Just got back from Pigeon Forge, TN

Took vacation this past week in Tennessee. There was no internet in our room and I couldn't post.

Got some good pics coming. Winding down and resting today. Hopefully will post this weekend.

Oh yeah, we got the house up for sale! We got about 6 visits while we were gone to TN and 2 offers. Hopefully we'll be moving soon!

"Career Campus of Louisiana"

Check this out: www.careercompassla.org

This organization really encourages me. It was started by Kacy Edwards & Julie Scott, two Baton Rouge teachers who served in the public educational system and saw a need to help students transition from highschool to college. Anyone remember your highschool career counselor? Me neither, which is probably why the U.S. Navy got a hold to me first! Not only did they see a need, they had a passion for it and stepped out in faith, left the comfortable state employment situation to go meet a need in an area they had a heart for. Amazing courage in my opinion.

They are also TRULY making a difference by providing PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS to students who truly need it.. They aren't throwing money at it or using the situation as a platform to get elected to some office.......... Lord, I apologize for that right there and be with the starving pigmies in New Guinee....

Anyway! We can send them a blessing of $50,000 by visiting this site: www.campaignforyourcause.com.

We can vote EVERYDAY and help them win the prize. They are gaining ground because of our votes, so let's send them over the top! VOTE EVERYDAY!.

Prayer Request from Bangalore, India

David & Theresa Greenhough, called us yesterday and asked us to send out a prayer request.

They are in need of workers at their facilities. They take in homeless children and board them, teach them, feed them and love them. They have a School, Medical Clinic & Orphanage. The school will be for adults and children.

Also, they have told us that many neighboring regions are passing more laws against evangelizing & converting to Christianity. So, they are asking for protection and for wisdom as to how to deal with these laws, should they effect their ministry.

Theresa is an amazing woman of faith who I truly believes hears DIRECTLY from God. I think she has Jesus on her cell phone. Seriously, this woman knows scripture frontwards and backwards, she speaks with such authority, she is covered with God's annointing. David and Theresa are impacting the Kingdom of Heaven and its encouraging to follow their ministry.

www.gatewayindia.org

Interesting Financial/Marital Facts about Americans

These things are a big reason why my heart is for marriages and personal finances. Over the last 3 years or so, I've found out that they both go hand in hand. Brandi and I started in the marriage ministry over 6 years ago. Then, no matter what book we read or bible study we did, we realized how much personal finance went with marriage. The first fact is what has drawn us into the personal finance field about 2 years ago.

So, check it out, do a little personal evaluation. If any of these things pull on your heart, we would love to walk with you, teach you, encourage you and share our journey and our experiences and hopefully, help you take your situation to the next level and beyond. Where ever God wants you to be. Shoot us an email with any questions. See our email to the right of the page.


Conflict over money is still the leading cause of divorce today.
- Psychology Today

70% of people in North America live paycheck to paycheck.
- The Wall Street Journal

17% of Americans do not have enough savings to cover 1 week without a paycheck. 55% could not live for 3 months or less without a paycheck.
- USA Today

In a worldwide survey, 22% of U.S. consumers said they have no money left after paying basic living expenses. Only Portugal had more cash-poor respondents , with 23%.
- Kiplinger's Magazine

The estimated average credit-card debt per US card-holding households in 2005 was $9,312.
- Time Magazine

$12,338 - average credit-card debt amoung people who carry a balance.
46% - U.S. Households that carry a credit-card balance (2004).
9% - Families with debts overdue 60 days or more (2004).
- Kiplinger's Magazine

51% - Consumers who have at least 2 credit cards
14% - Consumers who have at least 10 credit cards
14% - Consumers who use at least 50% of their avaiable credit
- Experian National Score Index

In 2004 there were 1,597,462 personal bankruptcies filed in the United States.
In 2005 there were 2,078,415 filed.

In 1929 only 2% of homes in North America had a mortgage against them. By 1962 only 2% DID NOT have a mortgage against them.
- Christian Financial Concepts

Among people 55-64 years old, 50% still owed money on their homes in 2004. That's up from 37% in 1989. The amount of that debt in 2001 was $596,000,000,000. In 2004 that amount rose to $1,000,000,000,000. Keep in mind that in 1929 only 2% of homes in North America even had mortgages on them.
- Federal Reserve Board, Survey of Consumer Finances

Over 62% of Americans retire on annual incomes of below $10,000
- The US Census Bureau

Mortgage debt has increased 300% since 1975 and foreclosures are up 25% over just three years ago.
- The Federal Reserve

Mortgage debt has more than doubled since the early nineties.
- The Federal Reserve

The typical bankruptcy was not a homeless guy living on the street or a high rolling real estate salesman, but a "well-educated, middle class baby boomer with big time credit card debt."
- The Wall Street Journal

The average household has $84,454 of personal debt.
- USA Today

In 1980 the total consumer debt was $1.3 trillion. Today it is over $5.9 trillion.
- Consumer Reports Money Book

55% of Americans "always" or "sometimes" worry about their money.
- Marist Institute

There are 15.4 billion credit advertising impressions on the American public every three months!
- Jupiter Media

The personal savings rate in the US has now fallen to -2.2% -- the lowest in 60 years.
- The Department of Commerce

Premarital education is associated with higher levels of marital satisfaction, lower levels of destructive conflicts and higher levels of interpersonal commitment to spouses.
- Journal of Family Psychology

Couples who received premarital education had a 31% lower chance of divorce.
- Phone survey conducted in 4 states with 3344 adults

60% of second marriages end in divorce and 75% of third marriages end in divorce.
- Gary Chapman

Most marriages that fail list financial problems as a contributing factor, if not the main reason for the failure.
- Dave Ramsey

It takes the average millionaire 17-18 years to become one. Most are first generation and started with little or nothing.
- Dr. Thom Stanley

None but Jesus!

'Nuff Said.......Any Questions?

"Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage....."

Come on Al Bundy fans, sing with me!

I just wanted to share a post from someone who posted on a marriage forum I like to visit. The original poster was talking about not feeling in love with the spouse any longer. If you've spent any time in marriage ministry, serving couples, chances are you have heard this. If you've been married more than 4 weeks, you may have even thought this to yourselves. (Did I write that out loud?)

Anyways, another poster shared this with the rest of us. It realigns our thoughts and beliefs about God's definition of Love from the world's idea of cupid and butterflies in the tummy to 1 Corinthians 13 type of love.

I am encouraged to revisit this post as a standard to measure my beliefs about 'love' to make sure my thoughts and beliefs are lining up with God's. I also want to encourage unmarried men and women to look at this and KNOW this will be a challenge to be met in marriage and even in any relationships. I encourage engaged couples to look at this and be warned that "falling out of love" is a lie from the devil and has no part in a marriage covenant where Jesus Christ is the foundation of your marriage. I encourage couples in a struggle to let this be your guide in dealing with the EVERY DAY struggles of living with the opposite sex. I also encourage couples NOT struggling to see if this can help you take your marriage to the next level. I encourage EVERYONE to think about these wise words of encouragement because I believe realigning our thoughts about 'love' to God's thoughts about 'love' will help us live the life God intended. Enjoy:

Questions we should all ask ourselves:

Love is patient: Are we patient with each other? Do we bear with one another’s weaknesses?

Love is kind: Are we treating each other with loving kindness and grace? Are we tender-hearted in our attitudes and actions? Are we using cutting humour in how we relate to one another?

Love does not envy: Has either one of us displayed a spirit of envy? Are we exhibiting discontentment or resentment in what we have or don’t have?

Love does not boast; it is not proud: Are we being boastful, arrogant or haughty? Are we displaying an attitude of being more superior or smarter than the other?

Love is not rude: Are we being rude, intolerant or harsh with each other?

Love is not self-seeking: Are we living together in true partnership-not allowing our individual wants to take precedence over our relationship as a marital team? Are we giving back to each other or only taking?

Love is not easily angered: Are we being too irritable or hypersensitive with one another?

Love keeps no records of wrongs: Are we keeping “score” of that which we shouldn’t?

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth: Are we amusing ourselves and taking delight in that which would grieve God? When we converse are we speaking the “truth in love”?

Love always protects: Are we protecting each other's feelings? Do we rudely embarrass or belittle each other? Can it be interpreted in any way that we are attacking each other’s character?

Love always trusts: Are we living lives of trustworthiness? Are we putting our trust in Christ? Do we believe the best in our spouse?

Love always hopes: Are there times when we are quick to assume the worst in each other? Do we have hope because of Christ?

Love always perseveres: Are we giving up to easily? Are we persevering through problems and conflicts rather than caving in to them?