Abrahams Wallet

In their last episode, our hosts tackled the Biblical/theoretical concept of retirement, and whether it’s good or not (it is). Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel now finish their one-two punch on retirement with this conversation about tactics (11:20): How do you know when your pile of money is big enough? Is it okay for retirees to take out new mortgages? When should you bring your children into your full financial picture and plan? What if you feel “behind” in your retirement savings? (28:30) At what age is it “too late” to open an IRA? How does Social Security plan into this conversation? (35:00) Could you retire early and still get SS benefits? What if you wait later to collect? Does that number go up? Also, what can retirement age look like for someone who pastors and disciples young men? (45:00) And what about long-term medical care or hospice? And don’t miss the Snappy Review of the entire episode at 54:20! …but first, an important analysis of praise flags and hype men.  Resources discussed in this episode include: The Just Thinking podcast Talk to us on the Abraham’s Wallet volley channel Enroll in our “Draft a Family Vision in 3 hours” course Social Security website: ssa.gov

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel discuss retirement (6:50) Why do people feel guilty about this concept? What are some common misperceptions? What is the Biblical purpose of post-earning years? They get into it with gusto …but not before reviewing Mark’s family trip to St. George, Utah, “The Brighter Side.” They also display their ignorance of all things Hawaii. Resources from this episode include: An Uncommon Guide to Retirement, Jeff Haanen Join our Volley channel!

Given that inflation hit its highest level since 1981 this week, we wanted to give you a little bit of color on what that means for business, the market and even how it might impact you personally as you think about growing money. Stick around to the end for a hot tip on how to use this particular moment to turbocharge the returns you get on your medium-term investments! Join our Volley Channel: https://hi.volley.app/land?tk=xpp427rZUJ0d7sWWuAuMhs-tk Find us on the socials @abrahamswallet, or visit www.AbrahamsWallet.com for old fashioned blog goodness.

Is church so dull you pinch yourself to say awake? Or so silly and thin on substance that you leave weak and hungry? Steven Manuel sits down with a bunch of guys every other week, and they argue about what the Bible really MEANS. He finds this recurring event so inspiring, exciting, and nourishing that he asks Justin Wolfenberg and Jeremy Pryor to explain the idea behind MIDRASH- a Jewish practice of men gathering to discuss the Scriptures. It’s NOT a “Bible study”; it’s a full-contact family leaders fight club where men get educated, challenged, and sharpened to (if we may) lead their homes and dough like a Biblical boss! This episode features real, live recordings of in-session discussions, and a bit of a how-to guide for men who want to start midrash gatherings in their area. Resources mentioned in this episode include: The Open Church, James Rutz Torah Class podcast, by Tom Bradford

Mark Parrett and Amelia Parrett have a conversation about their various trials and successes in hiring house helpers. Is it RIGHT for believers to hire outside help for the running of their home? If so, how do you find the people? What kinds of things should you discuss and agree upon before hiring someone? What and how do you pay? Can/should they live with you? The Parretts go into all this and more. Join the Abraham’s Wallet discussion on the Volley app! Discover your Family Vision Statement at outpostacademy.net

Steven Manuel sits down with his old good buddy Mark Douglass to discuss the coming of age celebrations Mark has thrown for each of his 4 children on their 13th birthdays. What is the historical “bar mitzvah” celebration and what is its usefulness to us today? How can you pull this off in a way that properly rings in a new era of freedom and responsibility to our children? What discussions should we be having with our adolescents?  RESOURCES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE Throwing a Bar Mitzvah, by Mark Douglass, available at: theViceroyProject.com If, by Rudyard Kipling Raising A Modern Day Knight, Robert Lewis

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel put to death the old myth that money can’t buy happiness. They’re sure that it CAN (6:45), and throw some Bible at us, list some great ways they’ve spend money… and even include Steven’s genius “how to celebrate your 40th birthday” plan (43:45).   PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Marie Kondo, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up Freedom Families podcast (Steven was a guest) Generous Giving.com JOIN OUR SPACE ON THE VOLLEY APP DRAFT YOUR FAMILY VISION STATEMENT! OutpostAcademy.net

Jeremy Pryor, a Cincinnati resident with deep roots in Jewish culture, discusses the transformative power of hospitality in Christian homes. He questions whether our homes can truly serve as headquarters for the Kingdom of God and explores the implications of inviting outsiders in. Pryor shares insights from Genesis 18, illustrating how kindness to strangers can foster community and faith. With practical tips, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining family traditions while welcoming diverse perspectives for richer relationships.

Steven Manuel and his old good friend Jeff Davenport talk about the importance of reading to your children and how fathers can get good at it. [The most important book you can read to your family is THE BIBLE, but other works are great too] (9:00). But first, they waste our time yammering on about Earnest Shakleton and Fuddrucker’s hamburgers. They also spend an inordinate amount of time in the middle of this episode talking about Public Service Announcements shown during 1980s kids television programming (21:50) before eventually getting back on topic (26:40). They cover: The Scriptural basis of fostering intelligence in children (10:20), The benefits of reading to children (33:15) The ways readers can improve in this important activity, and (44:00) Then give us some examples of good vs bad reading (1:04:00) Then finish by reviewing practical opportunities for dads to read (1:10:15). Series and books we love and recommend include: Little Britches, Ralph Moody Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis The Wingfeather Saga, Andrew Peterson Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery The Secret Garden, Francis Hodgson Burnett The Adventures of Robin Hood, Howard Pyle Other books and products mentioned in this episode: The Storytelling Animal, Johnathan Gottshall R.I.F. PSA featuring Carol Burnett Join the Abraham’s Wallet conversation on the Volley App! Enroll in our Family Vision Statement course at OutpostAcademy.net!

Once they get past talk of the markets and fantasy basketball (5:45) and all things LoDo (9:45), Steven Manuel and Mark Parrett finally get around to talking about VACATION (12:00) Is it in the Bible? It is western laziness run amok? Or does God actually demand it? If it’s a thing, is there a way to do it better? Can you be STRATEGIC about VACATION? What types of vacations are there? What purposes to they serve? How do vacations complete or complement five capitals? What are some handy tips for making them work? And wouldn’t it be great if SOMEbody, SOMEwhere would give us some kind of a GUIDE that would help us plan and execute great vacations??? THAT would bring us more luck, even, than black eyes peas on New Year’s Day. – – – – – – – – – – – Products and services mentioned in this episode include: Designing Your Family Vision Statement @ outpostacademy.net The Abraham’s Wallet channel on the Volley app