This faith and finance podcast is underwritten in part by Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Did you know that just one pair of shoes given to a child opens the door to share health, education, opportunity, and the love of Christ to a child in need in the world? Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls has been meeting this need for 25 years, providing more than 5 million pairs of shoes to children in some of the most vulnerable communities in the world. That's over 5 million opportunities to put a smile on a child's face and show the love of Christ to boys and girls living in desperate situations. Many times, these shoes introduce families to Christ-centered programs, helping them rise above poverty and achieve their God-given potential.
You can make that difference now. Join Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls in changing the lives of children across the world through the gift of shoes. Go to GiveShoesToday.org and give to the special organization. That's GiveShoesToday.org. Since the beginning of time, God's design for humanity has always been to be a giant family spread throughout the earth.
So what happened? Hi, I'm Rob West. Because of the power of sin in our world, families are broken, children become orphans, and many feel alone and isolated as if they don't belong. Dr. Albert Reyes with Buckner International joins us today to share a hopeful message about God's design for his family. And 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 delighted to welcome Dr. Albert Reyes to the program for the first time. Dr. Reyes is president and CEO of Buckner International, a ministry dedicated to delivering redemptive ministry to the most vulnerable from the beginning to the ending of life. He's also the author of the brand new book, Never Alone, The Power of Family to Inspire Hope. Dr. Reyes, it's great to have you with us. Thank you, Rob.
Great to be on the program today. Let's start with a bit about the book. Why did you feel like it was so important to write a book about the importance of families?
You know, I've noticed in recent years that there's an effort to undermine the family to, you know, just take the potshots at it and just deteriorate what the family is and has been. And I think that particular topic is of critical importance to communities, to cities, to any organization of humanity is the families at the core. The second reason I wanted to focus on that is that we provide families for children.
And, you know, I think not only helping kids that don't have a family, but helping families get strong so they have a place to go. In the book, you take us into God's Word to look at some of the families we see there. What can we learn from Scripture? Well, there are a lot of things, Rob, that I found.
I thought I knew the stories of the families in the Bible. And once I took a microscope to each one, I learned some good things and positive things we want to emulate and repeat. But I also learned some things.
I thought, oh, that wasn't a very good move. And you see, as mentioned, you know, the sin having its effect. So we also learned what not to do from some of the families. And I learned overall, most of them are dysfunctional like ours. And we need a redeemer to help make it better.
No question about that. Well, Buckner International is all about helping families here in the U.S. and worldwide. So why don't you share a bit about the work of the ministry that you're doing? Well, we have our ministry based on James 1-27 that, you know, James says, Pure religion that God accepts is to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep myself undefiled from the world.
So in that verse, there are two main focuses. One is for senior living, senior adults, and the other that we're talking about today is children and families. And we have those two divisions in the children families area. We do foster care and adoption, single parent family strengthening, and then the family hope centers to help families that are struggling but haven't fallen apart yet. And along with that, we do provide shoes for children. Now, five million pairs of shoes we've collected and distributed since 1994 in over 85 countries around the world. So it's a fantastic way to support families. Well, we're so excited to be able to bring more exposure to it. Let's dive deeper into that project, Shoes for Orphaned Souls.
Tell us a bit more about it. Well, it's a very simple concept that we collect brand new shoes for children. We receive them in our warehouse here, Center for Humanitarian Aid. Then we have volunteers come in and sort them out, and then we prepare them for shipping. And then sometimes volunteers will go with us on trips to put shoes on children all week.
And many developing countries, not only here in the U.S., but in other countries, children need tennis shoes, right, to run and play, to go to school, to be healthy, to protect their feet. And so it can really meet a lot of different needs that are foundational for just a good childhood. And you're able to share the love of Christ at the distribution, isn't that right?
Exactly. Volunteers write a spiritual note or just a note of encouragement, something as simple as God loves you. And I'll tell you, when you're sitting down or kneeling down in front of a child and you read the note to them, it's a personal note from someone that packed the shoes to them. And you can see the smile on their face.
I can only imagine. Well, folks, you can get involved with as little as $15. Put a pair of shoes on a child somewhere in the world today who needs them. Just go to GiveShoesToday.org. That's GiveShoesToday.org. Dr. Reyes, thanks for stopping by. You bet.
Thanks a bunch. That was Albert Reyes, president and CEO of Butner International. Again, that website, GiveShoesToday.org.
Back with your questions after this. Did you know the average person walks nearly 2,000 miles a year? Now think about the millions of children around the world who risk disease and miss out on opportunities simply because they walk those 2,000 miles without a decent pair of shoes. Around the world, Butner Shoes for Orphaned Souls provides access to health, education, hope, and opportunity through the gift of shoes.
Visit GiveShoesToday.org and find out how you can provide shoes for a child right now. I'm so thankful you've joined us today for faith and finance. 800-525-7000. Our team is standing by.
You can call right now. You know, in Luke 12, 13 to 21, it begins in that passage, the parable of the rich fool. Just prior to that, there's a man asking about an inheritance, and he's asking for Jesus to settle the dispute.
Well, Jesus refuses, but he sees the real problem in hand. He knows that an inheritance would be a false solution to the heart problem of the questioner. So he took the time to invite the man and the rest of his followers into a richer life with God by telling him this stark story about the futile inheritance of someone who does not know God. You see, Jesus calls us to step out of that kind of futility and into a new way of life, focusing our hope on a richer, eternal inheritance. By the way, Peter writes about this imperishable inheritance that we have in Christ. He says, he calls it an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. You see, folks, we have that opportunity to pursue that imperishable inheritance as we make God our ultimate treasure, realizing that our abundance is found in him. It's not even a matter of what we have in the material world. It's that God is our abundance before the first dollar. Remember, he gave us the free gift of eternal life through the shed blood of his son Jesus on the cross and through his resurrection, we might have life as we are reconciled to the Father. That's our starting point as believers, and in that we're rich. And then we have the opportunity to make God our ultimate treasure and to handle money in such a way that it's evident that God is our true treasure.
I hope this program each day encourages you in that end. That's certainly our goal. All right, we're going to head back to the phones. We've got some lines open. You can call right now with any financial question, 800-525-7000. Let's go to Illinois. Hi, Renee.
How can I help? Hi, Rob. I'm trying to decide whether or not I should take my credit cards. I've got four credit cards. I've got about $6,500 in debt, and I want to get rid of that debt. Should I go through the Trinity finance program, consolidate that, and save some of those penalties and things and get that paid off? Or would it be better for my credit just to go ahead and do the best I can, make the payments? Which way would really be the best for my future?
Yeah. Well, usually kind of that number that's the tipping point for me is around $4,000. If you've got more than $4,000 in credit card debt, I like you using a debt management program. You'll hear us recommend Christian credit counselors just because we've worked with them for years, and they've served hundreds and hundreds of our listeners. The key is I think debt management, the combination of that level payment plus the ability to add more as you're able plus the massive reduction in the interest rates is going to help you get out of debt.
Then do it in a way that establishes the right disciplines and behaviors. So hopefully once you're out of debt quicker because of the lower interest, you're going to stay out of debt. So that's the key for me. In terms of your credit, it's not a part of the credit scoring algorithm. So there's not a one to one relationship between you going into a debt management program and your score coming down. It could be noted when these accounts are closed that you're in a debt management program, a lender pulling that report might see that. Also, closing the account is going to change your credit utilization.
So that could bring your score down. But unless you're going out to buy a house or a car in the next six months, I probably wouldn't worry about it. I'd be more inclined to you to go through debt management and save a whole bunch of money. Does that make sense? Yes, absolutely. Thank you. All right. You're welcome. God bless you.
Let's go to Texas. Hi, Mike. How can I help, sir? Yeah, first, thanks for taking my call.
Sure. Yeah, I've got a second home and my parents are living in it. And I've been thinking about selling it, you know, but but my parents are kind of like, well, you know, they want to stay there until, you know, they pass.
And I mean, they're up there in age. And I don't know. I mean, I just I want to get rid of the house and I don't want to put my parents in a nursing home or anything. So I mean, it's just I don't know. I just advise what I can do.
What are my options? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I appreciate that, Mike. I realize you're conflicted here because you'd like to perhaps not have this second home any longer and yet you want to care for mom and dad. And, you know, when you in this season of life, any kind of major life changes like the one you're describing are a big deal. You know, they become more difficult to do. And so I can understand why they wouldn't want to go through that. Tell me a little bit about why you're wanting to get rid of it. Is it just the hassle of the upkeep of a second property or what's driving your desire to sell it? No, it's just a hassle upkeep. And, you know, it's it's a couple hours away from my primary residence. So, you know, it's just basically that's it.
Yeah, got it. And how has it been doing? I mean, is it appreciating pretty nicely?
Has it been a nice asset for you? It has. It has. OK. I mean, it's an older home.
I mean, it was built back in, you know, I think 75. Yeah, yeah. Well, here's what I might do, Mike, is, I mean, just take a couple of weeks and just ask the Lord to give you some wisdom. James 1 5. If you lack wisdom, you should ask God who gives it richly to us. And, you know, I think as you think about this desire to be a good steward and manage what God has entrusted to you well, and also care for your parents during this season of life, which, you know, is clearly affirmed in scripture. And I understand you want to do that as well.
And just ask the Lord to guide and direct you. What you may decide is, you know, despite the fact that I'd love to let this go, I mean, it's still a great investment. Real estate has done well.
It will probably continue to do well. It's a benefit to them because they don't have to get, you know, displaced in the process. And, you know, just see if that might be the direction the Lord would lead. Obviously, if you look at a second option, I mean, you could look at any number of situations. Number one is you could help them find another place to be on their own, either where they'd use their own assets or income to enable them to buy it, where you might buy another property to move them into maybe a little closer to you if they'd be open to that, maybe a little smaller, maybe a little newer that has less upkeep. I mean, that would be an option. Is there an option to move them in with you or to, you know, add a, you know, another, you know, parcel on your land?
I mean, I realize that's a major project, but it's certainly one you could consider. And then I would say as a final option, you know, there are some great solutions out there in terms of, you know, senior living. You know, my mom actually just moved into a phenomenal community down in South Florida. She loves it. I mean, there's, you know, she has her own place, you buy in, you can stay there throughout your life. They go all the way through nursing and memory care if you need it. But if you don't, you know, you live on your own, but there's restaurants there and she's got community and friends and lots of believers doing Bible studies together.
And so, you know, it's just been a real blessing for her. So I think you want to first of all clarify, okay, what is the primary driver of this decision and is it really just making sure that I can honor mom and dad and keep them, you know, as comfortable in this season of life as possible, not having to go through a major transition, which this would, you know, be stressful for them? Or is it, you know what, I just don't feel like this is something I can continue to maintain for any variety of reasons and therefore I need to begin exploring what are the other options upon the sale. So you've thought through it.
Maybe you drive up there and sit down with your mom and dad and say, listen, I'd really like to sell this, but here's three or four options for us to look at. And before I do anything, I just want to talk it through with you and see if any of these might be something that would be appealing to you. And maybe we, you know, we don't rush it. We do it over six months or a year, but at least we're beginning the conversation about where that's headed.
So those are just some initial thoughts, perhaps off the top of my head. Let me do this, though. I've got to take a break. I'd love to finish up with you off the air and just see if you have any further ideas on that. We'll take a quick break and back with our next segment, more calls just around the corner.
Stay with us. If you enjoy this radio program, you're going to love all of the many different resources waiting for you at FaithFi.com and the FaithFi app. You'll find powerful wisdom, free podcasts, articles, videos and more from leading voices such as Randy Alcorn, Howard Dayton, Ron Blue and our own Rob West. Grow in wisdom and knowledge by connecting with a community of thousands of Christians striving to be good and faithful stewards at FaithFi.com or by downloading the FaithFi app. We are grateful for support from the Eventide Center for Faith and Investing.
ECFI is an educational initiative of Eventide Asset Management that seeks to help Christians understand and practice biblically faithful investing. They do this through their podcast and online journal featuring articles from industry thought leaders and their course called Discover God's Story for Investing. More information is available at faithandinvesting.com. That's faithandinvesting.com. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. It's our final segment. We're taking your calls and questions today on anything financial, helping you apply the wisdom from God's Word, the principles and passages that we see on money.
By the way, there's 2300 of them to your financial decisions, very practically. And so if you have a question today, call right now. You can get right through 800-525-7000. We'll probably have room for two or three more questions before we round out the broadcast today. Again, 800-525-7000.
You can call right now. Let me take just a moment though and mention here as we head toward the end of our fiscal year at FaithFi, which is June the 30th. This is a really important time for us to hear from you as we finish out the year strong with our listener support. As a listener supported ministry, we rely on your gifts.
And these gifts allow us to continue to serve God's people. And it's amazing when we hear your stories and your testimonies. You write them and send them in to us. We receive them electronically.
You send us emails. We get to hear some of them on the air every day. And we just rejoice at what God is doing. And your gifts allow us to continue to do that work. In fact, let's listen to one of these stories of life change from our good friend Charles. Take a listen.
with the RRS and it went on and on and on for years. So I was reading the word one day and that scripture where Jesus had rendered diseases with Caesars and gods to gods. Well, I had been doing God's part, but not Caesars.
And it really convicted me. And so I decided, okay, I'll do something about it. And I called your program and you put me in touch with a wonderful brother in the Lord, Kevin Cross, who's a Christian certified public accountant. And I like to say that I actually paid my taxes last week.
And I can't tell you, I am probably the first time I paid money where I was actually enjoying doing it of a bill that I owed. I felt so blessed to be able to do it. And it was because of this ministry and your advice that I'm going to get back on track with the RRS and finish out the rest of my days in obedience to the word.
I love that. He's so excited to pay his taxes because he's in compliance and he had a sense from the Lord, you know what? This is my obligation. Render unto Caesar what is Caesars. And I was so thrilled that we were able to connect him with somebody that can actually help him get back on track with his tax liability.
And we were able to cover all the costs for that. And boy, Charles, so grateful for you and for so many of you who support this ministry to allow us to bring this kind of assistance to God's people. If you've been encouraged by the ministry and you'd like to make a gift, now is a really important time with a one time or a monthly gift. Just head to faithfi.com and click Give. That's faithfi.com and click Give and we'll say thanks in advance.
All right, let's head to Texas today as we round out the program here. Teresa, thanks for calling. How can I help you? Hi, I have a social security question.
Okay. I'm only 63, but I applied for disability. I'm about to have my fourth back surgery. So they asked me, do I want to go ahead and receive social security while I'm waiting for disability to be approved? So I am receiving that $1,700 a month. Now there is a cap on how much additional income I'm trying to continue to work to supplement that. But I have a cap of $1,400. Well, that's still not enough to live on.
So I'm living in my car right now. That's crazy. But once I receive my disability and that's approved, will there still be a cap on how much additional supplemental income I can earn?
Yeah. So it really comes down to the substantial gainful activity, your SGA level because of your medical condition. And that's going to really relate to whether or not you qualify for those disability benefits in the first place.
But there will be a similar cap on the earnings. Now with the social security cap, based on your actual work record, that's going to be where they reduce your benefits by a dollar for every $2 you go over the limit. So that limit for 2024 for those under full retirement age, so whatever your full retirement age is, if you're taking it before that, you can only earn up to $1,860 a month or $22,320 a year.
And if you go over that, that's when they're going to take a dollar for every $2. Now that's a temporary reduction in the sense that you will eventually get that back when you go to full retirement age. But in terms of, you know, the earnings limit for the social security disability, you're going to need to check with them because, you know, it's going to affect whether or not you even can apply and be granted it in the first place. And that limit is well, I know for 2023, it was $1,470 per month. And that's this that's different than what you're getting on the full retirement age. So this gets pretty complicated, I realize, but that limit should go up now that you're on your full work record benefits. And so you should be able to make a little bit more before you receive that reduction because the cap on disability is $1,470. Whereas the cap on earnings for full or for normal benefits is $1,860.
So I know I'm throwing a lot of information at you here. But the bottom line is, yes, both have caps. The one based on your actual work benefits is higher at 1860. The one for disability is that lower number at 1470 $1,470.
So those are the two caps. I think beyond that you may want to schedule a meeting with the Social Security Administration. And just kind of sit down and talk through all of this just so you understand what you can count on. And listen, Teresa, we're going to ask our faith and finance community to be praying for you. I realize this is a challenging season. And we'll just ask the Lord to provide for you here, as well as you kind of work through these medical issues as well.
I know you got a lot on you. But we appreciate your call today. And if we can help further along the way, don't hesitate to reach out.
May the Lord bless you. You know, folks, as we think about our role in managing God's money, I mean, ultimately, what our goal is, is for us to see God as our ultimate treasure, that we would see our longing for abundance and fulfillment and purpose, meaning in God himself. It's not that he's the access to our abundance, he is our abundance.
And then he gives us this great privilege once we surrender our lives to him of being stewards. And so our goal is to be found faithful in that. And we do that by going to Scripture and seeing that, wait a minute, money can actually compete with our hearts, and we can make it the object of our affection. And that's not what it was created to be. It was created to be a good gift from God so we could provide and enjoy and give.
We can't serve God and money. But when we give, it allows us to participate in God's activity. And then the joy that follows is incredible. By the way, especially in these uncertain times, our generosity is a testimony to the world that's looking on to see how as Christ followers, we're going to respond to the uncertainty and the chaos around us. Folks, I hope today's been an encouragement to you. I'm so grateful you've been along with us. Thank you to my team today, Robert Youngblood, Devin Patrick, Jim Henry, and the rest of the team here at Faith Buy. Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. See you on Monday. Bye-bye. Faith and Finance is provided by Faith Buy and listeners like you.
