The Start of Something New

I've found that new beginnings don't always start with a new concept or situation.  Sometimes it has more to do with refining what we already know.  Starting over.  Getting a do-over.  Wiping the slate clean.  Or sometimes just taking what we know to a new level.  I feel like this year will be more of the latter.

A few weeks ago our Pastor spoke to my husband about our willingness to present a Financial Freedom class at our church.  We have had a lot of experience with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course.  We've taught it to individuals in our home and led a class a few years ago at church.  We accepted the responsibility to present the material.  We aren't financial gurus, we're just people who failed at this money thing and learned something in the process.

Our Financial Story

Nearly five years ago, our family went through a financial crisis.  My husband lost his job in a down-turned economy shortly after buying a house.  His masters degree in information technologies made no difference.  He was forced to work at McDonald's for nearly 10 months.  At minimum wage, we were no longer able to make our mortgage payments.  By the time my husband got another job that would cover the bills, the house was too far behind.  We were ignorant of how to handle such situations and ended up going through a foreclosure.

The foreclosure was handled by an unscrupulous attorney's office who was not forthcoming with information.  The sheriff served us with papers saying that we had 48 hours to vacate the premises one day before we received a letter from the attorney's office stating the foreclosure was complete.  It was a scary time.

Thankfully, in the time that my husband was working at McDonald's, I came across a book of Dave Ramsey's called Priceless at Goodwill.  I recognized the name but really didn't know anything about him.  When I flipped though it, I noticed that there were scriptures included and that Dave was interested in handling money God's way.  I bought the book for 99 cents.  It revolutionized my way of thinking.

It wasn't long before my husband jumped on board with the new ideas and we started implementing Dave's and the Bible's teachings on money.   When we were forced to move, we had money set aside that made the transition much easier.  We also had the knowledge to not make the same mistakes twice.

Since that time, we have been eager to share our story and the information that we've found with others that are in similar situations.  There are a lot of people who are hurting financially simply because they don't have the knowledge to handle it better. It is our privilege and our way of giving back to present the information that we have learned to others. Our first class was Tuesday.

I don't have it all figured out.  It's easy to slip back into old habits.  That's why teaching these financial classes are so good for my family.  It causes us to readjust and get motivated again.  So this year, I'm going to use what I already know and take it to a new level.

What is it that you want to improve in your life this year?