One of the finance blogs I follow, Christian Personal Finance, turned two years old last week. And in conjunction with CPF’s “birthday”, Bob is giving you a chance to win a Wii and and iPod. All you need to do is go to this post, Wii and iPod giveaway! Happy Birthday CPF!, and follow the instructions.

By the way, read the other posts as well. CPF has some of the best personal financial advice you will find in the blogosphere.

The following is an excerpt from Friday’s Baptist Press article, “Capitalism’s biblical principles” by Kelly Boggs.

I ran across an anonymous reworking of the 23rd Psalm that sums up the problems inherent in socialism:

“The government is my shepherd:

“I need not work.

“It alloweth me to lie down on a good job;

“It leadeth me beside still factories;

“It destroyeth my initiative.

“It leadeth me in a path of a parasite for politic’s sake;

“Yea though I walk through the valley of laziness and deficit-spending, I will fear no evil, for the government is with me.

“It prepareth an economic Utopia for me, by appropriating the earnings of my own grandchildren.

“It filleth my head with false security;

“My inefficiency runneth over.

“Surely the government should care for me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in a fool’s paradise forever.”

You can read the full article here: “Capitalism’s biblical principles”

Today’s guest post is courtesy Dave Ramsey’s web site.

YOU Fix YOU

Your personal economy is up to you!

“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” That sounds just like what all the media people are telling us these days. “Recession! Recession!” Calm down, Chicken Little! The sky is not falling. Everything will be okay.

Even though the economy has slowed, it’s no reason to completely freak out and think the world is going to collapse. Don’t let the talking heads on the nightly news make you emotional and cause you to freak out about the economy. If you let your emotions dictate your actions, you’re going to be broke your whole life.

What Can I Do About It?

Regardless of the condition of the national economy, it’s a must that you take a look at your own personal economy. Do you have your $1,000 emergency fund saved? Are you tackling your debt snowball like crazy? If you follow the Baby Steps in order, you’ll be able to prepare for yourself and your family so that you’ll hardly notice when the national economy or your household economy faces potential setbacks:

1. Baby Step 1: $1,000 Emergency Fund

   No one eagerly anticipates negative, unexpected events. But guess what? They’re going to happen. It’s just a fact of life. Money magazine says that 78% of us will have a major negative event happen in any given 10-year period of time. This beginning emergency fund will keep life’s little Murphies from turning into new debt while you work off the old debt.

2. Baby Step 2: The Debt Snowball

   The principle is to stop everything except minimum payments and focus on one thing at a time. Otherwise, nothing gets accomplished because all your effort is diluted. List your debts in order with the smallest payoff or balance first. Do not be concerned with interest rates or terms unless two debts have similar payoffs, then list the higher interest rate debt first. Paying the little debts off first gives you quick feedback, and you are more likely to stay with the plan.

3. Baby Step 3: Fully Funded Emergency Fund

   Ask yourself, “Self, what would it take for you to live for 3 to 6 months if you lost your income?” Your answer to that question is how much you should save. Remember, this stash of money is not an investment; it is insurance you’re paying to yourself, a buffer between you and life.

Most importantly, remember one last thing. Your economy is up to you. If you are out of debt and have money in the bank, then the media can talk up a storm about a recession, but you won’t feel it. When you have a plan, live on less than you make and save money, you are not in trouble. If you have a paid-for house, who cares if foreclosure rates are up? You are all right. If you have no credit card debt and the plastic companies decide to raise interest rates to 50%, how much will you care? Not one bit! Take care of your personal money situation, and everything else will take care of itself.

There’s no time like the present to get started! It’s a plan that works every time!

Dave’s Three Great Deals To Help You Fix You

© 2009 The Lampo Group Inc., All rights reserved.

Here is a great post by Mark Sanborn on defending the American Dream.

The American Dream has needed defending in the past against attackers from outside our border. Today it is coming  under attack from within. Some of the attackers are those we elected to protect it.

Read the rest of Mark’s posting here.

Today’s economy is rough.  So why does Dave Ramsey think you should keep investing?  Check out the video and free PDF about Wise Investing on Dave’s site to find out.

Dave Ramsey explains how the bill effects Americans on ABC’s Good Morning America.

Will the Stimulus Plan Help You?

In case you missed the show this morning, he is Dave’s segment on Good Morning America.

How to Survive When Drowning in Debt

According to an article released January 6 from LifeWay Research, many Southern Baptist pastors are disconnected from the reality of their congregational debt load.

Read the article hear: Pastors unaware of church member debt

As we enter this new year and some of us wonder what the economy will bring in 2009, I would like for you to think about this…

Debt-Free is the New Rich

This is actually the title of an article I read on Crosswalk.com. Since my wife and I have been following Dave Ramsey’s plan for over 5 years, this really says it all. Being free from debt, loans, and car or house payments is the new rich lifestyle. So many people are over their heads in consumer debt, student loans, and car payments. No longer is a six-figure salary, a BMW, and a 3,000 sq. ft. house with a $3,000 mortgage considered rich. To quote Dave, “debt is dumb, cash is king, and the paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice.” What is your status symbol?

Why not start out this new year with a plan for your life and your money. If you are tired of being a slave to the bank or mortgage company and want to get control of your money, check out Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. This is truly a life-changing program.

Christmas gifts don’t have to leave you in debt

Did the quickly approaching Christmas season sneak up on you? Have you just learned that you should have been saving for Christmas gifts year round? Did you simply forget to budget for Christmas gifts this year?

If you’re feeling torn this year because you want to stay out of debt while still giving your loved ones gifts they’ll like, don’t worry. We’ve got some fantastic creative Christmas gift ideas for you:

• Compile a themed gift box. For example, if you know a family who enjoys watching movies together, get them a movie or 2 (or a rental gift card), bags of popcorn, favorite candy bars or a homemade dessert, and some little things related to the movie. It will be something they can enjoy together—and maybe even invite you to join!
• Frame artwork and memories. If you have youngsters in your family, get some of their artwork and nicely frame it for the adults. They’ll get excited about seeing their creations on display, and the artwork will be a nice reminder of them when they’re not around.
• Host a dinner party and provide your guests the recipes in a festive booklet. You could also incorporate a white-elephant gift exchange with a price limit per gift into the evening. Everyone will have a great time and remember it for years to come.
• Offer to run errands for an elderly relative, neighbor or friend. This will mean more to this person than you know, especially for the elderly. Better yet, ask them if you can pick up any Christmas gifts on their behalf. They would love to have someone brave the busy mall for them.
• Give free babysitting. Know a couple or a single parent who could use an extra hand with the kids during the holidays? Offer to keep the kids one evening and let the parents get some shopping done or have a date night.
• Bake some tasty treats. If you know someone who’s expecting a lot of company or is feeling overwhelmed, offer to help out by baking a few things. This will save the person so much time and will allow them to focus on other things to get ready for company. Homemade food is always a hit!
• Visit a shut-in, hospital patient or nursing home resident. Many times these individuals are over-looked during the holiday rush. Bake some cookies, frame some pictures, or write some notes to give when you drop by for a visit with some of your family or friends.
• Help a local school teacher with a special Christmas event for their class. Teachers are overwhelmed this time of year and having an extra adult around to help out would ease some of the stress for them.
• Give to a charity. If the adults in your family can agree, choose a charity to which your entire family will give money and/or time. Rather than giving gifts to each other, you’ll be touching the lives of people who are truly in need while spending time with your loved ones at the same time. It’s a win-win situation!

Creative Christmas gifts don’t have to leave you looking like a cheapo. Remember, it’s the thought and effort that really count. Think of your skills and how you can incorporate them into gifts others will enjoy. Why not take a little extra time to think about your family and friends and give them something that will inspire and enrich their lives for years to come.

© 2008 The Lampo Group Inc., All rights reserved.