There is a little comic relief in it; because I write it kind of like I\u2019m looking down from heaven, even though I\u2019m not sure whether we\u2019ll be able to do that or not. It\u2019s deep waters there; I\u2019m not sure what we\u2019re going to see and not see. So yes, that\u2019s one way to do it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you are out there, and you haven\u2019t done that, in some form or fashion, it\u2019s a way to love your wife from the grave\/from heaven. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes, that sounds like a\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> If it\u2019s possible to do, you can do it. That\u2019s one of the ways you can do it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> That sounds like a really wise\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014yes, plan. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014plan. It makes me want to do that. I mean, in some ways, you don\u2019t want to think, \u201cI\u2019m going to die.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> No; no. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> But you don\u2019t know. Those questions need to be answered. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Right\u2014and the other essential documents, too; right?\u2014will, power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, financial power of attorney\u2014those things\u2014having those in place. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Talk about debt. Almost every financial advisor I read\/listen to, from Ramsey to Ron Blue to\u2014you name them; I\u2019m guessing you will be the same\u2014talks about a debt-free lifestyle. Is that a good thing?\u2014bad thing? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> It\u2019s definitely a <em>good<\/em> thing, especially speaking as a retiree, going into retirement debt-free and not having a mortgage is <em>huge<\/em>; but yet, I had a mortgage at one time. I can\u2019t say I am anti-debt if I had a mortgage; or that I think debt is wrong, then, I was wrong to have a mortgage. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe difficult thing about debt is that, on the one hand, debt is not forbidden in the Scripture; but on the other hand, the Scriptures are pretty clear that debt is dangerous; and it can really weigh us down. It even goes so far as\u2014you know the familiar Scripture\u2014that it makes us slave to the lender;\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>CJ:<\/strong> \u2014right? It doesn\u2019t mean, obviously, slavery in a physical sense; but slave to the fact that we have\u2014to give money\u2014we are forced\/required to give money to a lender that, therefore, cannot be used for other purposes, like saving or giving; right? So, in that sense, that bondage\/breaking that bondage of debt can be a real positive thing to create margin, when you are younger, to be able to save and give; and when you are older, to help lower your expenses in retirement. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI don\u2019t think all debt is evil. A small to very moderate amount of college debt, in order to get a degree that offers you the chance of a promising career that will enable you to quickly and easily pay that debt back, would not be a <em>terrible<\/em> debt. It would be nice to avoid it if you can, but it\u2019s not terrible. Getting a debt to buy a house that is likely to appreciate in value is not a terrible thing to do. Being able to lend to a family member\u2014although I prefer giving over lending\u2014or lend to a friend, interest free, to help them through a difficult time in life\u2014the Bible says that is a blessing; it\u2019s a blessing to be able to lend. God said to the people of Israel: \u201cI would rather you be a lender than a borrower\u201d; we see that dynamic in Scripture. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tInstallment debt, revolving debt, using debt to finance the purchase of things that can depreciate in value: bad financial decision, in most cases. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes, and I know that a lot of debt in this country\u2014personal debt is\u2014\u201cI want to live a lifestyle that I can\u2019t afford. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Right; right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u201cSo, I put it on a credit card.\u201d I read somewhere the average American, when they make $4, spend $7. That is really dumb to do. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yet, it\u2019s like the lifestyle that so many of us live. We think\u2014and this is where even the statistics early in your book come into play\u2014\u201cI can live this way,\u201d\u2014and then, when I get to the time when I\u2019m not going to be able to work anymore, or I need to live off of what I\u2019ve saved\u2014we\u2019re back to that statistic we started at: a third of us have <em>nothing<\/em> or even very little, and we can\u2019t live on it. There we are. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> It is so <em>easy<\/em> to go in debt, because everything is at our fingertips. We can be in bed at midnight\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> It\u2019s a genie; you just rub the genie. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014go on Amazon; and in a day or two, that present or that item can be on your front step. It\u2019s already attached to your credit card, so it\u2019s really easy to add that up. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> As we wrap this up\u2014and you\u2019re looking at a 20-, 30-, 50-year-old, thinking about their money\u2014what\u2019s your <em>best<\/em> wisdom? What would you tell them? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> First and foremost, recognize that all that you are and all that you have has been given to you by God. As a Christian, you, therefore, have a responsibility to wisely manage those things, despite the challenges that exist in the culture and the pressures that everyone is under, to manage those things in a way that are for your good and His glory. Notice I said both\u2014your good and His glory\u2014God has a heart for our good. He wants us to live in the good of the financial gifting that He has given us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe Bible is just chock full of wisdom, and help, and guidance; and where you need help filling in the blanks, there is tremendous resources out there. I would encourage you: \u201cIf you are in a local church, seek out a financial coach or advisor; read some books.\u201d Obviously, I wrote one; but I\u2019m not the only one. A lot of what is in my book is really a compilation of what I\u2019ve learned by reading a lot of other books, men that I respect. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAvoid debt as best you can. Avoid credit cards like the plague, especially when you are young. Live below your means so you can create the financial margin to save and give, but never save at the expense of giving. If you can\u2019t save or give, because you are spending too much or you don\u2019t make enough income, go to work on that side of the equation: get help; pray. And most importantly, keep your eye on the prize, which is\u2014it\u2019s not a worry-free retirement\u2014the prize is eternal life in glory with Jesus forever. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That\u2019s perfect. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes, that\u2019s <em>great<\/em> advice. I think one of the things we miss\u2014and you know this better than anybody\u2014is: \u201cWhen we have a plan, it leads to freedom.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Amen. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Even when you said, \u201cBudget Day,\u201d I was thinking, \u201cOh, it\u2019s freedom day\u201d;\u2014[Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> It really is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014because if you really <em>live<\/em> according to that plan, you are going to feel a freedom\u2014that money will restrict if you are under it\u2014but if you are free, you\u2019ll be like, \u201cAh, I\u2019m living the way God wants me to live as a good steward of His money.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Amen. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Thanks, Chris; this is good. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Thanks, Chris. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> My pleasure. Thank <em>you<\/em>. I enjoyed it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[Closing music screeching to a halt]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Good stuff! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Fun. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Sound Engineer:<\/strong> Go back on mic; we\u2019re going to try it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Alright; here we go. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Sound Engineer:<\/strong> Just as an extra piece. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> So a question that is on a lot of people\u2019s minds is: \u201cHow much do I need to retire? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes, that\u2019s a good question\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> \u201cHow much do I need to have in my retirement savings account, my IRA, or whatever\u2014to supplement other sources of income\u2014to be able to retire, at least, kind of live at a standard of living that you had before you retired?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf I was to ask each of you this question\u2014\u201cHow much do you think you need to retire?\u201d\u2014what do you think that amount would be?\u00a0 Put in on\/write it on the little index card. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Ann:<\/strong> I\u2019m writing mine down right now. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I\u2019m writing my own, and Ann is writing her own. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Yes, each of you write that down. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> But I\u2019m going to write down what Dave\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> You\u2019re going to have some financial infidelity here for just a minute. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> You\u2019re writing it for you, as a couple, not individually. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Alright; I\u2019ve folded mine up. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Alright. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dave:<\/strong> Don\u2019t let my wife see it. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Okay; alright. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Okay, here is my question: \u201cAre they the same number? Are they even close to each other?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> They are not even close. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Not even close! [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> They\u2019re not even close\u2014[Laughter]\u2014and so just to give you an idea how far apart: so, Dave, your number is about five times <em>bigger<\/em> than Ann\u2019s number. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Wait! What?! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> You know why? I <em>know<\/em> the standard of living she wants to live at. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> OH! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> And I know what it <em>costs<\/em> to keep that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I said <em>more<\/em> than I thought <em>you<\/em> would say; interesting. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> It would be\u2014for those of you listening\u2014do this with your spouse. See where you kind of end up. I would guess the number is somewhere in between here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Really? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014of what we think we need to live on. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Probably, depending on other factors; because remember: savings isn\u2019t the only number. Without social security, or without other sources of income, or without a pension or annuity, the number does need to be a little higher. So I would say between these two numbers\u2014erring on the high side but somewhere in the middle is probably where you need to be\u2014depending on what your current lifestyle is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes, that is a fun exercise. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>CJ:<\/strong> Try it at home; see what you come up with. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shelby:<\/strong> Obviously, as we\u2019ve been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson talk with CJ Cagle today, there is a lot that we need to rethink when it comes to our perspectives about retirement. Money and debt can be really a vicious, downward spiral of hopelessness; but it doesn\u2019t have to be, because God hasn\u2019t called us to live in hopelessness. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe have a duty, as believers, to manage our debt well for the good and the glory of God. This conversation today has really shifted our focus to help us understand that doing\u00a0 practical things\u2014like making a budget and creating a plan for our money\u2014is something that can bring glory to God. We don\u2019t often think of it like that, but it definitely can. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCJ Cagle has written a book called <em>Reimagine Retirement<\/em>, and it\u2019s available over in our FamilyLife Resource Center. You can go to our website at FamilyLifeToday.com to order your copy online, or you can call us and order it at 1-800-358-6329; that\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWatching God heal brokenness is something that we\u2019ve seen done in so many different ways, particularly at the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> event. I have the president of FamilyLife with me here today, David Robbins. David, you\u2019ve had lots of opportunities to see God work in the midst of the brokenness. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> What we see all the time at <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> getaways is that people come in, and the realities of life have drifted couples apart. That is what happens with life: the realities of life will never drift you closer together; they always <em>push<\/em> you further apart. Really, the simplicity of what we do is certainly offer up truth from God\u2019s Word; but also get people looking in the eye and having conversations that, really, the speed of life doesn\u2019t allow you to have, and transformation happens. It\u2019s the beauty of what happens when people take time away to focus on themselves. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI just want to encourage you: we have this unique sale going on this week. It\u2019s a <em>great<\/em> opportunity to go check out the locations of where <em>Weekend<\/em>s<em> to Remember<\/em> are happening in the next couple weeks and months and to carve out time away for you and your spouse. You will <em>never<\/em> regret it. And no matter what chapter you are in, in your life currently, getting time away to spend time with one another and focus on one another could be something that God restores and starts a <em>new<\/em> chapter that you\u2019ve been <em>longing<\/em> for in your marriage. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shelby:<\/strong> That\u2019s right; and you can enjoy three days of romance and reconnection with your spouse. If you sign up between now and Monday, April 4<sup>th<\/sup>, you\u2019ll get 43 percent off the regular price for you and your spouse. You can head over to FamilyLifeToday.com, find different locations about where the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> events are, find a time, sign up, and watch God do amazing things in your marriage. Again, you can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can give us a call at 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd the particular <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> events that are happening this weekend are in Branson, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. You can pray for those couples as they are heading off to enjoy a refreshing <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> together and watch God work in their relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s going to wrap things up for us. On Monday, Dave and Ann Wilson are going to be talking with Laura Story. She has written a book called <em>So Long Normal<\/em>, pushing past the loss of our \u201cnormal.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe hope you get the opportunity to worship with your family this weekend at your local church. On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife, a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelping you pursue the relationships that matter most.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2022 FamilyLife. 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