Memorial Day 2011

I have recently had the privilege of rereading the Gettysburg Address by President Lincoln. It is fitting to reflect on this address on Memorial Day.

We in America have unprecedented freedoms! However, those freedoms did not come freely. It is because of those who "gave the last full measure of devotion" we can worship any way we choose, enjoy freedom of the press and freedom to assemble, and enjoy the freedom to overthrow our government every two years if necessary.

Today, as you enjoy a day off work, as you fire up your grill, as you find the next, great sale; remember freedom isn't free. It is only yours to enjoy today because of those brave men and women, living and dead, who struggled so you may be free.

The Gettysburg Address:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Happy Memorial Day America !!

Learnings from God

It's been nearly eight months since I've posted, in part due to work, but also in part due to circumstances. It has been a tough eight months.

After losing both cars in the same week last fall (see my previous post, "Tough Week"), we limped by on the one 1996 Corolla we'd purchased for cash. While I was flying from job to job, it was rather easy to be a one car family. However, there were a number of jobs in Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky where I needed to drive. In most cases, we wound up renting a car so I could get to and from work.

Finally, after six months of renting cars and paying money simply so I could get to work, I'd had enough. I decided it would be better to once again take on a car payment as opposed to continuing to spend on average $300 per month for rental cars. At least we'd be building towards our future by paying on a car we would eventually own.

It all came to critical mass when I would spend three weeks on the road, one in Illinois and two in Ohio. Because this trip fell near Derby weekend, rental cars were nearly three times their normal rate on my preferred Internet sites. It would cost nearly $1,000 for a three week rental!

Once again I began searching Craigslist and Auto Trader looking for a solution. We could buy anther cash car and hope it would be sufficient for my transportation needs. Or we could purchase a slightly more expensive car, say in the $10,000 range, and get a few good years out of the vehicle. With the small down payment we had, we would wind up making $250 a month in payments.

I found a couple of options and began driving around town looking at the possibilities. While our credit has taken a hit in the past several years, we were able to get financing from some national banks. Unfortunately, the banks were not willing to finance the $10,000 vehicles we desired to purchase. It seems a bank is willing to loan more money to a higher risk client because the vehicle has a better collateral rating as opposed to lending less for an older, higher mileage vehicle.

So after visiting several dealers, we wound up in Paris, Kentucky at a small town dealership. Once again we were moved from the $10,000 2002 vehicle to the $18,000 2007 vehicle. However, something was different this time. My wife and I actually listened to the sales pitch, and wound up signing a contract even though the monthly payment was nearly $100 more than we'd agreed upon prior to starting the search. We were now the proud owners of a 2007 Chevy Silverado Extended Cab truck!

I drove the truck to my first jobsite in Illinois and it was fantastic. I usually get very stiff when on a long road trip, but this truck was so comfortable, even after a 250 mile ride, I was still comfortable. It was just as nice the following week when I drove 350 miles into northeastern Ohio for my next project.

It was during that week I received a call from the dealership. The bank had denied the loan after further looking into our financials. As two self-employed people, we had given the dealership copies of our tax returns and the bank had taken a closer look. The income stated on the tax returns did not provide them with sufficient debt to income ratio. We had to find alternate financing or return the truck. Because I was in Ohio for two weeks, I told the dealership I would not be able to return the truck for another week.

A part of the story you will know if you follow this blog is back in January 2006 my wife and I committed to no more debt. We would pay off our existing debt as quickly as possible and not amass any new debt. Ever since September of 2008 when we paid off our Lexus, we had carried no auto debt. Even the three cars we purchased in 2010 were cash cars; two from the insurance settlement on the Lexus and one from income earned.

We now had decided it was acceptable to have debt, as opposed to continuing to spend money on rental cars, provided the debt was offset by the rental expense. It makes sense logically, even financially, but the no debt promise was not only to ourselves, it was to God. It seems that despite our human justification for taking on debt, God had other plans. It was a tough lesson to learn.

So on the Monday after my return, I once again was on Craigslist and Auto Trader looking for cash vehicles. Fortunately, another paycheck had come into our bank account, we would be able to pay cash for something, just not something as great as the truck we were about to return.

In the end, we would up giving the truck back to the dealership, handing them an additional check, and driving off in a 1999 Ford Explorer. I've had the Explorer for a week now, driven it to one Kentucky jobsite as well as around town. It isn't as comfortable as the Silverado, it doesn't get as good of gas mileage as the Silverado, and it doesn't look as nice as the Silverado; but it has no debt.

God has shown Himself to be faithful once again. Did we get the vehicle of our dreams? No! But in the three weeks we owned the Silverado, we only paid for gas and I was able to get to the jobsite in comfort. It was a bridge, in lieu of a rental car, to get us to the place we had the cash for the Explorer. God did show up and bless us, even though we lost a great truck!

Sometimes we don't see the full picture. Sometimes, however, God gives us just enough of a glimpse to let us know He is faithful, He is generous, He has our best interests in mind. Even if it doesn't seem that way in the midst of the moment, God is looking out for us!