Town Hall for Hope

Last fall, Tony and I took part in a small group meeting -- Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It was an AWESOME DVD course, and we really enjoyed the wisdom of Dave Ramsey and the practical steps he laid out to help everyone get out of financial problems. Thankfully, I have a very, um, thrifty husband who all his life has saved before purchasing things, so unlike me, he came into our marriage debt-free. He even used savings to purchase our 3300 (give or take) square foot home on over 5 acres of land, adjacent to a fantastic fishing stream, with cash...no debt there....AND he still had money left over. (Side note: Six years of marriage and two children have helped reduce that left over money...sorry, honey!)

Dave really talks about the wisdom of saving until you can afford something. Starting emergency funds then building into savings nests then giving and giving and giving as God leads you. His motto is "You have to live like no one else so that later on you can LIVE like no one else!" And he does have personal experience....shortly after he got married, they suffered some devastating blows in the housing market while at the same time not paying attention to their spending and went from being quite rich to having to declare bankruptcy. However, unlike most who have declared bankruptcy, the Ramseys worked hard over the next many years, using many of Larry Burkett's financial methods, to pay back every cent that was written off on their debts while at the same time saving money and also raising three children....and teaching them the value of wise investment so their children wouldn't go through what they did. Dave is now a multi-millionaire many times over, about 20 years after bankruptcy.

Dave is a very personable man, easy to listen to, and has alot of great ways to get his point across. He's not afraid to tell someone how stupid they are for spending money foolishly while at the same time really helping out someone who made some poor decisions without thinking things through. He's on the radio nationally (usually on "regular" stations, not "Christian" stations) and also has a weekly segment on FoxNews. Dave's a Christian, but his message is about getting yourself out of a financial mess, often referring to many of the verses in Proverbs about saving and spending.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, this Thursday, April 23, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, there will be a live simulcast, airing mainly in churches although there are probably many other venues that will also air the same, of Dave Ramsey and his Town Hall for Hope. He'll be talking about today's economy and what's really going on. Find out where one is in your area and plan on going. You really won't regret it. Our church --Faith Baptist -- for those of you in the local area, will be holding the simulcast. Here's some more information from the flyer:

Mark your calendar for April 23 at 7:00 p.m. (central). We are holding an exciting one-time national event called Town Hall for Hope, and you're invited!

We all know that the economy is causing a lot of fear among Americans. It's time for our nation to come together to find hope for the future -- and that's exactly what Town Hall for Hope is all about.

At this free, 90-minute event, Dave will address the nation live with straight talk about what's really going on with the economy. He will discuss the history of the economy, real stats, and steps to take toward hope! Plus, he will answer questions from all around the country. You can submit your questions via email, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You do not want to miss this historic event! It's shaping up to be one of the most-viewed webcasts in history. Over 5,000 host locations across the U.S. will be broadcasting the live-feed on Thursday, April 23, at 8:00 p.m. EST (West Coast delay - 7:00 p.m.). The event is completely free to anyone to attend. Be sure to come to Faith Baptist Church to find out for yourself!

Get involved now and start spreading the word at http://www.townhallforhope.com/. We'll see you there!

Click on the link above to see if there is somewhere showing this in your area. Try to go. You really will enjoy it. And check out his site at http://www.daveramsey.com/!