PF KICK!!!


I am currently on a Personal Finance Kick right now! The "kick/obsession" began out of my desire to get out of credit card debt. I would read MSN Money articles all the time and try to figure out new ways to get out of debt. I wanted to be smart with my money, but up until this point in my life I have made one too many impulse buys.
One day about a month ago I decided to play tennis with a boyfriend of one of my wife's friends, whom I have been acquaintances with for about two years. We had always told each other that we should play tennis, and so two years later we played tennis. I was asking about his hobbies and he said that he was into blogging and personal finance. I said "Oh that's sweet! I am trying to get into blogging myself," (obviously not doing a very good job at that) and then asked what his blog address was. He said "Punch Debt in the Face."
I immediately went home and began reading these random, but informative blogs about personal finance. My curiosity went crazy and I began to ask "Ninja" (what he calls himself in his blog) all sorts of questions. He inquired about my current financial situation and then figured out a game plan. My biggest lesson so far has been, Why do we think that Debt is suppose to be a part of life? When did we learn to spend more than we have? It almost like we are trained for instant gratification and trained to go into credit card debt.
Once I am out of this current debt that I am in, I never want to go into debt again, besides a home mortgage, and I want to learn to save money and pay cash for things. Buying stuff becomes more meaningful when you save up for them or set a goal with your spouse.
So what about you, what sort of lies have you bought into about money? Were you taught about debt growing up, or is debt just something that you assume everyone was suppose to have?

People


I Love People! I love the differences in personalities, culture, diversity, and social dynamics that all kinds of people provide. I love how 50 different people don't have the same laugh. People make life interesting as you try figure "someone out". I have been with my wife, dating and married, for almost four years and I still don't have her figured out. I love learning what makes other people tick. People's lives are focused on different avenues of life, because people have different passions, upbringings, talents, and dreams. I need other people to feel apart of something. I love coming home from a long night of being out with friends or staying home with friends. People make you feel more alive than ever. I would be lying if I didn't admit that there is another side to people.

I Hate People! Some people just annoy the crap out of you. The way that some people are wired is nothing at all like you are wired. People do things that you just can't stand. Some people are loud eaters, or always need to be the center of attention or discussion. Some people enjoy different things than you do, so you really just cannot find anything to connect with. One of my biggest problems with love is loving these kinds of people. They didn't do anything to deserve my dislike, but I just dislike them because of their differences. It may sound like I am contradicting myself, but we all at different times love differences and hate differences in people.

I have been merely attempting to focus in on those people in my life that bother me for different reasons. What I am trying to do is see them as broken people. That person that annoys me, because of their constant need for affirmation and attention, is probably acting like that because they are desperetely trying to feel loved and accepted. I am broken in so many ways, and so are other people all over this earth. All I can do is take the time to look into their lives and actions and realize that they desire what I desire, We all want to feel loved! In my quest to learn to love, I am learning that not only do I need to learn to love more, I also need to learn to be loved. I need to realize that as a Human being I need love. I need to feel the loving touch of my wife, or the loving, and encouraging words of a friend. I love people, I hate people, but the thing about people is we all are people. We are People, craving for other people, to love us people.

Volume of Love

I always wondered why Christ would tell the disciples to keep quiet about this revelation that He was the messiah. I do not know if Rollins directly answers this question, but he does paint his own picture of what it might mean. On page 73 he says, "We can understand this when we grasp how affirming Christ as the Messiah is not a verbal act but rather is testified through ones life." Over the fourth of July Ashley and I went with some Friends to Las Vegas. Neither of us had ever been. It is something everyone should go experience once, but two days was enough for me. :) Anyways, on the fourth there was this crowd of Christians yelling into Megaphones that Christ was the Messiah, and that people should trust in Jesus. As we have found many times before this turns a lot of people away from Christ than it does bring people to Christ. This was a verbal act that tried to affirm that Christ was the messiah in the world, but the affects it had on people were minimal. If this group got creative and met the needs of the people in Las Vegas perhaps Christ might have been testified through their lives. It was a hot Fourth of July, maybe they could have passed out free ice cold water as a gift, and wished people a happy independence day. I dont know, just something to show that God loves them, and they love them. How loudly we scream that God loves other people really doesn't matter, what matters is how gentle are our actions of love towards others. Does our love take the time to see the hurts and pains in other people, or do we stop in our busy lives to take extra care of the people we interact with each day.


My prayer is that God would be testified in my life today and the next, and that people would see God's love coming out of me in the way that I act.

Contentment in Uncertainty

New to Blogging!!!

I am in a stage of life where there is a lot of uncertainty ahead. I just finished my Master's Degree in May and now the question is what to do next? I have had some leads about what might be interesting to do for a job, but nothing has really settled in. Ashley has been a huge support to me by encouraging me to follow my passions and not settle for any career. Happiness is not found in the highest paying job, but one that lines up with your passions. The most exciting part of life right now is that Ashley and I are headed into this uncertainty together. We know that we have each other and the support of friends and family. I am very thankful for my life at this point in time, and for what a blessing different people have been in my life. I am thankful for Ashley and the constant support and friend she has been to me. I do not know what is ahead, but I can find contentment in these uncertain times.

New to Blogging

I am very new to blogging, but I hope to use it as a way to express my thoughts. Share my joys with you all and connect on another level. Blogs will be used for honesty and fun. I am four months away from my wedding date and I hope to blog up to that wonderful day. I guess we will just see where blogging will fit into my life.