Integrity Tests

I don't travel on business as much as I used to.  I'm ok with that. But this week I had occasion to travel out west to a business conference.  I was reminded just how many integrity tests business travellers take every day.  There is little accountability on the road.  There are many opportunities to hedge, fudge, accomodate and compromise core values.  I will share a simple one that relates to money.

Two of my colleagues and I shared a taxi ride from our hotel to the airport.  Our driver was a pleasant woman who seemed to enjoy her job and chatted politely about the usual surface topics that accompany these kinds of routine shuttles. 

When we arrived at the airport, I paid the fare and tipped her generously (for the record, I am a pretty good tipper. Good service deserves good rewards.).  She thanked me and asked if I needed a receipt.  When I replied in the affirmative, she pulled out the company receipt pad a proceeded to tear off a copy for me.  She handed it to me and thanked me again for my generosity.  As I took the slip of paper, folded it and put it in my pocket, I noticed it was blank.  I smiled, somewhat saddened.

Our company will gladly reimburse me for the cab fare, but not the tip.  I have no problem with that.  A blank receipt provides me a perfect opportunity to put whatever number I choose on that pink piece of paper.  No one in my company will question the amount I write down.

Integrity tests.  We take them daily.  Who are we when no one is watching?  Some are big ones.  We've all heard, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."  Some a little ones, like fill in the blank taxi receipts. 

For the record, in case you're wondering, I passed.  This time.  But each new day has fresh challenges.  I tremble at the prospect of facing the constant barage of attacks upon my character.  I am flesh and flesh is so frail.  I try and follow two simple rules, that are framed by questions; 1.  Would I be embarrassed if my wife or Jesus walked in on me right now?  and 2. What would I do in this situation if my wife or Jesus was standing beside me?  Since both are always with me, one in my heart by a commitment we made before God and witnesses, and one quite literally omnipresent, it's hard to get away with much.  :-)

Have a great day.  Good luck with your test.

Protect Us From The "Consumer Protection Bill"

Yesterday congress passed the "Financial Overhaul" or Consumer Protection Act  bill.  But who will protect us from Govt.  As with the Health Care Bill, the 2300 page bill was not read and passed with the help of three liberal Republicans.

The short version of what happened is, this bill will grow Govt. but not the economy.  This was bad for America and it's very sad.

All these things remind us that we must each take charge of our own financial lives.  Pay attention, live within your means, avoid debt like a plague.  Use cash.  Trust God.  Win.

Back Online

Twice now, I've tried to lay this blog to rest.  Twice now, it's been resurrected because of demand and need.  Perhaps I should learn my lesson.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me over the last few months.  It seems that the IOU NO MORE revolution still resounds with many people.  I am touched and blessed.

In the spririt of full disclosure, some of my money management views, especially regarding wealth building have changed in the three and a half years since IOU NO MORE was published.  Those changes will probably require a rewrite of some portions of the book.  But since discretionary time is an endangered species with me, I'm not sure when that writing will happen. 

The final incident that drove me back to this blog came in two steps.  Working backwards, I read an article last week of the continual growth of bankruptcy claims in the USA.  It seems that even with all refinancing of delinquent mortgages and low interest rates, people still can't get a handle on their debt and are giving up.

That article instantly reminded me of a conversation I had with an attorney from the midwest who said that he has become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of bankruptcy cases that have come to his office.  He said the number of files in his drawer is staggering.

With those two pieces of information nagging at my mind, I feel God is leading me to reopen this door.  I don't know what will happen once it's open, but here goes.......

A New Look at How Americans are Addressing Economic Conditions

Found this interesting article from Forbes.com.  Thought I'd share it.

When Faith and the First Amendment Conflict

An interesting storm is brewing in Texas.  And we know what kind of dust and mud can be kicked up down there........

A college in Stephenville (SW of Ft Worth), is planning a performance of the 1998 play, 'Corpus Christi' which portrays Jesus and many of His disciples as gay.  You can read about it by clicking here.  In the play, Jesus and Judas share a passionate kiss and Jesus performs a gay wedding for two of his followers.  Ultimately, Jesus is crucified under a banner that reads, "King of Queers".  Alrighty, then.

Is anyone surprised that this little play might ruffle a few feathers and incite a mob scene or two.  Somebody wire Arizona and get the Earp brothers to Texas in a hurry.  There's gonna be trouble.

In 1999, some Muslim clerics, upset that Christians did not take what they considered a strong enough stand against the play, issued a fatwah (death warrant) on the author.  I remember the tempest at the time.

Meanwhile, back in Texas...... conservative Christians are lining us, crying, "Blasphemy.  Shut that play down," and the college administration is throwing up their hands, claiming, "First Amendment".  It's High Noon.

Nobody wins when something like this happens.  The college comes off looking like rabble rousers and the Christians come off looking like wild eyed extremists.  How very sad.

I am one of those conservative Christians.  'Corpus Christi' is in direct conflict with what the Bible says about Jesus, the Gospel and Biblical morality.  My convictions require me point out the affront.  My heart is broken that Jesus is presented in this light.  My God is mocked and I ache over it.

The letter of the law may very well be on the side of the college.  Christians must allow alternative, even contradictory views to be expressed.  Sometimes those views will sting.  Sometimes they will offend.  But we must take the high ground.

We are outraged when Christians are persecuted in other countries.  We decry the absence of freedom of expression in certain religions and nations.  We must not become what we loathe in others.  We need to occupy the high ground.  The eternity of millions is at stake.

Why in the world would we expect those who don't share our belief system to conform to it?  On the other hand, why would those who demand 'tolerance' of Christians deliberately incite?  That is disrespectful.  But let's face it, there is no greater example of iconoclasm than the American college campus.  There is something about youth, higher education, restlesnness and the first amendment that bring out the rebellion in our young bucks and does.  Has it ever been different?

Dear Christians in Stephenville:
You are justified in your sense of indignation and hurt.  But I urge you to reply by speaking the truth in love.  By all means, confront the issue head on.  Do so, however, with reason, dignity and grace.  Let the force of your argument and the power of the Holy Spirit be your plan of action.  Leave the flailing, video bites and castigating to lesser groups.  Jesus is Lord, even of the First Amendment of the Constitution.  The Truth will win out.  I guarantee it.

Dear Tarleton State University:

You are correct.  You are entitled to host a public performance of 'Corpus Christi'.  But is it wise?  Are you being true to freedom of expression, or hiding behind a technicality to deliberately offend your neighbors?  Sometimes wisdom directs us to subjugate our rights for the sake of community and good will?  Your coice. Exercise your rights or demonstrate discretion?  Tough call.

Dear combatants:

You are in the public eye now.  Choose your words and actions wisely.  We are watching.  You are each, both, in a position to win the argument and lose the war.  You are all in my prayers.

The Irony of Expensive Bargain Grocery Shopping

Anyone who has read this blog or flipped through IOU NO MORE, knows that I really believe in bargains. Saving money, spending less than you earn, are mantras I've chanted for years. But I've modified one of my long held tenets, bargain groceries.

The more I study, the more disturbed I become regarding what we're putting into our grocery carts, and ultimately into our bodies. Have you read the ingredients label on a can of tomato sauce or a box of cereal lately? If you were to take a few items in your cart, sit down and google the list of ingredients, you would be horrified at what you are ingesting yourself and feeding your loved ones.

I can't help connecting the dots and finding a link between our desire for cheap food and our ever increasing health care costs. Common sense tells us that we can't fill our bodies with all these chemicals and avoid the consequences. Ever wonder at the growing numbers of colon cancer victims, ADHD in children, obesity? We're killing ourselves with food. And not just at the dollar menu (Why is fast food cheaper than fresh food? That's another story).

I don't really want to throw blame, we all, the grocery chains, manufacturers, big agra, big government, big pharma, consumers,  carry some of the responsibility. And we all can play a role in changing our diets, our health and our future. But it will have an associated financial cost at a time when many, most, families are living on budgets so tight the cash can hardly breathe.

Our cheap groceries are making us unhealthy, yet we can't afford to pay the prices for healthier choices. What are we to do? This is what you might call, a conundrum.

I am a proponent (and participant) in what's known as the 'slow food' movement. I believe in eating fresh, eating local and 'eating with the seasons'. B and I drink only raw milk, eat pastured eggs, grass fed meat and even make our own cheese and butter. We grow nearly all our own fruits and vegetables. We are on a plan to remove ourselves from the current retail food system. I hope millions will join us.

If you are on a budget, you probably can't do it all at once. I get that. Eating right, is expensive. It is a tragic reality. I recommend small changes. Every bite of something good for you means that many fewer bad things are entering your body.

Try buying a pound or two of grass fed hamburger. Maybe a dozen pastured eggs from a local farm. Support your local farmers' market. Grow a single tomato plant, or bell pepper plant. Make a window box for herbs or plant some in your flower bed. Many herbs are as pretty as they are healthy. Get creative.  One or two small changes are a GREAT start

Read. Research what you eat. Investigate. Start slowly if your budget requires, but by all means start. Drop us a note for more information if you have questions. Alternatively, check out our other blog, "Our Edible Suburb". I truly want to help you save money, but spending a little more up front on groceries, might just save you a ton of money in medical bills. Chew on it.

Random Thoughts on the Health Care Reform Vote

I was disappointed to see the result of the Congressional vote on the Health Care Reform Bill. It is unquestionably another step in relinquishing our rights and responsibilities and having them handed to our Government. That is always a poor choice, even when the motives may be noble.

Governments botch everything they touch. New infrastructures will be built, new taxes levied and ever increasing layers of bureaucracy formed. It is inevitable. And the bigger these things grow, the less efficient (read, more expensive) they become. Look at Social Security, which has become nothing more than a Ponzi scheme that is on a path to leave tens of millions of baby boomers (and subsequent generations) out in the cold.

I believe it is a tragic mistake to allow Government to take over health care. I pray that this fails quickly or is repealed by the next congress. It is bad business. There are less expensive, more effective ways to lower health care costs and improve coverage. Tort reform and and opening the door for interstate insurance competition are just two things that would create dramatic change overnight without added cost to the American people or the American Government. But we wouldn't expect a room full of trial lawyers career politicians to push a plan like that, now would we?

Having said that, I would suggest that the Church has been somewhat culpable as well. It seems to me that conservatives and evangelicals have often been so caught up in a right wing political agenda that we have neglected our responsibility to preach and teach God's word in a way that brings such a revival to America that our society changes from the inside out.

Sometimes, I can't tell the difference between a church service and a Republican National Convention. I see more tears and emotion at Memorial Day and Fourth of July Services than at Easter. I get the feeling that we are more excited about the freedom symbolized by the flag than the freedom bought on a cross.

Liberal and Mainline denominations have become virtual spokespersons for the Democratic platform. I am often dismayed at the emphasis on 'Social Justice' replacing a call to repentance. It's honorable to be concerned for the poor and disenfranchised, but it is cowardly and unbiblical to hand our individual responsibility over to secular government. What a waste of resources and a travesty of stewardship I see coming from the Christian left.

My heart aches to see Christians take up the Bible in one hand and a trowel in the other. I long for a day when we preach with revival fervor and work like crazy to change the culture at the same time.

I have a vision of health care, sustainable agriculture, education and commerce driven, not by political direction, but by devotion to the God of the universe and His great command to "Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself."

I would love to see God's people on the left and on the right ask for a 'Mulligan' and start over using God's Word as a guide for our behavior and doctrine. If we would return to Him, we will begin to see this country change, one life at a time. It will spread to homes, communities, States and finally national level. We can see crime reduced, poverty banished, needs met, divorces abandoned, literacy improved and justice roll like rivers.

Imagine a future that does not require Republicans and Democrats, but leans on something we used to call, common sense. It sounds crazy. But I still believe.

One more random thought: while I think the health care reform vote, if implemented, will be bad for America, I don't believe it will usher in the Apocalypse. I have lived under Socialized Health Care before. It is inefficient and ineffective. It is demoralizing to doctors and nurses. But it is not the end of the world. It is not even the end of America. There are bigger battles, greater needs.

Wake up, Church! Stop being the puppets of politicians left or right. Don't be distracted by the good, when you are called to do the great!

I have more rambling thoughts and even some practical solutions, but not today. It's time to get ready for work.

I am frustrated, but I cannot despair, because Jesus is Lord!