{"id":304328,"date":"2017-01-06T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/getting-through-college-debt-free\/"},"modified":"2017-01-06T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-06T17:00:00","slug":"getting-through-college-debt-free","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/getting-through-college-debt-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Through College Debt-Free"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is it possible to get through college without going into debt? Ron Blue talks to parents and students alike about the benefits of paying for college as you go rather than relying on student loans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2017-01-06.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"23.09M","filesize_raw":"24210730","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2850,2851],"tags":[5343,6169,6171,4853,6170,6172],"podcast_series":[7661],"cwp_profile":[3066],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-304328","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-character-development","category-finances","tag-debt","tag-finance","tag-healthy-finances","tag-money","tag-spending-habits","tag-student-loans","podcast_series-mastering-the-money-basics","cwp_profile-ron-blue","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/304328\/getting-through-college-debt-free","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/304328\/getting-through-college-debt-free","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"aMbj8bABSD\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/getting-through-college-debt-free\/\">Getting Through College Debt-Free<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/getting-through-college-debt-free\/embed\/#?secret=aMbj8bABSD\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Getting Through College Debt-Free&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"aMbj8bABSD\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Is it possible to get through college without going into debt? Ron Blue talks to parents and students alike about the benefits of paying for college as you go rather than relying on student loans.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2017-01-06.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>If you listened to yesterday\u2019s <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>\u2014what Ron Blue said\u2014well, he\u2019s going to say it again.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>My message is that there are four biblical principles: spend less than you earn, avoid the use of debt, save for the long-term and the unexpected, and set long-term goals. That was testimony that I gave to a congressional sub-committee, back in the early \u201890s. Senator Dodd was the one that asked me the question, and I gave him that answer. He said to me, \u201cIt seems like that would work at any income level\u201d; and I said, \u201cYou\u2019re right, Senator, including the United States Government.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Friday, January 6<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Dennis Rainey. I\u2019m Bob Lepine. I know Ron Blue can sound like a broken record sometimes; but that's because the financial principles he talks about\u2014well, they\u2019re from Scripture\u2014and they work! We\u2019ll hear more about that today. Stay with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today. <\/em>Thanks for joining us. When you graduated from college\u2014now, I know this takes you back a <em>long<\/em>, long way. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That\u2019s right it does! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Did you owe anything to the loan company, to the college, to anybody? Did you graduate with any college debt? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You know, my first\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Did they even charge for college way back then? [Laughter] I\u2019m sorry! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That\u2019s okay.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I\u2019m sorry!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It was okay. [Laughter] You know, my first two years, Bob\u2014so here\u2019s my response; okay? My first two years were paid for by marginal athletic ability\u2014[Laughter]\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014I didn\u2019t earn a 100 percent scholarship\u2014but I played baseball and basketball in junior college. By the time I got to my second semester of my sophomore year in junior college, I was on a full ride. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Is that right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That\u2019s right! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Because your mom and dad didn\u2019t hand you a big wad of money\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>No!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014and say, \u201cHere\u2019s your college money.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> No; in fact, I had to get a job to supply the entertainment money\u2014the ability to go on dates, etc.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>You were on your own?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I was on my own! For my last two years in college, when I went to the University of Arkansas, they [parents] did help a little bit, at that point, with the tuition.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Your mom and dad did?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes, that\u2019s right; and I also supplemented with some earned cash due to a job. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Right!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And that\u2019s how I made it through without borrowing any money. What about you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I got through without owing any money, thanks to Mom and Dad.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yeah!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I mean, it was basically their kindness that made it possible for me to go to college.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And so, what have you done with your kids? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>We have set aside some money for education for our kids\u2014for a higher education. We have said: \u201cThis is how much you\u2019ve got\u2014this amount. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cYou can decide how you want to allocate that amount.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So if they want to go to a more expensive school, they can choose to do that; and then, they could choose to go into debt to do it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>We\u2019ve never had to have that conversation; because we have just said to them, \u201cWe think that would be an unwise choice to make\u2014we would rather see you get an education you can afford than to go into debt.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAlthough, I know some parents\u2014I\u2019m thinking of folks,\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; that\u2019s right!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u2014who\u2019ve got a really bright young son or daughter, who could get accepted into one of the big ones \/ one of the colleges, where you think: \u201cBoy! It might cost $150,000 over four years, but they will be <em>set<\/em> when they get a degree with that. Maybe we should go into debt rather than them going free to the state college, because their grades could get them in for free.\u201d They are facing that dilemma and trying to figure out what\u2019s the better choice.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; and I want to find out what our guest on today\u2019s broadcast did. He had five children. He and his wife Judy live in Atlanta. Ron Blue joins us again on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Ron, welcome back!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Delighted to be here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>How did you handle this issue with your five children?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Well, none of our children had to borrow. We had provided for their education like Bob had; but I\u2019ve developed some <em>strong<\/em> convictions on it, because I\u2019ve counseled <em>thousands<\/em> of people in this area. I think that a college education is almost like a wedding\u2014\u201cI have a right to this,\u201d\u2014and\u2014\u201cI have a right to this college education.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI personally believe, that where you get your education only has significance in your first job. If I wanted to go to work on Wall Street; then maybe, I needed to go to an Eastern school. What you did Dennis\u2014going to a junior college on an athletic scholarship\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> \u2014I think junior colleges\/ community colleges\u2014you don\u2019t need to pay for that education, because what really makes a difference is how much you put into the education and then what you put into your jobs. I would almost <em>never<\/em> counsel somebody to borrow to go to college. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJust the illustration that you used, Bob, on the $150,000\u2014it\u2019s really hard to make the numbers work on that\u2014that you can improve yourself so much, economically, that you can really justify having spent that kind of money.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>I can\u2019t imagine that! One of my sons teaches at a private Christian school. Tuition there for kindergarten is $18,000! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Wow!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>I can\u2019t imagine! That\u2019s $18,000 after tax.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Now Ron, you know, right now, there are listeners bristling\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u2014at what you are saying; because education to them is a high value. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And they want their son or daughter\u2014or both perhaps\u2014to have the very finest education possible.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So, they want their children to go to, you know, the prestigious Ivy League school or maybe the West Coast school.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Prep school\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014or the kindergarten, where your son teaches.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right; right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So, how should they look at that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>You\u2019ve got to ask yourself, \u201cWhat am I really <em>buying<\/em> here?\u201d and \u201cIf I\u2019m going to <em>buy<\/em> that, can I afford it; or do I need to give up something someplace else?\u201d I don\u2019t have an argument with somebody that wants to spend that kind of money as long as they don\u2019t go into debt to do that. That\u2019s in their value system\u2014it\u2019s a priority with them. I wouldn\u2019t argue with them on it, but I would sure ask them to ask themselves the question of whether there is really value there. I <em>know<\/em> I would get strong opinions back on it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So husbands and wives really need to hammer on this issue\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Absolutely\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u2014as a couple, and make sure they are <em>one<\/em>. I happen to know how much it costs to become a doctor\u2014[Laughter]\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>That\u2019s exactly what I was thinking!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u2014because I have a son-in-law, who is an obstetrician.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Is it even <em>possible<\/em> for somebody today to become a doctor without going into debt?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Well, you know, when they get to medical school and whatever specialty that they\u2019ve chosen, they might be able to justify the numbers there; because what they are really doing is deferring the cost of that to when they have the income for it. They know, with pretty much certainty, what they are going to make. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut I wouldn\u2019t consider college education as a right\u2014it should be a privilege. It\u2019s kind of like owning a home\u2014it\u2019s a privilege. So much of\u2014in our society today, we\u2019ve got things defined as a right. Just talking about weddings\u2014I told my kids: \u201cYour mom and I spent 300 bucks to get married. She bought a used wedding gown, and we had a reception in the church, and we sent out announcements. So,\u201d\u2014I said\u2014\u201cYou can spend, at least, that much on your wedding!\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I\u2019m sure that went over really big! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You sound like one of those guys who said, \u201cWhen I was a boy,\u2014[Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>That\u2019s right; I know!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014\u201cwe did things this way.\u201d [Laughter] People think about weddings\u2014not even weddings\u2014 honeymoons. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I mean, here\u2019s a couple that\u2019s saying: \u201cWe\u2019ve got one shot on our honeymoon. Shouldn\u2019t we go ahead and borrow some money so we can have a nice Hawaii\u2014eight days\/seven nights on the islands\u2014to start our marriage? Isn\u2019t that a <em>good<\/em> thing to do?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: \u201c<\/strong>Do you have the cash to pay for it?\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: \u201c<\/strong>Well, no! We\u2019re going to borrow for it. We\u2019ll pay it back though!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Well, I had a great honeymoon\u2014went to a hotel in Cincinnati. We drove from Indianapolis to Cincinnati. We had a weekend honeymoon. I remember it as a pretty special time! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>But, you know, your reality really gets skewed because of how things have escalated. I mean, we\u2019ve raced ahead from college, to the wedding, to the honeymoon. You go all the way back\u2014into how kids are celebrating prom\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Yes; sure!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014stretch limos\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u2014spending $500 to $1,000 on a prom for a kid is really nothing, in some of the areas of the country. Where\u2019s the plumb line here? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Where\u2019s the parental guidance?\u2014because they may be creating an appetite for these matters, later on in their kids, that they want to be careful about creating.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>But, you know, there are a <em>lot<\/em> of parents, who are listening to us, who are saying, \u201cI\u2019d never spend $1000 for my kids to go to prom; but to borrow money for my kids to go to college,\u201d \u2014that does seem like a different value decision\u2014or \u201cto borrow money so that the wedding can be all that my kids had hoped it would be.\u201d Now, there may be more of a close parallel between your prom example and how lavish the wedding is.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>You know, that\u2019s a really good point, Bob. I think a lot of parents\u2014it is kind of like use sports\u2014you live out your life through your children\u2014through the sports, and through the college they go to, and what the wedding looks like. I see that happening a lot!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Let\u2019s say your son comes home from college, and you\u2019ve done just exactly what you\u2019ve done\u2014you\u2019ve said, \u201cHere\u2019s how much you\u2019ve got.\u201d He goes\u2014he\u2019s going to graduate, debt-free\u2014but guess what? He\u2019s in love, and the young woman he\u2019s in love with\u2014she\u2019s not going to graduate, debt-free. She\u2019s going to graduate with some student loans\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u2014and with some credit card debt; but they\u2019re in love!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>They\u2019re in love. I understand that, and I\u2019ve been in love also\u2014for 44 years! [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think a point that Dennis asked earlier\u2014that we\u2019ve never really come back: \u201cWhere does a young couple start?\u201d I think, before the wedding, they start with having a conversation\u2014a transparent conversation on: \u201cDo you have any debt? What are your spending habits?\u201d\u2014knowing something about each other\u2014that\u2019s not for judgment, but it\u2019s for a communication issue\u2014because you will have conflict over money if you haven\u2019t talked about it ahead of time.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It may be that, as a result of the conversation\u2014now, this almost sounds like heresy, here on <em>FamilyLife Today\u2014<\/em>but it may be, as a result of the conversation, that you <em>delay<\/em> the wedding\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Absolutely!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014so that you can pay off debt!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Now, you talk about something that is counter-cultural today to this generation that is coming up in this materialistic-age to delay gratification\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u2014by paying off debt.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>That\u2019s un-American!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It really seems that way; you know? It really does!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, if you were in that situation, where a daughter of yours is now in love with\u2014I mean, you don\u2019t find this out on the first date, how much this person is in debt; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, I think\u2014I think\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014you think you ought to find out on the first date? [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>No; no! [Laughter] That wasn\u2019t where I was going with my answer! I was going back to what Ron said about having the honest conversation at some point. There\u2019s where Dad does need to step in and help his daughter or his son, at that point, count the cost of what it means to build a marriage. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI mean, it really isn\u2019t out of the question that a father and a mother could come alongside a young couple, like this, and say to them: \u201cYou know, you really would be much, much better off if you took the next six\/twelve\/eighteen months to just work hard and pay off the debt to <em>prove<\/em> that you are going to start your marriage out on the right foot; because what happens <em>if<\/em> you get pregnant?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And at that point: \u201cAnd it takes two incomes to pay back the debt\u2014you\u2019ve already made your decision about childcare, and daycare, and who\u2019s going to take care of the kids.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>If your son says to you: \u201cBut Dad, it\u2019s better to marry than to burn\u2014I read that in the Bible. If I\u2019m taking on another 12 to 18 months\u2026\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I\u2019d say, \u201cBurn son!\u201d [Laughter] I\u2019m kind of like Ron\u2014I know what it was like to burn! [Laughter] I know what it\u2019s like to be in love! But I\u2019ve also seen a lot of marriages and families come crumbling down around this issue that Ron\u2019s talking about here\u2014just how debt crushes and cripples young couples, starting out. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>You know, for the conversation to be had\u2014that you mentioned\u2014the dad sitting down with the son or daughter\u2014there\u2019s a lot that has to have gone on in building a relationship with that son or daughter throughout the growing-up years.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>It has to be a trust relationship there, because that conversation\u2019s not going to work if it\u2019s a brand-new type of conversation. We know that more is caught than taught in raising children. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tParents need to think through their value system \/ their decisions\u2014and they do need to teach their children about money\u2014but about a lot of other things. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI had one of my daughters, who is in her 30\u2019s now\u2014she said, \u201cDad, I just went back on the envelope system \u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Oh, yes?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong>\u2014\u201cbecause I was having trouble controlling my grocery expenses and things like that.\u201d She put herself on the envelope system. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>The envelope system is where you take the money, at the beginning of the month, and you put it in actual envelopes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Groceries, and gas, and whatever.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Wow! So, she\u2019s imposing a discipline on herself to help her stay within the bounds; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>To not run past something you mentioned, just a few moments ago, the model of the parents is really powerful.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I don\u2019t recall a lot of conversations with my dad and mom about money. Certainly, there were never any formal teaching opportunities around the envelope system. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>My dad was one of these no-nonsense guys, who didn\u2019t borrow money to expand his business\u2014he was very frugal\u2014he built it, one year at a time \/ one dollar at a time. He ended up being modestly-successful in a small town. When I got married, I just remember going to the bank\u2014not the literal bank\u2014but the bank in my soul of all the deposits he had made in my life by modeling to me being a man of integrity, not being a man that was just out, spending money. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, he made some mistakes\u2014that I also noted\u2014he bought a car one time and brought it home. My mom was not a part of the decision. I do remember\u2014[Laughter]\u2014you know, your book is called <em>Surviving Financial Meltdown<\/em>\u2014[Laughter]\u2014I remember our home that night\u2014there was another meltdown\u2014[Laughter]\u2014except it was <em>chilly<\/em> \/ it was real <em>chilly<\/em> in our house! My mom was not a happy camper about Dad buying a car without consulting her. I <em>learned<\/em> from his mistake, at that point.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I think, as parents, we need to realize our values are being caught by our kids, whether we intend them to be caught on the plus side or the minus side, they\u2019re there for our kids to see.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Absolutely; and that\u2019s where they are going to learn the most. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was, again, on a radio program. A young man called in and he said, \u201cGod\u2019s called me to the mission field,\u201d\u2014and he said\u2014\u201cbut I can\u2019t afford to go to seminary without taking on debt. What would you counsel me?\u201d I prayed\u2014said, \u201cLord, give me wisdom here!\u201d I said, \u201cWell, I\u2019ll tell you what\u2014if you go to seminary and you borrow money, let me ask you the question: \u2018You go into the mission field. How are you going to pay that debt off?\u2019\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe said, \u201cWell, I may have to delay going to the mission field.\u201d I said, \u201cDidn\u2019t God call you to the mission field?\u201d He said, \u201cYes; He did!\u201d I said, \u201cWell then, can you not trust Him to provide the resources for you to go to college?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI said: \u201cI\u2019m going to tell you something really radical; and that is, if you\u2019ve got the money to go to college for a week, go for a week. If it\u2019s for two weeks, go for two weeks. But don\u2019t ever go into debt to go to fulfill a calling that God has given you. Don\u2019t deny God an opportunity to work.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI got a letter from him several years later. He said, \u201cLet me tell you what happened.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>You know\u2014dorm counselor, part-time jobs, gifts\u2014he graduated, debt-free, and was able to go to the mission field right away. He saw God\u2019s hand\u2014he went to the mission field a lot better prepared. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>You know, my kids, who are out of college, have come back. They never really had the expectation that there\u2019d be any borrowing\u2014we\u2019d kind of taken that off the table, all along. They\u2019ve come back, since they are out of college; and as they look around at the landscape, they are the exception, not the rule.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Absolutely!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes, yes, yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>They have said, \u201cWe are glad, right now, that we\u2019re the exception. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cLooking back on it, we are glad that we <em>didn\u2019t<\/em> indulge for four years and try to pay it off in the early years of a marriage and a career. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Oh, yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u201cThank you for not opening that door or having us even consider that.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Yes; I got a call from one of my daughters. She was a single mom for six years. She said, \u201cDad,\u201d\u2014she said\u2014\u201cI think I\u2019m in financial trouble.\u201d I never pro-actively talked about money with the kids after they got married much. I said, \u201cWell, tell me about your situation.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe said: \u201cWell, I\u2019m prepaying $400 a month on my mortgage so that it will be paid off when Jack, my son, goes to college\u2014I\u2019ll have the mortgage paid off. I\u2019m putting some money into a 529 plan for him to go to college.\u201d She said, \u201cI\u2019m maxing out on my 403b.\u201d She also had a Roth IRA that she was putting money into. [Laughter] She said, \u201cI don\u2019t have any credit card debt,\u201d and she said, \u201cMy car is paid for.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m saying, \u201cNow tell me the problem?!\u201d She said, \u201cWell, I <em>know<\/em> that I need about $20,000 in savings so that I can buy a new car when I need it; but I can\u2019t seem to get past $12,000. I know I must be doing something wrong!\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Amazing!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>She was, at that time, a 33-year-old single mom; and she did not have a huge income.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Wow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> There was no windfall in that. She followed those principles, Bob, and it <em>worked<\/em>. She was in <em>phenomenal<\/em> position. She was one of really literally hundreds out of the millions that are out there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Those principles you are talking about are the principles that are in your book\u2014minimize the use of debt, maintain emergency savings, think long-term, spend less than you earn. That stays the same no matter what the economic environment is.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>It\u2019ll never change.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Just to kind of summarize here\u2014I can imagine someone, who is listening to us, saying, \u201cHave you guys\u2014have you guys determined, here, that it is morally wrong to borrow to go to college?\u201d I have an opinion on this, but I want to hear yours; because I can hear someone thinking\u2014out of this conversation\u2014we\u2019re saying it\u2019s wrong to borrow to go to college. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>No; I\u2019m not saying that. I think it is a matter of personal conviction. Romans 11 says, \u201cLet each one be fully convinced in his own mind, but whatever is not of faith is sin.\u201d I think everybody\u2019s got to reach that <em>conviction<\/em>; they just need to think it through rationally. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe Bible does <em>not<\/em> say that it\u2019s wrong to borrow money\u2014it says it\u2019s <em>foolish<\/em>\u2014but it doesn\u2019t say it\u2019s wrong to. All it says is that the wicked man borrows and does not repay. So, if I borrow money, I\u2019ve got to repay; and I\u2019ve got to think through the repayment if I\u2019m going to borrow money\u2014that\u2019s all I\u2019m saying. It\u2019s not morally wrong to borrow to go to college, but you need to think about it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I would agree with that statement, and I would add this: \u201cI think the reason we\u2019ve had this conversation today is\u2014we look at young couples, who are starting out their marriages, and they are strapped with college debt, consumer debt\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014car loans.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes\u2014\u201cthey\u2019ve allowed debt to be the way they get things.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Absolutely!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>What I hear us saying here\u2014is attempting to really come alongside young married couples and coach them and say: \u201cLook! You\u2019re building your home, your marriage, your family in the midst of a fierce storm. There is no reason to have any erosion in the foundation as you start this thing off. If you can start it off with solid footing, without a boat load of debt, then you are going to be able to withstand the storm.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron: <\/strong>Absolutely!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Our coaching here is just to keep people out of the ditch and to avoid an additional strain on the marriage relationship.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes; no matter what is going on in the national economy, the real important question is: \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in <em>your<\/em> economy?\u2014the economy in your house? Do you have a handle on your financial situation? Are you employing sound, biblical principles when it comes to managing your finances?\u2014to managing your money?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI know, Ron, you have a colleague, Russ Crosson, who has written a book that you have endorsed that is all about those financial principles\u2014it\u2019s called, <em>8 Important Money Decisions for Every Couple.<\/em> I\u2019m just thinking of the couples, who are listening today, who have said to themselves: \u201cThis is the year we are going to try to turn things around financially for us. We\u2019ve gotten in the hole \/ we\u2019ve gotten in a ditch. We need some help.\u201d These are principles that will help you get on the right track and help you stay on the right track. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>We have copies of Russ Crosson\u2019s book, <em>8 Important Money Decisions for Every Couple. <\/em>It\u2019s available in our <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>Resource Center. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGo, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; and you can order a copy of the book from us. Or call 1-800-FL-TODAY, and we\u2019ll send the book to you. Again, the website is FamilyLifeToday.com; the toll-free number is 1-800-FL-TODAY, and the title of the book is <em>8 Important Money Decisions for Every Couple<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet me just say\u2014if you know a couple who is about to be married or a couple who recently got married; in fact, I\u2019m thinking of one of those couples, right now\u2014you may want to do what I\u2019m going to do\u2014get a copy of this book and forward it to them, just so they can get on the right track if they\u2019re not there already, and stay on the right track if they are by employing these biblical principles.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, here in the first week of the new year, we are still finishing up processing some of the mail that was sent to us during the last few days of 2016. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo we don\u2019t have the final number yet on the matching-gift challenge and how we ended the year, financially, here at FamilyLife; but we do want to say, \u201cThank you,\u201d to those of you who, over the last month, made a contribution in support of this ministry. What you were saying with that contribution is that you believe, as we do, that marriage and family matters. If we can reach more couples and help more couples strengthen their marriage and strengthen their family, it\u2019s going to make a difference in our world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThank you for partnering with us in this ministry. Thanks to those of you who are\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLegacy Partners\u2014those of you who support this ministry each month with a contribution\u2014your financial support provides the foundation for this ministry to exist. We are grateful for your partnership with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHave you ever thought about becoming a Legacy Partner? It\u2019s easy to do\u2014go to FamilyLife Today.com\u2014and the information is available there; or call us and say, \u201cI want to become a Legacy Partner,\u201d and we can take care of that quickly. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we are grateful for all of our Legacy Partners and for those of you who made yearend contributions during the month of December\u2014thanks for partnering with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe hope you have a great weekend. Hope you and your family are able to worship together in church this weekend. And I hope you can join us back on Monday, when we are going to talk about one word that makes a <em>huge<\/em> difference in <em>every<\/em> marriage relationship\u2014one word. Do you know what it is? Tim and Darcy Kimmel are going to join us on Monday, and we\u2019ll find out what that word is then.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back Monday for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2017 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/304328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304328"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=304328"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=304328"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=304328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}