Hoard or Hold... Which do you do?

I spent the weekend with a friend of mine that is very well off. This couple has a beautiful house here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and a wonderful waterside house located in Flagler, Florida. They have a boat and a number of other toys that make visiting them in Florida a lot of fun. My kids, and my brother Dom, had a great time.

The coolest part about this couple is that they are very giving. No, I would not recommend that you stop by their house for a free handout, that is not what I am referring to. They hold their "wealth" very loosely. In other words, they control their money and their possessions, the money and possessions do not control them.

I do need you to know that my friend works very hard for his money (although again it is not the money he works for), even though if you ask him he will tell you it was just dumb luck. He works to give his family the things he wants them to have, and then shares what he has with others. For instance, that house I mentioned in Florida, we stayed for the weekend basically free of charge. And from what I understand, they have a large group coming down next weekend, and they just had people leave the weekend before we arrived.

Here is briefly what I learn from them...

1. Money/Wealth is not their god, so they are free to share with others.
2. Because they share, God has blessed them with plenty (not to say he doesn't work for it, but we all know just because you work hard doesn't mean you make the money).
3. They are very thrifty with what they do have because they understand the value of saving.

Many of us have seen the other side, and I just want to quickly address this because it is floating around in my head.

People that hoard money/possessions fall into 2 categories.

1. They have very little and they try to hold on to what they have, always wanting more.
2. They have means but cannot enjoy it because they are to busy protecting it/gaining more.

People that hold their money with open hands fall into 2 categories.

1. People that have very little and enjoy the simple things of life.
2. People that have means and enjoy helping other people, giving to others, making others happy.

Where do you fall in relation to your finances??