DEBT FREE

I'm not a writer by nature..i'm more of a talker.. although at this point in my life i'm not much of that either..i'm more of a get it done or get out of my way kind of person right now..

I struggle with that.. I have some respponsibilities and time constraints that make it the way it is.. but it really isn't what I want to be.. but for now it is..   soon however I will be able to be more of the talker.. and maybe the writer...

we (my wife and I and the kids by default) have been on a debt free plan/kick /budget for almost two years now.. We are getting close... we should have everything but the truck and the house  paid for in about 6 months..  that my friend is a great thing...

The journey has not been easy and it won't get any easier once we get to the goal...

We have lived within our means for two years... no credit cards.. no loans( well we did consolidate some when we first got started).. whatever we made that is what we have spent.. no more and unfortunately not a whole lot less..
 but we are getting close...

its kind of interesting though.. we have done more..traveled/ actually vacationed more now than we did when we didn't do this... intriguing to say the least.. 

not to say that money isn't tight... unexpected bills really throw a wrench into the plan.. but we are on the journey..the goal is that in 5 years.. when I am 50.. that we will have no debt... no house no cars nothing.. and that we will have the savings to retire when we are ready.. can it be done.. I think so..  when we started two years ago i had over  $50,000 in debt outside of the house...  we are now down to aprox $35,000.. the majority of that is my truck...

its coming.. someday soon.. I will have my debt free friday.. I WILL!

but that is nothing compared to the debt that Christ paid for me on the cross.. It truly was a debt that I could not pay.. He took it upon himself..to pay my/our debt... and how? He died on the Cross for our sins,  He did it for us.. but.. there is one requirement to have your sin debt paid off..
 Do you know what it is?
It's very simple....

YOU have to ask..

Soulfest Recap!

Soulfest!  vacation for us.. we go every year.. What is it?  For those of us of a certain age.. it's reminiscent of Woodstock.. or farmaid..   Its a week of music..and fellowship..  It's held the first week in August every year at Gunstock Mountian  in Gilford NH.

Now by music.. I mean all kinds of Music.. Christian Themed but a great variety of Genres..
Pop,Contemporary, folk, Worship, Rock, Hard Rock, Alt Rock, Heavy metal,Screamo,etc.. as you can tell see it has wuite the variety.. It has 5 stages.. and aprox 125 bands/speakers over the 4 days that it is full on..

Now we go early on Tuesday to set up camp and leave on Sunday Morning.. in between are great concerts/workshops and good food and great deals on cds and the such.

This year headliners were Skillet, Switchfoot, Chris Tomlin.  additionally Sanctous real, Thousand foot krutch,Brian"head" welch, flatfoot 56,Caleb and many others were their..

Check them out at http://www.thesoulfest.com/..

Highlights were the Skillet concert  tuesday night..the absolutely best concert show that I have ever been to..no question.  meeting and hearing the band "Caleb" for the first time (Steven Curtis Chapmans sons) and a band I had never heard of   "Phone Calls From Home"..  "Exiting the fall" was good as well but not my style of music.  didn't hear them but the buzz on "Epic season" was very good.

A constant highlight for us every year is Paul Coleman.. former "Newsboy"..former and current member of the "Paul Coleman Trio".  He did a songwriters workshop everyday for almost two hours..it was awesome and gave me some real insight into how the process works..  My daughter loved it as well.  As she is planning on pursuing a career in music  it was good for her to see some of the process.

another thing i like is the coffe that they have at the festival..it is called bolivias best.. and it supports a minstry called IOU ministries of bolivia..  check them out at http://www.ioubolivia.com/  great coffee at a great price.. we buy our refillable cup on the first day.. $25 and then get free refills all week. :) 

Soulfest is not just about the music . It is also about opening eyes to issues that we may not have known about.. for example  Love is not for sale is a program that  reaches in and rescues those who are enslaved. Not only overseas.. but here in the US.. Here in New England.. Boston, Manchester, NH Connecticut.  additionally they help prosecute by providing information and training to those who are trying to stop this.  check them out as well at  http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

its amazing.. you need ot check it out.. Nest year.. Aug 1-4  2012  Gunstock Mountain, Gilford NH

SHOW HOPE

Show Hope/ Soulfest... I've been trying for almost a month to figure out how to say what I want to say about Show Hope and our vacation to Soulfest...
Here goes...
this will not be smooth .. It will be disjointed and probalby very hard to read but it will be the thought process involved.. so bear with me..

First let me say that Show Hope was more than I thought it was and the people were more than I could have imagined.  A big shout out to Jesse Blinn and Emily Hollingsworth..YOu made us feel very welcome and it was a pleasure to work along side you for the short period  we did.. We will be back Next year..

Show Hope..  let me explain.. its about adoption aid..its about taking care of the least of the least.. but its not you need to  go out.and .adopt someone. or lets build another orphanage and store some kids...

It truly is about the kids and gettting them to their forever home...
the thing that impressed me so much was that it isn't about doing what others are doing in orphan care its about coming alongside and supporting and assisting .  Its  kind of like supporting a missionary in  your home church that goes out to Japan, or China, or the bowery, or the combat zone.. YOU  dont go but what you do allows them to continue to make a difference.. Show Hope is doing that... they are coming along side adoption agencies and allowing them to fulfill the calling that is there ministry. 

For someone who is concerned about orphans but doesn't feel that I should adopt. This is what I need.. this is the place for me to do, to work ,to help.    As I learned more about how it works it was like God was saying..Kevin  it's ok not to adopt.. I didn't ask you to do that.. but I am asking you to speak about this.. to tell those that you know about this program..  this ministry..

I always felt weird or ashamed when I realized that I had no desire to adopt a child.. especially when a missionary would come and talk about the children left behind.. that were waiting.. (140 million of them!)
but its ok...  some of us need to be behind the scenes providing the funds, the support, the foundation, the prayers..  
and that is what I will be doing..

praying, supporting, promoting, offering it out.. 

if you want to know more.. message me.. go to http://www.showhope.org/  

Soulfest memories will be in another post...