Climbing Out of the Dark Dungeon of Debt

In medieval times many castles were constructed. These castles were very large and seemed very spacious to the outside world. The kings and lords frequently built them to show their power and prestige. In the basements of these castles were dungeons that were basically prisons that held those who were captured as enemies of the king, or those within the castle who were thieves or who had disobeyed the laws of the king. These dungeons were dark and cold and those who were imprisoned would be there for their whole lifetime. Life was miserable for those who lived in the dungeon. It was a wretched place to be with the absence of light, shortage of food, being chained to the walls, etc… I am sure the thoughts of “how did I ever get myself in this place?” crossed many a mind back in these days.

In these modern times, we don’t have the large, spacious castles that they did in medieval times; we actually have even larger ones. Many people today have their own personal homes or castles, that they enjoy flaunting to the outside world, showing power, money, and prestige. The one fundamental difference is that the kings who owned castles in times of old, actually had the power, money, and prestige. In today’s world we want to appear as kings and want to live a life of luxury but in doing so we end up in the dungeon of our castle; chained to the wall with a life of misery—having no light or hope to escape. This dungeon I speak of is the dungeon of debt.

Debt is one of the most destructive powers in the financial world if used unwisely. It is said that the love of money is the root of all evil, but I would add that the love of things without the money to pay for them, is also the root of all evil. For this type of lifestyle brings upon us debt. According to freedictionary.com, the definition of debt is the following:
1. Something owed, such as money, goods, or services.
2. a. An obligation or liability to pay or render something to someone else.
b. The condition of owing:
3. An offense requiring forgiveness or reparation; a trespass

The most common form of debt is to lend money to someone else so they can have something that they would otherwise not be able to pay for. The most popular debts are houses, cars, businesses, and education. In recent times this list has expanded to include electronics, furniture, vacations, everyday living expenses, boats, 4-wheelers, etc… These types of debt along with large, spacious homes, fancy cars, and other unnecessary things are what have put us in the financial crisis that our country is in today. We are not only living in our own personal dungeons by taking on such enormous debt, but have also put our entire country in a dungeon because now the country has taken on more debt to try to keep the citizens from sinking into further despair.

I think most of us realize the pain and problems that come with incurring too much debt but we aren’t doing much to get out of the dungeons and the walls that we have chained ourselves to. Just like the thieves in times of old thought “how did I ever get myself in this place?” we too, must have these thoughts as we look at the mountains of bills and debts that lay before us. It is possible to climb out of your dungeon of debt and be able to live free again. I would like to give 4 financial steps to climb out of that dungeon and get back onto solid ground where you can enjoy the light and feel free again.
1. Get out of current debts where possible.
If you can sell your expensive car and get something cheaper, do it. If you can sell your house and get into something smaller and more affordable, do it. If you can sell your furniture or electronics that you are making payments on, do it.
List all of your debts or things you own which you could live without, and see what you can replace. Sell it and buy something less expensive and take the money to pay off all the debts you can.
This will bring you 1 step out of the dungeon, with only 3 left.

2. Pay off Debts as quickly as possible.
Once you have done all you can to remove as many debts as possible, make every effort to pay the remaining debts off, minus the mortgage payment, as fast as possible. This includes the school loan, car payment, credit cards, etc… Concentrate on the smallest loan first and once you pay that off, roll that payment into your next loan and pay it off in half the time.
You are now halfway up the stairway on the way to freedom.

3. Live within your means.
List your living expenses and the minimum debts possible (hopefully just the house) that you can live on. Make another list with all of the income that you and your family are bringing in. Compare the 2 lists and make sure that your expenses are not more than your income. It seems basic but many of us sitting in our dungeons don’t take the time to make a budget and find ourselves sinking further and further into despair. We need to give up only a little in order to gain a lot in the future.
Only one step left, and we have freed ourselves from the chains that have bound us down into the dark dungeons of debt.

Find ways to make additional income.
Part of getting out of debt is not only cutting back on what we spend, but also finding ways to make more money. There are thousands of different ways to make money with little time involved. For example, I write blogs for an internet company twice a week and make some additional money to keep us out of unnecessary debt. This will help us to not only get out of debt completely but also help us start saving for those rainy days in life that might otherwise thrust us back into the dungeon of debt.

Now you have climbed out of the dark dungeon of debt. Life is fun and exciting and is easier now that we don’t have the chains shackled upon our lives. We may not live in a castle but if we are locked in a dungeon, what good is the castle?

For more tips on how to escape debt and an accelerated plan, visit financial expert Dave Ramsey’s website

Report on The Cougs and the Pack

The BYU Cougars played this past week against the Utah State Aggies in Logan in a classic Friday before general conference game. I remember watching this semi-annual match up many times while going to school at Utah State. When I went to school in the late 90’s the Aggies actually had a team that could compete every year and even won a few games especially when they were in Logan. This year was a different story although the Aggies came back at the end to make an exciting finish for the folks in Cache Valley.

BYU came in to play the Aggies ranked 8th place in the National Polls. The Aggies were coming in as one of the worst in all of Division 1 football. The first quarter really amplified this difference in ranking. BYU had a 24-0 lead at the end of the first quarter with the help of 3 Aggie turnovers. It appeared the Cougars were on their way to another shut out like the previous 2 contests. The Aggies then went on to hold the Cougars scoreless in the 2nd quarter before yielding 10 more points in the 3rd quarter. The score at the beginning of the 4th quarter was 34-0. The fans from Utah State were out in force and the student section was true to their team and was rewarded with 2 touchdowns by their Aggies in the 4th quarter. They attempted an onside kick following the second touchdown and were very close to recovering it, but failed. BYU went on to win by a score of 34-14. The Aggies actually outscored the Cougars 14-10 in the last 3 quarters of the game.

Knowing the coach of BYU, Bronco Mendenhall, and the attitude of this team, New Mexico better be prepared for an onslaught of touchdowns and ferocious defense that wants to show that they are better than they played in Logan against the Aggies in those 3 quarters of the game they played. I expect the crowd to be rowdy and ready and the players to put on a great show when they take in the Lobos in the Lavell Edwards stadium on Saturday October 11th. My prediction for this game is for the Cougars to win the Lobos 45-7.

The Packers are the other team that I enjoy reporting on. Green Bay has had a very difficult year so far. They started out winning 2 games and then proceeded to lose the next 3 in a row starting with the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then this past weekend losing to the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers have a great offense which looked really good in the Dallas and Atlanta games, but not so good in the Tampa Bay game, where the defense did their job, but the offense faltered. The defense has looked good at times, but terrible at others including the Atlanta Falcons game giving up large amounts of yardage and yielding 27 total points. The Packers lost that game 27-24. I think the Packers have a pretty good team this year but due to some key injuries and also some inconsistent play it has lost them some games as of late.

The Packers go into Seattle this weekend to play the Seahawks. I think that with the problems Seattle has had with injuries and their poor running game, the Packers should be able to sneak out a win up there. My prediction is that the Packers will close one by a score of 24-21 on a Mason Crosby winning field goal.

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The Garden of Life

Several months ago I stood in front of my garden plot and stared at the piles of dirt that lay there waiting to be plowed and prepared for planting the seeds that I held in my hand. I envisioned the juicy tomatoes and the crisp corn that would come later that summer and fall. Now it is October and I again stand in front of the same garden with the same pile of dirt, after enjoying a wonderful summer and fall of enjoying fresh vegetables.
My wife just recently gave birth to our third child, our first boy, Dawson. His life is similar to my garden. He is just starting his life out similar to the seeds that I held in my hand. He has incredible potential and can do a lot of good in his life if he is cultivated and given the proper nutrition both spiritually and physically. Just like the soil is prepared in the garden, my wife and I must have a strong marital foundation and happy, enjoyable place for Dawson to start his life in. The preparation that should be made prior to having a baby is vital so he can come to a place that is spiritually prepared and ready. In this state, he can grow and be the best possible person he can be. Cultivating and preparing the soil for the seeds to be planted in our gardens can surely also apply to raising our own baby seeds in the soil of life.

Once the soil is prepared in my garden, I then plant the seeds and apply water and sunlight. These seeds are very fragile and can be molded into a very productive and fruitful seed or a seed that will whither away and be taken away by the storms and winds that will surely come. My baby boy, Dawson, is fragile in a similar way. The things that we teach him by example will influence his life from an early age to be a force for good and will hopefully put him on the path to productivity, just like the seed that is cared for and cultivated. Just as water and sunlight are absolutely essential for the seeds in the garden to grow; unconditional love, lots of praise, and a happy home are the requirements of a happy baby and child.

Now that the seed has penetrated the soil and is growing above ground, the weeds start to descend upon the garden and attempt to choke out the sunlight and hoard the water from the young seedlings, which have now become plants. These weeds must be removed or they can take over each of the plants and eventually the whole garden. The weeds must be removed on a regular basis and the roots must be dug up completely or the weeds will come back as quickly as they are removed. In our child’s life there will be temptations and discouragements and times when it feels like the weeds of life are choking him and ruining his spirit. We need to teach our children that these can be removed, just like weeds, by repenting and partaking of the Lord’s sacrament each Sunday. We need to remember to repent fully or risk leaving the roots of sin embedded in our lives.

Once we remove these weeds from our lives we will find that our potential is great and that our fruits will bless the lives of others. Just like the fresh vegetables I enjoyed in my garden, we, too, can enjoy the fruits of our lives, and find the joy in sharing and giving of our lives to others. There will be a day when the harvest is complete and we will look back over our garden and have many wonderful memories of the sweet tastes of various vegetables and know that we overcame many different weeds in our life to be where we are today.

Life is very much like a garden. We all start out with an empty plot and can do with it what we please. Prepare your soil so that it will be ready for the seeds that you plant. Make sure and plant good seeds wherever you go in life. Give your seeds sunlight and water. Remove the weeds regularly and allow the seeds to turn into plants and to have a fruitful and productive life and allow them to give joy to others. We are all seeds in the Lord’s garden of life. He will cultivate our ground if we allow him. He will help us remove the weeds. He will be there through good times and bad. He will help us to be the best we can.

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Get Out and Exercise!

This time of year is a great time to get in shape and exercise. The weather is cooler and there is plenty of yard work to do to prepare for the long winter. Autumn is a beautiful time of year and there is no better time to be outside enjoying the few weeks before winter starts to set in. I have tried to stay in decent shape over the years and have found that being outside and enjoying this time of year have always helped me to not only feel better but also to look better. Exercise doesn’t always have to be hard work and drudgery.
Here are several ideas of things to do this Fall with your family and also ways to get in some exercise while doing them:

Play games outside with your family. I have many fond memories of playing football in my parent’s backyard with my older brother. We had the most fun on the cooler nights in September and October. We would play one-on-one or just throw the ball back and forth. It was great because it didn’t even feel like exercise because we were having so much fun together. I now am able to play outside with my own kids, although my girls don’t like football much. We do kick the ball around, play tag, along with other games. The nights are as cool as when I was younger and watching the girls laugh and smile bring back the memories.

Rake Leaves Together as a Family. I love to rake leaves. I don’t know if it is more because I love this time of year or if I love to see the fruits of my labor or if it is just to be outside working. My wife and I live close to my parents and for the past few years have been helping them rake their leaves. They have many tall trees that produce massive amounts of leaves during this time of year. I always get nostalgic when we drive in on a cool late October afternoon to start raking those pretty red and orange leaves. My girls love to jump in them and go for rides in the wheelbarrow as I move the piles of leaves to the garden.


Cook a Meal Together and go for a Walk to Deliver it to a Neighbor. Making a meal together as a family really causes you to help each other and work as a team. My Mom taught me to cook from the time I was young and I enjoyed the many September and October nights making a steamy, warm pot of my Mom’s famous chili and then making several pans of the best smelling cinnamon rolls you ever “laid your nose on”. I remember playing outside raking the leaves or playing football and coming in to a house filled with the fresh aroma of homemade wheat bread. Once during each Fall make some extra soup and extra cinnamon rolls or another meal of your choice and walk them to a neighbor or someone that you know and let them know that you were thinking of them and thought they could use a nice meal and some treats. This will make a great impression on them and even more of an impression on your children and also give you a chance to get out of the house and be together while exercising.

Don’t wait any longer to get out and enjoy the fresh air. The days go by too fast this time of year to be inside. Take time to go outside, play together with your kids, make meals together. Get out and exercise!

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The Cougs and the Pack

This past weekend the BYU Cougars posted another impressive shutout while the Green Bay Packers got beat by the Dallas Cowboys. I am a big fan of both the Cougars and the Packers so each week I am going to review the previous games played and preview the upcoming games for each team. I do have to say that BYU is looking very good this year and is currently ranked at 11th place in the AP polls. The Packers are looking pretty good as well despite their loss to one of the best teams in the NFL in the Cowboys.

BYU played Wyoming this week in Laramie. This has been a pretty heated rivalry over the years (although not even close to the rivalry with the Utes). Through the years the annual meeting with Wyoming Cowboys has been pretty rough and ugly and lots of big hits, and that is just describing the fans in the stands. BYU went up to Laramie this year riding a winning streak of 3 games including big wins over Pac-10 powerhouses Washington and UCLA. The Cougars shut out UCLA last week by a score of 59-0. BYU beat Wyoming in the same fashion by a score of 44-0 by using a strong defense and its power passing game. The Cougars forced 6 turnovers against the hapless Cowboys and returned 2 of them for touchdowns. Max Hall added to his passing touchdowns on the season by throwing 3 more touchdown strikes making it a total of 15 for the year. All of Hall’s touchdowns occurred in the Cowboys game in only 3 quarters of play. The BYU passing attack seems virtually unstoppable week after week this year. With an incredible offense with an outstanding coach in Bronco Mendenhall and an awesome quarterback in Max Hall along with an improving defense, the Cougars look poised to have a great year making a push for a BCS game and possible shot at the title game if they can go undefeated.

Next up for BYU is Utah State on October 3rd in Logan. Utah State is actually my Alma Mater. Yes, I am a true Aggie, for those of you who know about Utah State. Anyway, BYU should easily handle the under-manned Aggies. Utah State has struggled for many years in football. My prediction for the game is 45-7.

I have been a Packers fan for about 15 years now and have watched only one QB play for them- Brett Favre. I was able to attend one of his last games as a Packer last year when they played the Denver Broncos. It was incredible with the Packers winning in overtime with a Favre touchdown pass to receiver Greg Jennings on the first play of overtime. Favre is my favorite player and was set to retire this year before deciding to come back. The Packers had since moved on to the quarterback waiting in the wings for the past 3 years in Aaron Rodgers. So far this year, Rodgers has been pretty amazing. He has thrown at a high percentage, 4 touchdown passes, no interceptions, and has been more mobile than Favre ever was. I think that the Packers have a future with Aaron Rodgers. The Packers were able to beat the Vikings in week 1, get past the Lions in week 2, before losing to the Cowboys in week 3. Dallas was a far superior team in that game beating the Pack in every phase of the game. Green Bay lost that game by a score of 27-16. The Packers will be traveling to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers. I think the Packers will win that game 27-17.
Tune in next week to read all about the Packers ball game and more analysis on the BYU Cougars’ march to glory.

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Football and BBQ

Fall is my most favorite season of the year and September is probably my favorite month. Not only has football season arrived, but the weather is getting cooler, and the holidays are soon coming. One activity that a lot of people forget this time of year is barbecuing. For most people, summer time is the most popular time of year to fire up that old BBQ grill and throw on some mouth-watering steaks, but for me and other football fans September is the best time for a BBQ. There is nothing better than throwing on some marinated BBQ chicken or some T-bone steaks on the grill while watching your favorite team on the large screen TV in your living room.

I love to grill various meats and fresh, crisp vegetables on the grill. Here is one of my favorite recipes that I love to enjoy while watching the Green Bay Packers or the BYU Cougars play on the weekend.

Steak and Chicken ShishKabobs
1 large steak of your choice (cut into bite size cubes)
1 large chicken breast (cut into bite size cubes)
Cherry tomatoes, green and yellow squash (sliced thick), large mushrooms (pull stems off), red onions (peeled and cut into cubes), green, red, and orange peppers (sliced)

Marinade
2 cups Olive Oil
2 T. Worchestershire sauce
2 T. Soy sauce
2 Garlic (minced)
½ cup honey
4 t. chili powder
Fresh lime juice

Mix the marinade ingredients together and marinate the steak and chicken in a zip lock bag for several hours.
Thread the meats and vegetables on several bamboo skewers until meat and vegetables are gone.
Use a brush to spread marinade on the vegetables and meats. Spray the meat and veggie filled skewers with cooking spray (to avoid sticking to grill). Sprinkle them with your favorite BBQ spice such as Grill Mates and then sprinkle on Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper.

Heat the grill to high heat and when fully heated, add the skewers to the grill. Use a glove on your hand to rotate the skewers around frequently to cook all sides evenly. Once all sides have been exposed to the high heat turn the grill on low heat to cook the food inside fully. Continue to rotate the skewers but not as often.

Remove the Kabobs from the grill, enjoy, and hope that your team is as successful as your BBQ’ing was.

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Classic Cougar Football

It’s that time of year again when the football fans get excited because football will be playing for the next 4 months. The BYU Cougars have got off to a great start this year beating some good teams. I grew up in a household where the Cougars football team was the favorite sports team in the family. I have many fond memories waking up on a cool autumn morning hearing my Mom playing the BYU school song on the radio while making us a great breakfast for game day. I wanted to spend a few minutes sharing some more of my favorite BYU football memories while growing up.

On every Saturday during the fall, we would wake up and enjoy my Mom’s breakfast and then go outside to do our weekly chores in the garden and in the yard, before the game started in the afternoon. The games usually started at about 1 in the afternoon so we would prepare hoagie sandwiches and chips while settling into our regular places on the couches. My Dad would go get his old radio and set up in the TV room because he preferred listening to Paul James rather than the TV announcers. I can still hear Paul James in my mind when I think of these fun days from many years ago. It drove my brother and me crazy because the radio announcing came a few seconds after the play on TV. We begged to turn the radio off and listen to the TV, but my Dad was probably the biggest fan of Paul James in the land of the Cougars.

The game was finally ready to begin. Once that kickoff was underway it was time to enjoy 3 hours of watching the greatest team on the planet. We loved to watch not only because they are BYU, but also because they had the best passing attack in football. LaVell Edwards was the coach back then and he loved the pass play. He had long passes, short passes, and shotgun formations. It was fun to see the long passes for touchdowns. It was fun to watch LaVell on the sidelines. We all know his famous facial expressions of frowns and no smiles. He took the game very seriously and knew not to get too excited and not get too upset. He was the most even keeled coach I had ever seen. His record over the years proved that his approach to the game worked.

The players (especially the quarterbacks) that he recruited and coached went on to have great careers in the NFL. He coached Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Marcus Wilson, Ty Detmer, and many others. Many referred to LaVell’s system and BYU as a quarterback factory and indeed it was. There were also great receivers; Glen Kowzlowski, Todd Christensen, Matt Belini, and others. They had countless amazing catches over the years. They had great defenses with one of my favorites being the defensive lineman Jason Buck.
It was a fun time for me growing up to be able to watch the awesome coaching and the great players on the Cougars football team. They had many great years and even received the national championship in 1984. Over the years they went to many Holiday Bowls and other bowl games and won the majority of them. Who can forget the incredible comeback led by Jim McMahon in the 1980 Holiday Bowl against SMU or the 1984 Holiday Bowl against Michigan that earned them the national title that year. The Las Vegas bowl brought some excitement last year when BYU blocked the field goal attempt by UCLA in the final seconds of that game.

The players may have changed over the years and now BYU has a young new coach, but they still have a passing game and a winning tradition. When you watch this year think of the great winning tradition and all the great games over the years and know that you are watching one of the greatest teams ever to play the game.

Just be thankful that you don’t have to listen to Paul James on the radio during every game.

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