Happy Birthday, America, land of the free and home of the brave! July 4 is called the day of independence and is as close to a birthday as we have for our country. We use this great holiday to celebrate our freedom. 

But there is a problem.

The word “freedom” includes the word “free,” but freedom is certainly not free – ask any veteran!

Looking at the price of freedom for our country requires a step back in time. At a time when the foundational truths of our great country are being attacked, it is especially important to look back, reflect on what this country really stands for and defend it. In this age of continuous attacks upon religion and freedom, this is a journey in time well worth the effort. Many of the colonists had come to this new land to gain freedom from what they viewed as foreign government control in many areas of life, including their political, financial, and religious lives. Is it really that different when the government controlling your life is not foreign, especially when the values of so many in government are antithetical to Christ?

Political and financial freedom

Most people are familiar with the words spoken in the days before the American revolution, “no taxation without representation.” Those were the words of the protest against the lack of political input the colonists had in the decisions being made by the British, specifically the authority to tax. The colonists lacked any meaningful input into those political decisions being made in London, decisions which included what would be taxed and how much would be paid in taxes. However, their lack of real political input went far beyond just taxation. They had little meaningful input on any political decision involving even their own lands.

The colonists faced multiple assaults upon their personal and financial freedom. British troops could be quartered in their homes with no compensation.  Taxes and tariffs could be imposed or raised with no meaningful way for the colonists to have input or object.

Religious freedom

Freedom of religion was a reason many people had come to the new world. Europe was a continent of state religions. The religion of the king or queen was the religion of the people. Throughout Europe, there were restraints upon people worshiping freely and as they wanted. They wanted a nation where people could worship God freely and as they chose – and they wanted a nation founded upon Christian principles. One of the greatest statements about the Christian foundations of the United States was made by John Quincy Adams, our 6th President, when he wrote,

“That kingdom of the just, which had floated in the virtuous visions of John Adams, while he was toiling for his country’s independence, – that kingdom of our Father in Heaven, for which his son taught us to approach him in daily prayer, – has it yet come; and if not, have our advances towards it been as pure, as virtuous, as self-denying, as were those of our fathers in the days of their trial of adversity? … The highest, the transcendent glory of the American Revolution was this–it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the precepts of Christianity.”

     — John Quincy Adams, Letter To An Autograph Collector, April 27, 1837

How could anyone with any knowledge of history – any at all – possibly suggest that Christianity was not at the heart of our Declaration of Independence (with four distinct and obvious references to God and Christianity) and our Constitution? Read on to see even more evidence of this truth.

The foundations of the United States of America

Our nation was founded by a rebellious and independent bunch of people who risked everything, their land, their families, their wealth, and even their lives to gain independence and freedom.

One freedom they fought for and gained was religious freedom, and their chosen religion was Christianity. People who deny the reality of the Christian roots of America are uninformed or prefer to ignore the facts. That can be seen in the earliest words of independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

   — The Declaration of Independence (italics added)

“In times of impending calamity and distress; when the liberties of America are imminently endangered by secret machinations and open assaults…it becomes the indispensable duty of [Patriots], with true penitence of heart, and the most reverent devotion, publicly to acknowledge the over ruling providence of God…that we may…through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon and forgiveness; humbly imploring his assistance to frustrate the cruel purposes of our unnatural enemies…that it may please the Lord of Hosts, the God of Armies, to animate our officers and soldiers with invincible fortitude, to guard and protect them in the day of battle….”

   — Proclamation by the Continental Congress, 16 March 1776

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

   — The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Or this statement from John Adams, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Second President of the United States:

“[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.”

(Source: John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams, editor (Boston: Little, Brown, 1854), Vol. IX, p. 401, to Zabdiel Adams on June 21, 1776.)

Or this wisdom from John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the U.S.:

“There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy.”

(Source: John Quincy Adams, Letters of John Quincy Adams to His Son on the Bible and Its Teachings (Auburn: James M. Alden, 1850), pp. 22-23.)

Or, for those who still doubt, perhaps it can be seen in early judicial decisions of the state courts such as:

Whatever strikes at the root of Christianity tends manifestly to the dissolution of civil government.

   —- People v. Ruggles, 8 Johns 545 (Sup Ct N.Y. 1811) and Rex v. Woolston, Str. 834. Fitzg. 64.

By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed upon the same equal footing.     

   — Runkel v. Winemiller, 4 Harris & McHenry 276 (Sup Ct. Md 1799)

Or it can be seen in the statements of the founding fathers, the patriots and colonists who fought the war for independence. On the eve of the Revolutionary War, after a British major ordered John Adams, John Hancock, and those with them to disperse in “the name of George the Sovereign King of England,” Samuel Adams gave this famous reply:

“The right to freedom being the gift of God, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave.”

   — Samuel Adams (1722 – 1803)

Or perhaps the written truth of James Madison, principle architect of the U.S. Constitution would help:

“I concur with the author in considering the moral precepts of Jesus as more pure, correct, and sublime than those of ancient philosophers.

(Source: Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert Bergh, editor (Washington, D. C.: Thomas Jefferson Memorial Assoc., 1904), Vol. X, pp. 376-377. In a letter to Edward Dowse on April 19, 1803.)

Alternatively, doubters of our Christian heritage might want to consider these words from George Washington, the man considered to be the father of our nation, who, is quoted in his biography written in 1835 (page 209) as saying:

“It is impossible to govern the universe without the aid of a Supreme Being.”

Almost all of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies. For the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, the cost of that declaration and the freedom it demanded was extraordinarily high. See The Sacrifices Made By The Declaration Signers…

Five signers were captured by the British and tortured. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in poverty. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Our freedom as Americans was anything but free. Freedom never has been free and, except for our freedom in Christ Jesus, it never will be. But even as Christians we should know we were bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 16:20. That price wasn’t paid by us. Our freedom as Christians came at a very high price, the life and death on the cross of Jesus, the Son of God.

Freedom is our right and our choice

Political and physical freedom are our right and our choice, even if they aren’t free. However, there is a more important and lasting freedom, and that is our choice to be spiritually free through Jesus. There is no work or effort done or price that can be paid to become a Christian, a follower or disciple of Jesus Christ. It is a matter of the heart and a faith in Jesus as Savior. Jesus said so Himself:

John 6:28-29
28     Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29     Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Believing is a matter of choice. There is one life (and death) choice we each get to make. We can choose Jesus or we can chose death and hell. I have heard people make the argument against Christianity that a God of love would never send people to a place of eternal damnation and pain, hell. They are right! God doesn’t send anyone there; people chose to go there by rejecting God as well as His Son and His love.

Hell doesn’t exist because God does not love us. He does love us – with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3. Hell exists because some people choose anything other than God. Hell exists because some people choose to say to God, “I don’t want your love, I chose anything but your love, God.” God has observed bad choices like that by people ever since sin separated mankind from Him. Isaiah 59:2.

Matthew 23:37-39
37  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
38  Look, your house is left to you desolate.
39  For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'”

Jesus was sent to give us the opportunity to chose God again. But it is a choice we have in freedom; we can choose Him or reject Him. It isn’t love if God forces us to love Him. If God did not honor our free will, He could force us or manipulate us to make us love Him. Some people think He does that anyway, “Turn or burn.” But “burn,” or hell, is a reality, it is not a threat. It’s like gravity. “Jump off the cliff and fall.”

Hell is hell and it exists simply because some people choose eternity without God. God has made the truth known. He is life and love. When someone chooses anything other than God, the choice is death and not life. It is a choice to have a very bad future over having infinite freedom.

Jesus, who could force His way in any door, stands, knocks, and gives us the choice to open the door of our hearts to Him, or stay locked inside our shells.

Revelation 3:20
20   Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Do we give up freedom when we chose Jesus? Not anymore than we lose freedom by choosing America. In Christ, we gain immense freedom, just as in America, we have freedom unmatched anywhere in the world.

The Psalmist said it well,

Psalm 119:45
45    I will walk about in freedom,
        for I have sought out your precepts.

Paul wrote of the freedom to come,

Romans 8:18-23
18    consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 
19    For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 
20    For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 
21    that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22    We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 
23    Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

We are free to do as we want and should, 1 Corinthians 10:23, and in the Spirit we are free, 2 Corinthians 3:12-18. See also Galatians 5:1 on our freedom from the restraints of the law.

These are freedoms we should celebrate this 4^th of July – with joy. Those who disparage or try to re-write the history of America are constant reminders to us of the words of Daniel Webster:

“God grants liberty only to those who love it and are always ready to guard and defend it.”

   — Daniel Webster (1782 – 1852), U. S. lawyer, politician and orator

Celebrate your country, your freedom, and your faith this 4^th of July! Stand proud on a heritage of faith and freedom that makes our United States the best place in the world in which to live. Perfect? No, far from it. But we keep trying to be better and we will keep getting better. America is by far the best place to live and be free.

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus.  He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016.  He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.

Don’t make this just any summer. Every summer with your kids, and every summer with your friends and family is unique unto itself and special. Life is truly short. We are not even promised tomorrow much less another full year.

So, spend a few minutes and consciously work to make this summer the best yet. Here are a few ideas that may help.

Time passes far too quickly.

Psalm 39:4
4 “Show me, LORD, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.

The apostle James accurately described life as a mist or a vapor, depending upon the translation you use. See James 4:14. Regardless, the thought is clear; life is short.

Using a short summer well requires a bit of planning, so start now. These thoughts about summer in Florida show why planning ahead is so important:

• You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
• The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
• Hot water now comes out of both taps.
• You can make sun tea instantly.
• You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
• The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilled.

• You learn that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
• You discover that you really can get sunburned through your car window.
• Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, “What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?”
• You learn and experience that asphalt has a liquid state.
• The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
• Potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt, and pepper.
• Chicken farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs.
• The cows give evaporated milk.

Regardless of the heat, mosquitos, and the inevitable afternoon thunderstorms, summer in Florida is a great time; school is out and there are a couple of months to enjoy life in the Sunshine State.

Start with a plan; make a calendar

Set up a family calendar and plan ahead. The summer will slip by if you don’t. This calendar will start to get filled in as you move ahead through the steps of this post. How do you make that plan? Read on.

Ask questions

Ask everyone in the family what they love the most about the summer. Don’t settle for – “No homework!” Then ask for one thing that each family member would like to do. You may need to place some reality checks on those due to time and budget, there probably isn’t enough time or money to sail around the world.

When there is hesitation, offer a few suggestions to get helpful interaction.

1. Ask them to try something new

The good news is children are more flexible than adults and they have tried fewer things, so there are more opportunities for unique experiences for them. Here is a helpful site for nurturing creativity. Aha! Parenting.

The best part of this is that your children may come up with something new for you! Whoever comes up with the idea or ideas that are selected gets a standing ovation of thanks. That will encourage new ideas for the rest of the summer and into the future.

And work to make it more than just fun. This is an opportunity for you to plan carefully to help your children grow mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually and at the same time, grow closer to you. In your mind have at least one of the following as a goal with every activity that gets scheduled:

• Make God a part of you and your family’s lives and activities.
• Aim for connection between you and the family.
• Lead your children toward healthy interaction with their peers.
• Try some new activities and experiences that will expand their worlds – and yours.
• Allow each child to show skills and develop those skills.
• Build their physical activity levels, skills and strength.
• Develop teamwork and working together.
• Give them intellectual stimulation.

Overall, keep God in these activities. Outside in nature, it is God who created this amazing variety and beauty. Indoors, it is God who made us and gave us a safe home. He designed the original family and made all of this life possible. You get the idea. And include a daily devotion and prayer.

2. Keep it positive and upbeat

This is an adventure for them and for you. The minute there is negativity, they will spot it because children spot the attitudes of their parents (and reflect that attitude). If you show stress, they will be stressed. You deserve a great summer as much as your children do and being positive will make that possible.

3. Take pictures, a lot of pictures

Get your phone ready for some memory making pictures. The best pictures are the unstaged spontaneous ones, especially pictures showing facial expressions. But you have to be prepared. Likely your phone has camera capabilities that are unknown to you, such as a timer, video and some special effects, such as slow motion. Practice and get ready to capture some of the fun.

4. Unplug whenever possible

Except for using the phone for pictures, put it away or turn it off! That means children and parents. This is a hard rule to enforce, but essential to quality family time. It is also a hard one to obey. The latest email, text or news flash is likely nowhere near as important as your family’s sense of love and togetherness. Mankind existed to thousands of years without instant connectivity. You and your children will live life better with a few hours of no technology fun.

5. Include some rest and relaxation along the way

Even the kids need some downtime. You certainly do! Allow rest when needed.

There are some things that are every day and not just weekend days or summer days. One of those is Bible study time and another is prayer. A family devotion is a great way to start the day and a prayer before the activities discussed below is a great idea. Especially pray for everyone to stay positive and loving. A site with solid and helpful family devotions is www.sbc.net/devotions/. They are short enough to be manageable for any size family covering all ages, but they also leave you with challenges for everyone at every level.

Now, let’s plan a few good times. Here are a few ideas to fit the different days, weather and circumstances:

Get active

• Build your own mini-golf course

Your back yard offers challenging obstacles, trees, bumps, dips, fences and bushes. There is no need to make holes in the yard, use cups laying on their sides. Buy a couple of cheap putters and some range quality balls and play golf!

• Make and fly a kite

It isn’t hard to build a kite. But it is quicker and probably cheaper to buy one at WalMart or a Dollar Tree. Pick a breezy day and kite flying is fun.

• Fishing can be fun

In Florida, freshwater fishing requires a license, but do you really believe all those folks fishing on lakes and rivers have licenses? Probably not, but know that buying a license is easy and can be done online.

• Have a water balloon battle

Buy a batch of balloons, put on bathing suits or shorts and t-shirts, and have some fun. It will cool off a hot summer day. Alternatively, water guns cost more but can be endlessly refilled and reused.

• Can you still hula hoop?

Challenge the family to a winner-takes-all hula hoop contest. See who can keep it up the longest. When keeping one hula hoop up is mastered, try two and then three at the same time!

• Take up jumping rope

We all jumped rope as kids. Learn again, but start slowly; you aren’t as agile as you used to be. Learn some new jump rope rhymes and see how much fun it can be.

• Visit a new park

The Tampa Bay area is loaded with great parks. Many post scheduled activities, nature walks and picnic areas. For example, Lettuce Lake Park off Fletcher Avenue in Tampa has it all: boardwalks, nature trails, canoe rentals, picnic tables, open play areas, shade, and scheduled adventure walks.

• Play Frisbee golf

You can spend a lot and have decorated “holes” or spend a little and keep it simple. Make the holes longer or shorter, depending upon the skill of the players.

• Try croquet again

Most of us have played some croquet. Try it again. You can look up the rules, play using a rule variation, or make new rules up as you go, adding new twists and turns. For between $40 and $50 you can get a nice set.

• It’s time for badminton

It’s easy, inexpensive and a great family activity. Maybe you can have a family badminton tournament. Just be sure the children win! You can find an inexpensive set for $40 up.

• Try a new game

Go to Amazon or WalMart.com and search for “outdoors games for families.” You cab find many games, some familiar and some not. You can shop and buy in any price range that fits your budget.

• Try skipping stones

For a free and fun challenge, have a family competition in stone skipping across a lake. Let’s see if anyone can get to seven skips.

• Go tubing, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding

There are excellent places to tube, kayak, paddleboard and canoe all over Florida. At Rainbow Springs State Park there is a vendor with tubes for rent. They do pickup so after a few hours you don’t have to get a cab to get back to your car. Order online. The springs are beautiful, the water is chilly even on the hottest day. Don’t forget the sunscreen, hat and sunglasses!

Nature time

• Buy or make a bird feeder

They aren’t expensive but they also are not too hard to make. Making a bird feeder could be a good family project with the kids. Then you get to watch the birds visit your yard. Start a list of bird sightings.

• Try bird watching

Now you can add to your chart of bird sightings. Take a hike and look for a few species you haven’t yet spotted. There are hiking trails all around the Tampa Bay region and bird books that can help you identify the birds. Take a few pictures when the bird is close enough and the lighting is good.

• Find a new beach

Florida has a wealth of beaches. There is always a stretch of beautiful Florida sand you haven’t seen. It breaks the routine to head for a beach you have never visited before.

• Pick your own fruit or vegetables

Find a farm with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, vegetables, or flowers. They are seasonal but family farm picking is always fun. Or find a local farmer’s market and go first to listen and learn and then to pick fresh fruit and veggies.

• Mini-golf

Miniature golf is always fun, although it is getting increasingly costly. It gets you out, gets the kids out, and is a good and challenging time of family fun.

For additional ideas inside and outside the house, see the Age-by-Age Guide to Screen-Free Activities Your Child Can Do With Minimal Supervision. Many are solid ideas and the unplugged aspect is especially important.

For those rainy afternoons and all evenings

Outdoor activities are great, but Florida weather makes outside activities impossible on many afternoons and even a few whole days. Between the heat, the humidity and the thunderstorms, you might as well plan a few inside days and evenings.

• Breakfast in bed is always good

This isn’t a “one and done.” Breakfast in bed can go on all summer with everyone taking a turn on Saturday morning. Dad cooks and serves first, then the children, followed by Mom. Try some different breakfast foods.

• Read some

The starting point for reading should always be an age-level appropriate Bible. But don’t stop there. There are excellent reading materials for all ages in the Helen Enns Memorial Library at Idlewild. Set a reasonable goal for the number or books or pages to read before the summer reading starts and keep a list of books read. Have a good reward set for the child reaching the goal. But make sure the books were read with comprehension. Ask for a short book report including the key thoughts presented by the author(s) and the main points learned from reading each book.

One goal here is for your children to learn to love reading. For help on how to do this, visit Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

• Fresh lemonade or sun tea is a welcome treat

Everyone loves fresh lemonade and fresh sun tea. Then you get to enjoy it with fresh cookies!

• Set up a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), a giving fund

Once the DAF is set up and you have funded it, hold a family meeting to decide how to give money away. This is a wonderful way to teach generosity and to start teaching stewardship. See Teaching Money to Children and Youth, Parts 1 through 10. Stewardship teaching and learning begins at home and should start early. Holding a family giving conference becomes a regular activity to see how to be generous.

• Try some writing

Reading is important, but so is writing. Combine learning and fun (which may help make learning fun by itself). One idea could be to interview an older aunt, uncle or grandparent and then write a short story about their life.

• Finish any summer school assignments

Many schools give summer reading assignments or other summer work so learning doesn’t stop over the summer months. Set aside time to tackle these assignments.

• Have a family cook-in

Get everyone together and assign a course to everyone. Needless to say, someone gets clean-up duty. It will be a challenge but everyone needs to learn how much work it is to cook a meal so they can really appreciate all the effort that went into years and years of meals.

• Create and bake a family pizza

Each family member gets to at least suggest an ingredient. Parents get a veto simply because some things are not meant to be on a pizza, but be willing to try some new things! Whoever suggests an ingredient that is used, gets to apply it before the pizza goes in the oven.

• Redo the ‘do, try a new hairdo

Join the children in trying something really new, a new hairdo. You can even go extreme and try a new color for your hair with a washable hair color. Just make sure it really does wash out completely! Try some extensions and gel!

• Watch a movie

A good afternoon or evening movie night is great so long as you can find a movie everyone will watch. Between DVDs, Netflix, Amazon Prime and several thousand available channels, you should be able to find a watchable family movie or two or three. Don’t forget the popcorn.

• Build a pillow and box fort

I learned this from a great nephew who went through some hard health times. He and his brother built a master fort using boxes and pillows. Empty Amazon and Walmart boxes never had a better second life.

• Look back

You have all those old pictures. Look back on days past. Have each family member pick a day, month or year that was a favorite. Then they get to say why. It will help you get a perspective on future activities.

• Hold a paper airplane challenge

See whose airplane goes the farthest, the highest, makes the most curves and don’t forget, has the best style.

• Play games

There are many old games you have played. Look up the rules and try them again. Maybe Uno, Canasta, Go Fish, Rook, Bridge, Scrabble, or Spades. They are inexpensive and challenging.

• Make homemade ice cream

Ice cream makers aren’t expensive, but you don’t need an ice cream maker; you can find recipes online. Now take it to the next level! With some wafer cookies, make some ice cream sandwiches, freeze them. and enjoy them over the next few days.

• Camp out inside

Florida heat and rain, not to mention mosquitos, make camping out tough. So, close the bedroom doors and camp out inside using sleeping bags, blankets and pillows.

• Play Once Upon a Time

Sit around a table, set a theme (such as one of the following; If I were a princess, a Knight’s life, a day at the beach, a day of rafting, this Halloween, or long ago when dragons walked the earth). The first person has to start talking with the words, “Once Upon a Time …” After one sentence, the speaking duty passes to the next person who continues the story. The story builds sentence by sentence but with each person causing turns and twists to the plot that can create many laughs.

If this works for your family, start adding new wrinkles. Have your children write down different (1) themes, (2) locations, (3) actions, or (4) names. Put them in a bowl. Draw one out and start a story revolving around it. Here are a few ideas of what you could write on these paper slips:

• A long, long time ago…

• A sailor’s story…

• Next year at school…

• In the mountains…

• In the deep woods…

• Next Christmas…

• If we had a new brother or sister…

• If I was Roadrunner…

• If I was Coyote…

Check out the site verywellfamily.com. It is filled with information and ideas, even if not from a Biblical eye gate. For even more indoor ideas, here is a great site, Prodigy.

Excursions, but not too far

Day trips are a good way to spend a Saturday. When relatives or friends visit, a day trip is one of the best ways to show off your hometown and surrounding communities.

• Go to a free concert

You should be able to find a few with a quick online search. If you can’t find one, put together a playlist of your old favorites and share them with the children. But be prepared to hear complaints, hopefully good-spirited ones, about your generation’s music tastes!

• Go to a flea market

There are fewer and fewer flea markets around, but they can be found. Check this out. If you can’t find one you want to see, then search for garage sales, especially community garage sales and check out a few on a Saturday morning. Let the children try to negotiate for something they want; they might be better at it than you!

• Check out a show or concert

There are options galore for every budget level. You do have to check for language and content, but see what is available at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa There are many other venues, but the content and language are often questionable.

• Take someone special with you.

I have seen a family take a gnome on a visit to ZooTampa and include the gnome in every picture. Try it, then create a digital or even a physical scrapbook with your gnome’s best photos.

• Go fishing in the gulf

Shop around online because prices vary, but often the ships sailing from Tarpon Springs are the best and most affordable. Do searches using “Tarpon springs fishing” and “Tampa Bay fishing.”

• Visit a local farmers’ market

There are quite a few farmer’s markets in the area, and their days of operation and hours vary, so do a search online for “Tampa Bay farmer’s markets.”

Art can be fun

• Start a rock garden

Gather a few good-sized rocks – a home supply or gardening store is a great place to look – and then have a painting party. See who can paint the coolest animal rock or prettiest rock, or anything else you can think of. They can become part of your garden. Be sure that each painted rock has the name of the artist on it.

• Try chalk art

Chalk for sidewalk art is cheap, try a Michael’s, Hobby Lobby or Ollies. And the work of drawing sidewalk art, sketches on the sidewalk that are not permanent is both challenging and fun. Have your camera ready because the chalk artwork won’t last through a good Florida rainstorm.

• Try different art projects

The variations and opportunities are almost endless. A quick online search for ceramic or art workshops in your area will turn up many available opportunities that will fit any budget. Try this link or search for Tampa Bay art classes or search for ________ classes (inserting the type of art in which you are hoping some of your children will develop).

Make a community by getting people together

• Bake cookies for a neighbor

This is a good service activity too, it is just closer to home. It also helps you learn more about a close neighbor and may start a new friendship.

• Hold a scavenger or treasure hunt in the neighborhood

There is a lot of room for creativity and variation here. You can make it a traditional scavenger hunt, although having kids knock on stranger’s doors or going around strangers is a bad idea. Now change it up. The hunt is for things readily visible from the sidewalk and it is a picture scavenger hunt. For example, in our neighborhood, one house has a ceramic frog in a visible garden. Another neighbor has a fountain, another has a flowering tree. Look for a black cat or a small dog. Find a red flower. You get the idea.

• Meet friends at a park

It can be a birthday, anniversary or holiday, but any day is a good day for friends to get together. Get out the badminton game, the croquet set, a soccer ball or whatever else you have for fun.

Hold a service day

Work hard to have one day a week or at least two days each month be a day to serve those less fortunate.

Hebrews 6:10
10  God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

• Visit a nursing home or assisted living facility

Call in advance or visit together with other friends and turn the time into an opportunity to play games, sing, speak with and maybe even have lunch with the seniors. Always remember to ask questions and listen. Nothing blesses those seniors more than having someone actually listen to them.

• Clean up a senior’s home or yard

Idlewild always has a list of seniors who would welcome a visit and who have work projects that they themselves can no longer do. It doesn’t have to be much to be a big help. Have you ever wondered how a home-bound or wheelchair bound senior cleans the top of fan blades?

• Serve meals

Serving meals with Metropolitan Ministries or Trinity Café can be good afternoon’s work.

• Pack food

Serving at Feeding Tampa Bay is both rewarding and educational. The incredible quantity of food donated and distributed to the hungry families of Tampa Bay will help every child realize how fortunate they are to have food at home.

• Serve through Idlewild

Just serving at Idlewild is also a blessing and the opportunities abound. Check with Idlewild Missions or get signed up through Connections so you can learn of the many service opportunities at Idlewild.

• “Spring-cleaning” starts at home

Have a Spring-cleaning day at the end of the summer. It’s been a long, active and prayerfully rewarding summer. But there have been many new activities and many messes made.

There are many opportunities here. One is in how you approach these “jobs” or “chores.” They really are neither; instead they are family service opportunities or family contributions. Some parents give allowances. Others consider family service opportunities part of the responsibility of all persons living at home. See Teaching Money to Children and Youth – Part 8.

Regardless, make these family service opportunities, jobs or chores fun. Make them a family affair; everyone pitches in and has a responsibility.

When you run out of ideas

There may come a time when you hear those dreaded words, “I’m bored!” The worst part is that it is never said just once; it quickly becomes a chant. Saying “watch TV” is possible, but certainly not the best response.

Fight fire with fire. Quickly come back at them with “Me too! What would you like to do?” When all you get back is a blank stare, hand out paper and pen and ask for three wild ideas, new ones, for things they might want to do within 50 miles. Don’t settle for just two. Three new ideas really means three. A quick Internet search for “Things to do (your area) will turn up Trip Advisor ideas, among others, with others for things to do in your area. Searching Things to do Tampa Bay turns up the following and more: the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa, Busch Gardens, the Henry B. Plant Museum, Fort DeSoto Park, Sunken Gardens, the Ringling Museum of Art, Adventure Island, Alafia River State Park, Ybor City Museum State Park, Clearwater Marine Museum, Florida Botanical Gardens, Sarasota Classic Car Museum, the Glazer Children’s Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum, Hillsborough River State Park, the Manatee Viewing Center, and many more.

Have you been to the Leslie Hale Teaching Center in Tarpon Springs? They have a tabernacle display and a Tour the Bible Collection. The admission? Free!

Every community has hidden treasures that can be fun, educational and a blessing to visit.

Do this exercise at the start of the summer and check off the ones you visit. See how many you can see each summer. The ones you can’t get to become the weekend projects once school resumes.

There is another solution to the “I am bored” comment when it arrives. Remember those “jobs,” “chores,” “family service opportunities,” or “family contributions”? Have a list of those available and present them as an opportunity to cure boredom.

It’s bedtime

The first thing children want to do in the summer is stay up later than during school days. Stand firm. The schedule was reasonable in May and was as much for their health (and your peace of mind) as for them to be able to stay awake at school. Having a consistent routine is good for them and for you.

Make a few exceptions for special evenings, but in general, regular adequate sleep is good for everyone.

Always remember who made this possible, Jesus. Always think of the blessings you have of freedom, health, and life.

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus. He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016. He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.

Father’s Day can be a tough holiday. There are many like myself whose father has been gone for many years. There are others whose birth father abandoned them or worse. But there are many others with fathers who are living and are special. Here are some ideas for all of them.

Overall, honoring fathers is a great start to building a foundation for present and future families. Having a solid foundation matters – a lot.

Matthew 7: 24-25
25  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

No, dad isn’t and has never been the perfect father. Let me guess, you were the perfect kid? No, the position of perfect Father is reserved for our Father in heaven. But fatherhood has never been easy. Accept the fact that there have been failures, but that hopefully you turned out right anyway.

Regardless, it honors God for you to honor your parents.

Exodus 20:12
12  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Father’s Day is always the third Sunday in June. Put the date into your online calendar and make it recurring. Now you have no excuse for missing it!

Father’s Day 2025    Sunday, June 15, 2025

Father’s Day 2026    Sunday, June 21, 2026

Father’s Day 2027    Sunday, June 20, 2027

Father’s Day 2028    Sunday, June 18, 2028

Honoring fathers who have passed

Some honor their fathers on the anniversary of their passing, but others honor them on Father’s Day. Whatever day it is, honor them. Share a memory with family. Sharing with pictures is even better.

Honoring fathers who are absent

The unfortunate truth of America is that way too many fathers are missing from the lives and homes of their children. Some have chosen to abandon the responsibilities God has given to them to be the head of the household. Others have been forced away from their families by family disputes. There are many reasons, some understandable, others not. Regardless, the result is that the foundations of our homes and lives are weaker because of their absence.

No one can change the past. But we do have a part in creating our future. If you are reading this, don’t look back in anger or even in sorrow at the past. Instead look forward to your future and the lessons you can learn from his past mistakes. Maybe the greatest gift you can him give is forgiveness for his mistakes. We all make mistakes, some larger and more impactful than others. And we all need forgiveness. Think of the sins of the older brothers of Joseph and his forgiveness. They caused him to be sold into slavery and told his father Jacob that he was dead. Genesis 37-50. Yet he still forgave them and loved them. Genesis 50:15-21.

God wired us with a basic human need. We need fathers in our future who will instill Christ into their children, who will not just teach but live the life of a good, moral and law-abiding man.

Honoring fathers who are here

Use this day to honor all fathers, not just your dad. Make this a celebration of the many strong, hard-working, devoted and loving fathers who are on the front lines with their wives and children, working to provide support while playing with their children and loving their wives every day.

It does not take a “Super Dad” to have a super impact. Psychology Today reported the following:

“Children who have an involved father are more likely to be emotionally secure, be confident to explore their surroundings, and, as they grow older, have better social connections…Numerous studies find that an active and nurturing style of fathering is associated with better verbal skills, intellectual functioning, and academic achievement among adolescents.”

There are a thousand or more ways to celebrate the life of a father. You can purchase a special gift, take him to a game involving a favorite baseball team, give him a round of golf, or simply buy or, even better make, a special card that tells him how awesome he is.

Or make it an even bigger deal. Plan a cookout with fathers, uncles, grandfathers, friends and family. It will be hot, but worth the time. If that isn’t possible because the family lives spread out all over the U.S. or even the world, make it a block cookout with all the dads in the neighborhood.

You have many options, make a card, make a gift basket, make a gift, buy a gift. But all of those pale in comparison to your presence and kind words. Consider sharing the following as a part of giving that honor:

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it … Dad

Why? The following give some reasons that apply in many cases as good reasons to honor your father.

1. Dad gave you life. Even if you don’t have the best relationship with your father, you wouldn’t be here without him! But it doesn’t stop there because it is far easier to become a father than to be one.

2. Dad helped and served a lot during your early days. The pregnancy, childbirth and newborn phases you went through were hard on him as they were on Mom. He became an expert diaper changer and tear wiper.

3. Dad loves you without restraint and unconditionally. He may not show it well (it’s a guy thing), but that love is there. Look back at those old family photos with him holding you.

4. Dad worked hard to pay the bills and keep things together around the house. Many dads were and still are the family’s primary or only breadwinner, especially during the earliest years of your life. Back then there were a lot fewer Mr. Moms.

5. Dad did his best as a role model. Sure, he failed at times; no one is perfect. The truth is that most dads try to be a good example. I love the way one author put it:

My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
    Clarence Kelland

6. Dad taught you sports and kept you active as a child. He also likely picked you up the times you fell as you learned to ride that bike without the training wheels.

7. Dad helped when he could and as much as he could. Sure his advice wasn’t always what you wanted, but later you learned that he was wiser than you used to think he was.

Remember what Mark Twain wrote about his dad:

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

That is a shorter version of what Ann Landers, the great advice columnist, later write:

4 years: My daddy can do anything.
7 years: My dad knows a lot, a whole lot.
8 years: My father doesn’t quite know everything.
12 years: Oh well, naturally Father doesn’t know that either.
14 years: Father? Hopelessly old fashioned.
21 years: Oh, that man is out-of-date. What do you expect?
25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but not much.
30 years: Maybe we ought to find out what Dad thinks.
35 years: A little patience. Let’s get Dad’s assessment before we do anything.
50 years: I wonder what Dad would have thought about that. He was pretty smart.
60 years: My Dad knew absolutely everything!
65 years: I’d give anything if Dad were here so I could talk this over with him. I really miss that man.

8. Dad was your shelter. He made you feel safe and kept you safe. Sigmund Freud knew that well:

“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection. “

9. Dad was funny. The best dads don’t take themselves too seriously.

10. Dad was your banker. If you needed money, ask dad (If he said, no, there’s always Mom).

11. Hopefully dad encouraged you in your faith. A father’s most important job is to disciple his children to meet and know Jesus.

Of course, your dad didn’t hit all of these. He wasn’t a super dad (probably), but he was still the best dad he could be. Thank him, honor him and give back to him some of the love and joy he shared with you.

Here’s a final tribute and thought:

A dad is a mender of toys,
A leader of boys.
He’s a changer of fuses,
A healer of bruises
He’s a mover of couches,
A soother of ouches.
He’s a pounder of nails,
A teller of tales.
He’s a dryer of dishes,
A fulfiller of wishes
Bless him, O Lord.
     Jo Ann Heidbreder

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus. He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016. He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.

While flowers are always a possible gift, quite frankly, mom’s deserve even more than a truckload of flowers. That is literally true. Salary.com several years ago estimated it would cost $113,586 to replace a mother’s services just based upon the 10 most time-consuming tasks.

Others put the estimated value of her services higher. Insure.com put the 2022 figure at over $126,000 per year.

Here is a chart from 2013 listing only 14 tasks which has a lowball estimate of just under $60,000 per year.

So, load up the truck with flowers and it still isn’t enough. Even at $60,000 per year, mom’s job is no cheap job; it’s a ton of work and it’s 24 x 7 x 365 with on holiday pay, no overtime and no vacations.

You can even find a selfish reason to celebrate Mother’s Day. And it is a Biblically solid reason. God told us in Exodus 20:12:

Exodus 20:12
12  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Honoring your father and mother will lengthen your life! And some have measured that scientifically and have discovered that it is true because good family relations often turn into a longer, less stressful and more satisfying life.

But that leaves us with a question. What does it mean to honor one’s father and mother? God tells us a lot about that. The Hebrew word kavod (Eng., honor) indicates worth and value, resulting in praise. It actually means weighted or heavy, suggesting the respect we should pay to Mom is a lot; she is a big deal! In fact, at times kavod is translated as glory, showing just how serious this honor should be.

But the Bible does not instruct us in how that kavod, or honor, is to be given. That is no surprise since our relationship with God is personal just as our relationships with our parents is. How you give honor to mom is very personal and is entirely up to you.

There should be no excuses. Mother’s Day is always the second Sunday in May. Put it on your calendar as a repeating event.

Dates for Mother’s Day Date

Mother’s Day 2025 Sunday, May 11, 2025

Mother’s Day 2026 Sunday, May 10, 2026

Mother’s Day 2027 Sunday, May 9, 2027

Mother’s Day 2028 Sunday, May 14, 2028

Here are a few ideas for that special celebration and honor to your mom. What works best for you and mom will be very dependent upon age, where she lives, your family history and a lot more, but that’s why I offer a variety of ideas of different types and sizes. Regardless of the idea, the best part is that the costs come in far less than even the low figure of $60,000 per year!

1. Give more than a bouquet of flowers

Flowers die quickly and are too easy and too common to be that special gift.

Don’t ignore the idea of flowers, some moms love them and that is exactly what they want. Just don’t make flowers your automatic go-to gift or your only gift.

If mom has a green thumb or even an available garden area, get her a pot of flowers that can be planted. It will actually be less expensive than the usual bouquet of flowers, will last for years, assuming you don’t choose annuals, and will give her a lasting memory of your love and thoughtfulness.

Then take it to the next level. Deliver the flowers yourself and offer to plant them yourself. That may mean an extra trip to visit her, one with a few tools and maybe a trip to a restaurant with her.

But not all mom’s have green thumbs. Choose instead some plants that are almost impossible to kill, ones that require little or almost no attention, infrequent watering and, yes, they still look great.

Your local garden store, Lowes or Home Depot can help.

2. Don’t just take her to dinner, bring dinner to her

And cook it yourself if you can! Recipes of all sizes, shapes and flavors are available online with a simple search. If you are like me, a disaster in the kitchen, then order a take out meal, pick it up and deliver it hot.

And remember, you get to clean up too.

3. Do a special brunch date

If you’re not close enough to have a brunch with mom, do it virtually. Have the ingredients delivered to her door using DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, or some similar service, then set up a Zoom brunch with the whole family.

There are many opportunities for creative touches. Bake a casserole and drop by, add a cake or cupcakes, with a flourish of candles! It does not have to be a birthday or holiday to celebrate and honor mom.

4. Take Mom to a movie or watch her favorite movie with her at home

Going to a movie is always fun. You get to buy a bucket of popcorn and splurge.

There are few movies not available either livestreamed or on DVD if you plan ahead. There is even such a thing as a teleparty if Mom is far away. Check out Teleparty, formerly Netflix Teleparty.

5. It’s time for a picnic

While not all moms are outdoor-types, some love the idea. Mother’s Day is in May which in Florida is usually dry. Pack a picnic and head to a local park. You don’t have to sit on the ground, which might be tough for some. There are public parks almost everywhere with tables and benches. Take a better chair if needed – that special touch will make her feel special. She is!

And hand-pack the picnic basket yourself. The extra attention and effort will be worth it. If you are unsure what works best or how to do this, check out Almanac’s picnic ideas.

6. Don’t buy a card, make one

Store-bought cards are nice, but personally made cards add that special touch for a special person. There are many available apps that allow you to inexpensively make a personal card. By inexpensive, I mean just the cost of the paper, card stock, ink and envelope. About the most expensive part of the whole process will be the stamp.

One example is Canva.com, But you can check out several at this site. As an alternative, you can use a commonly available program that comes with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Publisher.

Or just do it the old-fashioned way and handwrite a letter to your mother. Share a memory of you and your mom. Nothing could bring more joy.

7. Add to that card

You don’t have to stop with just a card. Making up a gift basket with goodies isn’t hard. It just takes some time, but then so did changing your diapers when you were a baby! A trip to a Hobby Lobby or Michael’s can get you a basket as well as many contents. Drop by a Bath and Body Works or similar store and pick up a fragrant hand wash and lotion, then got by a grocery store and find some of her favorite cookies and treats. That makes a pretty full basket.

And if these ideas don’t fit, don’t quit looking. There are online sites with many, many ideas, suggestions and links. Keep looking and celebrate with mom. She is a gift from God (just as you were to her).

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus. He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016. He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.

Saving money is a challenge, especially in the high inflation of the current administration. The money seems to (and does) build up slowly and the temptations (or need) to cheat and spend rather than save are like dieting temptations, easy to find and hard to resist. Here are a few practical ideas to keep your savings increasing and to help you hold the line on spending. When you save on one of the ideas here, save the money toward an emergency savings account, your retirement or a special trip and vacation.

Try these ideas and save:

1. Your car insurance rises every year even though your car is older and is very likely worth less. You would think at least the collision coverage would decrease since your car is a year older and worth less. No! But it will, if you decide to shop around at least every three years. You may not want to decide based upon premium cost alone, because there is a lot to be said about receiving good service; but if money is tight, shop around. 

2. If you have emergency savings, go with high deductible collision coverage. You can save a lot that way. I will admit it may cost you if you have an at fault accident, but if you go several years without an accident or if the other guys has no coverage and no money, your savings will far exceed the amount of your deductible. If you don’t have an emergency savings fund, start one now.

3. Shop your homeowners coverage as well. Those premiums tend to rise more than the value of your home. For some reason, the premiums never seem to decrease. Home insurers, like car insurers, count on you not wanting the hassle of changing carriers. But beware of the risk of having to be subjected to a Four Point inspection and possibly have to replace your roof. Many insurers will not start insuring your home without a careful inspection or with a roof older that 12-14 years. But then maybe it needs to be replaced! Better to do that before hurricane season and before leaks begin.

4. Drop your magazine subscriptions. Check and you may find the very same magazine is available at your nearest public library. Or, alternatively, spend a quiet evening at a local bookstore, reading your favorite magazines for free.

5. Hold a garage sale. Go through your closet and find clothes you have not worn in a year. The chances are you will never wear it if you haven’t worn it in a year. Pull the junk out of your closets you never use and out of the attic that you stuffed up there and see if there is someone else who wants your junk. You won’t make a lot, but you will make more than doing nothing will make for you. Alternatively, try eBay or sell online. A second alternative is for you to donate what you have to a Christian thrift store and take the deduction on your tax return if you are able.

6. Check your Internet, cable, streaming and phone plans. You can almost always improve your plan and save money if you check once a year. Ask yourself if you really need that landline. We dropped ours over a year ago and discovered we received fewer junk calls during dinner.

7. Get a free energy audit from your power company and see where your electric use can be trimmed. Consider adding attic insulation if your house is old, many types of older insulation settle and lose R-value, costing you money every month. Alternatively, you could do something really radical and turn off the lights when you leave a room.

8. If it isn’t free, drop your gym membership and take up walking. It is easier on the knees and hips than jogging, can be done well into your 70’s and even beyond for some, and is free! Enjoy life in Florida where the outside is a great place to be!

9. Keep your tires properly inflated, put the right gas in your car and maintain it based upon the manufacturer’s recommendations.

10. If you use AAA for emergency roadside service, go to an AAA location and check out their available gift cards. You get a 3 to 5% credit in AAA dollars towards your next year AAA bill. If it is a card for a restaurant you are going to eat at anyway, a store you will shop at anyway (or even Amazon Smile), or a gift card you would give as a gift anyway, you will save an annual AAA fee in a fairly short time, certainly less than a year.+

11. While I am on the topic of gift cards, buy them at a discount from a discounter like giftcardgranny.com. You can at times find meaningful discounts on hundreds of gift cards including Walmart, Target, and many large retailers.

12. Buy used, not new. A used car, if checked out carefully, is a great savings over a new car. New cars lose thousands of dollars almost the same moment you drive the car off the lot. If the car isn’t too old, you may still have some warranty left – always check. If buying a used car, always check the obvious things such as the tires. Many dealers will put new tires on a car if you spot a worn or repaired tire.

13. Used books are readily available at thrift stores, or, even better free books, magazines and videos are available at the public library.

14. Buy an Entertainment Book and eat out for 50% at many restaurants. Try Entertainment Books and see what restaurants and services are covered in your area. In the Tampa Bay area there are over 150 restaurants and services offering substantial discounts. You quickly save the cost of the book, try new places and then save a lot more.

15. Save without the hassle of coupons. There is a rather remarkable website worth checking – Savingstar. You can go to their free website, check the products you want to buy from a store and get cash back after you shop. You can link your store loyalty card or upload the receipt and save. The stores available can be seen from the site and include Publix, WalMart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and literally hundreds of other retailers.

Saving just requires that you try. The problem is that we tend to get so busy, that time is a commodity that is hard to find. But if you can find the time to try a few of these ideas here, you can save a lot. If you have additional ideas, call or email us and we will pass them on.

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus. He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016. He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.

New Year’s Resolutions to Kick-Off the Year

What are your New Year Resolutions for 2025?  Lose weight – check, exercise more – check, and get in better shape – long overdue! Those three resolutions are there for me almost every year. But then life happens! Sometimes I keep such a resolution for a few weeks or maybe even a few months with strong encouragement. After that, the busy days of spring begin to take over.

Instead, join the Campbells and make one of your resolutions for 2025 to review your family financial and estate plans. Significant life changes (and even significant inflationary, market or legal changes such as increasing income tax rates) are something that should trigger in our minds the question, “Do I need to change my will or trust?” or “Should I change any of my beneficiary designations?” If you need an easy way to keep track of your bequests and beneficiary designations on bank accounts, IRAs and financial or investment accounts, make a list. It is best done on a computer file so you do not have to re-do the entire document each time there is a significant change, but then print it and keep it with your estate and financial documents just in case your computer files are somehow lost. For a few additional thoughts on this topic, see A Few Estate Planning Pitfalls (especially #3) and A Few More Estate Planning Pitfalls.

Also, think about adding a few fresh ideas in which your entire family can become involved! Here are some things we are trying that I can offer as suggestions to prayerfully consider.

1. Serve: Serve together as a family, a small group or just as a group of friends.  Find a ministry that touches your heart and about which you can be passionate. Schedule yourself to serve regularly in this ministry with your family, a group of friends, or involve your small group. On a simpler note, you can visit a friend you haven’t seen in a while, perhaps someone out with an illness or injury. Always remember that stewardship is a L.I.F.E activity that is not limited to dollars and cents. It involves your Labor, your Influence, your Financial resources, and your Expertise, your entire L.I.F.E. Stop by the Join the Movement booth in the Gatheria at Idlewild. Learn how you can discover God’s gifting to you and put your gift(s) into joyful service. You can give an hour a week – yes, you really can.

2. Broaden your view: Look for new opportunities to broaden your stewardship. Never neglect giving your tithe to your home church. Check out Does the New Testament Teach Tithing?, More on the Tithe – Tithes and Offerings 1, and More on the Tithe – Tithes and Offerings 2. Know that God has also called us to give over and above the tithe. Read and reflect upon Deuteronomy 15, Matthew 23:23, and Luke 12:33-34.

3. Give generously and wisely: When you find a ministry that touches your heart, consider giving as well as serving. You can give in different ways. Instead of just monetary giving, consider giving an appreciated asset, stock, or a piece of property. This type of giving may be better for both you and the charity than if you sold and donated the net proceeds. This strategy may reduce your tax burden if done correctly (and wisely) and increases the amount the charity receives – and what that charity can do. Not sure how to do this? The Idlewild Foundation can show you how. Just give us a call at (813) 264-8713. And never forget God in your giving.

4. Learn about Giving Funds: Explore the possibilities of a Donor Advised Fund that will allow you a deduction now, but choose who you want to support and how much you will give at a future date. This kind of fund can be an efficient means of setting up recurring donations and makes record keeping for taxes easy. Learn more at Ways to Give, or just give us a call. Now, with the new administration in Washington and with there being a great likelihood of either direct or indirect tax increases, more than ever you need to examine tax-wise giving. We can help!

5. Share your experience with others: If you have a life example of how God has blessed you and how you have given back to Him, share your story. Tell your small group, your friends, and your family about how you’ve been blessed and how you’ve been able to bless others.

6. Increase your giving: Despite rugged inflation, you may have some additional money that can be given to the kingdom. Rather than increase your standard of living, instead increase your standard of giving (a quote from Randy Alcorn). Increase your giving to Idlewild’s kingdom investments, join Pastor Edgar in that goal, or increase your giving to other Christian ministries. Please consider The Idlewild Foundation and its Fund 1:27 where 100% of any donation goes to ministry. Nothing – not one cent – goes to our salaries, overhead or administrative costs. Give over and above the tithe and enjoy the joy of generosity. For a bit of help encouraging that, read More on the Tithe – Tithes and Offerings 1, More on the Tithe – Tithes and Offerings 2, and Science Proves That It Is More Blessed to Give Than Receive.

Here’s another idea! Why not spend some time reviewing your spending for last year? By looking at your bank and charge card statements you’ll get a pretty good picture of where your money was spent and what your priorities have been. Did you find ways to glorify God through any of your spending? Did your spending in 2024 give more glory to yourself than to God? Could you do better? Give God the credit He is due. He made your income and your abilities (and every breath you took in 2024) possible.

Deuteronomy 8:18
18     But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth …

Take some time to sit down with your family and discuss ways to manage your money more effectively. Consider speaking with someone from the Stewardship Ministry of Idlewild Baptist Church or with us at The Idlewild Foundation. There are financial counselors who work with Idlewild’s Stewardship ministry who will meet with you for free to discuss your finances and budget and help. We can give you tips and ideas in managing your money. And don’t worry. You won’t be bludgeoned until you agree to give money to Idlewild or to the Foundation! On the other hand, you will learn ways that you can further God’s kingdom by sharing His blessings with others – with open hands!

You can contact us at The Idlewild Foundation, (813) 264-8713 or email me at jcampbell@idlewild.org. Make 2025 a year to celebrate!

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40 year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus.  He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016.  He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.

We live in a spender’s world. There are a few folks promoting the idea of saving in articles, but I rarely, if ever, see that idea of saving money in any advertisement on major network, online, or in a magazine. It just isn’t advertised or promoted. And that’s a shame, because in America we need a shift from our spending culture to one that at least accepts the idea of saving as something good.

That would be quite a change if it happened. As of February, 2019, the average credit card debt per household was at $5,700. As of October 2023, that figure had risen to $6,380. If you remove those households which pay off all charges every month and never carry a balance, the average debt rises substantially. Does anyone see a problem with debt?

Credit card debt has grown astronomically. In 1983, credit card debt was “only” $120,000,000. Now revolving debt, largely credit card debt, is over $1 trillion, nearing ten times as much debt as 40 years earlier. About 41.2% of American households carry a balance forward on their credit cards. Sadly, but predictably, the highest debt households are those with a zero or a negative net worth. Revolving debt is the most damaging and harmful debt because interest rates are the highest and committed spenders get hooked on spending.

At the same time, personal savings are low. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, personal savings rates were between 5 and 7%. However, those high rates decreased to a 1 to 3% range after the year 2000. There was a brief peak of saving during the recession from 2008 to 2010, but as the economy started recovering, spending began to soar again. As of March 2018, the savings rate in the United States was 3.1% according to Investopedia. Thankfully, by late 2024 that rate had risen to over 4%. But with debt rising faster, we still do not save nearly enough.

We need a change in the American spending culture that has developed. Why? There are many reasons ranging from financial freedom, wise planning for retirement, wise preparation for emergencies and hard times, peace of mind, along with just being better stewards of the wealth and resources God has entrusted to us.

Many people will recommend saving 10% of your disposable income. That is simply too low. See Save More, 10% Isn’t Enough.

The inevitable challenging question is, “How can I save even 10% much less more than that?” The equally inevitable answer is “by spending less, a lot of discipline, and a little sacrifice.” Here are a few more ideas with more detail than just those few words.
Develop habits

The only way you will ever reliably save over the long run is if you are fully committed and engaged in saving; get out of the habit of spending and get into the habit of saving.

Before you make a purchase, always ask yourself five questions:

• Does this fit within my monthly budget?
• Do I really need this?
• Do I have room for it?
• Will I really use this?
• Are there long-term upkeep, maintenance, parts or repair expenses or costs associated with this and can I afford those expenses?

Before you make the purchase, walk away. Wait a minimum of 10 minutes and then address the five questions. If all (yes, I said all) of the answers to the five questions are favorable, (four “yes” and one “no” is a “no”), only then should you consider making the purchase.

Write the questions down and put them in your wallet, taped to your credit card, or save them in your phone and always open them before making a purchase. But what about buying a soft drink? Yes, even that. There is even a long-term cost associated with soft drinks and food – exercise (and those things aren’t free). Those many little expenses add up quickly into budget breakers.

Another tip for you is this, set a weekly or monthly savings goal.

A final tip for creating this saving habit, leave your credit card at home and pay cash. This is far more important than you may think. Forbes Magazines says that multiple studies have shown that people spend more, a lot more, when they have the “convenience” of a credit or debit card or a pay app on their phone. Psychology Today agrees. That convenience has a cost, convenience results in spending a lot more, twice as much or an even greater amount that that based upon studies.

Saving

Saving needs to be as automatic and invisible as you can make it. In the past people had government savings bonds purchased directly out of their income before they got their check. But government savings bonds are no longer a typical investment (nor should they be). However, the idea of having the money seamlessly go to an investment or savings account and never make it to your bank checking account is a great idea.

Some articles suggest that all savings and investments should be done by hand because automatic transfers do not develop a habit. That is a reasonable concept, but I believe the greater concern is the temptation of having money visibly in your account.

When a paycheck is cashed, it is just too easy to keep $10 or $20 or even more as “spending money.” The funny thing about “spending money” is that it never gets saved and is always spent.

If a sum goes directly from your employer to a savings account (perhaps your emergency fund) or into your 401(k) or some other saving fund, it is much harder to spend. If you are doing well and get a raise, put the entire raise into savings too.

Budget and cash flow tracking

You can best follow what you spend if you keep a cash flow record that tracks every expense. See Where Does Your Money Go? to see how to get started with a cash flow analysis and budget.

This will be work and it will take time. Just know that the result will be worth it and after a few months you can relax and be less stringent because you will have developed better spending and saving habits and practices. You will also be able to see the savings add up!

Investing

After you have an emergency savings account, your savings need to go in a different direction. No one ever became wealthy on the savings rates paid by banks (except the banks themselves). To make progress against the inevitable power of the rate of inflation which is compounded annually to your detriment, you need to invest, and the best opportunity to stay ahead of inflation is the stock market. Isn’t that risky? Of course, there is risk. But read Aren’t Stocks a Risky Investment? so you can see that there is a certainty of loss if you do not invest at all.

Cutting expenses

Cutting expenses and costs needs to become equally automatic. The idea is not to be Draconian about it and not to put yourself in total self-denial. Your goal is not to deprive yourself of enjoyment of life, but keep this one fact in mind: overspending today does deprive you of enjoyment of life and spending ability in the future. Every dollar not saved today is two dollars you won’t have in the future, when you may need it much more.

For ideas on cutting expenses, see Ideas for Living Better Through Stewardship, 7 Steps for Financial Progress, It’s Time to Start Saving, Planning Your Financial Future and …, and Save More, 10% Isn’t Enough. There is no area of your spending that can’t be reduced; be creative and persistent.

Refinance

If you have debt that can be consolidated with a lower net cost to you, seriously consider consolidation. First see Debt Consolidation, Maybe and Maybe Not. Your goal is to be debt free, out of the bondage of being a borrower.

Now what?

Once you are out of debt and any loan payments stop, put the former loan payment money into your investments. Don’t just increase your spending, instead, increase your investment in your future.

Year, every household should do a financial check-up. Life happens and we begin to slip into spending patterns and habits that waste small amounts of money very easily.

How can I keep this up?

There are two points to make to answer the question, “how can I keep this up?” The first is that like any discipline, it gets easier as you develop good spending and saving habits. If you are consistent and regular with your budget and saving, you will find the pressure of the spending mindset decreases. You become more adept at spotting the subtle pressures encouraging frivolous spending and you also begin to see results as your savings and investments increase.

The second point is even more important. Your disciplined financial management is more God-honoring than the spending mind-set. For a good lesson on this point, read God and Money by Greg Baumer and John Cortines. Greg was a spender and John was a saver. Together they learned stewardship and Godly handling of money. Which rises the final issue.

Now what?

What are you saving for? If you save for 20 or 30 years and accumulate a large portfolio, so what? Being out of debt is important, but only for a short time when eternity is considered. Our lives were never meant to be just about ourselves, our comfort, and our satisfaction. We were created with a purpose, Ephesians 2:10, and that purpose is not to serve ourselves. Don’t ever forget God who made your ability to earn money and build savings possible, Deuteronomy 8:18. Don’t leave Him out of your financial plans or your life. We are called to be servants of our Creator and to be generous with the money and gifts He has given us. 2 Corinthians 9:11-13.

If you would like to earn more about your purpose and how your financial blessings (and even your financial struggles) can fit into God’s plan, give us a call at The Idlewild Foundation at (813) 264-8713.

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus. He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016. He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.