Excited about the economy!

I don't know about you but I am excited about the economy. I certainly don't think my Introduction to Economics class in college constitutes me as an economist, so I will not pretend to be something I am not. However, since my last blog on the economy, nearly 1 1/2 months ago (I warned you from the outset that I wouldn't be blogging a lot, but that I would be thoughtful and brief with my words. Proverbs 10:19 supports few words), I've had some time to reflect, watch my 403b go to pot, and see - even with the hopes of a new president - little change in the economic perspective.

However, I am hopeful. I am very optimistic with our economy that things will turn around and we will be strong again economically on a global scale (I am not promising the the top of the economic super powers, we'll have to prove ourselves again). I am hopeful for a couple of reasons...

1. History is on our side for recovery. I was encouraged when I heard my trusted podcast financial advisor Dave Ramsey say a few days ago that over the course of the past 38 years there have been 10 major economic down turns that have resulted in a loss in the markets value of 10% or more. 100% of them, 10 out of 10, of the down turns, turned around the very next year with average gains equaling 34%. If our market is at the bottom, it may be time to reenter the market and buy low and prepare to sell high. The big question is "if our market is at the bottom?"

2. There needs to be a downsizing of "giants" to make room for new, younger, visionary emerging innovators. Innovation is born in crisis. We are in a crisis. If small or large business, schools, churches, aren't reinventing, down sizing and adjusting, death is certain. If GM and Ford can't make their bottom line black, being the giant of a company that they are, we don't need to bail them out. Let's pour our time, money and attention into innovation and make room for an entrepreneurial car maker to emerge that will make a profit, provide a fair wage (without union intrusion), and put America back on the road to success (sorry for the pun).

Sears and K-Mart had to make room on the stage for Wal-Mart; IBM had to make room for Dell; Microsoft is having to make room for Apple, the traditional church has had to make room for the contemporary church (you knew I would have to bring the church into the blog :) ).

A warning to Wal-Mart, Dell, Apple, contemporary churches, etc.: if you don't stay dynamic and fluid you will become the new "has been." Embrace change for the sake of change.

3. I really, really hope that America will take a serious look at their debt issues through this crisis on a national, corporate and domestic level. When we take two or three serious steps back and take a hard look at what has brought our economy to its knees, it comes down to one four-letter word: DEBT. Too much of life fueled by insatiable greed that causes us to spend money we don't have, on things we don't need, to impress people we don't like.

I enjoy my freedom as a country but I really enjoy it as an individual. I don't want to be anybody's slave, but when we live in debt we become a slave to the one who is our lender (Prov 22:7). No longer can we get up every day and go to work because we want to, because it's our calling, but we must because of debt. It's like the revised song of the seven dwarfs (politically correct: "seven vertically challenged men") might sing: "I owe, I owe, its off to work I go...I owe, I owe, I owe."

Rise up, entrepreneurials, with a respect for God and a sense of sound financial stewardship, and lead us forward.