Inspiring stories of Financial Freedom

9/4/2009

I just want to share about how weddings do not have to be pricey. The goal of the day is to be married to your soul mate. My husband and I are approaching our 5-year wedding anniversary this September, but I would like to share how we saved for our wedding.

We planned on a small, intimate wedding, but it grew from there people-wise, but not expense-wise. Our church does not charge members for weddings, so we just made a small donation to the pastor for his services only. As for the reception, we decided to have more of an open house in my in-law's backyard. We rented a tent and borrowed tables and chairs.

We had over 300 guests because everyone heard about the "small, intimate" wedding and wanted to be a part of it. We held our reception at 3pm, between mealtimes. This allowed us to feed over 300 guests for less than $300 by having a local company cater sandwiches and fruit. Our cake was done by a family friend for less than $150. We asked a few family friends to be in charge of walking around, taking care of trash, and making sure the food got restocked. This way my in-laws did not have to worry about playing host at their home but could enjoy the festivities.

The bridal party consisted of only a maid of honor, a best man, and a flower girl. This cuts down on the number of gifts, size of vehicle between venues, and flowers. I found the flower girl dress that matched my wedding colors perfectly at a children's department store, so the price was much cheaper than going to a bridal store. I did pay about $150 for my wedding dress, but my husband's tuxedo was free, as some stores offer when you rent a certain number of tuxedos.

I purchased my flowers from the store that regularly supplies my church with alter flowers for Sunday services. I ended up with about 5 dozen white roses for alter flowers, my bouquet and one for the maid of honor, men's lapels, and flower girl petals. The total cost was about $300.

Instead of renting a limo, we had our best man drive us in a borrowed van.

This may sound cheap, but it was the best day of our lives. Although we did not do traditional dancing (my family is not into that), we had the best laid-back celebration ever. The guests told me how much they loved how laid back and relaxed everyone was as we celebrated.

You don't have to go into debt for a wedding.

Andrea, OH

9/17/2009

Crown's MoneyLife radio ministry has been intrumental in teaching my husband and me God's plan for managing His finances.

We have just started the journey. We are giving our tithes, started a spending plan, and are saving for an emergency fund.

Teresa, FL

9/19/2009

God restored my marriage after a divorce, and we began to walk as new babes in Christ. God kept showing us areas of our lives that we must face and how we must be obedient to His calling.

One area we have prayed about for several months was how to deal with money. My daughter stole $13,000 from our bank account (all the money we had), and I asked God what He wanted to teach us through this. The lesson was one of the most diffecult: true forgiveness to my mentally ill daughter.

Then I asked God what He wanted us to do from there. Our prayers were answered. First, we were to continue praying for guidance. Second, to believe in faith that help would be sent. Then our eyes and ears were open to what our church was offering: the Crown Financial study.

Our hearts' desire is to serve the Lord, and through the biblical information and truth of the book Your Money Counts, we found a peace that words can not describe - a true surrendering and faith that no person or company could give us, only our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have been faced with lies of the evil one, yet we will not believe it because we are not alone in our walk. The Lord has placed Godly people on the same path and is teaching us that we all walk together. As noted, when we walk together, the strand can not be broken. God is moving us, and I know this testiomony is the work of our Havenly Father.

James, NY

9/23/2009

We have been following Crown Financial Ministries since 1991 when I heard about Larry Burkett and read his book, The Coming Economic Earthquake.

I have gone through two periods of unemployment that each lasted over one year. What I mean by this is that God provided us with work but no full-time job with benefits which met our needs. We have always given our tithe to the Lord's work even when out of work.

About two years ago, God provide me with a job and a 35% pay increase, which we used to complete the Crown Money Map. We have been debt free now for 8 months.

My wife and I have completed the Money Map. We have paid off all our debt including our house. We have funding for seven month's of expenses set aside in savings, we are working on building our retirement, and we always pay our credit cards off every month.

We also now are now giving 20% and more to the Lord's work.

Samuel and Eunice, CO

9/25/2009

I have listened to you on the radio for years. I sent for the books on finances/budgeting from Larry Burkett years ago. In implementing his philosophy, we were able to get out of debt.

A tornado a few years ago has put us back in debt, but we are still using the plan and hope to someday be out of debt again.

Phyllis, KS

9/27/2009

Dear Crown Staff:

Prior to my wife and I getting married, we have always wanted to live debt free. However we were not able to accomplish this goal through our own efforts. About three years into our marriage, our pastor offered a Sunday morning study on God's financial principles, from which our desire to live debt-free deepened. At this point we lacked the practical skills needed to reach this goal. Around this time we began listening to Money Matters.

In May 2005, we down-sized our lifestyle, sold our house, and built temporary living quarters in a pole barn on some land that we owned. Shortly thereafter, we became Crown Financial Small Group Leaders, where we learned how to apply God's Word to our personal stewardship. On August 17, 2009, we became completely debt free. Through our journey we have seen God's provision even when circumstances around us seemed bleak. Living here in our debt-free pole barn with two vehicles that have combined mileage of over 360,000 miles, we are so thankful for what God has done in our lives. As we encourage others to follow God's stewardship principles, we are excited to see their lives change, too.

As an encouragement to others:
Over the past 5 years we have seen God eradicate $84,000 of debt. Now we have no debt, our giving has increased, our savings have increased, and more importantly we have learned how to be good stewards of all that God has blessed us with. Our next financial goal is to build our house without debt. While this seems impossible to most people in our culture, we know that we serve a God who provides all that we need. Should we someday have a house, this house will be a testimony of what God can do when we are obedient to Him.

For those of you still on this journey, trust in God, honor God in all your deeds, and keep up the steady-plodding.

Thanks to all the the Crown Financial staff who have worked so hard to teach God's Word.

Bill and Pamela, MN

9/30/2009

I had the opportunity to see the story of Abraham and Isaac from the God Provides™ DVD series.

I wanted to let you know that the movie BLEW ME AWAY. I was with a group of children - usually noisy, raucous (typical Sunday morning energy!) and at the end of the movie, you could have heard a pin drop.

The production was astonishingly good, the acting was believable enough to pull you into the story, the colors were marvelous, and the setting was beautiful and so authentic.

But let me be honest about the real reason I am writing, to wit: PLEASE make more of these movies! Make 100 more if you could!! Go beyond the theme of "God Provides" and tell more stories from the Bible!

Let me be clear - I think the movie I saw was terrifically anointed and communicates the Word so clearly. Please know how much I - and those I was with - appreciated your diligent and masterful work.

Peter, TN