Being your own boss is the thing, my friends. There are many reasons why investing your time and energy into a small business that you can earn satisfaction and joy in running, whilst making a dime or two, far outweighs going to work for someone else and ruing your work week.

I have a modest proposal for the future class of 2016. No matter what happens in the coming weeks, grab some solitude and contemplate one very important question: Am I really ready for college? With $1 trillion (that’s with a “t”) in student loans outstanding, your answer could well mean more—to your academic experience and your overall personal development—than the reputation of any ivy-wreathed institution that will have you.

Study whatever you want in college. Stretch your mind. But while you do that, gain skills. Be strategic. Position yourself well for the future. All this will mean, of course, that you take service in Christ’s kingdom seriously, and that you work with alacrity to take dominion of your life and not waste the time you have.

To combat the staggering growth of college debt, MTV has launched a Facebook-powered campaign centered on college affordability. The star of the campaign is My College Dollars, a Facebook financial affordability app for the college-curious and those at risk of dropping out. In addition to hosting star-studded videos and basic application information, the app automatically alerts users to eligible scholarships based on their Facebook profile data.

The needs of the discouraged worker are complex—which is where local churches can step in. "The church has a unique and wonderful role to play. The church provides spirituality and emotional support that can cut through the anxiety and the depression and give people hope," said Steve Murata, a leader of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church's Career Actions Ministry (CAM). Unlike secular agencies, the church can help people see their true worth in Christ, give them a new sense of purpose for their work lives, and re-energize them for the job search process.

Learning happens in classrooms, labs, or lecture halls, but God never intended these to be the only places where faith-filled intellectual discipleship happens. God calls us to transform knowledge into wisdom throughout our lives. In light of the fact that only half of 2011 college graduates said they needed their degree for their first job, a degree may not be the best use of a learner’s time, talents, and finances.

Everything from airfare to cotton clothing is going to cost more this year. So book your flights and buy your jeans now or else you'll be doling out some serious cash.

Doctors in America are harboring an embarrassing secret: Many of them are going broke. This quiet reality, which is spreading nationwide, is claiming a wide range of casualties, including family physicians, cardiologists and oncologists. Industry watchers say the trend is worrisome. Half of all doctors in the nation operate a private practice. So if a cash crunch forces the death of an independent practice, it robs a community of a vital health care resource.

Gas prices are the highest ever for this time of year, and analysts predict that motorists will be digging deep in 2012 to fuel their vehicles.

A friend asked me the other day, "...given the sorry state of so much in the world, what's possible to look forward to?" The state isn't sorry. It's wide open. Interest rates are super low, violence is close to an all time low, industries are being remade and there's more leverage for the insurgent outsider than ever before in history.