A Life Well Spent

This book was suggested to me by a friend with his highest recommendation and it lived up to my expectations. While on the surface the book may seem to be about finances and money, it is so much more than that. Although, even at the level of money, it is still a very valuable read for those wanting to put their finances in order. For, according to Crosson, to put your finances in order, you have to order your life and priorities as well. The primary theme of Crosson's book is that we need to be deliberate about the training of our children (or our posterity) in a spiritual sense. Crosson's idea is that how we use and manage our money is one tool that we can use to train our children - and if that tool is misused, Crosson has seen the devastation and heartache that it can cause. As a financial planner, Crosson is sharing not simply financial strategies, but life lessons and plans that will help nurture godly young men and women more devoted to the cause of Christ because of his insight and knowledge being put into practice. Crosson hits one issue very hard over and over again - how we use (or invest) our time. The ability to use money to buy time is such an attractive concept - but Crosson shows how good intentions in this area have turned to poor decisions - the use of some "time-saving" devices have enabled us to waste more time, or work longer hours, or even have been the cause of a disconnect between parents and children - Crosson warns against falling prey to the misuse of technology. Crosson also drives home the point that time, not money, is our most precious commodity - and something that cannot be purchased in any greater quantities than what others have regardless of our income or financial status - we all have 24 hours in a day to use how we choose - and if we are not deliberately carving our time for our posterity, training our children will be done in bits and pieces with a hit or miss strategy that is unreliable and detrimental to our children. In the final couple of chapters, Crosson warns against retarding our children with ease and comfort making them weak, unable (or unwilling) to work and earn a living. In their desire to make things "better for our children," far too many parents end up actually making things considerably worse literally crippling their children with cash! A Life Well Spent is a good read for every parent and I would highly recommend this book to every dad. I would also highly recommend the book to those Christians blessed with significant financial abilities - along with that blessing comes equally high responsibility to use that treasure to draw closer to the Lord, to be dependent upon Him for your strength and guidance, and to support the work and ministry of the Lord with the treasure God has given.

This is a must read for our culture. Without condemning wealth, the author beautifully directs your thoughts and planning to balance the quest for prosperity with the quest for investing in one's posterity. Wealth can be well utilized for the latter when accompanied by deliberate consideration of one's view of money and "what's important" in life. Great book!

My old Texas A & M Tennis Coach, David Kent, who speaks regularly to various groups, recommends this book highly to all people he talks to. I hope you can find this book for me. Amy Closs