Living in Southeast Missouri, otherwise known as the Bootheel provides its fair share of challenges and opportunities. Cape Girardeau provides a unique blend of both urban and rural environment. Situated along the mighty Mississippi River it is to my knowledge the only inland Cape in the world. It is also the hometown of radio personality Rush Limbaugh.

Cape Girardeau is a vibrant college town and is the home of Southeast Missouri State University. Although it is the largest city in Cape Girardeau County, the county seat is actually located in the city of Jackson.

With the current economic situation in the country there have been a number of announcements regarding cutbacks in spending. The economy is not only affecting the housing market but is also affecting educational and social institutions. The battle against meth took a hit with the budget cutbacks this week when the police departments grant was not renewed due to budget constraints.

With all this negative news it is not hard to get dispondent. Well there is a ray of hope for people who are burdened by debt.
What if there is a legitimate and proven system to reduce a person’s debt burden? With United First Financial people are shedding the excess burden of debt. In one case a client is scheduled to pay off over $75 000 dollars in debt and student loans in 2.7 years. What is stunning is he was able to do this with $1 in discretionary income in conjunction with the Money Merge Account(R) program by United First Financial(R) . Sound unbelievable!!!

Well find out for yourself. United First Financial is winning awards and industry recognition both nationally and internationally for the power of its financial tool called the money merge account. See the latest issue of Success from Home magazine of how the company is changing the financial future of clients all over North America.

United First Financial changing the financial landscape of America featured in Success from Home magazine

Do not let budget cuts destroy your dreams. For current students or potential students at SEMO (Southeast Missouri State University) who would like to earn an income while they study and/or potentially pay for their tuition before leaving college, feel free to contact me and find out the awesome opportunity available to you.

The only person in the way of you achieving your dreams could just be you.

Don’t just rely on scholarships and grants, some of which will probably disappear shortly, become proactive and create your own success. We offer exceptional training and you get to decide how much time and energy you want to invest and what you want to achieve.

If you are an entrepreneur and are looking for an opportunity to start and run your own business check out my website for agent opportunities.

Tags: budget cuts, Cape Girardeau, entrepreneur, pay for their tuition, scholarships and grants, SEMO, SouthEast Missouri State University

A simple thank you goes a long way. I keep thinking about how many people are so trapped in their thinking about what they don’t have. The big screen TV that their neighbor has, the cars, the houses etc.

I came from Africa where poverty is rampant. I now live in the US where poverty of a different kind is rampant. There is a poverty of thankfulness for all the blessings that we have here. I have a house, thank you Lord. I have a lovely wife and two wonderful boys, Thank you Lord. I have food on the table and a Christmas tree, Thank you Lord. I have family, extended family and church family who choose to share their love and their lives with me, Thank you Lord.

I have clean water, heat in the winter and electricity, Thank you Lord. I get to touch peoples lives with hope and blessing and share experiences with friends.

If you do not know what it means to be grateful and thankful take a trip to Zimbabwe for a year. Go without Water for Days on end. Go without electricity and have an erratic power schedule. Go to the store and find nothing of value on the shelves and what you can find is 3 times the price here in the US while earning  1/100th of what you would in the US if you are lucky enough to have a job.

All my years growing up there, while we may not have had everything we wanted we could always share a smile, share some love, have a meal together and laugh.

Reality Check : Lets get back to the basics. Loving family and friends and sharing life is a great way to live. we dont need all the stuff that America craves. If we can connect with our creator and each other we will find a depth of life that brings great joy and celebration.

Tags: grateful, neighbour, poverty, Zimbabwe

This is why women should not take men shopping against their will. A funny story I received by email. Let me say upfront, give me a chance at that age and i would do something like this.

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out.

Equally unfortunately, my wife is like most women – she loved to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Wal-Mart:

Dear Mrs. Smith,

Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Smith are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people’s carts when they weren’t looking.

2 . July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women’s restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, ‘Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away. ‘

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M’s on layaway.

6. August 14: Moved a ‘CAUTION – WET FLOOR’ sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he’d invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him, he began crying and screamed, ‘Why can’t you people just leave me alone?’

9. September 4: Looked right into the security cam era and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the ‘Mission Impossible’ theme.

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his ‘Madonna look’ by using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled ‘PICK ME! PICK ME!’

14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed ‘OH NO! IT’S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!’

And last, but not least .

15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, ‘Hey! There’s no toilet paper in here!’

I hope you got a chuckle out of some of this. Do not underestimate the lengths at which men will go to avoid shopping.

Merry Christmas, Happy holidays, or whatever you want to say just enjoy it.

Tags: age, chuckle, Funny, shopping, surveillance cameras, wal-mart, wisdom

Ok I just came across a comment that some legislators are trying to arrange a bailout for a few newspapers now.

Ok so is the government going to get a controlling stake in these? If so does that mean they will control the media content and stories? Does that mean freedom of speech will be limited to only those politically correct commentaries and stories? Oh wait we have that now with some very liberal news media organizations. If they are not able to stay open through ad revenue or readership maybe it is time to let them die or at least maybe report objectively and re-establish news media credibility.

Maybe it was just me but through this election it seriously felt like the media was not objective but were a political tool pushing one party or the other. At least what I saw of Fox News they were not afraid to take on the liberal humanist points of view or some debateable conservative policies.

Reality Check : Maybe instead of propping up these big corporations maybe assist people withsome debt relief. Maybe credit card companies can freeze some high balance cards consumers may have and set a 6% interest rate as opposed to 20-30% interest rate. If people can pay back their debt and not simply only being able to afford the interest thereby propping up these abusive money sharks, the economy would rebound. It is simple free people from debt they will then be able to afford to buy products.Its time for a consumer bailout.

There is another way to debt freedom for people who are not living beyond their means. If you are serious about getting out of debt you owe it to yourself to

Tags: Consumer Bailout, credit card, high balance, money sharks, newspaper bailout

Whats next in the housing market?

Will the Government agree with Century 21 and begin offering mortgage financing at 4.5%? Who knows? When will it happen? How long will it take?

What about people with ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgages)? When those reset what will they do?

With the Money Merge Account some people are recession proofing their lives. In three years (the average ARM term) a client will not have built enough equity in their home to cover the refinance fee and will cost them more to refinance. This will both stretching them financially and put them into greater debt.
Is there a way to build equity in your home so that a refinance will not hurt you but help you?
What impact on you mortgage payment obligation and interest rate will having an additional $15 000 -20 000 dollars in equity in your home have when you go to refinance?
What impact will having less debt obligations have on your interest rate when you refinance your ARM mortgage?
Would clearing out some debt help you stave off foreclosure?

The answer to all those questions is your interest rates will be lower and your payments will be lower. Can this be achieved without refinancing? Without increasing your mortgage payment or without significantly changing your monthly budget?

Yes it can!!!

Heres the deal, doing nothing will get you into a whole heap of trouble, where you end up having to give over your freedom to choose to someone who is not interested in your interests but theirs. With Foreclosure you LOOSE!!!

If you are in this position do something. A little positive action now can change your families financial future. If anything at least investigate the Money Merge Account. We are helping people all round the country get out of debt and back in control of their finances.

Do you need to make some extra money to cover your expenses give me a call and I will show you a way to potentially earn an additional $1000 or more a month.

There are always options and there is always hope. You choose!!!

Tags: Adjustable Rate Mortgages, ARM, equity, foreclosure, Housing, interest rate, market, mortgage payment, recession proofing, refinance

Now this one is for those of my readers who have a sense of humor. If you are a stiff board find another post.

Just a little humor for the Christmas season.

Reality Check : Things don’t always go as planned. Beware the unexpected and always be willing to laugh even at yourself.

Have you got any funny Christmas stories to share feel free to leave a comment.

Tags: Christmas, humor, laugh

Ok I know I am going to get it in the neck for posting this one but evil prevails when good men do nothing.

Click the link to watch the video.

I just watched this clip on the net that was disturbing on a number of levels.

1. The level at which people go to protect personal and professional responsibility.

2. The level at which this is even possible.

3. The fact that the child was not protected by seemingly responsible adults.

What I found so disappointing is that there is a prevailing and underlying attitude that is very destructive. If I don’t know about it it does not exist. The problem with that level of thinking is that someday you will call for help and someone will be in a position to help. It is then you will see them turn away and say please don’t say anymore quite frankly it is above my pay grade.

Moral relativism and political correctness are destroying this nation internally. While the war on terror is an important battle it will mean nothing if we do not value human life and set safeguards to protect it. Here I am not talking about a baby I am talking about our children.

When nothing but yourself is important to you the sacrifices of others mean nothing to you. Is the American conscience so seared that apathy and irreverence to the preciousness of every life, is relegated way below the issue of global warming in importance.

Here is my thinking. What is the point of saving the planet for our children when we treat our children worse and with less importance than we treat the planet.

If taxpayers money is being used to find these abominations (yes I do feel that strongly about it) then they need to be held accountable. We cannot be like Pontious Pilate and say I wash my hands of this matter because we will like the great tragedy of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. We will find ourselves crying out damn spot, out. We will find that the blood stain cannot be washed from our conscience. It will haunt us and finally bring about the destruction of everything we hold dear including ourselves. What would you do if that was your daughter?

If you don’t think this is that important take a look at the state of Zimbabwe. It is precisely that level of thinking that led to the current situation where normal democratic principals are no longer upheld by the party in power.

Reality Check : You have been warned America.

Tags: Abortion, Macbeth, Moral relativism, Planned Parenthood, political correctness, professional responsibility, Shakespeare

This is very intriguing. There is a verse in the bible that declares that the Heavens declare His glory.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.

If you have an open mind this is a very compelling story of Christmas. Astrology and astronomy is covered as part of the life of the people in ancient times.

This was done by Andy Reese. This will awe you with the complexity and superiority of God.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Astrology, astronomy, glory of God, story of Christmas, superiority of God

Sorry it has taken so long to post lately. Thanksgiving break was real busy. So today I want to make some of you aware of a spamming worm that is using facebook to spam your friends.

Essentially the worm uses your account to send spam messages to friends on facebook. If you have been asked to update your flash player in facebook then you should update your anti-virus and anti-spyware software and run a scan. If you have had a number of friends complaining they are receiving spam messages from you then you may have been infected.

If you do not have antivirus software I suggest you get some. There are some free services and some online scanners that may be good for an immediate scan. Free Scan

Here are some other free service tools from McAfee and Norton

If you have or feel your security has been compromised I would highly recommend you change your passwords. Try to use a combination of words, numbers, characters and capital letters. for example Monkey.2Brain I know that is crazy but it is unique, you will also need to try and remember it so make it memorable.

Reality Check : Safety is always a priority online.

Tags: anti-spyware, anti-virus, facebook, infected, McAfee, myspace, Norton, security, spam