Have you heard this saying before? It was used in one of my favorite movies, The Dark Knight, spoken by politician Harvey Dent. After some further research, I discovered two things: This quote is not original to the movie. In fact, it traces back to the year 1650 and is also linked to a historic Irish song. There is no scientific evidence that supports the saying. The darkest part of night… Read More
The Master’s Minute – Shoveling Smoke
Are you worried about any of the following? – The economy – Your loved ones’ safety – When you will hold your grandchildren again – The worldwide pandemic – What the new normal will look like A good friend compared worry to shoveling smoke. What a great comparison! When you shovel smoke, you’re using up a lot of energy and getting nothing done. But worry is our natural response when… Read More
The Master’s Minute – The Giant Pause Button
In case, with everything in lockdown mode, you forgot, this Sunday is Easter. It certainly won’t be the typical Easter Sunday with sunrise services and family dinners after church. But it’s still going to be Easter. I find the timing of this virus pandemic in the USA very fascinating. The Christian Church for centuries has observed the 46 days prior to Easter as the Lenten Season. During these days it… Read More
The Master’s Minute – What Can We Do?
It is human nature for us to crave control when we face uncertainty. Think about those extra few inches you move your car forward when sitting in standstill traffic! You aren’t changing the equation, but you are doing something, which feels better to us than not moving and having those extra inches go to waste! Anything we can do to make us feel more in control gives us a sense of security… Read More
The Master’s Minute – Challenges & Changes + Faith & Optimism = HOPE!
The past month has brought some significant challenges, and subsequent changes, for all of us. In today’s blog we’ll discuss three different levels of change: drastic changes, subtle changes, and little-to-no change. More importantly, we’ll look at our reaction to these changes. First, let’s consider two of the more drastic changes. Our lifestyles have been dramatically affected by the COVID-19 virus. The term “social-distancing” is now familiar to all of us. Beginning this… Read More
The Master’s Minute – We Expect It
As you may have noticed, last week was quite the ride in the stock market. For the week, the S&P 500 returned -11.47% [1]. It was the fastest correction (defined as a -10% return) since July of 1933. Even for the normal ups and downs of the stock market, this was a volatile week. I’m sure none of us roots for the market to decline. In fact, it can be a… Read More
The Master’s Minute – Managing Wealth for a Life of PURPOSE – Part IV
This is part 4 of a 4 part series. If you missed part 1, 2 or 3 you can read them here, here & here. In 2002, Pastor Rick Warren authored the book, The Purpose Driven Life. It became one of the all-time best sellers as over 30 million copies were sold in just the first five years of its existence. Obviously, the pursuit of “Purpose” struck a deep chord in the emotions of… Read More
The Master’s Minute – Managing WEALTH for a Life of Purpose – Part III
This is part 3 of a 4 part series. If you missed part 1 or 2, you can read them here & here Wealth is an abundance of valuable possessions or money. It is neither positive nor negative. It’s our attitude toward wealth that determines whether wealth will enable our self-indulgence or enrich our lives and the lives of others. Consider Abraham in in the book of Genesis, a man of immense wealth…. Read More
The Master’s Minute – MANAGING Wealth for a Life of Purpose – Part II
I’m one of those crazy people who enjoys yard work; however, my least favorite chore is trimming the shrubs. From experience I know that if I don’t keep the landscape manicured on a regular basis, it can quickly get out of control. Our yards and landscape are like other areas of life which, when not actively managed, can quickly become disordered and unruly. Finances can fall into this category. It… Read More
The Master’s Minute – Managing Wealth for a Life of Purpose
Over the next few weeks, we will be writing a blog series on our client mission statement, “Managing Wealth for A Life of Purpose”. Even though this statement was established more than 10 years ago, we believe it is more relevant today than it ever has been. The rise of social enterprises, b-corp certifications and business-as-missions organizations show the thirst for meaning that exists in today’s business culture. On the… Read More
