Thursday, February 15, 2007

Long Cold Winter and For The Love Of Money

Texas is not known for cold weather. If you look at the median temperature for area it is a lot warmer than a lot of places in the US. That does not mean that it does not get cold once in a while. February is one of those times. Ever since I have lived here, February has been historically the snow, ice, and cold month. So far this month that is holding true. We had ice the beginning of the month and below freezing temperatures many nights and days since then. Yesterday it did not get above freezing and today it appears we will be only a degree or two above that. As I was driving to work, it was spitting snow (nothing will accumulate...it rarely does) making the drive more interesting than normal.

Texas weather is all about extremes. We had one of the driest summers on record last year and so far this year we are having some really cold weather (for this area). We have had more moisture than expected so far this year and I hope that we continue to get above average so we reclaim what we have lost. Global warming? Ha!

Last night I was made aware of an issue that reinforces an opinion (actually a few) of mine.

* "Beautiful people" have as many or more problems than we do.
* Money cannot buy happiness.
* God is in control and until you let him, you are not going to be truly happy.

The story is common. Affluent couple (both are very attractive people), husband makes MAD amounts of money, wife stays at home with child/ren ... wants for no material thing. Big house. Nice car(s). Wife is miserable. Husband admits to having an affair with another woman. Husband has deep-rooted issues from childhood that he takes out on wife. Wife questions her own sanity. Both want changes to be made, neither will take the first UNCONDITIONAL step towards God (Old saying, "let go and let God" comes to mind). Both of them profess to be Christian but it does not appear that Christ is in the center of their life.

I have often wondered what it would be like to wealthy. I have my own fantasies about being debt free, nice vacations, fun cars, guy toys, etc but when I really get into thinking about it and seeing what wealth can do, I cringe. Money is a means in which we survive. It is a tool, nothing more. We use it to acquire the things that we need and want. We control the money...it does not control us. I would rather be poor and happy than wealthy and miserable.

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