As I get ready to head to bed on Thanksgiving Eve I spent some time reviewing my sermon for Sunday and my friend Barry's book The ABC's of Financial Freedom.  This week's chapter ends with some ideas from the G.O.O.D. file (Get Out Of Debt).  Appropriately it pertains perfectly for many that are already out at the stores for Black Friday and millions more that are leaving tomorrow.

1. Don't let shopping take priority over worship.  If we do, we will miss the whole point of Christmas.
2. Don't get caught up trying to outbuy or outdo anybody else when you do your Christmas shopping.
3. Don't charge the gifts you buy for others. Yes, yes probably won't buy as much, but you won't cry much either later on when the bills come due.
4. Give practical, usable gifts that will help meet needs instead of wasting money on frivolous gifts that will go back in the box, in the closet, the attic, or the next garage sale once the holidays are over.
5. Make sure the Lord is at the top of your Christmas list.  Giving at the Christmas Eve service for your church is an excellent way to teach your children and model for your family what Christmas is all about.
6. Do take time to bake Christmas cookies, go see Christmas lights, watch a Christmas video, or some other activity that will help draw your family closer together.
7. Stay on target with your goal to become debt free.  Don't allow your emotions to get caught up in the "spirit of giving" to cause you to get off track and deeper in debt.
8. Be sure to take time to thank God for all of your blessings over the year.
9. Remember the best gift you can give, especially to your family is YOU!

I'm not sure if you avoid the malls like crazy on Black Friday or if you already there.  Maybe your temptation is on Cyber Monday.  Or maybe you struggle every day.  These are nine great points from Barry Cameron that we should all memorize!

Election Eve Thoughts

Tomorrow is such an important day for our country!  The presidential election tops all ballots, but there are many other important races and issues that people will have the opportunity to vote on across the nation.  I pray that the Christian portion of the country votes based on a biblical worldview.  This is made somewhat difficult this year, because while one candidate claims to be a Christian be believes, supports, and forces some very non-biblical principles upon society.  Most notably the belief in the pro-choice agenda.  The other candidate is of the Mormon belief, but his actions are more biblically based.  Bob Russell has written a tremendous document concerning this on his blog at BobRussellMinistries.org or by going directly to http://www.bobrussell.org/2012/07/22/should-christians-vote-for-a-mormon-for-president/

Early this morning my wife and I were on a chilly pre-dawn walk and she reminded me of the story Jesus told of a man with two sons.  It is found in Matthew 21, ²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered.  

Actions do speak louder than words!  I remember my father telling me that it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and a few bad decisions or even one fleeting moment to destroy it.  When I vote I never vote strictly on party lines.  It shouldn't be about the party.  Both parties are flawed because of the partisanship that they are tied to.  So the challenge in my mind is the question that many have been asking, "Are we any better off as a nation than we were four years ago?".  I can't find any logical way to answer yes to that question.

I googled the National Debt Clock today at http://www.usdebtclock.org 

The counter on that thing is spinning faster than my electric meter, and it is killing our country.  I am tired of hearing that it is someone's fault.  What is done in the past is in the past.  As long as we keep casting blame on previous administrations we will never get this fixed.  One candidate has built and led many corporations, the other one has never led a business of any kind.  His total leadership experience is in elected offices.  

The single issue of human life is something that I cannot ignore.  The greatest single privilege that we have as Americans is the privilege of life, which is slowly being stripped away.  It is being stripped away prior to birth and with the proposed health care reforms it will be stripped away in the decision of who is worthy of socialized health care because of their value to society.  

The next president of the United States will have the opportunity to appoint two Supreme Court Justices.  Those are lifetime appointments.  This election is HUGE.  Not just for the next four years.

As I wrote last week, I have many friends who will vote differently than I will tomorrow and as far as I am concerned I hope they still consider me a friend tomorrow night regardless of the outcome.  In my mind this election has nothing at all to do with race or party affiliation.  If people want to make it into those things that is their silly choice.  This is much bigger than those issues.  It is about this nation doing the right things, remaining one nation under one true God, indivisible with liberty and just for all.