Friday, December 7, 2012

A Legacy of Financial Peace: an SJE Testimonial

Our journey to financial peace began in January 2008.  Entering into marriage 10 years earlier, we were not carrying any credit card debt.  We made purchases only if we could afford to pay for them within 30 days.  But home ownership - and home improvement stores offering no payments, no interest for 1 year on credit purchases - were too tempting!  We began a cycle of planning home improvements, executing those plans, and paying for them by paying off the credit card one year later with our income tax return.  The madness of this situation hit us in January 2008 when a $10,000 tax return VANISHED within 10 minutes of entering our bank account.  Julie wrote checks to pay for 2007's vacation, jewelry and home improvements and there was nothing left.  We discontinued our annual tradition of immediately heading back to Menard's and Lowe's with project lists in hand, but we didn't have any direction for how to move forward.

In fall 2008 we signed up for the Crown Financial 10-week life group bible study through SJE.  Finally, someone proclaimed God's teaching about finances and faith.  Our hearts were open and we embraced His message of stewardship with joy.  We made our first budget, began tithing, and talking about financial stewardship with all of our friends.

A phone call from fellow bible study participant, Lisa DeBoer, led Julie to an information session about Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University beginning in January 2009.  Lisa had given us Dave's Total Money Makeover on CD for Christmas.  We listened to it on our annual drive to visit family for Christmas.  We were skeptical but excited.  But we had just finished our 10-week bible study and we weren't ready to commit to another 13 weekly meetings with 3 children (ages 7, 5 and 3) to find childcare for on school nights.  But after creatively "finding" $100 in the checkbook, Julie left the information session registered for a life-changing, roller-coaster ride to financial peace (and had to go home to convince Todd that we could "swing" the registration fee and evenings away from the children).

With Crown, our hearts were fully converted and we embraced stewarship.  With Financial Peace University, we discovered the tools that have helped us to achieve financial goals that we thought were only dreams.  We cut up the credit cards once and for all (about 15 of them) at our FPU class in 2009, our baby step #1 emergency fund hasn't dipped below $1,000 since we opened it, and we accelerated our remaining consumer debt and paid off a 5-year car loan in a little over 2 years (baby step #2).  Along with Lisa, we brought FPU to SJE later that year.

In February 2010 we learned an EXTREMELY important and life-changing lesson on leaving a legacy of financial peace.  On Ash Wednesday, Todd's dad unexpectedly passed away after a heart attack brought on by the stress of recovery from surgery to remove a tumor in his kidney.  Our lives changed forever.  It was our first experience losing an immediate family member.  And it impacted us financially too.  "Dude," as we affectionately called him, was our primary childcare provider when we wanted to run errands, see a movie, do our Christmas shopping, go for a date night, etc.  He was also our financial role model.  He worked hard for many years at the Amoco refinery in Whiting and retired early at 55.  He lived a fiscally conservative lifestyle.  He paid for everything in cash...a foreign concept to us for many years!  As a result, he was able to do whatever he chose to do during his retirement.  He traveled with us to Vegas many times, securing us free lodging and meals with his casino play so that we could enjoy the entertainment offered by the town.  And he was the most generous giver we knew.

Dude's final gift to us was financial peace.  Todd's inheritance helped us complete baby step #3, but it also taught us what Proverbs 13:22 should look like: "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children."  We are committed to being responsible with the gift we have received, both financially and spiritually, so that we may do the same for our children and grandchildren.  We started FPU at SJE so that others could change their family legacy as well.  We see the fruits of that effort in many families...and we pray that yours will be the next! 

Advent Blessings,
Todd & Julie Zasada
December 2012

The new 9-week format of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University will be offered at SJE on Thursday evenings beginning January 10, 2012.  For more information or to register online, please visit our website.

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