We've all had those days at work when we're not at our best. Maybe we're tired, or facing problems at home. Maybe we're even a little burned out.

But for some, especially during and since the pandemic, these days have become the norm. The pandemic gave rise to the term "Quiet Quitting", where people show up at their job but don't really add much value. They do just enough to avoid getting fired, but their minds and hearts are far away from work.

As believers, we're called to work diligently and bring honor to God with our work. While the world thinks of work as trading time for money, the believer understands that work should be trading value for money.

God designed work before the Fall. And the Fall has had some consequences - work is no longer always fruitful or rewarding. Sometimes it's just toil. But God still calls us to honor him in our work.

Podcast host James Lenhoff explores the rationale behind quiet quitting and shows how the believer is called to a higher standard of work.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

Do you ever feel guilty when you think of financial success? When you plan for how much you need to save for the future, rather than immediately giving it all away? When you look to take that next step in your career into more responsibility, more authority, and more income?

As believers, we can fall into one of two traps when it comes to thinking about money. We can treat it as though it's inherently evil, something to be avoided as much as possible. Or we can assume that it's our birthright as "kids of the King". And God does call some people to lives of poverty, while blessing others with great riches.

But God puts most of us somewhere between these two extremes. Scripture exhorts us to diligent earning, generous giving, wise saving, prudent spending, and treating debt with caution. And much of that can look like the same wisdom that some in the world have. The difference is not in the process or in the numbers themselves, but in the purpose. While the world accumulates and spends wealth for its own pleasure and purposes, believers manage their resources as stewards of God's provision.

Podcast host James Lenhoff shares three critical components of financial success that help keep us on track with God-honoring purpose: Boundaries, Balance, and Accountability.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

Can money buy happiness? We all know how we're supposed to answer that question. "No, of course not. Money can't buy happiness."

And yet we've all experienced those moments of joy and happiness from something we've wanted for a long time and finally bought, or that family experience that we paid for and that created lasting memories. And many of us have encountered the difference between the anxiety of not having enough and the contentment of knowing that our income covers our expenses.

Proverbs shows us the wisdom of balance:

"Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’

Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Scripture warns us of the deceitfulness of wealth and gives us plenty of examples of those who have been drawn away from God by the allure of money and what it can buy. But it also gives us examples of wealth used for God's honor and lives lived in fullness and contentment as a result. How do we avoid the former and achieve the latter?

Join us as host James Lenhoff discusses the importance of maintaining a balanced perspective on what money can - and can't - do.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

Most of us equate being rich with a high income. If we're earning well into the six figures, we're rich. But cash flow is not the measure of wealth. Wealth is measured in net worth - the difference between what we own and what we owe. And for many high earners, that difference can actually lead to a negative net worth.

A HENRY is a High Earner who's Not Rich Yet. A HENRY has the potential of being wealthy due to a high income. But that won't happen automatically. Realizing that potential takes vision, discipline, and a sense of priorities.

The doctor fresh out of medical school, with tens of thousands of dollars (or more!) in school loans, is a good example of a HENRY. And there's danger here. A HENRY often feels rich and acts rich - spending to chase a lifestyle that might suit their income, but that doesn't reflect their actual net worth.

Join us as podcast host James Lenhoff speaks to the dangers facing HENRYs and outlines some key choices to help HENRYs build a lifestyle of stewardship.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

Summer. Long days, vacations, warm weather, slower pace. Opportunities to relax, spend time with family, take a break from hectic seasons. And a great chance to check in on our stewardship.

If we've been tracking our spending against a plan, then this is the perfect time for a checkpoint. Are we over-spending in some areas? Under-spending in others? Have we saved what we said we would save and are we making the progress we need to on debt retirement? Is our generosity where we planned for it to be?

With half the year behind us, we have enough information to know whether we're on track or need to make some adjustments. And we have enough time left in the year to make those adjustments. Did we save enough for our summer vacation? If not, will we adjust the vacation, or will we adjust spending in the second half of the year to account for the shortfall? This is a great time to have those family conversations and decide priorities. If we're under-saved for vacation, do we want to reduce our Christmas spending so that we have the money for summer? Having the conversation now helps get everyone on the same page and can prevent emotional meltdowns later.

Asking the right questions can help us identify the places where we need to make adjustments. Join us as podcast host James Lenhoff leads us through some key questions to ask for our summer stewardship checkpoint.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

Inheritance. For many of us, this represents the largest single sum of money that will come our way. And as a result, it represents the largest opportunity for faithful stewardship - or for wasteful mismanagement.

Whether earned or received as a gift, all the resources in our possession ultimately belong to God. So God calls us to manage those resources for His glory, as well as for our ultimate benefit.

But with inheritance, many things get in the way. The emotion of a relationship lost, the memories (positive and not-so-positive) that the loss brings up. Maybe it's guilt over receiving something we didn't deserve. Or maybe it's resentment that we didn’t receive what we thought we would. Family dynamics often complicate the situation even further.

Podcast host James Lenhoff shows us the importance of understanding and processing the emotions that come with inheritance, taking a step back and refraining from hasty decisions, and maintaining a heart of gratitude. Balancing stewardship principles, a desire to honor the deceased, and our God-given personal and family priorities takes prayer and wisdom.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

Statistics show that the situation of adult children living with their parents is on the rise. This was true before Covid, was heightened further during the pandemic, and continues to be the trend. There are lots of reasons for this - economic, social, and others. But the question is, as parents, how do we handle this situation?

Parents who are dealing with their own aging parents can find themselves caught in a squeeze between two generations depending on them. This can create financial, marital, and family problems - and it often does. How do we respond when our empty nest becomes a revolving door?

The first key is communication. Communication on both sides - parents and kids - about how the family feels about a child moving back in. How do the parents feel? How does the kid feel? Acknowledging those emotions is the first step toward building understanding and teamwork to help the child re-launch successfully.

Another key communication component is expectations. When the adult child is now a guest in the parents' house, the expectations should be different than when the child was young. Financial, relational, and household expectations need to be outlined clearly. One aspect of this is understanding and agreeing on what circumstances are needed in order for the child to re-launch, and determining a plan for getting there.

Join us as podcast host James Lenhoff helps navigate these tricky waters with sound advice for both the relational and financial implications of adult children moving back in with their parents.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

Education loans are the largest financial obstacle facing many recent graduates today. School debt begins to come due at a time when most people will make the least money in their careers, impacting their ability to start a family or make other key decisions.

Most graduates got here because of assumptions that were made as they thought about what they would do after graduating high school. Perhaps their parents pressured them into a college or career choice. Maybe they got swept up in the emotion of visiting a beautiful campus or in the reputation of a specific school.

Decisions around college don't affect only the students. Many parents, feeling pressure to provide a college education for their children, sacrifice their own futures in the process - eventually becoming dependent on their children because they didn't properly prepare for retirement.

How can we inject wisdom into the decision-making process regarding college? Podcast host James Lenhoff highlights the importance of starting these conversations early, eliminating unspoken assumptions, evaluating options, and counting the cost. With open, honest communication and prayerful planning, we can help our kids discern a path to a meaningful career without the burden of overwhelming debt.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org