Before Pat and Pam McKinney's marriage in 1984, Pat was earning a comfortable six-figure salary, and Pam was making $14,000 a year as a schoolteacher. On a Sunday "church date," Pat happened to notice that Pam was tithing, but he wasn't. "Her silent witness spoke volumes about my need to be as obedient in my walk as she was in hers," Pat recalls.

That was over twenty years ago. Today giving is a central focus of the McKinney's lives. "God has truly blessed our obedience," says Pam. "The more we give, the more we seem to have to give. And even better, giving has given us tremendous joy."

"For us, it's an act of worship," says Pat, "because it's all His. Success is very, very seductive, and it's very addictive. If you're not careful it can control you. The real key to my ability to worship God was to get the financial side of my life under control. That put everything else in perspective."

About ten years ago, Pat and Pam's financial advisor introduced them to NCF. Since then, NCF has helped Pat and Pam set up a charitable remainder trust, donate appreciated assets, and conduct numerous other charitable gift transactions, both simple and complex. "NCF works seamlessly with our financial advisor," says Pat. "They're responsive and professional. They help us be disciplined about our giving. And their wonderfully interactive website means they're always accessible."

The McKinney's two college-age daughters have caught the spirit from their parents. They participate in family meetings to prayerfully decide how to direct the family's donations. "About four years ago one of our daughters gave me a very thoughtful birthday card," says Pat. "The best part was her handwritten note that said, 'You taught me the joy of giving.'"

"What motivates me to be generous is my love for God," says Pam. "My Joy is His joy. To give is His instruction."

"We don't want our names on buildings or other kinds of recognition here on earth," adds Pat. "Heaven – that's where we want our rewards. We look forward to meeting people there and seeing how God has used our gifts back to Him to impact eternity."