"Member Memorial Day?

Many of us enjoyed time with friends, food and family yesterday. Some had to work. Others could not be there because they made Memorial Day possible.

Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer as Labor Day marks its’ conclusion. With all the men firing up their grills, icing down beverages of various sorts and days of work, we sometimes forget the original purpose.

It is a day to honor those who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us to enjoy freedom. I fear we enjoy freedom more than we appreciate freedom.

That is a universal malady with all of us- we enjoy privileges much more than we appreciate them.

We enjoy cable TV or internet, but do not appreciate it until we lose it for awhile.

We enjoy having our health, but do not appreciate it until we are ill or injured.

We enjoy friends and relationships, but fail to appreciate them until they are gone, have to move or taken from us.

I pray that we will learn to appreciate and value our freedom so we may enjoy it with the proper degree of gratitude and humility. Gratitude that we intentionally express to those who have worn the uniform or lost loved ones. Humility realizing God has blessed this nation with men and women who will serve to protect us.

Seniors featured in weekend edition of USA Today.

Not to be preaching doom and gloom but reality and readiness, you would do well to look at this weekend’s paper regarding the shrinking nest egg.

It is one of the main reasons for my radio show on Saturday mornings. Not enough people are sounding the alarm and preaching preparedness.

Katrina caught most of the Gulf Coast flat footed and much of it flooded. Eventually, we are coming back. Lives will never be “normal”, but there was some help to get us through.

When the Age Wave begins its’ surge across this nation's society and economy, there is no US to bail out the US.

Learn well the most important lesson from Katrina- he whose preparation is to rely on the Federal Government is a fool asking to be burned.

The key now is not just financial planning, but education regarding our interlocking global economies.

Look at theeconomist.com for a good resource.

First Show Reflections

I am sorry to be so late writing, but it has been hectic week since I last wrote.

On my first radio show, I had three callers.

The first was a lady wanting to ask if her IRA withdrawals affected her Social Security payments. No- it is no effect on it at all. It is earned income before you reach full retirement age that presents problems.

Another caller asked if the Social Security surplus funds were still there or had been borrowed to pay in general budget items. We learned that the Feds had "borrowed" the money by issuing treasury notes to repay some day. That sounds like an increase in taxes to me.

The third call was the best call and it did not even make it on the air. It was a 68 year old lady who wanted to talk to me, even off the air. She said she had just found the show and was glad there was someone looking after seniors and the challenges they face.

That's when I knew this show was more than an opportunity...it is a calling.