Oct
31
2008
Over the past week I had the opportunity to spend time with financial advisers in the Socially Responsible Investing community at their annual international conference held this year in Whistler, Canada. I had been asked by the CEO of First Affirmative Financial Network, a corporate sponsor of the conference, to present two talks on stress, wellness and faith to his advisers at a pre-conference meeting and to the conference participants.
Before this conference I had no knowledge about this industry or its purpose so I certainly enjoyed learning about this new approach to investing – using my money to make a difference. I especially gained an appreciation for the hearts of the advisers who work tirelessly to support their respective clients. It was an honor for me to equip them with information and insight on managing their personal stress considering the tall task they have of guiding their clients in their investments at such a challenging time in our nation’s economy.
Additional info about SRI can be found at the Social Investment Forum, a non-profit organization that also sponsored the conference. If you’re inclined to learn more about this investment vehicle, FAFN has advisers ready to assist you throughout the United States.
As a quick reminder…. a few scriptures on money and investments.
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21
“But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.” Ecclesiastes 11:2
Go have a great day!
Oct
08
2008
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During my quiet time this morning I was led to Psalm 46.
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!” (1-3)
Thinking about our country’s crisis right now in the economic world you could easily substitute some words for this Psalm and it would apply today:
“So we will not fear even if a financial crisis comes in and the stock market plummets to new lows.” “Let the retirement accounts plummet and crumble and let the people on Wall Street and the stock market tremble as our confidence in the economy is at an all time low.”
The key in these verses is found in verse one and two – God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble so we will not fear.
I think that’s what God is calling us to do during these times. Remember that God is our refuge. He is our strength, so we should not fear – no matter what happens in the economic world or to our personal investments. God is reminding us to be still and know that He is God and know that He is in control and know that He will provide and He will make a way.
It’s in God that we can find our true security, no matter what happens, be it in our personal finances or any other aspect of our life.
I have been reading the works of Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian author who died in 1972. In his book, The Spiritual Man ( a free on-line ebook), Nee writes about man’s soul and his emotions and how critical it is to allow the Holy Spirit to influence our reactions:
“One quality which characterizes a spiritual person is the great calm he maintains under every circumstance. Whatever may happen around him or however much he may be provoked, he accepts it all calmly and exhibits an unmovable nature. He is one who is able to regulate his every feeling, because his emotion has been yielded to the cross and his will and spirit are permeated with the power of the Holy Spirit. No extreme provocation has the strength to unsettle him. But if one has not accepted the dealing of the cross upon his emotion, then he will be easily influenced, stimulated, disturbed, and even governed by the external world. He will undergo constant change, for emotion shifts often. The slightest threat from outside or the smallest increase in work shall upset him and render him helpless. Whoever genuinely desires to be perfect must let the cross cut deeper into his emotion.” (P. 429)
Finally, let’s also be reminded of what the Psalmist writes in verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God!”
Related Blog Post – God Gives Strength: Isaiah 40:29
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Oct
08
2008
On Tuesday the government released new physical activity guidelines for Americans. The link I’ve provided offers resources for individuals and health professionals.
Here is a summary by age groups:
Children and Adolescents (aged 6–17)
• Children and adolescents should do 1 hour (60 minutes) or more of physical activity every day.
• Most of the 1 hour or more a day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
• As part of their daily physical activity, children and adolescents should do vigorous-intensity activity on at least 3 days per week. They also should do muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activity on at least 3 days per week.
Adults (aged 18–64)
• Adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, preferably spread throughout the week.
• Additional health benefits are provided by increasing to 5 hours (300 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an quivalent combination of both.
• Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups performed on 2 or more days per week.
Older Adults (aged 65 and older)
• Older adults should follow the adult guidelines. If this is not possible due to limiting chronic conditions, older adults should be as physically active as their abilities allow. They should avoid inactivity. Older adults should do exercises that maintain or improve balance if they are at risk of falling.
Moderate Activities - You can talk while you do them, but you can’t sing.
Vigorous Activities – You can only say a few words without stopping to catch your breath.
Go get some activity today!
Oct
07
2008
It’s a gorgeous fall day in Charlotte and I’ve just come back from a 2 mile run. I had my ipod on and was listening to inspirational Christian music. Prior to that run, I had spent several hours reading the Bible and a book about Christian living(Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper) and had a phone conversation with a leader of a ministry. I had also had a discussion with the head of our church wellness ministry about what the future holds for that ministry in the church.
Later today I will be visiting a mens homeless ministry and will be teaching the Bible study tonight. I am in great anticipation about how God will be present during my time with the men and about what He will do amidst us.
All these circumstances have my heart racing and my mind filled with the great things that God wants to do in the world around me. Earlier today my girlfriend shared with me that USA Today had another article on it’s front page about the impact that the financial crisis is having on the stress of people and the subsequent impact it has on people’s lives. It was another reminder about the need people have for God in their life.
It’s at times like this that my mind races and I want to do so many things and tell so many people about the love of God and of the impact that a personal relationship with the one true God can have on their life. I have spent the better part of the last month preparing a presentation that I will give to a group of financial advisers at the end of this month on the impact of stress on our health and the role that our faith can play amidst this stress. After working for this length of time on a presentation, it all comes together very clearly in my mind about the relevance of faith and God in our life during times of stress like this… and I just want to share it with everybody.
If you don’t currently experience a very personal relationship with God and you haven’t yet experienced the love of Jesus Christ this is certainly a time to begin to do that. The Bible is very clear that God sent his son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we can experience a full and abundant life here on this earth and for eternity. The main reason that he wants us to live a very full life is so that we can be a reflection of God’s glory to other people who don’t know Him. Ultimately that is our purpose for living — to live life in such a way that brings glory to God.
For those of us that have experienced the love of Christ in a very real way, it’s at times like this that we can make an impact on His kingdom. We need to remember to stay very closely connected to God in ways that are meaningful to us so that we receive wisdom and peace and hope and strength. It is from being very well grounded in these ways that we can then be a light for others that we are in community with, especially those that do not know Christ. It’s in times like we are in that we should stand on the mountain tops lighting the world around us. And it’s at times like this that we need to look for opportunities to share with others what Christ has done in our life. We need to be prepared and look for opportunities to tell other people why we are able to have a calmness about us when so many people are stressed out and seemingly out of control because of the financial crisis that our country is in. The only way we’re going to be able to do this is if we stay closely connected to God day in and day out.
It’s only because I spent quite a bit of time abiding with God this morning that I have received an overwhelming desire … in fact, a passion, to share this encouraging word with you today. It’s a blessing for me to spend the time I did with God today and to be able to take the time to write to you on matters such as this. I hope that you find it encouraging.
Go shine your light brightly!
Oct
06
2008
Over the last few months, readership of my blog has increased steadily. I’m hoping that the content is helpful …. a blend of teaching, encouragement and challenge.
As you might appreciate, there are so many directions I can take this blog. In that light, I’d find it helpful to receive feedback from you so that I might tweak what I’m doing. Comments would be appreciated. If you’d like to read more about a particular subject area or any aspect of the faith and health connection, please let me know.
Feel free to post them as a comment, or email me.
Thanks so much…… and have a terrific week!!
Oct
01
2008
Herod Agrippa the First facilitated the murder of James and had Peter put in prison. He also received the praises of the Jewish people under his rule as though he were a god. As a result God punished him.
Scripture tells us in Acts 12:23 what happened as Herod was addressing the people – “Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.” Herod died in a horrible way because he did not recognize God for the deity that He is.
In Exodus 20:3 we are told by God, “You must not have any other god but me.” God does not want us to have other gods or idols in our life nor does He want us to be so proud that we act like a god. As we can see in the case of Herod, if we maintain this kind of attitude there will probably be consequences. We may not experience the type of ugly sickness and death that Herod did, but we can be sure that there will be consequences. Pride and self-righteousness leads to control, conflict and frustration in our relationships with other people. It can also put a big wedge in between us and God and He doesn’t want that to happen.
Take some time to reflect deep into your heart and check your pride level. Are you taking or receiving the praise and glory in a situation without redirecting it to God? He placed each of us on this earth to glorify Him, not ourselves, by using our unique gifts and talents. Let’s make sure to do that!
Stay close to God and with His power, be humble.
Let’s Connect!