Like Shane Scott, I have decided to run for President (at least in my mind). Here is the list of what I would put forth as policy priorities:
1. A constitutional admentment for line item veto in any budget bill. The Supreme Court has ruled that the legislative action for a line item veto was unconstitutional (which I agree with), so the answer is to change the constitution. This will allow the President to avoid choosing between signing a good bill full of pork (see the Bail Out Bill) against vetoing the same bill because it contains pork. With a line item veto, he simply draws a line through the pork project to protect the wooden arrow manufacturer. Congress then has the right to go on the record and override the veto for each item individually. We will then get accountability from Congress rather than, "We don't know how that got in there, but it was accepted as part of the bill and can't be taken out now."
2. End any government funding of arts. This includes NPR, PBS, museums, etc. If the Smithsonian Institute can exist without any taxpayer funding so can all of the above. Note: unlike what Democrats claim, this is not government censureship. There would be no prohibition on having these programs, just that the federal government is not going to pay for it.
3. Disband the Departments of Housing and Education. One, the federal government has no business being in the private housing market or education. The only thing that they add to education is a layer of government intervention as they move money from one state to another.
4. Request a constitutional admendment for term limits for senators and representatives. A person could be elected for a total of 12 years in Congress. That could be two terms as senator, 6 as representative, or combinations thereof.
5. End all lifetime pensions for congress. They are welcome to participate in a 401k plan like the rest of us, but no more full salary for the rest of their lives. The founders of this country expected the federal government to be something that one did for a few years, not as a profession.
6. Enact the fair tax (actually, if I were retyping, this would be number 2). If you don't know anything about the fair tax, check out www.fairtax.org. This legislation, in one stroke, would remove any incentive for companies to go overseas, remove money and lobbyists from federal impact, create an atmosphere of manufacturing growth that has never been seen. Democrats just do not understand that corporations do not pay taxes, consumers do. The fair tax puts the consumer directly in control of what happens.
NEW 7. I would propose a constitutional admendment on who is a citizen of this country. At least one parent must be a citizen or legal resident of the US. It would no longer be sufficient to be born in the US. This is actually in line with a lot of other countries, including Japan. To enforce this, the mother must offer proof of legal residency of herself or the father (note that I did not say husband) at time of birth (or registration with the state.)
Foreign Policy Planks:
A. The US will support any country or citizenship that desire freedom and democracy. The type of support will be consistent with their needs to move to that category. There will be no litmus tests or scenarios provided since every case is different. The basis for this? If the French had not assisted us, we would still be a British Commonwealth (at best).
B. If you step on our toes, we will bloody your nose. Is this a Christian attitude? Absolutely not. However, God has ordained governments to address evil in this world. An example, if country A kidnaps US citizens from the embassy, we will launch one cruise missile a day against a military target in that country. If those citizens are killed, we will retaliate against the government of country A. We will not intentionally target innocent citizens, but we will not worry too much about collateral damage. If the citizens of country A do not want to face this, then they should do something about the leaders of their country. Otherwise, leave us alone and we will leave you alone.
C. The US does NOT have empirialistic desires. We don't need any more land, nor do we need any more citizens to take money away from (or to give away as the case may be). If we have military bases or involvement in a country, it is because they want us there. See Germany, Poland, and Japan (to some extent) for countries that want us there. See Philipines for countries that don't want us there, we left. If we leave, don't think that we are going to hurry back to protect you from the next world bully. If a territory wants our protection and tax money, then they need to ask to become a state (see Puerto Rico). Otherwise, they will fit into the same category as the rest of our friends as far as trade, travel, and taxes.
D. The United Nations will be asked to move to Switzerland. This is a country that is (supposedly) neutral in world events anyway. We will pay a fair share of the support of the United Nations determined by our percentage of the world's population. We will not agree to any international tax struture. We will tax our citizens the way we want to, you tax yours your way. We will not accept any legal rulings that supercede our constitution or federal laws. No other country has jurisdiction over the US, we don't want jurisdiction over you. We each have enough problems without worrying about how to fix the others.
E. I do not have an answer on places like Darfar. It is criminal, ungodly and evil what the rulers of that country are doing to their own citizens. However, the US is not the world's policeman. We will support any actions through the UN to force change to the leadership of that country, but one of the international agreements is that you do not assassinate the leaders of foreign nations. Other than a full military intervention, I don't know what else would work. I do not see it being in the interests of the US to fight that war. I do see it as the World's responsibility to take any action necessary to stop the killings. The nations of Africa need to step up and put a strangle hold on moving arms, money, and soldiers into the area.
Healthcare:
This is an issue that can not be fixed piecemeal. There are so many problems with our current system that it is going to take a concerted effort to work things out. The problems that I see:
a. Tort reform has to be mandated. The Democrats state that all of the judgements made to plaintiffs each year amount to some ridiculously small percentage of the overall healthcare costs in the country. However, what no one calls them on is the 1000% increase in the cost of providing healthcare just to protet yourself from that potential lawsuit. Example - someone shows up at the ER on a Friday night with a head ache. 20 years ago, they would be given an aspirin and told to see their doctor
on Monday if things don't get any better. Today, they have a cat scan and maybe an MRI just to make sure that they are not the 1 in 100,000 (or what ever the percentage is) that has a brain tumor.
b. Health insurance needs to be taken out of the corporate benefits package and returned to the consumer (See the Fair Tax plan above) AND the state and federal governments need to end all regulation of the health insurance industry. Personally, I would like the ability to get a $5,000 major medical policy where the insurance company doesn't get involved until I have reached a $5,000 deductible for the year. That way, no one does any paperwork until that point has been reached. I remember back when it was mostly that way and you ended up with an 80/20 split on whatever healthcare costs were incurred.
c. I would ask anyone to give me a confirmed case where someone died due to not being able to get emergency healthcare. This does not include those that chose not to go to the doctor and die in their homes or on the street. Do we all have the right to free doctor's visit, free hospital care, etc.? No, no more than we all have the right to a free Mercedes automobile.
d. I would be happy to have Mark as my advisor and Surgeon General to lead me through the landmines on this topic.
New e. One thing that has to happen is open pricing on medical procedures. I don't necessarily like chosing a doctor solely on cost, but when they charge $795.00 for a 15 minute CT scan that the insurance company gives them $127.00 plus your $30 copay, something is wrong. The same issues happens with dentists. The charge $900 for a crown that the insurance company will only pay $525. Maybe the insurance coverage rates are a little low (see Medicaid reimbursements), but the difference is extreme right now.
I just love a man with a clear sense of who he is and what he believes. No waffling here!! While we may not be in complete agreement on every issue, I say, "Go Ray!" Love it!!
Ummm, I'm not ready to take on the media storm. It would be very, very hard for a "commoner" to run for a national office. Sooner or later you need money for campaigns and with that money comes strings.
No, $166k is not an lot of money, especially for a high level politician and an oil field worker. I am sure, however, that the Palin's had lots of political contacts that had money. They certainly didn't fund a campaign for governor, even in Alaska, on their income as a oil field worker and mayor.
According to Obama's definition, the Palins are not rich. I wouldn't call them rich either...well-to-do, yes. And probably the poorest of the poor in comparison to her fellow politicians and oil workers.
Social Security is easy. Under the Fair Tax, see above, the federal government collects taxes only through the consumption tax. So, there is no medicare tax, medicaid tax, or social security tax. Plus, with everything being a consumption tax, there is no need for tax deferred investments. Therefore, everyone is welcome to save money however they wish in looking towards retirement. Education is the key.
If Alan and Kelly save $2000 this year and invest in a good money market fund that averages just 10% a year, by the time they turn 61 (40 years) that $2000 is worth $12,000. If they save just $2000 a year, in 40 years they would have $280,000. If they follow the recommendations and save 15%, assuming normal growth of income, an average of 10% return would give them well over $1,000,000.
Welfare is more difficult. There will be those that, through no fault of their own, just can't make it. People like my sister that got hit in the head with a crow bar as a 5/6 year old. People like Arlene for those at GSR. The first option is always the physical family. I have an obligation to assist my parents, siblings, etc. in times of need. I have had more than one discussion with Democrats (liberals) on this issue, and invariably, their response is something along the line of, "I don't want to support my brother, he can't manage himself." Therefore, it must be the governments role to support them. WRONG>
I would get rid of most federal progams for welfare. This includes food stamps, WIC, unemployment, etc. I would leave it up to each individual state to establish whatever program the local community wishes to have. What works in California will probably not be the answer in North Dakota. The local govennments would be more likely to know who really needs assistance and who just doesn't want to work.
I'm on board with the State run food stamps, etc. I would put a time restraint on it. States need to have more rights, leave the Feds out of it. Being on food stamps is one of the most important lessons that I have learned in my lifetime. It was one of those ah ha moments for me.
I totally forgot about paragoric! LOL!!! Forget MIDOL, I just slugged paragoric! Straight Opium...LOL! Not to mention no seatbelts. My dad even fixed me a toddy once with honey and kerosene! No wonder I'm quirky!!!
YOu didn't win the election. Does this mean I don't have a cabinent position? BTW..thank you for not allowing me to run into your car today in the parking lot!!!! Thank you for NOT blowing your horn at me and telling me to watch out! Crazy woman drive. I so was in my own world.
One of the current practices of the youth sport movement now is the philosophy that everyone should get an award for simply being on the team. It doesn't make any difference whether it is baseball, softball, soccer, or any other sport, if you are on the team, you get a trophy. If doesn't make any difference if you are the last player off the bench for the worst team in the league, you get a trophy. While I could attack the philosophy behind this, that is not the purpose of this blog.
What is the point? Are you a Christian that is expected to get a participation award for simply being dunked in a big bathtub and attending all of the practices? I recently saw a sermon outline titled “11 Ways to be an Unremarkably Average Christian.” God is not looking for, nor does he deserve, average. God is not looking for people that want an award for simply sitting in the pews.
God demands our best at everything we do. God demands that we do something, regardless of how inconsequential it appears. Remember about giving a cup of cold water in his name? Or visiting him in prison? Or visiting the orphans and widows?
I recognize that not everyone has the abilities to be an elder, or a deacon, or a teacher, or a preacher, or ____, or ________. I know for certain that I am not material to be a preacher/evangelist. Not everyone can be a song leader. You may not have the talents to be any of the roles that I have listed above.
However, there is still something that each and every Christian can do. Find your niche. Find someone to talk to, to encourage, to lift their spirits. Fix a meal, work on a car, mow a yard, paint a house, pull weeds, wash dishes, take someone's kids for a break for mom/dad, provide a shoulder to cry on, cry with someone, hold their hands, smile at someone who looks like they can use a bright part of their day.
Don't settle for being a bench warmer, God doesn't issue participation medal for those that don't play the game the way he wants it done.
:) BTW, I thought of you the other evening during the Tenn/UCLA game. I told Jason you and Ryan were probably screaming at your television when he kick was made for overtime... and were screaming again when the kick was missed at the end of the game. One minute you are up, the next you are down. Next time!
Actually, one minute I was holding my breath, the next I was heading to bed. Kick wide left, I was on the way to bed before it hit the stands. Tough loss for UT, nice game for UCLA. Hope Jason enjoyed the experience.
Aufedersein!! I agree with you Volray. Sometimes it takes years to find that niche. It's a process. Maybe even a 'seasonal' thing. Your niche might be different in your 30's than in your 50's...if one will be patient, it will unfold. Great comments.
but, you must be aware that your niche changes. It may change due to increasing your abilities with practice and study or with age and maturity, or with disabilities that limit and force you to find new ways to serve because you refuse to sit.
A response to a post that I read earlier made comment about how it is difficult to watch those that you love walk into a train. This really struck me, especially when I add it to something that happened to my brother several years ago.
Rich was a police office in Douglasville, GA. Even though he was not on duty, he was required to be present at the annual Fourth of July parade through downtown Douglasville. For those that don't know anything about Douglasville, the original town is located right on US 78, which also happens to be right next to a train track. While he was there for the parade, he got a call about something that happened on the railroad tracks just down from him. I think he was the first responder to the scene and found a 10 year old girl walking around looking for her sister. After a quick search, the sister was found under the train, which had stopped after hitting her while she was walking on the track. As Rich was standing there, a man came running up looking for his daughter; Rich told him that he didn't want to go up there.
What happened? The family lived in a house immediately adjacent to the train track. They got so used to hearing the trains that they just tuned them out. The two girls were walking along the tracks and never heard the train coming behind them. Needless to say, this destroyed the lives of several people (the engineer of the train blamed himself for not stopping, the father, the sister, etc.). It was also one of the major reasons that Rich now teaches high school.
What is my point? Let use the train as sin around us. Do we treat sin so casually by living close to it that we don't recognize how dangerous it is? Do we get so use to the activities that it sneaks up behind us and hits us before we even know it? How many times have you heard someone say, “I can handle going to ______ where you know a Christian should not be going,” or participating is activities that may not be wrong in and of themselves, but get us associating with people or events that just lead us into the path of that train.
Some examples:
- A young man starts playing his guitar in a bar. He doesn't drink; just wants to play his guitar and make a little money. Or another young college student goes along with his friends to another bar; he doesn't drink, he just wants to have some friends and fit in with the crowd. It takes a really strong person to put themselves into that situation and be able to resist the temptation to start drinking. Oh, it will start with just one sip or drink, but before you know it, they are drinking more and more and end up with a DUI or worse.
- Another young man likes playing sports. He has the opportunity to play on a travel team. This takes him away from home most every weekend. Oh, he is faithfully at church when he is in town and on Wednesday nights, but when on the road playing tournaments, they are very successful and win a lot so they play a lot on Sundays. Before you know it, he is no longer at church, even when he has the opportunity.
- A successful business man spends a lot of time traveling away from his family. Unfortunately, one of his frequent travel partners is a young married lady. They spend a lot of time on the road, in airplanes, in hotels. Before you know it, they are having an affair. Everyone says, “They seemed to be so happily married, how could this happen?”
- The king is walking on his rooftop during the spring. He sees a young lady bathing. He ends up having an “innocent” affair with her, but she ends up pregnant. This leads to a murder and the death of the child.
Satan and sin is nothing to play with. The Bible tells us that evil companions corrupt good morals. It tells us that wine is a mocker. It tells us that the faithful to God are to avoid the deeds of darkness. Do not think that you can play around and live close to sin or those that are engaging in it. Just like those two girls never heard the train coming, even though the engineer was blowing his horn as he slammed on the brakes (imagine the noise that was being made, an air horn blowing, steel grinding on steel, the sound of a 10,000 hp diesel engine pounding so hard that you can feel the vibrations through the ground), Satan will find that secret path to your soul. Don't put yourself on the track to make it easier for Satan! It hard enough to avoid him when you see him coming, it is much more difficult when he is disguised as a train.
You can still use it Wed. night even tho' I read it. It is very, very important for people to think about these temptations. If Satan were dressed in a red costume, he would be easy to avoid, but instead he is dressed in sheeps' clothing and often we are deluded before we ever realize it.
Exactly! The older one gets, the clearer they see IF they are interested in keeping their eyes opened. Great thoughts. Does everyone HAVE to learn for themselves. Probably.
In response to a comment on her post, are you differentiating between sports and athletic events? There can be no argument that gymnastics and diving are athletic. Interesting divide. Can something not athletic (driving a car) also be a "sport" (NASCAR)?
By my personal definition, a sport is any thing where two or more people/teams compete in something that has a true winner determined by a high score (or low in the case of golf), going further or faster (yes, NASCAR counts), or physically overpowering an opponent (wrestling and boxing). The things I leave out are things that have a subjective score (gymnastice, figure skating, diving, synchronized swimming and beauty contests, to name a few). Can these be athletic? Absolutely. Are they artistic? Definitely. Are they difficult to do? Positively. That doesn't make them a sport, however. However, there must be some element of physical involvement. Cards, checkers and chess do not count, neither does ESPN poker or spelling bees. That doesn't mean they can't be fun to play!
In response to her comment, I don't know anyone that accepts teaching/training for everything without learning from experiencing mistakes. Hopefully they learn enough on the minor things in life that they don't have to experience the major problems. I always pray that my kids (and others that I know) learn lifes lessons with fender benders, not head on collisions.
Both Webster and common use differ from your definition of sport, in that both require physical exertion/athleticism. I think the common (American, at least) use would add to Webster's definition the criterium of objective outcome, and in that we agree. And, as I don't find holding the wheel on a machine to be sufficient physical exertion, I would leave auto racing out with chess and board games. And while I would tend to also discount the "subjective" competitions you mentioned, their advocates would note that they actually have set scoring criteria. E.g., stepping back on a landing has a set deduction in Olympic gymnastics. You could argue, then, that the judges act more as a referee or umpire, applying objective rules to their best observations. (I still say leave them out.)
I guess your definition does include physical "involvement", but if you're including NASCAR, then I argue that BattleBots also counts, as the "drivers" merely control the machines that do the work.
In a note to this post above, anyone seeing the judging in gymnastics would find a tough sell that the judges are using a set criteria. The chinese gymnist falls on her second vault and gets the bronze over another gymnist that completed both of her vaults with minor steps. Bela Kiroly has been ripping the judges from day one.
I agree with you about Palin. I wonder if she feels 'used.' Let's not forget...she IS a politician. She knows the rules. I think you were being generous on your 25%. I think it'll be less than 5% because of her conservative views. That'll be a fun demographic to research after the election.
I would like to have heard the first contact between McCain's people and Palin. You want me for what? To be your VP candidate? Did I win the lottery? Someone pinch me quick. Todd, is that you?
Well, with the announcements that have come out in the last couple of days, I would think it is something like, "Why did I have to marry a beauty queen?" (grin, tongue-in-cheek, etc.) There is nothing like having all of your families dirty laundry hung out in front of 6 billion people.
While driving Christopher down to the airport in Orlando for his return trip to Camp Pendleton, we were talking about how other people perceive us. This was partially a result of observing Christoper for the last three weeks after being separated from him for all but a few days over the past almost 5 years. What I saw reminded me of me when I was his age. Looking in a 25 year old mirror is sometimes tough.
What has taken me most of my 49 plus years of life on this earth is that putting other people first is almost always beneficial to me in the long run. No, this doesn't mean letting people take advantage of you, or walk all over you, or take things that belong to you without asking. Putting others first means thinking about what is best for them. A corollary to this is to do your best to make sure that you are always doing more than your fair share. If you do both of these, you will give a few people the opportunity to take advantage of you. If you do both of these things, you will give very few people the opportunity to speak ill of you or to think ill of you.
First, let's look at the negative side of this issue. If you always sit around and let other do more than their share, you get a reputation of being lazy. If you are always putting yourself first, than no one is going to want to be around you. You end up with few friends and few people that will trust you.
Now, let's look at the other side. If you are always putting others first, if you are always doing more than your fair share, what can they say? “Oh, there goes Ray, doing my work for me again!” I don't think so.
As an aside, this does not work with the person that is insecure in their position or ends up looking bad because you are doing your job the right way. But, do we really want to interact with that person a lot? I don't. If they are a glory hound and want to be the center of attention at all times, isn't that what we are trying to avoid by putting others first?
A couple of examples from my past. It will surprise no one that has known me for more than 10 years (10 days?) that I love a good debate. However, I have learned in the last few years that you do not make any long term relationship by always beating the other person to the ground. My past debating tactics was to so overwhelm the other side to the point where they are checkmated, they have no choice but to submit to my overwhelming superiority! But this is not the way Jesus handled things. How many times was he tempted to tell the apostles, “WHY CAN”T YOU GET WHAT I AM TELLING YOU!” I have also learned that I am not the person to play practical jokes on people. They always either backfire on me or no one (and I mean no one) finds it as funny as I thought it would be. (The one exception to this is stealing my sister-in-law as she was departing her wedding reception, but that is another story). So, I have learned to let Patrick, my brother, be the practical joker of the family. He has the personality type (and humor) that allows him to be crazy/funny/overboard without insulting people.
So, how does this work in real life? Just a few examples as I close:
- As I mentioned above, always strive to do more than your fair share. If you are helping your brother reroof his house, carry more than half the bundles of shingles up the ladder. Don't take your 50 bundles up and sit back while he struggles to take his 50. Take 55, or 60, or 70 of the bundles up without drawing any attention to what you are doing.
- If you are playing racquetball with someone, don't argue the call if he calls the serve short and you didn't think that it was. Don't make a big deal out of him calling the score out incorrectly, even if it costs you a point or adds one to his.
If you are playing games or sports with others that don't take things as seriously as you do, don't get mad when they table talk while playing cards. Don't yell at your daughter on the frisbee field because she isn't covering the person she is supposed to keep from scoring. If you want to play serious, run over people frisbee, don't do it with those that are out to socialize and get a little exercise. Better yet, play with those that are socializing and find another group to play serious with.
- If others don't want to do things the way that you think is best, let them learn their own lessons (as long as it doesn't hurt too much). It is amazing how often people will change their minds if they don't have it shoved down their throats. And if they don't get it, what difference does it make in the big picture.
- Let others go in front of you in line. Hold doors open for others, even if they are younger than you. Be kind to others, take an interest in them. Let them have the last word. In short, treat them like you would like to be treated.
Finally, always give others the benefit of the doubt. Don't assume that they have it out for you until they prove that they really do.
How else should a Christian behave? The second commandment is to “Love your neighbor.” Who is your neighbor? Read about the Good Samaritan.
In your example of carrying the bundles up on the roof, I think if you are just busy moving them, you aren't going to even notice if you carried more than your brother, unless he's sitting down watching you from the sidelines. I have found it best, to just do your job along side of the person. If I just keep my nose to the grindstone, the job gets done, it gets done faster with the other person helping, and I have no time for comparison to set in.
Thank you. I needed this more than you know. It was so great to see you guys last weekend. It just makes me realize how much we(my family) miss spending time with yours. We love you guys so much. I definitely think you need to "come home" to TN :) Will you guys be coming to TN for Chris' performance? Holly and I aren't going to UCLA so we will be here. Hope to see you soon.
One of the lessons from the Good Samaritan that I missed for a really long time is that from the question to the story, Jesus turns "neighbor" from the passive recipient of action ('Love your neighbor'; 'Who is my neighbor [that I might love him]') to the active participant in the action ('Who was the neighbor'; 'The one who showed mercy'; 'Go and do likewise.'). Perhaps one of the lessons is that loving your neighbor isn't about wondering who that neighbor might be, but 'neighboring' to everyone, whoever they might be.
Helinked to your blog. Howdy.
Thanks for your thoughts. I needed this. I have been involved with a 'new sister' (baptized Dec '07) who has MANY needs. I found myself recently asking my husband "Why am I the lucky one to become her 'best friend'?"(sarcastic, of course) Thanks for the lesson. I am the lucky one to serve my 'neighbor'. I am blessed with watching her grow, learn to depend on God and become the Christian/sister He wants her to be. I'm sure I will be better off for helping her.
One of the most difficult things to do when you start making money is to put the priorities in right order. Not a lot of people know this, but our family did not have a lot of things when I was growing up. Oh, we always had something under the tree, and we were never short on food (mostly because of the garden and farm that both grandparents had. But eating out, vacations, and luxury items were something that were just not done. The first house I really remember living in was a 1200 square foot box, three bedrooms, one bath. For a family with 4 kids, we had them stacked everywhere. My parents never had a single conversation with me, and probably my siblings, on money matters. They simply didn't have enough to worry about toys except for the kids.
Eating out was limited to Happy Burger on Wednesday’s between school and church or the rare pizza. I went in once to pick up the burgers with a $20 that mom had given me to pay for the burgers (no fries or drinks, just burgers). Somehow, I laid the $20 done on the counter before the cashier needed it and it walked off (someone took it). Well, that did it for the burgers that week. Mom had no more money to spend on the burgers. Mom would go to the store for bread or milk and would go by the candy at the check out counter wanting to buy a candy bar, but not being able to justify it. The only vacation I can remember us taking was to Chattanooga to go to Rock City and to Atlanta to see a Braves game. However, we didn’t bother to check the schedule to see that it was an off day. So, the highlight of the vacation was watching the kitchen at the Holiday Inn in Cartersville, GA, burn to the ground at 2:00 in the morning. There were 4 kids with their noses pressed to the window watching the fire truck empty the swimming pool to try to put the fire out.
So, back to my theme. When I got my first job in Washington, DC, I was paid the ridiculous amount of $28,000 a year. For someone that ate Cream of Mushroom soup and saltines in college rather than ask for more meal money, $28,000 was like hitting the lottery. However, I had not learned that toys come last. Before you knew it, we had two or three credit cards max’d out, we had a brand new car with 6 miles on it when we took it out of the dealer, and the toys just continued, most bought with the plastic. We took out a signature loan just to make credit card payments. A $65 Wilson A-6000 glove for softball, a Commodore 128 computer, eating out regularly, new furniture bought on the one year as good as cash program. Is there any surprise that I am a Dave Ramsey fan now?
So, the message to my kids this week is, let the toys wait. Don’t think that you are going to have everything that your parents have immediately. They have worked for 20 to 30 years to get to where they are. One of the reasons that people are facing foreclosure problems in this country is that they wanted more than they could afford. Those Adjustable Rate Mortgages sounded so good until the interest rates went up 3, 4 or 5 percent in a couple of years.
My kids have not fallen for this one much (yet). Chris has been exposed to this a little with his Jeep. At least he was smart enough to save up and pay cash for his “toy”. It just hasn’t stopped needing money to keep it running. Be smart stewards with the money that God has provided to you. Set a budget, don’t use credit cards except in the real emergency. Follow Dave Ramsey’s plan to financial freedom. Live within your means. Learn to cook, you can feed a family of 4 for a week for what it costs to take the same 4 to Texas Roundhouse one time. If it is really worth having, it is worth saving for a few weeks or months to get it. By then, you may figure that you don’t really need it and you have a good start on savings.
Oh, back to our life in Franklin, I would not change a thing. Who knows how we would have turned out if we had had money back then.
Amen!!! I am limping along on the Dave Ramsey plan and hoping to get better at it. Are you debt free except for the house now? Wish we could have a group that met on a regular basis for this. I know MIcah and MItze have some of the DVD's and this weekend he has all of his stuff on sale on line. I bo't 2 more of his books to give as wedding gifts and I bo't the software. Hope I can figure it out.
I hope the books I give out will be better for the next 2 people I give them to. The other 2 people I bo't them for are using them for dustcatchers unfortunately.
