Why A Humble Secretary Made More Money Than A Wall Street Executive
Morgan Housel, The Motley Fool, Oct. 14, 2013
Grace Groner was born in 1909 in rural Illinois. Orphaned at age 12 and never married, she began her career during the Great Depression. She became a secretary, lived in a small cottage, bought used clothes, and never owned a car.
When Groner died in 2010, those close to her were shocked to learn she was worth at least $7 million. Even more amazing, she made it all on her own.
The country secretary bought $180 worth of stocks in the 1930s, never sold, and let it compound into a fortune. She left it all to charity.
Now meet Richard Fuscone. He attended Dartmouth and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. Rising through the ranks of high finance, Fuscone became Executive Chairman of the Americas at Merrill Lynch. Crain’s once included Fuscone in a “40 under 40” list of successful businesspeople. He retired in 2000 to “pursue personal, charitable interests.” Former Merrill CEO David Komansky praised Fuscone’s “business savvy, leadership skills, sound judgment and personal integrity.”
But Fuscone filed for bankruptcy in 2010—the same year Groner’s fortune was revealed—fighting to prevent foreclosure of his 18,471-square-foot, 11-bathroom, two-pool, two-elevator, seven-car-garage New York mansion. This was after selling another home in Palm Beach following a separate foreclosure. “My background is in the financial-services industry and I have been personally devastated by the financial crisis,” Fuscone’s bankruptcy filing allegedly stated. “I currently have no income.”
These stories fascinate me. There is no plausible scenario in which a 100-year-old country secretary could beat Tiger Woods at golf, or be better at brain surgery than a brain surgeon. But—fairly often—that same country secretary can out-finance a Wall Street titan. Money is strange like that.
One of the most common calls after the 2008 financial crisis was for America to double down on financial literacy. “We must strive to ensure all Americans have the skills to manage their fiscal resources effectively and avoid deceptive or predatory practices,” President Obama wrote in 2011, calling for a new “financial literacy month.”
But there’s a funny thing about financial literacy: There are quite a few Grace Groners and Richard Fuscones out there. They are extreme examples, but the link between financial education and financial outcomes is surprisingly elusive.
But several studies offer a more convincing answer: Financial education programs don’t improve outcomes because they tend to teach fundamental financial concepts, which aren’t that important, rather than behavioral issues, which are.
Learning the definition of compound interest isn’t going to do you much good unless you understand the devastation you’ll bring to your wealth by panicking when the market drops. Knowing what a Roth IRA is won’t do you much good if overconfidence entices you to take out lots of debt.
These basic behavioral differences are what separate the Grace Groners from the Richard Fuscones. Groner clearly understood patience. She understood frugality. She understood the value of a long-term view and how to not panic—if only subconsciously. Fuscone, it seems, didn’t. (To be fair, it’s unclear exactly where his financial troubles came from.)
The traits most important to mastering your finances aren’t typically taught in finance courses. You’re more likely to see them in a psychology class. They include things like patience, an even temper, being skeptical of salesmen, and avoiding over-optimism. A lot of people miss this because it’s not intuitive. But I think it explains, better than anything else, why so many people are bad with their money. And it extends beyond novices.
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... that God loves me.
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 6:19-21
Portal TFI
by Theresa Leclerc 6/08
“You’re going to be so pretty when you grow up,” I remember people telling me when I was a little girl. Oh, how I waited for that day! All of my dreams would come true. I would be beautiful!
But at 15 I was nothing like I had imagined. I was chunky and hated my body. I wore only black clothes to try to make myself look thinner. I also wore a lot of makeup that became a mask to hide behind. I remember crying and being incredibly depressed because I thought I was so fat I didn’t deserve to live. It’s easy to see how ridiculous such thoughts are when it’s others who are thinking them, but when you’re the one, it’s a different story.
I started dieting at 12 and kept at it till I was 17. In spite of all my parents did to encourage me and keep me from going to extremes, I would starve myself, then binge, then have horrible bouts of guilt for not sticking to whatever incredibly rigid diet I had put myself on that month. Instead of the diets working for me, my metabolism just became very slow, and I would gain weight by eating the smallest amounts of food. I went through a bulimic phase, but thankfully that didn’t last long.
I had a terrible image of my body and couldn’t imagine ever being happy till I was thin, but for me that was impossible. The more I tried, the more I failed; and the more I failed, the more depressed I became.
Once I decided to go on a starvation diet, and my younger sister decided to join me. We secretly starved ourselves for 10 days and finally became so weak that all we could do was lie in our beds. Thankfully that diet didn’t last any longer than that and wasn’t repeated.
One day, after three months of an exceptionally tough diet and an overly intense three-times-a-day exercise routine, I stepped on the scale and my heart sank. I hadn’t lost a pound. I was out of ideas and at the end of my rope. My desire to lose weight had become an obsession, a nightmare, an insane, vicious cycle where I kept trying to gain control but couldn’t.
Finally I was fed up. I tried eating whatever I wanted, but I’d abused my body so badly for so long through extreme diets that it took some time before my metabolism stabilized.
Then a thought came to me. What if I acted like I thought I was a cool person, just the way I was? Maybe other people would think so too. What would happen if I wasn’t always obsessing over my weight? Sure I was chunky, but I liked chubby people. Maybe others would like me if I accepted myself. I determined to not talk about my weight or dieting in front of others. Why draw more attention to it? Who knows? Maybe they wouldn’t even notice. This may sound like a dumb idea, but it actually worked.
Around that time my family moved. The next several years were some of my chubbiest, but they were also the source of some of my fondest memories. In new surroundings I made a lot of friends, and the boys seemed to like me more. Suddenly people thought I was really cool. I couldn’t believe it!
The decision to just be me was one of the best decisions I ever made, because ever since then I have been able to think a lot more positively about myself. Even though I knew my “flaws,” I never let myself dwell on them. I made a conscious effort to only think good things about myself, and after a while I started doing that subconsciously.
I eventually lost a lot of my teen chubbiness, but I never became slim. At 27, I’m a lot more comfortable with myself. Plus I see that there are more important things in life than my weight. I may never look like a cover girl, I’ll always be me, but I might as well be the best me I can be! I’m going to keep on being happy just as God made me.
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You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are.—Jeph Jacques
Activate Your Life
From father to child: valuable life lessons
Seven essential life lessons that every dad should share, no matter what his children's ages:
Be curious. Kids are innately curious—but in our rush to get wherever we're going, we fathers are always urging them to move along. Nothing will better unite you with your children—and better prepare them for life—than sharing mutual wonder and the urge to explore. Maybe there is an interesting insect or a beautiful flower in your backyard. Get down on your knees and examine it closely; look it up in the encyclopedia or on the Internet. Try to figure out how a mechanism works.
Be generous. Not just with money—but with time, possessions, and love. The spirit of generosity will teach your children empathy, helping them feel concern for those around them.
Admit when you're wrong. If you don't act as though you're perfect, your children will know that they don't have to be perfect either.
Be willing to fail. The kite crashes; a repair doesn't work; the puzzle pieces won't fit together. So what? You've shown your kids that it's important to try new things, regardless of how they turn out.
Be spontaneous. While it is fine to be organized, it also creates pressure to do things in certain ways. This takes some joy out of life. Teach your kids that it's okay to [move forward when plans are on hold].
Embrace spirituality. Encourage your children to cultivate their sense of awe and wonder—not once a week, but all the time. Spirituality is like a muscle—you have to use it frequently to make it stronger.
Respect your body. Good health is important. Lead by example. Let your kids see you exercising (encourage them to join in), eating a healthful diet, and generally living a clean life.—Joe Kita
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Family values
asked: What are our values as a family? What do we really believe? What is important to us? We came up with four words: gratitude, generosity, humility, and courage. We determined that we want those four values to define who we are as a family, and for Parker [my oldest son] and I, who we are as men.
So, I am always conscious of how do we cultivate gratitude. How do we model generosity? How do we stay humble and keep learning and stay hungry for more of God? And how do we live courageously? You cannot obey the will of God and not be courageous. That’s why God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous,” because if you are going to experience and stake claim to the promises of God, you are going to have to be courageous.
Those four words are words that begin to define us as a family. They are things I want to impress upon my children.—Mark Batterson
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If you haven’t done this already, it’s a good idea to give some thought to what your personal or family core values are—to determine the ideals that fundamentally guide your personal choices, that represent the Christ-life and integrity that you want to demonstrate, and that you feel will lead to your having a full and purposeful life.
Even if you haven’t previously given this serious thought, everybody has values or principles that fundamentally play into their decisions and thought processes, even subconsciously, and that are part of making them who they are, that form the fiber of their character. If you give this some thought and prayer, you’ll probably be able to recognize certain threads in your actions and thinking, points that you continually factor in to your decisions or base your decisions on, and this can help you to identify what values are core to you.
You might also recognize some points that you haven’t given the proper priority to, or factors that need more consideration, and you can adjust accordingly.
If we follow the thinking that the values in Matthew 22:37–40 are at the center of all we say, do, and believe, the basis for our choices … then any values springing from those two commandments will be in harmony with each other.—Peter Amsterdam
Laying a strong foundation for your children
A compilation 10/13
Ten Bible verses I want my children to know
I look into [my children’s] faces and hear their melodious laughter and … I want more than the world for them. I want the eternal world for them. I jolt back to my own experiences and reality. The hurts… The pain from a divorce. The consequences of bad choices that are always forgiven but can still haunt me on the days I forget who I am in Him. I realize at this moment when the innocent and authentic collide that I can’t keep [my children] in a bubble. They’re going to be hurt... They will make bad choices.
Much will change as they grow older, and unfortunately, it’s inevitable that the innocence will begin to chip away. But what won’t change? His truths. He was and is and is to come. He’s the same. Always.The comfort this brings me is overwhelming. So while I believe ALL of scripture is sacred and God-breathed, there are some verses I want my kids to have memorized before they leave my nest.
1. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”—Hebrews 13:5
2. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.—Psalm 139:13–14
3. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.—Hebrews 11:1
4. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.—Joshua 1:9
5. I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.—Jeremiah 31:3
6. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.—Proverbs 15:1
7. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.—Matthew 5:23–24
8. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!—2 Corinthians 5:17
9. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28
10. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.—Galatians 5:22–231
—Natalie Snapp2
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TFI Portal
by Samuel Keating 9/13
Self-control is the ninth fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22–23. Though it’s listed last, it’s clearly an important one. It takes a lot of self-control to manifest the other eight fruits.
I recently read about the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment, conducted by Stanford University psychologists in 1972. During the experiment, a marshmallow was offered to each of the participating children, with the promise that if they didn’t eat it for 15 minutes, they’d be given a second one. The researchers analyzed how long each child resisted eating the marshmallow, and after follow-up studies in 1988 and 1990, suggested that waiting longer—exercising delayed gratification—was correlated with future success. The findings are not considered conclusive, but it makes sense that having self-control is a positive factor in our lives.
My daughter Audrey is not yet two, but I can already see the struggle that takes place daily in her young mind with whether to yield to her anger and frustration or not. I take seriously the responsibility of helping her cultivate positive traits—patience, courtesy, consideration, respect, kindness, honesty—that all require self-discipline but will shape her character and prove valuable throughout her life.
Some of us have easier circumstances than others. For instance, Audrey currently finds chocolate and cake revolting—and if that continues into adulthood, it might fool some people into thinking she must be really self-disciplined (at least as far as sticking to a healthy diet). Unfortunately, being able to resist something we don’t care for is not the same thing as self-control.
Each of us is unique and has a personal path for growth, so there are no obvious secrets to gaining self-control. However, if we commit our lives into God’s hands, He will help us know what to do and not do, and the voice of our conscience will safeguard us in our weak areas.
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Self-Control—The Liberating Fruit
by Rafael Holding 10/13
The secret to building self-control is to yield our lives to God and let His Holy Spirit guide our thoughts, our actions and our life. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,” Paul advises, “but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”1
That doesn’t mean we won’t face temptation or continue to work to overcome bad habits and weak areas in our lives. We need to do our part, of course. We need to put up some resistance when temptation comes knocking, and we need to work on strengthening our weak areas. But the fact of the matter is, we all sometimes fall prey to temptation, give in to our personal weaknesses, and over-indulge in some things that would be fine in moderation.
The apostle Paul could have been speaking for us all when he wrote: I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?2
But then Paul hit upon the answer:
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.3
1. Romans 12:2 NLT
2. Romans 7:18–19, 21–24 NLT
3. Romans 7:25 NLT
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Activate Your LIfe TFI
by Maria Fontaine 7/13
Peter and I were taking a few days’ break at a small beach town. One late afternoon, I was taking a walk along the beach, when I looked up to find one of the most stunningly beautiful scenes taking shape before my eyes.
The scattered clouds began to take on pastel hues of peach, violet, and gold against the deepening blue of the sky. I love sunsets, but every once in a great while I encounter one that is so awe-inspiring that I can’t take my eyes off it. And the Great Painter was certainly getting my attention with this one. It was as if He was pouring liquid colored light into each cloud. The colors crept higher and higher until they seemed to overflow, and their streams became a living, swirling kaleidoscope of ever-changing beauty.
Everything else faded into unimportance alongside this masterpiece developing before my eyes. Gently, the expanding display flowed downward until it seemed to swallow up the ocean, turning it into a sea of vibrant colors, soft and smooth like a mirror in the distance, and spraying showers of golden light as the waves shattered on the sand just a few feet from where I stood. I felt immersed in its beauty. It was as if the sunset were communicating God’s encouragement and love to me.
The colors began to spill down in darker hues onto a promontory crowned with a small peak that jutted out into the water some distance away. It was as though the flow of living light had splashed over the edge of the sky onto the peak and the buildings dotting it, transforming them temporarily into glowing gems of iridescent reds and golds.
The vivid transformation of the sky gradually shifted from soft pastel hues to deeper and richer shades of blood red and burgundy, splashed with royal blues and copper streaks. Finally, after what must have been fifteen minutes, but had seemed like mere moments, the grand display began to recede. Its glory slipped peacefully into the gentle mists of the evening to paint the world another day.
We get so caught up sometimes in our earthbound realm, fretting and worrying that we are all alone in our troubles and have to try to solve them on our own. But at moments like this, the resounding reality that we are deeply loved by one who can explode the sky into such beauty with nothing more than a passing thought reminds me of just whom it is that I’m trusting in. What God said to me through that glorious heavenly art was, “I can create anything. I can sustain anything. I can protect anyone. I can solve any problem. I am beauty. I am power. I am love, and I do this for you.”
Times like this help me to remember that this same all-powerful one who creates such momentary grandeur for His creations is closely attuned to our tiniest needs and desires, guiding and caring for us in ways big and small. How could we ever worry that He might forget us, or that He might not be in absolute, perfect control of every detail of our lives?
When comes the golden sunset
That trails God’s way on high,
And with its radiant splendor
Illumes the evening sky,
How are the hills and valleys
Aglow with crimson rays,
While nature’s deep toned organ
Lifts heavenward its praise:
“Holy, holy!” Angel voices sing it;
“Holy, holy!” Cloudy pinions wing it;
“Holy, holy!” Gleaming towers ring it;
“Holy, holy, is the Lord most high.”
So God reveals at sunset
The grandeur of His throne,
The deeper, fuller glory
Reserved to be our own;
And in that hour’s unfolding
Forgot are fear and pain
In love’s abounding solace,
In heaven’s great refrain.
Then come, blest hour of sunset,
Along the golden way,
And thrill us with the splendors
That fill life’s perfect day.
God is the end of living,
He satisfies the soul,
And they who seek His glory
Will find in Him their goal.
—Calvin W. Laufer (1874–1938)
A compilation 10/13
You have been treated generously, so live generously.—Matthew 10:81
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Giving puts us in a healthier relationship with our possessions and with the material world in which we live. We like making money, but we enjoy other things as well, such as the love of our family, belonging to community, a sense of meaning, accomplishment, contribution, and service. We enjoy making a positive difference in the lives of other people. But how do we maintain balance and perspective? How can we appropriately secure the basic needs of food, shelter, education, and health while also living with purpose? How do we avoid too much preoccupation with the things that do not ultimately satisfy, and cultivate those things that do? The intentional practice of generosity helps us keep our priorities straight.
Giving reflects the nature of God. We give because we are made in the image of God, whose essential nature is giving. We are created with God’s nature imprinted on our souls; we are hardwired to be social, compassionate, connected, loving, and generous. God’s extravagant generosity is part of our essential nature as well. But we are anxious and fearful, influenced by a culture that makes us believe we never have enough. God sent Jesus Christ to bring us back to ourselves, and back to God. As we “have in us the mind of Christ Jesus,” we become free. Growing in the grace of giving is part of the Christian journey of faith, a response Christian disciples offer to God’s call to make a difference in the world.—Robert Schnase
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Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.—Luke 6:384
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A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.—Proverbs 11:25
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St. Francis of Assisi stated, “All getting separates you from others; all giving unites you with others.” The heart of selflessness is generosity. It not only helps to unite the team, but it also helps to advance the team.— John C. Maxwell
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To create a bridge between your spirituality and your work means that you take the essence of who you are and what you believe into your daily work life. It means that if kindness, patience, honesty and generosity are spiritual qualities that you believe in, you make every effort to practice those qualities at work. You treat people with kindness and respect. You are as generous as you can be—with your time, money, ideas and love.
In any given day, you have so many opportunities to practice patience, acts of kindness, and forgiveness. You have time to think loving thoughts, smile, embrace others, and practice gratitude. You can practice being a better listener. You can try to be compassionate, especially with difficult or abrasive people. You can practice your spirituality in virtually everything you do.—Richard Carlson
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You can’t help all the poor, but at least you can help those with whom you come in contact, and particularly those who perform services for you. I never felt like tipping was an extravagance or a waste of any kind. I always felt like generous tipping was not only a help to the person I was tipping—and they really needed it—but I wanted to give and I enjoy it.—David Brandt Berg
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All that is given cheerfully and generously to another comes back to you and enriches your life in unexpected ways.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy
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If only we could realize while we are yet mortals that day by day we are building for eternity, how different our lives in many ways would be! Every gentle word, every generous thought, every unselfish deed will become a pillar of eternal beauty in the life to come. We cannot be selfish and unloving in one life and generous and loving in the next. The two lives are too closely blended—one but a continuation of the other.—Rebecca Springer
tfionline
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World Government
by Thea 10/13
World Bank Whistleblower Karen Hudes Reveals How the Global Elite Rule the World
Via The Economic Collapse
Karen Hudes is a graduate of Yale Law School and she worked in the legal department of the World Bank for more than 20 years. In fact, when she was fired for blowing the whistle on corruption inside the World Bank, she held the position of Senior Counsel. She was in a unique position to see exactly how the global elite rule the world, and the information that she is now revealing to the public is absolutely stunning. According to Hudes, the elite use a very tight core of financial institutions and mega-corporations to dominate the planet. The goal is control. They want all of us enslaved to debt, they want all of our governments enslaved to debt, and they want all of our politicians addicted to the huge financial contributions that they funnel into their campaigns. Since the elite also own all of the big media companies, the mainstream media never lets us in on the secret that there is something fundamentally wrong with the way that our system works.
Remember, this is not some “conspiracy theorist” that is saying these things. This is a Yale-educated attorney that worked inside the World Bank for more than two decades. The following summary of her credentials comes directly from her website…
Karen Hudes studied law at Yale Law School and economics at the University of Amsterdam. She worked in the US Export Import Bank of the US from 1980-1985 and in the Legal Department of the World Bank from 1986-2007. She established the Non Governmental Organization Committee of the International Law Section of the American Bar Association and the Committee on Multilateralism and the Accountability of International Organizations of the American Branch of the International Law Association.
Today, Hudes is trying very hard to expose the corrupt financial system that the global elite are using to control the wealth of the world. During an interview with the New American, she discussed how we are willingly allowing this group of elitists to totally dominate the resources of the planet…
A former insider at the World Bank, ex-Senior Counsel Karen Hudes, says the global financial system is dominated by a small group of corrupt, power-hungry figures centered around the privately owned U.S. Federal Reserve. The network has seized control of the media to cover up its crimes, too, she explained. In an interview with The New American, Hudes said that when she tried to blow the whistle on multiple problems at the World Bank, she was fired for her efforts. Now, along with a network of fellow whistleblowers, Hudes is determined to expose and end the corruption. And she is confident of success.
This system did not come into being by accident. In fact, the global elite have been developing this system for a very long time. In a previous article entitled “Who Runs The World? Solid Proof That A Core Group Of Wealthy Elitists Is Pulling The Strings“, I included a quote from Georgetown University history professor Carroll Quigley from a book that he authored all the way back in 1966 in which he discussed the big plans that the elite had for the Bank for International Settlements…
he powers of financial capitalism had another far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalist fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent private meetings and conferences. The apex of the system was to be the Bank for International Settlements in Basle, Switzerland, a private bank owned and controlled by the world’s central banks which were themselves private corporations.
And that is exactly what we have today.
Endtime Info Come
A compilation Oct 01, 2013
Because “many are the afflictions of the righteous,”1 it's certainly comforting to know that “all these things work together for good to them that love the Lord, to them who are called according to His purpose.” In fact, in order to come through our many trials, difficulties, battles, and temptations victoriously, it is imperative that we make this promise in Romans 8:28 a vital part of our life.
If we don’t send the events of our daily lives through the filter of Romans 8:28, if we don’t constantly view our disappointments, hurts, tests, illnesses, opposition, battles, etc., through the perspective that Romans 8:28 gives us, we will sadly miss many valuable lessons the Lord is trying to teach us. And we will rob ourselves of the peace that comes from absolute trust in this precious promise and principle.
If we learn the simple equation, “Trials equal good,” our lives will be richer, our lessons greater, and our minds more tranquil, and we will more easily recognize the Lord's hand in the events of our lives. It makes all the difference in the world whether we look at a flood of problems, trials, battles and tribulations just waiting to see the worst happen, or if we look at them with the excitement and challenge that comes from waiting to discover all the good we know the Lord will bring out of them.—Maria Fontaine
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God often does his best work in the darkness. God does not throw trials at us haphazardly … He does not accidentally let trials slip into our lives... Every trial we experience has been handcrafted by God for our good. Trials are God’s kiln. We are the clay, he is the master potter.
He produces steadfastness in us.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.—James 1:2–3 ESV
Without steadfastness … we will be like seed that springs up quickly but has no root. We will have the life choked out of us by the cares of this world. God wants us to have a steadfast, steady faith, which is not easily rocked by trial and hardship. Trials cause our faith to mature and become steadfast.
He prepares us to comfort others.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.—2 Corinthians 1:3–4 ESV
When we experience trials, we also experience God’s comfort in a unique way. As God’s comfort flows into our lives, we are then divinely prepared to comfort others who are enduring trials. We could not adequately comfort others if we didn’t first receive God’s comfort. Trials ready us to comfort others.—Stephen Altrogge
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None of us can come to the highest maturity without enduring the summer heat of trials. As the sycamore fig never ripens if it be not bruised, as the corn does not leave the husk without threshing, and as wheat makes no fine flour till it be ground, so are we of little use till we are afflicted. Why should we be so eager to escape such benefits? We shall have to wait with patience, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” He waited to give grace to us; let us wait to give glory to him.—Charles Spurgeon
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The secret to understanding, the key to understanding, is in the phrase "with time." As you believe by faith that My hand is on your life and that all things work together for good, with time, that which you believe by faith you will understand and see, and it will become a reality in your life.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy
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ALL things—storms, rain, and winds included—are for our GOOD.
Someday, somehow, we will understand.—Stellaris Jade
portal tfi online
1
Passion for God
We love God with our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. We seek a close personal relationship with Jesus, and to grow in emulating His attributes and living His love.
Psalm 40:8, 42:1–2; Matthew 22:37–38; 1 John 2:3,6, 5:3; Galatians 5:22–23
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Pursuing God’s Spirit
We desire to know and understand the truth of God’s Word, the essence of His divine nature. We value the foundational principles of the written Word, hearing from God, and following His guidance.
Job 23:12; Psalm 1:2, 119:11,105; Jeremiah 15:16; John 14:23; Colossians 3:16; Acts 2:17–18; Galatians 5:25; 2 Peter 1:19; 2 Timothy 2:15; Proverbs 3:5–6; Isaiah 30:21; John 4:24; Romans 8:14; John 16:13
3
Discipleship
We aim to create an atmosphere in which members can follow Jesus according to the personal call He gives them, and enact their commitment to God’s will for their lives.
Luke 9:23; John 12:26, 13:35; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 2 Timothy 1:9; John 14:21; Philippians 3:14; John 8:31–32, 10:27; Romans 12:1–2; 1 Samuel 12:24
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Love for humankind
God’s unconditional love for humanity that knows no boundaries of race, creed, or status, motivates and guides us to help meet the needs of those we come in contact with, whether spiritually or practically.
Psalm 40:10; Proverbs 11:30; Isaiah 61:1–3; Matthew 5:14–16, 9:36, 25:35–40, 28:19–20; John 21:17; 1 John 3:16–18; 2 Corinthians 5:14a; Isaiah 52:7; Ephesians 5:2
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The power of one
We value each individual and his or her unique talents, skills, and strengths. We believe that every person can contribute to changing the world by changing one heart at a time.
Mark 9:23; Luke 1:37; Matthew 17:20; 1 John 5:4; 1 Corinthians 1:26–29; 1 Samuel 14:6b; Romans 8:31; John 15:16; Philippians 4:13; 1 Peter 4:10; 2 Corinthians 8:12; 2 Timothy 1:9
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A sense of community
We cultivate brotherhood and camaraderie. We seek to develop a spirit of unity, love, and a sense of belonging that provides practical and spiritual support to our members. Together we can do more.
Matthew 22:39; John 13:34, 15:12–13; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 3:16, 4:20–21; Psalm 133:1; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 12:25–27; Philippians 1:27; Galatians 6:2; Romans 12:5, 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:11
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Spiritual solutions
We apply spiritual principles to everyday challenges to overcome obstacles, resolve conflict, maximize potential, and heal hearts. We seek to share our spiritual wealth and knowledge with others.
John 6:63; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 2 Corinthians 3:6, 4:7, 10:4; Psalm 28:7, 37:39; Zechariah 4:6b; Philippians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 1:4; Romans 8:5–6, 26
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Diversity and innovation
In ministry and mission service, creativity and personal initiative are highly valued. When God guides, and we take action to follow Him, anything is possible.
Ecclesiastes 9:10; Romans 12:11; 1 Corinthians 7:17, 12:4–7,11,12; Romans 12:4–6; Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 1:6
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Living “as unto Him”
We put our faith into action and reach out to weary and troubled hearts, the disadvantaged, downtrodden, and needy, as unto Jesus.
1 John 2:6; John 13:15; Ephesians 5:2; Isaiah 61:1–3; 1 John 3:16–18; Acts 20:35; Matthew 20:28; Matthew 25:40; Ephesians 6:6–7; Colossians 3:17,23; 2 Corinthians 4:5, 5:15,20; Proverbs 19:17
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If you try to make your circle closed and exclusively yours, it never grows very much. Only a circle that has lots of room for anybody who needs it has enough spare space to hold any real magic.
—Zilpha Keatley Snyder (b. 1927), American children’s writer
If you approach each new person you meet in a spirit of adventure, you will find yourself endlessly fascinated by the new channels of thought and experience and personality that you encounter.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
—Mother Teresa (1910–1997), founder of Missionaries of Charity, who now minister to “the poorest of the poor” in over 130 countries
The greatest and noblest pleasure which we have in this world is to discover new truths, and the next is to shake off old prejudices.
—Frederick II, the Great (1712–1786), king of Prussia
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.
—George Washington Carver (1864–1943), American botanist, inventor, and educator
I always prefer to believe the best of everybody—it saves so much time.
—Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), English poet and novelist
Until you have learned to be tolerant with those who do not always agree with you; until you have cultivated the habit of saying some kind word of those whom you do not admire; until you have formed the habit of looking for the good instead of the bad there is in others, you will be neither successful nor happy.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970), American author
Posted by Stephy Finch: What is Jesus Worth to You @ Blog Spot... Come!
by Maria Fontaine 4/13
Have you ever come across a construction site where the workers were laboriously laying a tile floor—one of those mosaic floors with thousands of tiny tiles that create a picture when finished? While it’s being put in place, the picture isn’t clearly visible because the workers use grout to fill the spaces between the tiles, and the grout leaves a heavy gray film over their work that hides the beauty of what they’ve done. But then, once the grout between the tiles is dry, the film is washed off and the picture is revealed.
That’s similar to how God works in our lives. In His infinite wisdom and all-encompassing love, He understands exactly what we need and goes to great lengths, with intricate detail, to provide those things.
Often He uses the troubles of life, such as economic difficulties, personal struggles, and mistakes, to work in ways we aren’t expecting. We don’t always realize how He’s preparing us, or understand why He has allowed something “gray” to cloud our lives, like the grout on the mosaic as it is being fashioned. But that only makes His loving and attentive care all the more profound and beautiful when it’s finally revealed.
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