Post Category → Economy

Question & Thought for 18 August 2016!

Question & Thought for 18 August 2016!
Good Thursday Morning!
1. Question – Would it help to categorize your economic choices?
2. Thought – The first step in understanding economics is to learn why choices are necessary?
Like everyone else, you are constantly in the middle of an unavoidable predicament caused by two contradictory ideas: insatiability and scarcity. Insatiability means that everyone has unlimited wants.
If you were to write down everything you could possibly desire, the list would help to illustrate this idea of insatiability. How long would it take you to complete your list? An hour? A day? A year? Fifty years?
Consider the things that might go on your list. First, you would list the basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing: but then it would quickly become a list of wants: what kind of foods would you want? This part of the list alone could take years to complete. What about shelter? Would you really be content with basic shelter when you could have a mansion? Would you be happy with just one mansion when you could have one at the lake and one in the mountains? How about one (or several) in each major city of the world? Next is clothing. No sooner would you finish your immense clothing list than it would require rewriting, because tastes, preferences, and styles change.
The second concept in the predicament is scarcity. To the economist scarcity does not mean that everything is in short supply. Rather, it means that everything is finite, or limited in quantity.
There are only so many hours in a day, so many dollars in circulation, so many tasks that one may perform at any given time, and so many barrels of oil on earth. We say, therefore, that time, money, labor, and natural resources are scarce or limited in quantity.
When insatiability and scarcity combine, choices become necessary.
The dilemma of scarcity and choice is such a fundamental idea in economics that it has become the underlying theme of every economic concept. Indeed, even the word economics implies scarcity and choice. The word economics is the product of two Greek words: oikos (OY kahs), which means house, and nomas (NAH mahs), which means administration of. (Economics by Alan J. Carper)
“It is better to deserve without receiving, than to receive without deserving.” (Robert G. Ingersoll)
rem – I had no knowledge that I had no knowledge.
Question & Thought & ANDs.

Question & Thought for June 6th, 2016

Question & Thought for June 6th, 2016
Good Monday Morning – Anyone for Karl Marx today? (1818-1883)
1. Question – Has there ever been or will there ever be a time of no conflict in any aspect of life?
2. Thought – Marx tirelessly studied the philosophical and economic ideas of his day and then meticulously wove the details of his own beliefs. His bitter atheistic outlook on life centered on the ongoing conflict of society. Marx agreed with the then popular Hegelian thought that society continuously developed two antagonistic groups of people who would conflict. The conflict would become a revolution that would bring these groups together into a new society. That society would eventually split into two groups destined to conflict. Seeing around him the upper classes (or bourgeoisie) and the lower classes (or proletariat), he believed that these groups would come into conflict because of their differences in wealth and living conditions. But he set forth his own opinion that man could change this pattern of history by using the conflict of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat to usher in an enlightened society. Marx’s new harmonious society would strive for the betterment of all people by taking “from each according to his ability” and giving “to each according to his need.” All greed would then be overcome in this setting in which society owns all things in common. Marx called this utopian communism. (Economics for Christian Schools by Alan J. Carper)
“Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.” (Proverbs 23:4)
rem – I had no knowledge that I had no knowledge.
Question & Thought & ANDs.

Question & Thought for May 15th, 2016!

Question & Thought for May 15th, 2016!
Good Sunday Morning!
1. Question – Do you love money and have enough?
2. Thought – Being Choked by Wealth
TGIF Today God Is First
Sunday, May 08 2016

“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income….” – Ecclessiastes 5:10

Workplace believers are especially susceptible to a trap in their spiritual lives – one to which others may not be so susceptible. That trap is wealth. Scripture tells us that if we are having our basic needs met for food and clothing, we are considered to have riches. Jesus cautioned us against living a lifestyle that required more than our basic necessities. However, it is clear that Jesus was not against wealth, but against a dependence on wealth. Jesus continually taught that a dependence on anything other than God was evil. Whenever Jesus determined that money was an issue for an individual, He addressed it and found that the individual could not let go. This was true for the rich young ruler. When talking about what he must do to inherit the Kingdom, Jesus told him to do the one thing that would be the most difficult – to give away his wealth and follow Him.
Jesus was not saying this was what every person must do, only the rich young ruler, because Jesus knew this was his greatest stumbling block. For others of us, it could be something else Jesus would ask us to give up (see Mt. 19:16-30).
Much like the frog in the boiling pot, if we are not careful we gradually begin to acquire and walk the treadmill of material gain. Those around us begin to expect more and more. Soon we begin expanding our lifestyle. Before we know it, we are worrying about how to take care of what we acquire. Our emphasis becomes what we own versus our relationship with Jesus and His Kingdom.
The greater independence money gives us, the less dependence on God we need. Christ talked much about money in the Kingdom because He knew how much of a problem it was. This is why we have so few who are bearing 100, 60, or 30 times what is sown.
Do you have the same hunger for God that you once had?  Ask Him to keep you hungering for more of His presence in your life.

rem – I had no knowledge that I had no knowledge.
Question & Thought & ANDs.

Question & Thought for April 30th, 2016!

Question & Thought for April 30th, 2016!
Goodbye April!
1. Question – Who is the largest single owner of real estate in the world?
2. Thought – McDonald’s today is the largest single owner of real estate in the world, owning even more than the Catholic Church. Today, McDonald’s owns some of the most valuable intersections and street corners in America, as well as in other parts of the world.
“What business am I in?” Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s asked, once the group had all their beers in one hand.
“Everyone laughed,” said Keith. “Most of the MBA students thought Ray was just fooling around.”
No one answered, so Ray asked the question again. “What business do you think I’m in?”
The students laughed again, and finally one brave soul yelled out, “Ray, who in the world does not know you’re in the hamburger business.”
Ray chuckled. “That is what I thought you would say.” He paused and then quickly said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am not in the hamburger business. My business is real estate.” (Rich Dad – Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki)
“All men having power ought to be distrusted.” (James Madison)
rem – I had no knowledge that I had no knowledge.
Question & Thought & ANDs.