Driving my son to day care this morning as mom was sick, Jeffrey asks me: "What makes the clouds move daddy?"

We were parked on an incline outside his "school" I was looking up through the windshield. He was looking up through my sunroof. " What makes the clouds move daddy?"

The clouds were moving pretty swiftly. The sun trying to break into a new dawn.

Without reall giving it any thought, I said. "God makes the clouds move with his breath." I told him (with as much animation as I could muster) when God wants the clouds to move slowly he blows like this. And then I blew really slowly for him to demonstrate. His eyes got as big as saucers. "Then," I said, "when he wants them to go fast he blows like this :", and then I blew real hard and long. Jeffrey started blowing with me.

I said, "Now do you understand how the clouds move Jeffrey?". He said, "Yeah, I do! God & Jesus make the clouds move."

I said, "Yeah Jeffrey, God & Jesus."

Raising children is a living, breathing, ever changing challenge and adventure. I know it's incredibly hard at times. But sometimes I feel I was made to do this. What an honor...

Federal Government and the American Home

I heard on NPR this morning about the battle going on in DC in regards to the budget. Currently as taxpayers we have been signing off on legislation that allocates about 1/3 more to our budget going out than we have coming in. Certainly somethings gone awry.

I know people that are spending more than they make. I’ve seen it as high as, ironically about 20-30% more than they are bringing in. Maybe we’re just use to it. By the way, the more educated they are the higher the debt. It seems when we start making money in our 40’s that we begin to get a little spend crazy. (Don’t worry they are getting it under control.)

I think we need to get back to a culture of frugality instead of materialism. Turn off home improvements and house flipper and read an article about saving for a rainy day or juniors college fund. And if you’re not a reader, there are a few financial shows out there that may provide better “food” for your soul than going to the mall and window shopping.
As a country I think we can turn this thing around. I really do, but I think we need to start at the house… at the kitchen table. We need to evaluate, communicate, and just get real with the cash flow. Hey, it might even save you from divorce down the road. Isn’t financial stress still the leading cause of divorce?

These are tough times. I wouldn’t call them perilous, but they are tough. I hope and pray that we don’t make them perilous by not making the best decisions that are the best for the long term prosperity of our nation, and our humble homes. God Bless.