Christian Finance

A Pause

Because of several things going on in my life right now, I am forced to take a break from blogging for a while.

I will be back - and hopefully soon.  

A look forward...

Now that we are solidly into 2010 (day 2 LOL), I want to share my thoughts on what I believe is necessary if we, as Americans, are to make this decade better - from a financial perspective - then the one we just came out of.  Some of these themes will be familiar to regular readers, but I believe they are incredibly important and thus worthy of speaking about again.

Thus, I present to you five things that will make or break this decade for us all:

1.  An increased savings rate - in order to make the investments that are required for our economy to succeed (think infrastructure and business expansion), an increase in our savings rate is needed.  While this has been improving through the course of the recession, it will have to continue - otherwise we will continue to indebt ourselves to foreign creditors - which of course results in us exporting money to service such debt - leaving even less money for reinvestment at home.  It is a terrible merry-go-round that is next to impossible to get off without getting hurt, once it is spinning too quickly.

2.  Fiscal responsibility - governments at all levels are going to have to make a strong commitment to balancing budgets and living within their means.  Failure to do so will result in mounting debt levels, which in turn lead to higher interest rates; a high interest rate environment is not one that spurs economic growth.  Fortunately an increased savings rate will help finance government debt internally - and stop the export of our dollars to foreign creditors.

3.  Belief, innovation & hope - America has an innate ability to continually reinvent itself.  Think about it: how many times over the past fifty years has it appeared that America was floundering - and how many times did it come roaring back stronger than ever?  We are in one of those times again - fortunately this is the exact situation when we exhibit the best of what we are - and can demonstrate it yet again.

4.  Reduced consumer spending - look around your house and notice all of the junk that you probably don't even need.  Turn over some of it and see where it came from - likely not the USA!  Every dollar needed to manufacture those items - along with the manufacturer's profit - was directly exported from the USA to the country where the item was made.  And what happens when dollars leave the USA?  They are not available for re-investment in our economy, along with our roads, bridges and other things that keep us connected and together.

5.  Keeping focussed on God - while I listed this point last, it is obviously the most important.  Without a focus in Him, our nation will not succeed.  The one solace that can be found is that people have a tendency to turn to God when times are difficult - there is no doubt that we are in such a time right now, so perhaps the economy will be a catalyst for revival in our nation.

We are fortunate to be alive in these exciting times - I believe the innovation and excellence that will occur over the next ten years will restore our nation and rebuild it in ways that we have not yet conceived.  Hang on - it's going to be a fun ride!

A look back...

 For whatever reason, the fact that we were entering a new decade did not enter my thought pattern until the last few days of 2009.  It really hit me about five minutes before 2010 when I started having flashbacks to ten years prior.

It's amazing how much life has changed for me in the past decade.  I recall ringing 2000 in with a baby in my arms and big dreams for the future.  While we watched the fireworks burst on the waterfront, I remember almost blizzard like conditions - and yet we were all warm inside - partially because the Y2K (remember that!) predictions never did come true.

The decade brought with it times of change - another baby, a new state, and a dream being fulfilled.  Although He always was with me, my Jesus became more real - my guide and love of my life.  As I hugged my now 10 year old girl this morning, I couldn't help but smile - a smile of thankfulness mixed with contentment.

The past decade was not the best of times - if anything, it was somewhat reminiscent of the 1970s.  But just like that decade ended with dreams looking forward, I believe that this new decade will hold promise for us all.

Even though we are coming out of a very deep recession, we cannot forget that it is times like these when our nation comes together and shows the world just how innovative, creative, and renewing that we can be.  Yes - it will be difficult - but yet it will be very satisfying and something that I pray that you will all be able to be a part of.

So even as you look back, don't keep your focus there.  Continue to look forward - for that is where God is leading us and where we need to go if we are to maintain the awesomeness of what we are.

Happy New Year to you all!