Interview with Amanda Teixeira

Part Two from our “The Call to Stewardship: What Offering Our Best Looks Like For Young Adults” Series

Introduction

Stewardship has been a call on the human heart since the genesis of man: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). This is a call not only for our first parents, but for us as well. We are each called to build up the Kingdom through the particular gifts God has given us –– whether monetarily, ability, or circumstantially.

While there can often be the temptation to think that we are “doing our part” by offering one thing, either our time or our money, we are called rather to see everything as from God, and thus, all an opportunity to give back to Him and His Body. We must not be satisfied with offering only our leftovers. When we each bring our best to the table, the collective feast mirrors the abundance and goodness of heaven.

As in all things, learning the balance that Christ asks of us takes intention, discernment and openness. We hope these interviews inspire you to evaluate how to more intentionally live a life of stewardship, and so build up the kingdom of God through who He made you to be.

Interview with Amanda

Photo of Amanda

In January 2012, Amanda Teixeira and her husband Jonathan were FOCUS missionaries, had $25,000 in debt, and a deep desire to break free. A short—and zealous—7½ months later they wrote their last check to Sallie Mae and closed the doors on debt forever. Since kicking debt to the curb, they’ve focused on saving, investing, and giving in a way that set them up for total financial independence for a lifetime.

Upon hearing their story, a few people asked them money questions...and they answered them. That snowballed into hundreds of people asking questions, speaking at events, and providing 1:1 financial coaching.

They launched WalletWin in 2017 to help as many people as possible get out of debt, build wealth, and transform the world through generosity through their online course, membership, and podcast.

They live in Omaha, NE with their three daughters Josie, Charlotte, Ellie, and crazy but lovable Labrador Retriever, Wrigley.

Stewardship in general refers to taking care of something. How do you understand/define stewardship as a Catholic?

Stewardship is handling the gifts the Lord entrusts to us with gratitude, humility, and prudence. It applies to ALL gifts God gives us: time, friendships, children, money, bodies, possessions, health, talents, desires, etc.

When it comes to being a good steward of money, one of the most helpful realizations is to know God is the owner and giver of our money -- we are only managers of it. When we understand it’s ALL God’s and that it’s been entrusted to us by Him, our perspective on giving, spending, saving, and investing changes radically.

How does stewardship apply to your personal charisms/gifts as well as your personal monetary gifts?

I love this question so much! I firmly believe that the most fun any of us will ever have with our money is to give it away and be a blessing to our family, friends, community, and world. Our unique personalities SHOULD be an intimate part of the type of giving we do. What causes, movements and ministries do you want to see furthered in our world? We should absolutely be giving to those personal reflections of our hearts, in addition to giving to our local parish and diocese.

How do you incorporate stewardship into the practices of your personal life (within your family culture)?

For married women, the biggest difference is that ALL money decisions need to be made in union with your spouse. It’s all too common for one spouse, in particular, to duck out of financial discussions or decisions and to leave it to one person to avoid arguments - this is NOT stewardship. You and your spouse have been entrusted money by God, together. Sitting down to have a monthly budget meeting and prioritize your spending as a couple is essential.

If you have children, teaching them about money even from a young age is part of living stewardship. Modeling to them what it means to take good care of the resources entrusted to you by God is just as important as teaching them any other aspect of their faith.

Do you see a connection between stewardship and living simply and/or sustainably? If yes, in what way?

Part of stewardship is being able to draw boundaries with the money entrusted to you. When you handle money God’s way, savings and investments will grow with time…meaning you will have more money available to you as time goes on. Deciding in advance that you are committed to giving is important. It’s not sinful to enjoy nice things or experiences, but when these things become our sole focus and distract us from pursuing holiness, they’ve become disordered. Personally, our family has chosen to live simply for our state in life and as our wealth grows, instead of perpetually increasing our lifestyle, we will be increasing our giving. We don’t see 10% as the end goal, we view it as the starting line with generosity.

Understanding stewardship as an offering back to God of what is his, how do you maintain detachment toward your gifts (personal, financial, etc) as ultimately his, while simultaneously nourishing/investing in them?

My husband and I like to joke that our children keep us rather detached from our physical possessions as they tend to break or destroy them. We built a home four years ago and it was absolutely beautiful for about 48 hours. Then, a toddler found some crayons and you can guess what happened next. Or just a few weeks ago, our baby broke my laptop by both stepping on the screen and then pouring water on the keys. We do our best to prevent these things, but at the end of the day, they will happen to both our possessions and money. Deductibles will be met. Cars will be backed into. Windows will get baseballs through them. Part of stewardship is striving to do the best you can to take care of our possessions and money, but being completely detached and neutral when they’re taken from us. Abandoning to Divine Providence for whatever the present moment is bringing with it and maintaining a sense of humor will go a long way.

There are so many good organizations and causes to support financially. How do you and your family discern which things to contribute to?

We always prioritize giving to our local parish and diocese, as that is where God has our family to serve the Kingdom of God on earth and we desire to support the shepherds leading our souls. After this, there really is a great deal of flexibility with giving and looking deep inside at causes near and dear to your heart will guide you. Personally we served as missionaries on college campuses for nearly a decade of our lives and so giving to organizations that further evangelization efforts towards college students matters a great deal to us. We also have many friends in religious communities and nothing makes us more joyful than when we get to send their orders gifts. Our family has also adopted three times, so supporting both adoptive and birth families is a giving priority.

What are some first steps you would advise to cultivating a lifestyle of stewardship?

Most of us were never taught how to handle money growing up. The first step towards living a life of stewardship is acknowledging that reality and asking God to teach you about what he says about handling money. Cultivate an open mindset and be willing to let Him transform your financial habits. From there, budgeting is truly the first step to take with your money, as it helps you understand what you have and gives you a chance to intentionally choose where you want it to go. Surrounding yourself with a like-minded community is essential as you unlearn sabotaging and worldly money habits and instead put on those of God. Walking with a community and learning from trusted guides will help you establish smart money habits to last a lifetime. Our WalletWinners community is full of other Catholics looking to glorify God with their money and change the world through generosity.

This interview was compiled and edited by Amelia Arth.