Welp, tonight is the last Friday night that all my kids are under five years of age.

H, your birthday is not till this next Thursday, but we are having a birthday party tomorrow at the Holly Hop Ice Cream Shop.

And you know how I like my Friday nights.

We ate pizza on the floor tonight in front of the TV.

It was a hit.

K, you even pushed mom away and asked that I lay you down tonight. We sang songs and then giggled at each other.

And then I leaned all the way down into your crib and gave you a goodnight kiss.

H, we tucked you in and sang three stanzas of Amazing Grace off-key before we kissed you goodnight.

Everything is so beautiful.

And I am so thankful for every sweet day we get.

I love you.

-Dad

I hope you define success differently.

How easy it is to be captivated by things.

Money, and cars, and other nice things promise happiness, don’t they?

It is a lie.

There are many examples of people that have “everything” who are miserable.

And none of these things last.

It’s all just dust.

Meaningless dust.

Maybe it will take a little time to understand this.

But I hope that you will define success by love and kindness and the fruits of the spirit, rather than the glitter of this world.

Your worth is not bound up worldly success.

You are infinitely valuable.

I love you so much.

-Dad

I first heard about this particular financial philosophy in Sunday School.

And as soon as I did, I was drawn to its simplicity.

Here is the video from the series.

For a more comprehensive version, including ways to deal with debt, Dave Ramsey has great advice too.

But I believe if you stay out of debt, these 3 simple steps will just about do it all.

1. Give – Give away the first portion to church or charity.
2. Save – Save at least ten percent.
3. Live – Use the rest to live on.

And you do it in that order.

Obviously the more you save, the better off you will be long-term.

But let’s try not to hoard money and replace the security it brings with the security we find in God (man, I struggle with this sometimes.).

I love you.

-Dad