Week 5

Your Finances - You need to have a rainy day or emergency fund in your financial program to relieve some of the stresses of unexpected expenses. Emergencies are considered to be such because we usually have not planned for them. If you create a savings account of $1,000 or more for this purpose, those events won't be quite so stressful. Some things classified as emergencies might be car repairs, unexpected trip out of town, broken appliances, storm damage to property, and the like. Some extra dollars put aside in an account that you can get to easily will help us through these times with less stress.

Your Body - Speaking of stress, it's not good for your physical health. The Mayo Clinic defines stress as 'Unhealthy response to the pressures of life.' Worrying about things over which you have no control could impact your immune, digestive, nervous, and cardiovascular systems, as well as others. 'Stressing out' will potentially affect your physical and emotional health adversely. It is also living outside of the will of God since Jesus teaches us not to worry or fear. Instead of succumbing to stress, read a good book (The Bible and others), count your blessings (develop an attitude of gratitude), pray and expect a solution to your problem, make a deposit into someone else's life by doing a good deed. Use a planner, eat balanced meals regularly, exercise, learn to say 'no.' Look for other ways to 'stress less.'

Your Spirit - Don't forget to read today's Verse of the Day in the upper right hand corner of this page.