THE TWO SIDES OF CREDIT

WAKE UP!      YOO HOO!     ARE YOU THERE?     CAN YOU HEAR ME?
 

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Anyone who has ever passed out or fainted is familiar with having heard similar words like the ones above that intrude upon our awakening consciousness when people are trying to revive us.    Sometimes when we’re caught within the conflicts of life, it seems as though we use a type of sleepwalking as a survival mechanism that keeps us alive while we hope for the best.    However, we can’t continue functioning in this dazed state so it may become necessary for someone to shout the above words to us.    Life goes on no matter what we do, and the problems we may not want to face will still be there when we “wake up”.    In fact, when we repress our problems, they don't go away as we secretly hope they will.    On the contrary, they remain within us and fester, only to emerge at a future time in a considerably worse and unrecognizable state than it was before.

It’s been a while since I last visited this blog site and the years have flown by in a blur and at a frenzied pace.    I’m not the least bit thrilled about the position I find myself in but sometimes the only way we learn is when we’re forced to do so.

To make a long story short, I lost my job at the end of 2008 and since then, it’s been a struggle just trying to survive.     Like so many people, I’ve been caught in the cycle of unemployment and have been unable to obtain another position in the conventional job market.    After diligently searching unsuccessfully for work the first year after I was laid off, I decided to focus completely on my writing.    In all honesty, this is where my heart lay and I have no desire to go back to the daily grind of the traditional work day.    I submitted articles to online publishers for 2 1/2 years and I'm happy to say I had a 95% acceptance rate but unfortunately, the salary was insufficient.    Nevertheless, I've learned some essential lessons over these last few years and one lesson in particular has made an enormous impression on me:    the lesson concerning the two sides of credit.
 

How it all Began

 

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In the beginning, I ignored credit.    As I understood it, credit was available for use in emergencies, for the establishment of businesses or at the very least, for unexpected situations of import that required immediate attention.    Thus, I lived without credit choosing not to purchase something if I didn’t have the money.    Yes, this meant there were many times when I couldn’t immediately have what I wanted but with patience and good money management, I was always able to eventually have everything I wanted and needed for myself and my family.    Thus, with regard to my finances, I lived with complete peace of mind throughout those early years because operating in this manner eliminated the burden of troublesome bills.    However, during those years, I also listened to the many urgings from other people who swore by credit as I watched these same people purchase whatever they desired at a moment’s notice.    Thus, credit enables us to obtain the things we want without waiting.     When handled responsibly, this process will build a stable history which will allow us to continue obtaining the necessities and luxuries available to us.     This describes the first side of credit.

 

The Tempting Face of Credit
 

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There are worthwhile and beneficial reasons for obtaining credit, such as to purchase a home and that much-needed car.     However, credit has exploded on the scene with such force and prominence that it has convinced people to believe it’s just as effective and easy to use as money.    People love the fact that with credit, they don’t have to wait for anything:    we can pay bills, buy new clothing and furniture, set up vacations, go out for a night on the town, have breakfast, lunch, dinner    . . .    you name it and credit pays for it.    It’s an exhilarating feeling to have all of this at our fingertips, to be able to have whatever we want at the precise moment that we want it.    Since no money is changing hands, jubilant smiles cross our faces while making our credit card purchases because whether we realize it or not, it actually “feels” as though everything is being obtained for free!    Additionally, feeding our ego is the fact that we're also living under the guise that we’re successful and carefree, an appearance that also prompts much envy and admiration from all those who witness us going on our festive binge.

 

The Real Face of Credit

 

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All of the experiences expressed above contribute to an addiction that becomes hard to break.    In fact, there are many families who have lapsed helplessly into a world of revolving credit as they continue to use credit instead of cash as their principal means of support.    Unrestrained spending has caused tremendous harm to a vast majority of people, me included.    As long as the credit card companies are willing to extend credit, we have been more than willing to accept that credit    . . .    as we continue to spend ourselves into a financial quagmire.       

Credit is NOT money, as we all find out when the statements and invoices for all those cheerful purchases begin to show up in our mailboxes.    All is well while there’s money to make the monthly payments but as we’re finding out while being in the midst of the current economic meltdown, money can suddenly decrease or even disappear as a result of change or loss of jobs.    It’s during these times that the other, very real side of credit looms starkly in front of our faces and the smiles of elation quickly disintegrate.    Now, those same credit card lenders who vehemently and enthusiastically approved credit cards (which, for many consumers, were approved for excessive credit limits), are aggressively stalking us for default of payment.    This describes the other, rather grim side of credit.

 

The Lesson Learned

Creditors have every right to pursue repayment of money owed to their companies and when those payments are not received, creditors should indeed seek to obtain the payments by whatever legal means available.    Therefore, it’s up to us to develop a more reasonable approach to credit usage.    I now understand that because credit has to be repaid, it should be used sparingly and only when there’s a plan to repay it within a reasonable amount of time.    Since credit isn’t money, we have to be very careful about spending what we might not have at a future time.    I made the mistake of remodeling my entire home because I had a great job at the time and the credit card companies were dangling money in front of me like a carrot!    However, I lost that wonderful job and so far, I have been unable to increase my income sufficiently enough to resume payment of my bills.    Being in my current situation is my fault and now that I’m paying dearly for it, I’m making a promise to myself.    I’m going back to my old motto:    if I don’t have the money, then I’ll either wait until I have the money or I won’t purchase it at all.    I’m glad a system of credit exists for emergencies and other worthwhile applications but credit has its place    . . .    and going forward, it’s my intention to keep credit in its place!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also, remember to take the time to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent facts regarding all of our futures!

There IS Such a Thing as the "Future" . . .

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REMEMBER:    When life is at its lowest, know and believe that it's NOT the end of the world    . . .    because there is the future.    Just because things are bad today, even if it appears to be hopeless, there is still tomorrow.    And with tomorrow come new perspectives, inspirations and/or motivations.    However, it's important to keep in mind that the tomorrow with its new and prominent outlook may not come the very next day, or the day after that.    Indeed, many times this "new tomorrow" is a long way off as we continue to muddle through the same old problems.    When this happens to me, I take it to mean that the problems I'm facing during that time are formidable and cannot be put off because they require my immediate attention so a resolution can be found as soon as possible.    However, we should still maintain a positive outlook because with each new day, change is possible.    We should also remember that with constant sincere seeking, and faith in our Father's existence and His good will toward us, constructive change is sure to come.

So if your day is not going particularly well, if it's a miserable day, or even if it's the worst day you've ever had in your entire lifetime, know that it's only one day and tomorrow will start anew.    The best thing to do with a bad day is end it, so call it a day and go home.    Have dinner, watch a little TV, then go to bed and sleep as peacefully as you're able.    Think "change is going to come"    --    if you need help believing this fact, think "Barak Obama, the first Black President of the U.S!".    Then when tomorrow comes, strive to think of it as the new day that it is, and act in a fashion that is different from the way you acted the day before.    We're seeking peace of mind and utilizing all of my intelligence, capabilities and talents always leaves me feeling satisfied and at peace with myself!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

Our Path to Peace of Mind is WithIN, not WithOUT . . .

The one thing I must continually remind myself of is when asking questions and seeking answers, it's usually necessary to first look within, NOT without.    This is because what's wrong in my life stems initially from the emotional and spiritual turmoil that is within me.    Therefore, looking outside of myself won't help much because very few of my troubles stem from the outside.    Besides, I think we all can agree that these days, looking for assistance from the world around us can very well lead us into further confusion as the world itself is submerged in chaos and uncertainty! 
      

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So whether I like it or not, I have to go back over some of those events I've experienced during my lifetime but may have ignored;  ignored either because it was too painful to face, or there was too much conflict to deal with, or I just didn't want to be bothered!    But I have to look now because I've reached a point in my life where all has come to a standstill and I need to know why.    I need to be able to move forward again.    I no longer wish to live my life in disarray.    So I continue my quest for peace of mind by looking within myself    . . .    and toward our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease, and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed ,  The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

If Ever Peace of Mind was Needed . . .

Woe unto the world!     Talk about a predicament, we're certainly in one now.    The economy is about to hit rock bottom!
 

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But while most are busy pointing fingers of blame, I say the fingers have to be turned toward all of us because indeed, we all share in the contribution to the present condition of this country.

It's obvious to me that our government has been "asleep at the wheel" (only God knows how our lawmakers have been spending their time and energies!), and we're now the victims of a head-on collision.    It's also obvious that since we now speak in terms of "trillions" of dollars, a LOT of money has been circulating through this country.    So what has the managers of these trillions of dollars been doing with all of this money???    And isn't there a definite imbalance when CEOs, CFOs, Presidents, Chairmen, etc., of big businesses and organizations are paid millions of dollars, while the average middle-class worker has to be overwhelmingly concerned with things like whether their retirement funds will be there when needed, getting a decent (3 - 4%) pay raise, or even whether they're going to have a job at the end of the day?      Even more disgraceful is the fact that the poor people of the world have even more pressing needs to confront:  the continuous quest for a roof over their heads and food in their family's stomachs!
 

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It would seem that the focus of those in charge may have strayed from contributing to the peace of mind of the people for whom they are supposed to be responsible.    However, we also have to ask ourselves whether we, the general citizenship, have been operating responsibly in our daily lives and unfortunately, more than enough times, the answer to this question is no, we have not.    How much and how often have we been guilty of living above our means?    How often have we been untruthful or engaged in outright lying when applying for some government-funded project or supplement program so we could get more than we were entitled to, or just to get all that we could get?    How many times have we spent large sums of money on totally unnecessary products only to have these products end up drawing dust in a corner serving no purpose at all?

We must keep in mind that the dilemmas we find ourselves currently in DID NOT happen overnight:    Mismanagement.    Waste.    Deceptive practices.    Thievery.    These are some of the common acts that have been a part of our society for some time now and they play a major role in the results we see now.    These results did not happen just in the last few years of the current government administration, or even the last couple of administrations.    This has been a work in progress that has taken decades, even centuries to develop, with each new era making its own contribution.    The problem is it seems that few people on BOTH sides of this issue were making note of the decline.    Instead, most people continued doing just as they've always done, remaining totally oblivious to the fact that trouble was brewing.    Finally, the rude awakening is upon us and now we are stunned by the fact that we can go no further without some kind of resolution    . . .    and change.
 

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There is little peace of mind at this point in time because we all have contributed, in some form or fashion, in a small or big way, to the current fallen position of the United States.    The largest and most important way that we have contributed is in cutting our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ totally out of our lives.    Sooner or later, mankind is going to have to wake up to the fact that we need more than a 700 billion dollar bailout to save us now.    In fact, we need more than money or what any person or group will be able to do to get us out of this mess.    If peace of mind is EVER to be found, then it must be done by seeking our Father thru our Lord Jesus Christ.    SUGGESTION:    let's check our egos at the door and seek our Father RIGHT NOW!    The best starting point is to pick up a Bible and fervently read it with a sincere desire to understand its message    . . .

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

A Few Things to Think About . . .

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Struggle:        No one likes it.    No one wants it.    But there is something beneficial about struggle:     overcoming it in the correct way results in the development of character and wisdom.   So the next time an obstacle or problem arises, instead of complaining, crying about it, or ignoring it, try confronting it and figuring out a way to conquer it.    When resolution is achieved, there's no greater feeling of accomplishment!

Intervention by our Father:      When we're faced with a problem, there may be many reasons why our Father doesn't intervene.    Consider this:

• He wants us to research the situation.    As noted in I Corinthians 10:13 (KJV), He never places upon us more than we can handle:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
 

• Note also that God makes a way for us to escape our troubles so we should keep the faith and continue working out our problems.   This being the case, perhaps God may not intervene because He wants to see how we handle it;
• While we're sweating it out (that's the way I feel with many of my problems!), He could be up there working on our solution; AND ABOVE ALL
• He has a plan for each of us!   The Word also is that He works things out for our GOOD so therefore, it stands to reason that the end of our troubles will come    . . .    if we don't faint first!

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Everyone, have a Blessed day!!!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

A Quick Story . . .

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This is a story I recently read about a devout Christian astronomer and his atheist friend:

The astronomer constructed a complex working model of the Solar System.    Every detail regarding the planets, the sun and the stars was included and the finished product was indeed much to behold.

One day, his atheist friend came for a visit and upon seeing the model, he was astounded at the workmanship and beauty displayed.    He asked his astronomer friend who made this masterpiece and the astronomer replied "no one made it -- it made itself."    The atheist looked at his friend in disbelief and told him he had to be kidding.    "Of course someone made this, so don't expect me to believe it made itself!" the atheist continued.

The astronomer replied that he agreed it was ludicrous to think that a work of such magnitude would "make itself".    But then, isn't this what people think and believe about the actual Solar System?    Isn't it a common and accepted theory that the universe came about from nothing or created itself (i.e., the "Big Bang Theory" which holds that the universe "exploded" into existence)?    And even if it's not stated as such outright, isn't this the assumption since many people don't believe that a higher authority or being exists?    What's more, isn't the Solar System that surrounds us more intricately designed than any model a human being could make?    The astronomer's point being that since he created the exquisite model in front of them, it's only reasonable to believe that the actual Solar System also HAD to be created and operated by "someone".    Also, due to the exceptional and unique detail involved and the masterful operations needed to maintain the Solar System, this "someone" HAS to be far greater than the astronomer    . . .    or ANYONE ELSE could EVER be.

The atheist thought for a moment    . . .    and immediately changed the subject!

 

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for important information regarding all of our futures!

Short Thoughts to Think About . . .

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The Big Picture:    I always have to remind myself that although the idea I have might be a winner in my mind, it's no guarantee that it would fit proportionately into the "Big Picture".    The Big Picture being the world in its entirety and because a good deal of what we do affects others around us, we have to consider that what we think may be beneficial for us may not be beneficial for or relevant to others.    In fact, sometimes the idea I have in mind is not even beneficial for me!    This is when I remind myself that if a lofty goal I'm working towards doesn't pan out the way I want it, then perhaps it's for the best.    I know that our Father has a much better grasp on what works in this world and what doesn't so I try to allow that He makes the final decision regarding something I may want to do (yes folks, it can be difficult to accept this fact because human nature dictates that we DO want the freedom to do what WE want to do THE WAY WE WANT TO DO IT!).

 

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Staying off People's Radar:    One of the major purposes of radar is to seek out and locate targets and attack.    Well, there are many people, both individuals and groups, which are on other people's radar.    The most common examples of this are those individuals who are chosen by criminals to become victims of assault, robbery, murder, etc.    Then there are the groups of people:    victims of terrorist attacks, victims of discrimination and hate crimes, attacks on the elderly, etc.    While many times, we're unable to stop people from attacking others, I think individually we can take certain steps that will enable us to stay off prospective attackers' radar.    I believe it has everything to do with how we carry ourselves and learning how to "blend in with the scenery around us".    We do this by familiarizing ourselves with our surroundings:    where we live, where we work and where we visit.    I seek peace from the surrounding area and strive to emulate this calm within my state of mind and spirit.    Once I've achieved this, I'm able to smile from within and offer this pleasant nature to the world and the people within it.    A smile can change an assortment of bad intentions!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for important information regarding all of our futures!