I am switching blog sites. For new posts go to: http://durkniblick.wordpress.com/
-Durk-
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Timing is Everything
I remember talking to a co-worker that had worked in a financial aid office. She said to NOT wait to pay back student loans! That they would wait, allow interest to accrue, apply fines and penalties and fees and wait some more. Then they would come after you with a vengeance. That was 7 years ago.
I remember the MidAmerica Nazarene University recruiters coming to my church, into my youth group, into my Sunday School class. I had felt called to ministry, to preach, to pastor a church. But neither I nor my family could afford to pay for me to go to college. I had no idea how I would afford to go to my church college that would train me for ministry and prepare me for pastoring. But the recruiters had an answer: Financial Aid, student grants and student loans. That was 16 years ago.
Now my wife and I have 2 student loans that are about $100,000 apiece. I have never been able to enter into ministry for many reasons, one being that no church would ever be able to afford to employ me where I could pay the school loans back. I'll never forget the speech that my church history professor gave my junior year of college. He said, "75% of all Nazarene churches are 75 people or les. So if you have more than $5000 in loans the average church won't pay you enough to pay them back." Thanks prof. Williams. Why didn't YOU visit my youth group?
I remember filing for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy judge asked if I had a doctorate with that kind of student loans. "Nope," I replied, "I went to a private, religious college." The credit card debt went away, but student loans are not easily forgiven in bankruptcy so the loans did not go away.
Now, for some reason, the US Department of Education wants their money back...and they want it pretty bad. I may be a day away from having the US Dept of Education garnish my check, @250 per paycheck for the rest of my life. And that is only for one of the two loans.
In addition, the state is currently garnishing my check and my wife's check to the total of 25% per person, per check. It is for a medical bill. We won't be able to pay rent this month. We both have pay day loans out. We have one maxed out credit card. I have 2 401K loans that I am repaying. As I write this, my bank account is negative.
The Sunday after the Student Loan collectors started talking to me my friend, Mike called me. It was just after church and he invited me to a Dave Ramsey class. Of course I said yes. Thanks Mike.
There are a few positives. I have a great family. I have 4 boys. I have a great job. So does my wife. I am taking steps in the right direction. My good friend Bill is acting as our financial counselor, he has been great to keep us focused and encouraged-he even paid for my wife and I to attend Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes. I have stopped my 401K contributions. No cable. No Internet. Of course it is because we owe them too. I plan to reduce the cell phone plans to the next plan down. We rent, but both of our minivans are paid for. I changed my tax exemptions to get more money back during the year instead of a refund. I have been taking my lunch to work instead of eating out. One pay day loan is paid off. I have 1 401K loan that will be paid off by the end of the month. I won't be giving to United Way next year. I have even applied for a part-time job and my wife has been taking extra duties on at her school-that will be extra money too. I have been in contact with the people I owe, trying to make a plan and trying to take control and be responsible.
And of course, I participated in my first Dave Ramsey class last night.
I remember the MidAmerica Nazarene University recruiters coming to my church, into my youth group, into my Sunday School class. I had felt called to ministry, to preach, to pastor a church. But neither I nor my family could afford to pay for me to go to college. I had no idea how I would afford to go to my church college that would train me for ministry and prepare me for pastoring. But the recruiters had an answer: Financial Aid, student grants and student loans. That was 16 years ago.
Now my wife and I have 2 student loans that are about $100,000 apiece. I have never been able to enter into ministry for many reasons, one being that no church would ever be able to afford to employ me where I could pay the school loans back. I'll never forget the speech that my church history professor gave my junior year of college. He said, "75% of all Nazarene churches are 75 people or les. So if you have more than $5000 in loans the average church won't pay you enough to pay them back." Thanks prof. Williams. Why didn't YOU visit my youth group?
I remember filing for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy judge asked if I had a doctorate with that kind of student loans. "Nope," I replied, "I went to a private, religious college." The credit card debt went away, but student loans are not easily forgiven in bankruptcy so the loans did not go away.
Now, for some reason, the US Department of Education wants their money back...and they want it pretty bad. I may be a day away from having the US Dept of Education garnish my check, @250 per paycheck for the rest of my life. And that is only for one of the two loans.
In addition, the state is currently garnishing my check and my wife's check to the total of 25% per person, per check. It is for a medical bill. We won't be able to pay rent this month. We both have pay day loans out. We have one maxed out credit card. I have 2 401K loans that I am repaying. As I write this, my bank account is negative.
The Sunday after the Student Loan collectors started talking to me my friend, Mike called me. It was just after church and he invited me to a Dave Ramsey class. Of course I said yes. Thanks Mike.
There are a few positives. I have a great family. I have 4 boys. I have a great job. So does my wife. I am taking steps in the right direction. My good friend Bill is acting as our financial counselor, he has been great to keep us focused and encouraged-he even paid for my wife and I to attend Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes. I have stopped my 401K contributions. No cable. No Internet. Of course it is because we owe them too. I plan to reduce the cell phone plans to the next plan down. We rent, but both of our minivans are paid for. I changed my tax exemptions to get more money back during the year instead of a refund. I have been taking my lunch to work instead of eating out. One pay day loan is paid off. I have 1 401K loan that will be paid off by the end of the month. I won't be giving to United Way next year. I have even applied for a part-time job and my wife has been taking extra duties on at her school-that will be extra money too. I have been in contact with the people I owe, trying to make a plan and trying to take control and be responsible.
And of course, I participated in my first Dave Ramsey class last night.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Amazing!
You've got to check this video out. I couldn't find this exact one on youtube, but there are others from the same group.
Check this out: http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html
Amazing or what? I can't even do that. I watched it with my jaw slack and with my eyes popping out of my head.
I also could not have been the one to film it-I couldn't have waited!
-Durk-
Check this out: http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html
Amazing or what? I can't even do that. I watched it with my jaw slack and with my eyes popping out of my head.
I also could not have been the one to film it-I couldn't have waited!
-Durk-
Thursday, August 23, 2007
I Always Feel Outta Place...
...whenever I go to my kid's school. Now let me explain. My wife is a teacher in a very affluent school district. One of the perks is that she gets to bring her (our) kids into the district to be educated. That is awesome and my children LOVE the other kids and teachers. The education is of the highest quality.
But these families live in million dollar homes. I rent a duplex. They travel in brand new SUVs, expensive minivans and fast shiny sport cars. I drive a cheap minivan. It is old and it is paid for.
Not one person or persons have made me feel bad. No one points and laughs. No one stares and no one gives funny looks. But I am still an outsider. I do not live or hang out in their neighborhoods. I do not shop or eat in the ssame tores that they do. I am not part of their community.
Except of course, all our children go to school together.
I can accept that most of the issues are in my head. That I have the problem and not "them". But this does not make me feel any better.
And then to make things worse this year is the first year in a middle school. New school. New kids. New parents.
I hated jr. high and high school. I remember that awkward, weird age. I was a geek, an outsider. I STILL have nightmares about going to the wrong class or skipping class because I couldn't figure out my schedule! STILL!
And this week was no freaking different! It was meet the teacher night and I was given a schedule to follow. You simply go where the schedule states right? Well problem #1. I have twins therefore I have 2 schedules. No one else had 2 schedules. They are similar, but not the same. So first I have to figure out which classes to attend. I finally just choose one of the schedules and stick with it. I chose the schedule that had a technology class instead of the drama class. Then of course I wandered around looking for the right place to go.
Problem #2. The schedule changes from day to day. So even within one of the schedules I still had to figure out what classes I am supposed to be going to-what "day" it is supossed to be for this one night meet the teachers crap. So wouldn't ya know it. I walk into the technology class and it is normally at the same time that the music class is-the music class that I had just met the teacher of... So I looked like a goober going to a class where there was no meeting of the teacher...it was the period before. While I was in that stupid music class. And then I was late for the class I was supossed to be meeting another teacher at!
I still feel out of place in a middle school. Stupid meet the tachers night. Stupid schedule. Stupid school.
-Durk-
But these families live in million dollar homes. I rent a duplex. They travel in brand new SUVs, expensive minivans and fast shiny sport cars. I drive a cheap minivan. It is old and it is paid for.
Not one person or persons have made me feel bad. No one points and laughs. No one stares and no one gives funny looks. But I am still an outsider. I do not live or hang out in their neighborhoods. I do not shop or eat in the ssame tores that they do. I am not part of their community.
Except of course, all our children go to school together.
I can accept that most of the issues are in my head. That I have the problem and not "them". But this does not make me feel any better.
And then to make things worse this year is the first year in a middle school. New school. New kids. New parents.
I hated jr. high and high school. I remember that awkward, weird age. I was a geek, an outsider. I STILL have nightmares about going to the wrong class or skipping class because I couldn't figure out my schedule! STILL!
And this week was no freaking different! It was meet the teacher night and I was given a schedule to follow. You simply go where the schedule states right? Well problem #1. I have twins therefore I have 2 schedules. No one else had 2 schedules. They are similar, but not the same. So first I have to figure out which classes to attend. I finally just choose one of the schedules and stick with it. I chose the schedule that had a technology class instead of the drama class. Then of course I wandered around looking for the right place to go.
Problem #2. The schedule changes from day to day. So even within one of the schedules I still had to figure out what classes I am supposed to be going to-what "day" it is supossed to be for this one night meet the teachers crap. So wouldn't ya know it. I walk into the technology class and it is normally at the same time that the music class is-the music class that I had just met the teacher of... So I looked like a goober going to a class where there was no meeting of the teacher...it was the period before. While I was in that stupid music class. And then I was late for the class I was supossed to be meeting another teacher at!
I still feel out of place in a middle school. Stupid meet the tachers night. Stupid schedule. Stupid school.
-Durk-
Friday, August 17, 2007
I Recieved a Frustrating Email Today...
...From a friend. First it didn't have a title in the subject line...that is just a pet peeve of mine. I used to have a supervisor that didn't even read emails without something in the subject line. But more importantly it was an email about God and finances. I have a strong faith in God and I'd like to be financially healthy. So I read on. Now it started off innocently enough...here read the beginning:
God is not a cosmic ATM machine. He isn't some magical money tree. And the thing is this email comes at a time when I am really struggling financially. The School Loan People really want their money. I think I went to the most freaking expensive school in the country, MNU. I don't know if I can make the payment that they want or not. And there are always threats that go along with their request for repayment. But do I lay that on God? Well, maybe, but I still have a responsibility. I am still accountable for my own past choices
I believe that God cares about His creation. I believe that it is His desire that his people be blessed and live healthy lives. But is God gonna just let me do whatever I want, let me make bad descisions and then bail me out? No. I don't believe that. I believe that God will honor my good intentions and my good stewardship with my finances. But God ain't gonna make all the money I ever request fall out of the sky.
-Durk-
God is the biggest help in the World. I claim it for you - now claim it forSure, I got 30 seconds...But then it goes on:
me. God has more than a thousand Ways to provide for us, that we know nothing
about. Here is your financial blessing! It's a simple prayer, you got 30
Seconds?
Don't sleep on this...Someone recently read this for the first time and received exactly enough for a $0 balance on all credit cards. If you need a financial blessing, continue reading this e-mail.It is at this point that I get VERY angry. I believe that God will provide all of my spiritual needs. But is He gonna pay off my bills? NO, he isn't. Will He keep me from getting sued if I don't pay my debt back? Nope. I don't believe that is His responsibility. And then to talk about credit card debt? Don't get me started!
God is not a cosmic ATM machine. He isn't some magical money tree. And the thing is this email comes at a time when I am really struggling financially. The School Loan People really want their money. I think I went to the most freaking expensive school in the country, MNU. I don't know if I can make the payment that they want or not. And there are always threats that go along with their request for repayment. But do I lay that on God? Well, maybe, but I still have a responsibility. I am still accountable for my own past choices
I believe that God cares about His creation. I believe that it is His desire that his people be blessed and live healthy lives. But is God gonna just let me do whatever I want, let me make bad descisions and then bail me out? No. I don't believe that. I believe that God will honor my good intentions and my good stewardship with my finances. But God ain't gonna make all the money I ever request fall out of the sky.
-Durk-
Now That's a Funny Name!
I was following a truck to work this morning when I saw the name in the web address on the back...It took me a couple of seconds to actually read the name: 
FRENCH GIRLYMAN? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Whew..that was pretty funny. It reminded me of Hans and Frans from SNL!
Girly Men Pumping Iron
-Durk-
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
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