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A portion of the following was excerpted from “The Abundance Principle: Five Keys to Extraordinary Living,” (www.TheAbundancePrinciple.com). Please forward or distribute this encouraging message freely to anyone you believe would benefit from it.

Have you ever moved to a new house and had to pack up everything you owned? Did it amaze you how quickly you accumulated all of that “stuff?” Many of us even trade our stuff with other people’s stuff. Jeff once traded a guitar he never learned to play for an automatic bread-making machine. His friend wanted to learn to play the guitar and Jeff wanted fresh, homemade bread. It was a match made in heaven.

Some people make a living traveling around on Saturday mornings from yard sale to yard sale, buying other people’s stuff and selling it in their own flea markets and garage sales! It certainly validates the saying, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

But seriously, have you ever stopped to think about how much stuff you actually do have? We have more phones than we have televisions. We have more televisions than we have Bibles. We often throw away more food than we eat. We spend money on things we never wear. Face it we have an abundance of stuff. Some might even say we live “abundant” lives that is, on the outside.

Our hearts, however, tell a different story. Emotional disorders and depression are at an all-time high. One out of every two marriages ends in divorce. Seventy percent of marriages report significant financial difficulties. Our friendships are shallow. We break promises to ourselves and to others. Sometimes we feel trapped in the “rat-race” of life, running from place to place, doing the same thing day after day, wondering if life will ever improve, or worse yet, if it will ever end.

Currently, the population of the world stands at almost six and one-half billion people. We are told approximately 32% are categorized as Christians - that’s more than 2 billion people. It is our conviction that if 2 billion of the world’s population were completely committed to Extraordinary Living, the world as we know it would be a radically different place.

We hear about better ways of living in countless numbers of sermons and motivational speeches and we read about it in books day after day; we assent with our minds and declare agreement with our lips. Yet a vast number of us drive away from churches every Sunday in expensive SUVs to elaborate homes, totally devoid of the personal fulfillment that ought to be ours - that can be ours.

According to research firm The Barna Group, when comparing social issues, Christians mirror non-Christians in divorce, addictions, domestic abuse, and financial difficulties, among a host of other things. Christians struggle with addiction. Christian marriages are in trouble. Christians spend themselves deeply into debt. Christians take a host of medication for ailments and illnesses brought about by excessive stress, anxiety and depression, all of which the Bible says we can have victory over through Christ. Somewhere there is a “disconnect” between what God’s Word says is ours, and what we actually experience. The fact is most of us have more than any other generation in terms of material goods. Yet statistics, current events, and daily headlines reveal a less fulfilled people today than ever before.

We have some good news to share with you. We can experience life as abundantly on the inside as we appear to be experiencing it on the outside. We can live extraordinary lives. This is what the Abundant Life ProjectTM (www.AbundantLifeProject.com) is all about. It’s about reclaiming a privilege belonging to every person on the face of the planet: The right and freedom to live an extraordinary life. We want to spread the word: Extraordinary Living can be the experience of everyone.

Our mission is to help people put arms and legs on their faith. We introduce our readers to five simple concepts we call the Five Keys to Extraordinary Living. As you’ll see, Extraordinary Living is the kind of living from which abundance flows - but not just in terms of material things. We’re talking about abundance in every major area of our lives.

We believe we do not decide our future. We decide our habits and our habits determine our future. From this point forward, your future is full of hope, fulfillment, and unlimited possibilities. You only have to develop the right habits.

We’re very careful when we say Five Keys to Extraordinary. We purposely don’t say THE Five Keys to Extraordinary Living. That’s because there are likely many more keys out there. However, we believe that if one could start by mastering these five important areas of ones life, life itself would take on a whole new meaning. Famed speaker Les Brown is fond of saying, “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you’ve got to get started to be great.” If we fail to take action, we’re left with the same debilitating habits that restrict us to lives of weakness, insignificance, and sometimes despair.

Now before proceeding, as the authors and founders of The Abundant Life Project, let us be the first to say we have NOT arrived at our final destinations personally. We too remain completely susceptible to the ups and downs of life. We’re still “works in progress” ourselves. However, we try to wake up every day and pursue extraordinary living with vigilance. And as we consciously and persistently pursue this type of living, we’re finding it a little less elusive along the way. We’re convinced you’ll find the same.

Remember: An Abundant Life has been God’s plan for you from the very beginning. Start focusing on five simple keys to Extraordinary Living and see if your life won’t change for the better.

1. Master your thoughts and change your life.

2. Plan your life and live your passion.

3. Build and maintain strong relationships.

4. No matter how much you earn, spend less.

5. Give more and you’ll live more.

Go ahead, what’s stopping you? You can do it. Go for it!

Have a great week.

Dr. Jeff D. Standridge and Rev.TimKellerman are co-founders of The Abundant Life Project (http://www.AbundantLifeProject.com) and co-authors of “The Abundance Principle: Five Keys to Extraordinary Living” (http://www.TheAbundancePrinciple.com). They can be reached by email at Info@AbundantLifeProject.com.

The Abundant Life Project
http://www.AbundantLifeProject.com

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Saving money on groceries is something most all of us swear we’re going to do, then shake our heads in frustration when we watch our grocery bill climb week after week. A lot of this is due to the fact that we have the idea that saving money on groceries is just too difficult or that it will just magically happen.

The truth is that it is actually very easy to save money on groceries. All it usually takes is a little planning and attention. To get you started, here are 10 ways to save money on groceries.

1. Make a budget. Without an idea of how much money you can really afford to spend on groceries, it’s easy to overspend. So know before you head for the grocery store how much you can reasonably afford.

2. Use cash. After you’ve looked at your budget, take only the amount of money you’ve set aside to spend on your groceries. Having a set amount of cash on you will ensure you don’t go over your budget. It will also help you curb impulse spending or splurging on expensive brands or unnecessary items.

3. Shop alone. This is sometimes easier said than done, especially for mothers with preschool age children. Still, shopping alone means that you’re less likely to buy items that you don’t need or brands that are more expensive than your budget allows for because you alone are in charge of what goes into the grocery cart!

4. Take a list. Never go into the grocery store without at list! That’s like inviting the enemy into your living room. Without a list to keep you on track with what you need, you will likely forget some needed groceries, substituting impulse buys in their place.

5. Shop on a full stomach. Always try to do your grocery shopping after a full meal, rather than when you’re hungry. Faced with all those glorious foods when you’re hungry is practically a guarantee that you’ll overspend and splurge on groceries that you don’t really need.

6. Clip coupons. Coupons can save you anywhere from a few cents to major dollars, depending on how many and how often you use them. Just remember, it’s not enough to clip them, you need to carry them with you! They won’t do you any good stuck in a drawer at home, so invest in a coupon holder and keep it with you at all times. Also, try to plan to go grocery shopping when your local grocery stores are having double coupon days. This will allow you to save twice as much.

7. Buy in bulk. Many grocery items such as paper goods, beans, rice, etc., are much less expensive when you buy them in bulk. Have a place in your pantry where you can store bulk purchases so that it’s easier for you to take advantage of sales that will allow you to save big when purchasing in bulk.

8. Can you say superstores? There’s a reason Costco and Sam’s Clubs are a major hittheir prices are hard to beat anywhere. Paying for a membership card to stores such as Costco are often paid for with your first trip.

9. Hit your local Farmer’s Market. Most areas have a Farmer’s Market where you can buy fresh produce at amazing prices. Not only do you save money when you do this, you help support your community. Generally, these are open from spring through fall, though some are open year-round, so take advantage of them whenever possible.

10. Surf for deals. As with everything these days, the Internet provides you with a multitude of places to buy grocery items at huge savings. You will want to make sure that any grocery items you purchase online are guaranteed to be delivered fresh and that there’s a good return policy if something goes wrong. Still, the Web is a wonderful place to buy all sorts of grocery items, everything from coffee to paper towels, at great savings, so be sure to check it out!

For more money saving tips visit http://www.notmadeofmoney.com.

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This year an estimated 10 million people will be victims of identity theft in the United States. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America costing consumers and businesses tens of millions of dollars a year. Though there is no way to totally prevent yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft you can lower your risks of becoming a victim by taking the right precautions and understanding how identity theft occurs.

How Thieves Take Your Identity

-Snatch your wallet or purse.

-Steal your mail.

-Thieves may go through your trash looking for bank and credit card statements or anything containing your personal information.

-Thieves may steal your information from organizations such as merchants, banks, utility companies or even government agencies. They might do this by hacking into their systems or simply breaking into the business and stealing it.

-Thieves will send you fraudulent emails known as “phishing”. These emails look as if they are from financial institutions or businesses and try to con you into providing personal or account information. They may claim that there is a problem with your account and that you need verify your information in order to fix it. Do NOT provide any information to them as these emails are phony.

-Thieves may put viruses or other programs onto your computer that can log your keystrokes thus having the ability to obtain your passwords.

How to Protect Your Identity

-Check your credit reports at least once a year.

-Shred unwanted documents that contain personal information in a cross cut shredder.

-Close any unused credit card or bank accounts.

-Remove your name from mailing lists for pre-approved credit lines and telemarketers.

-Keep your PIN number and any other passwords confidential.

-Contact your financial institution or service provider if you notice odd charges or if expected bills don’t arrive.

-Update your computer virus software, use a spyware removal program, and install a firewall program.

-Consider getting a credit monitoring service. This service will alert you when an entry is made on your credit file.

-DON’T give out personal information via the mail, phone, or Internet unless YOU initiated contact.

-DON’T carry your Social Security Number or any PIN numbers or passwords in your purse or wallet.

These are just a few things that can help prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft. However if you do become a victim of identity theft be sure to file a police report and contact the three credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your file. In addition contact your financial institution and creditors and let them know you have been victimized.

Richie Chapin is a freelance writer and website administrator for Rewards Credit Cards.

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