Browsing Tag

Wealth

Generosity, Jaguar Creek, PathLight, Philanthropy,

Your Kids and Wealth

Very excited to announce that I’m hosting a webinar titled, “How wealth impacts your kids and what you can do about it.” And I’d love for you to join me on Zoom for this conversation.

Parents often ask me what they can do to help their teenagers and children resist the temptations of consumerism. There is broad concern about our kids being inundated with nonstop advertising that pulls them toward materialism and away from empathy and compassion for others. What can be done to help our children break out of the bubble of wealth and privilege?

Over the years my …

Generosity, Leadership, Philanthropy,

Fear And Faith

Years ago I was sitting in a small shack that a family called home. The father, about my age, was afraid of what the future might hold for his family. He expressed his fear through his language, his sad eyes, his forlorn look.

I left that meeting more aware of how the poor – the truly poor – often live in fear. There is no margin for the poor. One setback could set off a downward spiral that undoes years of progress. Thus the fear – perpetual, consistent, draining fear of all the uncertainties of life.

A few years later …

Book Reviews, Generosity, Leadership,

Wealth, Temptation, and Job

This story of Job has always fascinated and often confused me. It’s fascinating because it’s impressively rich in wisdom about why God allows evil in the world. It’s confusing because the logic in the dialogue is sometimes hard to follow — are you arguing for God’s goodness or not, Job? It’s also confusing because his buddies offer insane advice followed by what seems like sound advice.

But then that’s life, isn’t it? Life is … well, it’s messy, to use a word often found here at Junkyard Wisdom. And the story of Job is certainly messy.

As one who writes …

Junkyard Wisdom Book, Philanthropy,

Awaiting Hunger

St. Augustine wrote, “Christ is the bread, awaiting hunger.” This was in the context of communion, but like a good junkyard project I want to tear it apart and put it back together in a different context.

The quote reminded me of something from my first book. There was a season in my life when things were going exceedingly well. Everything was clicking. It was like I had no worries at all. No “buts” here, it really was just a great season in life.

As I was driving one day and thinking on this — somewhat smugly I suppose …

Junkyard Wisdom Book, Random Thoughts,

Creating Wealth

I’ve posted this John Chrysostom quote before but it’s so insightful it seemed best to do so again. Hope you find it as interesting as I did the first time I read it some 30+ years ago!

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“One person has the skill to hammer brass into the most exquisite shapes and to engrave elaborate patterns on to it. Another has the skill to make furniture, joining together different pieces of wood so firmly that no one can break them apart. A third person can spin the finest yarn, while a fourth weaves it into cloth. A fifth craftsperson can …

Belize, Jaguar Creek, Junkyard Wisdom Book,

Junkyard Wisdom Belize 2018

Did you miss the first Junkyard Wisdom Belize event and want a second chance? Interested in exploring the issues of my book with some amazingly bright people who will become lifelong friends? Want to spend five days with Ken Wytsma to better understand the theology of justice and how it relates to wealth, poverty, generosity, and faith?

Well, great news! The second Junkyard Wisdom Belize event is scheduled for February 15-19, 2018. We will again stay at the amazing Jaguar Creek, from which we will visit Mayan ruins, rainforest villages, and even a local chocolate producer.

If you are …

Belize, Jaguar Creek, Junkyard Wisdom Book,

Junkyard Wisdom Belize – the Recap

My goodness. Junkyard Wisdom Belize was … well, I don’t know how to put it into words! Wonderful. Amazing. Thoughtful. Deep. Fun. All of the above!

Twenty people gathered in Belize for five days to talk, think, reflect, and share. Each day, Ken Wytsma shared about the theology of wealth, the need for holy discontent, the importance of doing things right, and feasting in celebration of God. His wife Tamara led an early morning workshop about the challenges and hardships of obedience. My wife D’Aun led another early morning session on the embarrassment of wealth. Each day I weaved the …

Junkyard Management, Junkyard Wisdom Book,

Why Aren’t the Rich More Generous?

Recently read that the wealthiest Americans — those in the top 20% of income earners — give an average of 1.3% of their income to charity. By contrast, those in the lowest 20% of income earners give 3.2% of their income to charity.

How does that make any sense? Well it doesn’t, actually, but there are two theories attempting to explain it. And I’ll add a third minor theory.

The first theory is that the rich are just greedy and don’t want to give up their money. Paul Piff, a psychologist at UC Berkeley, told New York magazine, “…the …