My Prayer for Cornerstone
Last year, I had no idea who or what the Cornerstone Initiative was or meant. I learned of Cornerstone as part of a financial budgeting requirement in a home-buying program. Initially, I was not thrilled…as a mother of four children you learn to make money stretch. Give me $35 dollars and you’ll have a Sunday dinner spread for a large family in no time. I’m not saying I was super great with money, but needless to say I did not think I needed Cornerstone’s Faith and Finance program. Then I met Tony and Debbie Akers and found them to be so genuine, open, honest, and real from the very beginning.
God showed me very quickly I was in the right place by His design and in divine timing.
In my first Faith and Finance class, one of the core principles was “Jesus is making all things new including our money and relationships”. This rang something alive in my heart. I really can’t give words to how I felt when I heard this for the first time. Yes, there are a few scriptures that reference God making “all things new” but I would have never thought about this as it relates to money. This is paired with the second principle of “God has chosen to use our money to accomplish His work in the world.” After hearing this I realized I was here to learn God’s way to manage/steward His money. It wasn’t “my money.” From that point, I was all in.
Each week we received a biblical lesson that challenged our thinking and a practical real-life scenario following the story of a family dealing with some of the same things we’ve all faced in life. Together we worked through how to practically solve our financial and relational problems in direct relation to the two core principles. My mind was blown every week. We laughed, shared our personal progress of both our failures and successes, and some of us even cried together.
As students, we were assigned a personal ally for accountability and to walk with us throughout this process. Not only that, we also learned so much as everyone in the class (allies included) we’re so open to sharing their real experiences with us. Remember y’all, we were openly talking about money. For most of the people I know this is a “no-no” topic. I learned so much from my Faith and Finance experience. I have a notebook full of gems I can carry with me in life and the class was free! My personal prayer soon became, “God my children need this information more than anything…please make a way.” Many nights I would come home raving about what I was learning in the Faith and Finance class; secretly hoping somehow God would plant a seed or spark a flame of interest in my children.
Y’all…God answers prayer, financially, emotionally, and relationally! I’m literally watching God bridge the power of Cornerstone right down to my children. What else more valuable could a mother pray to receive? My eldest son has joined Cornerstone and has far exceeded my hopes and prayers. He has a network—a family of supporters just pouring wisdom and knowledge into his life and future. My oldest daughter plans to join the upcoming Jobs for Life class and I know God will work wonders. My continued prayer is “Well Lord God, you have two more children to reach”.
This year, I was invited to volunteer to serve as an ally in the Faith and Finance class. Now I get to watch the power of God change my student participant’s life week after week. She is experiencing life-changing support that will reshape the course of not only her future but her daughter’s as well. Week after week her challenges are being resolved and she has a hopeful smile that is a joy to witness. God through Cornerstone is changing lives for the better!
My prayer for Cornerstone….
God in due time and in your infinite wisdom please bless the founders, directors, board members, volunteers, and future participants of Cornerstone Initiative. Bless Cornerstone to continue to multiply in overly abundant ways in every season. Bless and multiply Cornerstone’s resources. Grow and enlarge Cornerstone’s territory like only you can so that the foundational principles of Cornerstone reach the masses. God do great and mighty miracles for Cornerstone and with every person connected to them.
In Jesus’ name, Amen