Met with Edmund over dinner at AMK. We met a financial consultant from Philips Finance (I think that's the name). Edmund really can ask a lot of questions - in fact he was jotting down in his PDA questions that he was thinking of, before he met the consultant.

Anyway, listened to what the savings plans are available. There's one very attractive savings plan that has a 4% interest rate. Only thing is that you have to commit to chipping in about $200 every month for a number of years (up to a max. of 25 years).

Ed then asked a good question: "What about flexibility? 'cos in the next few years I may want to go do volunteer work in another country, and I may not be able to put in the necessary money."

So that made me think. What is God's plan for me here? If He wants me to go to another country, say Africa, and stay there for a few years... then I may have to live on my savings.

In short, I'd have to go the opposite way of financial independence, and really have to depend on God to provide for me, in one way or another. Yet on the other hand, I'll also have to consider to what extent is it possible to plan for my future financially. As Ed later put it, "When you become a working adult, you really have so many decisions to make."

Yes, that's so true. But one joy about it all, is that, uf Jesus calls us to follow him one day to be fishers of men, we're free to leave our nets behind.

Still thinking about what is needed.