Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Mark Matlock has been working with youth pastors, students, and parents for more than two decades. He’s the Executive director of Youth Specialties and founder of WisdomWorks Ministries and PlanetWisdom. He’s the author of several books including The Wisdom On series, Living a Life That Matters, Don’t Buy the Lie, and Raising Wise Children. Mark lives in Texas with his wife, Jade, and their two teenage children.

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There never seems to be enough time or money for what we want to do. Sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to manage our schedules--between school, work, sports, friends, and our family. And keeping track of our money--and using it wisely--can be just as challenging. It may not be something you think of very often, but whenever you hit a time or money crunch, a little wisdom could help.

Inside the pages of this book, you'll find biblical principles and practical tips to help you manage your resources better. You'll even be challenged to try a few “projects” that can show you how wisdom can help you stay on top of your time and your money.

As you read Wisdom on Time and Money, you'll:
• discover what the Bible says about these invaluable resources
• explore your own motivations behind how you use your time and money
• gain practical tools and insight to help you use wisdom in these areas of your life

You'll find that this book will open your eyes to the reasons behind some of the time and money problems in life, and reveal how wisdom can help you use these resources to better your life and the world around you.

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Wisdom On ... Time and Money

Zondervan

Contents

CHAPTER 1: EASY MONEY..............................................9CHAPTER 2: THE WANT................................................15CHAPTER 3: TIME FOR WISDOM.........................................19CHAPTER 4: WHAT TIME IS IT?........................................29CHAPTER 5: TIME TYCOONS............................................35CHAPTER 6: MARY VERSUS MARTHA......................................47CHAPTER 7: SLOTH BUSTING...........................................55CHAPTER 8: LIVING FOR MONEY DOESN'T PAY............................61CHAPTER 9: LIVING FOR MONEY HURTS ... EVERYONE.....................71CHAPTER 10: YOU'VE GOT TO CHOOSE...................................83CHAPTER 11: WISDOM FOR WEALTH......................................91CHAPTER 12: WORK LIKE IT MATTERS...................................97CHAPTER 13: SHRED THE CREDIT CARDS!................................109CHAPTER 14: WISDOM PRINCIPLES......................................115PAY YOUR DEBTS.....................................................116GOD PROVIDES, NOT PLASTIC..........................................116DON'T WORRY........................................................118GOD LIKES TO GIVE US COOL STUFF....................................120LENDERS OWN YOU....................................................122CHAPTER 15: YOUR MONEY OR YOUR CHARACTER?..........................127CHAPTER 16: GIVE IT AWAY!..........................................135CHAPTER 17: USING WEALTH WISELY....................................147CHAPTER 18: FINAL THOUGHT..........................................157

Chapter One

Have you ever wanted something really badly? In the back of my Boy's Life magazine, there was an ad from the Johnson Smith Company for all kinds of amazing gadgets and novelties designed to grab a boy's interest. The ad was filled with wonderful items like spy cameras, X-ray glasses, insect-eating plants, plastic dog poop, garlic-flavored chewing gum, and-best of all-magic tricks.

Man, did I love magic tricks. The ad said one trick would allow me to pull money out of the air with my bare hands. I'd seen a magician on television use the trick to fill buckets with half dollars-that was the trick I had to have! For just $1.50, plus another $1 for shipping and handling, I'd be able to make unlimited amounts of cash. I showed the ad to my father, who wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as I was.

"Mark, this is all hype," he warned. "You won't be able to make real money. It's a trick."

But I knew my father was wrong. So I counted $2.50 from my piggy bank (which literally was a pig-shaped bank), handed it to my dad, and asked him to write out a check to send in with my order.

Day after day I waited for the mail carrier to arrive. How big would the box be? I wondered. How much money would I be able to make? At night I dreamed of wearing a tuxedo as I stood in front of my first grade class, pulled money out of the air, and impressed all the girls with my suave performance (not to mention my money-making potential). I also dreamed of taking my family on great vacations and being asked to perform on television.

This was the life-changing event I'd been waiting for. My package couldn't arrive fast enough! Why, oh why, did I have to wait six to eight weeks for delivery?

Finally, the big day arrived. I checked the mailbox and found a box with my name on it from the Johnson Smith Company. The box was smaller than I'd expected, but that didn't faze me. I was moments away from turning my life around. I ran up to my room and opened the red, white, and blue box with the EZ-Magic logo on the front. Inside the box I found ... a plastic coin. It was the size of a quarter, and there was a piece of double-stick tape on the back.

What?

I read the directions:

Step 1: Remove the backing from the double-stick tape.

Step 2: Attach the coin to the back of your thumbnail.

Step 3: With your hand palm open to the audience, reach into the air as if picking something from it; this motion will reveal the coin.

Step 4: Pretend to put it into a container in which you have already placed several coins.

Step 5: Repeat, and then pour out the coins for others to examine. Real money from the air!

Remember, practice makes perfect and shhhh! Never reveal the secret.

I threw the box against the wall. Money didn't come from the air! It was a con!

My dad used the experience to teach me a lesson that I didn't fully learn until I was much older: If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Wisdom On ... Time and Moneyby Mark Matlock Copyright © 2008 by Mark Matlock. Excerpted by permission.
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