Note: These are my notes from the Catalyst Atlanta conference. They’re unedited but I wanted to get them out to you as soon as possible.
Opens up with Dave sharing his story and financial mistakes. Mentions he was the dad that screwed up.
Took 2 and a half years for Dave and his wife to lose everything they owned. The borrower is the slave to the lender.
Rachel takes to talking.
She describes the atmosphere and interactions as people walk into the Dave Ramsey corporation to give their Debt Free Scream.
She relates to the little girl. Because she was the little girl growing up.
Dave takes over again.
How do we form our legacy? The question is asked.
It doesn’t happen by accident. You have to do it intentionally.
Three lenses in
1. Ownership – You don’t own anything. You manage things, not own it.
Dave’s son Daniel kicks back in the “best” car they’ve had in awhile and says “Dad, we’ve made it.” Dave laughs and turns around. “No son, you have nothing.”
Rachel takes over
Recalls her dad dropping a check in the offering plate. It wasn’t showboating. It was just the consistency.
More is caught than is taught.
2. Magnification: Money makes you more of what you are.
If you love people well, you get to truly change the world for the kingdom of God.
Strengths and weaknesses will be magnified as your children age.
3. Community: Who you hang around with is who you’ll become
Know your children’s friends.
Company is so important. Look at your own friends.
Dave takes over:
Your income will be withing 15% of the income of your 10 closest friends.
What happens to the financial legacy when you die?
Have a plan for when you die.
Money has a lot of warnings about it.
Grown-ups are called to manage tools for the kingdom. Money is a tool.
We can’t walk away from money because we feel it’s evil. It is not.
Solomon was the wealthiest man ever. He was also the wealthiest.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.
Rachel takes over
Rope analogy. Kids are on a rope. You act like an adult, you get more room. You don’t act like an adult, you get less rope.
When Denise, the oldest Ramsey daughter moved out of the house for college, they gave her a rope. Rope had different ribbons to represent different responsibilities.
Rachel’s going away to college story was different. Given an old, dingy rope with no ribbons. Just about being the poor, neglected child.
Parents weren’t perfect but they were intentional in every area of life. To ensure they were able to get out of the nest and fly. To have dignity.
Dave speaks again
He was that dad that screwed up but he’s standing here to prove God’s grace is real. He’s no on longer that dad anymore. He’s been transformed.
Everyone of us are going to have two numbers on our tombstones. It’s what we did with the dash in-between.
Legacy is the Morse code of the dash. It’s our dash. Then the dash of the next. And then the next. Morse code
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