For God or For Self?

Can financial decisions be acts of worship? Shay and Vanessa explore this intriguing question as they navigate the intersection of faith and finance. Together, they discuss how aligning your spending with God's purpose can bring fulfillment beyond material wealth. Inspired by 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, they delve into the concept of managing money not just for personal gain, but as a reflection of their spiritual values. Expect to gain practical insights on supporting companies that share your beliefs, even when facing financial challenges.

You'll hear personal stories that illuminate the joy and unexpected relief that comes from trusting God with your finances. They talk about the importance of incorporating prayer into everyday decisions, highlighting the deep-seated fulfillment found in giving—even when it requires sacrifice. Their conversation draws inspiration from 2 Corinthians 12:10, showing how embracing weaknesses and hardships can fortify one's spiritual journey, leading to a deeper connection with God and a happiness rooted in faith rather than material possessions.

Finally, they share stories of recognizing divine guidance and the liberating power of focusing on spiritual priorities. These narratives underscore the importance of gratitude for what we have and appreciating even the smallest blessings. Shay and Vanessa encourage you to reflect on your financial habits and ponder how faith can guide your monetary decisions. Connect with us through our website or any podcast platform as we invite you to continue this journey towards a harmonious balance of financial and spiritual life.

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Our podcast is proudly sponsored by Crusaders for Change, LLC (C4C) and hosted by our CEO and Founder, Mrs. Shay Cook. At C4C, we provide customized corporate financial wellness programs for businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Our services are tailored to create happier, healthier, and more productive work environments. We also empower individuals and couples to overcome debt, improve their credit, boost savings, and more. Ready to learn more about how C4C can impact your life? Contact us today at https://www.crusaders4change.org/!

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Music by:
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Chapters

• 0:03 Faith and Finance in Everyday Life
• 11:42 Finding Joy in Financial Stewardship
• 24:10 Trusting Divine Guidance in Life
• 28:59 Spiritual and Financial Intersection

Transcript

Shay: 0:03

Ever felt those awkward vibes when religion and money come up? You're not alone. Welcome to Yahweh's Money, the podcast where we tackle the crossroads of faith and finance. I'm Shay Cook, an Accredited Financial Counselor, and the CEO and founder of Crusaders for Change LLC.

Vanessa: 0:19

And I'm Vanessa McNelley, Accredited Financial Counselor and COO of Crusaders for Change. McNelley, Accredited Financial Counselor and COO of Crusaders for Change, join us on our journey as we discuss topics like tithing saving and conquering debt through religious perspectives. Let's get started.

Shay: 0:34

Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Yahweh's Money. Hey, Vanessa, how are you today? I am great. How are you, Shay? I'm here, I'm living, I'm excited to talk about for God or for self, because a lot of us put self before God. So and we're going to be talking about that in terms of religion and money, so how better to get that I mean? So, hey everyone, are you using your money to glorify God or just yourself?

Shay: 1:02

In today's episode, for God or for Self, Vanessa and I will be tackling this powerful question. How we manage our finances can be an act of worship, bringing a deep sense of joy and purpose. Scripture reminds us to do everything, even handling money, for God's glory. We'll uncover how aligning our resources with his purpose can transform our financial lives, leading to a fulfillment that goes beyond material gain. Let us talk about exploring practical ways to put God first in every dollar, every choice and every goal. Wow, that's a big. That's a big expectation, but I love it.

Shay: 1:45

1 Corinthians, 10, 31 through 33,. The message version says so eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you. You're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely. Freely to God's glory. At the same time, don't be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren't as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone's feelings and all these matters. I hope you will be too. Wow, the scripture resays stuff, don't it?

Vanessa: 2:31

It really does, and I think this is a good reminder that we can have our own thoughts and opinions. But you know, we should really be cautious and thoughtful and just know that we have other opinions and other people. Then we have other things going on than other people have too. So just, you know, approach things with with, I guess, just a I don't know, just a uh, with, I guess, having heart for other people and being able to just have empathy in that situation, yeah, I was going to say that as well.

Shay: 3:01

Yeah, and just know everybody has a backstory. Just because somebody's smiling at you, or even if there's always a backstory, there's always something going on. You know the Bible notes. It says our actions must be motivated by God's love, so that all we do will be for his glory. Keep this as a guiding principle by asking is this action glorifying God or how can I honor God through this action? It also states if we make the good of others one of our primary goals, we will develop a serving attitude that pleases God.

Vanessa: 3:32

So I love that. That's great, yeah, yeah. And you know, when we think about this, we need to think about this every day. It's not just something to think about on Thanksgiving or on Christmas or those special times of the year, but we need to think about glorifying God every day, with all of our purchases. And we can do that. It's not as hard as you think it is. So everyday financial choices, those are opportunities to demonstrate our trustworthiness in God, and we can do that by making smart decisions but also realizing that whatever we do to glorify him, we can go a little above and beyond and we can go outside of our comfort zone to do that. So we can do that in a way that we're staying within our means but at the same time, we're trusting that he's going to be there to help us through those times that we may not have what we need Exactly.

Shay: 4:23

You know I love the challenge when I'm like you know, some days and some months you may have more money, more month than money, right? That's a statement I used to hear in church. All the time I'm like, oh my God, by the second week of the month I don't have enough money to get to the end of the month. And I challenge myself to just believe in God to help me get through the month or to be able to pay the bills that are coming up for the previous month and like, all right, lord, I'll sit down when I out with you by putting money to him and his churches, his religious institution first, and toward charity, and then just trying to figure out. And it always to me it's like this great challenge, all right, I'm going into den with God to figure out how to pay for this, and he always comes through, that's awesome, yeah, yeah.

Vanessa: 5:12

And we have to realize, too, that every financial decision should honor him. Where's our money going? What are we spending money on? Are we spending money with companies that have the same belief systems we do? That's something we can do, because we are putting our money towards people who have the same beliefs and they're giving back to the same causes that we find important in our own lives, and we can try to spend money with companies who invest in their people. That is one thing that I love is finding companies that really cherish and honor their employees and they see how important they are. So you spend money with these people that have the same thoughts and beliefs as you and you're able to do more good because you're giving back to the cause already with something that you would have had to do anyway. So, a lot of these companies. I don't think we know who some of these companies are.

Shay: 6:03

I was going to say how do you figure that out? So do you go research companies before you spend money with them? Yeah, For big purchases.

Vanessa: 6:09

That's something to definitely do, but some of the companies that I was finding doing some research for today George Foreman cooking, that's one big one. Apparently they invest a lot back into the Christian community, they're a.

Vanessa: 6:23

Christian based company and they invest a lot into their employees. One that I think we all know of is Chick-fil-A. They do a lot for their employees as well. They give I think this year they're giving out over $27 million in scholarships oh wow. So not only are they investing in their employees, but they're helping their employees succeed outside of the workplace, which is a huge thing too. Jetblue is another Christian-based company, marriott Hotels, which I've always been a Hilton girl, but who knows that may change now.

Shay: 6:54

Me too, but I've been to two nice Marriott's in New York and. Philly recently and I was like, all right, I might have to turn myself back to Marriott.

Vanessa: 7:01

Exactly yeah, timberland, that's another brand. That's a Christian based company.

Shay: 7:06

Really, my husband just bought another pair of Tim's. He used to buy two and three pair of Tim's a month yeah, I'm putting him on blast A month, excuse me and he was like I need to go get some Timbs. I'm like huh, because he's been really like moving away from that to his Jordans and then moving to more of the dressy. And he went to get a nice pair of Timbs and I was like, ok, I see you. And then we were in New York I believe it was Naomi Campbell that was up on one of the billboards and Times Square with Timbs on and I was like, ok, timbs has never head. You know, that's part of our culture, so I didn't know that.

Vanessa: 7:36

You're educating me right now. I love that.

Shay: 7:44

So if we can spend money with companies, that have the same structural belief system as us, why not, you know?

Vanessa: 7:47

why not put our money where our mouth is too? So I think these are some great things we can do is just do a little bit of research and, you know, next time you're out, you know, looking for a burger, maybe try In-N-Out Burger.

Shay: 7:57

So I don't have no In-N-Outs up here at Merlin but okay, but yeah, yeah.

Vanessa: 8:04

You know some other things we can do is we can find contentment in everyday purchases. This is something that we do a lot at home is we are always trying to be so thankful for what we have because we feel like we are so blessed and being able to have steak once a week or, you know, be able to to afford fresh vegetables. So these are things that we always, you know, thank God for at the beginning of the meal. It doesn't have to be anything showy or outrageous, but just humbly thank him for what you have. A lot of people are not as blessed as you, and if you can build that contentment in those little things like going out and buying gas or being able to buy everything on your grocery list, those are blessings, and a lot of people can't do that, and I know there were times in my life that I couldn't do that. There was a time years ago.

Vanessa: 8:55

I remember I was praying to be able to make it home from college because I didn't have any money in my bank account, barely had any gas in my tank, and I was just praying to be able to make it home because when I knew I got there, when I got back home, you know, my grandpa would give me my my allowance for the month and I'd be able to afford gas money for the rest of the month. So we need to remember those times too. So we're thankful for what we have right now.

Shay: 9:20

That is so true. Every time I drive to Baltimore I remember it was me being, you know, a little, I mean maybe thottish, but hey, am I allowed to say that? But I want to see my then boyfriend, now husband, and I'm like I have $5 to get me to Baltimore and it's like a half hour drive and back then the gas was only a dollar a gallon. So I got me five gallons and got me there and back to school, back to college.

Shay: 9:45

So I remember the struggle was real. I was working only making like $7 an hour and it was hard, you know, and I didn't have family to give me money. I mean no offense to you.

Shay: 10:03

You know it's um. Everybody has different family members that you know. Now I can, now my daughter is benefiting from my success. So she's like I need some money. I'm like, okay, you know, but back then I didn't have that, so it was hard and but I figured it out to go see my, my boyfriend at the time. You know what I mean those were priorities for me.

Vanessa: 10:14

Well, obviously, obviously it worked out, yeah.

Shay: 10:19

I was investing in Nathaniel back then.

Vanessa: 10:21

Yeah, yeah, and you know, and to preface this too so my grandfather would give me $100 a month when I was in college and he would do that if there was a big if, if I would come home on the weekend, every weekend, and give my grandmother a pedicure. That was the rule.

Shay: 10:39

Oh, that was beautiful yeah.

Vanessa: 10:40

That's right. I remember you telling me that, okay, well, hey, that was worth it.

Shay: 10:42

And then you got to create memories and spend time, so he was going way more than just paying you.

Vanessa: 10:48

So he was buying my time in a lot of ways, but I would have come home anyway, because they were always so special to me. But it was a way for us to bond together and for him to help me, without him just giving special to me. But it was a way for us to bond together and for him to help me without him just giving it to me, which is great too to be able to to, you know, earn what you have. So, yeah, yeah, but that was something that we would do. But, you know, we need to know that we need to seek God's guidance, even for simple money matters, even those little things. We can have those conversations with him. He is not going to turn us away.

Vanessa: 11:18

And we can have those quick little conversations that some people say you're just having a conversation with yourself, but you're talking to God, and you can have these conversations and talk about the purchases that you're going to make, and should I do this now or should I wait, because he will give you an answer if you're willing to hear it? So I think those are some of the big things we need to do every day is just make that part of just our whole purchasing process. Just take a second, spend time with him, use the gifts that he has given us to honor him every day?

Shay: 11:51

Yeah, just like you pray before a meal, why not pray before a purchase, right? When you're out there shopping, thanking God before and after and during the process, that you're able to pay, and if you're not, then you're like God. I know you're going to provide for me as I need it, and maybe you just didn't need that item, right, or maybe you are struggling, you don't have the money and you know.

Shay: 12:09

But God will come through and find a way you know, and moving forward with just seeking that natural high of financial stewardship. I mean joy comes from glorifying God with our finances. It really does. I mean when you, if you're giving to a religious institution, you're giving to a charity, or you're just helping a family member or yourself, or I mean it's just, it's such a glory, glorifying thing for God. God wants us to glorify him, but it's, it's and um, it makes you feel good in the process too, right that you're able to give, and we talk about that a lot and giving and how it makes you feel, um, yeah it's just a beautiful thing and it's not supposed to always be easy.

Vanessa: 12:47

That's the other thing about this. It's supposed to be a sacrifice and it's supposed to be hard. And we're supposed to feel it, because I think sometimes, when we do feel it, it helps us recognize what we do have even more.

Shay: 12:58

Yeah, exactly Because all of this, you know, the money that you have alone, happiness that comes from that, the money, the glory and the high that you get from God surpasses that is what I'm trying to say. So it's a better feeling. Yeah, you might be able to buy a pair of shoes or a house or a car or whatever you want to be, but who's there for you during that? I mean outside of family friends? God is, he's there and there's nothing like the glory and the filling of God and the joy that he gets from knowing that he's going to take care of you. And yeah, it's just, it surpasses all of that, Whatever you can buy with money. You know, and they said, even the richest people are not happy right, or they?

Shay: 13:42

don't have the joy that we think we are. You know, if you would say buddy money by happiness, it can, but it does not buy joy, which is different.

Vanessa: 13:50

It does. Yeah, you know, and I talk about my grandpa all the time and you know, giving is his joy and he didn't get there overnight. That didn't just happen. That is something that God has put within him and when you see that in him and you see this joy that comes from giving away the last you know $50 he has for the month, it is true and it is real, and it is amazing to see just how he beams and how bright he is when this happens and it's like this is who I want to be and this is what I want in life and it's like, as long as his basic needs are met, he is more than good and he has more than he could ever want.

Shay: 14:24

So there is true joy in glorifying him with all this it really is and you know, putting God first in finances has really even led me to blessings or even joy. I know we were in Turkey. I was struggling at the time of just trying to pay credit cards and student loans which, honestly, I didn't start paying until years later because I was just like I have to defer and forbear these. I just can't afford these right now. And I was really struggling. So I remember, just like struggling with the tithing which every few years I struggle with should I tithe or how much should I tithe and we've talked about that in previous episodes. But I remember going to the altar and just really praying to God that I need help and I remember that I got like a $2,000 reimbursement or something from, I think, from my student loans or something like that. I don't think it was added into. I think I might've paid too much, or something from, I think, from my student loans or something like that. I don't think it was added into. I think I might've paid too much or something. I don't remember what it was, I just cause it was like 20 plus years ago. But I remember just being so happy like and telling everybody like I just got this money in and it was like I just continued to give and I just remember being so just happy but just thanking God and praising him for coming through at that time and he's never failed me, he's always come through.

Shay: 15:42

I have to have a side note that when I was working at the Airman and Family Readiness Center, at that time somebody from the church was like I saw you at the altar and I was like telling you and our manager like shame on people, don't shame people. I mean, we go to the altar to spend time with God, not for somebody to show up at work and saying you know why were you at the altar? That's none of your business. But hey, I was practicing and I put that in practice, that you know the altar doesn't have to be at church. It could just be you getting on your neck, on your knees and your house on your face and your house and being like Lord, I turned this over. You absolutely loves that. We call on him in our weakest times.

Shay: 16:25

And you know, and it was just such a beautiful thing the scripture for today, actually, Vanessa, is 2 Corinthians 12, 10, which is so funny because we're in Corinthians and we're in episodes a day and the verse of the day in the Bible app is that is why, for Christ's sakes, I delight in weakness and insults and hardships and persecutions and in difficulties, for when I am weak then I am strong and I'm like oh my God. So even today, just in this moment, how everything is coming through, god is speaking to us saying you know, even in your weakest moment, your persecutions and your hardships and your difficulties, god is here. Because you're in your weak moments, you have to. Who else are you going to turn to? I mean, I'm sure people have other options and vices. I mean, I think I recently I turned to some bottle of wine just to get through some hard stuff which I haven't done in a while.

Shay: 17:13

but you know, turning to God, I mean it's just a blessing, okay.

Vanessa: 17:17

Completely, yeah, yeah, and you know, and when we see that and we can recognize that with other people, it's obvious when it's happening Like we can see when that's happening with other people, and I think we see that spark that's ignited too. And I think sometimes we get a little jealous and we want that too, which is not a bad thing to want that as well. We just have to realize where it comes from.

Shay: 17:38

Yeah, and blessing others with our finances creates a chain reaction and joy and can inspire others to give. And I know, as I try to give more, I try not to boast about it but people are like you know how, are you innate, blessed by? You know, or have all the stuff you have? First of all, heart, not first of all God, number one I was gonna say first of all hard. You know, hard work that's number two. Like we, we sacrifice, we have self control, we discipline to get where we are. But also giving. You know, my Nate, my Nate, my husband Nate is very giving to his mom and his family and his friends and work. He's just like I'm buying lunch all the time. He's just, he's just who he is. He just loves to give and I know we have been blessed because of that. So it's definitely a chain reaction, it's definitely contagious right To give people to see that.

Vanessa: 18:26

And that brings into play this whole, you know, self-gratification over purpose, which to me kind of equates to instant gratification versus delayed gratification.

Shay: 18:37

Yeah.

Vanessa: 18:37

Because for us, with that self-gratification, we want to see that right now. We want to see things happen. You know, the second it happens, or we put the money into it, or whatever we do with it. But a lot of times, you know this, this purpose takes time to see the purpose or to curate the purpose.

Vanessa: 18:55

So, it does take some time and we have to be patient with God and ourselves as well with this, and we have to give it time, and I think a lot of us were just not quite there yet that we can recognize that.

Vanessa: 19:07

But we need to learn to view our resources as ways and opportunities to help others as well, and I think that can help with that purpose. If that is our true purpose in life is to be there for others and to make someone else's day a little bit better, to help them get through with whatever they're going through, I think that can really help with that ability to say okay, it's not about me, it's about this, this purpose as a whole, and being able to do more for others. And if I buy, you know, these shirts from an online store versus going to the mall and spending four times as much, I can do so much more for others with that extra cash or with that extra money, and I think that's where we all want to get to is that place where we put that into our everyday practices.

Shay: 19:54

And on the flip side, though, there are some people that just remain selfish and just will never change. True, I want to be yeah, that's the ultimate goal, we would think, for everybody, but that's not the reality, right? The reality is that some people are just all about self. They want everything. Now I see that within my own small circle of friends and family, like they're never going to be the giving people, like they'll take care of their you know, their kids and their spouses, but they're all about self. They're not about the greater good, and it's just what it is, and, honestly, it's just an acceptance piece. Where you get to, it's like well, you will deal with God when you deal with God.

Vanessa: 20:27

I'm not going to shame you.

Shay: 20:28

I'm not going to whatever, but not. I mean, we meet a lot of people that we service, that we help through Crusaders for Change that are like I just want to take care of myself, I want to go travel, I want to buy the nice things, I want to do this and never talking about tithing or giving, even if they're in the church, and like Nope, that's not my thing. And honestly I'm at the point like whatever you do, you boo, that's all we can do. It's not our place to judge at that point either.

Vanessa: 20:55

I think it just depends on where you are in your walk as well. But if your goal is to grow in your faith and grow in your walk, then your goal should be to get to that point where you know we are really taking care of God's people. Yeah, exactly, but you know it's okay to plan for our futures as well.

Vanessa: 21:13

And it's okay to save and put money away and be prepared for tomorrow, because that's smart and God wants us to be smart with our funds. But we can also do that while giving today and taking care of others around us, and give abundantly. We can do both at the same time, and this is something that I say to our clients. A lot is. I believe that we can totally save for tomorrow and enjoy today too, and I think God wants us to do that as well. He doesn't want us to sit here and just suffer constantly. That is not living and he wants us to live.

Vanessa: 21:48

But I think there are ways to live and give at the same time, while we're prepared for tomorrow.

Shay: 21:54

I mean, yeah, they say we're the smartest beings on this earth. Sometimes I wonder Maybe some of us? We have the capacity to be very wise, so therefore we have the capacity to save and invest and do it at the same time concurrently. Hello people, you know, it's like when we're meeting with our clients they're like well, I really want to do this. But I'm saying but invest, like you could do it all at once, but only have $30 to split between, okay, let's, you know we can split that five, 10, 15, whatever. We could do that. But you know, just getting into the habit of learning, that you can live in the moment, you can save and you can invest for the future. It's all possible, and then you can glorify God all throughout the process and in every step.

Shay: 22:42

So there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, you know, sacrificing personal wants to serve God's purpose is a form of worship. I know there's a lot of times where I'm sacrificing for God and sometimes I'm sacrificing for myself and that's called that self self-control, like that delay gratification, as you were talking about, Vanessa, where it's like I really want to go to wherever and it's going to cost a lot of money. So I'm going to save and it might take a couple years, but it turns out to be one of the best things because I saved in that plan and I don't have to use debt or credit or I use my credit card. I'm able to pay it off right away.

Shay: 23:16

So, but sacrificing those personal wants for God, I mean I this obedience, and there's been many years where I weren't wasn't a big obedient and I suffered because of that. And now you know I'm constantly reminded what obedience, what they say obedience is better than sacrifice, honestly. So we'll be taking it a step further than even sacrificing. Being obedient to God's purpose, helping others, serving God's people, that is a form of worship that we all should strive for.

Vanessa: 23:46

A hundred percent and, honestly, there's always a reason why it's not the right time, because timing is everything. I truly believe that, and if we sacrifice right now and we do it later, there's a reason. Maybe something was happening there that we were not supposed to be a part of. Maybe the cost was too great I mean, there's so many things. Maybe we'll be missing out on something important that was happening at home that we had no clue about. This happened to me last December. I was supposed to go on this trip with my, with my aunt and my dad had gotten really sick.

Vanessa: 24:19

But before all this had happened, I had got a new job and I was unable to take off of work during that time. This is before I started working for Crusaders full time and I told my aunt I was unable to take off of work during that time. This is before I started working for Crusaders full-time and I told my aunt I was like I can't go, I'm so sorry, but I just don't have any vacation time set, you know, ready and able to use right now. And little did I know when all that happened. The reason was my dad was going to pass away during this timeframe, that I was supposed to be gone.

Vanessa: 24:48

And you know, in the beginning it's like, oh, I'm missing out on this amazing trip. I wish I could go on this trip of a lifetime, you know, a European river cruise, like you know bucket list kind of thing. For me, there was a reason and I had to listen and I had to, you know, try to not find a way around things and the reason was I was supposed to be here and God knows where we're supposed to be and why we're supposed to be there. And if I wouldn't have listened to that small voice that was telling me you know what? It's okay, don't go. Even though everyone else was like go make it work. Tell them you can't. You know you have to take the time off.

Vanessa: 25:22

Um, you know people getting upset with me for not taking time off. Um, I would have missed something that I could have never taken back. Yeah, so there's always a reason, there's always a way, there's always a reason.

Shay: 25:32

I love that story. God is working behind the scenes. I mean he has a plan for everything.

Shay: 25:36

He knows right, and if you're obedient, you can definitely you know cause you could have not been obedient, you could have still went on that and then you would have been regretting that for the rest of your life. Right, Maybe, maybe not. You probably would ask forgiveness for yourself and forgave yourself, but some people would have, you know, like, no, I'm going on that river cruise and would have went, and then they're like, and then missed an opportunity to spend those last days with their father or their parent and wow, Wow. You know my story is not, as it's not as great as that, but I remember, I know they are but I'm like how can I top that?

Shay: 26:10

I can't. But my husband, he's always been that great disciplinarian. I guess in his own life with in terms of his finances, he's been very disciplined and I remember he got a huge bonus when he reenlisted in the Air Force. We went to Omaha and I was like I wanted to go on a cruise.

Shay: 26:26

I was like I think we were celebrating like almost 10 years of marriage. I was like I want to go on a cruise, he's like no. We got to buy furniture. I was like I want to go on a cruise, he's like no. And so we get to Omaha and we had to buy a refrigerator I mean actually not a refrigerator a washer and dryer, all these different things. And I was so grateful for him that we didn't spend all that money on that because we had to buy all of that. And we eventually went on the cruise years later.

Shay: 26:53

But I still even remember that just many times where you have to listen to even people in your life that God is working through, because God's like you're so stubborn, Shay, I'm not, you're not even listening to me, so I'm going to work through your husband to make sure that you're you know sacrificing things. So and I thank God for my husband with that because he's very you know. And also when focusing on our spending, when the focus of our spending is God, you're released from materialism. And that damn Amazon's got me being very materialistic Excuse me, I almost cussed that effing amazon is so beautiful but so devilish at the same time.

Shay: 27:34

And I think there's like a documentary that's about to come out on netflix dealing with the science of it all and even how they, they design everything. It gets you going and wants you to put things in a cart. I mean, it's a science, like they're literally taking advantage of us and we can talk about it another episode. But I was just like like, oh my God, materialism. So to me I've had to really like God, like let me just put things in a cart and then I'll you know once every other week. Now I used to be like once a week, now it's like every other week. I'll go back and from with God, instead of sitting in a bed and talking to God. I'm on Amazon, so like I need to be released of that, and focusing on God is where how you're releasing yourself from that.

Vanessa: 28:18

Thank you, edis, though I'm with you, but I will tell you, amazon does invest a lot of money in their employees, so that should make you feel a little better, know, but still that's just crazy.

Shay: 28:28

Well, this has been a great episode.

Vanessa: 28:30

Any final thoughts, you know, I would just say take the small steps and be thankful for what you have and be thankful for those little things and those little moments. And if you start with that, the other things are going to come. But if you just take a second and just thank God for the blessings he gives you and just remember that somebody else would be so happy to be in your spot, I think it's going to help everybody just be able to give a little bit more and be thankful for what they have Amen.

Shay: 28:58

I love that and don't ask so. Thank you for joining us today. I'll call as well A big thank you for listening to this episode. We hope you found today's chat about the intersection of religion and money insightful. We would love to hear your feedback. Hit that subscribe button or follow the podcast and please feel free to leave us a review?

Vanessa: 29:18

Yes, and for the latest Yahweh's money content, visit us at www. crusaders4change. org or find us anywhere you listen to podcasts. Until next time, stay financially fit and spiritually inspired.

Shay: 29:32

And remember it's always better Yahweh's way.