Earning a Dollar

A dollar. It used to be so much. Now it seems like it's nothing. The new generation has no appreciation for the cost of a dollar. The youth of today see us go to the store and slide a piece of plastic through the machine and we leave with "stuff". They have no idea how it works. My wife and I try to pay with cash on most items so our kids see it's not magic. They watch us at flea markets when people give us money in exchange for merchandise. I think this summer we will let our kids bring back the "lemonade stand". I think it will help them to understand how a dollar works. When I was younger, I wanted a toy that cost about $50. That was a lot of money for a toy in the early '80's. I was told "NO". But then my very insightful step-Dad said I could work for it. He had a pile of bricks that had just been thrown into a pile in the wrong spot in the yard and needed them stacked neatly by the fence on the other side of the yard about 250 - 300 feet away. I carried bricks one in each hand, then stacks of 4 or 5 at a time, and then just whatever I could handle. I was so tired. Every day after school for about a week I carried and stacked bricks until dark. When all of the bricks were moved, I was given the money to go get that toy...it was the first Optimus Prime Transformer. I paid for it with my HARD EARNED DOLLARS and had maybe a couple of dollars change back. A few years ago, they moved that stack of bricks to almost where they started out at. Anyway, I hope to give our kids the same life lesson that a dollar is not just something everybody has and that you have to EARN it. Keep in mind that when we were growing up, our parents went to the bank to deposit a paycheck and went to the bank to get money. It was real, not just a "magic" piece of plastic. That's all for now. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Tell us what you think. God bless you.

Recession - How REAL is It???

I have heard the stories and seen the news clips of how bad the economy is. But, how bad is it? I know in several areas, there have been plant closings and other such events that have taken tolls on the people of those communities. My thoughts and prayers are with you. On the other side...When my wife and I go through nearby towns, we see new shopping centers being built, new apartment complexes, new buildings and businesses popping up. Most of the working people I talk to have received a pay raise in the last year. The only ones that seem to be affected by the NEWS MEDIA telling us how broke we are is the self-employed, small business owner. People have flocked to "discount" stores such as Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and others. According to people I know who work in these types of places, business is up. That's right, these businesses are GROWING!! The sad thing is that I can go to a local, small town, grocery store and buy milk and other products CHEAPER than the big, GROWING bigger, businesses. How is that possible? The big chains buy in bulk to get better pricing. Their sales are up and their cost is cheaper. Why do they charge more? Why do we as a society tolerate paying more? I think we have become brainwashed over the years by the MEDIA telling us what we "know". We have been told that the housing market has collapsed. It's not a surprise. I used to work in mortgage lending. The guy I worked with said it was coming because of appraisers inflating house values, mortgage companies not requiring correct documentation, and mostly of borrowers wanting adjustable rate loans instead of fixed rates. Yes, the payments are lower now, but in three years when that rate adjusts, the balance hasn't changed much. That means if you couldn't afford a fixed rate loan at that interest rate then, you couldn't afford that new adjusted rate in three years. Unfortunately, most consumers don't realize what takes place when doing a loan. The loan officers and brokers who made the loan knew better. The banks who carried the loan knew better. Unfortunately, none of them cared enough about "John Doe" off the street because making him a loan made them rich. What am I saying? Did GREED cause this to take place? YES, YES, YES!!! Now the banks that held these loans are hurting because the borrower can't afford the higher payments and when they go to forclose on the home, there isn't a buyer for that over-priced piece of property. I'm sorry for the people who lost their homes. I am not sorry for the banks and loan companies who are "suffering". It's hard to feel sorry for somebody who only made $100,000 to $1,000,000 last year. They could have gotten by without the government bailing them out. They didn't have to pay those huge salaries and bonuses to the people who made bad judgement calls. If you would like to save some money and have fun at the same time, I encourage you to visit a flea market or trade days or swap meet in your area. Most of the people there are hard working individuals trying to feed their families. Some places my family and I set up are Bonnie & Clyde Trade Days in Arcadia, LA and First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX. There are also some near Dallas, TX; Burmingham, AL; Myrtle Beach, SC; and other places across the country. Another way to find bargains is to shop online. I personally recommend http://www.foreverandalwaysonline.com/ for a great selection of Christian t-shirts and other merchandise. I encourage you to truly look at your situation and see if you are hurting financially or if you just think you are because somebody told you you were. If you're needing more money coming in, try looking for a different or additional job. Yes, jobs are also everywhere you turn around. Let go of your pride and take one at the gas station, fast food chain, or what ever is available that doesn't violate your morality. That about concludes my thoughts for the day. Please leave your comments about what you think. Also, please visit your local, small town stores. They need your support. Also remember, you might save $5 by buying that new whatever in the bigger towns, but it'll cost you at least $10 in gas to get there plus the extra miles you added to your vehicle. In closing, I ask that each of you reading this pray about your situation, pray for the ones who are without work and pray for the ones without a home. Remember that God is in control and He won't give you more than you can handle. May God Bless you and keep you safe.

Taking Time

Have you ever stopped to think? Have you ever stopped to see? Have you ever stopped to listen? This morning my family and I were on the road at about 6:15 which is not unusual. This morning was different though. As we left the house, I noticed the full moon just above the horizon to our left. My wife commented how beautiful it was. It was "big" with a yellow glow. As we continued our journey, we had changed directions so that it was now directly in front of us. As we came up a hill, it looked as if we could drive to the moon. It was an incredible sight. The reason I mention this is because we have made this trip most mornings for the last several months. Today was different. Have we been so pre-occupied in our daily running and doing that we haven't seen it before? Or, has it just not been there? Sadly, the moment passed as our conversation resumed and the moon "disappeared". I have thought about that a lot this morning. What are we missing? I see my family everyday, but I may be overlooking parts of the day because of other events that cast huge shadows or maybe "outshine" the joy we have. I personally haven't "seen" the beauty that fills this house for a bit of time because of "life". "Life" is the daily to do lists of updating our website, advertising, paying bills, taking out the trash, and other such tasks that occupy our time. That has made me stop to think, see, and listen. Tonight I plan to surprise my wife and kids with a night out. Putting "life" to the side so we can live. I plan to "see" my family and all of the joy, warmth, and hope they offer. I'm also making time to listen to all of the great stories that have to be told about school, friends, and all of the other meaningful events of the day that influence the ones I love. Life is too short not to live it. I plan to redirect my motivations of living to work into working to live. I love my wife and kids and do not want to miss anymore time together. A quick sidenote: when my wife and I were dating, we would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning just talking...It made it hard to be at work before 8AM. We are now self-employed and busier than before. So, I ask you again...DO YOU SEE THE MOON? Take the time to think about this, to see what you're missing, and to listen to the ones who make your life complete. May God bless you and keep you safe in all that you do. Pray for the ones you can't help and help the ones you can. Thank you for reading.

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