Financial Peace

Financial Peace University kicked off at Granger Community Church GCC and packed the house! 244 to be exact!



Dave Ramsey's daveramsey.com process to financial freedom includes "Seven Baby Steps". The bulk of the premier lesson covers Baby Step 1 - The Emergency Fund. Savings, especially savings for the unexpected has to be a priority. Like it or not, unexpected events are going to happen. In a previous post last week I spoke about our dryer breaking down Left hangin'. Things happen and a $1000 emergency fund helps alleviate the stress that those things can cause. But establishing an emergency fund takes discipline. You will realize its value in the long run.

"Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else!" Dave Ramsey

Panera - says one thing, does another

I noticed this banner at Panera Saturday morning






















If details really matter, why then, after I was told that procedures had been changed in 27 Panera stores across the state of Indiana, did I see employees put coffee pots on the floor again not only on Saturday but Sunday morning as well!

Arrrrrrrgggggggggg!!!!!!!!

Panera - This just in!

I thought I'd closed the book on my issues with the coffee pots at Panera, but it seems as though there was one last thing to be said.'

While at Panera, doing my usual morning thing, having coffee, reading and engaging in conversations with my other Panera peeps, the manager wandered over to me. He inquired as to whether I'd seen any coffee pots put on the floor today. Up until that momemt, no one at Panera had said a word to me about my email to their customer service department about the coffee pots (see Customer Service) so I was taken aback. (The manager is a great guy. He always makes it a point to say hi and knows me by name.) Anyway I responded that I had actually not seen the coffee pots been put on the floor over the past few days. He said that my email had made an impact on the whole state of Indiana and 27 Panera stores now had a new procedure in place for replacing the empty coffee pots. I can't imagine what my face must have looked like. I was stunned to say the least.

I told him that I didn't mean to be a 'whiner' but it just wasn't right that something I or any other patron of that restaurant should have to witness, let alone pour a beverage from. He wasn't upset. He said it was a good thing and thanked me for it.

I didn't really think anything would ever become of my complaint based upon the original email response I'd received from Panera. Just goes to show that it does pay to voice your opinion and concerns.

Hmmmm...Bob the "activist", who'd a thunk!

Panera - The final chapter

This morning I wrote of the continuing saga at Panera and it's incident with the Department of Health. In my post Panera - The saga continues I vowed to find out what had transpired since the server had taken a vow of silence.

I wasn't even sure if I could find out anything, but a friend on Facebook saw my tweet from this morning and posted on my wall that the health department visit was indeed public information. They advised that I should be able to find information in the local newspaper or through the health department itself. I searched the local paper online but with no avail. I found nothing. So I got brave and phoned the health department.

I was relieved to find that it was only a permit issue and nothing to do with cleanliness or food issues. I didn't want to see Panera closed as I do enjoy there coffee and food as I noted in my first post about Panera Customer Service

I did still have concerns about my original objection of setting the coffee pots on the floor that I'd also spoke of in my original post Customer Service so I inquired about that while on the phone to the health department.

I stand corrected.

The inspector at the health department advised that there was no violation for putting the coffee pots on the floor because they are impervious. She did, however, agree with me, that it would likely appear disgusting to the customer.

So c'mon Panera...pick up those pots!

Panera - The saga continues

A week or so ago I posted some observations I'd made about Panera Bread in Mishawaka Customer Service

The concerns I expressed in my blog post were averted by the Panera customer service rep who said they weren't in violation of any Department of Health regulations in regards to the coffee pots. Well this may not have been a violation, but apparently something else was.....

I got news of some activity on Twitter yesterday that said that Panera was closed by the Department of Health late morning for some type of violation. I don't know what that violation was, but am not really surprised. I was told that Panera on Main Street in Mishawaka was closed and would reopen on Wednesday. As it turns out they did re-open on Tuesday, but under what conditions I have no idea.

I was anxious to get to Panera this morning for coffee and find out what actually happened. (I know many of you are wondering why I went back if they'd been closed by the Dept.of Health....) None of the usual group that is at Panera at 6am was aware of the previous days upheaval so I decided to ask a Panera employee.

I walked up to the counter to pay for my coffee and asked the server about what I'd heard the day before. The server looked down at the floor and replied "I cannot talk about that, I can't say anything....no comment"

So what does that mean...no comment? Shouldn't your patrons, especially the regulars, know what is going on with the store? Isn't it public knowledge? Well, its my goal today to find out if it is indeed public knowledge or not!

Huckabee on the Stimulous Bill

Huckabee & The Stimulous Bill

Have you seen her, tell me have you seen her?

My blond has gone red!












...have I mentioned red is my favorite color!

Left hangin'

We just booked and amazing Orlando vacation for this coming spring. The air faire was unbelievably cheap. The hotel where we've been staying for years had an awesome rate. After much searching I finally found a reasonable rental car. And my vacation spending account is fully funded. Ahhhhhh...life is good, but....

You just never know when Murphy will be lurking around the corner. Lori put the load of laundry she'd done in the dryer this morning. She checked it about 15 minutes later and it was still cold and wet. She tried another heat setting and started it again. Fifteen minutes later, still cold and wet. Apparently the dryer is not working. Genius aren't I!

We're starting a new Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Class on February 23, 2009 at Granger Community Church. In 13 weeks Dave teaches how to achieve financial freedom through planning and budgeting. Not only will you learn about your budget and how to plan and manage your finances, but there are valuable sessions on investing and college planning and retirement to name just a few. You'll learn how to control your money and not have it control you!

In the first lesson you learn how important it is to have an emergency fund for unexpected expenses. You know, the ones you pull the credit card out for and then end up paying for them forever...and paying more than the original expense. The first goal in the Financial Peace class is to establish a $1000 emergency fund. Later you'll learn how to increase the balance of this fund, but Rome wasn't built in a day and you've got to start somewhere!

As I mentioned earlier, you never know when Murphy is going drop by. He dropped by at my house this morning.....



...and the todays laundry has been "hung out to dry" but my emergency fund is in tact and the repairman is on the way!

You want to head Murphy "off at the pass"? Sign up for Financial Peace University Granger Community Church and "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else!"

Customer service

Panera has good coffee. I'm particularly fond of their hazelnut brew. I like the fact that there are unlimited refills (cuz I can drink a lot of coffee). But I've not been real fond of the means in which they replace their empty pots. The staff often come out with two the big pots in tow, one in each arm, and put them on the floor before removing the empty pots. Kinda gross....no, very gross! There is a 'contact us' section on Panera's website so I thought I'd raise my concern.

I wrote

Time and time again when I see the empty coffee containers changed out the person who is doing it sets the full coffee container on the floor while they're lifting the empty one off the cabinet where they sit for public consumption. This seems like a huge health department violation to me. Why is this allowed to happen? Why aren't staff trained not do this? It seems incredibly insanitary.

It seemed to me like this may be something they'd want to know about and probably discontinue the practice of doing.

I was surprise to have a response from them the very next day. They wrote....

Dear Bob,

Thank you for contacting Panera Bread regarding the coffee containers. Because of the limited space at the coffee area, the containers may have to be placed on the floor while changing them out. It is not a health violation because the only part of the container touching the floor is the base. I have forwarded your comments to the bakery-café for review.

Thank you again, and we hope that you continue to enjoy Panera Bread.

Sincerely,

It was not the response I'd expected.

I've been tuned in recently to the need to give a complete and accurate response to requests that are made of me. Though I may have thought things through, I haven't done the best job in articulating the complete picture. I've become extremely sensitive to this deficiency in myself and am taking steps to overcome this shortfall in myself. You can be much more helpful when you go full circle and propose a resolution if it's needed.

I think this newly found sensitivity in my prompted my follow up to Panera's response

I replied.....

I'm quite surprised by your response and it's reflection on customers service and perception of the Panera restaurant on Main Street in Mishawaka Indiana.

Can you honestly tell that it doesn't give a less than sanitary appearance to the customer standing in line or seated in the restaurant when your workers come out and put the coffee pots on the floor. I wouldn't expect them to put my food tray on the floor before they served my bagel to me. The food isn't touching the floor so does that make that ok too. NOT!

Perhaps a cart could be used to bring the coffee pots to and from the designated coffee area or I understand the restaurant on Main is up for a remodel...maybe the coffee area should be redesigned.

I have to say that I didn't find your response to be very customer focused nor customer friendly. Your response was all about your worker. I believe the saying is the "customer is always right." I'm not saying I have all of the answers but I certainly wouldn't have responded the way that you did.

.....to be continued.

When the economy crisis hits home...

What a day....I am emotionally drained. The economic crisis took it's toll on 8 people I know today who were awesome collegues, amazing friends, and most of all family to me.

Heartache hung like a cloud. Hugs and farewells conveyed compassion. But abandoned cubicles and offices became the stark reminder of the reality of it all.

A quote I saw on Twitter this morning sums it up... "God is still good". It's in difficult times like these we want God to move at the pace we expect. We want to be rescued now.

Psalm 77:1 I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.

Even through pain we have to remain optimistic

Psalm 71 4-7 ......You keep me going when times are tough— my bedrock, God, since my childhood.

God is moving. and He loves his children and will care for them.

Psalm 86 But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love,and you never, never quit. So look me in the eye and show kindness,give your servant the strength to go on,save your dear, dear child!


Be strong, my colleges. Be confident, my friends. Know you are loved, my family.

Pet Peeves

Five of my top pet peeves

•not planning for what lies ahead

•perpetual late-ness

•disorder and chaos

•only being acknowledged when something is wanted from you

•unkept commitments

Paying "Permanent" Forward

2 Samuel 9
v8 Shuffling and stammering, not looking him in the eye, Mephibosheth said, "Who am I that you pay attention to a stray dog like me?"

“Permanently bless my whole family” was David’s request of God at the end of 2nd Samuel, chapter 8. How does God permanently bless a family? What are the options? You could sit back and just wait for the blessings to pour in, but I don’t think that is really the way it suppose to happen.

God is love. He created us in his own image, therefore we have the ability to love. But God isn’t a dictator so we can also choose not to love.
When we choose to bless, we choose to love. Are we not also blessed when we love? I know I am.

David wanted to honor Saul and sought out a remaining, the only remaining member of his family, his grandson Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was lame in both feet. By worldly standards this probably designated him useless. Even Mephibosheth himself asked David why he would pay attention to him. But David chose to love. David chose to pay it forward.

It’s easy to miss. When we ask God to bless our whole family He is likely equipping us to partake in that process. Are you paying your blessings forward?

Permanent

I decided back in November that I wanted to do a study of David and his life. I continue to be deeply entrenched in the perils and delights of Davids experiences. Yesterday I was reading chapter 7 in 2nd Samuel. Today I continued on in chapter 8 but found myself reflecting back to chapter 7.

It says in 2nd Samuel 7 28-29 "And now, Master GOD, being the God you are, speaking sure words as you do, and having just said this wonderful thing to me, please, just one more thing: Bless my family; keep your eye on them always. You've already as much as said that you would, Master GOD! Oh, may your blessing be on my family permanently!"

If you rewind back to the first few verses of chapter 7 in 2 Samuel, David took a look at all he had and felt as if he needed to honor God in some way by constructing a building in which to house the Chest of God.

In following verses God reminded David that He didn’t need a building. How many years did the Chest move from place to place only in a tent. Ah, maybe 40 years!

Basically, I think God was saying to David, ‘have you forgotten who I am you silly boy?’ At the end of the chapter David has the realization that there is nothing that God needs. He asks for God’s blessing, he is even so bold to ask for a permanent blessing on family.

Thats where I got broadsided. What does it mean to ask for a permanent blessing on your family? What potential does that have? How incredible could that be?

But I paused. If God were to grant a permanent blessing, what exactly does that mean....that hardships will never fall again upon that family? Anything is possible with God, so the potential of that happening does exist. But sin is active in the world, and hardships, in whatever form, will continue to exist as well.

Though its a broad concept, permanently bless my entire family, I think it can be easily minimized. And when something goes awry we immediately go to a place of why did this happen to me. In those times its easy to forget all of the many other blessing we are given.

This past year has been devastating at times for some of my extended family members. I don't know why the things that happened, happened. I know that I've prayed and prayed for positive outcomes. Sometimes they happened. Sometimes they didn't. God knows why. God knows best. But even when things didn't have the results I wanted them to have I kept praying for them to happen.

Meriam Webster defines permanent as : continuing or enduring without fundamental or marked change : stable

I pray for a permanent blessing on my family. I pray they will be continuously blessed and find strength to endure in times when it appears they are not.

In 2 Samuel 8 David has victory over victory over his foes. He is reveled as an honorable man. I see Your blessings upon him.

....Master GOD! Oh, may Your blessing be on my family permanently!"

Lookin' good dawg

This is our dog. He's a very old wire hair dachshund.







Normally his apparel consistes of his dog hair...
......but that could all change today.









I went to Facebook this morning and found an advertisement for this website:
http://www.noodleandfriends.com. It was tagged as Designs for Dachshunds. So I had to look.





Who knew he had the opportunity to look so good?

In My Arms

The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.




Knowing clouds will rage in....Storms will race in....But you will be safe in my arms....Rains will pour down....Waves will crash around

Psalm 69:29 I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.

The suffering and pain are unjust. Oh.. that we could take the pain away.

But Jon I know you are conscious of God. You are commendable.

But you will be safe in my arms

Jon ..you are safe in His arms.

Bob & Lori's Anniversary Palooza

This is the story of Bob and Lori's most excellent wedding anniversary palooza.

Prior to the departure they invested in an I-Zoom to make the the whole toll process more efficient so they could reach their destination in a more timely manner.

....and they wanted to ZOOM!

They loaded up the Honda

...course it wasn't sunny like this ...the Michiana gray perma-cloud was present (this is an old picture).

They have two favorite restaurants in the Chicagoland area. One of them is the Cheesecake Factory. Being mindful that dessert is inevitable, c'mon...duh..Cheesecake Factory...they split an order of the most delicious Thai Chicken Pasta.

In response to the holiday season, the restaurant offered a special peppermint cheesecake so they ordered it. No it didn't look like this...it was white with red peppermint sprinkled througout it and topped with whip cream....but you get the idea....just picture it white.

After gorging themselves at the Cheesecake Factory...the hopped back into the Honda (remember...this car) and left for Gurnee (pronounced GUR-KNEE with the accent on "knee" by the locals, or so I'm told.)

They shopped at






for several hours before heading back to the Schaumberg area to spend the night at the Quality Inn (see pict. below)



Ok....let me fast forward to the next morning....

The "Oldly-Weds) rose early the next morning. Their goal was to find an Einstein's Bagle shop for breakfast. Bob got directions at the hotels front desk to the nearest Einsteins and they left. However, they got lost and ended up back at the hotel for further instructions. With the help from the front desk they succeeded and found the Einsteins!

Bob and Lori love Einstein's and were elated to find one. As they savored their delicious coffee and bagle they gazed into each other eyes and remembered the Quality Inn....aahhhh I mean, the remarked on how good the bagles and coffee were. Momentarily they contemplated opening a franchise but the remembered they didn't have that kind of money so they just went back to gazing into each others eyes.

Their goals for Saturday were to go to the IKEA down the road and then make their way from the Schaumberg area to downtown Chicago. But when they came out of IKEA the wind had picked up considerably it had began to rain.

Lori already was fighting a cold.....and neither Bob nor Lori are big fans of cold or rain and since Woodfield Mall was right across the street from IKEA they decided inside shopping was the best option.

besides....the mall had Christmas decorations and thats primarily why they were going downtown anyway.....

Lori tried on fur coats at MACY'Sbut just couldn't find one that she felt was right for her! She wanted chinchilla anyway and didn't have any.

After roaming the mall for a while they decided they wanted Mexican for lunch and made their way to the border (border of the mall parking lot, to be exact) and had lunch at

They finished up their Mexican Fiesta and hopped back in the Honda yes...its still this Honda....(Bob and Lori are Dave Ramsey groupies...they can't get a new car cuz they're doing the debt snowball...hmmm snowball, winter...how ironic) They headed back home.

This was the most excellent story of Bob and Lori's 26th wedding anniversary celebration.

26 years and counting

I married my best friend 26 years ago today. Happy Anniversary Lori!

You are my everything. I love you!

The Clapper Plus

Around the holidays the advertisements for those really strange gifts always surface on tv. You know, the Ronco adds, the Chia pets, and the Clapper.

Last week I saw a commercial for the Clapper Plus. How would you make clapping your hands new and improved? The Clapper people did (or at least they think so) The 'plus' in the Clapper Plus was a remote.


The premise for the remote was to be able to use the clapper technology without having to clap. In the first mini vignette they show a room with a baby sleeping. Of course you don't want to clap loudly to shut the lights off when a baby is sleeping so you can use your clapper remote to turn them off. The second selling point had an actress attaching the clapper remote to the wall just outside a room. The benefit was that you don't have to enter the room to turn the lights on.



HELLO! Have the people at the Clapper heard of a light switch!

distant

1Samuel 28
6 Saul prayed to God, but God didn't answer—neither by dream nor by sign nor by prophet.

What is making you feel distant from God? The economy, the holidays....noise? Do the lyric's of this song by Burlap to Cashmere "Is anybody out there" resonate with you?

Sometimes while I'm driving
Trying to find my song
Looking for the answers
And where I do belong
Finally the children are
Bringin' me back home

Is there anybody out there
Does anybody care
Are the people really there
Is there anybody seeking
Does anybody see
Or are they deaf and dumb like me

Is the government going to rescue you? Are situations beyond your control dictating your life? Are you floundering in hopelessness? Is anybody seeking?

I don't know why I rush to watch the news every morning. It's like watching the movie "Ground Hog Day" as every morning it's the same thing over and over. Yesterday I saw that GM is proposing the layoff of 30,000 people, yet the new administration taking office in January is proposing a stimulous package that creates 2 million jobs. How do you find joy in a climate like this? Is there anybody seeking?

Advent. I looked up some definitions: Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming") is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, The arrival, coming, or discovery of something, especially something extremely important.

God knows our needs. He knows tomorrows stock market results. He knows the future of GM.

Christmas is coming. Jesus' birthday. The arrival of something extremely important. Joy restored. Joy sustained. Hope found.

Is there anybody out there
Does anybody care
Are the people really there
Is there anybody seekin'
Does anybody see
That he died upon a tree

Do you feel distanced from God? He opened the door. Is anybody seeking>

Throwing in the towel

Hand towels similar to these...






...are available at the front desk when you walk into the gym.

They aren't large by any means. They work well for wiping the sweat from your brow but not really meant for anything else. I always grab one or two when I walk in as I like to have one for standing on when I get out of the shower and one for my work out.

I completed my workout this morning and headed for the locker room. A creature of habit, I always turn the shower on for it to warm up and then open my locker and gym bag to get all my toiletries and towel out and then get ready to take my shower.

I took everything out of my bag that was there and then stepped into the shower. I finished showering and opened the curtain. I always hang my bath towel on the hook next to the shower....

....but today there was no towel!

My first thought was I must have forgotten to get it out of my bag. So what choice did I have but to step out the shower, soaking wet, and go over to my locker.

NO TOWEL to be found! That's what I get for throwing stuff together in a rush last night. What to do....what to do!

Then I saw the two little white towels I'd grabbed from the front desk. I grabbed one of them and frantically began to pat myself dry. I couldn't reach the middle of my back and was trying to whip this little towel on my back to get it dry. It didn't take long for the first towel to become completely saturated with water. I grabbed the second towel and continued to 'pat dry' the best I could.

The second hand towel got drenched quickly as well and I still wasn't completely dry.

Options...options...I could stand under the hand blow dryer but wouldn't that be weird if someone came in the locker room. There are paper towels....no way too abrasive...hmmmmmm... (they really should put a stack of those hand towels in the locker room too). Looked as if I was going to be as dry as I was going to be so I just got dressed. Unfortunately my clothes had to absorb some of the wetness that still covered me. I guess it could have been worse. I could have not picked up any hand towels today. That would have not been fun.

Note to self. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR GYM BAG FOR A TOWEL BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE!