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Celebrating
10 Years
Here's
one story of a changed life...
In
1993, Andy Andersen was enjoying life as a U.S. Navy
Commander, serving as executive officer of a naval aviation
squadron out of Jacksonville, Florida. His Cary Grant smile
and gentle strength endeared him to those he led. One day a
sailor began asking for financial advice, and Andy
responded with a few questions
of his own—about the man’s own philosophy of life and
debt. Soon the two were lost in discussion, barely realizing
that twenty others were eavesdropping on their conversation.
Andy invited them to join in. “They were begging for more
information,” he says. “Some had creditors beating down
their doors, others were watching money problems ruin their
marriages.”
Andy decided to put together a financial management seminar
and soon found himself speaking to other squadrons in the
Jacksonville area. News of the popular workshops spread as far
as Washington DC, where he was asked to join the board  of
a billion-dollar corporation and launch the Navy’s financial
management program on C-SPAN live from the Pentagon.
By 1998 he was on top of the world, promoted to captain and
serving as an executive assistant to the Secretary of
Defense, Bill Cohen. But deep inside there was a nagging
emptiness. “I was the first guy with a lampshade on my head
at parties,” he recalls. “I went to church but had no
relationship with Christ.”
(Pictured: Andy and Phil in Orlando, Florida.
Imagine...a Canadian with long sleeves in Florida!)
In October he noticed my book Making Life Rich Without
Any Money in a Pentagon bookstore and read it on a flight
to his twenty-five-year high school reunion. According to
Andy, God used the book “to change my life forever.” He
began writing me letters, asking honest and refreshing
questions that young followers of Christ long to know. The
first was this: “Will Jesus still love me if I buy a
Mercedes convertible?” I smiled. “Jesus will love you even
if you drive a Ford,” I responded. But I asked him to
consider what he could do with the money he saved if he were
to buy a used car. I reminded him of the message of the book.
That money makes a lousy master, but a great servant.
The day Andy received my letter, he was walking past a
bulletin board when a picture caught his eye. A red Mustang
convertible, good as new, but half the price. “I’d always
wanted a Mustang,” he told me. “Besides, it was $30,000
less than the silver Mercedes.” So he bought it.
Andy began investing in others. And God began to bless him.
Soon he was selected to command the Navy’s largest
squadron—over 1200 sailors. “I knew I had a wonderful
opportunity to impact all those lives,” he recalls. “I
wanted to show them that happiness has nothing to do with the
materialistic pursuits that kill the joy of so many.” He
modified his financial seminar, basing it on my book. I sued
him and made millions. What a blessing! Not really. But as
Andy warned listeners of the pitfalls of a stressful and
selfish society, the seminar had a profound effect. “People
were happier and more motivated. They felt a greater sense of
worth. Within six months we had a complete reversal in
squadron performance.” He even began selling my book
afterward for a nominal fee, watching more than four thousand
(so far) go into the hands of Navy personnel who wouldn’t
dream of opening a church door. Today Andy’s platform
continues to grow as he conducts his workshops all over the
country.
 If
you'd like information on using this book as a fundraiser, a
giveaway to your corporation, or in any other way, just email
us.
Find out more about Andy here.
Read the Introduction
Read Chapter
One
Order
an autographed copy
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