It's All in the Attitude

While at my regular grocery retailer of choice, I overheard the tail end of a bit of talk between a security guard and a store clerk.  The end of the conversation ended with this statement: ". . . She wasn't allowed in here."  Being that this conversation ocurred in the men's restroom, I could understand.  Females ought not to be allowed in men's restrooms which are multistalled in nature. 

Upon leaving the store, I asked the security guard, who was stationed at the exit, what the conversation was all about.  "We had a customer come in with their dog," he replied.  "Was it a seeing eye dog?" I asked.  "No," the guard admitted.  "It was just your everyday mutt."

Intrigued, while aware I had mistaken the "she" for a human female when it was in fact a canine female, I probed further into this situation.  "So did the customer stay long inside the store?" I asked.  "No, not really," related the guard.  "They knew I could have called the deputies and that would have been trouble for him (the customer)," the guard added. 

I wanted to know more about what kind of things this guard saw each day at this store.  I already knew of customers who dealt marijuana in the store's parking lot, much less reeked of it while inside the store.  So I inquired some more of the guard, who was friendly and polite throughout my conversation with him. 

"So what else have you seen from the customers while on duty here?" I asked him. 

"Oh, plenty," the guard nonchalantly replied.  "Probably the biggest thing I've had to deal with is girls who come in that are pretty bare.  Not wearing much and I have to throw them out.  Health and safety code, you know."

"You mean they were so bare that their body parts could come against the produce and so forth that customers could pick up and buy?" I ventured to him. 

"Well, yeah, that's probably the way to put it.  I mean, it's not that I'm against customers staying cool in the Summer heat, nor is the store and its policies, but it's about other customers picking up germs from other people's body sweat and so on.  People don't realize what they do while they pick up produce and goods as they shop."

Eeeew.  There you go.  Letting dogs into grocery stores - even while on leash - and females in scant attire brushing against who knows what in the produce and/or meat section of the store while selecting their groceries for checkout is the issue at hand.  Is this what you would want to have happen with what you purchase from such a place?  You get the drift.  There are health and safety codes in place to protect and keep clean and safe retail operations like this one in the State of California at least.  Yet with the influx of new people to my part of the state, the knowledge and practice of following the health and safety codes in terms of acceptable behavior while at a food retailer is diminishing.  Hence the need for a store guard stationed in the store.  A sad state of affairs, indeed. 

*  *  *

On the other hand, there were plenty of times Jesus ate with the unwashed, the unclean, the down, the out, the dirty, the imperfect, the Godforsaken.  I don't recall the Lord ever refusing someone coming to him who genuinely sought him just because they had a dog, or didn't have the right wardrobe, or didn't have their act together.  From Matthew 5:2-11, ESV: 

² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons^[a] of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus give us his emphasis on what life is all about in the latter portion of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 6:25-33, ESV:

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?^{[g] 28} And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Ain't that the truth, eh?  (wink)  Each day has its own trouble.  But the good news is that God wants to provide for us and have us rest in his care.  All we have to do is let go. . . stop being anxious. . . stop wondering what we will wear, among other things. . . and seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  When we do that, the things that are important - from the Lord's perspective - will be added to us and provided for us.  What will those things be?  The things God finds are necessary for us in this life and the life Eternal to come.  God, being a good God, gives good gifts to his children, and not bad (Matthew 7:11, ESV):

  ⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Finally, the Apostle Paul has these succinct words for us from Colossians 3:17, ESV:
 ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

My wife and I have actually done this regarding dogs.  We have a Chihuahua puppy who is just adorable. . . we can't give him up, my wife says to me!  When he was still nursing and needing more immediate attention, we actually brought him to church while we were attending our adult Sunday School class and worship service.  He was in a woven reed basket, kind of like how Moses might have been in back in the day.  Never an issue with the church leaders, and never a behavior problem.  And he was quite the hit with kids and adults alike! 

On clothes, my wife is always on my case because she doesn't like my "desert dress" of polo knit shirt and shorts.  She wants me to dress more like Arnold Palmer or something.  I say to her it's too hot to wear long slacks. . . shorts are just fine.  Besides, others in our church wear shorts, men, women, and children alike.  She has conceded the issue, but still brings it up when she thinks she can get me to change. 

Bottom line, it's all in the attitude.  Why do you bring your dog to where you are going?  Why do you dress the way you do?  Is it to get your own way, or to make Jesus' name great and praised?  That's the acid test, my friends.  Consider it deeply, reflect, and pray to the Lord what his will is for you to do based on what he has revealed to you through his Word, the Bible.  He will never steer you wrong!

Selah. 


The Kindness Club

My wife, who is a Registered Nurse, referred to me, her loving husband, a patient of hers who for reasons I won't go into couldn't get transportation to the doctor.  So I took this woman to her doctor's appointment, which is some 70 miles away from her residence.  As is my habit, I brought along a book to read while waiting in the waiting room.  Lately I've been reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas whose link is here: http://www.christianbook.com/bonhoeffer-pastor-martyr-prophet-spy/eric-metaxas/9781595551382/pd/551382 .  I'll be posting my reflections on the book, a very engrossing and captivating read, in the days to come.  But I digress.  

While I was in the doctor's waiting room, I was asked by a woman patient, "who's that on the cover on that book?"     

"Bonhoeffer.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Do you know who he was?" I asked her kindly. 

"Was he Russian or something?" she replied.

"No, he was German," I answered back. 

"Oh, what kind of German?" she inquired. 

"The kind who gave up his life to be against Hitler and the Third Reich," I matter of factly stated. 

A long pause ensued.

"So Hitler killed him?" she timidly exclaimed.

"Those under his authority, yes," I answered calmly.  He was executed in prison weeks before the Allies had a chance to find him and to set him free."

Another long pause ensued.

"Who wrote the book?" she asked.

"Eric Metaxas," I replied.  He's a guy the late Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship mentored, who now shares the commentator duties like Chuck did on the Breakpoint program found on the radio and the Internet."

"Charles Colson?" she excitedly exclaimed.  "Prison Fellowship?"  Her eyes grew wider and her expression of recognizing a friend was unmistakable. 

"Yes, Charles Colson of Watergate fame and Prison Fellowship Ministries.  You've heard of him?" I asked.

"Oh, I certainly have!" she exuded.  "I have a son who is a young adult in State prison in Delano."  I gave a sad looking look of recognizance in reply.

She gave her story of woe to me about her son.  Long story short, she is concerned that he will reoffend again and break the law, landing himself in prison once again, becoming an habitual offender and be locked away for years. . . maybe decades.  His heart is not at peace with God, and even though he has watched the thought provoking film The Shawshank Redemption over and over while in prison, is in contact with the chaplain there and sees Prison Fellowship volunteers, he has yet to truly give up control of his life and turn the control over his life to God.  This is the stark reality he is in in the midst of the extreme lack of privacy and the confinement prison affords.

Funny that my employment happens to be behind bars these days as an education professional. . . well, no.  Serendipitous, actually.  The Lord knows what he is doing, and placed such a one as this mother in my purview while I was waiting for the one in their doctor's care.  Get this: seated right next to this woman was another lady, whose husband is locked up in prison for a longer period - decades, from what I heard.  In his case, he has made his reconciliation with God and has received forgiveness for his many sins, and though he is a prisoner and locked up for many more years, the Lord has truly set him free in his heart and spirit!  Across the aisle, yet another woman knew of Chuck Colson and Prison Fellowship. . . I don't remember any of her other details right now.  Was this a God moment or what?

The most natural thing to do in a moment like this, after our first lady poured our her heart concerning her fears about what could happen to her son, and seeing the literal "cloud of witnesses" that shared in her suffering and related to her situation. . . was to pray.  I led us in doing so, all of us holding hands right there under the watch of the medical office's receptionist, who I suppose didn't bat an eye!  (smile)  Tears of joy were shed at the end, and warm hugs as well.  

This kind of moment I'll call "The Kindness Club."  To become a member of it, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer knew so well, one must endure suffering.  But not suffering alone. . . hope is present as well.  Hope in the things of Eternity, where there is no prison except in Hell. . .  and we shall feast at His table, rejoicing at what the Lord Jesus did for us in remitting our many sins. The Apostle Paul knew of suffering and its connection with hope, to wit:  

(Romans 5:3-5, ESV)

  ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

James also knew of trials and suffering through the testing of one's faith, and its response in (unnatural from the world's perspective) joy:

(James 1:2-4, NASB)

² Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various ^[a]trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces ^[b] endurance. ⁴ And let ^[c] endurance have its perfect ^[d]result, so that you may be ^[e] perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

John records Jesus saying these immortal words on our subject:

(John 16:33, ESV)

³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John, later in his life, undoubtably reflected some more on these words of our Lord in this part of his letter (1 John 5:4, ESV):

⁴ For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.

Hence the title from the old Gospel hymn, "Faith is the Victory!"  I love indeed the refrain from that song so much. . . in fact, the whole song.  Here it is:

Wonderful to see folks from the United Arab Emirates who are - I take it - literate or becoming literate in English partaking of the Christian faith and singing this marvelous, uplifting old Ira Sankey hymn.  This is how I learned the words to 1 John 5:4. . . and how you can too!  It is part of the "music rumbling through my head," as I mentioned awhile back in a previous post. 

It's not how polished you are in singing it - or living out your faith.  It's about taking His hand and letting him completing the journey with you, taking his yoke upon you, and having a lighter burden, since you allow Jesus to carry the load.  Trusting Jesus, walking with Jesus. . . all the way.  That's how to have true freedom in a place like prison, my friends!  Out of prison too. . .   Until next time. . .

Selah.

Seeds of Destruction

What do the following statements have in common?

• ". . . I'm not understanding what you mean by 'wrong.'"  -- (then) Penn State University President Graham Spanier, February 26, 2001 (1)
• "The janitors were afraid of being fired by reporting a powerful football coach."  -- Judge Louis Freeh, July 12, 2012 (2)
• "With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."  -- fired Penn State University football coach Joe Paterno, November 9, 2011 (2)

A lack of moral clarity.  A "don't rock the boat" mentality.  Lack of moral courage to do what is right.

I kid you not. . . I have been troubled to hear the news lately regarding the entire Penn State football coaching staff scandal.  An entire university football program is likely in jeopardy and may not continue for a time.  Penalties may well be assessed that will hurt the school's football program and its lucrative financial dealings.  I'm not a fan of football generally speaking, and so a lot of this didn't get on my radar screen until it became headline news.  I'm certainly paying attention now, though. 

It's easy to shrug one's shoulders, give a look of disapproval, and condemn what's already happened at Penn State, which certainly could use prayers from God's people right about now.  The more difficult task is to know how to deal with such a situation and to quote a well known television character from the Andy Griffith Show, Barney Fife, "Nip it in the bud."  For starters. . . 

1) Call a spade a spade.  Call the wrongdoing what it really is.  Sin.  That's right, sin.  Sin is evil, you know.  And sin separates one from the Love of God found in Jesus Christ.  

 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, tI do not know where you come from. vDepart from me, all you workers of evil!’  (Luke 13:27)  (All verses ESV unless noted otherwise)

From Hebrews 10:

²⁶ For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.

And

  ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Admittedly, these are words not often heard from church pulpits in North America.  Yet they remain the true words of God.  Sin and evil are therefore serious business.  I remember well the verse from James 3:1 (NASB): 
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a ^[a]stricter judgment.

2) The above statement implies, quite rightly, that those who teach - have moral and educational authority over others in their care - have a duty to be accountable to others. . . and most importantly, God Himself.  Here's a selection of some pertinent Scriptures: 

Proverbs 27:17:

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Matthew 18:15-17:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Galatians 6:1-2:

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ezekiel 33:7-9:

⁷ “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. ⁸ If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

The Penn State football program had gotten to the point where it dominated the University and had unparalleled power and influence.  What the trustees and those charged with carrying out its mission forgot is sin is pervasive and endemic to the human heart, resulting in death.  That lack of knowledge about sin isn't just from those associated with Penn State, however.  Consider the following exchange I had with a fellow customer at Costco the other day:

Me: Kinda busy in the food court today, eh?

Her: Yeah.  I can deal with it, though.  I just wait and get through it.  Gotta be patient. 

Me: Patience is still a virtue.  Good to know you are willing to be that way. 

Her: Well, I'm really not.  You know, everyone is so busy these days, they make you pushy when you're in line for something.

Me: They make you pushy?

Her: Yeah, they do quite a lot these days.

Me: A wise man once said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"  (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV)  

__________________

Well, that ended the conversation right then and there.  You hopefully get the point. . . they didn't make her pushy. . . she did out of her own volitional will, from her own heart.  But she undoubtedly let this bit of wisdom from God's Word pass her by. . . just like the "common sense" wisdom even the janitors at Penn State had and ignored, allowing Jerry Sandusky to continue his criminal acts in the locker room with his young "guests."  James has this very appropriate word for us to consider:

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.  (James 4:17 NASB)

That verse has always convicted me.  Ouch!

My takeaway questions I ask myself are these:

• Do I possess moral clarity in my thoughts, words and actions?
• Do I allow myself to be accountable to others who know me and submit to what is right in the sight of God - and most importantly God's Will for me?
• Do I have the moral courage to do the right thing in the face of moral lapses of judgment in others?

I pray God may find me worthy in these despite my manifold shortcomings, and in that Wonderful Day when I am translated into Eternity.

One of David's Psalms gives some insight and perspective I find useful.  From Psalm 139:

 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
³ You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

¹³ For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.^[a]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

¹⁹ Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
²⁰ They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain.^[b]
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²² I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!^[c]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!^[d]

^{Please pray with me for all those affected by the Penn State football scandal, especially the young men who were once boys that were abused. . . they surely need them.  Until next time. . .}

^Selah.

^{___________________}

^References:

⁽¹⁾

http://www.citizenlink.com/2012/07/12/penn-state-falls-into-a-pit/

(2)

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/396509-press-release-07-12-12.html

For more background and sources:

http://chronicle.com/article/The-Freeh-Report-Complete/132803/

Pithy Postulates for finances

Time to consider the financial and material side of this present life. . . if only because we have to deal with it.  Heaven, of course, will have far different riches and objects one deals with - mansions, streets of gold, and a banqueting table I very much look forward to sitting at, for starters - and is always a wise place to store one's belongings and treasure.  Indeed!  (smile)  Eternity is what I sometimes wryly refer to as my "deferred compensation plan."

I came across an interesting fellow blogger here on blogspot who came up with what he calls "quotable quotes."  If you know me well, I do my very best to avoid trite and worn out phrases, so I have renamed this post to something far less trite and far more fresh. . . Introducing what may well become an irregular yet periodic feature here, "Pithy Postulates."  I'm reusing his oft-repeated sayings here, while the reflections will be my own.  Just another reminder that true wisdom comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1).  Those of us who are in tune with what God says in the Scriptures - and most importantly his heart - are hopefully more aware of the generous spreading around of that wisdom among his special creation, humankind.  Hat tip to Robert Platt Bell, whose original post is here: http://livingstingy.blogspot.com/2011/02/quotable-quotes.html  I'd also recommend reading his blog generally. . . from the bit I've read already, he has some sound down home tested from the trenches wisdom about financial management that so many lack.  That intro out of the way, here goes:

•   The more complicated you can make any financial transaction, the easier it is to fleece the consumer.

Buying cars or real estate come to mind here. . . but it needn't be that expensive.  Free toasters when you open an account at a financial institution are an old ploy, as are interest rate deals at the store.  Then there are the television commercials that tell you - always late in the two minute ad - you will get two of the item (such as a magic knife) for the same "low" price if you act now. . . Here's how to order.  For calls in the United States, call 1-800-blah blah blah.  Beware.  Avoiding these could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the transaction. 

• They throw pennies at us, hoping we spend dollars.

This is where the "cash back" deals and the "free miles" from the airlines try to hook you into buying from them, and not their competitors.  I did a bit of calculating on the AmEx credit card offer regarding Costco purchases, especially gasoline, and concluded it was worth perhaps $10 to $20 a month max.  The downside is you pay a monthly statement, not pay as you go.  Pay as you go lets you know the exact state of your finances, if you manage them well (and believe me, I do).  You always spend more using a credit card. . . I learned that back in my marketing classes I took years ago.  Avoid.

• Generate your own normative cues!

The advertising industry - Madison Avenue, as it's called in the trade (hey, back in the day I even took an entire college course on the subject, earning my easiest "A" ever while sleeping through class most of the time) is full of it.  Constantly trying to get you to work against your own self interest financially speaking, buying things you can ill afford.  Ignore them!  I said, Ignore them!  Who invited them into your house as a guest?  You did.  Turn off the TV and/or throw away the direct mail.  You'll be better off for it.  And. . . learn to be more like Jesus, and less like Madison Avenue.  That means you'll be spending more time in the Scriptures, and less time watching the boob tube.  Try it. . . you'll like it!

• Any business relationship predicated on a lie, no matter how trivial, will inevitably go down from there. 

Car dealers that shout from billboards or direct mailers "$199 a month for (blank make/model new car)" are lying to you.  Lying!  Double the figure and you'll get the ballpark real purchase price.  Don't lease.  Ever.  Unless you own a business and use the vehicle in your business.  Who ever only travels 12,000 miles a year like the lease invariably states?  No one.  They'll charge you dearly for the extra miles, costing you hundreds or thousands extra at the end of the lease.  Avoid, avoid unsolicited telephone calls from pitchmen and direct mail directing you what to do with the envelope (the "urgent" marking on the outside envelope ploy or similar).  Just say to the caller, "we have a policy of not accepting unsolicited calls from people we don't have a business relationship with" will do the trick nicely.  I know from experience.  And throw the yucky direct mail away.  Don't even look at the stuff!  'Nuff said.

While in the process of going through the day's activities, a young woman came to the door and stated she was a friend of ours from Tennessee.  We're in California. . . and so that raised my wife's and my own suspicions as to her trustworthiness (lying to us).  Sure enough, she was here to sell us some kind of subscription to get her a scholarship for college - heard that before for many many years.  Told her we as a family policy don't do unsolicted business with folks we don't ask to see. . . she walked away.  See!  Works like a charm! 

• If someone tries to sell you "Peace of Mind," keep one hand on your wallet.

I once worked for an automobile extended warranty company in Tustin, California.  Shady characters.  They "gamed" the company to favor those dealers who sold the most contracts, and favored customer payouts to those who bought extended warranties from these dealers. . . while stonewalling and denying legitimate claims from those who bought their contracts from dealers that didn't sell enough extended warranties to suit the company's liking.  Lawsuits invariably ensued.  If you can't afford the item, do without it.  Don't be a materialist and seek life through your posessions.  True peace, of course, comes only from knowing Jesus.  Not from buying some insurance plan or something. 

• So when someone asks you to cheat, chances are, it is because they want to cheat YOU. 

Don't be involved in a crooked deal.  The only one benefitting from the deal will be the crook!  Don't fall for the car deal that's "too good to be true."  It is. . . and when you wire that money to the person who never showed you the car in person, you can bet your bottom dollar it's never going to be shipped to you.  So don't be a sucker.

• Using the tax code as an investment guide is a bad idea. 

Making purchases or doing things just because there's a deduction or credit in the tax code is just plain stupid.  The tax code changes all the time, and is "gamed" to favor those in political power anyway.  Don't have a K Street lobbyist?  You're not named Warren Buffet or Oprah Winfrey?  Then don't play their game!  Remember, it's not about the abundance of things you possess on this present earth.  It's not about getting the lowest tax bill.  It's about pleasing God while obeying the government taxwise.  Spending money to save money always results in spending money in the long run.  Which reminds me. . .

• You can't deduct your way to wealth!

Oh yeah, some years ago there were these electric golf cart vehicles like the ones Lee Iacocca was involved in that were supposed to pay for themselves via tax credits.  The tax credit was good for the first year, then the government closed that loophole.  Those that fell for this ended up with golf carts that ended up being far from free.  Whatever happened to all those golf carts?  Were they such a good buy after all was said and done?  You be the judge. 

Similarly, lately we've had "Cash for Clunkers" and new car tax credits to spur new car sales.  Those who bought cars then got a better deal than I did, who bought my new car 15 days after the credit expired.  Sigh.  But both of us ended up spending money for new cars, new car purchase tax credit or not.  Spending money is not saving money.  Don't let the tax code rule you. . . let Jesus be your kindly, gentle benevolent ruler and live life according to His will, not the tax code's.

• Act Rationally in an Irrational World

Whatever the hype is, go the other way.  Be like a salmon. . . swim upstream, not with the crowd.  The crowd takes the wide superhighway. . . the pilgrim takes the Road Less Traveled. 

I remember getting sales pitches via the telephone and direct mail telling me now was the moment to buy into real estate.  Buy a house, rent it out for a while, and "flip" it for the easy profit with house prices rising.  Funny thing is. . . as with any purchase, there is a downside risk.  What if you become "upside down" in the rental house's mortgage?  It's happened a lot these days.  We all know how the real estate market is now, right?  Considerably down from where it was a few years ago.  Stay a step ahead of the get rich quick schemers.  Ignore them!

• All advertising is based on the simple premise of persuading a consumer to act in a manner that is NOT in their own financial self interest. 

In other words, why listen to advertisers?  No reason to, unless you like ads for entertainment purposes.  They are acting at cross purposes with what you are trying to accomplish in life.  

Ever notice that companies about to go out of business or are poorly run often do the most advertising?  Why are they advertising in the first place?  Because they don't have good "word of mouth."  They have to recruit folks who've never tried them, the young, the new immigrants, the unaware, the unsuspecting.  And they do it with great precision, let me tell you. Circuit City, Hollywood Video, Blockbuster Video and Montgomery Ward (!) come to mind.  Only one of these is still in regular business anymore.  Two of them are with new owners selling via the Internet.  Don't get me started. . . (grrr. . ..)

• While it may be safer in the center of the herd, the grass is all trampled down and pooped upon.

Don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold; be willing to take appropriate risks in life.  It's hard to eat grass the other cows have eaten.  Get some elbow room - take risks to earn an income and grow your financial situation by not always following the crowd. 

Consider the real estate market from say, 1995 to 2005.  In 1995 most people were risk averse to buying - always a good signal to check out and see if it makes sense to buy (because many folks took their losses in the immediate years prior).  Conversely, in 2005 I had letters and phone calls begging me to sell my property - a good sign that the market was becoming overheated and unsustainable, and yes, about to collapse - a signal to get out of the market.  And it did of course collapse.  As we know now, everyone else was buying at the top of the real estate market in 2005 when that was the time to actually sell.    

Another mistake some people make is to buy every insurance policy covering every circumstance known to mankind.  This include buying extended warranties on things like garbage disposers and home computer printers.  Do yourself a favor: keep your hard earned money and just say no.  Cover the true catastrophic sitations that would bankrupt you, and for the things that you typically go out and replace, don't even consider buying an extended warranty!  Please, folks!  Don't make me beg. . . 

• Never confuse getting lucky with being brilliant.

Don't be overconfident just because you've made some decisions that have panned out financially in a short period of time.  Everyone eventually lucks out and makes worse decisions. . . the law of averages kicks in, you know.  "Take heed where you stand lest you fall," the Apostle Paul said.  Apropos not only spiritually, but financially as well.  Good advice.  Don't overplay the hand God gives you to play.  

• If someone can't explain what they do for a living in ten words or less, they are probably lying to you.

If you hear buzzwords, politically correct talk, or lots of technospeak that sounds really good but doesn't make any sense to you, raise your red flag.  Check it out!  Probably not worth your while to invest in them, employ them, rent to them, or (ahem) marry them.  Who wants to lose from a liar, anyways?  "Let your yes, be yes, and your no be no," James wrote in his letter to the twelve tribes scattered abroad.  Makes good sense, and excellent advice.  Be honest and to the point wherever possible, even if it hurts.  

Please feel free to continue the discussion via the "Comments" hyperlink below.  It would be nice to hear your thoughts as well.

Have You Ever Seen This Happen?

A couple of situations to chew on:

Ambulance

Normally, the general practice (and the California Vehicle Code) is to pull over and stop when an ambulance approaches you.  If yhou can't pull over and stop, then stop where you are in the lane of traffic you happen to be in.  All this is for the benefit of the ambulance driver and the patient they are carrying, or are enroute to carry. . . to save precious time in the event of a life threatening medical situation. 

The other day, I was returning home from running errands when I witnessed the following: not only were drivers not pulling over or stopping on my side of a three lane each direction city street - a busy suburban street heavily used within eyesight of a hospital at that - they were not pulling over or stopping on the heavier traveled opposite direction of the street!  Granted, that side of the street at that midday hour was full of cars, and it would have been difficult to pull over.  The ambulance driver gamely stayed in the heavier traveled lanes going his direction, and kept airing his siren, though at a low pitch as though he was resigned to not see the situation get any better for him to move more efficiently. 

My wife has spent her working career in the nursing field, and has been a Registered Nurse for years.  I reported what I saw to her.  She said that was crazy that drivers wouldn't pull over and show any courtesy or consideration.  I quite agreed.  I've frankly never seen this kind of thing happen anywhere before, at least in the United States.  So I called the Sheriff's Department about it. 

The deputy I spoke with told me that there was nothing he could do about it.  "When we see it and we are out there, we do ticket drivers like that," he remarked.  "Thanks," I sighed as I hung up the phone. 

This situation is sooooooo lamentable.  Have we as a society - as a culture - lost respect and compassion for those in trouble and in need of emergency medical assistance?  Is it really all about what's in front of one's nose that counts?  Selfishness?  I know, the deputy I spoke with said that if it were their loved ones - the driver's own family or friends - in the ambulance, they would behave differently and pull over.  But how about the rest of the drivers remaining?

Appointments

I was calling around to several doctor's offices lately.  I'll recount my experience with one younger doctor and her staffer at the phone here. 

Me: "Hello, I'm calling about seeing a doctor."

Receptionist: "You need to see her now?  She doesn't take patients now, and not even today.  She's booked up. . . booked until (two weeks later).  You'll have to make an appointment, or see urgent care somewhere else."

Me: "I don't need to see a doctor now.  I don't even need to see a doctor soon.  I just got out of the hospital!  I'm just inquiring about if your office takes my medical insurance."

Receptionist: "Everyone else has to see the doctor right now.  You don't?  You're sure about that?"

Me: "Yes, I'm sure.  I'm just calling around to see about seeing another doctor."

*****

Galatians 5 (from The Message) has some good words on these matters:

^19-21It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.
^22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Selah.