Jim Blau Insurance Agency

Frank Sinatra considered Kate Smith the best singer of her time, and said that when he and a million other guys first heard her sing "God Bless America" on the radio, they all pretended to have dust in their eyes as they wiped away a tear or two. Here are the facts.... The link at the bottom will take you to a video showing the very first public singing of "GOD BLESS AMERICA". But before you watch it, you should also know the story behind the first public showing of the so...Continue reading

I had this cross my desk today. It was very powerful and spoke to me. I don't know the author, but believe the coauthor is the Man upstairs! 1. I pray that the next time a friend grabs me and pulls me in for a hug, I actually take the time to appreciate the gift of their embrace. 2. I pray that when school resumes and people are dropping kids off, they take the time to thank the staff for the amazing gift that they give to our community. ... 3. I pray that the next time I’m sitting in a crowded restaurant I take the time to look around at the smiling faces, loud voices and thank God for the gift of community. 4. I pray that the next time I’m standing in church listening to the voices of praise and worship that I take a moment to thank God for the gift of congregation. 5. I pray that the next time I see a person or situation that needs prayer, I hope I pray as passionately and fervently as I have these past few weeks. 6. I pray that when I am at the grocery store that I take a moment to thank God that He provides us with the necessities of life and the amazing people who work so hard to keep us supplied. 7. I pray that I never again take for granted the ability to hop in the car and visit a friend, go to the mall, go to a gathering, etc. So, truth is, I don’t want things to return to the way they once were. I pray that we take the lessons and challenges of the past few weeks and create a new normal. My goal is to pray more, love harder and truly appreciate the daily abundance of blessings that were so easily overlooked just a mere few weeks ago. Be Blessed Today!

Just want to take a moment and THANK all of you who have "liked" my agency. I appreciate your time to acknowledge my business. I soon will enter my 36th year in this profession and it's been a very enjoyable ride. The best part of this ride has been meeting each of you and finding much common ground with you. The local business community is made up of wonderfully caring folks like yourself who truly are trying to make a positive difference. And my thanks to the many of you who are customers. My staff (Melanie & Heather) and I appreciate your continued faith and trust that you have given us to be your insurance caretaker.

During this Christmas holiday season please enjoy family and friends. My hope for you is peace, love and many blessings for you and yours. May God's peace descend upon you and remain with you. Melanie, Heather and I wish you a Merry Christmas!

Hey folks, if your looking to go out and see Christmas light displays, let me give you my rundown as we went to 5 spots last night. Longview Lake sponsored by Jackson Co. Parks & Rec. I'd gi ve this a B+. Traffic was light. Vince & Assoc. 103rd and Metcalf. This is on Metcalf (east side) but park across the street in the church lot. a solid A listen to 97.1 FM for corresponding Christmas music... Candy Cane lane 79th & Outlook Ln about a mile east of Metcalf. In a modest neighborhood cul-de-sac. An A- 131st & Antioch a 2 block cul-de-sac of very nice homes with many lights a solid A. Holiday Lights at the Deanna Rose Farmstead a very nice projection with music on 90.5 FM 138th & Switzer Rd. solid A

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I close my office for the long weekend so my staff and I can share some important time with family & friends. I hope you are able to also. Melanie, Heather and I appreciate you, not only for your continued business, but for your friendship as well. In this world of today which many times seems so impersonal my hope is that we give each you a good feeling and know that we do care about your well being.

Hey its been awhile. Tired of being iced in???...me too! The Good News....Spring training starts in a week. The Royals showed big progress in the last half of the 18 season, and added speed to an already blest team of speed. Looks like a resurrection of "Whitey Ball". The K is more conducive for that type of baseball. I'd say based on the good pitching we saw in the Fall and the progress made by the others, and a weak Central division, the Royals could be well above .500 ball this year. Go Royals! The insurance industry has went bonkers on trying to recoup its heavy losses in 2017 by doing the hefty rate hikes in 2018-19. That's why I am glad I went independent 11yrs. ago. More company choices make for a better chance of better rates. Come and see me.

My dad (Bill) served 4 yrs in the Navy in WWII, My brother Ron served a hitch in DaNang Vietnam, my twin brother served in the 1st Persian Gulf War and made a career of the Navy (who he now works for as a civilian). All returned home after war duty. My family and I are eternally grateful. God Bless America. .

Just moved to a condo this last week. Became neighbors to 3 Van horn Alum, Linda and Janet Buenemann, and Janis Jackson. Moving sucks!!! But we are about 95% done....just have to figure out where everything is. When you move it is a good thing to think ahead about your insurance. Don't cancel the old policy until your completely out of the previous home. Wait until you've closed to tell your agent to cancel. I have had folks advise me of the closing date and then call m...e later because that date changed. As far as the new place is concerned it's good to get with your agent in advance to get that set up. Many times in the hustle/bustle of getting moved we forget to do this. I have folks get with me sometimes 4-6 weeks in advance and that is ok. Your agent is supposed to check out your new place so don't be surprised if he(she) stops in for outside pictures. Well back to digging thru boxes to find my toothbrush.

Lost my buddy this morning, Tigger. My son Patrick and I picked him from the shelter 11 plus years ago. He became a man's cat because we played rough in the sense of wrestling with him. Even though we had his front claws removed, he could still draw blood with his back claws or teeth. He didn't mean to, he just got carried away in the moment. He loved people and once he got to know you he was in your lap. He got sick about 6 months ago and just kept failing. Last night I had in my lap for abpout 1/2 an hour. I petted him and he purred as I heard his motor running. He was so weak he couldn't stand. We had scheduled to take him to the vet this morning to be put to sleep. SoIi was relieved that he passed on his own. Our pastor never talks about animals going to heaven but the God I believe in has a specail place for them.

Our prayers need to be directed to our legislature that they come to realize that allowing the everyday, average citizen to own AR15 or any type of automatic weapon is asking for more of the same in Florida. As an excop I deplore the power that the NRA has over our legislature and our president. They are behind most all legislation that keeps congress and state legislatures from doing the necessary laws to block just anyone from owning these automatic weapons. Only mili...tary, police and security officers need those types of weapons. I ask anyone listening to my rant to take this to heart. If you don't someday it will be you mourning a loved one. When I have addressed this issue with state legislatures they look at me like I am nuts when I ask them to take up this cause. They are all scared of the NRA. We are up against big money but I feel theat if enough "middle" Americans just overwhelm our politicians demanding change, it can happen. I am not running for office, I am just tired of seeing this totally unnecessary bloodshed. See more