We started our fourth Financial Peace University session last night, with our biggest group yet.. probably almost 30 folks! This time the class meets in the computer lab at Tyner Middle Academy (which is also our new building for Sunday services, held in the cafeteria of the school), so everyone is getting used to setting up in a different space.
The start of a new class and meeting new people is always very interesting and exciting to me. This may sound weird, but I like the dynamic of people coming in not really knowing what to expect, and often being skeptical that this material can actually help their personal situation, later to find a much different opinion as they really dig into the material.
During the video section, Dave Ramsey talks about the first "baby step", which is getting $1,000 in the bank as soon as possible to establish your emergency fund. When he said "Baby step one is the easiest step, and it's the hardest step. It's the easiest because it's only $1,000...." and I heard a guy in the back go "psh!" ha. I know how he feels: "$1,000 is a ton of money! There's no way that's happening any time soon!" I'm excited to see how further classes and discussions will change his perception of his ability to do this. Usually learning to budget does the trick pretty easily ;•)
Many people have similar stories to share about their finances, but I'm always very interested to hear everyone's unique perspective. From a high school kid "just trying to keep some gas money" to folks having been through bankruptcy. The range is wide, but there are tidbits of every discussion that are helpful to everyone there.
I'm really excited about people getting excited on their own about this! It's funny - I feel like initially to get them there at all, requires excitement and redundant promotion from myself as a coordinator pumping them up to realize how much they want and need this. It's really fun when doing so turns into a genuine realization of that on their own.
Side note, I love listening to my husband tell our story about getting out of debt. He tells it so passionately, and not without some emotional reaction. It's very touching! I love how much this has come to mean to him, and to me.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Green Beef
I just did an experiment on Facebook ratting on green living a little. It's funny who and what gets commented on those things, but it is kind of entertaining to ruffle people's feathers.
I'm going to state my real opinion, or rather my "beef" about "Green Living" here, so that my opinion is clear, and not misunderstood. I consistently feel the desire to go on sporadic rants about the things that bother me about this topic.. but they haven't always been well presented in the past. And for some reason I'll feel better if I can well-present it and get rid of it lingering in my mind :•)
Beef #1: This is the biggest thing that upsets me about "living green" : When "Greenies" (hopefully unknowingly) give off an "I'm better than you because I do things the right way and you don't, but you really should because it makes you and everything better" vibe. That vibe is condescending and kind of rude. We all have our ways to live, and this idea is in my opinion a form of prejudice.
Beef #2: Yes the environment needs some help (although I think sometimes people underestimate how powerful nature is in the first place). Yes if we do things to help the environment, it will improve the environment. Eating organic food or putting a wind turbine in your yard isn't going to change the world. It might change your own world some, but isn't that a little selfish?
The scale of what we do is what will actually get things done about it. Yes grouping together may get it done.. but how many Greenies actually combine forces intentionally, go the government or wherever.. and try to actively improve things on a worldwide scale?
Beef #3: Constantly ratting on all the everyday objects/foods that are going to "kill" us because they're not greenishly safe is like elderly-ailment-complaining for twenty somethings.
Beef #4: Greenies striving to be "green" in every possible aspect of life. *Not Attainable slash Impractical!* How many Greenies own a car? hybrid or otherwise... how many of them use roads to get places? Trees had to be killed to put those roads down, good Lord! Gotta walk or bike I suppose, sucks for those who work 25 miles from home too.. do they make safe rubber bicycle tires? Better make sure. Also for bikers, Share The Road goes both ways.
Beef #5: I wholeheartedly support healthy eating! While I agree that healthy foods should be affordable and available to everyone, I just cannot bring myself to support a struggling-income family paying extra for organic or specialty items. Maybe you can get coupons for these, but often there are cheaper options than that. I also hate when people bash cheap grocery sources for not having healthy foods. Walmart sells organic. They also sell fresh fruits and vegetables that are totally healthy for anyone's consumption.
Also: Chicken, beef, pork and fish are not our "friends". I personally don't eat beef or pork because they tend to be fatty and I just don't prefer them. Here's the Bible: "One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him."
Eating meat in general isn't a bad thing. Even certain processed meats. Maybe if you eat like 10 lbs of it a day, yeah some issues may arise.
Beef #6: "Organic” does not necessarily mean “healthier.” The USDA makes no claim that organically
produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food. It's also good to note that everything in moderation is okay. Let your kid have a cupcake on their birthday without worrying about what kind of sugar is in it, for crying out loud.
I'm going to state my real opinion, or rather my "beef" about "Green Living" here, so that my opinion is clear, and not misunderstood. I consistently feel the desire to go on sporadic rants about the things that bother me about this topic.. but they haven't always been well presented in the past. And for some reason I'll feel better if I can well-present it and get rid of it lingering in my mind :•)
Beef #1: This is the biggest thing that upsets me about "living green" : When "Greenies" (hopefully unknowingly) give off an "I'm better than you because I do things the right way and you don't, but you really should because it makes you and everything better" vibe. That vibe is condescending and kind of rude. We all have our ways to live, and this idea is in my opinion a form of prejudice.
Beef #2: Yes the environment needs some help (although I think sometimes people underestimate how powerful nature is in the first place). Yes if we do things to help the environment, it will improve the environment. Eating organic food or putting a wind turbine in your yard isn't going to change the world. It might change your own world some, but isn't that a little selfish?
The scale of what we do is what will actually get things done about it. Yes grouping together may get it done.. but how many Greenies actually combine forces intentionally, go the government or wherever.. and try to actively improve things on a worldwide scale?
Beef #3: Constantly ratting on all the everyday objects/foods that are going to "kill" us because they're not greenishly safe is like elderly-ailment-complaining for twenty somethings.
Beef #4: Greenies striving to be "green" in every possible aspect of life. *Not Attainable slash Impractical!* How many Greenies own a car? hybrid or otherwise... how many of them use roads to get places? Trees had to be killed to put those roads down, good Lord! Gotta walk or bike I suppose, sucks for those who work 25 miles from home too.. do they make safe rubber bicycle tires? Better make sure. Also for bikers, Share The Road goes both ways.
Beef #5: I wholeheartedly support healthy eating! While I agree that healthy foods should be affordable and available to everyone, I just cannot bring myself to support a struggling-income family paying extra for organic or specialty items. Maybe you can get coupons for these, but often there are cheaper options than that. I also hate when people bash cheap grocery sources for not having healthy foods. Walmart sells organic. They also sell fresh fruits and vegetables that are totally healthy for anyone's consumption.
Also: Chicken, beef, pork and fish are not our "friends". I personally don't eat beef or pork because they tend to be fatty and I just don't prefer them. Here's the Bible: "One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him."
Eating meat in general isn't a bad thing. Even certain processed meats. Maybe if you eat like 10 lbs of it a day, yeah some issues may arise.
Beef #6: "Organic” does not necessarily mean “healthier.” The USDA makes no claim that organically
produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food. It's also good to note that everything in moderation is okay. Let your kid have a cupcake on their birthday without worrying about what kind of sugar is in it, for crying out loud.
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