{08.29.2008} Friday ______ Melange

So first things first - I have learned my lesson after 2 straight Fridays...I am not built to write anything on a Friday morning. My days are rather unpredictable, so I have made the decision to rename this series the "Friday Melange". So, instead of "FMM" we are now the "FM". Simple really.

Since this is the Friday MELANGE, I wanted to ensure you all that topics will not always fall in the Finance or Insurance categories. Some weeks I might get into various subjects on family, work, church, and yes, even politics. That being said, I would like to build upon last week's SAVINGS post...

Did you know? (from a Pew Research Report):

• 77% of Americans describe themselves as people who look for ways to save money
• 63% of Americans say they don't save nearly enough money
• 25% of Americans say they spend more than they can afford
• Items that Americans splurge on: food/restaurant dining, entertainment, recreation, shopping and personal items
• However, the Personal Savings Rate has hit a record low: -0.4% of disposable income is being saved...the first time in this nation's history that the savings rate is negative.

I don't want to continue to throw numbers or just regurgitate another research report's findings. What I want to do, though, is create a sense of urgency with you all to create a plan to budget your money and create a savings plan, if you don't have one now. A few days ago there was a good post on Budgeting over at the Mathai Family Blog. Take a moment to read it...there are good ideas and tools that you can put to use.

Susan and I started out slowly on this budgeting and savings road in our marriage. We tried to create different plans, but we were never disciplined enough to stick with it and make it a habit. Slowly, over the years we learned by various failures and successes (probably more failures). Once we found a method we both agreed on, it has made family financial discussions a little more palatable and there is a defined goal in front of us. I'm proud to say that with Susan's persistence and my eventual buy-in, we are debt free and have a savings plan that allows me to start my own business. Believe me, finances can be a burden or they can be a blessing, we have experienced both...it's the everyday choices you make that define you and your future.

Random Saturday musings

Here's something that we will definitely miss with the slower pace of Central Illinois living. This morning we visited the Uptown Normal Sweet Corn Festival, where there were literally tons of corn being served. This sadly was the first time we've ever gone to the Corn Festival and it was definitely worth the trip! Sweet corn on the cob for $.50, hot sun beating down on you, people you actually know saying hello to each other and acting neighborly, what can beat that?

Later this evening we'll be going to Hot August Nights in Downtown Bloomington...another summer festival that features local bands, local restaurants and fun things to do with the family. It's a festival that compares to the Taste of Chicago...except that there are only 15 restaurants and food prices are about 75% cheaper.

I love these opportunities for Susan, Isabelle and I to spend significant time together...especially with the upcoming move to Chicago. Life in Chicago is so fast, and when you are responsible for your own business there are dangers of losing focus of your family and friends. It's a great reminder for me to always remember that success is not the amount of money I bring home but the amount of love and time I dedicate to my family.

This past week there have been thoughts (doubts? no, not doubts) in our mind about moving to Chicago and our reasoning for it. I've never doubted the move, but have been feeling somewhat discouraged. We've worked so hard for this to happen and are really sacrificing so much, financially and emotionally. We know that it is not just our desire to be in Chicago, but God's plan that we move there now. There have been sure signs of this:

• 1st - getting through the State Farm hiring process and being blessed with the opportunity to own my own business,
  
• 2nd - passing all the tough state and federal exams for Insurance licenses and Securities regulations, and
  
• 3rd - bringing a family from Jacksonville, IL at the exact right time to buy our home in this down housing market.
  

That's just minimizing it to 3 blessings. I know we're excited to be coming back home and we trust that many of you are happy to see us back there...its simply been sobering to really understand what we are leaving behind. Isabelle really understands what is happening.

Please continue to pray for us, especially Isabelle, and the process of moving away from Isabelle's birthplace and moving towards ours.

{8.22.08} Friday Morning Melange

Ok, ok...I said I wouldn't blog on a Friday night...and yet, here we are. 10:17 PM, Friday night and this is the first edition of the Friday Morning Melange. Sorry.

Right off the bat - this blog and anything written herein is not sponsored nor supported officially by the State Farm Insurance Companies, these are thoughts, concepts and ideas that I have picked up through my experience in the insurance industry and throughout my MBA studies.


This week's "Melange" is about savings plans...what are good strategies? I have read many books from textbooks to Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" to taking a Crown Financial Ministries class. Here are some strategies that work:

1. Take full advantage of your employer's retirement contributions...free money! Take it...and match it.
2. Start setting aside pocket change...start small and stay steady.
3. Create a savings fund for significant milestones in your life.
4. If you have kids, start thinking about education savings plans.

Here's a verse from Proverbs that I came across a few weeks ago: Proverbs 6:6-8 - "go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."

How are you sacrificing today to prepare for your future? Are you honoring God through your financial decisions?

A weekly feature...Friday Morning Melange

I've been thinking of how to make this blog more interesting and to keep the masses entertained. Since the first and foremost objective of this blog is to keep our friends and family informed on our move back to Chicago we've tried to share pictures and stories from our life in Bloomington. The other aspect of this blog is to inform you all about my move into the entrepreneurial world, namely as a State Farm Insurance and Financial Advisor. With that in mind, I thought maybe having a weekly feature on important aspects of Insurance and Finance would be interesting...if not, oh well...read it anyway, you might be able to pick something out that might interest you.

Now having a weekly feature is definitely not unique, my friend Nate @ natemathai.com has a Monday Night Recap and my friend Dave @ davesteinbeck.blogspot.com has a Sunday Night Download, and I'm sure the millions of other bloggers out there have some sort of "featurette" on their sites. So, I randomly picked a day of the week (Friday - which is today, by the way), a time of the day (I'm going with Morning, simply because I don't think I'll be blogging much on Friday nights) & finally chose a noun (Melange - "a motley assortment of things") and put them together...and am hoping for magic...

I'll post another item under the "FMM" heading very shortly...just wanted to introduce the concept now.

Summer Recap 2008

Its August 21st and that means a lot of kids have gone back to school or have moved off to college for the first time. End of August also means that I'm about to battle my annual hayfever attacks. Fun. Since this was our last summer in Bloomington, IL, Susan did a great job and put together an album telling the story through all of our various activities.

Follow this link: Summer 2008 Recap

Hope all our readers had an awesome summer...we're looking forward to just as much fun and fellowship in the fall and into the winter...yay!

jasonabrahaminsurance.com

Thanks for the votes folks...I went with the overwhelming majority (9 votes) and chose www.jasonabrahaminsurance.com. Check it out...there's nothing there, but it does take you to a shell State Farm Agent page for me.

Choosing to Trust

Good morning - it's Susan again -

Just had to share the following "I Choose to Trust" devotional with you. So true and so fitting for me right now. While we are thrilled to come 'home' to Chicago, just about every part of our life is about to change. So naturally, there is some level of anxiety. For those of you who know me well, my sin struggle has always been worry. And when you worry, you're not trusting.

Pray that I practice using my "trust muscle" and stay surrendered to Him in the big and small things. He's never disappointed me and I know He never will.

http://www.walkintheword.com/WeeklyWalk.aspx

Well...that's that.

Friends...God has answered several prayers throughout our lives. He has shown His love in such unimaginable ways...he brought Susan and I together over 10 years ago, He allowed us to move to Bloomington, IL...and He blessed us with a beautiful, smart and energetic daughter.

Well, about 18 days ago we put our house on the market and were hoping that it would sell within 4 months, what with the market being the way it is. All we hear nowadays is how the housing market is collapsing, that houses are selling for $1 in cities, and that prospective buyers have to have almost perfect credit and white teeth to qualify for a mortgage. Well, that being said...we sold our house! (pending the proper authorizations by the powers that be)...God has answered another prayer...How awesome.

Let the "re>ROOT" begin...we're coming home.

My first poll!

Alright, so I've been going back and forth on something and I need your help to decide!

When I open my State Farm Agency, I will also be purchasing a website name. Unfortunately, someone has "jasonabraham.com" and I can't find the owner's name or phone number. So, I'm left with the following choices:

jasonabrahaminsurance.com
or
jasonabrahamagency.com

Which do you prefer? Vote to the right and you can be a part of history!

One year ago...

I still vividly remember the phone call we received late on August 5th and wondering if we should race back to Chicago to be with our community. Thinking clearly, we decided not to take the chance on driving 2 hours north and waited for the morning. Susan and I were silent in the car with tears in our eyes...realizing that our friend was gone. As we got closer to Chicago, we heard the news stories on the radio about the hit and run and could not believe we were listening to a story about our friend.

Not more than 2 months before that, Binil was in our new home here in Bloomington helping us paint. Every time we walk through this house we think back to that weekend where we got to know him better and love him for his gentle-heartedness and helpfulness. He painted relentlessly, making sure that the rooms were perfect and would not quit until he thought the rooms looked just right. I witnessed and heard the stories about his work in the church and with the youths and I know that that is how he approached that work as well...with amazing dedication, love and strength.

Everyone who knew Binil has a story to share about how he impacted their lives. Let's remember our commitment to living our lives for Christ each day, not knowing when we'll be called home and what legacy we're leaving behind. One year ago...we lost a brother...we continue to remember his life and the work he accomplished in Christ.

Family Time

It's Susan (I like to hijack Jason's blog every now and then as my own - I'm a last born so you'll just have to deal with it). :)

It's Saturday evening and we just concluded a relaxing evening at Miller Park. We ate sandwiches at a picnic table while listening to a blues band. Then Izzy ran around the park on the slides, the swing and the water park area running through sprinklers that shot out of the ground. She had a blast and we loved watching her squeal in delight from something as simple as water.

Isn't it awesome to see things from a child's perspective? No worries of what others think of you, no fears to overcome, no baggage to carry around. To have complete trust in your parents to ensure the right balance of safety, security and pleasure. I was quickly reminded of how Christ sees us. He enjoys seeing us delight in things. He wants us to let go of our fears, our baggage, our worries and give Him our complete trust. Easier said than done as an adult, but a simple evening in the park gave me encouragement to see life through a child's eyes and trust in our Father to take care of the rest.

I'm off to have a snack and take a nap. (Ok in reality, I'm going to do laundry and get my child off to bed). :)

Changing course...changing names

Just in case you were an avid follower of the Abraham Family Blog and are confused...don't be concerned, I just thought that I would have a more vivid name to have associated to our move back. RE>ROOT. This is my feeble attempt to be cool...to have a blog name that might have a deeper meaning...or just to be clever.

So...I searched for the official definition of "roots" and found the following on dictionary.com-
roots,

a.	a person's original or true home, environment, and culture

b.	the personal relationships, affinity for a locale, habits, and the like, that make a country, region, city, or town one's true home:

c.	personal identification with a culture, religion, etc., seen as promoting the development of the character or the stability of society as a whole.

So that's that...let me know what you think.