Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, just the word conjures up good feelings. I don’t think that you could even say the word in a grumpy or grouchy way. When you hear the word, thanksgiving, do you think of turkey dinners, pumpkin pie, and time spent with family? There’s nothing wrong with that. This time of year, we all probably think of these things.

I love Thanksgiving Day because of what it represents, a day set aside for us to stop and give thanks for all that we have. But we don’t have to wait for this one day each year to do that. We can make thanksgiving a mindset. We can make it a part of each and everyday.

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary gives the following definitions for thanksgiving:

1: the act of giving thanks

2: a prayer expressing gratitude

3 a: a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness

b: capitalized : thanksgiving day

Interesting isn’t it that Thanksgiving Day is part of the last definition?

Thanksgiving is the act of giving thanks. That’s pretty simple. We thank people everyday. Sometimes we probably say “thanks” without really even thinking about it. It’s just part of what we do in polite society. But I challenge you to look for opportunities to say a heartfelt “Thank You” to someone each day. You will probably make that person’s day. And in the process you’ll find yourself looking for the good and positive things in every encounter with someone.

Thanksgiving is also a prayer expressing gratitude, which in my mind is really just lifting up a heartfelt “Thank You” to God for his blessings, which are endless. God’s blessings are all around us each and everyday and as we recognize them we need to lift up a prayer of gratitude to thank God for the particular blessing. You will be amazed at how you’ll feel when your heart is filled with gratitude.

So, thanksgiving doesn’t have to be limited to just the fourth Thursday of November. That’s just the day that’s set aside for the public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness. I’m very thankful that we have such a day in this country. But in the year ahead let’s make thanksgiving a part of each and everyday.

I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving Day and a wonderful year of thanksgiving!

I'm Warning You - A Storm's Headed Your Way

If I were to call you up and tell you that I had just looked at the radar and there was a severe thunderstorm with tornadic activity headed your way, would you think that I was being negative? If I suggested that you take precautions like getting in your basement would you think that I was crazy? If you hadn’t heard the tornado sirens yourself or hadn’t had a chance to look at the radar, would you appreciate my warning; even if the tornado missed your house or didn’t develop? Would you feel like I cared about you and your well being? I think so. Well that’s what I’m doing now. I have looked at the economic radar and the storm clouds have formed and are headed your way. We are in for some very rough weather. I know that a lot of people haven’t recognized the storm that’s on the horizon or even if they see the storm they don’t now how to prepare or protect themselves. That’s why I’ve created this blog. I want to warn you so that you can prepare.

If you are going to read just one book to gain an understanding of what’s going on in our economy and how to prepare for what’s ahead then I’d recommend How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years in the 21st Century by Howard J. Ruff. This book went on sale in April of this year. It covers a lot of ground and gives specific and practical recommendations on how to prepare for and to prosper in the coming difficult economic times.

We have given this book to several family members and the reaction is usually “Gosh that’s a pretty depressing title”. They focus on the “Coming Bad Years” portion of the title and neglect the “How to Prosper” portion. This book really isn’t a doom and gloom book. Was I being doom and gloom when I called you to warn you of the tornado? Ruff describes the storm and gives you background on what created the storm. Once you recognize and understand the storm you can prepare.

I’ll share other books and resources with you in future posts.

God Bless!

The truth is out there

Jim and I have each encountered people recently who mention that they feel like things aren't right and that things are going to get worse before they get better. They say they’re worried but don’t know what to do. They feel helpless. We find ourselves wanting to be able to offer these people something because their gut is right.

We know that the economy is in a shambles and that the “solutions” proposed by the politicians are only going to make things worse. We are facing things in this country that neither of us has ever lived through. We are very concerned and have consequently spent countless hours in the past 8 months reading and listening to a lot of different voices on the subject. As a result there are several books that we highly recommend if a person wants to really understand what is going on, what is coming our way, and most importantly how to prepare. In addition to the books, there are several good websites that we now depend on for our news and analysis of current affairs. With this knowledge that we now have, things aren’t scary or mysterious anymore. Because of the things that we’ve learned, we’ve made changes in our personal life to prepare for the coming storm. And we’re finding that these preparations give us a sense of security now. We know that as even more troubled times arrive, we’re prepared. We’ll survive and possibly even prosper.

We want all of our family and friends to have that same security and peace of mind. It is for this reason that we are going to compile a suggested reading/resource list. It will be something that those who have that gut feeling that something isn’t right; can use to gain the knowledge and understanding that we now have. We can’t tell you what to do because no two families situations are the same. We don’t know all of the answers but I believe that we do know the truth now. As we post our recommendations, I urge you to read them and see if it they make sense to you. If so, take action. Protect your wealth but most importantly protect your peace of mind.