Hoop Love
Apr 15, 2008 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
This weekend, at Riverview, I mentioned that I have been looking at basketball hoops for my kids.
Well…someone gave me one. A brand spanking new one.
Seriously…I have no idea who. I’m posting this here because I want to say “thank you” and I am hoping that the mystery person reads my blog.
“Thank you.”
I also had a few people offer me hoops they are not using anymore. If you have a need for one, let me know and I’ll see if I can connect you with one of these people.
Tipping Jesus
Apr 15, 2008 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Wow. I’ve had tons of amazing feedback from the series on finances we just wrapped up.
This past weekend, I talked with two couples that have been following the “snowball” debt elimination plan I shared during my message. In less than a year and a half, one of them has eliminated $25,000 in debt and the other has eliminated $60,000! Amazing. It was so cool to hear their stories on how they are dreaming of leveraging all that Jesus has entrusted them with.
For those of you who missed the message, here is the plan for getting out of debt we talked about. Remember, this is just one plan (out of many out there) and that I am not a financial planner. To get specific advice on your situation, you may want to connect with Certified Financial Planner.
OK, here is the plan I suggested:
1. Spend less than you earn
2. Know what you are spending your money on
3. Develop a budget (you can download a sample budget here)
4. Stick with your budget (even if you need to put cash in labeled envelopes)
5. Snowball your debt (if you don’t remember how to do that, fast forward to ~25:00 of the teaching)
6. Set up an emergency savings account with a minimum of $1000 and try to get it up to 3 months of your living expenses
7. If you need help, get it (you can download information on Riverview’s Budget Coaching here)
Here’s a link to a great retirement calculator.
I’m super stoked about what God has done during this series and what he will continue to do as we journey from being Tippers to being Givers.
Don’t forget,
“Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses, the Joneses can’t do math.” (Dave Ramsey)
Dinner with Larry
Apr 10, 2008 Quotes
Last night, a handful of us had the opportunity to have dinner with Larry Osborne, who is one of the early innovators of the multi-site / video venue church concept. I had the most amazing piece of steak. Yum.
During dinner, Larry made an interesting statement about life as a hippie Christian in the 70s. This is a paraphrase:
“While studying our bibles, we all dressed alike, drank beer, smoked cigars, and threw in a few cuss words to be cool. We thought we were so hip and original.”
Sound familiar?
10 Years of My Life
Apr 4, 2008 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Just stumbled onto this quote (via Bob) by Oswald Chambers:
“I hate to meet a man whom I have met ten years ago and find that he is at precisely the same point, neither moderated nor quickened nor experienced but simply stiffened.”
-Oswald Chambers
10 Years.
This made me think of where I was 10 years ago compared to where I am now.
I had 1 kid…now I have 4.
I had just taken my first ministry job as a youth guy for two churches with a combined ministry of 25 students…now I pastor one of those churches with over 2000 in weekly attendance.
I lived in a tiny house in the city proper of Lansing…now I live in a comfortable house in the burbs.
My waist size was 32…now it’s 32 (it hit 36 in between).
I worked part-time as a Christian DJ…now I podcast / vodcast.
I drove a 4 year old car…now I drive a 10 year old car.
I dreamed of doing big things for Jesus…now, by God’s grace, I hope that is true and I hope those things get bigger and bigger.
But what about the things Chambers mentioned? “Moderated, quickened, and experienced.”
Well…on those I think I’ll personally wrestle. It seems weird to post about them. Good things to think about, for sure. Kinda goes along with some recent thoughts by Perry Noble.
