The holiday season is a busy time of year. Often, there's not much time left over to slow down and reflect on the year we've just completed. But that reflection is important - in stewardship and in life in general.

If we're honest, a season of reflection can help us see where we've accomplished key goals and where we may have missed the mark. It can point out opportunities for new goals in the coming year and maybe highlight some needed course corrections.

If we set some goals at the beginning of the year, and if we've tracked our stewardship during the year, then we have a good basis for knowing how we did - and why. But even if we haven't been that intentional, we still have a chance to think about where we would have hoped to be at the end of the year and where we actually are.

If 2025 were to look like 2024, would we be OK with that? Or do we hope for more? Reflecting on the past year gives us the best chance to set and track meaningful goals for next year. Join us as host James Lenhoff leads us to think through 2024. Identify some opportunities for gratitude for God's provision, and some areas for prayer in the coming year.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.

We've said previously that most of the money problems in marriage aren't really problems over money. They're underlying issues that surface as arguments over finances but really go much deeper. In this episode, we'll look at three foundational causes of disagreements over money.

The first of these is a lack of shared vision and agreement over how we approach money. Often, this stems from differing family backgrounds surrounding money and how decisions were made in our family of origin.

The second is even deeper - it's a misalignment of priorities. One common reason for this misalignment is that one spouse is a believer and the other is not. Or different understandings of stewardship and ownership relative to money. When spouses are operating under opposing assumptions and priorities, it's hard to agree on numbers.

The third cause is mistrust or betrayal of trust, possibly because of things that have been hidden in the past or because of relational dynamics that cause one spouse to avoid discussions over financial decisions.

Uncovering these underlying issues is hard work and can take time - but the process can lead to a stronger marriage and to greater faithfulness in stewardship. Join us as host James Lenhoff discusses these issues and offers paths that lead to solutions.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.

The holidays are upon us again. And along with the holidays come expectations - our own, and those of others. Those expectations are often built up over years of developing and following traditions - some of which serve us well, and some probably not so much.

One reason that the holiday season is so exhausting is that we feel like we're along for the ride. We're driven by traditions and expectations that in some cases we wouldn't choose if we were given the choice. But here's the thing: We are given the choice.

If we approach the holidays with intentionality, with a stewardship mindset, we can make the most of the opportunities that come our way. Perhaps we choose to maintain a tradition that's important for family relationships. We need to recast our thinking from "I have to…because…" to "I'm choosing to, because I value this relationship". To steward the holidays well, we need to be intentional about the choices we make. We may need to be willing to disappoint some people in order to fully engage with others.

Host James Lenhoff helps us think through some key areas that will benefit from our intentionality and stewardship:

• Our time and energy
• Our relationships
• Our finances and generosity

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.