“We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert.” –J. Robert Oppenheimer
A tale as sad as any told about a bank during the economic meltdown of the Great Recession. https://www.usbanklocations.com/community-south-bank-19849.shtml To sum up the lesson of this part of the BIMD story: The years of plenty followed by the years of famine. Biblical - as found in Genesis Chapter 41. Wisdom - Git Sum All the … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War – Bank Autopsy
As we take the next step in the story, we arrive at a major theme of life on this planet found in God's Word that continually confounds humanity because people refuse to take incorporate God's Word into their lives. To some readers this scripture and its ramifications may seem harsh and unloving. To others, it … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War – Unequal Yoking
To recap events; we had developed a very successful national small business lending operation that was doing business on Wall Street within a period of 3.5 years from startup working from a rural, historically underperforming state chartered bank in Podunk. We had successfully assisted our industry recover from political malfeasance in a manner that established … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War – The Countdown Begins
As we left the previous part, our Bear Stearns loan buyer had made the overture to the bank owners to buy our division. We had proven our value to a well known Wall Street investment banking company. The owners green lighted their review of our operations after confidentiality/non-disclosure agreements were executed. Legally representing our side … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War – Greed Revealed
It's time to move this story forward toward its conclusion, especially with "banking" and an economy that is spiraling downward in the news. My world was becoming one big adrenaline rush at work every week. The weekends with family, friends and church were all that kept me grounded. Over fifteen years later I still hate … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War -White Knuckle Time
There are those times when we look back and wonder what happened to somebody or something. The Katrina relief effort was a life changing eye opener. As a follow-up I thought it would be good to focus on a couple of people and what we all learned before charging into Goober Gump's next adventure. But … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War Katrina Finale & Looking Forward
Ms. Ruth led me inside her cramped trailer. She kept it spotless, but had to stack boxes of personal items wherever she could find space. Her church had volunteers who maintained it for her. It was so small and not her home. We sat at the kitchen table and drank some lemonade to cool down. … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War – Ms. Ruth, Katrina & Life Lessons, Part Two
There once was this devout Christian widow from the Deep South who taught a bunch of worker bees from other parts of the country what helping others really meant. She provided a powerful witness of goodness, grace and Christian faith. Believer or non-believer, if you did not come out positively impacted by your experiences with … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War – Hurricane Katrina and Elsie “Ruth” Dixson; Part One
Faith. James said,"You have not because you ask not." (James 4:2-3). This verse is from the letter James sent to the twelve tribes of the early Christian churches to bring truth and wisdom from the Lord. James was all about the action of the wagon wheel meeting the road. Faith without works is dead as … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War – Faith And Winning
Per Thomas Paine, "These are the times that try men's souls." I did not steal the use of that line from SD. This story had already been written and I am not changing it because it is applicable. Over the coming weeks you will read about what many continue to question and presuppose that happens … Continue reading Back In My Day: Civilized War – Trying Times