Blessings & Choices

So often opportunities present themselves in the form of challenges. These economic times are certainly challenging. I know in many communities, businesses & factories are downsizing/closing and jobs are being lost on a wide-scale basis, but this is not happening universally. I am deeply concerned for the families who are struggling to make ends meet and I want to remind everyone that we have a real opportunity to reach out and help others. This is what Americans do really, really well. If we have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and love in our families, we are blessed. I am grateful for good health everyday!



The opportunity comes as a way to share those blessings and encouragement with those who are really struggling. Three lessons we can learn from this era our nation is experiencing are humilty, resistance to fear-mongering and the gift of encouragement. By humility, I mean the sense of humble awareness that it is a blessing to have a job, meaningful work which enables us to provide for ourselves & our families. Everyone needs to keep their spirits strong and not give in to the fear that can grip us when we are surrounded by messages and media reports of gloom & doom. I don't mean to sound like I've hidden my head in the sand and don't want to face facts. On the contrary, I believe we must face facts, about our finances, our debt , the consumer choices we make, distinguishing between wants & needs, and realizing what is truly important. Facing our financial reality can be liberating. It can also be overwhelming, especially if we have credit card debt. As Suze Orman says, "You have to face it to erase it!" I can vouch for this personally!

The third, and perhaps most vital lesson is the opportunity to help and encourage others. Listen to your friend express her concerns and support her in the steps she is taking to deal with her financial reality. Encourage people to count their blessings. There is always something to thank God for. Donate to your local food pantry. Do what you can to alleviate the suffering of others. Pray for our leaders. Realize that we will get through this and be stronger for it!