Columns/Opinions

   Are you fairly new to investing?
   If so, you may want to consider these suggestions:
   First, become familiar with the essential types of investments, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
   Next, set your goals.
   When do you want to retire?
   Will you help pay for your children’s college education?
   Once you’ve established your goals, you can create an appropriate investment strategy.
   And keep investing.
   You may have to start out small, but you’ll get into the habit of putting money away, and when you earn more, you can boost your investments.
   Here’s another suggestion: Don’t look for “hot” investments that can make you a lot of money in a short time.
   That’s not how real investing works – instead, it’s a decades-long process of carefully choosing, managing and adjusting a diversified portfolio that’s suitable for your individual needs.

   Some of you may be tired of football, but read on. I believe this message is for us all.
   Do you ever feel like you are just surviving, half-way doing everything? I sure do.
   There are many reasons: sin, over commitment, bad habits, being tired, complacency, losing hope, and etc.
   I quickly wrote this Thursday for the football boy’s lockers….raw thoughts. 
   “Your families will arrive early wearing maroon and gold. We will gladly sit in the cold weather to watch you. If it rains, no big deal.
   “We will invite friends, bring bells, and yell so much that come Saturday morning we may not be able to talk.
   “Your little brothers and sisters will cheer for you too, wearing your number. They have talked about you all week at school. They look up to you.
   “Your older siblings wish that they were you again. They would give anything for just one more shot.

   While Israel was camped out, their enemies, the Moabites hired Balaam to curse the nation. Balaam was supposed to go to the top of this place where they could see the outskirts of the nation of Israel.
   While he was on his journey a donkey stopped him. The animal saw an Angel of the Lord with a Sword in its hand, so it did not go any further.
   This donkey saved his life three times.
   The first time was when Balaam made him go forward and the donkey turned off the road into a field.
   The second time Balaam made him continue on the path and the donkey pressed up against the wall and caused Balaam’s foot to be crushed.
   And the final time was when Balaam made her continue on the path, the donkey simply sat down. The donkey sat down so hard that it says she laid down, “under Balaam” (Num. 22:27).
   This must have been why Balaam was so mad. His leg gets crushed then the animal sits on his legs, now he is in even more pain.

   Since I’ve got a weakness for Disney movies, I decided to check out “Frozen 2” during its debut weekend.
   I believe that the film’s message of love is still a driving force in this sequel and it’s a perfect fit as an introduction to the holiday season.
   Frozen 2 it is the sequel to the 2013 film Frozen and features voice cast Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Ciarán Hinds, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, Martha Plimpton, Jason Ritter, Rachel Matthews, and Jeremy Sisto.
   King Agnarr of Arendelle (Molina) tells a story to his young children, Elsa and Anna, that their grandfather King Runeard (Sisto), established a treaty with the tribe of Northuldra by building a dam in the Northuldra’s homeland, the Enchanted Forest.
   Northuldrans are different than the people of Arendelle since they prefer to live in harmony with nature and use elemental magic to do so.

 Paid political announcement by Sheriff Skipper Osborne   

   So, a week or so ago, I got invited to my first-ever “Friendsgiving.”
   And I have to admit that I knew what the event was in passing, but had no idea of its origin or the actual social cues and norms for such an event.
   Especially when it’s got friends with families and small children in it.
   Mostly, I’m alright with kids when they’re a bit more self-reliant and able to feed or use the restroom themselves.
   I’m not so good with toddlers and babies though.
   Hence the reason I don’t’ have any of my own and stick to rescue kittens and cats in that regard.
   But, back to the main point of this column: what is “Friendsgiving?”
      Friendsgiving is a blend of friend and Thanksgiving, and it refers to a large meal eaten with friends either on or near Thanksgiving.
   Now, I was invited by a long-time friend to her Friendsgiving event this weekend and I know a handful of people on the guest list.

   We keep making record highs in the Santa stock market.
It should be noted that bricks and mortar stores, other than Walmart and Target, are not having a good time. 
      Home Depot, while beating earning estimates, forecasts possible concerns next year. 
   That is interesting as housing starts were higher than expected. Hone Depot is legend for conservative forecasts. I can see the logic of constantly beating your forecasts. 
   Few CEOs are taken to task for beating estimates but are punished for falling short of estimates. 
   I still have concerns for bricks and mortar retailing. I have four children and those Amazon boxes arrive at their homes almost daily. 
   I have confined my in-store shopping to HEB, Home Depot, Specs and Academy. 
   I understand a unique in-store experience like the Waterloo in Austin - one of the few stores with CDs and vinyl records and a vast inventory of both. 

   Thanksgiving began when Native Americans and pilgrims shared their bounty of food.
   As you gather with your loved ones this year, perhaps you can think of ways to share not only your dinner, but also your financial bounty.
   For example, if you have young children or grandchildren, consider opening a savings account to help them develop positive financial habits.
   You also might give the gift of education by contributing to a college-savings vehicle, such as a 529 plan.
   And while you may want to be generous during your lifetime, you may also desire to leave something behind.
   Start thinking about ways in which you can share your wealth with the next generation and help them on their way through life.
   One more suggestion: Ask your family for ideas on supporting a charitable organization.
   You’ll be helping a worthy cause while teaching your children about the value of using money to do good in the world.

   One of my beloved co-workers just traveled through a scary experience with her husband.
   He is a young, healthy man.
   One evening recently at home, he began acting oddly.
   After a trip to the ER, the doctors discovered he suffered a heart attack. Further test revealed no blockage.
   The source of the attack was not discovered.
   When he was about to be released from the hospital in Waco, his heart all off of a sudden jumped into “AFib.”
   I learned about this condition years ago with my father-in-law. The real word is atrial fibrillation. When the heart beats irregularly, you call it AFib.
   The heart is electrical. Most folks do not know that.
   Complicated describes the heart. When it is out of whack, the whole body suffers.
   However, we all know the heart means more than to us than just a muscle, a pumping machine.
   Has your heart ever hurt?