family

Veteran Kindness

/ Robert Bruton / Leave a comment

Today has been a challenging day, not so much for me but for a Veteran, his family who happen to be clients.

This morning, I received a phone call from the wife who asked me to cancel a deal; I had consummated with them a few days earlier. My question was why.

She exclaimed to me that her husband, a disabled veteran from the Vietnam war, had broken down because of the catastrophe in Afghanistan. Seeing stories of the men and women killed and the young lives lost was simply more than he could bear.

He has PTSD and horrible memories of friends lost in the war he fought in. Only to see the Government throw away lives he and thousands of others served to protect.

His wife spoke with me uncontrollably, crying, believing that this episode has taken her husband over the edge, shattered my heart.

Doing the best, I tried to comfort her and told her not to worry about anything; we would figure out how to back out of contracts and documents that were in process. We successfully stopped the transaction with many folks involved doing their part to help a Veteran and his family.

silhouette of soldiers walking
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Suppose you are a Veteran or active military from any war. Don’t EVER believe that your service did not matter. It damn sure matters to me and thousands of others like me. Just because a government fails you, do not for one moment believe that you failed its citizens, your fellow countryman.

My Uncle, a Colonel, served in the United States Air Force, saw Vietnam and Iraq under two Bush Presidents. Like so many other families in America, we are proud of our military.

We never know what a fellow human being is going through. So, take time to be kind!

Stay in your Lane

/ Robert Bruton / Leave a comment

One of the best lessons I have learned; stay in my lane. Don’t get caught up with the drama, political bullshit, or anything that you personally have no control over.

When you learn to stay in your lane, you take care of what you do have control over. First and foremost is to handle your business. Getting caught up in the news or life events that we simply have no control over is counterproductive.

Taking care of our own life, our family should be our primary focus. If you let outside influences ruin your day. Ask yourself, “Why would I do that to myself.” The answer should be, “I’m not.”

god, church, jesus

We could get twisted up about Washington’s political hogwash and let that steal our joy. Ask yourself this question: “Do I have the ability to change anything in Washington outside of my vote?” Probably not, so why worry. It does not matter who is there; we can all pick apart the political process.

What should matter is how we process each day. How we interact with our family and relationships. “Am I living a life God would say, Well Done!” That being the case, the rest of life is nothing to stress over.

Staying in your lane means to live the life God has planned for you. Do the work in front of you that is from your heart. Don’t allow outside influences to steal your peace, joy, and happiness.

Prioritize your life so that nothing can interfere with your joy. Organize your life to win!

  1. Have a productive daily routine. 
  2. Stay off Social Media during productive times. 
  3. Pray and meditate on the life you desire. 
  4. Keep God first in all you do. 
  5. Focus on body, mind, and soul daily. Healthy habits. 

Stay in your lane! 

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Finding God & Church choose Wisely

/ Robert Bruton / Leave a comment

Living in the Lord’s favor is NOT a direct result of the investment you make financially into these so-called prosperity preachers.

God will not say, “Wow, family, you were just $20 short in giving to receive a blessing!” Therefore, you lost everything. Do not listen to that hogwash to get into your pocket.

Do not buy into; send $50 bucks and get a cloth or other premium. Do you honestly believe God will bless you after you receive a towel? Or, does your heart tell you that if I am the right person, I put others before myself, I am obedient to God’s word that some towel is going to turbocharge your blessings???

Turbocharge your blessing through faith! God knows and he does not need to see you waiving a towel.

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.”–Billy Graham

For years for this very example, I would not darken-the-door of any church. Made fun of those that did.

Here is the skinny:

  1. Yes, you should give what you can to the Church of your choice. Those that tithe should provide about 10% of your income. If your family is able, then let the Lord guide you.
  2. God is going to judge us by our good works. For example, if you cannot give financially, can you give of your time?
  3. If you are sick, STAY WITH YOUR DOCTOR! Pray as a family for God’s healing! If these healing preachers can truly heal. Why are they not touring hospitals to do just that? God does perform miracles! Let your doctor, however, tell you the miracle saved you. Not some dude in a $10,000 suit with a Rolex tells you.bible, God, Church

This article is not me telling you how to believe. It is me telling you to be careful who you believe, God is your first choice EVERY TIME. Too many charlatans out there speaking for God. Telling you God told them to buy a specific airplane; are you kidding me???

The scary part is we do not have a way to challenge a claim someone makes coming from God. You do, however, can say, “Come on now God has been shopping for you a new airplane?”  I do not begrudge a successful person the riches of life. However, I do have a problem with poor folks sending money to support the cost of an executive jet.

How many Church parishioners have flown with the Pastor? How many Church members that needed to be transported for Cancer treatment or other malady enjoyed riding on the Gulfstream 550 the pastor goes on vacation with. If the Church is paying for it, ask yourself, why is it not being used for these purposes?

(A conservative estimate it costs around $2100 per hour in fuel “402 gallons per hour” to operate a Large Corporate Jet. That number is before crew and maintenance)

If the Jet is being paid for with “For Profit” proceeds, that to me is totally fine. Just do not use poor folks’ money to ride first class, that at its core is disgusting.

I get why high-level executives fly around privately, heck if I made enough money from my book sales, absolutely I would love to have my own plane. Again, if I am taking money from poor people to do that, NO!

So many preachers out telling you to send money and receive some sort of premium. In my reading the bible, I only recall Jesus GIVING never taking. Or offering some incentive to gain his favor. The Bible teaches us good works, living as God instructs. Never does it say send in to get an anointed towel for $50 and God will bless you.

God does instruct us to give. I believe God wants us to give back to our Church, where we are fed his word. That part I can get my head around. I also think that by our good works, helping others, we will also receive God’s grace.

Some dude sending me an outline of his foot, I do the same and send $37 back will get me some sort of blessing.

Want to catch God’s eye. Give your life to him!

Do the work God puts forth in the Bible. Follow it to the letter. I promise you will receive everything the Bible promises. Give to the local Church that inspires you. My Church I want to support because I am fed the word of God. I do not have to buy a premium to receive God’s grace!

As I grow Spiritually, my thoughts have been turned to Preachers I one time admired to saying, Wow, God never said that! It talks about in the Bible false prophets.

I do have a magnificent Church I attend. The Pastor teaches straight from the Bible and offers a transparent approach to the sermon. Believe what God says in the Bible!

We all in desperate times would do just about anything to have peace, save our child from Cancer, save ourselves from Cancer, or the like. God does and can perform miracles in our life. Just make sure it is HIM the Lord you are speaking too! I promise you while on your knees praying, he won’t be asking, “How much money “seed-faith” can you give to save your child from cancer?

In this life, none of us utterly understand why a child suffers from Cancer or another horrible disease. Or how we as adults may suffer. The answer waits for us in Heaven. When it’s time to go home, it’s just time to go home. No amount of seed faith, prayer clothes, oil, or other premium is going to stop God’s will. No matter how much we do not understand or hate it, it’s only our time to go.

Our walk with God is with him!

prayer, church

A true Spiritual leader will teach you the path you need to walk with God. They will not tell you that God needs your financial investment to love you. God loves you with an everlasting love and always will. Seek him!

Choose who you wish to learn the word of God carefully. Make sure the Church and pastor truly align with the word of God. Do this and you will find life beyond anything you ever imagined!

God bless.

 

What Debt Promises

/ Robert Bruton / Leave a comment

What I can promise you, debt will bring if you don’t manage debt and let debt manage you!

For so many people in this world, debt can be debilitating. Shopping with friends and you get asked: “would you like to apply for a credit card?” You qualify and here we go.

Most young people are never really taught the importance of good credit and managing money properly.

Debt – noun

something, typically money that is owed or due.

credit card, credit card bill, bankruptcy

Here are the promises debt makes and will keep:

  1. Constant stress over how you will pay your credit cards or other bills at the end of the month.
  2. Family stress. The number one killer of marriages is money. Buy homes we cannot afford, cars, furniture, clothes, on and on. Until the end of the month, and the dining table is covered in bills!
  3. Parents working one or two jobs to make it from one paycheck to the next. Waking up to find children grown and bitter. Why? You were never there! To busy trying to make a living, you forget to have an experience.
  4. The barrage of endless phone calls letting you know the obvious. You’re behind and we need a payment!
  5. Picking which bill gets paid and who does not get any money this month.
  6. Food vs. Credit
  7. Feeling as though one wrong move and financially, you are ruined. Stress beyond limits!
  8. Dark moments, suicidal thoughts all over bills.
  9. Keeping up with the Jones’s only to find ourselves in bankruptcy.
  10. Bad credit and loss of buying power. High rates of interest.

Imagine someone in your family deathly ill and you cannot come up with the money to travel. Another of debt’s promises!

Emotional purchases will sink your financial boat the quickest.

For example:

You go into a car dealership to buy a new car. You have a budget and payment in mind. Shopped online and narrowed down your search. All good stuff.

Upon arrival at the dealership, you begin to browse. “Wow look at this color, look at this car, check out these accessories.” All, of course, are on vehicles outside your budget. The internal battle begins. Metaphorically we’ve taken a raging alcoholic into a bar and said, don’t drink anything I will be back in an hour to pick you up! Only to come back and find your alcoholic passed out drunk.

If you do not control your spending, your debts will overtake your life. Guaranteed! Not too many things in this life come with a guarantee but debt does.

I have worked around consumer credit for thirty years now. Debt has also overtaken my life because I allowed it to get totally out of hand. The ten promises above are indicative of my own life. Poor choices have cost me plenty.

Parents or young people starting out. Educate yourself about credit and debt. Buying that beautiful $300 shirt that will make you look amazing. Won’t look so amazing at the end of the month if the money is not there to pay for it.

Sure, you can make the minimum payment and the $300 shirt becomes a $2000 shirt. Do the math on 26% interest and see what happens to the cost of just one item. Living paycheck-to-paycheck over several years. Chipping away at maxed-out credit cards will overtake your financial life.

Properly managed credit will make sure that your life will be filled with joy. Buying power and forethought to pay will allow you to own homes, cars, beautiful furniture, and other assets. With little to no stress.

TAKE EMOTION OUT OF ANY FINANCIAL EQUATION!

It does not sound fun, but the wake behind poor decisions can last years. Worse still ruin any chance you have of being a homeowner.

Imagine a mortgage broker coming back to you and saying, “unfortunately, YOUR credit will not allow us to give you a loan.” Devastating. Your credit prevents you and your spouse from homeownership. Sounds damned harsh because it is.

What can help:

  • Check out books by great financial folks like Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, let experts guide you.
  • Check out the credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian. Lots of excellent free resources.

If you have credit issues, you can recover. Start back small and work your way again. There is always hope and with diligence, you will be back on track.

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