family

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For Christmas, my younger brother, Alden decided to give me four bricks and another present wrapped 8 layers deep.  He captured this video (from the present I gave him) in which the whole family is laughing hysterically.  It made for the most fun and memorable Christmas yet.

For the past two weeks I've scoured over hundreds of blog posts, listened to hours worth of podcasts and sermons, read and reread multiple books, and had many conversations with friends and family on financial strategies.

In all the books I read I've reached these simple conclusions:
1. Stay out of debt.
2. Spend less than you earn.
3. Save/invest for the future.

Here are some other little tidbits…
A. Invest at least 10% of your earnings into no-load mutual fund or S&P index-tracking stock.  (I personally own FFFFX through Fidelity and VFINX through Vanguard.)

B. Max out your Roth IRA first and then work on maxing your 401k. ($4k contribution limit for the IRA and $15k limit for the 401k)

C. Pay off your debt starting with the debt that has the highest interest rate you have.  e.g. Credit cards usually have the highest interest rates.

After you've done those things then I would really encourage you to read these books if you're looking for a healthier financial life:  The Automatic Millionaire, The Richest Man in Babylon, Wealth Without Risk, Winning The Loser's Game, and The Wealthy Barber.

And please by all means check out some of these posts and podcasts:
Mint - Graduated?
Mint - Reduce Your Expenses
Money Guy - Your Retirement Options
Money Guy - Podcast Episodes 

This past week(end)* I went down to Auburn to see an old friend Jeremy lead worship at Encounter.  I remember Matt's talks being powerful, but I think over the years he has developed a keen sense of what captures the hearts and minds of college students.  I love his family stories and I thought this clip was nothing short of amazing.  Simply precious…

story on God pursuing a child. 

*special thanks to John for the lodging, Paul for the laughs, Peter for the counsel, Andrea for the time at dinner, Lana for taking my money, Tyler for the squinty-eyed smiles, and Matt for bringing attention to a long forgotten email…

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

I got an email from a friend last night that had this verse included in it. Today I talked to a business owner who moved to the States from Bolivia in the 60s. The only reason he moved here is because a missionary told him that God had big plans for him to impact a lot of people. Turns out his whole family started to follow Christ and moved to the US in search of the American dream. A true chance at freedom and opportunity. He calls the States the “land of milk and honey.” At one point in the conversation he told me that Christ through missionaries are “a bright white light shining in the darkness.” I thought that was pretty significant considering the email that I received a couple hours before that conversation. God works in mysterious ways for sure. I wonder what he’s up to now?