James L. Paris's Blog, page 212

Florida Judge Rules Living Off The Grid Is Illegal

Robin Speronis owns a parcel of land in Cape Coral, FL but lives a bit unconventionally. Speronis agreed to do an interview with her local Fox News affiliate about her survivalist lifestyle. Since she is not connected to the local utilities (water, sewage, and electrical), the city issued a notice to vacate. The judge in this case ruled that it is not legal for Speronis to live on her property without being connected to city water. The court also ruled that she can use her alternative power, but her equipment must be approved by the city. 

The Video Below Is From 2014 

 

Speronis represents a growing number of individuals that have chosen to live off the grid. In this case, she legally owns the property but is choosing not to connect to the local utilities. She is a blogger and has also published an eBook about her off the grid lifestyle.  What makes this case unique is that Speronis has chosen to pursue her survivalist lifestyle within a traditional residential neighborhood, rather than occupying a more rural location.

While I understand that local cities must maintain reasonable standards, there should be a process by which someone such as Speronis can obtain a variance (if she is not polluting or causing harm to her neighbors). I can't completely endorse what she is doing, however, which reportedly includes improperly disposing of her sewage waste. According to public records, Speronis was a real estate broker but with a checkered past. State records show her license was revoked in 2012 and that she is also a convicted felon.  Speronis may not represent the best poster child for the cause of off the grid living, and frankly I would not want to live next door to her outpost (I don't care for the smell of raw sewage).

Helping you make the most of God's Money!

  James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio   

Unlimited Talk And Text For Just $10 Monthly

I had to look twice at this to to believe it. Yes, unlimited talk and text for just $10 monthly. You really wonder why people keep paying so much for cell phone service when deals like this are available. Another way to save money when setting up this service would be to buy a used compatible phone from Amazon. Just as other carriers do, Republic requires that you buy a phone programmed for their network. The phones are very nice, but there is no reason to pay full price for a new one when you can save half or more buying one used.

There is another interesting option available for just $5 monthly - a WiFi only phone. With free WiFi becoming so widely available, this might be a viable option for some people. For just $5 monthly, it would also be a great way to establish a separate phone number for a home based business. It would also be ideal for replacing a traditional home phone line for many people as well. A WiFi phone could be shared within a home as sort of a 'community' line. This could avoid the need for every child in the family to have their own phone.

Click here for more information on Republic Wireless.

Helping you make the most of God's Money!

  James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio   

The Case For The Resurrection Of Jesus - Gary Habermas

Is there reliable historical evidence that Jesus lived, was crucified, and returned from the dead? An interview that will change your life and erase any doubts you may have about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Gary Habermas, the world's foremost authority on the historical case for the resurrection, joins Jim for a fascinating discussion. How can we know that Jesus really lived? What is the best evidence of his resurrection? How historical evidence supports the biblical account, and more.

Benny Hinn Says A Major Wealth Transfer Coming To Benefit Christians

On this episode Jim shares his thoughts on Benny Hinn's latest message of a transfer of wealth that will benefit Christians. The only catch - to get your share you have to 'sow a seed' into his ministry. Dennis Hastert caught in blackmail scandal after allegations of sex with an underage boy. How many sexual deviants do we have in high positions in our government? Hillary Clinton has a new ultra liberal challenger, Amazon offering free same day delivery in many cities, Snapchat gets $500 million in funding, and Bank Of America fined for unfair debt collection practices.

$20 Million Paid By U.S. Government To Nazis

A report to be released later this week will document more than $20 million dollars of Social Security benefits paid out to suspected Nazis from World War II. Congress unanimously passed legislation in December of last year known as the No Social Security For Nazis Act. 

The law was passed to remedy a longtime loophole, allowing suspected Nazis to keep their Social Security benefits after being deported. The Justice Department would allow such individuals to voluntary relinquish their citizenship and leave the country (and keep their Social Security benefits). Under the new law, anyone losing their citizenship due to involvement in World War II atrocities will not be eligible to receive benefits (the law also affects beneficiary payments as well). It is believed that more than 10,000 Nazis that participated in World War II atrocities came to the United States to hide after the war. 

Helping you make the most of God's Money!

  James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio   

What They Won't Tell You About Fixing Bad Credit

by Robert G. Yetman, Jr., Managing Editor,  The James L. Paris Report

One of the biggest mistakes people make when seeking to improve their credit scores is to focus on ���fixing��� the negative entries that stick out like sore thumbs on a credit report. At an intuitive level, it makes sense to try to mitigate the impact of such items by focusing on them directly���to try to settle old items in collections, or to even challenge the items repeatedly in hopes that they will eventually drop off the report. However, the reality is that negative items are not a good source of your focus; first off, negative items that are accurate���are likely to remain a part of your credit profile for seven years, regardless of what you do. Additionally, attempting to mitigate their effect by deciding to make payments toward an old and impossibly high overdue amount���can actually cause more harm to your credit profile. A much more useful way to spend your time is to develop fresh lines of credit that you maintain in pristine condition, both in terms of payment history, as well as with respect to the underuse of the available credit.

 

In the video webinar presentation Credit Scoring Secrets, available to members of Christian Money Plus, Jim Paris and Bob Yetman discuss the details of what really matters when it comes to getting, and maintaining, good credit. There continues to be a great deal of misinformation floating around about what really counts when it comes to forging a quality credit profile; few people, for example, understand the significant role that debt utilization���the amount of your available, revolving credit that you���re actually using���plays in the determination of one���s credit score. Credit Scoring Secrets reveals precisely what debt utilization is, as well as how it can work both for and against you in the achievement of a high credit score���and this is just one of several key topics covered in this important video. Credit Scoring Secrets is a must-see for anyone interested in being a good steward of his or her own credit, but it is also just one of many webinar trainings available to members of Christian Money Plus; additional webinars cover budgeting, how to find lost money, what to know when buying a house (or even if you should own a home), and much more!

Save $30 This Weekend On An Annual Subscription

Membership in Christian Money Plus always comes with a laundry list of valuable standard features, including access to The James L. Paris Report monthly newsletter (including all past issues), podcasts, the aforementioned personal finance webinar workshops, unlimited email-based Q&A with Jim and his staff on behalf of your financial questions*, and lots more. As a special promotion for this weekend (expiring at midnight on Monday, June 1), new subscribers to Christian Money Plus can purchase an annual membership and receive a $30 discount! Click Here To Take Advantage Of This Offer

* Personalized investment, tax and/or legal advice cannot be dispensed by this service, although general questions about investing and taxes may be addressed.

Christian Books For One Penny

I am sure this headline got your attention and as impossible as it seems, it is 100% true. Let me share with you a hack that can get you tons of books from Amazon for just one penny each. Generally when you do a search for a book category on their site, they won't give you a way to sort by price. This makes it hard to find the one penny books. So, ChristianMoney.com has created a special Amazon One Penny Book Link for you.  Just bookmark this page or the link after you click on it, and you can get to this list any time you need a one penny book deal. Also, note that once you get to Amazon using my special link (above) you can drill down and pick your niche within the Christian category from the right hand sidebar. You will see popular categories like marriage, men's issues, counseling, Women's issues, spiritual warfare, and worship, all for just one penny!

Details On One Penny Books

Almost all of these books will come with a $3.99 shipping charge, but that is still a great deal for a book these days. Some of these are used books, but not all. Many are simply books that were released a year or longer ago and are no longer being sold at full retail. Don't fall into the trap that the only good books that have something great to offer are new ones. I find so many treasures in older books. For example, right now I am reading Chuck Norris' Book Against All Odds. I bought it for just a penny on Amazon (sorry Chuck, please don't beat me up). A great book and a wonderful Christian testimony, and it is a hardcover as well!

Financial Advice For A Penny!

Check it out, all Christian financial books for just one penny! Well, at least if you only pay one penny for financial advice, it does not take much to get a return on your investment. You can even grab a number of my older books for just one penny - James L. Paris One Penny Books!

Penny Books As Gifts And More

This would be a great way to begin or add to your church library. In addition to my own reading, many times I will buy one penny books to give as gifts. If you take a little time and find out a person's hobbies, etc.. you can really make their special day with a book that they will love. A carefully selected book based on a person's interest or favorite author is always a winner. Another thing that you can do is donate your penny books to your church or a local library when you are done reading them (or just pass along to a friend).

Helping you make the most of God's Money!

  James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio   

Build Your Own Laptop For Under $100

I love the new Kindle Fire. For the money, you just can't beat the device (and it does everything a desktop or laptop can do and more). Most people do not fully appreciate that the Kindle Fire is just as powerful as an iPad. I have to tell you, however, that I have always been one to like a keyboard in front of me. I am terrible at texting on my phone, and I am even worse at typing on the screen of an iPad or my Kindle Fire. 

I just discovered that there is a keyboard now available for the Kindle Fire. With everything that you can already do with the Kindle Fire, this truly makes it like a mini laptop. There is even a free word processing app that you can use when typing documents!  One way to make the deal even better is to do a search in the Amazon Warehouse for a discounted Kindle Fire. I also even noticed some discounted Fire keyboards in the Amazon warehouse as well (around $35). 

So, if you go with an open box/used keyboard and Kindle Fire, you can 'build your own mini laptop' for under $100. One note - be careful to be sure that your Kindle Fire is compatible with your selected keyboard (the details on this are pretty clear in the keyboard description).

Helping you make the most of God's Money!

  James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio   

Al Sharpton Asks If Texas Floods Are A Judgment From God

News reports are that at least 34 are dead in the flooding in Northern Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. There are countless others missing. While families grieve the death of loved ones, lost homes, and missing family members, Al Sharpton weighs in on Twitter asking if the storm was 'God's rebuke.' 

There is most definitely a cultural divide in this country. Texas and Texans embody everything that liberals hate. The thought in recent weeks that a military exercise called Jade Helm could actually be an attack by the military against Texas has brought a lot of laughs from liberals. I don't know what to make of Jade Helm, but the idea that a map is being used in the exercise identifying Texas as 'hostile' territory strikes me as way over the line. 

 

Add to all of this that Sharpton appears to be one of President Obama's closest allies, having been to the White House more than sixty times during his term. It all really makes you wonder. Mr. Sharpton, please drop the title reverend. You are neither a gentleman nor a clergyman sir. Wonder when the president will renounce his good friend's statement... not holding my breath.

Helping you make the most of God's Money!

  James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio   

Mike Huckabee And The Search For The Ark Of The Covenant

I read a fascinating article in Mother Jones about a rabbi known as the 'Jewish Indiana Jones.' His name is Harry Moskoff and he has studied biblical archaeology for years in search of the location of the Ark Of The Covenant. For those not familiar with this most significant item in Old Testament history, it is a chest that held the tablets containing the Ten Commandments, and the first scroll of the Torah written by Moses. Moskoff has a book and a movie on the subject.

According to the Bible, the Ark had amazing powers and was associated with numerous miracles, including the defeat of the city of Jericho. The size of the Ark is 52 x 31 x 31 (inches), and is plated in gold. Moskoff believes that the Ark is buried under the courtyard of Solomon's Temple. I found it very interesting to note that many scholars counter that the Ark may be actually hidden in modern day Iraq. 

The Ark Of The Covenant, its mysterious power, and what other secrets it might contain, is the basis for great speculation and countless books. Of course, the movie that comes immediately to mind is Raiders Of The Lost Ark. 

 

How Does Huckabee Play Into All Of This?

Huckabee discusses at length his solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in an interview he did for the book (of which he provided an endorsement as well). He also makes some astute remarks about how archaeology consistently affirms biblical history. Huckabee is right on that, it is amazing how archaeological finds time and again confirm the biblical account. I just don't know how Mike would look wearing one of those Indiana Jones hats on the campaign trail. He is also close friends with Chuck Norris, so as far as his circle of supporters, he may have the most interesting network of all of those seeking the nomination. Maybe the next search should be for the lost emails of Hillary Clinton...

Helping you make the most of God's Money!

  James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio