Statistically, 7 out of 10 Americans are living paycheck to paycheck (8 out of 10 in affluent areas). In other words, at least 70% of our population is one negative financial event away from a major financial crisis. Over 50% of marriages in America end in divorce, and of those failed marriages, money problems are the most common cause.

We have loaded ourselves with debt, and until very recently we were saving nothing.

A great guide out of financial debt is Financial Peace University. The course teaches how to develop and stick to a written budget; to save for emergencies, major purchases, retirement and college; pay off debts; to invest to build wealth; to secure proper insurance coverage; and most importantly to share through generous givings.

Lessons are given through a video series by Lyle Ramsey and followed up with small group discussions. The meeting starts on Tuesday, January 5th at 6 with soup provided and the lessons start at 6:15 at Central Christian Church, 1242 West 136th St.  Classes met once a week through March 30th.

To register:

Go to daveramsey.com or email the coordinator Josh Motsinger at jkmotsinger@nalco.com

It is also difficult at times to find things to do together, other than see a movie and then are you really spending time “together”? Does physically sitting next to each other in a theater or on a sofa to watch a dvd count as time together?

We at MyGoTo- are making a commitment to you to help seek out family friendly activities that you can feel confident that it will great real “together” time with your family and friends.

Give us a week or two to get this in place, and then check out our calendar and articles regularly for fun things to do together.

Many of us will set some time today to decide what needs to change for the next year, how to accomplish these items and then let them slip way maybe by March, some times we will hold on to them even until June.

Why do our good intentions of New Year’s Resolutions (New Year Goals) fail?  Maybe the goal is beyond our capability, maybe the goal was set to try to impress someone else and not for ourself, whatever the reason we would like to take a few days of the beginning of this month and give you some tips on how to met those New Year opportunities.

Let’s follow some goal sitting tips and look at some of the top 10 New Year’s Resolutions.

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Spend More Time With Family

2. Fit In Fitness

3. Tame the Bulge

4. Quit Smoking

5. Enjoy Life More

6. Quit Drinking

7. Get Out of Debt

8. Learn Something New

9. Help Others

10. Get Organized

Over the next two weeks, we are going to look at some of these top 10 New Year’s Resolutions and see how we can help you if they are on your list.

One way of accomplishing a goal is to have a friend to help you, we want to do our best to be your friend to look for the best advise to reach your goals.

Happy New Year

During January and February Wyant Photography will host their annual Tiny Tot Contest to benefit Smile Train.

With a $20 donation to Smile Train you will receive a free session of your choice and a free 5×7 from that session on Thursdays and Fridays during January and February.

Each child will then be entered into the Tiny Tots contest where they will have a chance to win a $50 gift card from the children’s store of their choice.

Limited appointments availalbe, please call today – 663-4798

Catching the Last Shooting Stars
As for the Geminids, patient stargazers might’ve already caught its beginnings on December 6, but the meteor shower reaches its peak on the nights of December 13 and 14. For those disappointed by November’s Leonid show, the outlook for the current Geminid shower, which lasts until December 18, is good.

Astronomers believe the Geminids are increasing in intensity every year, yielding 120-160 meteors per hour during the shower. Astronomy magazine expects great conditions for viewing “100 ’shooting stars’ per hour—an average of nearly two per minute.” People in China and Indonesia have the orchestra seats for the Geminid show, and might be able to see more than “300 meteors per hour.”

You don’t need a telescope to see the streaks shooting across the heavens. For optimal viewing, NASA pinpoints 12:10 a.m. EST/9:10 p.m. PST, and suggests going somewhere away from the “light pollution” of cities and towns, to an area dark enough to see the stars clearly. Keep your eyes roaming all areas of the sky to spot a meteor. (And dress warmly, bring a blanket, and fill up on hot drinks.)

No Comet Here
At their best, meteor showers provide an intense display of the violence of the cosmos, at a safe distance for earthlings to watch. Meteors are streaks of light created by particles of debris from comets and other celestial bodies hitting the Earth’s atmosphere. These particles, called meteoroids, can measure as small as a grain of sand to as large as a boulder.

Usually that space-dust dance comes from lively comets. The Geminid meteors are an exception: They emanate from a dead comet called 3200 Phaethon. As for their name, it’s derived from the constellation Gemini, the area of the sky from which the meteors appear to originate.

Astronomical Anniversary
Four hundred years ago, Galileo Galilei invented the telescope and Johannes Kepler came out with his 650-page documentation of Martian motion. That, according to the United Nations, is reason enough to call for a year-long celebration. The International Year of Astronomy hosted events all over the world, and the heavens apparently joined in and threw their own 2009 shows, like the solar eclipse that darkened the skies over Asia.

In the United States, NASA underwent a lot of scrutiny. But even as the bosses were evaluating its core mission, the agency got a few projects literally off the ground—and lots of Web attention: The buzziest may have been the highly risky (and rousingly successful) mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The oddest may have been a March contest for naming a wing of the International Space Station: NASA opted for Tranquility over the more popular “Stephen Colbert,” but the satirical TV host got a space-station treadmill named after him.

The Americans weren’t the only busy ones: Selected Russian and European volunteers willingly isolated themselves for 105 days here on Earth, to prove their Mars mettle (and next year, the lucky crew gets to spend 520 days in isolation). And tourists who can afford the airfare to the International Space Station always get lots of envious queries—the first clown in space proved no exception this year.

Once in a Blue Moon
The sky shows aren’t over yet. The Ursid meteor shower gets its turn December 22, the Pleiades will brighten up the night on December 29, and a blue moon will entertain New Year’s Eve revelers. (And no, the moon doesn’t turn a shade of turquoise: The phrase just means a second full moon appears in the same month. But don’t let that stop you from singing its praises.)

This Saturday, November 7, the Carmel Lacrosse Team is hosting a CARWASH at the Marathon station located on the corner of Rangeline and 116th Street! When you purchase an automated carwash from Marathon, most of the proceeds will go to help support our team. The players will be on hand to dry your cars and give them that extra sparkle. Even if you don’t desire a carwash, as a courtesy we will wash your windows as you fill your tanks (tips are accepted

So, please come out and see us this Saturday between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM and help support the Carmel Lacrosse Team!

Cynthia S. Becker, DDS, of My Dental Care in Fishers, Indiana, was awarded the prestigious Mastership Award in the Academy of General Dentistry (MAGD) during the groups Convocation ceremony of its Annual Meeting and Exhibits, which was held in early July, 2009. Less than one percent of all dentists have achieved this award, and Dr. Becker was the only Indiana dentist to receive her Mastership this year. The award requires study in 14 different areas of dentistry including general and cosmetic dentistry. Having completed more than 1,100 hours of continuing education, Dr. Becker says her accomplishment represents her efforts to provide the highest quality of care to her patients.

Dr. Becker’s latest achievement is only one of many in her 25-year career. Having received her degree from the Indiana University School of Dentistry, she was previously a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry before receiving the Mastership designation. Her completed continuing education hours include 1,100 credits in general and cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Becker is a member of the American Dental Association, Indiana Dental Association, Indianapolis District Dental Society, the Fishers Chamber of Commerce and Women’s Study Club of Indianapolis. She also has a keen interest in canine agility training and owns three certified therapy dogs of her own.

“I believe in maintaining a high standard of excellence in the practice, in my work and my staff,” Dr. Becker says. “In an era of healthcare that can often be described as detached, my team maintains highly personalized service that cares deeply for each patient.”

For more information on My Dental Care, call 317-849-0999 or go to www.mydentalcare.com.