We just returned from a summer vacation at the beach. As is my usual affliction, no matter where I am or what I?m doing, I can?t help but notice the ?little things?. I think it?s the writer?s curse ? the inability to simply look past the subtle, in search of some elusive deeper meaning. One little t… Continue Reading

?What Should I Do With My Life?? That question is one that many of us continually ask ourselves. I still ask myself that question as a 41 year old as much as I did when I was 21. Sometimes, that question becomes riddled with anxiety, and instead we begin to say in worry and frustration: ?I don?t kno… Continue Reading

Returning to school is too often a grand excuse to shop. From books and supplies to clothes and activity fees, we frequently get caught up in making sure our kids have not only everything that they need, but everything that they want, as well. If you?re a person of faith wanting to make a difference… Continue Reading

Earlier this year a new dress shop opened at our local mall. It was one of those high-end boutique dress shops. My own assessment of the situation was that it would never last ? the last thing this or any other mall needs is another boutique dress shop. Yesterday morning I walked by the same sho… Continue Reading

The Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency camps are still divided. Bitcoin supporters advocate investors embrace the digital currency mainly due to its decentralized nature. Critics point out that these currencies are like dust in the wind with no intrinsic value and only fueled by vague speculation. Moreo… Continue Reading

Dealing with addiction. Now that's not a topic I thought would ever be on this blog. Why? The story is too personal. It's too painful. And it's too darn difficult to talk about. Yet here we are. What does this have to do with personal finance? Plenty! Read on to learn how and why this is the c… Continue Reading

In the The Internet is Not Helping Rural America I made the point that rural America is falling behind the rest of the country, largely due to limitations with the Internet. In this article, I?d like to discuss how rural America may become the promised land for urban refugees, precisely because of t… Continue Reading

This post is not intended to be a criticism of life in rural America. Nor am I pretending to be an expert on the economic fortunes of people living there. But I?ve driven long distances through remote rural areas, and it?s hard to ignore the often obvious economic distress of many who live there. … Continue Reading

This is a trend I?ve been watching from a distance. I personally have no interest in going into farming, but my sister and brother-in-law have done just that. And low and behold, it turns out to be a quiet but rising trend. In particular, it involves young people becoming farmers. It doesn?t come… Continue Reading

ears ago, when I was a young college student, I was in a class where we were discussing a well-known and controversial work by the political theorist Francis Fukuyama, ?The End of History and the Last Man.?? The basic premise of Fukuyama?s treatise was that the nations of the world were on an unstop… Continue Reading