Two Bible Characters Share Their Wisdom
from Torrey H. Brinkley
All of us need a little wisdom at one time or another. Personal circumstances get difficult, and we wonder where to turn for answers.
We see problems worldwide, and wonder who is in control of this planet.
There are groups of people who seem intent on destroying each other, and we ask ourselves how long this will continue.
One solid helpful place to turn is to the Bible, which has provided answers for humankind for thousands of years.
Some interesting wisdom writings, which are always valuable: Job and James (why not mix an Old Testament book with a New Testament epistle?). Try reading thru these 2 books from start to finish.
Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible, whose name appears as early as 2000 B.C. Some conservative Bible scholars place this writing during Solomon's time (c. 950 B.C).
It is unusual in many ways, in that all the key elements in life's drama are interacting:
--God with his servant Job;
--Satan accusing/tempting God;
--Job's friends pretending to share their "human wisdom or insights"
--Job questioning God, and then receiving the Lord's "big picture" answer.
a) Don't miss the setting of the story as found in Chapter 1 & 2. It shows how even God-fearing people will be put to the test in this life.
...See 1: 8 in contrast with 1: 10-12 to lay out the plot
...Can you reply like Job did in response to loss/tragedy 1:21-22, as well as 2: 9-10?
b) All of Job's friends come with their insights, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, starting with chap. 4. Always note who is doing the talking, as not all the "bright ideas" in this book are from God (many are just men's silly perceptions).
c) It might be helpful if you would make some columns, and list:
++ideas truly from the Lord.
++good thoughts that are manmade, but not universally true.
++dumb ideas that don't match up with the rest of Scripture, & which could lead one astray.
((Note: in life, we all will face messages which fit one of these 3 categories.))
d) Make sure you read all the way to the end of the book.
#What lesson do you get from the Lord's speech to Job & his friends in Chaps. 38-41.
#Why is Job's reply to God so brief in 42: 1-6?
#How did the Lord reward Job for all his pain, suffering & loss (42:10-17)?
#And what did God demand from Job's friends in 42: 7-9?
James comes to us in the New Testament, as one of the earliest books written (maybe 48 B.C.).
--It was penned by the brother of Jesus, a leader of the church in Jerusalem, and designed for Christians everywhere.
--Yet, how odd that Martin Luther considered it too "works-oriented" to be included in N.T. Scripture.
-As a study tool, you might list the major themes, in order, and then jot down the key thought you learn from each section:
** temptations, 1:2-18
**hearing vs. doing, 1:19-27
**favoritism, 2:1-13
**faith vs. works, 2:14-25
**taming the tongue, 3: 1-12
**godly wisdom, 3:1318
**submission, 4:1-12
**perils of wealth, 5:1-6
**suffering, 5: 7-12
**and prayer. 5:13-20
What key verses did you like from the study of the great little book?
Hope you enjoy the study and gain some wisdom for your circumstance.
---Torrey Brinkley
Friday, May 18, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
1st Century Church Outreach Programs
How The Early Church Did Outreach
by Torrey H. Brinkley
Many modern churches today have unique forms of ministry which attempt to reach out to the "seekers" in their communities. From a multitude of musical presentations, coffee bars, sports activities, etc., there seems to be a never-ending number of ways that Christians look to touch and then talk of their faith to non-believers.
Until recently it was not known how the First Century Church also extended an olive branch to its pagan neighbors, those philosophical Greeks, the empire-building Romans, and tradition-bound Jews.But recently unearthed scrolls have given us marvelous insights into what the early church tried to reach the world apart from Christ.
1) Fishing lessons for boys and their dads. This weekend session was taught by Peter and James.
2) Mending tents and repairing fish nets. The Apostle Paul led this class, often just outside the town gate, where he could add theological tips to the exercise.
3) St. Peter's Sword Fighting Skills. This shows young men how to successfully wield this valuable weapon against fierce enemies. Discussion about the Christian's armor follows.
4) Living in the Catacombs. Early church women display their tasteful Christian art decorations in dull, drab, underground living situations, so as to make a warm, pleasant Christian home environment.
5) First Century Hymn Writing. How to create peppy, upbeat songs to remember fun times with Jesus, that will attract Jews and Greeks alike.
6) Christmas Drama Workshops. Teaching local church drama teams how to keep your donkeys, cows and camels from eating all the hay that you've placed in the manger scene.
7) Guided Tours to where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. For those who stay for the re-reading of the message, free fish and loaves of bread will be served.
8) Easter Dramatization Plans. Practicing moving the heavy stone from the rock tombs.
9) Plan Your Wedding With Early Church Wedding Planners: We will turn water you bring into wine, for a small donation.
10) Home Builder's Club meets at the seashore. Watch disciples attempting to build a house upon the rocks. Roman sceptics will concurrently be invited to build their house upon the sandy soil.
11) Free Tax Preparation Seminars. Taught by Matthew and Zachias.
12) Boat rides on the Sea of Galilee. See where Jesus calmed the storm, and hear the Disciples re-tell the thrilling adventure.
If you say, "Impossible! The early church founders, who often were martyred for their faith, would never do such things." Then, why not? And, if such activity would not be acceptable for the Early Church, well, are we not thinking clearly & carefully what our activities our churches today perform?
by Torrey H. Brinkley
Many modern churches today have unique forms of ministry which attempt to reach out to the "seekers" in their communities. From a multitude of musical presentations, coffee bars, sports activities, etc., there seems to be a never-ending number of ways that Christians look to touch and then talk of their faith to non-believers.
Until recently it was not known how the First Century Church also extended an olive branch to its pagan neighbors, those philosophical Greeks, the empire-building Romans, and tradition-bound Jews.But recently unearthed scrolls have given us marvelous insights into what the early church tried to reach the world apart from Christ.
1) Fishing lessons for boys and their dads. This weekend session was taught by Peter and James.
2) Mending tents and repairing fish nets. The Apostle Paul led this class, often just outside the town gate, where he could add theological tips to the exercise.
3) St. Peter's Sword Fighting Skills. This shows young men how to successfully wield this valuable weapon against fierce enemies. Discussion about the Christian's armor follows.
4) Living in the Catacombs. Early church women display their tasteful Christian art decorations in dull, drab, underground living situations, so as to make a warm, pleasant Christian home environment.
5) First Century Hymn Writing. How to create peppy, upbeat songs to remember fun times with Jesus, that will attract Jews and Greeks alike.
6) Christmas Drama Workshops. Teaching local church drama teams how to keep your donkeys, cows and camels from eating all the hay that you've placed in the manger scene.
7) Guided Tours to where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. For those who stay for the re-reading of the message, free fish and loaves of bread will be served.
8) Easter Dramatization Plans. Practicing moving the heavy stone from the rock tombs.
9) Plan Your Wedding With Early Church Wedding Planners: We will turn water you bring into wine, for a small donation.
10) Home Builder's Club meets at the seashore. Watch disciples attempting to build a house upon the rocks. Roman sceptics will concurrently be invited to build their house upon the sandy soil.
11) Free Tax Preparation Seminars. Taught by Matthew and Zachias.
12) Boat rides on the Sea of Galilee. See where Jesus calmed the storm, and hear the Disciples re-tell the thrilling adventure.
If you say, "Impossible! The early church founders, who often were martyred for their faith, would never do such things." Then, why not? And, if such activity would not be acceptable for the Early Church, well, are we not thinking clearly & carefully what our activities our churches today perform?
Loneliness Is a Real Problem
THE BACK SEAT FILM
This film project started almost as soon as I arrived as Associate Pastor of the Wichita Mennonite Brethren Church back in Summer 1974. The 3 major groups of Mennonites were about to celebrate their 100 year Anniversary of arrival in North America. So, they were commissioning various projects:
---Special conventions
----Some commemorative books
---Special musical numbers
----Ladies making quilts, etc. etc.
Our church was one of the host churches in Wichita, so one of our key young laymen got the task of helping cast and direct a missionary play, which also mentioned the arrival of the Mennonites by boat (from Russia--the Crimea) to the shores of the US. They all did a great job!
A new convert to our church was the ABC-TV news cameraman and President of the National Press Photographers' Association. He and I found lots in common from the beginning. The Sr. Pastor, Rev.Dale Warkentin (who later went off to serve as a missionary to Indonesia) asked if we could come up with a way to help add something special to the Centennial Celebration, that might be sort of a gift from our church.
Larry Hatteberg of ABC-TV, Wichita (now their evening news anchor) and I brainstormed along with the pastor and identified "Loneliness" as a key need in the society that we were facing. The church needed to speak to that issue and give a biblical response.
We drew up a tentative script, auditioned for local actors to help us out and got the major Kansas City Film Studio (that edited the big TV film series "Roots") to edit our film. The local ABC affiliate donated all the camera equipment, lighting, editing rooms, etc.We made a semi-documentary film, where we interviewed lots of people on tape, then used some actors visually where we couldn't put the live story-tellers on film.We hired a university professor who had done some acting and local commercials to be our thread for connecting all the people.
Many Christians gave a wonderful perspective on how God helps them thru lonely times such as death of a spouse, being single, getting old, going off to college, etc. There was enough diversity in the film that secular groups used the film in nursing schools, high schools &community groups besides lots of churches all over the country. Catholic media folk gave it a special award before it was even released. Netherlands National Television asked that we send copies over to them for airing in their country.
Our project involved free weekends for us, and received co-operation from other Mennonite media agencies, plus a little funding help. We did not finish until 1977, but ABC was thrilled to premier the movie The Back Seat (30 minutes), which got an excellent newspaper review right at air time.We took our Spanish translation copy (done while we were missionaries in Spain) and the English version over to the 1984 Mennonite World Conference in Strasborg, France for congregations that came from all the different continents.
A helpful addition for our Spain debut was when a wonderful gifted Spanish psychologist, Dr. Pablo Martinez, developed a series of seminars and audio tapes that he used in conjunction with our Loneliness Film in inter-church group meetings in the major population centers. Film was available in both 16mm reel-to-reel as well as video cassette version. One of the neat things was that, because of all the donated labor and equipment, we spent less than $7000 for the English version and maybe $3500 for the Spanish translation.
God Is Close, and He is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother,
Torrey Brinkley
Mead, CO
This film project started almost as soon as I arrived as Associate Pastor of the Wichita Mennonite Brethren Church back in Summer 1974. The 3 major groups of Mennonites were about to celebrate their 100 year Anniversary of arrival in North America. So, they were commissioning various projects:
---Special conventions
----Some commemorative books
---Special musical numbers
----Ladies making quilts, etc. etc.
Our church was one of the host churches in Wichita, so one of our key young laymen got the task of helping cast and direct a missionary play, which also mentioned the arrival of the Mennonites by boat (from Russia--the Crimea) to the shores of the US. They all did a great job!
A new convert to our church was the ABC-TV news cameraman and President of the National Press Photographers' Association. He and I found lots in common from the beginning. The Sr. Pastor, Rev.Dale Warkentin (who later went off to serve as a missionary to Indonesia) asked if we could come up with a way to help add something special to the Centennial Celebration, that might be sort of a gift from our church.
Larry Hatteberg of ABC-TV, Wichita (now their evening news anchor) and I brainstormed along with the pastor and identified "Loneliness" as a key need in the society that we were facing. The church needed to speak to that issue and give a biblical response.
We drew up a tentative script, auditioned for local actors to help us out and got the major Kansas City Film Studio (that edited the big TV film series "Roots") to edit our film. The local ABC affiliate donated all the camera equipment, lighting, editing rooms, etc.We made a semi-documentary film, where we interviewed lots of people on tape, then used some actors visually where we couldn't put the live story-tellers on film.We hired a university professor who had done some acting and local commercials to be our thread for connecting all the people.
Many Christians gave a wonderful perspective on how God helps them thru lonely times such as death of a spouse, being single, getting old, going off to college, etc. There was enough diversity in the film that secular groups used the film in nursing schools, high schools &community groups besides lots of churches all over the country. Catholic media folk gave it a special award before it was even released. Netherlands National Television asked that we send copies over to them for airing in their country.
Our project involved free weekends for us, and received co-operation from other Mennonite media agencies, plus a little funding help. We did not finish until 1977, but ABC was thrilled to premier the movie The Back Seat (30 minutes), which got an excellent newspaper review right at air time.We took our Spanish translation copy (done while we were missionaries in Spain) and the English version over to the 1984 Mennonite World Conference in Strasborg, France for congregations that came from all the different continents.
A helpful addition for our Spain debut was when a wonderful gifted Spanish psychologist, Dr. Pablo Martinez, developed a series of seminars and audio tapes that he used in conjunction with our Loneliness Film in inter-church group meetings in the major population centers. Film was available in both 16mm reel-to-reel as well as video cassette version. One of the neat things was that, because of all the donated labor and equipment, we spent less than $7000 for the English version and maybe $3500 for the Spanish translation.
God Is Close, and He is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother,
Torrey Brinkley
Mead, CO
Who Is Buying those Toyotas?
We Don't Sell Toyotas--But Many Folk Buy Them
DId you see in the news on Tuesday that Toyota has surpassed GM as #1 automaker in the world for the 1st quarter of 2007? It just seemed yesterday that they past Ford for #2. Was not too long ago that they passed up Chrysler. Yikes!
In watching the automotive scene for the last 50 years, while both living abroad & in the USA, this observer notes that:
++Toyota takes seriously the design & execution of every new product model.Not sure if GM, Ford or Chrysler were that on-the-ball.
++They want to make a quality vehicle, with good economy, clean styling & able to sell well. Our American counterparts have been more concerned with impressive styling & lots of torque.
++Somehow Toyota builds vehicles that don't make the Top Ten Recall list. GM and Ford & MOPAR work hard to be there every month.
++Clearly Toyota & Lexus have models that are desirable and/or within reason for various countries around the world. GM, Ford & Chrysler have built huge pickup trucks, larger & larger SUVs and big vans that are only comfortable on US roads (but less & less so for our ever-shrinking parking spaces).
++Not that it would have made any difference, but the US opened its borders (and wallets) to foreign imports starting 45 years ago. Japan particularly shut out all foreign (US specifically) cars from its shores, with weird rules & regulations....as well as distain for our products. Hmmmm.
++Even though Toyota is involved in some racing series (open-wheel racing, the off-road truck series, Craftsmen Truck NASCAR races, the sports prototype series, and now NASCAR Nextel cup racing), they still are not worried about selling hot muscle cars off their showroom floors. Ford is still stuck on pushing high-HP Mustangs, and GM & MOPAR seem intent to follow with marketing Corvettes, re-born Camaros and a re-invented Challenger, to go along with Hemi-V-8s, etc.). Muscle car sales in the USA alone do not top 150,000 a year, when weighed against 17 million total sales.Worldwide, the disparity would be even greater. Well.........
++Since I have driven them for my work since 1998, I know that Toyota knows how to make a great small economy car. Ever since Ford, Chevy and Plymouth tried back in 1960, our American manufacturers have failed to come up w/ good engines & trannys that are reliable & economical or appealing. Period. End of story. Americans cringe at the mention of words like: Vega, Pinto, Chevette, Maverick, Valiant, Reliant, Fiesta, Citation, Cavalier, etc.
++Toyota (and most other multi-national manufacturers) sees that gasoline costs $6 a gallon in Europe, and also costly in places like Asia.....so cars have to be very fuel efficient and of high quality. GM must not read international fuel cost reports.
++Don't think it affects car sales, but it sure impacts the bottom line: GM & Ford particularly are being killed by the (collective) long-term indebtedness to health care provisions for current & retired unionized workers that may reach $100 billion total. That puts a damper on R&D, advertising, hiring practices, new plants, etc. etc. Toyota has chosen to set up shop in non-union states, thus keeping costs down. Guess they want to spend their money elsewhere than on employee benefits.
Holler if you have any opinions or observations about Toyotas. I will share them with a friend, who is a 20-year Toyota salesman, featured in one of their insider magazines.
TORREY
DId you see in the news on Tuesday that Toyota has surpassed GM as #1 automaker in the world for the 1st quarter of 2007? It just seemed yesterday that they past Ford for #2. Was not too long ago that they passed up Chrysler. Yikes!
In watching the automotive scene for the last 50 years, while both living abroad & in the USA, this observer notes that:
++Toyota takes seriously the design & execution of every new product model.Not sure if GM, Ford or Chrysler were that on-the-ball.
++They want to make a quality vehicle, with good economy, clean styling & able to sell well. Our American counterparts have been more concerned with impressive styling & lots of torque.
++Somehow Toyota builds vehicles that don't make the Top Ten Recall list. GM and Ford & MOPAR work hard to be there every month.
++Clearly Toyota & Lexus have models that are desirable and/or within reason for various countries around the world. GM, Ford & Chrysler have built huge pickup trucks, larger & larger SUVs and big vans that are only comfortable on US roads (but less & less so for our ever-shrinking parking spaces).
++Not that it would have made any difference, but the US opened its borders (and wallets) to foreign imports starting 45 years ago. Japan particularly shut out all foreign (US specifically) cars from its shores, with weird rules & regulations....as well as distain for our products. Hmmmm.
++Even though Toyota is involved in some racing series (open-wheel racing, the off-road truck series, Craftsmen Truck NASCAR races, the sports prototype series, and now NASCAR Nextel cup racing), they still are not worried about selling hot muscle cars off their showroom floors. Ford is still stuck on pushing high-HP Mustangs, and GM & MOPAR seem intent to follow with marketing Corvettes, re-born Camaros and a re-invented Challenger, to go along with Hemi-V-8s, etc.). Muscle car sales in the USA alone do not top 150,000 a year, when weighed against 17 million total sales.Worldwide, the disparity would be even greater. Well.........
++Since I have driven them for my work since 1998, I know that Toyota knows how to make a great small economy car. Ever since Ford, Chevy and Plymouth tried back in 1960, our American manufacturers have failed to come up w/ good engines & trannys that are reliable & economical or appealing. Period. End of story. Americans cringe at the mention of words like: Vega, Pinto, Chevette, Maverick, Valiant, Reliant, Fiesta, Citation, Cavalier, etc.
++Toyota (and most other multi-national manufacturers) sees that gasoline costs $6 a gallon in Europe, and also costly in places like Asia.....so cars have to be very fuel efficient and of high quality. GM must not read international fuel cost reports.
++Don't think it affects car sales, but it sure impacts the bottom line: GM & Ford particularly are being killed by the (collective) long-term indebtedness to health care provisions for current & retired unionized workers that may reach $100 billion total. That puts a damper on R&D, advertising, hiring practices, new plants, etc. etc. Toyota has chosen to set up shop in non-union states, thus keeping costs down. Guess they want to spend their money elsewhere than on employee benefits.
Holler if you have any opinions or observations about Toyotas. I will share them with a friend, who is a 20-year Toyota salesman, featured in one of their insider magazines.
TORREY
Auto Sales Figures 2007
Auto Industry Sales a Mixed Bag
This observer was hearing that auto sales have been down, especially in the month of April 2007, with only MOPAR having a boost in showroom sales. At the dealership where I serve it was apparent that our 2 Japanese marques had seen a slump as well (Acura and Subaru). One begins to wonder if only the more affluent buyers can afford new cars anymore, with average prices at $25,000 for even the more basic cars, SUVs, vans and pickups. Most every showroom today has sticker prices approaching $40,000 for various models (where the profits truly kick in).
So a perusal of the Automotive News first quarter sales figures noted a few things for January thru April sales:
++There were American products that showed sales gains, as well as some European makes, and several Asian car/truck lines.
++But, among products that lost sales compared to a year ago, there were American, Asian and European losers.
++I find a surprise nameplate in each category (do you find it amazing, as well?). ++Sales in the magazine break down cars, trucks & SUVs by model, but I lumped together total sales (as that is what affects the bottom line for companies, dealerships & each salesperson).
Lower priced vehicles:
Gainers: Honda, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Toyota and, surprise: Saturn.
Losers: Chevy, Dodge, Ford and, oddly, Hyundai.
Mid-priced makes:
Gaining: None!
Losing: Mercury, Pontiac, Saab, VW, and noteworthy, Subaru.
Luxury nameplates:
Going up: Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes, and surprisingly, Lincoln.
Going down: Buick, Cadillac, Chrysler, Jaguar, Volvo and interestingly, Acura.
Truck Categories:
Up: Dodge, GMC, Jeep, and noteworthy, Mitsubishi.
Down: Chevy, Ford, Hummer, Isuzu, and oddly, Land Rover.
**As we have all seen in the headlines, the biggest sales gains, both in total number of sales and % sales boost, belongs to Toyota (60,000 and 10% respectively; with a similar bump up for their Lexus line).
**One American product, the Saturn, saw its total sales go up 20% in the 1st quarter, overtaking Buick & Cadillac in total sales (not a good thing for GM's bottom line).
**Generally speaking the most expensive vehicles saw the boosts in sales from Jan. to April 2007, but so did 70% of all the showrooms who sold the cheapest vehicles.
**This observer sees no correlation between brand new models on the showroom floors, nor expensive public advertising, nor proliferation of models available, affecting sales upwards or downwards from one year to the next.
**However, when one takes a look at the J.D. Powers and Consumer Reports quality control and repair problem issues, then one sees that better-perceived quality truly affects sales, at least in this sales period in question, with some few exceptions .
--Torrey Brinkley
The Literature Exchange
Mead, Colorado
This observer was hearing that auto sales have been down, especially in the month of April 2007, with only MOPAR having a boost in showroom sales. At the dealership where I serve it was apparent that our 2 Japanese marques had seen a slump as well (Acura and Subaru). One begins to wonder if only the more affluent buyers can afford new cars anymore, with average prices at $25,000 for even the more basic cars, SUVs, vans and pickups. Most every showroom today has sticker prices approaching $40,000 for various models (where the profits truly kick in).
So a perusal of the Automotive News first quarter sales figures noted a few things for January thru April sales:
++There were American products that showed sales gains, as well as some European makes, and several Asian car/truck lines.
++But, among products that lost sales compared to a year ago, there were American, Asian and European losers.
++I find a surprise nameplate in each category (do you find it amazing, as well?). ++Sales in the magazine break down cars, trucks & SUVs by model, but I lumped together total sales (as that is what affects the bottom line for companies, dealerships & each salesperson).
Lower priced vehicles:
Gainers: Honda, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Toyota and, surprise: Saturn.
Losers: Chevy, Dodge, Ford and, oddly, Hyundai.
Mid-priced makes:
Gaining: None!
Losing: Mercury, Pontiac, Saab, VW, and noteworthy, Subaru.
Luxury nameplates:
Going up: Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes, and surprisingly, Lincoln.
Going down: Buick, Cadillac, Chrysler, Jaguar, Volvo and interestingly, Acura.
Truck Categories:
Up: Dodge, GMC, Jeep, and noteworthy, Mitsubishi.
Down: Chevy, Ford, Hummer, Isuzu, and oddly, Land Rover.
**As we have all seen in the headlines, the biggest sales gains, both in total number of sales and % sales boost, belongs to Toyota (60,000 and 10% respectively; with a similar bump up for their Lexus line).
**One American product, the Saturn, saw its total sales go up 20% in the 1st quarter, overtaking Buick & Cadillac in total sales (not a good thing for GM's bottom line).
**Generally speaking the most expensive vehicles saw the boosts in sales from Jan. to April 2007, but so did 70% of all the showrooms who sold the cheapest vehicles.
**This observer sees no correlation between brand new models on the showroom floors, nor expensive public advertising, nor proliferation of models available, affecting sales upwards or downwards from one year to the next.
**However, when one takes a look at the J.D. Powers and Consumer Reports quality control and repair problem issues, then one sees that better-perceived quality truly affects sales, at least in this sales period in question, with some few exceptions .
--Torrey Brinkley
The Literature Exchange
Mead, Colorado
Gas Boycott a Joke
Saving Money During a Gas Price Hike
Many folk today are calling for a boycott of the gasoline stations, to try to "punish" the oil companies for raising our fuel prices a dollar from the nice low figure of $2.00 a gallon five months ago. There are so many reasons that such a boycott is a bit short-sighted and will just not work......and you will hear many of those reasons explained today by economic experts.
Once again, this observer will offer another list of things that one can do to save money while gas companies and local gas stations keep raising prices at the pump on almost a daily basis. One should keep in mind that we cannot hurt the oil companies, but we can help ourselves.
The vehicle itself:
1) Drive an economy model that gets the best fuel mileage, if you have such a vehicle in the garage. Otherwise, consider buying one.
2) Park your big SUV or large pickup or heavy van, if you do not need them for work, recreation or moving large objects.
3) Always make sure that you have tires inflated high enough to get low rolling resistance, and check to see that tires are not worn out.
4) See that your vehicle is well-tuned, with fresh oil, clean air filter, and not clogged in the fuel delivery systems & spark plugs.
5) Drive slowly! If you barrel along at 75-80 mph, you are wasting 20% more fuel than if you go 60-65 mph.
6) Don't do jack-rabbit starts from stop light to stop light. That's hard on engine, transmission, tires, and eventually, your brake systems.
7) You don't need to be pressured into buying a hybrid vehicle, unless you also are capable of buying $20,000+ replacement battery systems!
8) Watch out for being tempted to buy new vehicles that require Premium fuel, as that will cost you easily 10% more every fillup.
9) Vehicle weight affects fuel mileage. You might be surprised to note that some 2-seat sports cars weigh as much as 4000 pounds (the same as a lightweight small sport utiltiy). Compact sedans and coupes made back in the '60s and early '90s were featherweight 2500 pounds.
10) Make sure that you take out thiose heavy sandbags from the back of the pickup, the extra golf clubs in the trunk, or loads of books/magazines, etc. that might be adding weight to your vehicle.
11) Those high-end sound systems that Junior has mounted in the trunk & back seat might be ading 500 pounds to a car's weight, as they also slowly produce major hearing loss for driver, passengers & neighbors.
12) You do know that those ski and bike racks mounted on the roof of your vehicle take away about 2 mpg from your fuel mileage, don't you?
Other cost saving considerations:
13) If you buy fuel at a gas station, just buy the amount of gasoline you need for the next 4-5 days. Don't spend $80 to fill up a pickup truck all at once, so you'll be forced to be more frugal with what's in the tank.
14) Definitely, do not buy anything else at a gas station!!!
15) All food in there costs 50-100% more than it does at a discount grocery store.
16) Any oil, washer fluid, wipers, fuel additives likewise have a big markup there.
17) If you smoke, don't go inside to buy cigarettes; you can add years to your life!
18) If you tend to gamble, don't waste your money on lottery tickets. Keep food on your family's table, instead of worthless lottery ticket stubs.
19) Please don't buy alcohol at a gas station. Gasoline and liquor are not a good mix anyway.
20) Don't throw your money away at gas station car washes. Most of the time they do not do a good job, while you need the exercise at home anyway.
21) If your car suggests "Premium Fuel only" you might try buying Mid-Grade Fuel for a tankful or so. Mechanics have stated that many cars can do fine on this.
22) Can you ride a bike somewhere instead of having to drive a gas-guzzler?
23) Also, do some walking, especially from one stop closeby another.
24) Plan ahead all your travel ventures, so as to prolong the life of your vehicle, and to preserve your own sanity.
25) If you can wisely do such, try to get all your shopping done on one day a week, and thus avoid a lot of impulse buying.
Best of luck in all this.
Torrey Brinkley
Mead, CO
Many folk today are calling for a boycott of the gasoline stations, to try to "punish" the oil companies for raising our fuel prices a dollar from the nice low figure of $2.00 a gallon five months ago. There are so many reasons that such a boycott is a bit short-sighted and will just not work......and you will hear many of those reasons explained today by economic experts.
Once again, this observer will offer another list of things that one can do to save money while gas companies and local gas stations keep raising prices at the pump on almost a daily basis. One should keep in mind that we cannot hurt the oil companies, but we can help ourselves.
The vehicle itself:
1) Drive an economy model that gets the best fuel mileage, if you have such a vehicle in the garage. Otherwise, consider buying one.
2) Park your big SUV or large pickup or heavy van, if you do not need them for work, recreation or moving large objects.
3) Always make sure that you have tires inflated high enough to get low rolling resistance, and check to see that tires are not worn out.
4) See that your vehicle is well-tuned, with fresh oil, clean air filter, and not clogged in the fuel delivery systems & spark plugs.
5) Drive slowly! If you barrel along at 75-80 mph, you are wasting 20% more fuel than if you go 60-65 mph.
6) Don't do jack-rabbit starts from stop light to stop light. That's hard on engine, transmission, tires, and eventually, your brake systems.
7) You don't need to be pressured into buying a hybrid vehicle, unless you also are capable of buying $20,000+ replacement battery systems!
8) Watch out for being tempted to buy new vehicles that require Premium fuel, as that will cost you easily 10% more every fillup.
9) Vehicle weight affects fuel mileage. You might be surprised to note that some 2-seat sports cars weigh as much as 4000 pounds (the same as a lightweight small sport utiltiy). Compact sedans and coupes made back in the '60s and early '90s were featherweight 2500 pounds.
10) Make sure that you take out thiose heavy sandbags from the back of the pickup, the extra golf clubs in the trunk, or loads of books/magazines, etc. that might be adding weight to your vehicle.
11) Those high-end sound systems that Junior has mounted in the trunk & back seat might be ading 500 pounds to a car's weight, as they also slowly produce major hearing loss for driver, passengers & neighbors.
12) You do know that those ski and bike racks mounted on the roof of your vehicle take away about 2 mpg from your fuel mileage, don't you?
Other cost saving considerations:
13) If you buy fuel at a gas station, just buy the amount of gasoline you need for the next 4-5 days. Don't spend $80 to fill up a pickup truck all at once, so you'll be forced to be more frugal with what's in the tank.
14) Definitely, do not buy anything else at a gas station!!!
15) All food in there costs 50-100% more than it does at a discount grocery store.
16) Any oil, washer fluid, wipers, fuel additives likewise have a big markup there.
17) If you smoke, don't go inside to buy cigarettes; you can add years to your life!
18) If you tend to gamble, don't waste your money on lottery tickets. Keep food on your family's table, instead of worthless lottery ticket stubs.
19) Please don't buy alcohol at a gas station. Gasoline and liquor are not a good mix anyway.
20) Don't throw your money away at gas station car washes. Most of the time they do not do a good job, while you need the exercise at home anyway.
21) If your car suggests "Premium Fuel only" you might try buying Mid-Grade Fuel for a tankful or so. Mechanics have stated that many cars can do fine on this.
22) Can you ride a bike somewhere instead of having to drive a gas-guzzler?
23) Also, do some walking, especially from one stop closeby another.
24) Plan ahead all your travel ventures, so as to prolong the life of your vehicle, and to preserve your own sanity.
25) If you can wisely do such, try to get all your shopping done on one day a week, and thus avoid a lot of impulse buying.
Best of luck in all this.
Torrey Brinkley
Mead, CO
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