Economic Freedom ?

I have been reading some lovely tomes...plucked from the silent shelves of my local college library.
(btw...yes, just for being a resident I have free usage of their library.....even without being a student there ....yay me)

I have been pondering a statement that I read in
 "Crash Proof- How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse" written by Peter D. Schiff and published in 2007.
Page 177....the second paragraph and part of the third paragraph....permit me to quote it verbatim:

"Pundits will argue that China's economic viability is limited because it is not a democracy. I say the opposite is true, that it is precisely because it is not a democracy that China will likely be successful.
   What is of vital importance for economic success is economic freedom, meaning the protection of private property, the rule of law, and minimal regulation and taxation, not the right to vote."


How does that statement make you feel? Do you wholeheartedly agree? Do you find his statement to be offensive or tantamount to treason?

As for me I find his viewpoint to be refreshing and thought provoking...because sometimes in the West, we get blinded by our love for democracy, and don't give proper credit to the "other stuff" that is required to be built and maintained in a country's DNA in order for us all to restore and enjoy lengthy seasons of prosperity.

I would be most interested in what you my readers, think or feel about Peter's comments on economic freedom. Please do feel that your voice is most welcome here. I look forward to reading and/or publishing your comments.

Peace,
Carla.





Tweet

Very Literate....still not reading...is this you?

Tweet

I promise not to get snarky. But on the other hand...sometimes it's the ones who aren't afraid to be jarring....that get the proper attention.

Let me just spit it out. My beloved country of Canada has spent billions and billions of dollars and millions of man hours and decades of effort to establish and maintain our publicly funded educational system. 

We, as in most of us Canadians are, .... a  very literate nation.

We know how to read. We can count really fast. We know how to print/write/type words to express ourselves  quite clearly.

But what is it....this vague feeling that brings me despair....it makes me queasy....I feel uneasy.

I feel like Canada has built up a massive infrastructure to accommodate a brilliant and well educated populace....but bam......so few of us are taking good advantage of it.

Canadians, once they start their work careers are not inhabiting the lively campuses of our colleges and universities. We are not engaged in ardent discussion about issues of the day, inventions or scientific or philosophical principles.

Once folks start a career they seem to allow themselves to be lulled by a smoky prosperity into passivity and a certain destiny malaise. They feel like it is too late to really become a mover or a shaker. Then ooops...we conveniently forget how to learn! We forget how much we used to love learning and discussing and upsetting the status quo. We cease to revel in the refreshment we used to feel when we pioneered a new way of thinking.. speaking or being.

We become obsessed with creature comforts....more channels, trendy throw pillows and the best Keurig. We think the world will fall apart if we don't take the right vitamins or eat organic lettuce. We join the best gym.

We content ourselves with making a stylish living....and surround ourselves with a million ways to calm and entertain us.

Canadians are reading.....social media posts and little else.

Popular Literacy is not the same as real literacy.... which empowers us to ask great questions, get creative and invent new thoughts. Do we read/write anything of substance? Do we treasure those who write well? Who challenge our mindsets?
Do we revere those who get us to think in new and creative ways? Do we value those who invent new ways to make a living or creations that inspire?
Do you have a favorite author? We have forgotten the beauty of a well timed written opinion supported by diligent research.....because that would just take too much time.

 We seek entertainment.... but not anything factual please! 

We are single-handedly responsible for killing the newspaper industry in our beloved Country.
(yes, "Cry the Beloved Country".....Cry!)

Sorry techy humanoids, but Online newspapers have not adequately filled the gap.Too much click bait....not enough quality content. Most Online mag or newspaper subscriptions pale in comparison to what we used to read in person, hands on....in black and white.

Let's be frank. Social media has replaced real news media. 

Who cares about fact checking when we have really cool Emoji's?

Few of the humans I see and interact with on a daily basis are even remotely engaged in learning anything other than social niceties.

( I honestly apologize that I don't yet have the statistics to back up this unease....as the feeling is very strong and disquieting.)

I see folks all over my city lining up patiently for lottery tickets,buying smokes, and booze. I see them lining up for hours to go see a movie or a rock/pop concert. I see them wandering the malls. I see them walking their pure bred dogs with religious regularity. I see them shopping for cars and waiting nervously at the bank to apply for yet another credit card or figuring out how to finance another new SUV or Cuban vacation.

I am stumped. The bookstores in my town are gorgeous.... full to the brim with all manner of intelligent inventions and discussions. But it is the Starbucks attached to the book store that has the longest lines and most fervent following. Craft breweries draw their faithful drones. The college library is open to the public....but inhabited mostly by furtive young students studying for exams. Mainstream folks are not present by and large in our institutions of higher learning. Why have we excluded ourselves??? 

No really, I do actually want to know. I want to know how to integrate the general public into lifelong learning and perpetual intellectual discovery. I want the mind of my city to stay relevant .....to be alive and fruitful and creative and to design new and imaginative things.

Churches are filled with social engineering.... no quiet study of doctrine or church history.

Church has become a BBQ or a Tea party with those who think they've arrived. We care more about the cushiness of the pews we sit on, than what is being taught from the pulpit. We care more about the

fashion statement of the pastor's wife than the scripture verses being quoted by the speaker. We don't take what he says seriously anyway. If he's wrong....well then really......so what? We don't know the bible well enough any more to even detect if the verses are being misquoted. Our passivity and naivete have made us ripe for false teaching..

Ok ok......Let's rest from that train of thought.

In conclusion, (because I know we both really can't stand much more of this written conversation)....yes I admit it is a tad screamy.  I just want to say this. If my country stops reading and writing....and stops valuing those who do......we will become ( or perhaps have already become) a nation of hoodlums and scamps.

 We will hate the truth. We will hate kindness because it takes too long. We will hate thoughtful discussion because it isn't fun enough...or because alcohol is not served when we sit down to talk... We won't give credit where credit is due because the proper credit won't fit into our social media post's character maximum.

We will still be generous....but only with snarky comments and highly emotional critiques of how we hate each other's style. We will have urgent and vehemently strong opinions about all those things that.....really don't matter.

And to finally finish this blog post with a resolute thud....we will hate anyone who will tell us that we are missing the boat.....that the boat is floating away....to distant lands where words are still revered as powerful and minds are being carefully nurtured to think, create and imagine.

Is it too late? I do not know. But for now...the boat is still within the boundaries of our harbor....Perhaps we can convince it to stay..... with words.

Peace,

C.

Before You Become Self Employed

If any of you have read or listened to the teachings of Robert Kiyosaki, you will surely agree that he is a huge proponent of self employment. He declares that owning your own business is key in gaining wealth.

But today I just want to bring a few balancing thoughts to the table....before you quit your day job in a frantic rush to become self employed.

Self employed people require a certain skill set that not everyone has....and not everyone even wants the skill set that many successful self employed people retain.

What are some of these skills?

1/ The willingness and capacity to work extremely long hours without the guarantee of adequate compensation for your time.

2/ A personal life that allows for huge chunks of time dedicated to said "self employment".

3/ Many self employed people begin their self employed season of life with little to no financial safety cushion. It might become a nerve shattering, bone jarring, leap of faith into a world of risk. Are you ok with not knowing when you will receive your next paycheque? Or do you have other arrangements in place to pay the bills until your business can afford to pay you. Note... that self employment does not necessitate this kind of unpreparedness, but sometimes it does. If you are uncomfortable taking risks....think twice about self employment. Are you willing to bet 100% on yourself and your personal capacity to produce a good income for yourself and your dependents?If not....then stick with your day job until you are really really ready.

4/ Managing your own business requires an extremely high level of financial discipline. Are you good with money? Without the strictest of financial habits, your business will not be viable, and if, by some chance it becomes viable, it may not retain it's viability for more than 6 months. Will your business utilize leverage to bring it to the next level? How long could your business thrive if your account receivables were delayed payment by 60 -90 days? What would happen to your business if one of your main client accounts went bankrupt?  Businesses are connected to other entities and what affects those entities can deeply affect the success and longevity of your business.

5/ How good are you at saying no? Do you have the ability to focus 100% on your business? Focused people can sometimes be perceived as self centered or arrogant because they only have eyes for what concerns their business. But you must acknowledge that it is usually these special humans who can be singularly minded and goal orientated that accomplish great things. Focus requires a very high price to be paid in your entire lifestyle. There must be no compromise. All in. No turning back.
Are you willing to reject certain social expectations/ events to pursue your self employment goals? Do you have the character to graciously decline participating in groups or events that do not further your self employment goals? Can you handle it when people gossip about your stand-off-ish-ness and resent your total focus?

6/ Networking. If you are good at networking, you will be many hundreds of steps ahead of your competitors and can use referrals to your advantage in many departments of your self employed life.
You can be a brilliant inventor and creator, but if you can't connect with other good and ambitious folks, your hard work may never get noticed. Being self employed is not about becoming anti-social, but rather learning how to use social situations to further your goals.

7/ Self employment provides a certain kind of freedom that some folks relish. But at the same time, it requires that one is able to assess their own weak points in terms of what is required to make/keep their company successful. Do you know what your weak points are? Are you willing to learn from experts to compensate for these weak areas? Are you willing to read books, magazines, newspapers,websites etc and contact experts/professionals when you face questions that you are unable to resolve ? Are you willing to listen to audio books that build your knowledge base? Are you willing to attend seminars or three day events to build mastery in your chosen field?
Do you have the humility to work with or hire those who know more than you do? Where does continuing education fit in with your business plan? Even if you never utilize formal educational institutions, you must be always teachable....always willing to learn. Self led learning is key to continuing your learning trajectory. Pick good mentors who can help propel you forward.

8/ How high are your accounting/bookkeeping skills? Do you need to hire reliable help? Keeping accurate books is key, as well as having timely financial reports so that you can make appropriate spending/saving/investing decisions for your company.

9/ Each business has it's own pace....it's own hum. Are you good at sensing when it's time to
rush and conquer new territory or when it's time for a short break? Do you have enough
financial wiggle room to finance your operations if you or your dependents catch an illness/ injury?
Pace yourself....but always move forward.

10/ Do you have a legal team that you can utilize to protect yourself, your family and your employees from liability? Does your business have the right structure? What kind of insurances do you need and when?

11/ My last point is this. Do you know what your exit strategy is? Do you want to build the company to a certain size and then sell it? Or is your company more of a "pop up shop" that will thrive for a short time before being shut down so you can pursue something else. There is no right or wrong answer in terms of exit strategies. These are only choices. Choices that you will need to make at some point or another in your self employed journey.


Well, that's all for now folks. Thanks for your time. It isn't hard to find many books that advise us what we "should" do in certain periods of our lives. But that is easy for anyone to do. What is good and sometimes more difficult is to take a step back and think first, before leaping into something for which we may not be prepared.

 Be blessed. Be courageous.Be productive. Be prepared.

Peace,
Carla.





Tweet

They're Not Homeless....Just Nomads

My city has a lot of homeless people.... they... I feel I shouldn't use that word "they" because
they are part of "us" of " we" that be.....here in my country...yes in my city.

I was musing last week about reframing the concept of homelessness.
Perhaps we may need to give up the traditional concept that "all" folks need a house in order to not be considered homeless. I mean....several ancient cultures were nomadic by nature and nobody dared call them homeless. They followed their livelihood...whether that was a gold rush or a herd of caribou or salmon run.

Maybe some folks are just not meant to set up a permanent residence. Maybe our government can set up ways that nomadic folks can still function with the benefits and credits that "housed" citizens have, and not be bound by the traditional strings of a permanent home address.

I had heard some years ago, that there was some kind of weekly welfare available to the "homeless" which folks could access even if they didn't have a regular housing situation. But I really don't know what the requirements were for that sort of income.

I notice that some of the nomadic folks who walk the streets of my city, are defiant and proud and  very precise about what they want from life.  They don't wanna sign any contracts....Now THAT I can relate to. They don't want to owe anybody. They also don't  trust the government....which also seems to work against them when they find that they need some special assistance that only the government is willing to provide. The levels of compassion amongst private citizens can change with the winds of trend...whereas the government is compelled by legislation to protect all citizens.

Many of the local nomads have a tight crew they run with. They know who they can trust even when they have no money. They know exactly where they can score free food without having to fake a "conversion" to some ideology. They know which shelters are safer than others. They know where
they can see a doctor.....no questions asked.

It seems to be bound up in our culture that folks need permanent housing to appear "legit" or even "respectable", But maybe that's just the real estate industry selling it's own hype. Is it perhaps that the "low or no cost" system that nomadic people observe just irks the folks that want to see us all paying more tax to big brother? Is it because we secretly resent those who manage to live more freely than we do?

Nomadic folks don't pay property taxes. Nobody collects property/income taxes from the man living under the bridge with the shopping cart. Nobody can charge rent to the young person sleeping on a public park bench.

But each and every one of these my nomadic countrymen/women was probably born in my country and has rights and privileges just like I do. They have a right to claim this land and all the ordained blessings of citizenship that we take for granted. Maybe it's time we stop punishing them with our contempt and give them some credit....for surviving the challenges they have faced and overcoming enough hardship to make it and survive through to another day.

Maybe we need a new virtual people group......"The Canadian Nomad."

Peace.
c.



Tweet

Don't Feel Worthy of Shelf Space?

I was grocery shopping yet again....gazing through the mags filed neatly at eye level by the cash.
I usually make a beeline with my minds eye to People magazine...because that is pretty  much the only one that has earned my trust over the years. Yes, there are a few british ones that feature the royal family which migh also make my trusted list...but you get my  point.

Why would a large respectable nationwide grocery chain give prime shelf space right by the checkout to so many tabloids filled with lies? Not even white lies.....bold brash....
"not in a million years could they be true" kinda lies.

Why? Because someone is buying these lies....regularly and with vigor.
 Stores will sell whatever people will buy.

So, let me tell you, hope you're still with me....don't flip to another page.....
Don't you have something inherently more valuable and trustworthy than those trashy tabloids?
Do people trust you in a certain area of life because of your experience  because of your chutzpah?

Then, my friend....my tribe member, I want to encourage you to write. You deserve some good high quality shelf space.

If you can be truthful about any one small minute area of life, and help someone else across the globe understand that area just a wee bit better ....then YES you deserve shelf space. You deserve a piece of the internet pie.

You may not have the best grammar. You may not have the best tech saviiness, you may not know how to edit photos/videos in a Hollywood style crowd pleasing manner. But you are real and you are truthful . You have something important to share.

Just remember, my friends who blog and write and create stuff. Don't underestimate the value of what you bring to the table. Someone somewhere needs what you know. Someone somewhere wants to hear from you and be taught by you how to do or see or feel something different. Someone is waiting for you to step up and take up legit shelf space in their life. Make some noise my sister. Make some noise my brother.

If the tabloids can make billion dollar empires by selling lies, you for sure can earn some good coin selling something authentic.

In peaceful productivity and kindness,

Carla.

P.S. Seth Godin was the guest speaker of Tim Ferris' podcast again recently....if you ever need some encouragment....his voice alone with do the trick.

https://tim.blog/2018/11/01/seth-godin-this-is-marketing/


Tweet

I Recover from Noise Pollution Here

i was looking for a way to heal from exposure to noise pollution....
the noise pollution causes mental fog, and tires my sense of hearing.
This heaven on earth i discovered recently ....the photos of which I will attach below ......just so you can catch a glimpse of how you can use a gentle walk in God's creation... to heal yourself or your loved ones.

Fungus growing in creamy shades of white on dead fallen logs..

How can anyone not want to walk slowly through this golden canopy.........

sky high cedar grove

a Cedar grove is growing....high up to the sky.....us suburban folks are accustomed to cedar hedges.....but rarely have i ever glimpsed cedar trees growing quite this high.......

sometimes moss grows furry......

Kaffe Fasset would have loved to knit a design based on the pale blue lichens on this rock....

Can't  you picture a rabbit wanting to take a wee nap atop this mossy boulder?

Tweet

Dancing with the Butterflies

Monarchs don't come around often enough....and when they do...it's a pop of brilliant orange red...framed in blackest of black.

Days like this do the body good, freshen the mind and spirit..
.and give a sun kissed glow to the cheeks.

When one takes the time to really look
at God's creation....we begin to see more than
we did before. We begin to see not 100 shades of green.....but rather...burnt umbers, golds, greys, dusty browns and rusts. Canada's terrain is not flashy...but the whole color spectrum is there...if you're ready to
spend the time to discover each new hue.

The Incredibly Simple...Bring Raw Beauty

Permit me to share some of our local flora...gathered as we stroll through Simcoe county Ontario, Canada.
Most of the names of these native plants I learned as a kid. If perhaps I have labelled them incorrectly...plz do speakup and let me know.
Peace,
c.

Milk weeds were so much fun to collect when we were kids...when you opened up a ripe milk weed, the seeds inside look like a brown scaled fish....and flew on silky wisps when you tossed them in the wind.

I pray that our beautiful humble and intelligent bumble bee population in Ontario are making a rapid comeback. 

Tweet

What is the Premise of Reading and Understanding Scripture?

When one has a rather philosophical bent, it helps to understand the "why" behind commonly expected behaviors.

                         For example, in Christian circles it is commonly expected                                                        ( although less so in certain denominations)

that the members become familiar with the words contained within a book called "The Holy Bible".

There are many different versions and translations on the market of "The Holy Bible", but all of the copies of the bible have much more in common with one another than the verses they differ on.

So....back to my point. Why do christian people study, memorize and voraciously read the bible?

One answer is this major premise:

By understanding the entirety of the Holy Bible, we assume that we will be better prepared mentally and spiritually and in all other ways to understand the other parts of life and the worlds around us.

I must say that this premise does ring true for me. Bible study does seem to make humans "smarter"   "wiser" and more "skillful" in how we problem solve.

Do you agree?

Looking forward to your comments and thoughts,

Peace,

c.

biblegateway

Tweet

essence of fulfillment?

Soo ...I'm watching a cheffy show "Chef's Table" on Netflix and this particular episode.... it's the story of  Christina Tosi, the creator of "Crack Pie".

She was speaking about how she started her little Milk bar bakery beside Momfuku ( as David Chang's colleague) and the satisfaction she had finally found after more than a decade in the basements of restaurants in New York City.

She grinned as she said " I finally had something that was mine that I had figured out ".

What a magical sentence.

Let me say it again ....and again.


" I finally had something that was mine that I had figured out ".


" I finally had something that was mine that I had figured out ".


" I finally had something that was mine that I had figured out ".



Isn't that the essence of fulfillment? Of knowing you've achieved something on your own terms.... in your own version of what it means to be creative?

Not every idea is a winner...not every effort is rewarded...but
those who don't give up on those hunches, those creative nudges lead the way.. They find "quoi"...they find the  juice of life, that we creatives live for....to make something fresh and unknown. 

Then and only then, once we have firmly planted our feet in that unknown space and let others in to spy on us....that is when they begin to take the time to applaud and appreciate that new "thing" or "idea" or "cause" we have created from the dust....that ever present earth we find in our hands. At last, we feel at peace. we feel joy.


I am a fan of the late Wangari Maathai....whose passion for the mysterious circle of life between trees and water created a movement. One can not boil it down to simple facts.
When someone is passionate about what they need. Wangari needed trees. Wangari needed to protect what she loved . In her passion to protect what she loved, she took us along....to kneel by a stream and understand why it was the trees that brought the water, and the frogs and the well being. She helped us take a brief glimpse of that mysterious circle. She made us pause to dig a hole and plant something....anything.


what is it that you can help us understand? What is it that you understand better than your family and neighbors. Maybe it bears repeating. Maybe we need to hear you too.

Peace,
C.,


Tweet

Stock Market Shows

I was watching Consuelo Mack's Wealth Track and it was an older episode from March which featured fund manager David Giroux.

David Giroux shared some of his strategies for maintaining a prospering fund.
One of his tips was this:

Writing covered calls on low volatility dividend stocks.
He also name dropped some of his fave stocks such as
 Becton Dickinson and Co (NYSE: BDX)

as well as Fiserv Inc  (Nasdaq: FISV)

.

I am curious as to how other humans watch shows like this.
Do individual investors have any business at all listening to advice from someone who manages millions/billions of mutual fund money, supported by 200 global analysts?

Or is it simply a matter of trying to stay current with the lingo and refreshing our minds with the issues that confront all investors, penny pinchers, and big wigs combined?

Do you feel that institutional investors have anything at all in common with small time retail investors? Or is there an uncrossable chasm that separates the two?

Looking forward to reading your opinions in the comments below.
Peace,
C.

By the way, if you want to sample some of Consuelo Mack's Wealth Track shows, you can visit their
website : https://wealthtrack.com/how-david-giroux-delivers-stock-market-performance-with-much-less-risk/



Tweet

Seth Godin

Tweet

I was listening yet again...yes, I replay this podcast over and over again.. to Tim Ferriss' interview of the thoughtful Mr. Seth Godin. I  noted again his comment about what he does
when he starts to blog in his fave blogging host/template called "Typepad". He even describes the monthly fee he pays to keep his typepad blog running.
Seth went into a few deets of his secret to keeping his writing flowing saying when he opens up that blogging site he said

"I know what my brain needs to feel like" and then he gets his writing on.

He may write several blog posts and keep them as drafts but does not publish everything he writes. He writes until he feels that he has completed his task and then chooses the best of the bunch to publish to his blog.

Have you ever read Seth Godin's blog? check it out here: Seth Godin  .....it won't be a waste of your valuable time.

Late is ALWAYS better than never.

Tweet

So, this is me, living the dream, maybe not a big deal for you....but for a mom of four with a million responsibilities, it is literally heaven on earth.
So, what is this dream I am walking in today...my tan feet barely touching the ground?

Just doin what Tim Ferriss and a million other entrepreneurs do almost every day...sitting in a coffee shop with free wifi, sipping on a dark roast with steamed soy typing on a wee lap top.
Such a very big deal? Should I just get over it already? Well, in my sheepish defense, it IS a really big beal....because on this today, this very rare occasion, I am 100% alone, elle est solo....ALL by myself. Capish? No kids or hubby in tow. Secondly, this is my very own lap top. Not the fastest or the latest model, but it works and I'm bloggin at mock speed.

When you're a mom, other people's computers seem to take priority. So...it is with a rather fiendish delight that I walked into this shop with my lap top under my arm. This is a first for me. Hmmm, maybe next I'll have to shop for a little dog that fits in my purse.. A bit too Hilton-esque?

Maybe your dreams do not include creative writing at Starbucks, but hey, for today I am the dark roast blogging queen. Gonna relish it, bad grammar an' all.

Whoop...props to me... having a good hair day, and my fave shirt was with the clean laundry. I got the window seat and have an exquisite view of a crab apple tree in full blossom....voila the attached pic. My muscled fingers even figured out how to attach said pic to this blog.

Perhaps a decade late, but Late is ALWAYS better than never.
Turns out I've been ahead of the curve on the gluten free band wagon. Who knew?
You win some......and those days are the best.

May your dreams never die until you are ready to dismiss them by choice.
..completely satisfied and fulfilled.

Peace,
Carla.

Press Zero

To divest oneself of humanity may be more efficient...clean even.

Slick and sleek.

But what are we trying to prove? That we never need to hear a human voice? Never need another human being to help or serve us?

i am tired of self serve...gas stations and self scans at the grocery stores and department stores.
I am tired of choosing all my own options. I want to hear a friendly suggestion from a helpful polite
salesperson. I don't want to bag my own groceries. I don't want to count my own change.

I don't want to access the "automated" telephone system I can by pressing 5.

Sometimes I want to deal with someone like myself.... a messy imperfect human with imperfect scores. That's who I want to sell me something and punch in my sale into some kind of cash register. That is who I want to pump my gas or do my taxes. I was not born entirely by my own effort. My Mom had a lot to do with it, as well as some deft doctor and probably more than one nurse. We can not deliver ourselves into this world. We need each other. We always have and always will.
Needing other humans is not a character flaw.

So sometimes, I will not choose the automated efficient and speedy slick route. I will choose the slow and friendly route without robots and machines, and let another messy human serve me kindly. And yes, I will still press Zero.

Peace,
C.


Tweet

Do not blog to be heard

Do not blog to be heard...but to hear.

Do not blog to show this to all...but rather to be able to see things differently.

Blog to give yourself an ear to hear yourself and your Maker, swinging gently on the swing of life.

This is a great Tree.

Knowledge is a gift of God. Knowledge is not locked within any book, but sometimes hidden in one.

 The appreciation of it comes deep from within the heart of a humble man.

Kindness and gentleness are the apt caretakers of those who love wisdom...who seek to uncover knowledge yet unknown.

Walk gently yes, but always with accuracy and deft of purpose, a waiting heart receives them.

peace,
C.




Tweet

the Poetry of Money

It is often in the throws of poverty, that one begs of God for money.

But God is sometimes silent, when he wants us to stand alone, to think things through in quietness

and humility within the hunger for wisdom and accurate knowledge.

God did not make money. Money is a man made item.

Therefore mastery over money, while inspired and empowered by God's Holy Spirit, is not done by

shedding oneself of one's humanity, but rather by embracing it.


=-====
To embrace the simple faculties that allow one to align with abundance .

To permit oneself to be made useful, to be paid for one's usefulness.

To remember what works and shed what doesn't.


To lather...rinse and repeat once one has grasped something that functions in the material world.

Stop trying to escape the grit, the sandy shell in which is hid billions.

It is through the humility of dust and dirt and grime that grand fortunes are made.

A gold treasure from a shipwreck from long ago, is unearthed from deep chilly depths, covered with

hundreds of years of crumbled sea shells tossed to and fro in the currents. So much sand... and

intimidation. Such patience is required.

It is simply the one who digs who finds the treasure....

the one who digs.

Peace,
C.

The Book of Jeremiah (KJV) read by Alexander Scourby

I don't know if you like old school things like I do....but I happen to recall listening to recordings in my car many years ago...listening to the bible being read aloud back to me by this gent "Alexander Scourby".
Once you hear the bible read aloud by someone it seems to stick strongly in your memory.

Did you know that some other very interesting folks have recorded audio versions of the bible?
Folks such as:

Johnny Cash

James Early Jones

Denzel Washington and Others Recorded this Audio Bible Experience

It impresses me when folks make it a priority to celebrate their christian heritage and work so diligently to make the bible more accessible in audio form to humanity. I'd like to thank Youtube for helping in this effort as well, to keep the bible free and accessible to as many humans as possible forever.

Peace,
Carla.






Tweet

Basic Human Wage?

There is a work among us humans...a force or persuasion which dictates that there must be a better way for folks to have enough money to live on without being forced or expected to do jobs they hate.

I don't recall really the name of this movement, but it sounds something like this:
a "basic human wage" which we would merely receive because we are human. No other requirement...just our humanity.

I was watching some kind of film about UFO's and aliens on Netflix today and the film spoke about how much of Nikola Tesla's work has been forever lost because for the simple reason that he was in financial straits once he died, and those who were owed money took his stuff....lots of very valuable research and writings and discoveries. All that valuable stuff that those people took from his "estate"
was stuff that could have been useful for humanity.

Money issues rob people of more than just their dignity....it can steal the very gifts that they are trying to give to humankind.

What would you give to the earth or humanity if money was no option?
What would you sing?
What would you create?
What would you give?

I pray that money will never be an obstacle in your life and that you will always have enough money to fulfill God's beautiful will for the incredible gift of life that is yours, in Jesus's Name . Amen.

Peace,
Carla.

Tweet

There's a Battle for Good Information

In my nerdier days...ok ok....I've never quite shook off that wonderfully geeky tendency of mine.
Truth be told...I love information...but only accurate information.

One would have assumed that with the net and tv and smart phones, that we would be getting bombarded with all manner of top notch quality data at our fingertips.

But it appears that good quality information is at a higher cost now than ever before.
If you want  good information from a newspaper, you need to pay for a high priced subscription, which may or may not be available for home delivery.

Why does everyone hate paper so much???
 Or is it just a conspiracy to keep good data out of the hands of the every day man or woman like me?

When I try to get good reads from CNN.com or CTV.ca  I see lots of photos and click bait.
What am I .....10 years old? I still visit these sites hoping that someday I will be able to read a thoughtful two page essay on the current state of affairs, and again and again I find myself clicking on links to view the latest pop culture crap and yet another trendy way we can lose weight in 30 days without trying.

Nope I'm ready for the real McCoy, the real news....not that I really understood the whole
"fake news" phenomenon.

Perhaps the real difference between "fake news" and "real news" is merely the price that we are willing to pay. The free websites propagate fake news because that is all they can afford to publish. They don't necessarily want to pay fact checkers to verify each story before they run it, because the news blurbs flow at lightening speed. They don't want to publish anything too shocking about the big wigs because they don't want to get sued. So they stick with beige. Beige fake news click bait. Who has time for checking facts and accuracy, when folks just want to "feel" like they are " in the know"? and few can tell the difference between a real honest story and a frilly fluffy piece of nonsense?

I must admit that we as a society are partially to blame. Perhaps we never should have cancelled our old fashioned "throw it at the front door" style of newspaper subscriptions. Maybe we never should have preferred glimpsing briefly at flashy colorful headlines with two paragraph pseudo stories.

We should have preferred the thoughtful "takes a while to learn to understand it" style of journalistic meat instead of the visual cupcake. We should have been willing to pay a higher price for the higher value now put on all things "paper".

The switch to all things digital is leaving a bigger gap between the haves and the have nots. The haves pay for the right to access good data. The rest of humanity...the "have nots" click feverishly to  access the free garbage been poured out on the free websites...and we are reaping the
mental starvation from eating this low quality mental fast food.

Maybe they should figure out how to print newspapers on bamboo pulp paper or rice paper....maybe it could become trendy again to disseminate the same data to all of our front doors ....with the same high quality, high level of thinking style journalism. And those who can't digest the real stuff, can just go watch cartoons.

Hmmmm..

Peace,
C.




Tweet

Sorry to hear that He is gone...

Sorry to hear that Avicii is passed on...what an artist.
Thank you Tim Bergling for giving us such exuberant joie de vivre in your music. It was contagious.
All we can say is thank you, and thank you God for allowing him to blossom ever so briefly in our little world.
Peace,
C.,



Tweet

That Pup was Planted

God has a mischievous twinkle in his eye sometimes...I am convinced. It has been a hard couple of weeks because our city has been deluged with snow and slush and ice and it's already April 18 2018. One would think I could have started raking up the spring time grass buds...but winter's icy grip has been taunting us and maligning our trust in the Almighty.

I had to go to the eyeglasses place because they forgot to give my husband the lens cleaning cloth with his fancy glasses. Rather than mock him for being high maintenance...I acquiesced and after running other errands, drove on over to the shop to pick up that tiny cloth.

Lo and behold there was a furry mobster waiting for me there. A curious little white ball of fur tucked up into the grinning arms of its new owners. Instantly sidetracked...I made a beeline for the furry thing propped up comfortably in its human nest. I found myself asking unabashedly of its owners....if I could see him/her. The gracious lady not only said I could see the pup which turned out to be a her, but she insisted saying "so that I could get the full experience"...wanting me to hold her in my arms. And so I did. Oh...it doesn't take much time of holding a tiny fluff ball of a puppy to make my day... and so it twas.  A furry glimpse of God's grace in the midst of too much snow and ice.

The snow has begun to melt....on my driveway and in my heart.

Amen.
C.



Tweet

J'ai besoin de ton Avis

I finally found out what that means....it was a phrase that has been kicking around in my soul for months...on the wisp of the wind in French no less..... I have a very simple functionality in the French language, and so sometimes I will think in French. And so it was this phrase that has been circling my mind for the past few months....


"J'ai besoin de ton Avis".


And now today I finally realized what it means:


 "I need your opinion".


One of my pastors  ( yes...I need more than one...) has a wonderful habit of bringing the "Christian" life down to our earthly level so that we mere plain vanilla church attenders can actually fathom what it means to try to be a Christian in our real daily dusty lives.


He has a habit of not painting things in black and white, but rather a million different splendiferous colors, not assuming anything about people's basic goodness or the lack thereof, never show boating the success of his ministry and doing what he can to enable our ability to serve God here and now in our community. To say his ministry is refreshing would be an epic understatement.


And so, in some mystical fashion, I hear the cry of my own heart and those of other Christians around me crying out to God ...and the plea is simply this....this simple quiet prayer in the dark sent up to heaven..... "I need your opinion".


God, I need your opinion....desperately....urgently, kindly and persistently. Please listen to me God, I need to know that you are hearing me, hearing my heart, hearing my life...
thank you God for listening. Phewph! I feel that you are listening now. I feel that you can hear me now. Thank you for loving me. For loving us, this 'thing' they call the Body of Christ, with all it's
frenetic and occasionally peaceful motion. You love us. You hear us. Amen.




C.








Tweet

How Do You Look At Equities?

Just curious....how do you look at investing in equities?

Folks say all kinds of interesting comments when you bring up the subject of investing or saving.....Here are a few unique comments...perhaps you have heard some of them?

"Oh Vey! the Stock market is like gambling....too risky....btw...where is the nearest convenience store because I forgot to buy my lottery tickets ..."

"I prefer to invest in funds that carry a large diversified basket of equities so that I can sleep at night knowing that I am not betting all my eggs on one chicken"

"Investing is for men....so I'll just leave that stuff for the hubby to take care of...."

"Equities only represent perceived value....so I'd rather put my money into solid things that I can hold in my hands.....like gold bullion or real estate."

"I don't understand the tax system, so I'd rather not use banks, and just hide my money in my sock drawer.....the same way Uncle Buck did back in his day..."

"Reading about investing is boring....I don't want to read anything nonfiction....because it just reminds me of school."

"I don't invest in anything because I feel like the world is going to hell, so I might as well just spend everything that I earn and enjoy every day as if it is my last"

"I might be dead by the time I reach retirement age, so I don't think I will save anything for retirement".

"Those investment professionals that handle my retirement account surely know what they are doing....at least they seem to...based on their fancy logo, luxurious office building and those glossy pamphlets they send to me once in a while. Surely they won't squander my wealth with they? Btw...what does -8% mean in average return?"

"I cancelled my life insurance policy because I believe that Jesus is coming back very soon, so I know that my family and I won't need those funds in the near future..."


Ok, enough sample comments for now. But perhaps you have heard or spoken some similar sentiments at one point in your life. Money brings out the crucial issues of life and many folks just prefer  a polite silence when it comes to all things financial. Being too excessively secretive inhibits frank discussion and squelches learning. Remember that bible verse about "iron sharpens iron" ? We sharpen each other's ideas when we are ready and willing to speak and listen to one another. We speak together, we listen together, we learn together....and finally yes, we grow together.
Yes, be careful who you speak to and who you listen to....but don't give up on the positive influence of good healthy discussion and frank conversation.

Public and college libraries and book stores are well supplied with many volumes of books that can help us all boost our financial acumen, not to mention the over abundance of learning tools available in the cloud.

I hope you find that the abundance of available information isn't overwhelming. Feel empowered.

Be curious. Find your answers....


Peace,
Carla.




Tweet

Stay Focused with this kind of Instrumental track....

When you are trying to concentrate it can be REALLY helpful to have background music that has no one singing or even talking in it.... Therefore I really do recommend the above background instrumental music. A powerful restful background track for a busy life.

Peace,

Carla.

Gluten Free at Columbia University

In my research first thing I noticed is that Columbia University has it's own
Celiac Disease Center!  which would be downright helpful for a student who is planning to attend Columbia and has either gluten intolerance, allergy, or celiac disease.

Therefore it's good to know too, that there are numerous cafeterias and restaurants near or on the Columbia University Campus that offer gluten free meals.

Well, there was a very honest and well written article written by some Columbia students with Celiac disease. One of their recommendations was the gluten free pizza at   The Morningside Heights deli Nussbaum & Wu 

I suggest you read their full article as it contains a most refreshing and down to earth viewpoint for all students who are perhaps anxious about going to continue their college education in an area of the world where they are unsure about being able to locate gluten free food options.

Bon Appetito and may God bless your higher education :)

Peace,
Carla. 


Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

RELATED: Gluten Free at Princeton
                     Gluten Free at Harvard


Thanks for buying my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!

Tweet

Gluten Free at University of Toronto

The Mississauga campus of the University of Toronto has a new
 CertifiedGluten free on campus eatery called "Fusion 4 Asian Food Box"

It appears to have been launched in Sept of 2016....why did it take me so long to hear about it?

Whenever gluten free endeavors go more mainstream it really is good news for the gluten free community.

The fact that a large university is taking the need for gluten free food so seriously is just AWESOME!

This sets a stellar pioneering path for other universities and ivy league schools to follow.

If you are celiac, or gluten intolerant, or have a gluten allergy, you know, from personal experience how costly and time consuming it can be to constantly ferret out a reasonable place to eat a        gluten free meal. When one is trying to focus 100% of their energies on achieving a higher education, it can be a really irritating distraction! So, when U of T Mississauga actually developed and built a CERTIFIED on campus Gluten free eatery for students, they set the bar high. I can see that already the students that attend this campus are reveling in all their gluten free glory!

Thank you University of Toronto Mississauga campus for this great accomplishment. May many more colleges, universities and institutes follow in your gluten free footsteps :)

Well done U of T!

Peace,
Carla.

RELATED: Gluten Free at Princeton
                    Gluten Free at Harvard

Thanks for buying my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!

Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.


Tweet

Gluten Free at Princeton

Trying to plan ahead to stay on a gluten free diet while attending Princeton?

There appears to be a good effort being made by the Princeton Residential Dining Halls to accommodate gluten free diets . There are also local eateries that are more than happy to help you out in your search. Check out this helpful listing of local gluten free menu offerings created by university students! What a cool site....it's called Spoon University !


May God bless your educational path and may it be super easy for you to find gluten free foods all the while gaining a stellar ivy league ed!

Peace,
Carla


Btw, thanks for buying my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!

RELATED: Gluten Free at Harvard

Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.






Tweet

Gluten Free at Harvard University

Considering attending Harvard? Trying to figure out if you can stay on a Gluten Free Diet while you are seeking a stellar education can be daunting.

I was relieved to find out that the section of town where Harvard is located also includes an area known as "Harvard Square".   Harvard Square has quite a lengthy list of gluten free options, from a wide variety of restaurants. Take a gander HERE!


Buy my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!

Tweet

Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.