In Part 1, I went through the history of how Black men relied on the trades for freedom and how we let those skills go. Now, I want to talk about why I think it’s important for us—and our sons and nephews—to get back to carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, electrical and other trades. If you were … Read more
There’s this lie that says families are better off if both mom and dad work. It’s called the two-income trap. It’s a trap because we set up our lives relying on two incomes, usually to pay debt—then life happens. Someone gets sick or loses their job. Now, we’ve got all these bills and only half … Read more
I only have three allergies: pistachios, cashews, and debt. I had a credit card once in college and messed it up. I dealt with the collection agency harassment and all that junk. Then, I decided that I’m a cash-only girl. That means no car notes, no credit cards, not even lines of credit. Even as … Read more
Charles Mully and his wife gave up everything to care for orphaned children in Kenya
We have been bamboozled. Past generations have told us that the dream is the big house (with a huge mortgage), a fancy job (that stresses us out), and 2.5 kids (that we only see on weekends). This lifestyle is causing conflict in our marriages, ruining our finances, and diminishing our relationships with our kids. Most … Read more
The pandemic showed us that if we continue depending on the food industry and big box stores, we might starve. We saw the empty shelves, the high prices, and the vaccine requirements for restaurants. Part of being a follower of Christ is being set apart from the systems of this world (Ephesians 6). That means … Read more
The world has its own view on how entrepreneurs should grow their businesses. The world says work night and day. Sacrifice everything — your children, your health, your marriage, whatever it takes. Our culture applauds business people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and other foolish rich men with broken families and big bank accounts. Even … Read more
Scripture sets a high bar for men and their roles as providers. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. —1 Timothy 5:8 When we … Read more
One of the ways to keep people out is to make stuff too complicated. That’s how I felt about business finances. It’s complicated for no reason, and only a select few who can do the mental gymnastics of understanding our country’s ridiculous tax code and generally accepted accounting principles can navigate. The problem is that … Read more