2 to Go!

The year is quickly disappearing and so are our opportunities to reach the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year.  Here is my update on how I am doing with my goals.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  During the month of September we had a few unexpected expenses, which slowed down our debt payoff by a month.  We are back to being set to knock out our current mortgage no later than March 1, 2016 (Only 851 Days Away!) 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 81 books in 2013 and as always working on a few mores.  I have fallen even more behind and am now two books off pace.  I will have the opportunity to do more reading during Thanksgiving break this month to hopefully catch up going into the final month of the year. 

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I ended up staying on track toward my goal at the end of October.  My short term goal for November is to lose at least 7.2 pounds to keep me on track!  

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  

UPDATE:  I have stayed on top of my personal quiet time this month and plan to add more journaling to the time during the month of October and share some of my thoughts through twitter or other social media outlets. 

Falling into October

I cannot believe it is already October.  September seemed to fly by and now we are getting ready to conferences and for fall weather.  Along with a new month marks a time to check in with my goals for the year.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  During the month of September we were able to knock another month off of our mortgage through saving and cutting expenses.  One of the expenses I am looking forward to shrinking is my cell phone bill starting in November when I switch carriers to save on my monthly fee.  We now will be debt free no later than February 1, 2016 (in 29 months)!

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I barely made my short term goal for September, but still am on track.  In order to stay on track I will need to lose 7.6 more pounds during the month of October.  I know it will be tough, but I am committed to making it happen!  In addition, part of our district wellness program has me tracking the amount of water I consume each day for the month of October.  I hope it helps me focus on staying hydrated and healthy! 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 74 books in 2013 and as always working on several other ones.  I have fallen behind pace by 1 books - but several of the books I am reading are ones that you read throughout the whole year (my devotional/the Bible) so those will help me finish strong at the end.  I still would like to use October's 31 days as an opportunity to get ahead of the ultimate pace again though. 

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

UPDATE:  I have done this consistently   I will still keep working on two post each week, but realize that if I end up with only one I am still successful. 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  

UPDATE:  I am doing well for my own quiet time and even have started a new study as a couple through our church, but have not done a good job leading in family devotions.  While I am still committed to doing a better job at this, I am knocking it off of my goals to do 5 times a week for the rest of the year.  It has been a struggle to line up our family schedules 5 times a week.  I think in the end it is more important to live out and talk about Biblical principles throughout your life than the time - but still want to create that habit for William too so will start recommitting to one time of week of intentional family Bible time. 

Three Great Books by Andy Andrews

Three of the books I read this summer were written by the Andy Andrews who now is one of my favorite authors.  Andy has written several great books.  The three that I read this summer were The Traveler's Gift, The Noticer and The Butterfly Effect.  All three books are written to help the readers become better versions of themselves.  I have not been paid, given anything or asked to review the books and am only sharing because I truly believe that these books could have a positive impact on your life.  Though the links below are affiliate links if you choose to buy the books using Amazon.


The Traveler's Gift introduces seven decisions that determine personal success.  I normally do not enjoy reading fiction, but this book did a great job of incorporating a fun writing style to communicate the seven decisions that could help each of us.  The main character in the book travels through time to learn from historical characters about each of the seven principles.  While reading the book I could truly picture what was happening in each location.  This book will challenge you to be a better you.  Available now for 99 cents on Kindle at The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success.

The Noticer was another book that can transform your life.  Throughout the book the main character, Jones, pops in and out of Andy life and the lives of others to give them a little bit of perspective.  Jones is a noticer, which means he notices things that others don't see.  Jones' advice throughout the book helped give the characters of the book a difference perspective of the "problems" in their life.  In addition, his advice can be applied into each of our lives as well. This book is available now on Kindle for only $2.99 at The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.

The Butterfly Effect talks about how the things we do on a daily basis have an impact on our environment and the world.  We may not be able to see how the things we are doing matter or make an impact on others, but they are.  Each of us will make a difference in the world.  What kind of a difference depends on the things we are doing today.  Available on Amazon at The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters.

All three of these books can have a profound impact on the way you live your life.  I have bought a copy of each to keep on my book shelf and read over and over to continue to apply the principles of the books and to share with my son.  I am really excited that Andy Andrews is coming out with a sequel to The Noticer titled The Noticer Returns on October 1st.  The Noticer Returns can be preordered on Amazon at The Noticer Returns: Sometimes You Find Perspective, and Sometimes Perspective Finds You.

Fore more about Andy Andrews and his books:

• Check out Andy's facebook page
• Follow Andy on Twitter
• Subscribe to his podcast on iTunes or Stitcher
• Visit his website

National Remembrance Day

I hope everyone has the opportunity to take time to remember and reflect on the events of September 11th, 2001 today.  I have decided to delay the posting of my regular post until tomorrow to honor those who lost their life 12 years ago and those who have sacrificed their lives for our country since.  I am privilege to teach in a school that helps students think about the events and how they will use their power for good in our world.  Students do a remembrance walk during healthy choices, in social studies we learn more about the events, we hosted a community walk last night and this morning we will be meeting around the flag pole for a time of prayer and reflection.



As you take time to remember the events check out events going on in your area and ways you can honor those who died through your service using the United We Serve website.

Bucket List to Life List

I recently was directed toward the Beyond the To Do List podcast and have spent some time listening to the past episodes.  One of the episodes that made an impact on me was when Erik Fisher interviewed Alli Worthington.  During the interview she talked about how she has a life list.  I found the the conversation very interesting and made me think about my bucket list.  Sometime bucket lists are seen are finite (for example 100 things before I die) and when you put an item on the list it stays on it until you complete it.  While a life list maybe is seen as more fluid - as your passions and interests change so can the items on your list.

Even though I said I would share some of the things that still remained on my bucket list on an earlier blogpost, I have decided to update my list and turn it into a life list.  Here are a few of the things that are on my list:

• Go on a mission trip with William
• Take William to lots of different events
• a Cubs game in Wrigley Field
• to a NFL game
• to Washington, D.C.
• to a Broadway Play
• to a major concert
• to a NBA game
• To watch William graduate from high school and college
• To meet my grandchild(ren)
• Be silent for an entire day
• Do a lot of traveling
• Visit the Holy Land
• Go on a Cruise
• Go to Hawaii
• Go to Africa
• Go to Asia
• Go to South America
  
• Go to Australia 
• Go to England
• Go to Niagara Falls
• Go to the Grand Canyon 
• Go to Ireland
• Attend/Do Specific things

• Watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve in New York City
• Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
• Be in DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival
• Go ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza
• Sleep overnight on a train
• Attend a Supreme Court hearing
• Go to a professional championship game
• Go to an Iowa bowl game
• Go to the Olympics
• Sky-Dive
• Hot-Air Balloon Ride
• Complete a marathon
• Complete a triathlon
• Complete the entire week of RAGBRAI
• Be debt free (including mortgage) and go to Dave Ramsey's studio in Nashville
• Have a commitment free summer

Sorry the list ended up so long, I kept adding things as I was typing.  I think by posting your life list in a public place you may connect with people who want to do similar things you do and have an accountability partner to make sure you take action when an opportunity arises. What are some things on your life list?  

September Goal Update

September 1st marks another month ending and therefore an update on my 2013 goals.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  Anna and I won a debt scholarship by participating in forums, completing survey's and writing a "debt essay".   This scholarship coupled with our budgeting helped us get 2 months closer to debt freedom.  We are set to become debt free no later than March 1, 2016, which is only 911 days away!  We have already met our goal of paying off over 20% of our outstanding debt so we will continue on paying as much off as much as possible this year.

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I was able to meet my short term goal that I set for August in order to stay on track to meet my ultimate goal.   In order to meet this goal, I will need to lose at least 8 pounds by the end of September.  

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 69 books in 2013 and as always working on several other ones.  I read a lots of books in August and have finally got ahead of pace again.  In September, my goal is to continue to stay ahead of pace. 

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

A friend shared a great idea on facebook that our family has decided to put into action in 2013.  We will be keeping a "Good News Jar" to write notes of all the good things happening this year to open up and read on December 31st, 2013.   

UPDATE:  I have written at least 2 post every week in the month of August.  I also have been able to get more predictable by posting on Wednesdays and Sundays. Our family has not done a good job and being consistent with the good news jar.  I will see if I can help lead us to do better this month.  If our family chooses to drop the goal, then I will report that at the end of the month. 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  Another spiritual wellness goal of mine for 2013 is to begin weekly devotionals as a family at least 5 days a week.

UPDATE:  I have got back on track with my personal devotional time, but need to do a better job of being a spiritual leader at home with family devotional time. 

A Scout Is...

This year scouting will be different for our family.  William moves from being a Tiger scout up to the Wolf den.  In addition, Anna and I have agreed to help lead William's den.  This is one way to for us to spend time with William while having an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of other children in our community too.  I am an Eagle Scout and am looking forward to sharing some of the values of scouting with my son and other boys.  Here are those values:

As teachers, we will work on creatively interweaving these values into each meeting in a way that will be fun for the members of our den.  One of the goals of Cub Scouts is for the boys to know, commit and practice these 12 core values.  I believe if every kid in America would know, commit and practice these 12 core values the future of our country would be bright.  Anna and I will do our part to help teach, model and help the boys under our care to grow in these areas.

Goal Update After A Crazy Month

We made it through July.  It was a crazy time with NEA RA, a family vacation, RAGBRAI, a training in DC and then ISEA Summer Conference.  It is now over and I can see a few days in my future that I may get to relax, spend time with friends and family and prepare for the upcoming school year.  I did make some progress toward some of my goals in July so I want to update you where I am.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances  find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  Anna and I are still on pace to surpass this goal in 2013.  We have knocked another month off our debt free date and are now on pace to be debt free no later than June 1st, 2016!  Which means we will be debt free in 1035 or less days.  I am looking forward to seeing that date be less than 1000 soon! 

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: As of today I am 46 pounds away from this goal.  In order to meet this goal I will need to lose at least 9.2 pounds each month this year.  Since the first month will likely be the easiest my goal is to be no more than 35 pounds away from this goal by the end of August. 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 57 books in 2013 and am working on several other ones.  Even though I read a lot while on vacation I didn't get much reading accomplished during my meetings, trainings or RAGBRAI.  I am currently one book behind pace to make my goal and will need to do a lot of reading these next few weeks before school begins to have a chance to meet this goal. 

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

A friend shared a great idea on facebook that our family has decided to put into action in 2013.  We will be keeping a "Good News Jar" to write notes of all the good things happening this year to open up and read on December 31st, 2013.   

UPDATE:  Now that I have taken the month of July off my blog I will be back at it starting now!

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  Another spiritual wellness goal of mine for 2013 is to begin weekly devotionals as a family at least 5 days a week using Bruce Wilkinson's Family Walk.

UPDATE:  I have continued with my personal devotional time it has been harder to schedule the family ones while traveling so much in July.  We will be working to recommit to those this month. 

Half Way There

The year is half over!  It is hard to believe that my goals area already 6 months old.  There are several goals that have had to be changed and others I have already accomplished.  Here is a quick update on them.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances  find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  Anna and I are still on pace to surpass this goal in 2013.  We have knocked another month off our debt free date and are now on pace to be debt free no later than June 1st, 2016!

Occupational Wellness 

One of my goals this year is to have portfolios prepared for every one of my students showing their specific progress based on the Humanities IB-MYP Objectives for 6th grade.  In order to do this, I will continue to stay organized and make sure to be given specific and meaningful feedback on all major assessments throughout the year. 

UPDATE: I have completed this goal and will not be adding another goal in this area this year so I can concentrate on the other areas. 

Physical Wellness 

I have many physical wellness goals this year.  One of my goals is to complete the entire week of RAGBRAI in July.  By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I have actually taken steps backwards on this goal and this month likely will not help as I am traveling most of it.  I still will be making this a goal and doing the best I can during the month of July.

Environmental Wellness 

One of my goals in 2013 is for William to complete the "Leave No Trace" requirements for cub scouts to learn the importance of taking care of our environment. We will work with William to learn to be intentional with doing things outdoors and indoors to help protect our planet. 

UPDATE:   William completed this achievement and got his award at the June pack campout.  I will not be creating another goal in this area to be able to concentrate on the other goals. 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 46 books in 2013 and am working on several other ones.  I am currently three books behind pace to make my goal, but hope that July helps me catch up and get ahead while on vacation. 

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

A friend shared a great idea on facebook that our family has decided to put into action in 2013.  We will be keeping a "Good News Jar" to write notes of all the good things happening this year to open up and read on December 31st, 2013.   

UPDATE:  I will continue working on these goals even while traveling. 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  Another spiritual wellness goal of mine for 2013 is to begin weekly devotionals as a family at least 5 days a week using Bruce Wilkinson's Family Walk.

UPDATE:  We completed our marriage small group study in June.  Anna and I are working on a couple devotional together over the phone while I am away and in person when possible this month. 

Keeping Priorities in Balance

One of the struggles I have while striving to live a balanced life is keeping my priorities in the right order.  I have many responsibilities to my family, at church, at work and within other groups I choose to be involved in.  Each of these responsibilities uses part of the the time I have each day.  Jon Acuff in his book Start says that we need to make sure to "disappoint the right people".  Who are the right people?  To know the answer to this question, we must know the priority order of our responsibilities. This will help us know who we should be disappointing when we are faced with a a decision with conflicting priorities.

Here is the order I believe our priorities should be and I will give some reasons why.  You can think about them and pray to help set your own order.

Priority 1: God
I believe that God should be our number one priority.  All other decisions and parts of my life are impacted on my relationship with God. This does not necessarily mean that your church activities come first, but your relationship with God should.  You need to make time to be in prayer and to study God's Word so that you can listen for what he is calling you to do in other areas of your life.

Priority 2: Spouse
If you are married, your spouse should be right below God and above everything else.  You need to continue to work on strengthening your relationship with each other.  God calls us to be one and you cannot do that without investing time into your relationship to communicate with one another about life.  If you have children it is important so that they can fill security of a strong marriage/family and have a model for relationships in the future.

Priority 3: Children
If you have children, we are called to take care of our own household or we are worse than unbelievers.  Not only does this mean providing for them financially, but being there to lead them spiritually, emotional, etc.  As a father I believe it is my job to help my son be the best version of himself he can be.  I want to help raise him to love God and to be a person of good character.  In order to do this we need to invest your time into our children.  Also, in order to take care of your family you need to take care of yourself, so I include my own physical/emotional needs under priorities 2 and 3.


Priority 4: Other Family Members
After you take care of your immediate family it is important to continue to strengthen your relationship with parents, siblings, grandchildren, etc.  This means spending time with them and helping them when needs arise.  You may even include close friendships into this priority level.

Priority 5: Work 
Whether we work outside the home or stay-at-home with the children we have responsibilities that take up time.  In Colossians 3:23-24 we are called to do everything we do as if we are doing it for God and that includes our work.  It is important to do the best we can at our jobs to be able to provide for our family, but also to represent our faith in the work environment.   We are called to be honest and be hard workers.

Priority 6: Friendships and Other Activities 
I include extra friendship time in priority 6.  I build friendships in throughout my life in the other priorities, but don't do as good of a job scheduling time to really build on these relationships as I would like.  Many times it friendship compete or are partnered with the activities I choose to prioritize.  To help prioritize the other activities in your life, you could make a list of the activities you participate in.  This list may include extra responsibilities at work, church activities or the clubs/associations you are a member of. When you finish compiling this list put the activities in order of highest priority for you.  By doing this, you will be able to know which ones are the most important.  Some strategies I use to rank my list include:

• the difference I can make in people's lives by doing the activity.
• the time the activity will realistically take away from my other priorities.
• the difficulty of getting someone else to take the role instead of me.
• the relationships (family and friends) that I could build on while doing the activity. 

I hope this helps you as you think about making a list of priorities in your own life.  What did I miss?  How would you rank your priorities? 

Called to Generosity

In the final class of The Legacy Journey, Dave Ramsey reminds us that we were made in the image of God and therefore are called to have a spirit of generosity.  Giving is the antidote to selfishness, so we should continually practice generosity.

Biblical Principles of Giving

• Giving is an expectation of God's people.
• Giving should almost always be done in private.  In very rare circumstances God may call you to use your giving to influence and inspire others, but this will not be often. 
• Giving should include your time, your treasures and your talents.  This is not multiple choice, it is all of the above.  You can tithe in all areas, but you should not substitute your talents/time for your tithe of income. 
• Giving is the most fun you can have with money.
• Giving creates overflow in your spirit which will unlock your potential in many areas of your life. 
• Unless you are called by God to do so, you should not give all of your wealth away.  You should not surrender your role as the manager of God's resources to someone else. 
• Practice the displacement method when giving.  You can use the time, treasurers and talents God has blessed you with to displace evil in our world. 
• Remember that you are the manager and not the owner of God's resources. 
• Commit to due diligence when giving.  We are investing in the Kingdom of God so you should understand how the money will be used to further God's mission.  Do your research just like you would for your investing for your own future. 
• Let your passions and values influence your giving.
• Always ask yourself if you are wasting God's resources.  This will make sure that the focus in on how the money will further the Kingdom of God. 
• Remember that we are blessed to be a blessing.  We are not blessed to consume everything but to be cheerful givers.

At what babystep should we be giving to others?

We should be giving our tithe (10% of our income) to our local church at all steps starting at step one.  We give our first fruits to God's Kingdom.  We begin to give extra starting at babystep 3.  We do this after we have taken care of our own household as the Bible calls us to do.  We then get to start "giving like no one else" through extravagant generosity when we reach babystep 7 or when God calls us to.  

I am looking forward to reaching babystep 7 and giving to causes and people that will further God's Kingdom here on Earth.  This was a great class and I would recommend it for anyone who has completed babystep #2 and wants to make sure to do the right things to change their family tree in a Biblical way. 

Talk to Your Kids about Money

Schools are not being allowed the time or resources to teach students sound personal finance.  As parents, it is our responsibility to educate our children about handling money wisely.  If you teach your child to have a healthy relationship with money it will impact them positively for the rest of their life.  It is never too early to begin teaching your children how to handle money and introducing them to fundamentals of personal finance.  Here are a few tips.

1.  The number one key for our family is that we manage our money for God.  Therefore, we are called to only do things with our money that would glorify God.  We are also called to be good stewards of his resources.  We pass this down to our son through our words and our actions.  We make sure to teach our son a commitment to giving.  We are helping William establish his own habit of giving financially as well as looking for ways to give our time in service to others too. 

2. Use real world situations to talk about money issues.  Do not shy away from the topic of money with your children.  If they don't learn how to handle money in different situations from you, where are they going to learn?  Even if you do not have a perfect history with money, your children can benefit from hearing from your past mistakes and lessons you learned.   

3.  Start now!  As soon as kids can count you can introduce them to money principals.  Help them learn to tell the difference between coins and bills.  Then move on to help them learn how to save, spend and give.   We also feel it is important here to introduce to your children the idea that money comes from doing work.  Set your child up on a commissions so that they get paid for the work you agree for them to do in advance.  As your child gets older the jobs will change and increase in pay.  We used Dave Ramsey's FPU, Jr. kit with our son and found it to be a helpful tool. 

4.  Discuss other basic personal financial principals with your children as they are ready for them.

• Help your children recognize the difference between needs and wants.  Too many people in our society today cannot accurately define these two words. 

• Help your children set savings goals.  When they are young they may save for a toy and as they grow they may save for their first car.  

• When your children are older teach them about long-term savings and the power of compound interest. 

• Help your child be a smart shopper.  Take children through a store to see the prices of goods then go to garage sales or check online through stores like ebay.  Discuss the difference in prices with your children. 

5.  Once your children are old of enough you can include them in your monthly family budget meetings.  This will allow your children to appreciate how spending decisions are made and how much different things from your family budget cost.

6.  Let your children make their own money mistakes.  They may learn a lot from their mistakes.  The key is to keep your children safe, while allowing them to learn to handle money wisely. 

Dave Ramsey's Generational Wealth

The sixth lesson in Dave Ramsey's new class, The Legacy Journey, is about generational wealth.  Dave shows examples of how generational wealth is all over the Bible.  Families are called to be managers of God's resources and that responsibility is transferred with the wealth to your heirs.  Dave explains that wealth is not supposed to be about consumption, so the kids should not be looking at their inheritance as an opportunity to not work or to buy anything they want.  Generational wealth should be used for expanding God's Kingdom.  

Culture teaches us that money is evil and that people with money should leave their inheritance to charity, but this is not what the Bible teaches us.  Proverbs 13:22 states, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but wealth of the sinner is stored up in righteousness."  Families are called more often to mange God's money than institutions.  Families that understand that the money that comes to them through work, gifts, or inheritance is to be managed for God will not be ruined by wealth.  While leaving money to charities and non-profits is okay, it does not follow the spirit of scriptures.

So, how do you make sure that the wealth God has called you to manage continues to be managed well?  Teach your children how to handle money as I have written about from previous sessions.  In addition to this, you need to do some estate planning.  This is an important piece to ensuring that you are being a good manager of God's resources.

In your estate planning, you should first make sure that everyone over age 18 has a will.  There is a 100% death rate for humans, so you will die and you need a will! Here are some things you should know about wills:

• Wills are state-specific, so if you move to another state you will need to redo your will. 
• Always update your will when major events occur.
• Married couples could do mirror-imaged wills. 
• Wills allow families to function in a crisis situation.
• Make sure you let people know what is in the will while you are alive so there are no surprises after you are gone. 
• If you have a net-worth or assets over a million dollars, you will want to consult an estate planner.

A few other important things to consider regarding estate planning:

• Most people do not need a living trust because it is not worth the hassle.
• Do not deed your home to family members prior to death.  
• Create a family constitution that will describe who you are as a family.

The final piece of advice that Dave gave in this lesson was creating a legacy box that contains all of your important information in one place.  This is something I am excited about doing for my family.  Creating a legacy box is one way you can communicate your love to your family.  Dave mentioned several things that you should include in your legacy box including the following:

• An executive summary of what is in the box
• All financial account records
• All ownership records (house, cars, etc.)
• All insurance documents (health, disability, life, etc.)
• All investment account information (retirement, college, mutual funds, etc.)
• A financial statement summary (debts/assets) 
• Contact information for all accounts
• Your will/estate plan
• Your funeral plans (you should pre-plan, but not pre-pay)
• Birth certificates, social security cards, etc.
• Legacy letters for the future to be read on death or important events

After you create your legacy box you, may want to create an additional copy of all the documents and put them in a safety deposit box. Make sure to show your family everything ahead of time so they understand how to use it and find the information they may need.  You also should update everything on a yearly basis or when major events occur.  

Overall, this was an inspiring lesson about how to ensure that the legacy of your devotion to God is carried on here on Earth even when you are with Him in heaven!