Remember the Alamo and Fire the Cannon!

On this day in 1836, in San Antonio, Texas, in an old Spanish mission and fortress called the Alamo, Colonel William Travis issues an answer to General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana's call for surrender with a bold shot from the Alamo's cannon.

That started a battle that emboldened all Texans and while it ended in a devastating lose at the Alamo, the small rebel force inflicted heavy losses on the huge Mexican Army and gave Texas and American the battle cry, " Remember the Alamo!"

One hundred and seventy six years ago today Texas began an new life as an independent state.  Interestingly enough, one hundred and thirty four years and one day from that date my wife started her new life, here on earth. 

I'm grateful to the men at the Alamo for their bravery, and strength of conviction but even more I'm grateful to God that he thought ahead and gave my wife those same qualities.  It's rare to find people of such high moral character and when we do we want to be close to them as long as possible, just in case some of it will rub off on us.  We crave the thrill they bring to the world by their strict belief in right and wrong and their "line in the sand" attitude even in the face of difficult and over whelming odds.

We are lucky to have had great men like those at the Alamo in our country's history and I'm lucky to have had my wife as a friend for all these years, I'm better for it.

Happy Birthday!

J

Few things in life are certain ... make sure your family is protected!

Keep on helping, longer than you thought possible!

Donating to your church is important and it helps them keep the building in good repair and warm.  The expenses of a church are many and if a church meets budget (just) each year they feel that things are going good.
Few churches plan for the unexpected, like several AC units breaking at the same time.  Huge expenses like these will destroy any small budget cushion that they have ... and how would they even put back enough for disasters like this?

That's where the members have to step up and give more ... it's painful and sometimes just doesn't happen.  Perhaps it is time to think about more aggressive ways to plan for the church's financial future.  Think about way in the future ... everything will cost more and the church budget will continue to be strained, how can you and the other leaders in the church today insure that there will be enough for the unexpected?

Try this ... get ten healthy church leaders of various ages together and work with a local insurance agent to get $50,000 life insurance policies on each of the 10 leaders, making the church the beneficiary.  For just a small amount each month you could make sure that the church will have money above and beyond their budgeted amounts for decades to come, even if one of the ten passes away prematurely.

Call (or email) me to find out more about giving a lasting memorial to your church!

Paying for College ... Ugh!

One of the worst things in the world is getting the bill from your child's college, and if you make them be responsible for part of their education it becomes one of the worst things ever for them (of course that feeling in a teenager only lasts for about 30 minutes then they are on to more important thoughts like "what time is Real Housewives on?").

Of course planning for your child's college is painful too ... when they are one year old you are thinking, "how can I make their life better than the one I have?"  In today's world, an education is so important that we all jump right to that thought ... paying for school.

First ... let me tell you there is no wrong way to plan for their college fund!  Unless you don't plan ... which is the same as planning to fail!  I know it's crazy confusing but maybe this 2 minute blog will help you out.

If you get paid every 2 weeks and you put just $25 per pay period in to an annuity for 18 years at just 1% growth ... you'll have $12,000 to give your child for their college.  25 bucks is less than the cost of taking a family to McDonald's for lunch one time, it's about $2 a day for every work day or 2 Pepsi's.  So even a little grows a lot when you've got a long period of time to work with. 

The 529 College savings plan will give you some tax benefits and allows anyone to donate to your child's education but it comes with a lot of strings, not the least of which is they have to use it for college (so what if the join the Army and start a family).  You might start one just so the grandparents can put money in when they feel like it, but save on your own to get more control.

What do I recommend?  Well, I glad you asked ... I say that if you are serious about your child's education you need to plan for the worst case scenario ... what if you die in a car crash a year after you start saving? How will your spouse put money in the fund?  What if you save all that time and your child gets a full ride or joins the Army?  How will you get your money without a penalty?

Here is my simple generic advice when looking to save for the children's college ...1) start saving at least a little each month in the bank or a money market account.  2) take out a life insurance policy to protect the college fund from you dieing too soon.  This can be a term policy which is cheap or a cash value policy that will grow in value which ever you are comfortable with.  3) open a 529 savings plan and let all your relatives and friends know that they can put money in it for your kid (doesn't hurt to ask).

You need to speak to a financial professional that you trust (financial adviser or insurance agent) to see the best way to go and to measure your personal risk tolerance.  Be sure you trust them ... then start saving ... even a little will be more than nothing.

Ask me about protecting your child's future! Click here!

"Spring Break" Here we come!!!

I suppose that I've been on a short vacation from my blog this past month, and since I don't get paid for it ... I think that is okay!  In fact taking a break is so important to a productive and happy life that it is documented in the Bible.  Right?  God rested on the 7th day ... though I imagine he went to Dave and Busters to play Foosball with Gabriel.  Taking a break not only gives us a chance to recharge it helps us be more productive at work and in our lives.

A research company in Japan discovered that while America is number one in productivity among industrialized nations, France is a close second.  But Americans on average get 10.2 days of vacation while the French enjoy about 27.5 average days of vacation.  The French work about 35 hours a week while most Americans work over 40 hours a week.

One study reported in 2009 by NPR showed that men who took vacations lived longer than men who did not take regular vacations.  Another study conducted by researchers at Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin, showed that women who took two or more vacations a year were much more satisfied with their marriages.

So now you have proof!  Work hard, but take a couple of vacations throughout the year, you'll be healthier, happier and wiser (and perhaps it will even make you wealthier).

J

Be protected while you travel ... Click Here I'll make it simple for you.

The Best Gift Ever !!!

When I was a kid I used the phase "the best gift ever!" quite often.  Maybe I was easily impressed or perhaps I had a grandiose way about me.  Either way, I'm sure that the person who gave me the gift felt good about getting me something that I really loved. 

Christmas time is a great example of how giving and receiving is an important part of life ... both for the giver and for the receiver.  Nothing feels better than being able to get someone a gift that hey love, so in a way the receiver is the most important person in the exchange of a gift.  Without those that would receive ... our gifts would have no value.

Have you ever given a vagrant with a sign some small donation or helped a young mother pay for groceries while in line (when she didn't have enough to pay for them)?  Made you feel good, didn't it?  Well sometimes we who have look down on those that don't have ... not concisely, it's just sometimes we time, "why don't they just get a job?" 

We should however remember that in God's world we all have a role and no role is more important than the next.  So the beggar is just as important as those that donate.  Our role in the gifting process doesn't determine our value only our reward.

Merry Christmas ... may the gifts you receive bring you great joy and the gifts you give be joyfully received.

J

Giving your family the gift of life insurance will make the difference in paying for food, heat, and medicine if your pay check stops when you die!

Beware of falling rocks in Alabama!

On November 30th 1954 Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges, was sleeping on a couch when a meteorite crashed through the roof and into her living room, bounced off a radio, and hit her on the hip. This was the first modern instance of a meteorite striking a human.  It happened in Sylacauga (syl-a-cau-ga), Alabama. The space rock was a sulfide meteorite weighing eight and half pounds and measuring seven inches in length. Mrs. Hodges was not permanently disabled but did suffer from a bruise along her hip and leg.

Sylacauga is roughly 51 miles southeast of Birmingham, it's a small town of about 13,000 and yet it is the sight of one of the most rare injuries in the history of man. This is proof that you never know what's going to happen, so be at peace with your life, don't go to sleep angry and don't with hold forgiveness.  Life is short and if you don't slow down and smell the roses every once in a while you're going to miss it!

By the way the meteorite was eventually returned to Mrs. Hodges, even though the landlord, government and her husband all laid claim to it.  She donated it to the Alabama museum of natural history.

Life is uncertain ... so insure yours for your family's sake!  Call me for low term rates!  812-847-2243

Are you Thankful?

Of course today's post is about being thankful ... I'm thankful for many things in life but am I truly thankful for all things?  Are you?  Is anyone?  I met someone once that I think was really thankful, he made me feel good about all that I have.

Several years ago Tena and I were in Costa Rica and we were meeting with a missionary that had been there for a very long time, he was in his 90's and the mission needed a laptop which Tena and I had and which our church members paid to fix up.  The mission's accountant was grateful for the computer and brought the older missionary to meet us for lunch. 

He had some great stories but when it was time to eat we asked him to give thanks and his prayer started out like this ... "Dear Lord Thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye ... he went on to get specific and I couldn't help but smile as the pitch of his continued thank ye's went up and down through the entire prayer.  This old missionary was truly grateful for his food, his family, his day and the mission that God gave him, and he made sure the God hear him.  In the process of showing his thanks to God he showed the rest of us what gratitude truly is.

I've not found it very easy to be upset or irritated passed the 3rd "thank ye" on any occasion that I've tried that prayer.  In fact by the 4th "thank ye", I'm mostly giggling to myself thinking what I'll look like at age 90 and wondering what mission God will have given me.

So this Thanksgiving ... if only for a moment ... give thanks from the bottom of your heart.  If it helps you get in the mood, dance around while you do!  Blessing come in many different packages and sometimes we don't even recognise them as the gifts tat they are.

Happy Thanks "ye" giving!

J

Do you have the right amount of life insurance?  Check it out HERE! then contact me!