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Back to Testimonials God answers prayer with respect to a wayward daughter Background I was born into an atheist family tree, in Communist country where people believed Karl Marx’s theory "Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people”. The culture I grew up in was founded on atheistic philosophy with no room for belief in God, but each one has his or her own god. When-where - how I met Jesus In the late 30’s, I immigrated to Toronto with my family of three. My ex-husband left me and my 6-year-old daughter in a new country in a rental apartment, when I was laid-off from work, when my father was sick (that's another testimony, my father was healed and still alive today, please pray for his salvation), with no friends and family around. No one called to check in on us, but miraculously the Lord called and invited us to visit HIS family, His church through HIS children. It was then and there, I knew Jesus, my Lord and my little girl attended Sunday School for the first time, a school I never knew nor attended as a child. From then the mustard seed was planted in my daughter's heart. Looking back, I wish I would have been like Simon Peter and Andrew in Ma.4:19 “at once they left their nets and followed” without hesitation when the Lord said “Come, follow me”. It took me almost 3 years (The Lord is patient) to accept Jesus as my personal saviour and I was baptized on Easter Sunday 2003. That decision I have made is my turning point, where I was called to a new life, just like God’s call to Abraham to leave Ur and go to Canaan. God called me to leave my country, my kin, and my fathers’ house to go to the land he will show me (Gen. 12:1). I saw God’s salvation plan unfold concerning me (Who am I? 2 Samuel 7:18) that started from a geographical move to a spiritual move, from social and cultural influences of “my country, my people and self-righteousness father’s household, from and through all the brokenness of divorce, unemployment, loneliness, uncertainty, and from all kinds of fears to HIS kingdom, where I have a KING, Jesus who cares for me.” The Lord has plans for me which are stated in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” I could testify day and night of every act of mercy and grace the Lord God has shown to me, the life I have now in Christ is a living testimony and a living sacrifice I long to offer to my Savior. I no longer belong to my country where I was born, my sinful family tree and the people and culture which used to influence and shape me, instead, I bear HIS Name, Yahweh, Jesus, the Most High. My identity is not a divorced woman or a single mom (those are my temporary social status though), “You are Mine” says the Lord in Is.43:1, and God made me who I am to show the world who HE is. Our crisis, HIS opportunity Growing up, my parents and grandparents never overspent on anything and neither did I (but we are not holy and righteous). However, while I thought I was “pretty good in terms of everything” especially money management, my daughter’s credit card debts surfaced in 2013 after she was baptized and moved away from home to university. For the first time, she had a lot of money to manage, from student loans, ESF education saving fund, part time jobs to monetary gifts from relatives. Like Proverbs 21:20 described, she “spends whatever she gets” without giving any thought of saving, planning, and budgeting; the buy now pay later mentality and the minimum payment option became the norm to her - something I never taught her nor did myself, but the world. When I asked her what gifts she would like to have on her birthday or for Christmas, she expressed it would be appreciated if I could pay her credit card balance as her friends’ parents did to her friends. I paid her credit card balance a number of times and even suggested to cut-off her credit card, but she still continued to have unpaid balances and piled up interest here and there. The hardest part was watching my girl who grew up from Church (almost every Sunday), drifting away from the truth, being in debt, and experiencing depression and anxiety. They were like mountains over her (also over me), from a joyful girl she became very angry and hard to communicate with. I knew this was something beyond what I was able to handle and fight on my own (in fact we control nothing). I agree with Tom who said, “Sometimes, the root of financial problems goes beyond the financial sphere and into the spiritual” in Financial Management God's Way. Deliverance through repentance I don't remember how many times my face was covered in tears behind closed doors, inside my car, during Sunday services, and in the middle of the night. I went to the Lord in prayer as Daniel did in Daniel 9 “Lord, I confess I didn’t train her up in the way she should go, nor did I bring her up with the discipline and instruction that comes from YOU.” Rather than reading the Bible to and with her, I encouraged her to call the toll-free story lines, and I ordered senseless magazines and novels for her that had no divine spiritual wisdom. I sent her to all kinds of extracurricular activities such as art classes, karate, supplementary academic courses - all of which are not bad things, but without the realization that having a relationship with Jesus should have come first before anything else. Apart from taking her to church each Sunday, I rarely prayed for or with her throughout her life, only times when she was sick or struggling. I let television, and pop culture influence her instead of teaching her the ways of the Lord. I admitted to the Lord that I am the one described in Psalm of Asaph Ps.73:22 “senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You”. For the first time in my Christian life, over a decade after baptism, I committed myself to the Word. I was called to take my sandals off, did my spiritual inventory check, wrote down all the sins I have committed since I was little, prayed one by one with a trustworthy church sister, prayed the cleansing, deliverance and renewing prayers according to 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I was called “go and be reconciled” to my daughter, (Ma. 5: 23-24.) I asked my daughter to forgive me for all my parenting mistakes and all of the unkind things I have done and said, and for being insensitive or even heartless to the hurts I have caused to her emotionally and mentally. Transformed to a praying woman and mom and servant of God During those challenging years, I learned to praise the Lord for my daughter's life, not to accuse her as she is wonderfully and fearfully made with God's very image. I thank God for protecting her from the very beginning of her life from abortion (that's another testimony) as she is truly not my plan, but God’s. As it says in Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you”. So I prayed, “Lord, may your powerful hand reach down from on high and take hold of your daughter, draw her out of deep waters and rescue her from her powerful enemy of credit card debt, depression and anxiety and those underneath the surface I am unable to know and see, those she doesn’t want to let me know, they are too strong for her”. The Lord responded to me with 2 Chronicles 20:15 “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” During those challenging years, I asked my pastors and trusted church members to pray for my daughter, I asked my mother (that's another testimony) and her church to pray for my daughter. I was also introduced to Stormie Omartian's “The Power of a Praying Parent” book, which starts with Lamentations 2:19 “Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children”. So, I learned “Always Keep on Praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 TLB) and stayed in contact with the Most High in “all occasions, with all kinds of prayers, and all kinds of requests”. The Word of God was and is my weapon as it is written in Hebrews 4:12. My bedroom closet, my car, kitchen, bedroom, living room all became my “war rooms” and altars built to the Lord. The Truth sets us free On my daughter’s side, there were a lot of good changes that happened, which exceeded my expectations or what I could ever imagine. She started asking me and other church members to pray for her, started attending church, praying for herself, and reading the Bible. Long story short in the new year of 2019, she re-dedicated herself to the Lord, consciously prayed the sinner's prayer and made a conscious declaration to accept Jesus as her Lord and saviour again. She was re-baptized and shared her testimony before the presence of the Lord, her heavenly Father at Connect Church. Later on, when she graduated from University, God heard her prayer and granted her a very promising job as a new graduate. She was set free from the bondage of credit card debt, and she learned to plan and budget. She tithes faithfully, and amazingly, the depression and anxiety were cured with almost no medication. “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8:31). She sponsored a 12-year-old boy in Africa with the income Father God gives her. In mid 2021, God also blessed her with a property of her own to manage. During the pandemic, God called her to partner with HIM in youth ministry at Connect Church. She studies the Word and shares the understanding that God revealed to her with me all the time. Our dining table has become our altar of thanksgiving, prayers have become our first choice, resort, and our lifeline to God. On my birthday this year, instead of going to a restaurant, my daughter took a day off, spent 7 hours preparing a party of 7 with a budget of $70 dollars, and the final cost was $67.03. Instead of buying a birthday card, she crafted a beautiful one, she wrote: “Mom, God knew you long before your birthday, He knew your life and He knew you would be called out of the land you knew into a far and foreign land. Who could have imagined that this is our life today? God has redeemed us and been faithful to us. He had not broken a single promise. I was reading 1 Samuel and Hannah's prayer spoke to me. In her sorrow she went to the temple and prayed for a child so intensely but so simple, and then she promised that her son would be dedicated back to God. When she followed through on her promise & dedicated Samuel, the Lord blessed her with 5 more children. I know you prayed without ceasing for me, a simple yet desperate prayer for God to move in my life, and HE has. Because God has been faithful to keep His promises, I will be faithful to serve. God knows the desires (needs) of our hearts, and He will bless His children because He loves us....” While I was reading the card, I saw Luke 15 replaying in slow motion. “when she (mother and daughter) was still a great way off, her FATHER saw her and had compassion, and ran and threw His arms around her neck, and kissed her”; I heard the FATHER say to his servants, “bring out the best robe and put it on her, and put a ring on her hand and sandals on her feet”; I heard David Leonard singing his song "I will wait" that says: “In the morning, I will rise up, shed the darkness, and bathe in Your light. And I recount all, every blessing. The words You've spoken, that bring me new life. I am reminded from where You have brought me. And where You have placed me for today. And I won't forget that Your hand will hold me. Your love sustains me through the wait. Oh the burdens that I've carried. They are heavy, oh too heavy to hold. There's a river, there's a sunrise, I will wait on You, Lord.” In that moment, I rose up and embraced my daughter and four hands held together I prayed “Father God, thank you for your generosity and loyalty chasing after us, thank you for making us be right with you and thank you for fighting for us in the heavenly Realms…Pray for us Lord as you have prayed for Peter, so our faith may not fail. We wait on YOU till the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we love YOU.” Ps. I am a born-again Christian and attended Financial Management God's Way for Singles hosted by TCM on Zoom during Aug- Nov 2021. S.L. New Tecumseth, ON, Canada Previous Next

Back to Testimonials You are a blessing I just wanted to tell you what a blessing you have been in my life. You have taught me to study scripture, always ensuring that my thoughts match scripture. As people, we are prone to seek an answer to match our opinion as opposed to finding out what scripture has to say first. Ever since taking Financial Management I have tried to make sure that I have scripture backing before I make an opinion on a matter. It has changed many relationships for the better. Thank you! L.S. ON, Canada Previous Next

Back to Testimonials Praying for you and your ministry Thanks again for your time and effort, prayers, and encouragement. Since starting the Copland Budgeting System both my wife and I feel as if a great weight has been lifted, we feel closer to God and closer to each other. My wife says it feels as if the waters have parted and the way has been made clear. Thank you so much for pointing us to God’s wisdom for finances. We are looking forward to working through “Financial Management – God’s Way” Praying for you and your ministry, in Jesus’ precious name. Anonymous Previous Next

Back to The Joseph Principle The Joseph Principle By: Henry Enriquez September 3, 2020 In Genesis 41, God enabled Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dream where God warned that there would be 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine. God instructed Joseph to help the people prepare by saving 20% of their grains etc. during the 7 years of plenty, so they would have sufficient food during the 7 years of famine. Some people call this “The Joseph Principle” which is a biblical principle that should be followed by everyone including individuals, corporations and governments. In James 4:13-16, we are warned not to presume on the future, which most people have done by spending all of their income and not saving for future needs. In reality, most people will experience a “famine” of some kind, such as a job loss, illness, etc. the results in the loss of income. In summary, save money on a regular basis so that you have a cushion of cash [Proverbs 21:20] to fall back on for when you encounter difficult times. More Topics Debt Principles Read More Financial Deceptions Read More Co-Signing/Surety Read More

Back to Financial Deceptions Living Paycheck to Paycheck is Okay By: Tom Copland June 15, 2020 For example, statistics reveal that 80 percent to 90 percent of the people in North America live “paycheck to paycheck”—that is, they spend all their regular income and have no savings. Many people believe this is okay. However, God says it is foolish: “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (Proverbs 21:20 TLB). Unfortunately, most people fall into the foolish category as they do not regularly save for things such as 1. anticipated non-monthly expenses (e.g., property taxes, annual insurance premiums) 2. normal unexpected expenditures (e.g., automobile repairs, home repairs) 3. a significant reduction in the family’s income (e.g., one spouse out of work) In my experience, a “cushion” in your savings account of four to eight months’ worth of expenses is reasonable and prudent. God’s Word is clear that a wise man saves for the future. In his example of building a tower (Luke 14:28–30), Jesus clearly communicated that if you don’t plan for future expenses, you are foolish. Saving for the future would include setting aside sufficient funds on a monthly basis to provide for non-monthly expenses. For example, if your family’s annual vacation costs $1800, then God’s principles would suggest that you save $150 per month throughout the year so that you have sufficient funds to pay for your vacation and avoid unnecessary debt. Some non-monthly expenses, such as automobile repairs, will have to be estimated. Although these estimates will not be perfect, generally it is possible over the year to anticipate and regularly save to cover most, if not all, of your automobile maintenance. On a longer-term basis, God’s principles would encourage saving for future needs such as retirement and your children’s education. In my experience, most parents don’t save for education until about one year before a child starts attending college or university. Generally, I recommend that parents start saving for education shortly after the child is born. For example, $100 per month invested at 7 percent will accumulate to a total of more than $43,000 within 18 years. In summary, living paycheque to paycheque is not consistent with God’s Word. God’s Word is clear that we should plan ahead and save for future needs. To accomplish this practically, it will be necessary to develop and implement a budget. An Excel-based budgeting system is available at no cost from my firm on the Budgeting page. Previous Article Next Article More Topics The Joseph Principle Read More Co-Signing/Surety Read More Freedom from Financial Anxiety Read More

Back to Financial Deceptions Smart People Use Other People's Money By: Tom Copland June 15, 2020 Many people believe it is good financial thinking to use borrowed money to make a lot of money. In other words, “smart people use other people’s money,” not their own. This is a lie from the world and Satan. The only way that is true is if you can predict the future—that is, know with certainty the direction of markets and the economy. The biblical truth is that only God knows the future. Humans can make our best guess about the future, but frequently we are wrong. The past 100 years have shown that no human being can consistently predict the direction of the markets. For example, from 1993 to 2000 the value of most stocks in Canada and the United States increased significantly. With false confidence, many people “used other people’s money”—that is, borrowed capital—with the objective of increasing their returns. From 2000 to 2002, on average, the shares on Toronto and New York exchanges decreased about 50 percent in value. People who used debt lost a lot of money. Some lost not only their original capital but ended up in a deficit as their stocks’ value dropped below the amount they had borrowed. The same principle applies to real estate. During the middle and late 1980s, the value of real estate increased significantly in the Toronto area. Many people believed it would never go down. However, between 1990 and 1995, the values dropped drastically. Some commercial real estate decreased by 75 percent in value, and residential by 50 percent. People with a lot of debt were hurt badly, and in some cases lost their home or investment property. Over the years, I’ve seen many business people try to use significant debt to their advantage. Although there may have been periods when they benefited as the company expanded faster than it otherwise would have, in due course, every business encounters difficult times, and generally, it is companies with a lot of debt that suffer the most, and some are forced into bankruptcy. The Biblical truth is that we do not know what will happen tomorrow. Proverbs 27:1 states, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” In other words, there are no “sure deals.” The same principle applies in business. God warns us, Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13–15) In summary, we do not know what will happen tomorrow—only God knows the future. Therefore, we should utilize minimal debt—or ideally carry no debt—in regard to investments and business expansion. Overall, the instruction in God’s Word is toward minimal debt, not maximum debt. (Please see my Financial Moments on borrowing for further details.) Previous Article Next Article More Topics The Joseph Principle Read More Co-Signing/Surety Read More Freedom from Financial Anxiety Read More

Back to Testimonials A life-changing testimony There has been a spiritual shift in my finances since taking your class. I didn’t notice much of a difference initially, but a couple of months later I recognized that I was thinking differently about money. I have continued to track my expenses diligently and formulate a budget every 2 weeks. God is blessing, my paycheques have increased, and my cost of living has decreased. I also have a strong commitment to pay off my debt… slowly but surely, and strategically. So, thank you for the positive, life-changing impact you have made! I’m excited as I sense this is a “turnaround year” for me on many levels, but especially financially. I’m not “there” yet, but I am moving in the right direction! Judy Toronto, ON, Canada Previous Next

Back to Testimonials Thank you so much. I appreciate all you knowledge that you share. I learn so much from your teachings. How you know the scriptures and how you apply them to our finances and to our daily living. Thank you so much. I appreciate all you knowledge that you share. Susan C Facebook follower Previous Next

Back to Testimonials You have changed my life I just want to let you know that I was listening to your message years ago when we were working together. You have changed my life. I sold my larger house and minimized my lifestyle and set new financial goals because of the time you spent talking with me and the CD’s you gave me. I wanted you to know that I was listening. I’ve made saving a priority. Thank goodness! I know it won’t be an easy time here, but boy I’m glad I’ve been saving. B.P. South Carolina, USA Previous Next

Back to Testimonials Fabulous as always! You did fabulous as always! You dove right in and tackled the subjects in such a way as to provide solid answers…but also compelling information that would cause a listener to want more info. Anonymous Previous Next

Back to Testimonials Your seminar has helped us incredibly My name is Dario my wife and myself attended your seminar several years ago… Your seminar had helped us incredibly with our finances. We bought our house and it was paid off in 13 years. Thank you again. Dario G. Toronto, ON, Canada (Originally from the Philippines) Previous Next

Back to Testimonials Financial Management God's Way for Women I was in the seminar yesterday [Financial Management God's Way for Women] and would like to thank you personally for the teaching which was very transformative. IA Toronto, Canada Previous Next