Dave Ramsey:
The Great Misunderstanding, Stop Giving?
"Be generous! Give to those you love. Give to those who love you. Give to the fortunate. Give to the unfortunate - yes, give especially to those you don't want to give. You will receive abundance for your giving. The more you give, the more you will have!" - W. Clement Stone
Nearly every day callers to "The Dave Ramsey Show" ask Dave, "If I’m still in debt, should I stop giving to my church or charitable organizations?"
For Christians and practicing Jews, this is a slightly more complicated situation because the Bible and the Torah instruct believers to give at least 10% of their income to the church. There are many people who simply want to be able to give whether they attend church or not, but they don’t feel they can afford it while they’re working the debt snowball.
In this situation, Dave offers some very sound and simple advice: give.
While it may be tough during the rice-and-beans, debt-dumping days of Baby Step 2, Dave says that even if it’s not much, don’t worry. It’s not about the amount or what it does for the organization to which you give. It’s about what it does to you, deep down inside.
You’ll be happier, healthier, and you’ll get so much more out of life when you intentionally and regularly give. Plus, continuing to give during the financially dry spells will solidify in you a spirit of generosity that will carry over when you’re cup is overflowing!
Whether you give to your church, your synagogue, or a charitable organization, just give. And even if you’re working the debt snowball, just stick to your budget and you’ll be in good shape.
There are three things to do with money: spend, save and give. You have to spend in order to have the things you need to live and should save in order to secure your family’s future. But there’s something special about giving, something about the way it refreshes your heart and helps you see what is most important. No matter the amount or the recipient, just give.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Debt
Many of you know that John and I have been doing Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University since January 2010. We are happy to announce that since January we have paid off $3000 in credit card debt, $4000 on the red car (we now OWN it!), and $7000 on our loan! It's incredible to think that in the last 9 months we have paid $14000 on stuff that was OLD! We got nothing out of the $14000, but what an incredible lesson to have learned about NOT GETTING INTO DEBT in the first place. I know that there are differing views on how one should live biblically when it comes to money, but paying off debt is show clearly in Proverbs to be something of extreme importance. Please take a minute to look over these scriptures:
Proverbs 11:1 (Honest money practices)
The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.
Proverbs 17:18 (Loaning money)
A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
Proverbs 22:7 (Debt)
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Over the course of the last 9 months, I have not only studied how to pay off debt, but the importance of doing it. I hope that this encourages you to pay off your debt, or at least to start looking at it in a different light (like more important than new furniture). Lastly, I do want to add that in all the talk about debt, King David thought it important to remind us that giving is extremely important too. Keep that in mind as you write your budget.
Here is a great website with free Dave Ramsey information and LOTS of biblical references to debt. www.christiancommoncents.com
Good luck and God bless,
The Andersons (JME)
Proverbs 11:1 (Honest money practices)
The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.
Proverbs 11:24-25 (Tithing & giving)
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 17:18 (Loaning money)
A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
Proverbs 19:15 (Laziness)
Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Over the course of the last 9 months, I have not only studied how to pay off debt, but the importance of doing it. I hope that this encourages you to pay off your debt, or at least to start looking at it in a different light (like more important than new furniture). Lastly, I do want to add that in all the talk about debt, King David thought it important to remind us that giving is extremely important too. Keep that in mind as you write your budget.
Here is a great website with free Dave Ramsey information and LOTS of biblical references to debt. www.christiancommoncents.com
Good luck and God bless,
The Andersons (JME)
Friday, September 24, 2010
updates...
So I last left off in March, it has been 6 months since my last blog, and for that I apologize. Let me update you now...
End of March
Shortly after winning the award for Rocket's teacher of the game, John and I decided that I should stay home to watch Hailey. It would require a lot of sacrifice, and I would have to watch several other kids, 5 to be exact, but we thought we could do it...
Fast forward to May 15...
I quit my job April 16 and felt great about it! That is until we found out WE ARE PREGNANT AGAIN!!!! Yay! God is so good to us! After finding out, we started to reevaluate our finances and realized that with the cost of insurance and the cost of no maternity leave that going back to work was the best bet for us.
Summer Time
Summer was great. The nausea wasn't nearly as bad as with Hailey, but the heat was WAY worse! Everytime I stepped outside it was excruciating! LOL John is going back to school to get his certificate in Six Sigma Black Belt. He already earned his Green Belt, so now he is off to the bigger and better certificate, Black Belt. He will complete his courses in Dec/Jan, just in time for baby! ;-)
August 2010
School started August 11 and was very tough to start. Mostly because I had resigned and had to be rehired. I had the pleasure of going to all the new hire orientations and even got to sign my contract with a bunch of first year teachers. Oh and the best part was, I had to go 1 1/2 months without pay because, as a new hire, I was on a new payment plan than when I was originally hired! It was ironic, I went back to work for the money and now I wasn't going to be paid.
We had a struggle finding a sitter for Hailey, but ended up with an amazing girl named Laci. Hailey gets to stay home and hang with Laci while I am away at work. The other baby that hangs out with Hailey is named Kadence (she's 10 months) and her mommy, Nydia, works with me at Springs. It couldn't have worked out better!
September 2010
CALEIGH MICHELE ANDERSON!! Hailey is going to be a big sister to another little girl! What a blessing that has been! We have so many clothes from Hailey's closet that we were very excited to get to share them with our next daughter.
We love you all long time. More updates to come!!
End of March
Shortly after winning the award for Rocket's teacher of the game, John and I decided that I should stay home to watch Hailey. It would require a lot of sacrifice, and I would have to watch several other kids, 5 to be exact, but we thought we could do it...
Fast forward to May 15...
I quit my job April 16 and felt great about it! That is until we found out WE ARE PREGNANT AGAIN!!!! Yay! God is so good to us! After finding out, we started to reevaluate our finances and realized that with the cost of insurance and the cost of no maternity leave that going back to work was the best bet for us.
Summer Time
Summer was great. The nausea wasn't nearly as bad as with Hailey, but the heat was WAY worse! Everytime I stepped outside it was excruciating! LOL John is going back to school to get his certificate in Six Sigma Black Belt. He already earned his Green Belt, so now he is off to the bigger and better certificate, Black Belt. He will complete his courses in Dec/Jan, just in time for baby! ;-)
August 2010
School started August 11 and was very tough to start. Mostly because I had resigned and had to be rehired. I had the pleasure of going to all the new hire orientations and even got to sign my contract with a bunch of first year teachers. Oh and the best part was, I had to go 1 1/2 months without pay because, as a new hire, I was on a new payment plan than when I was originally hired! It was ironic, I went back to work for the money and now I wasn't going to be paid.
We had a struggle finding a sitter for Hailey, but ended up with an amazing girl named Laci. Hailey gets to stay home and hang with Laci while I am away at work. The other baby that hangs out with Hailey is named Kadence (she's 10 months) and her mommy, Nydia, works with me at Springs. It couldn't have worked out better!
September 2010
CALEIGH MICHELE ANDERSON!! Hailey is going to be a big sister to another little girl! What a blessing that has been! We have so many clothes from Hailey's closet that we were very excited to get to share them with our next daughter.
We love you all long time. More updates to come!!
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