Happy New Year Again Everyone!!!!!
I hope your year is off to a great start. I look forward to seeing many of you back this week after your travels. And I hope that you have already joined in on listening or reading through the Bible together through the year on the Tapestry Mobile App: http://app.tapestrylife.org.
Now with that said, I am on a crusade to bring health in various ways to our church after experiencing some challenges that I shared Sunday and I will further release info on later the rest of the world. So, I have compiled a list of a few links that may be helpful for you to review this year! Hopefully they will help you with finances AND stir you up to think about our upcoming Dave Ramsey FPU course as well as a fitness option that is coming to the Tapestry early this year and more to come by year's end.
I am doing this because this year we really believe that we need to focus on all the things that can choke or kill our faith. The main things that affect the seed in the story of the seed and the sower had to do with external daily realities. If we are wise and plan and keep our focus on Jesus, it will allow us to be planted in deep, rich, good soil. And if we further take care of the daily things that can choke us when not wisely dealt with, we will be successful stewards and be able to walk a long, fruitful journey with GOD. It's not that these items are more important than faith. Truthfully, faith is where our roots run deep and the rest is an outflow of our relationship with Jesus, however, we often find that not being good stewards of these three things can often undermine and choke our faith life. So, there is a bit of harmony that is needed and the wise follower of Jesus looks at all of these aspects as they… "work out their salvation with fear and trembling…"
The three legs of the three legged stool we are focusing on this year are:
1 – Having Healthy Relationships (Dating & Family)
2 – Having Healthy Finances
3 – Having GREAT Personal physical, mental & spiritual health
Below you will find some items for each of these, but primarily first focused on finance since we are starting Dave Ramsey's course again and on personal health since Christy Jones is going to be sharing later about an AWESOME fitness/health group that is coming this year to the Tapestry as well.
So, with that said, there will be more to come, but this is our 2012 start!
Blessings!
pd
Some Great Links for Specific Areas of Finance:
Life & Money:
Dave Ramsey's Articles on how to get life and money at home in order: http://www.daveramsey.com/articles/home/
Budgeting:
Dave Ramsey's tools for budgeting: http://www.daveramsey.com/articles/content-center/category/lifeandmoney_budgeting/
Mint (An online, safe, trusted budget and financial management tool that integrates with all your financial institutions): https://www.mint.com/
Money & Investing Tools:
Smartmoney Magazine's tools for money and investing: http://www.smartmoney.com/tools/?link=SM_topnav_tools
Dave Ramsey's thoughts on investing: http://www.daveramsey.com/articles/content-center/category/lifeandmoney_investing/
Net Worth:
SmartMoney Magazine's Net Worth Checker Tool: http://www.smartmoney.com/Personal-Finance/Estateplanning/The-Net-Worth-Calculator-8003/
Money Tools:
SmartMoney's link to all their online tools: http://www.smartmoney.com/tools/?link=SM_topnav_tools
Free Credit Report: http://www.daveramsey.com/company/free-credit-report/
Retirement Planning:
SmartMoney Retirement Planner: http://www.smartmoney.com/retirement/planner/
CNN Money on retirement Planning: http://money.cnn.com/retirement/?iid=PF_Sub
Debt Management:
Dave Ramsey on debt management: http://www.smartmoney.com/Personal-Finance/Debt/Do-You-Have-Too-Much-Debt-14183
Estate Planning:
SmartMoney Magazine Estate Tax Planning Calculator: http://www.smartmoney.com/calculator/estate-planning/estate-tax-calculator-1304463115650/
Quicken Will Maker: http://www.nolo.com/products/quicken-willmaker-plus-WQP.html (all you need to know to do it at home. This can at least get you setup for the unthinkable).
Health Care:
SmartMoney On choosing healthcare: http://www.smartmoney.com/Spending/Deals/Choosing-the-Best-Health-Plan-13340/
Insurance:
SmartMoney Disability Insurance Calculator: http://www.smartmoney.com/Personal-Finance/Insurance/How-Much-Disability-Insurance-Do-You-Need-9711/
SmartMoney Life Insurance Calculator: http://www.smartmoney.com/Personal-Finance/Insurance/How-Much-Life-Insurance-Do-You-Need-12949/
Dave Ramsey on Life and All Insurances: http://www.daveramsey.com/articles/article-list/category/lifeandmoney_insurance/ (Be sure to note the simple take on Term Life Insurance for 30 years locked in at a low rate).
Taxes:
Tax Bracket Info: http://www.smartmoney.com/Personal-Finance/Taxes/Whats-Your-Average-Tax-Rate-9548/
http://money.cnn.com/pf/taxes/?iid=PF_Sub
Charitable Giving Article: http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/08/pf/charity_donation.moneymag/index.htm?iid=SF_PF_LN
Dave Ramsey on Taxes: http://www.daveramsey.com/articles/article-list/category/lifeandmoney_taxes/
Jobs, Education & Career:
CNN Money on Jobs: http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/jobs/?iid=PF_Sub
MIT (Yes the real one) Online FREE COLLEGE COURSES: http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Harvard (Yes, the real one) Online Free College Courses: http://www.extension.harvard.edu/open-learning-initiative
Other free online college courses: http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses
Franklin Covey Personal Mission Statement: http://www.franklincovey.com/blog/discover-purpose-building-mission-statement.html & http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/
Franklin Covey Time Management Training: http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/resources/view/pc & http://www.franklincovey.com/webcast/ & http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/subscribe/audio & http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/resources/view/art
Other Personal Development Resources from Franklin Covey: http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/resources
Real Estate:
Dave Ramsey on Real Estate: http://www.daveramsey.com/articles/content-center/category/lifeandmoney_realestate/
Health:
Clearing Clutter: http://www.familycircle.com/home/organization/tips/clear-clutter/
Fitness & Eating Tracker: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ & http://www.myfitnesspal.com/iphone & http://www.myfitnesspal.com/android & http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blackberry & http://www.myfitnesspal.com/windows
Our App: http://app.tapestrylife.org
A Great Relaxation & Task Management Game Tool: (One of my favorites!!!!) MINDBLOOM: http://www.mindbloom.com/
Some Interesting Articles:
How to use pesky leftover gift cards:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/got-gift-cards-sell-or-even-invest-them-2011-12-27?pagenumber=2
How to find cheap airfare:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/eight-tips-for-finding-cheap-airfares-2011-03-04?pagenumber=2
Unclaimed Funds:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-find-unclaimed-property-funds-2011-02-10?pagenumber=2
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-find-unclaimed-property-funds-2011-02-10?link=MW_story_insert
Keeping Your Credit Cards Safe:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-foil-electronic-pickpockets-2010-12-17?link=MW_story_insert
The link to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University Website that we are doing as a small group on Sundays again starting soon!
http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu
Email Lori for more info: lorihedrick@tapestrychurch.org