By Mike Peek

  I have worked in the health care industry for more than half of my life. From doctors to nurses to ancillary personnel high consumption is the norm. To live on less than one makes as abnormal. Several years ago, we made a conscious decision to be abnormal. I recently wrote about our journey through the seven baby-steps as laid out in Dave Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover. I wrote both about our successes and our struggles. Today, living in baby-step seven, we find ourselves in a much different place than we were just a few years ago, much-less, when we began that journey. “There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.” (Proverbs 13:7, NASB) Often, in the media, and among the populace, there is a misunderstanding about wealth and income. A high income does not mean wealth. Income usually defines level of consumption rather than wealth. Income is what you bring home but wealth is what you have. If you spend everyth...

Financial Fitness Freedom From Debt by Mike Peek We began the year, 2006, deeply in consumer debt. We were a household of four, husband, wife, with two children: a boy, and a girl. We had good jobs and were driving new automobiles. From the outside, we were living the American dream; however, we were in a budgetary crisis. We were living paycheck to paycheck. It was as if our checking account was a money laundering service, moving money from our employer to the debt industry. I was a master juggler; therefore, we never missed a payment and had FICO scores above 800. I knew what we would have available, after making credit card payments, automobile payments, mortgage payments, and utility bills to spend on groceries, clothing, and lifestyle. We would use the amount, between what we owed, and the credit limit to pay for things. I was even able to predict interest, thereby, avoiding going over the credit limits. It would be a strain for awhile, then we would get a credit card in the mail...

I have been thinking about salvation today because of a lesson taught on Matthew 16:13-20, something said to me after class, and a sermon preached on Psalm 67. Today I spoke up because the topic is very close to my heart. I believe that my salvation is from the Lord and I believe that the salvation of all the elect is from the Lord. The instructor asked, “What are your first thoughts when you heard this passage read.” His question assumed the historical debate between Catholics and Protestants about the apostle Peter. However, my first reading of this text had nothing whatsoever to do with this debate. I first read this scripture from a clean slate. When I read this text for the first time, my thoughts were on Jesus’ question to his disciples. “But who do you say that I am?”  The first time that I read this text I was an unbeliever, and had no prior knowledge about the historical church positions regarding the apostle Peter; therefore, my focus was on the question posed, “Who is J...