Hang in There

The instability of the financial landscape over the past couple weeks has been rather unsettling, but it should really not be a huge surprise to anyone. Things like this happen.

I mean, a year ago, the Dow was over 14,000 points, and everyone was thriving. But, we all know that the stock market has its ups and downs, and after a prolonged period of artificial highs, the market always adjusts to correct itself.

That means down times. Slipping prices. And, at times, plummets in your 401K or portfolio.

I have listened to both Clark Howard and Dave Ramsey this past week, and they are in complete agreement on how to handle our current "crisis": just hang tight.

Howard and Ramsey each have said that everyone should continue (or start) to contribute to their retirement plans and mutual funds. The low times are the BEST times to buy!

Remember, if you have stocks or mutual funds, you own shares. Your shares hold certain values at certain times, depending on the market. You have not "lost" any money UNTIL you sell and "cash out" at a lower rate than what you initially paid for your shares.

So, here's a good question: Why in the world would you sell stocks and funds now? Why would you cash out at a time when stocks are 35 percent lower than they were a year ago? You don't! You buy!

Even if you are no longer contributing, Clark Howard says to stay the course. He points out that despite the volatile nature of Wall Street, we really only see a handful of huge gains throughout the year. And, we can rarely predict when these dramatic spikes will happen. So, Howard strongly advises people to keep their money where it is, because if you take it out, you are likely to miss the GREAT days that really create those big jumps in the value of your funds.

Here's a headline that I just read from today's news:

Dow posts big gains in early trading

If you were one of those who pulled your money out last week, you missed out on the 311 point surge the Dow had immediately after opening this morning (we'll see where it ends up at the end of the day).

Here's some advice: do not look at your 401(k) statement more than once per year. Especially if you are under 50 years old. You will have your money there until you are at least 59 years old, and perhaps until 63 or 65. So, it doesn't matter what happens right this minute.

Just hang in there. And buy-buy-buy!!!

Impressions of Catalyst '08

OK, so I just got home from my second Catalyst experience. For those of you who have never heard about Catalyst, it is an annual leadership conference, primarily geared for today's Christian leaders in ministry and business. It's a three-day deal held at Gwinnett Arena in NE Atlanta.

Here are my thoughts on Catlyst 2008, while they are fresh in my mind:

• The place was packed out! There were more than 12,000 people who crammed in this year. Any time you get that many passionate people together for worship and teaching, it's pretty amazing!
• As always, the worship experience at Catalyst was incredible. Say what you will about "concert-style" worship, but when you have 12,000 voices in unison praising God, it is powerful.
• Steve Fee and his band were top-notch! If you have never heard about Steve Fee, or have not yet picked up his newest CD, I'd say it's a "must."
• We got a unique surprise on Thursday, when Switchfoot lead singer John Foreman came out and shared one of his original (yet to be released) worship songs. Great stuff!
• My favorite speakers this year: Steven Furtick, Dave Ramsey, Matt Chandler, and Seth Godin. Of course, Andy Stanley was outstanding, but he speaks every year.
• Perhaps the most moving experience at this year's conference was when TNT's Ernie Johnson, Jr. interviewed William P. Young, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Shack.
• Learned that the most analytical authors make the poorest oral communicators. They have great information to share, but reading their books is preferable to hearing them speak.
• The "sick" popper from Fox's So, You Think You Can Dance? came out and worked the stage with his amazing skills. His name is Robert Muraine, and he is sensational!

Being Tardy isn't a Party

I gotta be honest. I debated as to whether or not I was going to write about this subject. But, it’s a subject I see becoming more relevant each and every day. It’s not just something that concerns me, but a habit or behavior that has consequences far beyond just aggravating someone.

It’s called chronic tardiness. Always being late. Making people wait on you and for you. For everything.

In my younger years, I would have a tendency to be late from time to time. Never a habitual problem, but I would often fail to give myself ample time to arrive at my destination in a timely fashion. And, even when I did, I was getting there at the exact time – never giving myself a cushion.

What are the consequences of constantly being late? Well, if you are the one who is always running behind, then there are several things that result. First, you are likely always in a rush. And, because of this, you cannot help but cut corners – relationally, professionally, and emotionally.

You are never able to slow down to invest in the lives of others. You are working on hyper-drive to complete tasks that warrant more focus. And, you cannot possibly develop the necessary passion for people or endeavors that are the most meaningful to you. There’s a ripple effect here.

Second, you damage relationships. As if hurting yourself professionally isn’t enough when you are always late, you lose credibility with others when you constantly hold them up. Once or twice in a blue moon is certainly not a big deal. But, when you cannot honor others by being somewhere on time, it’s rude. And, it’s selfish.

Look, I am not talking about getting caught in an unexpected traffic jam. And, I am not talking about arriving late because of an unforeseen family issue. I am speaking specifically about folks who are not only late all the time for everything, but those who refuse to make necessary modifications in their schedules or behaviors to begin to kick the habit.

There is an old saying that goes, “Better an hour too soon than a minute too late.”

If we all began living this way, the changes would be remarkable. You see, for some reason we believe that we are only making the most of our time if we are cramming more and more into it. But, this isn’t true. If I have three things going on in my day, and I add three more, what happens? Each of the six tasks suffers. My plate becomes heavy, and the investment I can make into each agenda item becomes more watered down. And, on top of it all, I am forced to hurry, compromising my ability to effectively complete each one.

If, instead of running around like mad, we began to value others’ (and our own) schedules by arriving early, we would increase productivity and lower our stress. And, we might even be able to slow down enough to catch the things that truly matter to us - the things that we are flying by when we are only concerned about our destination, and not the journey.

Common Problems, Uncommon Faith

We have a series that begins this week at NorthStar that is centered around one of my favorite characters in the Bible. He's a guy whose most extraordinary trait was his unwavering confidence that God was always near no matter the circumstances in which he found himself.

This is a dude who, as far as we know, did nothing wrong. No, he wasn't sinless, but we never read about any immorality or poor choices in his life. He loved people. He thought about others. He planned ahead. He was forgiving. He was compassionate.

Despite his loving nature, his life was marked by wrongdoing - and he was the one who was repeatedly wronged! He was thrown into a pit and left for dead. He was sold into slavery. He was framed for rape. He was thrown into prison. He was forgotten by those he helped.

But, this man never lost hope. He persevered through constant misfortune. What separated him from the rest of the world at that time was his unshakable faith in his God.

By the world's standards, he was average. There was nothing outwardly about him that suggested he was - or ever would be - anyone who would ever amount to much of anything. But, while others may not have noticed anything special in him, God was at work developing the person who would save an entire nation from a devastating famine.

Who was this guy? He was the oldest son of Jacob's beloved Rachel, and he was favored by his dad over all of his 11 brothers. He was a dreamer, and he was the ultimate model of integrity. His name was Joseph. And, though we regard him as someone who was larger than life, the fact is that he was just an Everyday Joe.

He was a normal guy who was the victim of some pretty incredible injustices. But, it was his uncommon faith in an omnipotent God that changed his life - and the entire nation of Egypt - forever.

Join us beginning October 5 at NorthStar for a four-part series called Everyday Joe, and find out Joseph's secret to finding peace and claiming victory in some of life's most desperate circumstances.

Marriage, or "Convenient" Arrangement?

I was driving home last night from a church function, and was listening to the Allen Hunt Show on the radio. Allen's producer read a story recently that custom home builders receive many requests from married couples to put two master bedrooms in the home. Apparently, there is a trend today for married couples to sleep in separate beds.

Anyway, I find this story fascinating - and, I gotta admit - tragic. This is not about a spouse snoring, being sick, or tossing and turning. These are married couples who "co-exist" in the same household with their children, and are making the choice to sleep in separate rooms.

One lady called in and said that she didn't necessarily see the big deal. After all, she commented, she and her husband had no passion in their marriage, and the intimacy they experienced earlier in their relationship was extinguished. As discouraging as this sounded, what alarmed me most was how long they had been married. You would have thought they had been married for 15-20 years. But, no! They have only been married for six years!

I cannot imagine having an empty marriage - one without excitement, joy, friendship, and intimacy. But, the longer I live, the more certain I am that the great marriage relationship Amy and I share is the exception - not the rule.

The woman I mentioned a moment ago stated that she typically reads for a little while, then goes to bed early - around 9:30 p.m. Her husband, on the other hand, stays up watching sports and late night talk shows, and comes to bed around midnight. So, her argument is, "Why would having a separate bedroom be any different?"

And, if this is your marriage arrangement, then maybe there's not much of a difference. But, I would implore you to begin thinking about your spouse and not yourself, and try to begin seeing things through their eyes.

Amy and I agreed years ago to try and go to bed at the same time - together - every night. It doesn't always happen that way, but 95 per cent of the time it does. And, that's a big deal. It demonstrates a mutual love and respect, and it lets your spouse know that you actually want to be with them!

In the end, how convenient is a loveless and lifeless marriage? Even with a fancy separate master bedroom, the perks of vast personal space cannot possibly make up for the fulfillment you get from making your spouse a priority!