Busy Mom’s 4 Steps To Spiritual Balance With Crystal Paine

Many people are using the FaithFi app to help provide the wisdom, community, and money management to stay on track, financially speaking. To date, over 37,000 members are using its digital envelope system, participating in our community forums, and engaging in virtual workshops. And one of the most convenient features is the ability to keep all your accounts in one place for an easy-at-a-glance view. You can choose from one of three options, depending on your management style, and it's available on desktop or mobile.

Go to faithfi.com and click app to get started. Busy moms certainly know how crucial it is. Crystal Payne joins us today with some tips on time management for achieving spiritual balance. Then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000.

That's 800-525-7000. This is faith and finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey. Well, we're always delighted to have Crystal Payne back on the program. She's the creator of moneysavingmom.com, which you need to check out if you haven't already. Crystal, welcome back. Thank you so much for having me back.

It's an honor to be here. Crystal, we're trying to get at how busy moms can manage their time and stay spiritually balanced when things are moving at a frenzied pace, I'll say. It's something you have firsthand experience with, right? That's for sure. I'm a mom of six ages 19 down to one. So we're doing ABCs and ACTs at the same time.

And then we have one with significant medical complexities and disabilities. Plus, I work full time running moneysavingmom.com, like you said, and writing books and podcasting. Yes.

So you are the perfect person to weigh in on this. And of course, you also have the book, The Time Saving Mom. And in it, you outline a four step process for how busy moms or stay at home dads can get control of their time. So let's walk through them quickly.

What's first? So first off, pray, really starting our day in that posture of prayer and reliance on the Lord. Instead of trying to white knuckle your way through life and your own strength, this changes how you approach life. You feel a lot less stressed. You feel more at peace. And it really helps you to focus your energy on those things that truly matter in eternity. And this can just look like a quick flare prayer, as I call it, that you shoot up throughout the day when you feel overwhelmed or aren't sure how to approach something or you just feel extra tired or weary.

Yeah. Don't let your busyness crowd out this all important step, and that is to be prayed up. All right, Crystal, what's next? So next up is prioritize. And in The Time Saving Mom, I outline what I call the six times two priority system.

So this has been such a game changer for me. I have six priority areas that I wrap my time and my life around, but I only pick two to focus on per day and then I rotate the ones that I focus on. So instead of trying to do all the things every day, that's how you really end up feeling completely stressed and frazzled. I just focus intentional time on two areas. So, for instance, that might look like an at-home date with my husband, which would be the marriage priority area, and then coffee with a friend, which would be the friendships priority area.

So that would be one day. And then maybe the next day I might spend extra time decluttering and catching up on laundry, so the home priority area, and then have a game night with the kids, so the kids priority area. So you just rotate through the priority areas, focusing on two per day. Oh, that's so helpful. And there's something about the power of focus that allows you just to be much more intentional and really make some progress.

I love that, kind of focusing that down to two. Now, I know the next step is to plan, and you actually recommend using Google Calendar and time-blocked to-do list to do this. So how exactly does that work? So this is a hybrid system that I use both an electronic calendar, Google Calendar, and then a handwritten list. And I find this is really the key for me to have lots of irons in the fire, but not forget the important things. So I write every single thing down that I need to do or remember even the tiny things in my Google Calendar as an all-day task, and then I assign it to a day that it needs to be done by. And then every night before I go to bed, I write out a handwritten time-blocked to-do list with everything mapped out for the next day.

So it's like a budget, but for my time. Oh, that's so good. And then you can just make sure each day you're checking off those things that were intentionally placed on that day. That's just really helpful.

All right, the last one is prep. So what does a busy mom need to know about preparing for the day? I've really found that a successful day begins the night before. So one way that we set up our days to run much more smoothly is we take 30 minutes before we go to bed to quickly pick up the house, figure out what we're having for breakfast, make lunches, and get the bags and backpacks ready and set by the door, and then lay everyone's clothes out for the morning. These simple things make such a difference on our mornings and on the entire rest of the day. Wow, Crystal, that was so good. I can imagine our listening audience right now is saying, I want that.

How do I get that? Well, check out The Time Saving Mom, her book, or go to moneysavingmom.com. Crystal, thanks for helping us with some practical ideas to stay spiritually balanced. Thank you so much for having me. All right, we'll do it again real soon.

That's Crystal Payne, one of the busiest moms we know. Learn more at moneysavingmom.com. Your calls are next, 800-525-7000.

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This institution is not federally insured. I'm so thankful to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. I'm Rob West. It's time to take your calls and questions today on anything financial. The number to call, 800-525-7000.

That's 800-525-7000. We'd love to hear from you today and dive into whatever you're considering thinking about in your financial life as you apply biblical truth. You know, as we think about how we make financial decisions, recognizing that we have a finite amount of resources for infinite financial decisions, we have to make decisions. So it's about wise decision making in our financial lives. And the way we make decisions is in part determined by our environment, our background. I read a study over the weekend that said that the way you view money is largely in place by the age of nine. Think about that, that your environment growing up, some of your earliest memories of money, whether money was scarce or abundant, whether giving was modeled for you, whether a spending plan and using a budget to control the flow of money was modeled or not, has a lot to do with how tightly you grip or how loosely you hold money today. It's not everything, but it's a big factor.

And when you think about your relationship with your spouse, if you're married, two of you coming together as one flesh with these different backgrounds, different wiring, it clearly that can bring some challenges, some conflict, unless we work through it and find unity, which is the picture that God wants for us and then pursue together God-given goals based on our values as believers. So clearly, our environment, our upbringing has to do with our money management. But you know what's bigger than that? Our hearts. You know, when we look at Scripture, we see that money can compete with God for first position in our lives if we allow it to. The things of this world, the distractions, our longing for abundance and fulfillment, we can try to find in the temporary fleeting things of this world. That's at least what the media and advertising would encourage us to do, certainly our culture as well. We know those will only satisfy temporarily and ultimately we were hardwired to find our abundance in God himself in Christ. And so when we're misguided and we place our trust or we try to find fulfillment in the things of this world, we will be left empty and unsatisfied. So what do we do with that?

Well, we reject that cultural idea. We make God our ultimate treasure. He is the passion and the longing of our heart. We choose him over money, which clearly we see in the Sermon on the Mount.

We have to choose. And then money is put in its proper place as a tool to accomplish God's purposes. And so we look to Scripture and say, OK, how do we fight against the greed that can creep in and what about covetousness, the comparison trap that we can find ourselves in? And we have to renew our minds and we can't determine our lifestyle based on looking at someone else. And, you know, ultimately we need to find contentment and in our money management, living within God's provision. And so we do that by operating through a biblical lens. And clearly that's what we want to do on this program every day is take you back into the scripture so we can counteract those longings of our heart, the sin nature that we have that would lead us toward the things of this world and help you reorient your minds and your hearts ultimately on an eternal perspective. Now, we realize we want to do that in light of the very practical decisions and choices you're making every day as you save for a home purchase and try to pay for the kids college and try to save for retirement.

And, yeah, you want to do some giving and you'd like to increase that over time. And what about that debt? We want to get that paid off. Well, we want to help you tackle those issues that are very real and very practical. So whatever you're considering and thinking about in your financial life today, give us a call. 800-525-7000. I've got some lines open.

They won't stay open for long. So call right now. Again, 800-525-7000. Let's dive in today.

We will begin in Illinois with Jo. Go right ahead. Yes. Thank you for taking my call.

Yes, ma'am. Long story short, I've been unemployed since February 1st of this year. I have been applying to numerous positions with various companies and the most I've gotten is an in-person interview with some of them. Others just on the phone, but nothing beyond that. What mistakes? I want to find out what mistakes I'm making in this stage in that process.

I'm concerned about my employability. Sure. Sure. Well, a couple of thoughts here. First of all, I can understand your concern.

It's been a little while and you're looking for something. You obviously need employment. I would say let's invite God into that process. Perhaps you already have, but just continue to make this a matter of prayer, recognizing God is your provider. He has told us He will provide for us. And so you can trust Him in that. The U.S. government's not your provider. Your employer's not your provider. It's very clear in Scripture that it's even the Lord that gives us the power to create wealth. And so we just need to be reminded of that, bring that to Him in prayer, and ask Him for His provision. Second is you can be encouraged that we're still in a relatively strong job market. Now, that's only good to the extent that that means you have a job, and I understand that, but the environment is right. It's not like we're in a really difficult job environment.

So that's a good thing. Now, I like the fact that you're thinking about how you can improve your job seeking skills, including how you perform well in that job interview, how you show up ready for the interview and put your best foot forward and highlight your skills and abilities and how they specifically relate to the company or the ministry or the work that you're applying to do. And I think that's one of the keys, being ready for some of the more typical questions you will likely be asked in an interview. And so if you head to our website, Joe, at faithfi.com, faithfi.com, and you click on content, and then you do a search for a segment we ran, a previous broadcast that I did, called Nail Your Next Job Interview.

We actually tackle this specific subject, and they're in the show notes as well as by listening to that prior episode. Again, just search for Nail Your Next Job Interview. I think that'll give you some really practical ideas that could be helpful to you as you show up for that next interview. I think the next thing is just to make sure you have as many interviews as possible.

You'll get better at it over time. If you're not using Career Builder or LinkedIn or Indeed, those would be great options. Career Builder and Indeed are job search websites. LinkedIn is, of course, a business networking social media platform, and having an up-to-date and attractive and compelling resume is important. But also having a really up-to-date and compelling LinkedIn profile is important, because one of the first things someone will do when they consider you for employment is they'll go look you up on LinkedIn and see what your profile looks like, what's your work history, what's your skills, those kinds of things.

And so you'll want to make sure that's up-to-date. I would also make sure you check with your church. A lot of times they have a job board. And then finally, a career assessment could be helpful to you, where you look at how God has wired you and see where that might direct you into career paths you hadn't considered. I'd like to offer you a free career assessment through Career Direct, one of our partners.

I think that might be a blessing to you. So let's do this. You stay on the line, we'll get your information, and we'll get you connected with Career Direct right away. Well, folks, we're going to head into our first break here in just a moment. But we do have some lines open today, so if you have a financial question, you'd love to wrestle with it, we'd love to talk to you about it.

You can call 800-525-7000. We want to help you see God as your ultimate treasure and money a tool to accomplish God's purposes. Let's do that together as we talk about a biblical worldview of money right after this break.

We'll be right back. We are grateful for support from Soundmind Investing in the Faith and Finance Program. If you have money in a retirement account or just a general investing account, you know the stock market can sometimes seem like a rollercoaster. But it is possible to enjoy both profit and peace of mind if you don't have money. You can see a short video webinar on that topic at soundmindinvesting.org. Since 1990, Soundmind Investing has sought to offer financial wisdom for living well.

Soundmindinvesting.org. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. We've got a few lines open today for your questions. 800-525-7000.

That's 800-525-7000. By the way, the resource we're going to give to Joe as a free gift, just for being on the program today, is called Career Direct Living by Design. It's a wonderful tool that is a skills assessment, so it will help you uncover your God-given skills and abilities, your wiring, if you will, and connect that with various career tracks and professions. So we've found it to be a really helpful tool over the years to examine some critical components of career selection, but in light of God's specific wiring in your life, and if you're looking for something that could help you get pointed toward the right career path for you, Career Direct could be a great option for you.

You'll find it at careerdirect.org. All right, we're going to head back to the phones today with your questions at 800-525-7000. Let's go to Mississippi. Hi, Greg. Go ahead, sir. Hey, I had heard about Health Savings Account on your show, and I looked those up.

I'm retired military with TRICARE, and I don't qualify for an HSA because I have some type of major medical insurance, so that's my question. And then as an add-on for that previous caller, you know, my daughter had made some mistakes in her life and she persevered, and she recently completed college and has her teacher certificate, and I'm exceedingly proud of her. She is now a schoolteacher, so there's hope for people, and I sincerely encourage everyone just to keep trying.

All right, sir, I'll hang up and wait for your response. Well, first of all, let me just say, Greg, I appreciate you sharing that testimony. You're a proud dad and you should be.

I'm delighted to hear that your daughter has gotten on a track that has her making a difference in the lives of young people, and boy, there's no greater joy than to watch your kids thrive and pursue God's call on their lives. You're right in that the TRICARE does not qualify as a high-deductible health care plan, which is what is required to have a health savings account. So the IRS does not allow those with the TRICARE benefits to contribute to an HSA, unfortunately. So you would have to have separate from that what's called a high-deductible health plan that would allow you then to open the health savings account, which, as I had said on the previous program, is a great tool. I like HSAs a lot if you've got a high-deductible health plan because it allows you to put in pre-tax dollars and then to pull them out tax-free for qualified medical expenses if you're relatively healthy, and especially if you can fully fund it every year up to the maximum contribution limit, which for 2024 individuals is $4,150, families up to $8,300. By fully funding it, if you're not depleting it for healthcare expenses, you can always invest it as well.

So you could put it kind of like a 401K in various mutual funds, let it grow, and then pull it out in retirement for healthcare-related expenses. So it's a great tool, but it does require that high-deductible health plan, and unfortunately the TRICARE does not qualify. Let me say, though, thank you for your service to our nation. We're incredibly grateful. And if we can serve you in any other way, Greg, don't hesitate to call back. Lines are open today. 800-525-7000 is the number to call. With your questions on any financial topic, you can call right now to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hi, Jane. Go right ahead. Hi, Rob.

Thanks for checking my call. I am confused, I guess, about tithing. I received an inheritance, I'm going to say roughly 10 years ago, and when I received it before anything was redeposited, I tithed on the amount that I received. Part of my money went into an annuity to give me an income stream when I retired, which I have now done. Do I tithe on that income that I received, or has that already been tithed on?

Yeah, it's a little more complicated than that. I mean, first of all, I love that you're wanting to get this right, because clearly you want to honor the Lord in your giving. And I love the principle of the tithe as a guideline. I mean, we're not under the law of Moses any longer, and yet when we look at the Council of Scripture, we're clearly to be generous as stewards. And if we look at the New Testament, we clearly say that we're to give proportionately. To whom much is given, much is required. We're to give sacrificially.

We look at Jesus commending the poor widow. We're to give freely and cheerfully. Don't give under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. So I think those should be the hallmarks of our giving. So using the tithe for those of us who have seen what Jesus has done for us on the cross, just as an act of worship, demonstration of trust to give back to God. Using the tithe as a guideline.

So we have to, if we're going to apply the principle of the tithe, we have to say, well, what does that mean? Well, it was a gift on the increase, so you'd give a tenth on the increase. Now, your increase occurred when you got the inheritance. Well, as you said, you gave a tithe on that.

Great. Then you put it into an investment. You can put it in stocks and bonds. You can put it in an annuity. You put it in an annuity. Now, they're paying an income stream back to you, and a portion of that is a return of what you put in, and a portion of that is the growth. So you'd have to determine, you know, how much is the return of the capital or the investment, and how much is considered the income, and that portion, you know, is taxable. You know, you could call the insurance company and ask them for kind of a guideline on how much is a return of capital versus how much is the increase. And if you truly wanted to continue to tithe on it, you'd probably establish a percentage. Maybe 30% of every check is the increase, and 70% is the return of capital.

Or maybe it's 60-40. So again, it gets somewhat complicated. I think ultimately there's not a right or wrong decision. It's between you and the Lord. You could say, you know, I'm just going to tithe on the whole thing, seeing it as a gracious gift from the Lord. I'm not going to tithe on any of it because I already tithed on the original amount.

Or you could kind of take a 50-50 approach where maybe you consider half of it just coming back to you, which you've already tithed on, and the other half is truly the increase or the income on top of it. Does that make sense at all? Yes. Yes, it does.

Okay. And that's what I kind of have been wrestling with. It's like, how in the world would I figure out what the increase is on, you know, what I invested?

Yeah, exactly. And I think, you know, you ultimately have to determine that, and I think either the insurance company can help you with that, you know, and that might be a good starting point. You could just kind of use a 50-50 or a 60-40 guideline where, you know, you just tithe on half of it and just kind of look at it that way because you can't outgive God, so you're not going to dial it into an exact number. But I think the spirit of this is you want to continue to be a giver. We shouldn't limit our giving to the tithe, but, you know, I think there's an appropriate response in here that's ultimately between you and the Lord. Don't feel like you have to check a box or God's going to be angry with you.

He just wants your heart, and I think wherever you land is completely appropriate. Okay? Okay.

That makes sense. All right. Thank you for your call, Jamie. Lord bless you.

Well, that does it for us today. I'm Rob West. Thanks to our amazing production team and to you for listening. I hope you'll join us again next time on Faith and Finance. Faith and Finance is provided by Faith Buy and listeners like you.