Radical or Responsible?

I did the same thing with this post as I did with the "Caleigh-fornia" post....I'm a dork. :)

Today's lesson at church was about living the radical life Jesus called us to, and I have really been struggling with this idea lately because a lot of my friends are reading the book Radical. Radical is about living radically in the biblical sense, leaving all you have and following after Christ. And I couldn't agree more. We should live a totally radical life that brings glory to God. But, I have also been doing a lot of research about paying off debt and how that relates (if at all) to biblical principles. As I have posted before, there are many scriptures about our responsibility to pay off our debt and once paid off to live debt free. So I have been feeling very torn about what we are supposed to do and how we are supposed to do it.

After today's lesson I found Paston David and just asked him, "Where do you find balance between living radically and living responsibly?" I expected him to tell me that radical living comes first, period. But he didn't. He said the answer to that question is TIME. He continued by saying, "At this time you are living biblically by paying off your debt and not being a slave to your past and debt. At this time you are living responsibly by paying off the debt you owe, and in time you will be able to live radically." It made me feel good about what John and I have been doing lately, because I haven't felt a call to live radically...yet. I have though, felt a HUGE call to pay off our debt. He ended by saying the most important thing we can do when trying to decide whether to live radically or responsibly is to examine our heart. If we are living responsibly out of selfishness or fear then we should reexamine our priorities. But if we are living responsibly because we want to follow all that the Lord has said then we are in good shape.

Pay off your debt so you can finally live free of the burden of being slave to your money. Why do you think the Lord's prayer includes a line about forgiving our debts? Because it's a big deal to be debt free. I can't wait for the day that we can say, "WE ARE DEBT FREE!"

Caleigh-fornia

So...apparently I have more blogs than I know what to do with! I can't see my blogs from school because the actual blog is blocked by the district. I can however post things. So I wrote the following post from school two weeks ago and then I posted it to the WRONG blog! Sorry you didn't receive the update when I originally posted it, but here it is now. Enjoy! :)

Yay! I have hit the 27th week in this pregnancy! At the end of this week I will be entering the third trimester, which is both exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. I have been drinking my gallon of water (dehydration is one of the causes of contractions) everyday, at this time I am wearing my Camelbak (a backpack made to hold water) and I look like a huge dork doing it! But do I care? Heck no! My students already know that I am crazy, now they have proof! ;-)

I am taking magnesium and folate supplements, which are supposed to help reduce the amount of contractions I have. And I am trying to take it easy as much as possible. The contractions seem to be more intense at the end of the day, I had 5 in one hour yesterday evening, and when I am exerting ANY physical activity, IE walking up the stairs, bending over, lifting Hailey. It's been a real bummer not being able to pick up Hailey any time I want, but maybe that's God's way of helping her become a little more independent.

John has been a huge help during all of this. He has really stepped up to the plate. I still try to give Hailey her baths and we cuddle at night before bed, but John has mostly taken over doing the dishes, playing with Hailey after work, drying her and dressing her after her bath. It has been really nice. Maybe this is God's way of preparing John for after Caleigh is born! ;-) He is still doing his schooling, but has decided to go at it full speed and is trying to be finished with 8 more weeks of school in the next 4 weeks. I know he wants to be done before Caleigh is born and I am sure would love to be done before the holidays hit.

The last update we have is about Dave Ramsey and our financial peace. We just recently paid off another credit card! Yay! We are now up to $15,547 of paid off debt! Again, it's hard to see that number and not get annoyed that in the last 10 months we have paid that much money into "nothing", but I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Only 2 more loans, 1 car loan, and 1 credit card to go and we'll be screaming from the rooftops, "We are DEBT FREE!"

I know times are tough for everyone right now, but I recently heard someone describing what true worship of God looked like. It's not necessarily singing in a church, but it is finding God in everything you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. Find Him in the little things and thank Him for them. Thank Him for these struggles, for you don't know what purpose they serve. Find Him in it all and then you will truly be worshipping the God of the universe.

Blessed

Life around here has been pretty blessed. John and I have been getting along great! Hailey is learning how to share with her new friend Kadence Lorelei (Mommy's friend Nydia brings her over everyday to be watched at our house by our new sitter Laci) and Hailey can even say Caleigh (pronounced cali). It may sound a bit like Daleigh, but at least she is trying. We tell her everyday that she has a little sister coming soon and she points to my belly and says, "Baby!" She likes to go in Caleigh's room and put her dolly in the baby swing. She points to the bed and says, "Shh, ni night." I think she is going to be a great helper. She helps mommy fold laundry and loves to do the dishes, so I am super excited about how she can help when Caleigh does get here. :)

On a little bit more serious note, the biggest concern for our family right now is that I have been having braxton hicks contractions (the doc says they are not "real" contractions, but tell that to my uterus when I am walking down the hall and have to double over because of the tightness and pain) for several weeks now. The doctors have recommended I drink LOTS of fluid (a gallon of water a day) and take limited duty at work. What all that means is, I have to pee a lot, which doesn't sound like limited duty to me, and I can't walk around like teachers do. I am stuck sitting in a student desk for the remainder of the pregnancy, or for as long as I will fit in one! I am currently 27 weeks, which is exciting because at the end of this week we will be in the third trimester, and due January 18, 2011. Our prayer for the moment is that Caleigh will remain comfy and safe until at the very least January 15, so she can be born on the same day at Hailey. As you may know, John and Matt were both born on the 14th and Michael and I were both born on the 28th, so it would be super cool if Hailey and Caleigh could be born on the 15th. :)

The last bit of news is that John is currently back in school getting his Master's Certificate in Lean Six Sigma. He has already received his green belt (bring on the karate jokes) and will be receiving his black belt in December (remember those karate jokes? who's laughing now? ;-). I just want him to know how proud I am of him. There is no way my brain could have any more room for schooling at this point, so I don't know how he does it! A Bachelor's degree and now a Master's Cert, all in the last 2 years! You go boy! ;-)

We love you all long time,
The Andersons

Paying off debt...stop giving?

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.

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 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.

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)

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!!

Long time overdue!

So I haven't written in awhile...but the best part about that is that we have been sooooo busy with the photography that I haven't had time! Yeah!! So here is our family update!

February 5, 2010
I decided it was High time for me to dedicate JME Portraits to God. I spent a whole day praying about it and asking God to take the business for his Glory. In all things I want to give glory to the God that created all things! Our slogan is, "Capturing the moments that matter." But I would like to think of it as capturing the moments that matter, the moments given to us by God. I think once I run through the business cards I have now I will reprint them with the new slogan, giving glory to Him.

February 13, 2010 & February 15, 2010
Hailey had her first birthday! And my mom and brother flew out from California for this special day. What a treasure to have time with them after all they have been through. Michael is a special miracle for us, his accident reminded me of how much I love him, and every chance I get to spend with him is precious. So what was Hailey up to by her first birthday? Hailey's stats at her one year appointment included her being in the bottom 25% in weight, 35% in height and 90% in the big ol' head category!! She could crawl by her birthday, but not walk. She had her 2 bottom teeth and the top 2 were breaking through. Her favorite foods are carrots, celery, CHEESE, and apple cinnamon nutri-grain bars. She loves to take baths and she sleeps like a champ.

February 28, 2010
I turned 27 this year!! AHHHHH I have only 10% left of my years before I turn 30! Whoa!! Who knew you would feel so young when you turned the age that once felt sooooo OLD!! When I was 18 I thought 30 was OLD!! I got to get pedicures with all me best girl friends, Amber Fusca, Jana Kirksey, Molly Milillo, and Tori Parsons. It was so much fun, we had spa pedicures and manicures and then went and ate at Target! I know, nasty nachos!!! Yummy!! On Sunday we went to Huskies and had delicious hamburgers (or turkey burgers if you're ready this and you really know me!) ;-) It was so much fun to watch all of the babies sitting around eating like big people! They grow up so fast!!

March 9, 2010
I was driving to work and was listening to KSBJ radio station. KSBJ is a Christian radio station in Houston and I love to listen when I get the chance. On this particular morning they were asking if small business in Houston offered people deals for their birthday...well I started wracking my brain (AFTER I CALLED THE STATION) about what I would offer clients from my photography business on their birthdays. I got on air and we talked about my photoshopping skills, my business being dedicated to God, and how I offer clients a 30 minute birthday shoot for free! I got to work about 10 minutes later and sat in my car listening intently...but they never played the sound bite. BUMMER! So I got out of my car and went on to teach first period. At 7:50 am Nina Campbell text me to tell me she HEARD ME ON THE RADIO!!! What a blessing!! Apparently they kept the clip and edited it! They played the whole conversation on the radio! How amazing is that? Free air time on a popular radio station for JME Portraits!!!! Thank you Jehovah-jireh, the Provider!!

Here is the email I sent to John:
Praise!!!
So this morning as I was driving to work, KSBJ asked small business owners to call in and share what they do, for free, for people on their birthdays. So in my GENIUS I quickly thought about what I could do for people....and then I called in!!!!!!!! They answered and we talked about photography and how, if you are my client and it's your birthday I will do a FREE 30 minute photo shoot!! They asked me if I could do what they do for Oprah, and I said, "Oh yes!" I told them I was a woman and I know what it's like to get photos back, and so that makes me a master poser! ;-) I then waited in the car for 20 minutes listening, but they never played it. :( So I was kind of disappointed....UNTIL Nina Campbell text me to tell me she was listening to ME on KSBJ!!!!! They played my "ad" at 8:00 on the morning show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is good!!!!!!!!! Free advertising with the kind of people I want to work with, CHRISTIANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still shaking from the excitement!! I am going to email Nina to find out exactly what they played because I can't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love you all and thank you for your prayers, the business is growing and I believe it's because I dedicated the business to God on February 5. In all things we give glory to the God that created it all! We capture the moments that matter, the moments given to us by God.
Love you long time,
JME

March 14, 2010
Hailey WALKED!! John has been practicing with her for weeks, but on Sunday we sat in the hallway about 5 feet apart and she took 4 steps!! I then backed up and she took 8 steps!! She consistently took 8 steps that whole night!! I was soooo proud of our little angel!

March 14-21, 2010
I got to take Spring Break this week. It was a great week we played outside every day! Hailey can ride the rocking frog at the park next door, and she is VERY proficient in doing it all by herself! She walked to and from the house each time, it was beautiful. Now she can get in her ball pit, stand up, walk, and she even tries to keep up with Cami at Mrs. Beth's house! Now that is fun to watch!!

March 25, 2010
So the day has come!!! On Thursday I will be honored at the Rocket's game for teacher of the game!! The dream is for real!! I have to admit I thought it might not be real, because it's soooo amazing but I am going. The Rockets have contacted me and my PRINCIPAL to inform us that the game is happening this Thursday against the LA Clippers! My dad is flying out! Grandma Macie is flying out! Aunt Cindy, Macie and Jamie are going! Molly and Steve are going! This is just sooooo awesome!! I have 2 tickets on the court and 2 tickets in the suite with Devon Energy! My heart is so full as I type this blog that I almost can't see straight!! Thank you God for all of the blessings you have bestowed upon me and my family!

Photos are coming soon!! We love you all long time!!