Stock Casting

Too Busy

2011-02-24T09:49:00.003-05:00

Once I was driving on the highway and I saw a bumper sticker that read, "Jesus is Coming: Look Busy." I thought this was hilarious, but it also got me thinking that we are actually sometimes too busy. We are busy with work, church, family, school, sports, entertainment, our days are filled with so much stimulation I wonder if Christ appeared in the room, would we realize he was there.

This reminds me of the story of Martha and Mary. Martha asked Jesus to to reprimand Mary because she was just sitting at the master's feet while Martha was doing all the work. I have found that whenever I pray I seem to find work or entertainment to do instead of just sit and prayer at the master's feet. Just now I was praying before writing this entry and I got up because I realized I hadn't put away all the fruit from my peapod delivery. I started to cut away the bag that contained a beautiful ripe pineapple, I took a whiff of this lovely fruit and thought I need to cut up this pineapple right now. Then it dawned on me, I had left the presence of the Lord to work and when the work was over it lead me not back into the presence of the Lord instead the work lead me to seek pleasure. I was Martha.

The Martha syndrome is the enemy's way to keep us from talking to God and hearing from Him. And if the enemy can keep us from hearing God, he can cloud our vision and without vision the people perish. That is why it is so important to keep the Sabbath holy. We need to dedicate quiet time every day but specially on Sundays to hearing from God and talking to him. There is nothing more powerful that spending some time in the presence of the Lord. When we read the passage on Mary and Martha most of us cannot identify with Martha. Jesus was right there in the room with them, of course we would be like Mary. But we are all Martha's because Christ left us the Holy Spirit and He is right there with you right now as you read this, knocking on the door of your heart wanting to sit down with you and spend sometime. There is no job, no deadline, no deliverable, no exam, no meeting that can't wait until after you have had time to sit at the master feet.

300 Culture Shifters

2011-02-23T13:33:00.003-05:00

When God asked Gideon to fight a battle he told Gideon that his army was too large and he decreased the size of his army by allowing anyone that was fearful to go home. He further dwindled down their size by watching how they drank water from the river. The majority of those that went to the river layed down on their bellies and lapped the water like a dog, 300 of them instead cupped the water with their hands and brought it to their mouth. I have heard many messages on why these 300 mighty men were chosen and all of them are correct. The first reason is that God wanted the glory so he had to dwindle their numbers to show that even at impossible odds with God we can be victorious. An alternative reason has been proposed as to why these 300 men were chosen was because in kneeling to drink the water they were more prepared for battle than their counterparts that laid down on the ground and drank it like dogs.

In addition to these reasons, I would also like to suggest a third alternative. God chose these men because they were culture shifters. Since 10,000 of the men drank water by laying on the ground and lapping it like a dog this suggests to me that maybe that was the culturally acceptable way warriors drank water from a stream. Instead these 300 men weren't conforming to the normal practices of their culture, they were culture shifters.

If God is going to use us we need to not conform to our culture but transform our culture. We need to look at new ways of conducting commerce, new ways of spreading the gospel, new ways of ministering to people. Are we still comforting to the way the world operates or are we being directed by the Holy Spirit to act in a new way, to fight battles in our workplace and in our homes in a new way. If indeed we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, then why are we trying to operate according to the rules of our culture instead of using spiritual tools and approaches that are "outside of the box."

Lets become one of this generation's 300 mighty leaders and transform the world around us by becoming culture shifters.

Don't Give Up, Keep Growing!

2011-01-01T15:21:00.001-05:00

Our society wants to label every action as either success or failure, but God has a third label, "growth." If I were to tell you to hold my baby daughter who is only a few months old and then I call out to her and say, "walk to daddy" most of you would expect that little girl to fall a number of times on her way. Then if I asked you if her walking a success or a failure, you wouldn't really be able to label it as either. She didn't complete the task of walking across the room because she fell several times, but she didn't fail either, she tried, because she is still growing. She will continue to try and she will fall several times as she tries but one day she will try and not fall.

In our earthly walk are continuously in the process of trying to walk out the vision God has called us to. Often we will falter and make mistakes, but God wants us to pick ourselves up and try again. We learn from our mistakes and we are growing both spiritually, physically and emotionally.

In 2010, I fell a lot in my walk, I made a lot of mistakes, I made investments that didn't work out, I took risks in the stock market that didn't pay off and I made a number of poor choices. The enemy would love for me to label these events as "failures" so I would get stuck on the missteps and not try again.

However, in 2011, I plan to not dwell on the mistakes of my past but instead I plan to pick myself up and look forward, knowing that I'm am growing, that I am learning and I will never give up!

So I gave a gift to myself this New Year's Day, the book, "Never Give Up! relentless Determination to Overcome Life's Challenges" by Joyce Meyers. I have yet to read it, but here is a small excerpt:

"Some of the most successful people in history failed and, instead of being discouraged, refused to give up. For example, consider the following:

Henry Ford, who invested the automobile, went broke five times before he succeeded in business.
The great dancer and movie star Fred Astaire took a screen test at MGM studios in 1933. A studio memo reported he was slightly bald, could not act, and could dance a little.
The family of Louisa May Alcott, the great author who wrote the popular book 'Little Women', thought she shold abandon the idea of being a writer and become a seamstress instead.
A newspaper fired Walt Disney for lack of ideas, and he went bankrupt several times before building Disneyland.
Enrico Caruso's parents believed a voice teacher who said he hand no future in music - he simply could not sing at all. He did not believe the teacher and became one of the most famous opera singers in the world.
Theodore Roosevelt suffered the deaths of both his mother and his wife on the same day in 1884 before he became a war hero and a very effective president of the United States.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was often asked to not return to churches after preaching in them once. When he preached on the streets, townspeople kicked him out. When he preached in a meadow, people turned a bull loose on him. But later, because he refused to give up, he preached in a pasture and ten thousand people came to hear him.

Waiting for God

2010-12-03T10:13:00.001-05:00

Ever wait on a long line at an amusement park? It requires an incredible amount of patience. The line seems to wind and turn and just when you think you are at the entrance to the ride, the line continues inside. The only reason we wait on line because we are expectant that eventually we will get on the ride promised.

Waiting on God to deliver on his promises can be a lot like waiting on line at an amusement park. Sometimes the road God has put us on takes twists and turns and we are not really sure what to expect around the next corner. Abraham, Moses or Joseph would have never thought that the promise of God would have taken as long as it did. Abraham waited nearly 25 years before his wife Sarah gave birth to Isaac, Moses and the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert before coming the promise land.

There are promises that I know God gave me that currently seem so far off they are like a dream. I have no capacity on my own to make them happen, all I can do is trust and believe God is going to deliver. When I am waiting on God and I don't know how long I have to wait my strategy is to bloom where I"m planted. Contentment is where you are. While waiting for God to deliver on his promise for that job, that wife, that dream business you need to live in the moment of where you are now and be content and know that God's promises are true and you need to exercise spiritual patience.

In our earthly eyes we look to the future and think the day that I reach this goal, then I will be happy. The problem with this thinking is that once you have gotten to where you were going the bar is reset and there is a new goal line, and we say again to ourselves if only I get to this new goal then I will be content. But God wants us to bloom where we are planted. The soil we are on is fertile ground. While Paul was in prison he was still preaching the gospel. While I am out of work, I'm going to continue to do my best to impact the kingdom. This requires me to be content in all circumstances and bloom where I'm planted.

The Power of a Whisper: Samuels' Ear

2010-09-13T22:36:00.002-05:00

My mother lost custody of three of her children before she met my father. Because of her age, my mother never expected to have any more children. So when my mother would called me her "little Samuel" I thought it was because I was an answer to prayer. I was a child she so wanted but didn't expect. I was God's consolation prize for to make up for the children she had lost in an ugly legal battle. This put an incredible burden on me as a child and teen to never let her down, but that is for another blog entry.

I now know that the reason my mom called me her "little Samuel" was not because I was an answer to prayer but because like Hannah my mom had dedicated me to the Lord and like Samuel as a young child I heard from the Lord. At a very early age I learned not only hear the voice of God but more importantly to respond. As I grew as into an adult, God's voice has seemed more distance, harder to discern. I remember recently telling my wife as we were trying to make tough decisions regarding our careers and our finance, that I felt I had all together lost the ability to hear God's voice. I no longer knew what it sounded like.

We arrived in Florida on Saturday to temporarily live with my in-laws since we rented our home in Westchester as my wife and I both seek career direction. I was pretty tired from our trip but I felt like I should go online and see if I could find a church we could attend the following morning. This didn't make sense, we hadn't yet unpacked our bags, besides, it wouldn't be as good as my church C3M in New York, yet despite these excuses I went online and found a church called the Bridge in Bradenton. The next day we got up early and made the long trek the chuch, where the pastor starting a lecture series based on a book he was reading, "The Power of a Whisper" by Bill Hybels. The message he gave was a simple , not anyway near the intellectual somersaults I was use to, but it was exactly the message I needed to hear. I realized, God hadn't stopped speaking to me, I forgot how to hear His voice and I would have to get back on a mission to having Samuel's ear to hear God's voice and obey it. In that simple but elegant message I realized God had been in fact whispering to me all along, and it started with the whisper to go online and find a church even though it would have been reasonable for me to take a Sunday off after 22 hours behind the wheel.

In the book, "The Power of a Whisper" Bill Hybels says, "Do you think anyone is orchestrating those ideas that float through your mind? I mean, do you think your thoughts are just random, or is it possible that God is trying to communicate to you in some way?" As I read this book, I find myself on a mission to have Samuel's ear and hear God's voice by slowing down, blocking out all the extra noise and distractions of this world and listen to His whispers.

Preserving Your Spirit

2010-09-10T21:43:00.001-05:00

I'm writing this from a bathroom in the Hampton Inn in Fayetteville, North Carolina on my way to Bradenton, Florida. I have just rented out my home in Bronxville, New York and I'm on my way to moving in with my in-laws. I sit here and think this doesn't make sense, this is not the vision God gave me for our future. I remember something I recently told my connect group, God typically reveals to us the end of the vision without given us the path, because if we actually saw the path our vision would take us we might not want to go. God is cheeky that way. If Joseph had known that he would have to be sold by his brothers and become a slave and put into prison in order for his vision to come true of his brother's bowing down to him, he may have asked God to give the vision to one of his other brothers.

As I uncomfortably sit in a sterile Hampton Inn bathroom so as to not disturb my wife, two year old son and one month old daughter asleep in adjoining room, I contemplate moving onto the army green and yellow diamond carpeting, in a hope that it will be more comfortable. It is then that I see Joyce Myers book "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word" and I find inside the following verse: "You have granted me life and favor, and Your providence has preserved my Spirit." Job 10:12. I recognize that these gifts Life, Favor andProvidence keep in in good cheer and preserve my spirit. Without the gift of life, I wouldn't be able to appreciate the vastness of His unfailing love and mercy, without His Favor I wouldn't be able to recognize His divine intervention even in the middle of trouble times and without his providence I would not have the faith to know that he will complete that what He has promised and that "All things work together for good for those to trust God and are called according to His purposes (Roman 8:28)."

So if your like me and the vision God gave you seems sidetracked, trust that like Joseph you are precisely in the place God wants you to be. His providence that will ultimately preserve the vision and the destiny He has in store for you. So preserve a cheerful spirit despite your circumstances.

Prayer at the Stock Exchange

2010-06-02T06:16:00.001-05:00

Two day’s ago I joined a friend of mine Anthony DiMaio of Bold Ministries for a meeting at the NYSE. We met on the corner of Wall Street and Broad Street in front of the exchange, we pasted through the first checkpoint and then a second with a metal detector and once we were inside we took the elevator up to a room where six men and one woman joined us to talk and to pray.

In the meeting I felt the presence of God as thick as if I was stepping into a pool of water. I have become accustomed to feeling the presence of God when I’m with Anthony (Tony as he is known at the exchange) but I felt it particularly strong this morning. This morning I was reminded of the two other times I written on my blog. Both were times when people at Wall Street were praying and this ushered in a move of God

I was reminded of September 1857 when Lamphier gathered with six other businessmen gathered on Fulton Street, just a few blocks from Wall Street to pray. Seventeen days later the Great Panic of 1857 occurred. Subsequently, God started a move through Lamphier’s group where 10,000 men would gather regularly to pray, this move of God began the “Third Great Awakening.” I realized this event was approximately 150 years to the date of when Lehman’s failure occurred in 2010. Here we were in the NYSE gathered together to pray.

I was also reminded of 1907 when J.P. Morgan was in Atlanta in a church conference praying when he heard of the credit markets ceasing in New York. He immediately grabbed the first train to New York and gathered his banking friends to provide credit to the banks saving many from financial ruin. If J.P. Morgan had not been praying he might have also let the panic of 1907 grasp hold of his heart and not had the wisdom and guidance to hear the voice of the Lord and know what to do during this crisis.

And here I find myself in 2010, post one of the greatest economic catastrophes that occurred since the Great Depression in the New York Stock Exchange with eight other believers gathering to prayer. I realized in this room we have two more than Lamphier had when he helped usher in the Third Great Awakening. I believe we are on the verge of the Fourth Great Awakening. God is trying to get our attention and that is why the financial world is rocking. Whether is be the housing market, or the problem the Euro is experiencing because of the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain), Korea, the Gulf spill or some other yet unknown crisis, the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.” Land is representative of our property and our place of wealth, now is the time to pray for forgiveness so that our land, our country and place of prosperity will be healed.

Warren Buffet's 10 maxims to live by

2009-11-19T12:01:00.002-05:00

Hard work: leads to profit, talk just leads to poverty
Laziness: a sleeping lobster is carried away by the current
Earnings: never depend upon a single source of income
Spending: if you buy things you don’t need you will soon sell things you do need
Savings: don’t save what is left after spending, spend what is left after savings
Borrowing: the borrower becomes the lender’s slave
Accounting, no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes have a leak
Auditing: beware of little expenses a small leak can sink a large ship
Risk Taking: never test the depth of a river with both feet
Investment: don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Overcoming the Challenges and finding Joy in the Workplace

2009-09-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

As a business expands new challenges can take us out of our comfort zone. We are going to discuss how to gain the confidence needed to overcome new challenges and build the practical and spiritual skills that will help you complete new tasks all the while maintaining a joy and peace regarding your current circumstance.

Please join us Thursday October 1st at the Lauren Parson Pratt conference center 281 Park Ave South (@22nd Ave) at 7pm

Value of Relationships

2009-09-02T12:25:00.004-05:00

As current and future business leaders, the marketplace is our area of vocation and mission field. Despite the availability of and our modern reliance on technology, marketplaces are and will remain vibrant with human interaction. Building lasting relationships in the workplace is of value to our professions and to the Kingdom. Let's meet to consider, discuss and pray about how we can become people who are consistently well-liked, connected and serving others as we work.

Join us Thursday September 10th at the Lauren Parson Pratt Conference center 281 Park Ave South (@ 22nd Ave) Time: 7-9pm

Pathfinders Event: "Shifting Gears"

2009-07-20T21:02:00.001-05:00

Thursday,July 23rd:

Business like cycling requires that you shift gears in order to get ahead. In the modern workplace you have to constantly adapt to ever changing circumstances. It is God’s desire that we continue to grow and succeed in our place of business and this often will require that we shift gears spiritually. I believe that we are in a season where God wants to shift you into high gear so that you can spiritually accelerate and take your business and life into a new gear. Join us this Thursday at Pathfinders were we will help you transition/shift smoothly into the new gear in your career so you can strive ahead of the pack.

Location: Laura Parson's Pratt 281 Park Ave South (@ 22nd Ave)

Time: 7-9pm

Warren Buffett on:

2009-04-01T15:24:00.001-05:00

Best investment ever made: My marriage license. Who you marry will have more impact on your life than any other external event in your lifetime. It is hugely important who you marry – marry someone who will bring out the best in you.

On success: IQ does not equal success. Good grades does not equal success. Character, discipline and focus will equal success. You need to detach yourself from the heard and the views of other people.

On mistakes: If you can’t stand mistakes, you shouldn’t be in the game. Don’t berate yourself over mistakes, just get on with the game.

On debt: If you are smart enough, you don’t need debt. If you are dumb, then debt will always get you into trouble.

On Investing: Don’t need an IQ to invest, but do need the right temperament. If it is cheap, I will buy; if not, I will pass. Develop your circle of competence, and know how big that perimeter is. Invest with a strong ‘margin of safety.’ If a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush, how sure are you that there is in-fact 2 in the bush. How far away is it, and how will you get there? Is there a bush close by that has 3 birds in it?

On career: Why paint something you don’t like; paint a life that you want. Build something that you want to build. Major on character, discipline and focus.

On motivating: Bringing out the potential in people is the most rewarding thing you can do.

On politicians: He asks them “what are you for that your constituents are really against?” – this will reveal what they really believe.

On democracy: The problem with democracy is that elected officials will not rule for the future, but only for the present day.

On hiring staff: Hire someone who is not in it for the money, fame or reward and hire someone who is prepared to go into the fox hole with you and stay there in the tough times. Work with people you want to work with and be the kind of person that you would want to hang around with.

On strategy: Strategy really means ‘dumb.’ So ‘Strategic planning’ means ‘dumb planning’ and ‘strategic acquisition’ means ‘dumb deal’. We have no strategic planning at Berkshire Hathaway, we just look for great investments and aim to preserve our capital.

High Performance

2009-03-26T14:56:00.001-05:00

Dana Torres attributes her Olympic gold medal winning skill to having her body and muscles professionally stretched 5 times daily. And while, in part, hers is a God-given talent, she maximizes her "raw material" with techniques that lead to high performance. Are you operating in your professional life in such a way that you are achieving high performance? Let's gather to consider and share what areas of our work and thinking need activating and / or realigning so we too are maximizing our natural, God-given talents and excelling as high performers.

Join us Thursday April 2nd at the Location Laura Parson Pratt Conference Center
281 Park Ave South (@22nd St.) please plan to join us after the meeting for a Pathfinders Social at Barbounia.

GET TO KNOW THE VOICE OF GOD

2009-03-23T07:38:00.003-05:00

I usually don't like to quote or post material form other sources, however I made an exception this morning because I read a very inspiring:

"God wants us to know that no matter how difficult things may get for us, he will sustain all who trust in him—by the power of his still, small voice, speaking to our inner man daily.

This is confirmed by the prophet Isaiah: “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). You have to understand, Isaiah delivered this word to Israel in the very worst of times. The nation was under judgment, in absolute ruin, with everything breaking down. And so Isaiah told Israel’s leaders, “Turn to the Lord now! He wants to give you a word of direction—to speak to you, saying, ‘Go this way, go that way, here’s the way…’” But they wouldn’t listen. They decided they would turn to Egypt to deliver them! They thought they could rely on the Egyptians’ chariots, horses and supplies to see them through.

Yet, God did not send all of his judgment on Israel at that point. Rather, he decided to wait patiently until the bottom fell out of every plan. He said, “While they’re running around scheming how to survive, I’ll wait. I want to show them my mercy, in spite of their wickedness!” (v. 18). Sure enough, everything failed, and things only got worse for the nation. Finally, when all their schemes had fallen through, God told the people, “Now, let me take over! Open your ears, and I will speak to you. I know the way out, and I will direct you. I want to guide your every move, to the right and to the left, to deliver you. I’ll lead you by my voice—speaking to you, telling you what to do, down to the last detail!”

What matters—what’s vitally important—is that you get to know the voice of God. He is still speaking. He made it clear, “My sheep know my voice.” There are many voices in the world today—loud, demanding voices. But there is that still, small voice of the Lord that can be known and heard by all who trust what Jesus said." -David Wilkerson

Be Strong and Courageous

2009-03-17T09:10:00.001-05:00

Assistant Pastor Anthony Ceccutti of Christian City Church Manhattan spoke a wonderful message on Sunday on Joshua chapter 1, where God tells Joshua to be "Strong and Courageous." In difficult times we often have a choice between fight or flight. Often when God allows an obstacle to obstruct us it is for us to attack and conquer.

Often we stand in front of an obstacle in defeat asking why God has allowed such a trial to enter our path. Instead we need to ask God what is the lesson we are to learn from this obstacle and how are we to overcome it? Are we to rely on our own abilities and ingenuity or are we to trust that God is going to provide a way of escape?

Obstacles will come and go but the lessons learned will last a lifetime.

Ten Tenets of Investing

2009-03-02T13:40:00.002-05:00

I thought this was a brilliant piece by James Montier of SocGen and wanted to share it with you with some added comments of my own.

Ten Tenets of My Investment Creed

1. Value, value, value Value approach minimizes the risk of overpaying for the hope of growth. (I would add to this don't buy things just because they are 'cheap' because they could just get cheaper)

2. Be contrarian Sir John Templeton observed, "It is impossible to produce superior performances unless you do something different from the majority"

3. Be patient wait for the fat pitch, value managers' have the curse of being too early

4. Be unconstrainedWhile pigeon-holing and labelling are fashinonable, Iam far from convinced that they aid investment. Surely I should be free to exploit value opportunities wherever they may occur.

5. Don't forecast Forecasting is like relying on your seriously flawed ability to soothsay.

6. Cycles matter Howard Marks says, "we can't predict but we can prepare" (I would add, be aware of the cycle you are in and the one you are about to enter).

7. History matters The four most dangerous words in investing are "This time is different"

8. Be skeptical Learning to question what you are told and developing critical thinking skills are vital to long term success and survival

9. Be top-down and bottom-up Both viewpoints matter, either has a monopoly on insight.

10. Treat your clients as you would treat yourself the ultimate test of an investment is would I be willing to invest with my own money? (Do unto other's as you would have done unto you).

Do you Soar or Slide?

2009-02-27T15:32:00.002-05:00

"Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint" - Isaiah 40:31

Eagles use storms to actually lift them above the storms. If you are flying above the storm you are unaffected by the turbulence. This is a complete contrast to a snake whose entire body is earthbound. The snake is not only effected by the storm above but the ground below scraping his belly. If you listen to the spirit of God and abide in Christ Jesus you can soar like an Eagle, while those who live out of the flesh are earthbound.

When it comes to your business do you Soar like an Eagle or Slide like a snake?

Pathfinders + Social

2009-02-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

March, 5th 7 pm

Contact info@cccmanhattan.org to RSVP
Location Laura Parson Pratt Conference Center
281 Park Ave South (@22nd St.)

Unleashing Your Future: During challenging economic times businesses refocus on core competencies by cutting departments that are not key to their long term business objectives. God can use life's economic storms to strip us of our unnecessary baggage and have us refocus on Him. Join us as we lay out a plan for you to release your baggage and unleash God's plan for your future and your business.

AND, please plan to join us after the meeting for a Pathfinders Social at Barbounia. See you there

Stepping on your Problems

2009-02-23T11:11:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, Senior Pastor Stephen Hickson of Christian City Church Manhattan had an amazing message on "Vision" and I had to share part of it that was particularly inspiring.

"When Jesus was walking on the water, he was walking on their problems, the water/storm and he commanded Peter to walk on his problems as well."

I love the image of Jesus encouraging us to walk on our problems. What is greater the problem or God and the direction He has for your life? If He has placed you in a boat and He is steering the vessel He will get you to the other side. Wouldn't you rather be where God is and where he wants to take you even if it means passing through turmoil?

Get out there and walk on your problems!

Gold will Rust

2009-02-18T10:51:00.003-05:00

As the market turns south, investors turn to Gold as a safe haven. Yesterday, gold rose 2.7% to $967 a troy ounce. It made me look to see what the Bible has to say about gold and God led me to James chapter 5.

"Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you."

Since gold is not iron ore it can't actually "rust" so I can only come up with one of two possible meanings behind this passage it is literal or figurative. As far as the literal interpretation I have read that it is possible that a nuclear fall out could cause gold to rust however, I haven't been able to verify this and I don't think we would survive it to see gold rust so I think we may need to look at this passage as figuratively. Silver and Gold has always been synonymous with money and or wealth. It is clear that the passage is warning not to count on the wealth that you have stored away.

As investors we need to not put our trust in our wealth but put our trust in the Lord. As employers we need to make sure we are taking care of our employees because the verse says, "Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. " We need to expand and not contract. If you don't take care of your employees during this time, why should God take care of you?

Consumption vs Production

2009-02-09T14:03:00.001-05:00

We have become a society of consumers rather than producers. Our spiritual and physical growth requires that we actually produce more than we consume. If your body consumes more food than it expends in work you get fat, likewise the more we become consumers of the things the world has to sell us the less spiritually fit we become.

As consumers it is important to keep account of where we are spending our money. In our household we call them buckets. We have buckets that can't be changed like the mortgage bucket, or the groceries bucket, but then we have buckets on things like the vacation bucket or the going out for dinner bucket. At the end of the month we can look at our buckets and see where our money has gone. Where your money goes is where your priorities in life are.

My wife and I made a promise to ourselves that with the exception of our mortgage none of our buckets would be bigger than our tithing bucket. What you consume determines where your heart is.

Train Spotting: How a Church is like a Train.

2008-12-16T12:18:00.002-05:00

Typically I take the 7:24 train into Grand Central station, but recently I have had two occasions to come in at either an earlier train (6:30 am) or a later train(8:15 am). Taking the earlier train I noticed many people on that train slept and appeared tired and seemed to walk slowly while leaving the train. This compared to the train I usually take where most of the people are reading the paper or working on their laptops, and it seems like a sprint to the exit with people checking their blackberries as they walk. In the later train, I noticed people walked extra slow, I assumed that this was not due to lack of sleep but because they didn't want to go to work, they were just dragging themselves to their jobs. Something as simple as picking the right train in the morning can dictate your success in the work place.

Which train you ride means a lot as far as the experience of getting to work and your success in the workplace. Trains are a lot like churches, they will all get you to your destination but you can have very different experiences depending upon the train you are on. My church has enough elements to challenge and support me, encourage and comfort me. Like my train, my church feels "just right."

Buy Gold Coins (or have fish produce them)

2008-12-10T12:09:00.001-05:00

Investors typically look to gold coins as a safe investment in turbulent times. I personally know of several investment professionals that at the height of the market turbulence this year bought gold coins in the event their bank failed or the dollar became worthless. If highly intelligent professional investors are tucking gold coins under their mattress or more likely putting in the safe they bought at home depot, what is the novice investor or Joe the plumber to do? I believe they need to put our trust in God.

As believers we need to look toward God not gold in turbulent times. In Matthew 17, Jesus tells Peter to go fishing and in the mouth of the fish will be a gold coin in order to pay their taxes. This implies that either this fish started producing gold coins, someone lost the coin and the fish swallowed it up, either way God provided.

Fierce Determination

2008-12-05T15:18:00.001-05:00

Determination is the act of deciding definitely and firmly. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. Without a battle there can be no real victory. The Bible says, in Phil 4:13 "I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me" It also says in Rom 8:37 "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." This means our battle has purpose.

The Bible has many examples of fierce determination. Jacob working 14 years for his wife Rachel. Moses pleaded with Pharaoh 10 different times to let the Israelites go. Elisha follow Elijah for years in pursuit of the mantle. Hosea pursuit of Gomer as a wife. Christ fasting for forty days. Paul spread the Gospel during early days of church suffering imprisonment and torture.

A determined person sets themselves up to win by choosing words and actions that build and give life (control thoughts). A fiercely determined person partners with God. They seek revelation by going up the mountain to get a better view.

The Great Stock Market Crash Myth

2008-11-30T18:02:00.003-05:00

According to John Kenneth Galbraith in The Great Crash 1929, 'the suicide wave the followed the stock market crash is also a part of the legend of 1929. In fact, there was none.' Instead what we find is that for several years prior to 1929 'the suicide rate had gradually been rising.' This is of particular interest because it suggests that people loosing all their wealth was not the cause of suicides, in fact suicides had been on the rise while the stock market was doing incredibly well.

How can we explain this increase while the market was doing well? While I have only anecdotal evidence I would suggest that society had become dissatisfied and this was the cause for the increase in suicides prior to the great crash. The years prior to the great crash there was a massive increase in speculators in the stock market as it became the modern day gold rush. The stock market was a road to quick wealth based on a house of cards. As investors gained wealth there was was also an immediate dissatisfied with the wealth they acquired. As the old saying goes, "wealth doesn't bring happiness." Likewise those that did not play the stock market or lost money doing so also became dissatisfied because they saw those around them gaining wealth and they felt left out.

The increase in suicides prior to the stock market crash suggests that people were not content. Paul says in Philippians 4:11 'I have learned to be content in all circumstances.' It is important for us in this modern day stock market and economic downturn to remember to be content in all circumstances. How can we be content in all circumstances? We need to know that God is still in control and that He will work it out if we continue to put our trust in Him.