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And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (Deuteronomy 10:12; Micah 6:8)

In this time of “political correctness”, “if it feels good, do it”, “government will supply your wants as well as your needs”, we understand more than ever writer H.L. Mencken's quip, “if a politician found he had cannibals in his constituency, he would promise them missionaries for lunch.”

Yesterday, my only child, my son, professor at a well-known Christian seminary, and his younger son, who had just graduated from college, were visiting me. I was advising this young, new graduate, an electrical engineer, on the importance of seeking God's guidance in all of his activities, even in his new location. I believe with every fiber of my body that the Christian, one who trusts in God, can depend on God's guidance on earth, as well as eternal life in heaven. I said to him, “look at those large plastic tubs in the dining room. I know that God has taken care of me every step of my life, right on into my 80s. I suppose someone looking on would think that I have given up, that I am now hoarding food...I am storing much food (rice, tuna, dried fruit, etc) in case of a terrorist strike, natural disaster or some other catastrophe. I have written about this eventuality for years: on the coast, a hurricane, or as we well know, hundreds of tornadoes this year. The store shelves will be empty, there will be no delivery trucks on the highways, electricity in the wires, or water in pipes. You show your dependence on God, by depending on Him to guide you in preparation for everything, just as He has provided you with an education in order to make a good living, to have a good life here on earth, and to be able to share with and with others. I am sure that God will continue to care for me, but having my reserves of food and water will enable me to care for myself as well as to help others as I have been able to do so far in my long, eventful life”.

Many in this world do not care about anything: God, family or country. Every generation becomes more self-centered. Some still live modestly, but for many of us it has been a matter of living frugally in order to have the ability to give with our living. You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. God's chosen people were instructed to give. The tithe is the Lord's whether you give it or not, 1/7 of your time is the Lord's whether you give it or not.

Use common sense in your planning, but remember that God has the ability to change your plans. Do not put all of your eggs in one basket, the secret to success in investing is diversity. Solomon, the richest man who ever lived said, “Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.“ Carefully buy so that you can conveniently sell. Other than expendables (food, clothing, etc) everything you buy is with an eye for resale. All of my furniture is antiquarian, can be resold, so it is with real estate, securities, you invest in that which others will want.

Success, like conservatism, like Christianity, is a mindset. You don't just decide to be successful, Christ-serving; beware of instant salvation, instant political change, deciding to be successful overnight. The ne'er do well is usually born and reared as a ne'er do well. Only Christ can give a rebirth, but it has to be seen, it cannot be hidden, the world will know if you are a conservative or a libertine. The bed is too short and the blanket is too narrow, something is going to always stick out to let everybody know, most-assuredly the Creator of the universe, if you are just a pretender in anything. There are some, but human beings are not smart enough to fool everyone all the time. The genuineness of your life, your personality, your soul, is a matter of comprehension even to a blind person. This blind man can hear hypocrisy in a voice, the vibes come through your skin, it is like the sales person who tells you to have a good day.

It is the unexpecteds of life...fluctuations in the stock market, real estate bubbles, the storms (tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, floods) which cause us to want a hedge of faithfulness, hedge of protection, the courage under the cloak of God's love. Years ago, Jesse Jackson, the philandering black preacher and politician suggested pilfering all pension funds for the benefit of the government. He said all pensions should be confiscated and every citizen treated equally with social security. In 2006, the total assets of the 300 largest pensions funds was $10.4 trillion. Since the social security trust fund is just one big IOU, you can expect Mr. Obama and his fellow socialists to confiscate and use these funds to pay out social security and medicare, which is bankrupt. Other entitlements, and 59% of the population depends on entitlements, 50% of the population depends on a subsidy of some type, will get their check from some stash, somewhere.

I would advice any young person to be very careful about marriage, at least those who still believe in marriage: man and woman. The Answer Book, the Manufacturer's Handbook, the Bible, tells you not to be unequally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14) Not just a believer with a non-believer, spiritually; but a believer with a non-believer, economically. You can be sure that if you came from a family who lived frugally, wisely, prepared for any eventuality, and you marry someone from a family who spends every dime they can beg, steal or borrow with no regards for the future, there will be trouble. I can ascertain very accurately, without fail, the future economic success of any young person with one trip to a restaurant, just from the way they order. One does not eat the next month's tithe or investment! As I have said and written many times, most of life's activities is simply a matter of sowing and reaping. You reap what you sow, you sow foolish living, you will reap foolish everything. You sow to the wind, you will reap a whirlwind (Hosea 8:7) Regardless of the struggle, in spite of disappointment, I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3)