This is the story, timeline, and subsequently, an account of the blessings my family and I experienced through our battle with COVID-19 and, more broadly, the pandemic.  One might say that this is not Three Action Thursday material, but I would argue that it is an extension of personal development and the power of authentic relationships. It’s about perseverance and finding that silver lining when perhaps many would choose not to seek it.   Our Life, March Through July On March 25th, we celebrated my mother’s birthday in South Riding, Virginia, and subsequently headed to Florida. The goal was to spend time with my wife Stacy’s parents in Niceville while the…

The last 30 to 45 days have been truly an exercise in perseverance through suffering for me and for my family. In early August we were all stricken with the coronavirus. Then on August 21st, my mother-in-law passed away due to a non-COVID related illness. These significant life events have challenged my ability to write. Instead, I want to share a piece I wrote nearly 12 months ago entitled Pain & Suffering are Necessary. I think it accurately describes my feelings and outlook on my family’s current events.  Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us via email, text, and social media during this time. We will take…

This is not a true piece, more of a life update.  While I wish it was just a catchy subject line, it’s not: as I write this, I am on Day 5 of my battle with the coronavirus. I wish I could report that it is just a personal battle, but unfortunately, every member of my immediate family is battling it, as well as my in-laws. (That’s me, my wife, my four kids, and my wife’s parents, ALL at more or less the same time.)  None of us have been hospitalized, except for my mother-in-law who was already hospitalized for a bad gallbladder when she received her positive test. We…

For the past few weeks, my pieces have focused on investing and the personal finance side of Three Action Thursday. Today’s piece will be about one of our other principles, building authentic relationships, and specifically the importance of building them across a diverse group of people. Growing up as a military kid, I moved every two or three years. Without much time between moves, I needed to be a quick judge of character while searching for friends. To be successful in friend-making, I often had to meet a lot of people before settling in. While I somehow always found a good core group, I also ended up with a lot…

Last week, I wrote a piece entitled My Principles of Single Stock Investing and it got a lot of attention from the Three Action Thursday readership. I received a few emails with questions and others from folks letting me know that they didn’t agree with my (admittedly) conservative principles. That’s ok. If anything, I hope it spurred people to think about their own personal finance philosophies.  As promised, this week I want to fully disclose to you my personal single stock investment portfolio and why I purchased the stocks that I did. Remember, I plan to hold on to the majority of these stocks for a long time. I am…