I remember my grandparents complaining about the speed of life 60+ years ago. Fans of the movie The Shawshank Redemption will recall Brooks Hatlen being shocked about how fast he found life to be outside prison. After his parole, he wrote to friends still incarcerated inside Shawshank, “The world went and got itself in a big **** hurry.”
Life continues to change at a pace unseen in US […]
This post specifically addresses people serving in some form of ministry. If you serve in a local church, faith-based nonprofit, or mission work, we need 5 minutes of your time. If you are not serving in ministry, you are welcome to read on…our desire is to offer some financial common sense.
Nearly 50 years ago, my father-in-law had a conversation with a Bible College administrator, urging the college […]
I imagine the first question on the mind of the person sailing the boat in the photo accompanying this blog was, “How did this happen?” Even if fully conscious, I am confident they were astonished at the results. The second question surely was, “How do I get it out?”
Harold Watson “Trey” Gowdy III recently asked this question about the current level of political strife and conflict in […]
Recently, I have noted people saying they were glad to see the coming new year and the end of 2020. Yesterday, I listened to a friend tell the congregation, “Never before have I thought that I was really glad a whole year was over…but if I am honest…I am glad 2020 in is the rearview mirror.”\
We would never wish another world pandemic on anyone. Vast changes in […]
Would it be stating the obvious to write, “We live in an angry and confused time”?
A mere four years ago, Democrats alleged the 2016 election was fraudulent and illegitimate. This year has seen the proverbial shoe placed upon the other foot. Politics has always been rough and tumble. It has resulted in duels to the death, produced the fiercest of enemies, and often destroyed faith in others.
Racial […]
As the information for this post was being gathered and arranged, I noted several similar titles. “8 Rules to a Better Life.” “11 Healthy Rules to Live By.” “15 Rules for a Happier Life.” “16 Simple Rules for a Successful & Fulfilling Life.” Then, someone found a way to prevent anyone from “one upping them” by writing, “50 rules to LIVE by if you want a positive […]
Last week, we began by looking at a 2015 survey that analyzed the personal financial situations of more than 4,000 pastors across the USA. Grey Matter Research & Consulting concluded that an alarming number of pastoral families suffer financial stress.1 More recently, GuideStone Financial Resources released a report detailing four mistakes ministry families commonly make that sabotage their financial well being.2
Whether someone labels mistakes as sabotage or […]
When a couple marries and/or begins their careers after college, they soon encounter the greatest expense of their young lives, purchasing a home. As children are added to the family, the home expense seems manageable compared to the infinite cost of years of clothing, school supplies, dance and music lessons, athletic equipment, transportation, proms, and looming college tuition. However, according to a […]
Just a week ago, the leader of a nonprofit organization wrote of her frustration about the seemingly hopeless situation of saving for retirement. “With just about every pension plan in jeopardy, social security in ruins because of theft from our own government, and 401K’s essentially a pyramid scheme, does it make sense to save at all?”1 Her sense of hopelessness was palpable. Was […]
Advice about investing seems to always be an either/or proposition. For every bull saying a particular stock, or class of investment, should be accumulated there seems to be a bear recommending the exact opposite action for precisely the same investment. Perhaps words from Leon Russel’s epic song Tight Rope describe it best, “I’m up on the tightrope / One side’s hate and one […]