When thinking about economic development, one has to put themselves in the mindset of site selectors and those local businesses that are considering expansion.  One of the critical factors often evaluated in this process is traffic counts; a business that relies on local clients has to be visible and accessible.  Also, in my role as a banker, I help clients evaluate potential locations, often looking at current and historical traffic count data provided by Kansas Department of Transportation (“KDOT”) to help us make decisions.  In addition to economic development, traffic count information can be helpful to governments in determining where to invest public works dollars.

I have spent a significant amount of time evaluating Fort Scott numbers issued by KDOT and have discovered some interesting trends when comparing 2010 data to that of 2019 (the latest available).  The numbers have to be put in context of what I know about construction projects and events that may have rerouted traffic temporarily.  One also has to look at population trends, which we know have fallen in Fort Scott over the time period considered.

Some observations:

• As one might expect, local streets have experienced a decline in numbers when 2019 data is compared to 2010. The major streets that I considered dropped an average of 8.97%.
• Local streets on the West side of 69 Highway generally saw a larger decline in traffic counts than that of the East side. One might conclude that the population loss we have experienced has disproportionately impacted the West side of town.
• State highway traffic counts, except 54 Highway west of 69 Highway, have steadily risen. The average change over the nine years was 2.77%; knowing that there are fewer Bourbon County residents on the highways, this can only mean that we have more nonresidents driving through our area or coming here for work.
• Only two local streets experienced significant increases in traffic: Indian Road west of 215^th Street and Jayhawk Road east of Liberty Bell Road.  I surmise that increased activity at Lake Fort Scott and ReproLogix, along with more people driving in from Missouri to work in Bourbon County account for those exceptions.  Estimates are that about 1,000 employees in the county commute from another jurisdiction.
• Sales tax collections have steadily increased, which would seem to indicate that more nonresidents are spending money in Bourbon County.

The good news is that the two major state highways continue to increase in traffic count, bringing more people through Bourbon County.  This is an opportunity that can be exploited.  It is a safe assumption that the completion of the widening of 69 Highway all the way into Pittsburg will perpetuate that trend and continue to help us with sales tax collection.

Bourbon County REDI will continue to focus on data that can help our businesses strategize and make us more attractive to new prospects.  We have a much better chance of economic success by staying informed as a community.

Keys to the Kingdom

One of my early memories as a young girl is going to the laundrymat with my Mom. I don’t recall actually helping much, but I watched. I think I subconsciously absorbed a lot of important lessons on how to sort dirty laundry and fold clean laundry. I noticed that some of the ladies folded their towels differently from my Mom and I scratched my head over that. The sorting process was very important if you cared a hoot about the outcome later. Our Sunday-go-to-meetin’ clothes were never washed with Dad’s horse-riding blue jeans. Through the years, I’ve ruined a few items by not properly sorting them before tossing them into the washer. I knew better, but decided to take a risk and do it anyway. Sloppy sorting always comes back to bite me and it’s never worth the gamble.

There’s a lot of brilliant people designing catchy home décor. I bought my daughter a wall hanging that reads, “Laundry today or naked tomorrow.” Although I didn’t buy it, I saw another one I especially liked that read, “Sorting out life one load at a time.“ God is the Master Designer of the Universe and He didn’t create any of us to be spiritually sloppy. We sort out our laundry, so we ought to sort out our lives too. Anything the devil throws into our laundry hamper must be tossed out immediately. Believers need to reevaluate what we’re doing with our lives to see if we’re measuring up to God’s way of being and doing. How we sort today affects the outcome of our life tomorrow.

“Let’s take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus’ name” (Hebrews 13:15 MSG). Believers are to constantly offer up to God a sacrifice of praise. God doesn’t require us to offer the sacrifice of an animal (burnt offering) anymore. Jesus took care of the sin sacrifice once and for all. God petitions our praise which is thankfully acknowledging who He is and bringing glory and honor to His name.

All believers are walking-talking billboards. It costs money to advertise something on a billboard, so there’s a type of sacrifice (or cost) to living a holy life for God. What exactly are we advertising with our daily lives? Are we sorting out the rotten from the excellent and bearing good fruit? It’s not totally about how we act or respond during the church gathering. It’s how we conduct ourselves on our jobs, at the grocery store, restaurant, post office, court house, gas station, family reunions, etc. Everywhere we go, we’re advertising that we’re either good or bad at sorting out life.

God’s Word is the best laundry-sorting manual. His Word is tried and true and can be completely trusted. On the other hand, Satan can’t be trusted any further than you can throw him down the laundry chute. He only knows how to deceive, lie, steal, kill, and destroy your life. Anything he has to offer is ripped, stained, and not your size no matter how you try to put it on.

When believers offer our lives as a living sacrifice to God because we truly love Him, we bring him the honor and glory He deserves. Our sacrifice of holy living and praise is our testimony of Who God is. It’s worth the cost and there’s no gamble involved.

The Key: Believers live one day at a time and sort life’s laundry one load at a time.

I had little exposure to the academic discipline of economics before college, and I suspect that is case with most individuals today, given the opinions and ideas put forth by politicians and the public alike.  Accordingly, here are seven quotes by experts that contain timeless economic truths as a reminder of who we are, and from whence we came:

1)      “Capitalism is a system that begins not with taking but with giving to others.”  George Gilder.  The business person makes money by giving the consumer a product or service that they need or like; socialism begins by taking resources from the citizenry.

2)      “Nothing contributes so much to the prosperity and happiness of a country as high profits.” David Ricardo.  Prosperous businesses create a higher tax base, more research and development, better services, abundant charity, a better quality of life, and culminates in greater happiness for more people.

3)      “Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state.  They forget that the state lives at the expense of everyone.”  Frederic Bastiat.  Government has no money; the money they spend is by confiscation or debt.  Who spends the money more efficiently, the people who earned it, or the people who took it?

4)      “Differences in habits and attitudes are differences in human capital, just as much as differences in knowledge and skills – and such differences create differences in economic outcomes.”  Thomas Sowell.  No amount of income redistribution can create equality of outcomes; it only creates resentment.  Equal opportunity should be the goal.

5)      “If history could teach us anything, it would be that private property is inextricably linked with civilization.” Ludwig Von Mises.  The ownership of private property ensures dignity and freedom, not greed.  Who is greedier, the one who earns money to buy, or the one who confiscates it?

6)      “The free market system is not a system; it is not something that Washington implements.  It does not exist in any legislation, law, bill, regulation, or book.  It is what you get when people act on their own, entirely without central direction, and with their own property.” Jeffrey Tucker.  Nobody invented capitalism.  It is natural result of people’s desire to live in community and provide for their basic human needs.

7)      “Under capitalism, man oppresses man, but under socialism, it is the other way around.” Russ Roberts.  Humans make bad choices.  No system of government or economics can change that.

These quotes were compiled by Prager University (www.prageru.com); the editorial comments are mine.  Prager University is not an accredited university, but a not-for-profit information website with contributions by Democrats, Republicans, Independents and people from many religions and races.  Their five minute videos can also be found on YouTube.

Bottom line: our society functions better when free people work for profit by serving the needs and wants of others.  Additionally, society functions better when free people keep themselves informed.  These principles created the greatest economic engine in human history; let’s not lose it due to our own ignorance.

Proverbs 2:2-5: … making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; … if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.                                                                                                                                                                                         

At my granddaughter-in-law’s baby shower, Sonya joined us at our table.  We introduced ourselves and asked how she knew the mother-to-be. She was an open book, energetic and delightful.

As part of our conversation, she mentioned living with her daughter, son-in-law and three grandkids which somehow morphed into an in-depth discussion about her Ecuador mission trips with her husband.

She had no idea when she was going back because her spouse died of COVID last year, and it wouldn’t “be the same without him.”  We sat there, stunned.

I asked questions about her husband’s death and heard details that brought tears to our eyes.  Once he went into the hospital, she never saw him alive again.

Later on, Sonya and I had time alone.  I asked more questions but heard something I never expected.

Her husband worked for the post office but never believed in the tax system, so for 12 years he refused to pay what he owed the government.  He spent what he made, had no life insurance, no I.R.A. or bank account, no hidden surplus of cash.

Sonya had worked in day-care but never made enough to pay the bills. Soon after her husband’s funeral, she learned that she would have to sell her house to avoid foreclosure.

Her daughter and son-in-law bought her home and allowed her to live with them.  She had her car, her clothes and nothing else.

Sonya had been told that if she worked, the government would be the first recipient of what she made.  Was it worth it?  She would end up with very little cash.

I sat, shocked at what I was hearing, praying for the opportunity to tell her that she needed to pay back her debt. Lord, help me, I said silently, but all I said aloud was, “And you weren’t angry?”

“I was livid.  I had nightmares about him.”  Sonya continued by saying that the month before this baby shower, she went to lunch with a Christian friend with whom she shared her anger by saying, “I don’t want to pay for someone else’s debt.  It’s just not fair.”  Taking her hand, the friend replied, “You mean, what Jesus did for you?”

Wow!  It never crossed my mind to express my thoughts the way Sonya’s friend did.  The words pierced Sonya’s soul, and she knew it was a message she needed.  No matter what it took, if it was right for Jesus, it was right for her.

At the end of our conversation, Sonya and I hugged, and I left her with words of encouragement.  I told her to approach the women’s ministry leader at her church and ask to address a women’s group to share her testimonial.  She definitely had the personality, and there were so many life lessons that every woman needed to heed:

1.  Understand your family finances, and never allow your spouse to  convince you to be involved in illegal activity.

2.  Educate yourself so that you are self-sufficient, should the need arise.

3.  Pray for a Christian friend who gives godly counsel.

4.  Love Jesus enough to follow his lead, even when it costs you something.

Sonya was excited about the possibility of using her tragedy to help someone else.  Her transparency allowed for this to happen…even if it did take a little extra prodding to get her there.  My prayer was answered…just not the way I expected.

Keys to the Kingdom

I’ve blazed an easy-to-follow trail from California to Missouri to Kansas for the past 64 years. On my last birthday, I was required to renew my driver’s license. I understand the need for rules, regulations, stipulations, and statutes, but jumping through all those flaming hoops nearly caught my clothes on fire! I presented my California birth certificate, Missouri marriage license, Kansas driver’s license, social security card, and homeowner’s insurance bill as required. Several days later, I was pleased to receive my new driver’s license with a gold star in the upper right-hand corner. I had to go through a lot of red tape to prove I was who I’ve always been. What’s funny is that the day I renewed my license I had a really good hair day, so my photo doesn’t even look like me!

Before Jesus came, God instituted a strict religious system of laws and statutes for burnt offerings, grain offerings, food and drink offerings,  peace offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, etc. “Under the Old Covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11 NLT). The old sacrificial system that was implemented in Leviticus ended the moment Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the law for sin offerings.

As a contemporary Christ follower, I’m truly thankful to be living under the new and better covenant. “Then He said, ’Look, I have come to do Your will.’ He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. …our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (Hebrews 10:9,10,12 NLT). All the arduous red tape with offering animal sacrifices was abolished and replaced with the one perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Once and for all, the shedding of Jesus’ blood marvelously redeemed us to live completely free in Christ. Hymnist Elisha A. Hoffman asks the question, “Are you washed in the blood, in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”

When Jesus gave up His spirit on the cross, something miraculous happened in the Temple. “At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom“ (Matthew 27:51 NLT). God’s plan of salvation under the new  covenant was literally made visible when the curtain split open. Direct access to God was made possible only through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The requirement to jump through the hoops of sacrificial sin offerings was declared null and void.

How should we live in proper response to God’s loving mercy and Jesus’ supreme sacrifice? In Romans Chapter 12, Paul encourages believers to surrender ourselves to God and be His sacred living sacrifices. He admonishes us to live in holiness and stop imitating the ways and opinions of the culture around us. Consecrating our lives in total commitment to God should be our heart’s desire. “For God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20 NLT).

The Key: Thanks to Jesus, believers can let out a victory whoop instead of jumping through hoops.

I have relatives that live in Georgia who want to move back to their home state of Kansas to retire, but are taken aback by the additional taxes they must pay for the privilege of living here.  I have been providing them with data on the tax rates of different counties.  They cannot justify the additional $200,000+ in taxes it would take to live here over the course of their retirement just to be closer to family.

The Tax Foundation, Inc. (www.taxfoundation.org) calculates state rankings by taking the taxes paid for all purposes across the state and dividing by the number of residents to come up with a statewide number; Federal taxes are excluded.  They have been accumulating and reporting this data since 1937.  They report that Kansas ranked 20th out of the 50 states at $5,185 per person, according to the latest data from 2018.  Parsing the data between state and local taxes made no difference in our ranking.

Tax collections of $11,311 per capita in the District of Columbia surpass those in any state. The three states with the highest tax collections per capita are New York ($9,829), Connecticut ($8,494), and North Dakota ($7,611). The three states with the lowest tax collections per capita are Tennessee ($3,286), Alabama ($3,527), and South Carolina ($3,705).

Kansas ranks worst among all the surrounding states, except Nebraska, which ranks 17^th and collects about $179 per person more than we do.  The best ranked state is our area is Oklahoma at $3,850 per person, earning them a ranking of 45^th; Missouri is not far behind at 41^st.

The first comparison that potential new residents consider is the cost of property taxes on houses; I don’t have to tell you that we fail that comparison miserably.  One can only conclude that the cost of government for all purposes inside our state boundaries is too high.

The good news for Kansas is that we are number two on the list of the Cost of Living Index, as compiled by the Council for Community & Economic Research; only Mississippi had a lower cost of living.  Of our Midwest neighbors, Oklahoma is 4^th and Missouri is 7^th.  For highly taxed Nebraska, the news is not as good, as they were ranked 19^th of the 50 states.

If Kansas and Bourbon County want to promote economic development, we need to address this issue.  If we can’t convince relatives who were born and raised here to come back for retirement, what chance do we have with those who have never lived here?  Local governments must look at ways to cooperate across jurisdictional lines to share resources and save expenses.  It is the only way I can see that will give us the opportunity to lower taxes while not making drastic cuts to services.  It is imperative for us to take action unless we want to continue to divide the increasing cost of government services amongst a declining population base well into the future.

I recently read that Alice Roosevelt had said of her dad, Theodore, “Father always had to be the center of attention. When he went to a wedding, he wanted to be the bride. When he went to a funeral, he was sorry he couldn’t be the corpse.”

Last week I wrote about our obsession with Selfies, only to later discover that the average person takes more than 450 selfies per year. I’m not one of those people.  Why would I want to spend hours posing to perfect a snapshot no one would recognize?  Too, do you know how hard it is to hold your phone at the exact angle above your head in order to disguise facial/neck imperfections while somehow managing to press the photo button?

Really, really hard.

There are few things as narcissistic as the Selfie.  Defined as “love of self,” the term  “narcissistic” comes from a Greek myth about a studly young hunter, Narcissus.  On a walk one day, he saw his own image in a pool; not realizing it was a reflection, he fell in love with what he saw and stared at his likeness until he died.  Now, we might read that and think it absurd, but research shows that more people die each year taking Selfies than from lightning strikes.

Apparently, some people are dying to be valued.  (I know, not funny.)

The “It’s all about me” philosophy goes back to the Garden of Eden.  (Then again, doesn’t everything?) The majority of us probably have encountered self-absorbed people.  Conversations are focused on them and their needs/wants.  They have no interest in asking questions about you because you have nothing to offer.  They are louder, more boisterous, more demanding and certainly not humble.  They depend on people noticing them and glorifying them.

Today, a friend shared a story that speaks to these kinds of people.  An airline had to cancel a flight and asked all the passengers to go to the customer service counter to be rescheduled.  Naturally, people weren’t too happy about this inconvenience, but one man was particularly irritated.  Stepping ahead of all of the other customers, he announced that he “had” to get on the next flight.  The agent told him to go to the end of the line and wait like every other passenger.  His response?  “Don’t you know who I am?”

Without missing a beat, the airline employee picked up her microphone, pressed a button and addressed everyone in her area.  “There is a gentleman standing in the customer service line who doesn’t know who he is.  Please take a close look at him.  If you recognize him, please tell him who he is.”  After shouting a stream of expletives, the man was told by the smiling agent, “And that, Sir, definitely sends you to the back of the line.”

Folks, you and I were made for glory…just not our glory.  We were made to glorify God and him alone.  Not His creation, no matter how spectacular it might be.  Not in others who, as Scripture says, “all fall short of the glory of God.”  And certainly not ourselves…no matter how awesome we think we are.  Paul makes that clear in his letter to the Philippians (2:3-4): Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others.                   

Selfies, take note.

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I don’t know how to crochet and I don’t think I want to try to learn at this point. However, I truly appreciate the beauty and talent represented in crocheted items. Both my mom and mother-in-law crocheted afghans for us in the early 1980s and I still cherish them. I can only make potholders with those stretchy-nylon weaving loops and they‘re too little to keep me warm.

In Old Testament times, it was a disgrace for a wife to be childless. Hannah had been incapable of conceiving a child for several years. Her husband Elkana tried to comfort her with these words, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8 ESV).  She was too sweet and gracious to answer aloud, but she probably thought, “Nope.”

Because she was barren, Hannah was in the temple of the Lord at Shiloh weeping bitterly, deeply distressed, and praying for a baby boy. Her prayer was so fervent that Eli the priest wrongly assumed that she was drunk. She woefully explained that she was troubled in spirit and simply pouring out her soul to the Lord. Eli then responded, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to Him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad” (1 Samuel 1:17,18 ESV).

Hannah received peace and believed that her prayer would be answered. We might say she left the temple with a photo of her baby in the picture frame of her heart.  She entered the temple in an inconceivable physical condition, but she left conceiving (in her mind) a baby of her own. In reality, Hannah entered and exited the temple in the same physical condition, but her heart had made a radical turnaround. She traded her sad face for a happy face, and exchanged anxiety for peace. Hannah quit acting like she’d lost her last best friend and started crocheting a blue baby afghan. In due time, she conceived and delivered a baby boy with joy.

Hannah is a sterling example of an individual shaking off the mulligrubs. Her  emotional pain drove her to seek help from Jehovah-Jireh (the God who provides).  Mothers must remember it’s not our responsibility to worry and fret, or try to play God by taking into our own hands situations that should be left to Him alone. But it is our responsibility to cast our care upon Jesus, trust Him, and pray without worry. Hannah received into her heart what Eli said, and believers need to receive what God says through His Word. There are thousands of promises in the Bible, and if we’ll truly believe them, we can live joyfully as a child of the King.

Hannah illustrates the nature of faith as taught in the New Testament. She was utterly  convinced that God answered her prayer as she left the temple. Jesus said, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NLT). Hannah was no longer sad, even though there was no hard evidence that her petition was granted. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT).     

The Key: Mothers who pray in faith are teaching their children to trust God.

Community Foundation

Bourbon County is fortunate to have one of only three community foundations in Southeast Kansas; the other two are in Crawford County.  In 2007, a number of citizens of our county had the foresight to establish The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (“FSACF”) in order to encourage long-term investments in our area.  Since then, the organization has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to schools, governments and charities all across Bourbon County, thanks to the vision of a number of donors.

What is a community foundation?  The purpose is to create legacy investments in a city, county or region by accumulating donations, investing those dollars, and awarding grants based on the return on the investments.  While donations of all sizes are accepted and appreciated, the FSACF also provides a path for individuals who have accumulated assets over a lifetime of hard work to make a planned gift that will benefit the community they love long after they are gone.

You might ask, “Why accumulate these dollars; why not donate the money as it comes in?”  The answer is ongoing growth and building a legacy that continues well into the future.  Some donors choose to have the principal preserved, and then direct how the annual interest that is earned will be used.  Those donations allow the FSACF to support our community for many years to come; it is designed for the long-term.

During the annual grant process, the FSACF provides funds to help multiple community organizations meet the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. Truly, some of those grants are working to change lives every single day in Bourbon County.

In addition to those grants, perhaps one of the most important roles of the FSACF is collaboration.  We are more effective when governments, charities, businesses and individuals work together to solve problems and fill needs.  FSACF looks to create partnerships that pull all these elements together into a program that can address significant quality of life issues such as housing and parks.

I am so glad that many organizers and donors of every stripe loved our community enough to make the investment of their time, talent and treasure on a volunteer basis to FSACF.  This type of collaborative effort is impressive; it gives credibility to our community and helps put us on the economic development map.

Dave noticed her from our Mazatlán deck and pointed her out to me.  She, the mother of three youngsters, sat in her lounge chair nearby while her kiddies played in the pool.  For fifteen (15!!!) minutes, she took Selfies, which, statistically speaking, were some of the 93 million taken that day.

First, she checked the sunlight.  Then she twisted sideways.  Swished her hair.  Puckered her lips.  Moved her bangs.  Crossed her legs.  Uncrossed her legs.  Raised her eyebrows. Tossed her head.  Showed her pearly whites.  Closed her mouth.  Turned the other direction and started over.

You name it.  She tried it.  This mother was determined to find one photo that made her look stunning, oblivious to her young kids in the pool. Dave found it fascinating that she was so picky about finding the perfect pose to impress…well, someone. (Perhaps just herself?)

Surely one of the Selfies in the first minute should have done the trick, right? I mean, even I can probably find one picture that makes me look younger, skinnier and sexier quicker than that.                      Okay, I can’t, but you know what I mean.

Talk about self-consumed neediness!  The woman’s search to appear perfect screamed volumes of insecurity. Goodness, she has three children.  If ever an excuse existed to have crows’ feet, eyebags and unruly hair, this was it.  Relish it.  Be empowered by it.  Use it.

Like I do.

But then, for some reason, I started thinking of myself, and yes, I know, that that in itself is a form of neediness.  Haven’t I been known to delete album photos that for some silly reason make me appear 30 pounds overweight?  Or magnify my double-chin? Or show my bald spot?

Yes to all of the above.

But that’s not the worst of it.  Not only am I needy in the physical realm, I’m needy in the spiritual realm even more, even though I want to want (read that again) everything in my life to be about loving God first and looking forward to life with Him in eternity. You know, loving the cross more than the crown.

Don’t I agree with Paul’s writing in 2 Corinthians 5:8? “…we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  Paul would never have taken a Selfie.  His purpose on earth had nothing to do with how he looked to others.  It was all about pleasing Jesus and meeting him face-to-face in Heaven.

I’ve been thinking that someone should invent a Sacred Selfie to reveal our spiritual lives…sort of a wake-up call for Christians who just might need to get into the Son-light to examine their priorities.

Then again, maybe that’s what the Bible is for.

Keys to the Kingdom

I have an outgoing and upbeat personality, but I sure didn’t act like it on my first day of first grade back in 1964. Since kindergarten hadn’t been invented yet, I was venturing into very-scary territory. I was sad and distressed as I entered Mrs. Neill’s room toting my cigar box with a tear on the lid. As I sat at my table waiting for the teacher to begin school, I watched another classmate acting like she was at a party! Patsy was boisterously    interacting with the other kids and having a blast. I couldn’t believe she could act like that in such a traumatic situation. But it was quite obvious her attitude was, “Yippee! Kids to play with, and so many of ‘em all in the same room! This is great!” My attitude was, “Gloom, despair, and agony on me!”

Although Patsy and I were experiencing the same environment, our attitudes were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Attitude is a mindset, outlook, or perspective about something or a particular situation. When we have a set way of thinking (whether right or wrong), it’s reflected in our behavior. I had an attitude of distress and I was completely miserable. Patsy had an attitude of fun and she was as happy as a lark.

God is not honored when His children have bad attitudes. It’s really important that believers have the same attitude as Christ. “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:3-5 NLT). Just as Jesus is willing to go the distance to reach, love, and care for us, we should want to do the same for others.

Having a selfish mindset runs contrary to God‘s purposes and guarantees a life of misery. But those who choose to pursue a Christ-like mindset reap the benefits of an abundant life now and eternal life later. “…those who live by the impulses of the Holy Spirit are motivated to pursue spiritual realities. For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset controlled by the Spirit finds life and peace” (Romans 8:5,6 TPT).

Christ followers are not to live in hopeless confusion like the world. When nonbelievers  close their minds and harden their hearts against God, they’re cutting off their nose to spite their face. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. “…let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (Ephesians 4:23 NLT). When believers fill their minds with life-changing truth from God’s Word, there’s no room for the enemy to fill them with his rotten lies. However, Satan loves it when he finds a lazy believer who’s made no effort to fill his/her mind with God’s Word. An empty head is a lot easier to hoodwink, and the devil is more than happy to oblige.

If our attitude stinks to high heaven, we can make a life-changing decision to fine-tune it or completely overhaul it. Nothing is impossible with God. Our thoughts direct the course of our lives because we act and speak according to what we think. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 NLT). Do yourself a favor, up the ante and get on board with the right train of thought.

The Key: Trade in your old soggy cigar box for a new game-changer attitude.

Over the course of my 42 years in the business world, lending to hundreds of businesses during that time period, I have rarely seen people succeed by accident.  Big success stories are almost invariably preceded by big planning.  Yes, these plans have had to adjust on the fly sometimes, but the fact that people are thinking strategically on an ongoing basis gives them a better chance at meeting their objectives.

That being said, I have seldom encountered effective planning by communities.  Perhaps it is because a 10-year plan seems meaningless to a politician whose term lasts for four years, but it is more likely because it is a herculean effort.  No matter what state, county or city undertakes the process of producing a plan, the project must be undertaken by credible citizens, and the diversity of the whole jurisdiction must be considered.  In today’s world of caustic social media, who among us has any critical mass of credibility left?

Despite these obstacles, the people and communities of Bourbon County must try; if we fail to plan, we are planning to fail every day.  We will all wake up one day and wonder how we have drifted so far away from the best we can be.

Some communities engage outside organizations to drive this process.  I don’t mind the thought of getting a consultant involved to give some guidance, but a third-party who drives the process misses the point of our own community learning to engage one another on a healthy basis and do our own planning on an ongoing basis.

What is involved in a Bourbon County comprehensive plan?  It starts with a solid vision of what we want to look like in 10 years, 20 years, etc.  The vision has to be doable and make sense in context of who we are now, what resources are available, and what we realistically can be; for example, it would not make sense for us to aspire to be the entertainment capital or the Silicon Valley of the Midwest.

Once we have a vision for the county, and every jurisdiction inside the county, we can begin to create processes within realistic timelines, set priorities and allocate resources.  There also needs to be standards and procedures set for reviewing the vision and adjusting it as conditions change or new opportunities present themselves.

Bourbon County REDI will begin discussions of the who, what, when, where, why and how of community planning.  Get ready to be a contributor, not just a social media naysayer.  If you have thoughts and ideas as to how community planning should unfold, we would