MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I wanted to extend my deepest and most sincere blessings to you and your family this Christmas.  I pray that you are blessed and that this year-end time brings you closer to God who through His son, Jesus brought salvation to all that desire it.

I pray that readers gain a real relationship with, rather than an intellectual understanding of their Savior.

I began preparing for the year-end wrap up yesterday and as I reflected on the blog I couldn't help realize what a hard year this was for me personally due to family illness issues and professionally thanks to the Fed and also President Obama's healthcare law.  I have grown up a lot this year and have had so many great opportunities to make hard choices.  Fortunately, I was able to make many of them correctly, but could not have done it without input from God, family, friends, and physicians.  I am very blessed.

As I'm typing this Christmas morning and my family is taking a break in their present opening, I wanted to wish you so many great blessings this year.  Know that I am praying for each of my clients (I do daily) and for the folks that stop by and read this blog.  

The coming year is going to be just as nutty I feel, thanks be to God that I have faith.  I've questioned so many times how bleak life would be without a belief that there is something more, something greater, and something for which there is a purpose.  How hard a life this would be without Jesus!  And thank God that those Mayans ran out of rocks!  Please look for a year-end wrap up and outlook for 2013 coming soon.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

GOATMUG

Goatmug is an investor that cares about you and your family. Goatmug's Blog - Financial Perspectives From The Mountain Top is a collection of thoughts on our economy and how it impacts the lives of investors and average people. While several specific investments are named in many of his posts, these articles are simply invitations for you to do your own research and reference to these securities does not constitute financial advice. Your situation is complex and unique and you should seek professional assistance with your trading and investing. Please visit Goatmug and share your comments athttp://www.goatmug.blogspot.com/

INDEPENDENCE DAY - DECLARING FINANCIAL FREEDOM

I wanted to wish you a very happy Independence Day.  I pray that you have a very special time with family and friends and that you take time to reflect on the blessing that it is to live in America and to be an American. 

As many of you know I often lament about how being an American is changing and that we are losing the key traits that have made us a great nation.  Despite these fundamental losses we are still a wonderful nation comprised of amazing people.  We are still a nation that largely recognizes that Jesus is our sovereign king and we have a history that can only be explained by understanding that a supernatural being had a hand in making things work out "just right".  Without that direction, there is no way that the United States could have formed. 

Having recognized these things, I want to challenge you to make this year a year of freedom and independence.  Freedom and independence from what you may ask?  Plainly, we must declare freedom from financial bondage.  I don't write this as one that has claimed victory over these things although I do a solid job most of the time.  I challenge you to look at the compulsions that drive your purchases of many items and identify your real needs and the motivations behind the outlay of hard earned cash.

I live in an area of absolute affluence.  When I take my children to school, they are surrounded by homes that cost in excess of $1.5M per house.  My children play with kids that have parents that are CEOs and executives of large oil and technology companies.  In other words, my family lives in a fantasy land.  No matter who you are, when you live in this environment, it is difficult to have a realistic view of life and not have your point of view shifted to this alternate reality.  I admit although I love my home and believe it is perfect for my family, I often see these mansions and think, "we could live there, why don't we make it work".  Well, the reason we don't make it work is that in my state, property taxes for homes like this would be at least $30,000 a year!  That is a deal killer for me, but more importantly I need to examine the feelings and desires in me that make me contemplate such a drastic move given how wonderful my situation is currently.

Presently, we live in an incredibly small neighborhood where everyone knows each other.  We love all of our neighbors.  My kids have kids their age right behind our house and we have a connecting gate where they can play at any time.  We can easily pay all over our utilities, mortgage, and taxes with half a month's salary from my spouse.  Our home was completely renovated several years ago, so we have no maintenance issues.  In other words, we are really blessed.

So, we come back to questions about why we would even consider moving, and the answer is simply that we have been programmed to want more and believe we need more when all of our needs have been completely met.  The next step in this path of deception would be to believe that I deserve more and therefore should act to change my circumstances.  Unfortunately, if I followed this path to completion,  there would be terrible consequences including stress, resentment, and fear.  We would be signing up for debt bondage that could be terrible for our family.  It is so important to recognize the destruction this kind of move would make and quell these desires that might jeopardize my family's financial position and happiness.  In my opinion, we need to combat the noise of society and the internal justifications to make wise choices.

To wrap up, please think about the areas in your life where you make financial decisions that don't make sense and are based on thoughts that you deserve possessions and are really not necessary.  Think through experiences of regret and damaged relationships because you had to have a car or home and acted to meet those desires.  One of my favorite authors, Patrick Morely wrote, "We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like".

Today on the 4th of July I declare independence from thoughts that I don't have enough and that I need something better or bigger to make me happy.  I declare that I will breakout of the thought process that says I deserve things and that once I have them they will somehow complete me.  I declare that I will use my excess resources to bless others and work to enlighten them about the trap of financial bondage so they too can experience freedom.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

GOATMUG

Goatmug is an investor that cares about you and your family. Goatmug's Blog - Financial Perspectives From The Mountain Top is a collection of thoughts on our economy and how it impacts the lives of investors and average people. While several specific investments are named in many of his posts, these articles are simply invitations for you to do your own research and reference to these securities does not constitute financial advice. Your situation is complex and unique and you should seek professional assistance with your trading and investing. Please visit Goatmug and share your comments at http://www.goatmug.blogspot.com/

TIME FOR A RESPONSE

WHAT CAN WE DO?
While this post is somewhat off topic in terms of economics, I find it noteworthy that many will only turn to God when they are enduring such hardship and pain that they are forced to cry out for help from above.  We are currently living in times where people are without hope and looking for anyone or anything that can assist them.  It is obvious that our political leaders do not have the answers and its even true that regular folks don't have the answers.  My personal view is that only Jesus is willing and able to save us (spiritually and physically).

THE RESPONSE

On August 6th from 10 AM to 5 PM Christians from the nation and the world will gather together to respond to a call to fall at the feet of Jesus fast and repent, exalt His name, and worship the risen Lord.  Please watch the video and click the links below for more information.


The Response Promo from The Response USA on Vimeo.


http://theresponseusa.com/

If you plan on attending, contact me via email and let me know, I am planning on going to Texas for the event.  If you have questions about Jesus, prayer, or fasting, please contact me as well.

GOATMUG

HAPPY EVERYTHING? GREETING CARD THOUGHTS

Ok, I want to apologize now if you sent Goatmug and the kids one of these, but as I am sitting here on Christmas Eve it is important for me to simply vent.

Yesterday I opened the mail and found to my pleasure a stack of cards wishing my family well during the Christmas season.  Believe it not, this is one of my favorite things to do in November and December.  I get excited to see family pictures of friends and clients and see how they are changing, how much their kids have grown, and the cool locations they choose as a background for the photos.  My heart was warmed by getting to see at least 10 of these yesterday. 

As I opened two of the cards though I was disturbed by the message of the greeting.  Emblazoned at the top was "HAPPY EVERYTHING".  Personally, I am a pretty happy guy as I'm a glass half full optimist (unless looking at business plans and small business projections for sales-they are always too optimistic).  I'm not sure if I need someone to wish me to have a happy everything..... whatever that is.  The Goat has a deep faith in Jesus Christ and as you know believes that Christ is my Savior.  Given that, you can imagine that I feel strongly that the Christmas Season is really about the birth of risen Lord!

So, in this age of "everyone is offended", am I offended?  No, Goat is simply just struck by the notion that we as a people and nation have become so sensitive to the overwhelming potential to offend others that we go out of our way to neuter anything special or unique in our own lives, faith, or identity.  In fact, we are so cognizant of the fact that others might be offended that we censor and eradicate any outward signs of our very own lives, faith, or identities.
Now, I understand the motivations behind both of the people that sent the cards yesterday.  In the first instance, the lady is a realtor and she is a very business savvy lady.  Clearly her objective is to keep us in our minds and say hello, but since she sends that card to hundreds of folks, her strategy is to simply say "Happy Everything" to appeal to everyone.  In my mind she frankly does the opposite.  By appealing to everyone she appeals to no one.

Have you ever seen the movie the Incredibles?  In the movie, the bad guy named Syndrome has a great quote.  He is lecturing our super hero and says, "When everyone is special, no one will be".  And in the case of the cards, I think the realtor is so bland and unoffensive, she becomes unspecial.

The second card I received was sent by a family of non-practicing Jews.  I know that they are sending these cards and attempting not to offend anyone.  But I personally would relish a card from them that proclaimed Happy Hanukkah, not because I'm Jewish, but it would suggest that they were truly ones that identified their faith as a core part of who they were and wanted to share a unique blessing with others.  This special blessing is more meaningful as it were to come from them and would be a message that was truly special.

My family did also receive a neat text message from some old friends that happen to be Turkish Muslims.  Guess what they sent in the text?  You got it, "Merry Christmas".  Can you believe that, one of the folks from one of these "minority groups" sent me a text telling me to have a Merry holiday and actually named it Christmas!  I think that is the pure genius of their simple note.  These people understand that this time is important to me and my family, therefore they sent me a message "in my language".  Were they offended sending it?  Absolutely not.  Am I offended when I speak with my Jewish clients about Yom Kippur, or Hanukkah, what about my Arab clients when I ask about their fasting in Ramadan?  No, I acknowledge their faith and celebrate that unique part of them that makes them different.  My clients love it that I have an understanding of their beliefs and have an interest in them.

So ultimately my point here is that we Christians are entitled to hold dear our beliefs, traditions, and holidays AND express them.  We have the right to proclaim our blessings and wishes just as every Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, or Atheist has to their own holidays.  Many of our original 13 colonies were founded on the basis of the need to celebrate the expressions of our colonists' own religion without the tyranny of those that would suppress it.  While there are forces in the United States that attempt to deny our public expressions of faith (ACLU, etc) while championing the rights of Muslims to pray and express everywhere, the biggest culprit is our own cowing to the loud demands of others to limit the outward signs of our beliefs.  Unlike the colonists that suffered from kings that demanded a certain faith, it isn't a tyrant that is suppressing our religious beliefs it is our own fear of offending that causes us to omit the expression of our faith and our proclamation of it.  Ultimately the eradication of the public expression will lead to the obliteration of the observance and belief in faith in all but the most devout believers.

So as I am off to church to celebrate the birth of Jesus, I wish you a Merry Christmas and I sincerely wish that you fully appreciate the love of the Father who gave His only Son for us as a sacrifice to atone for our sins.  I pray that if you don't have revelation of this love that you ask Him for it.  I have confidence that you will receive it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

GOATMUG   

Initial Blog - Thanks for visiting

My goal in blogging is to create a forum to post my ideas that is easily accessible to friends and family. As many of you know, I watch the commodity, equity, and bond markets daily and actually write up an analysis monthly for my benefit. I actually take the steps to complete a written one page summary to hold myself accountable and to create a track record for myself. It is often easy to recall all of the great calls you make, but we never seem to remember the missteps. Oddly enough in life, we often learn most from our mistakes. The monthly posts will be an easy way for me to compile my analysis and draw longer term conclusions from historical log they create.


My hope is that you will read my comments and analysis and you will avoid loss, make great profit, and constantly learn. Futher, I hope that you can read deeper into the writings and find out who I am and how much I care for you and your family (even if I have never met you). Ultimately, you need to know that I believe that I am called by the Lord, Jesus to act to warn those around me of the dangers in which we live. Many would be shocked to know that our economic system was extremely close to collapsing in 2008 and early 2009. I helped many avoid significant losses during those times and continue to warn that our economic trouble is not over.