The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall

            Question: What lessons did the protagonist learn that would become the foundation of his economic choices? How have you experienced these lessons in your own life or how do you expect to experience them?.
             "The Ultimate Gift," by Jim Stovall is the story of one young man's inspiring journey. After his grandfather's death, Jason is presented with an inheritance, a sum of money that would take him on a life-changing path that would change him forever; his faith will be challenged as he faces the spiritual question, "What is the relationship between wealth and happiness?".
             Along the way, Jason is challenged, and as a result, learns lessons such as the meaning of work, the value of money, and the importance of family, friends and loving. Jason is disrespectful and arrogant, a kid who believes his grandfather owed him his trust fund even though Jason had never worked a day in his life. The lessons he learns don't come easily, but by the end of the story, Jason is better person than he was before. When he is instructed to take on a physical labor job in order to receive his first gift, Jason really had no understanding of what it meant to put effort into working, but when his labor position was complete, he understood. .
             Jason also began to learn the value of a dollar; seeing that it isn't something to be taken for granted but should be earned, tended to and spent wisely. And, he learned that using money to help others would bring him more happiness than if he spent what he had on himself.
             Appreciating the gift of family took Jason long time to accept and to come to a clear understanding of what it really means to love and appreciate another person. When he meets a little girl with cancer, he didn't care whether she was sick or not. But as the story progresses and he comes to understand what loving another person is all about, he comes to care for the girl so much that he is willing to do "anything for her.