Death of a Respectable Actor

Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York apartment yesterday 01/22/2008 around 15:26 PM (EST) of an suspected overdose. An autopsy was done on 01/23/2008 but came out unconclusive. Which means more tests will have to be done and may take up to 10 days. He performed in such movies as: 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knights Tale, The Patriot, Brokeback Mountain, and Batman's DARK KNIGHT which will be in theaters this Summer and will be Ledger's final performance. Rest In Peace.

Setting up for a Life's Change

Hey everyone! I can't believe it took me SO LONG to mention this! Michele and I have enrolled in a financial class called Financial Peace University. It was developed by a man by the name of Dave Ramsey out of Nashville, TN. This "class" is a 13 session course and done in a group of people, in all age brackets, who are looking for that financial stability whether they're just starting college or already retired.


I think it should be part of a High Schooler's life! The course is based on 7 baby steps. The first step is to get a $1,000 Emergency Fund as fast as you can. This step is the easiest and yet the hardest to achieve if it's not already in place. Why?! It's easy because it's the start of your savings that it's only the $1,000 and helps motivate you to dedicate your mind to the idea of the course; however, its the toughest because some have to make sacrafices to reach that first goal.

Anyhow, I've been to 3 sessions and I can honestly say, "I LOVE this stuff!" But I also have a tough time with it. We've had to make a written BUDGET, I prefer to call it a Cash Flow Chart :) Meaning I have to quite spending on the items I want and pay more attention to the items I need. I am looking forward to getting rid of the debt that I've obtained the last 4 years and working towards more giving to good causes, owning my own house, saving for education, and finding that financial peace. These times that we're (meaning the group I'm with) together; we watch about an hour long DVD of Dave Ramsey speaking with a group at a conference, we speak in a large group about what we learned from the DVD and the readings in the book that we read throughout the course, then we split into smaller groups and go into the questions a little more and learn from others group member's experiences. Everyone gets the workbook to the course and get to see Dave Ramsey live and animated, I mean ANIMATED! He really knows how to connect with people and that includes large audiences.

I was first introduced to the idea by Jim, my older brother, who took the course in Mankato, MN with his wife. Then Mike and I had gotten together for a Bible Study and breakfast and he spoke to me about finances and gave me a book called Your Money Map: A Proven 7-Step Guide to True Financial Freedom by Howard Dayton so we could work on it together. Then Dane spoke to our church and wanted to put the Financial Peace University course together.

The course was only $90 and it's being "managed" by Dane and Mike. Two awesome guys who have been through thick and thin in their own lives, and are great examples and resources of how money works. I have already referred 5 people to this course and would encourage many more to do so. I'll keep you updated on my journey to financial peace. ~