Looks like God really WAS the co-pilot on this gig. I don't care if you believe in The Big Guy or not; this one will put a smile on your mug. A couple of pilots in New Zealand were up in the air when their plane decided to kick that pesky fuel addiction it was having.

When they saw the ocean below, they prayed to the skies above. They asked for a safe landing, and out of nowhere popped an airfield on the other side of the ridge they were crossing. If that wasn't enough, Jesus put his stamp on the whole deal. The fliers came to rest right next to a 20-foot sign that read "Jesus is Lord - The Bible". Game, set, match.

It may not be as life or death as this, but you may be running on empty and about to crash. Could be with money, with life, with your other half ... pick your poison. Don't lose hope, see? The only difference between quitting and plugging away is that plugging away will get you somewhere. This crazy life is a journey, so don't stop believin'. Hope is just around the corner ... or over the ridge.

Few things in life sound as sweet as a trip to one of the Florida beaches. Sitting there, letting the sound of the waves put you to sleep, a cold drink by your side, the sun cooking you to a nice golden brown. Makes me want to make a beeline for Caladesi Island in Florida.

Why that one? Some joe at Florida International University (where else?) picked the beach as the best in the country this year, beating out the dunes in Cali, Hawaii and the rest of the Eastern Seaboard. I've always had a soft spot in my ticker for the beach. I think The Man Upstairs put an extra bit of fairy dust on those parts of the world when he threw 'em together.

Work with me here for a sec, jack. Picture being away from your everyday life. Imagine lounging on this beach with your family, like you own the place. Almost like you're in a dream. The waves sing you to sleep. The world is a million miles away. Feel like you've made it. It's like nothing else, baby.

THAT'S what it feels like to take a vacation with no debt. The only part of the trip that follows you home is the pics of your kids playing in the surf. You can get there. You can make it happen. Get out of debt and save your dough. The most beautiful beach is waiting for you.

The list of hotshot NFL quarterbacks making big-time bucks grew one more this week when Matt Ryan, fresh off being the Number 3 pick in the draft, inked a 6-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons worth 72 million smackers. I mean, I'm doing all right for myself ... but even I can't picture waking up with that much dough. This kid can have his cake, eat it and go back for seconds, too.

Remember this, ladies and germs: Ryan is at the top of the roller coaster. From here on out it's a glorious ride, but it's what he takes and DOES WITH IT that's gonna matter. He's got a great opportunity in front of him. But if he isn't smart with the money and the hard work that goes into making up his career, he'll end up sputtering out like a '28 Ford that's run out of gas on the side of the road.

Every day that you wake up, you've got a shot at something great. Today's the day, jack. If you think you're settling for second best, then light a fire under your keester and get-a-goin'. Quit working a dead-end job if you hate it and go for something better. Stop bankrolling Visa and deep-six your credit card debt. Better that you have your money than them. DO ... IT ... NOW!

From Girl Scout cookies to Oreos to the priciest patty around. I think I got some serious munchy issues, jack. Of course, even if I did, I wouldn't plunk down 175 smackers to buy one of these super-expensive hamburgers. Have you seen this? They offer them at some big-shot burger joint in the Big Apple. Take a Kobe slab of beef, throw some truffles wild mushrooms, top it off with some gold leaf and voila ... a meal fit for a sucker.

You can wash it down with the $3,000 margarita from the Wynn Las Vegas that I saw in the Food Network a few weeks back. I haven't seen that much dough spent on a meal since my uncle "Fat Tony" came to visit me last Thanksgiving and brought his 12 best buddies.

Don't know why you'd want to spend that much grease on a burger, but if you got the cash, then have at it. But don't let me catch you downing one of these babies if you have a student loan or some big-time credit card debt. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm headed over to Burger Bomb. I've got a hankering for a half-pounder.

Homer Simpson would have a field day with this one, jack. Mmmmm, Oreos. As in 14 tons of 'em; spilled over an interstate this morning about 50 miles south of Chicago when the truck driver carrying them fell asleep at the wheel and said 'how do you do' to the concrete medium.

Betcha the cleanup effort was the quickest of all time. I mean, seriously ... who wouldn't want to pitch in to clean up all that chocolatey goodness? If a milk truck drove by, we'd have ourselves a sweet tailgate, baby.

This is an obscure one, but try to keep up. Lots of people (including yours truly) joke about something good that is really just a pain in the neck. The Great Oreo Spill of '08 may make a couple of late night monologues, but for the people behind the truck, the trucking company and the cleanup crew, it's like sitting on a tack.

Lots of times, something that's seems like a great thing is just the opposite. Remember that when the credit card companies show up on your TV pitching low interest rates or jazz like that. It ain't worth it. Use cash. Capiche?

I love the whole underdog, never-say-die, little-engine-that-could routine. And I found all 3 this morning in the form of 15-year-old Girl Scout Jennifer Sharpe. There's no official record on the books, but odds are that JS smashed it by selling 17,328 boxes of Girl Scout cookies.

Impossible? No way. Hard as a rock to do? You betcha. This girl set up shop on a street corner with her mom. She was shy at first and had some coming-out-of-the-shell issues. But as soon as she got past her fear, the cookies were flying off the shelf. She just worked unbelievably hard and didn't quit. Now she's a national deal with her name in the papers.

That kind of effort and attitude will get you what you want. If you want something like a new job or out of debt, then put in the extra hours and make it happen. It ain't fun, but it ain't long-term either. The sooner you hustle, the sooner things will start to flow. And don't give me any of that jazz about how it was easier for Jenn because "she's just a Girl Scout". There are still 24 hours in her day, and she goes to school for 8 of 'em. She made it work ... can you?

It's a cryin' shame when bad people decide to mix up their business in good things. I checked the wire this morning and the word is that the food and supplies aimed at helping the cyclone victims in Myanmar aren't getting to them. Could be incompetence, could be hoarding by the Myanmar military. Point being, it's meant to go from A to C and never made it past B, see?

This is one of the hardest things to explain, because I know that people who read junk like this end up not wanting to give. Not just here, but at their church and in their hometowns too. When you hear about your goodwill being taken advantage of, it sours the sweetness of giving. I know ... happened to me plenty of times.

Here's the lesson to learn. When you want to give around here, do the due. As in due diligence, baby. Find out about the place you're giving to. Check out what purpose they serve. How they handle donated dough. How much overhead. If you've been blessed with some moolah, then be smart about how it's used.

Back online, and back in action, baby. I'm pumped up higher than the gas prices, for 2 reasons. First up, I'm back to blogging about blowing away debt ... it's what gets my juices flowing. When you have a job you love, you can't wait to beat the rush-hour traffic to the office each morning. Nothing like it.

The second reason is even bigger. I've been off because a buddy of mine and his dame just popped out a 7 lb. 9 oz bouncing new baby boy. You should've seen the look in daddy's eyes. You would have thought an angel came to live in their spare bedroom. Come to think of it, one did.

This kid's gonna have a great life, if for nothing else because mommy and daddy are going to teach him how to do it for himself. This joe deep-sixed his consumer debt a long time ago and swore off paying for anything with credit. His wife is on board, and that's what they're going to teach their son.

This kid will work for the pie in the sky, and he's gonna get it someday. Just because his parents cared to make it happen for him. Follow suit with your own, bub. Teach the tykes to live on less than they make, and the bang you hear will be the debt chains falling from your family tree.