Vol. 1 No. 30 |  October 27 , 2006  

    

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This week

“The Bible teaches that Christians are totally different from anyone else.” -  
Peter Jeffery, Evangelicals Then and Now (Buy Now)

 

 

Finance

Time to Jump Back Into CDs?

We mentioned last month that the majority of millionaires in this country made their money by saving it. With the stock market hitting new all-time highs and interest rates at five-year highs, it may be time to move your money into CDs (certificates of deposit).

The higher the stock market goes, the more likely it will correct. So now may be the perfect opportunity to reduce your risk and move your money into where the return is as sure as you’ll find this side of heaven.

When interest rates are low, CDs aren’t very popular. But now that interest rates are back up, you can find a few banks around that are offering guaranteed 6% interest. Most of the banks with CDs at this rate are offering it only for short-term deposits of 18 months or less.

And you can’t depend on my favorite rate guide – www.bankrate.com – to find the best deals. Bankrate.com will list only those CDs that are available nationwide. And none of them top the 6% mark. So if you want the best rates, look at some of your local banks and credit unions. That’s where you’ll find the best deals.

Oh, and if you find a 1-year CD at 6% and a 5-year CD at the same rate, buy both! You won’t find many investments that guarantee a 6% return on your cash. And having some set aside for short term and some for medium term is smart money.

– Steve Kroening
     
 

 

Health

When Chromium Works Miracles for Diabetics

You may have heard that chromium can help diabetics keep their blood sugar under control. You also may have heard that chromium doesn’t work for everyone. That’s true. But here’s when chromium can work miracles.

If you have trouble keeping your blood sugar under control, even with the help of blood-sugar medication, chromium is for you. A new study just found that chromium works best when you take it with an anti-diabetic medication. The study found the combination improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control better than the medicine alone.

The medication also has side effects that chromium helps reduce. One of the most common is weight gain. Ironically, weight gain makes the diabetes worse. But in the study, the researchers found chromium picolinate significantly reduced this common side effect.

Chromium really is a Godsend. Here’s why. More than two-thirds of people with type-2 diabetes are not at the suggested goal for their blood sugar. And, more than 80% of people with type-2 diabetes are overweight.

Being too heavy dramatically raises the risk of disease-related complications. This includes cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in patients with diabetes.

And everyone will be happy to know that chromium picolinate helps reduce abdominal fat accumulation. Belly fat is associated with a greater risk for diabetes and other conditions such as abnormal lipids and hypertension.

Chromium picolinate is readily available in health food stores and on the Internet.

– James Balch, MD

(Quoted from Prescriptions for Healthy Living, November 2006, 800-728-2288. Source: Martin J., Z. Wang, X. Zhang, D. Wattle, J. Volautova, D. Matthews, and W. Cefalu. “Chromium Picolinate Supplementation Attenuates Body Weight Gain and Increases Insulin Sensitivity in Subjects With Type-2 Diabetes.” Diabetes Care. Volume 29;8: 2006.)

     
 
   

Marriage and Relationships

The One Thing Your Husband Is Attracted to That You Shouldn't Lose as You Age

Vanity makes growing old tough. It gets tougher to keep that extra weight off. The skin just doesn’t seem as tight. And the hair just doesn’t seem as full as it once was. But everyone wants to look good, especially for their spouse.

Well, there’s something every woman should hold onto as they age. It’s a feature that can fade with stress and anxiety. But if you can keep it, your husband will definitely notice.

It’s your smile. I know it sounds simple – it really is – but there’s a lot of depth to showing those pearly whites (even if you had to have them whitened). Proverbs 15:13 says, “A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.”

When a woman smiles, she can change the whole complexion of her family. You know the old saying, “When Momma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy.” It’s true. The woman is the emotional seat of the home. Her joyful spirit is contagious. And it’s attractive to her husband. Very attractive!

But don’t put on a fake smile. Proverbs 27:19 tells us, “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” The same is true of the woman. A fake smile will last only so long. A smile that reflects a heart set on Jesus will shine no matter what your teeth look like.

How can you make your smile real and everlasting? Ecclesiastes 8:1 gives the answer: “Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.” If you really want to romance your man, if you really want him to notice you and only you well into your old age, gain wisdom. It’ll soften your heart and make your face shine like the sun.

– Steve Kroening

     
 

 

Parenting and Education

A Father’s Words Mean More Than Pictures

Teaching children the Word of God must begin when they’re small. A child's faith is simple and genuine. We do need to have ways to help them grow spiritually. Two disciplines that we taught our children were to read God's Word and to pray daily. We called it family devotions and unless you schedule a set time, the devil will see to it that it does not take place. We would have our devotions after dinner.

After dinner, our children would wash their hands and head into our comfy den. I usually would snuggle with them as their daddy read the Bible. He would stop and explain in a way that the children could understand that God not only worked in the life of Israel, but He also works in our lives. We tried to teach them that God does not change, that He answers prayers, and that He loves them. We would not use pictures, but instead trusted that God's Word, which is alive, would be more powerful. We would keep our time short and always end with a hymn. Even today, I cherish those memories.

As the children grew older, we explained the sovereignty of God and His plan for the world. We were involved in missionaries’ lives through financial and prayer support. We often hosted traveling missionaries. We were rewarded as our children’s hearts were captivated as they listened to stories of God’s faithfulness in far away places. We would place missionary photos on our fridge and pray for them.

The scriptures record the account of Nehemiah's life as a man of prayer. He had the daunting task of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. He began by assessing the damage and prayerfully making a plan of restoration. The opposition he originally encountered when the work began only intensified as the work progressed. He chose not to be motivated by fear, but kept a vibrant prayer life, committing each phase to the Lord. He rallied his countrymen to action by his own faithfulness. The wall was built in an incredible 52 days, which made even his enemies acknowledge God’s blessings on them.

Having prayer and family devotions is not magical and must not be viewed as one more method. But simply as a privilege. We must learn to trust God to accomplish great things in our children’s hearts even when we do not see immediate fruit for our labors. We do not reap in the season that we sow, but we must continue to sow when the soil is fertile.

 Zachariah 4:6 – It is not by might or power but by my Spirit sayeth the Lord.

– Gladys Villnow

     
 

 

Success

Even the Best Plans Can End in Failure – Here’s One Way to Ensure Success

You may have heard that failure to plan is a plan to fail. It’s a trite saying that’s all too true. But have you heard that even those who plan can still plan to fail? Just because you take the time to plan doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed success. Regardless of the venture, success comes when God grants it. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”

However, God tells us planning is an absolutely vital part of success. Proverbs 12:20 tells us that we need to plan for peace. And Ephesians 3:9 shows us that even God had his plan for the world in place when he created everything. And we know His plans will not fail.

The trick to ensure success, then, is to plan according to God’s ultimate plan. After all, why do you want success? For your own good? For money and fame? Or do you want success for the expansion of God’s kingdom on earth, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come”?

After we plan according to God’s plan, we need to plan how we deal with people. If you plan ahead of time to always leave others with a taste of what it means to have done business with a Christian, you’re far more likely to follow through on it.

And, finally, we have to plan according to what works. For instance, no one expects a farmer to be successful who does not plan his planting and harvesting to be done in the right seasons. There is also the need for watering and weeding while the crop is growing.

Take that same farmer and plant him in the middle of a big city and ask him to be successful. It won’t happen. But it’s surprising just how often this element of planning is omitted from our overall plans. Just as the farmer has planting and harvesting seasons, so too does the city businessman. This seems to be the way God has ordained the world of business to operate. And this is why we often find business so difficult. We get the seasons mixed up. We’re trying to reap when we should be planting. Or we’re trying to tend the crop before we’ve even planted the seed.

Crazy, isn’t it? But this is what happens so often in our lives. We not only fail to plan, but even when we do plan, we mix the seasons. The perfect example of this is the salesman who tries to reap the benefit of a sale before he’s even planted the seed.

Another example is when people borrow money to grow a business before they even know the business plan will work. This is simply harvesting before they’ve planted anything. Not only is it unwise, it’s a plan for failure.

So, if success is eluding you, make sure your plans include planting before you’re harvesting.

– Ian Hodge

     
 

 
 

Wisdom From History

When It’s Time to Take Action, Do So With Boldness

You may have never heard of Maureen Kennedy Salaman, but if you take vitamins, she has impacted your life. Maureen, who passed away in August, was considered the First Lady of Nutrition. She was a devoted Christian and a very active patriot.

In the early 1980s, Congressman Claude Pepper was extensively involved with issues involving elderly Americans.  One of his concerns was the number of health scams such people were subjected to, and he introduced several bills that were intended to address this concern.  One in particular targeted dietary supplements distributed through the mail. His bill imposed heavy costs on mailers of these products.

Maureen, who was the president of the National Health Federation, was concerned that Congressman Pepper’s bill was too heavy handed. She saw that it would seriously affect a number of extremely beneficial products, as well as the freedom of people to choose those products for their health. As a result, she decided to take action.

At such a time, most people who have a following, as Mrs. Salaman certainly did, would have orchestrated a write- or call-your-congressman campaign to influence the targeted legislation.  Mrs. Salaman took a more direct route.   She commandeered the seat next to Congressman Pepper on a cross-country flight and convinced him by the time they landed that the bill was a bad idea.  Congressman Pepper subsequently withdrew the bill.  Many honorable companies then in business, and many more yet to come, were thus able to continue their business dealings without having to deal with punitive postal fees.

And many consumers have relatively affordable access to supplements that otherwise would have been too expensive to buy.

Psalm 138:3 – “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”

– Robert Kroening

     
     
 

 

Word for the Wise

The Purpose of Success

“Deal bountifully with Your servant that I may live and keep Your word.” Psalm 119:17

Bountifully – Everyone wants to be successful. But few people understand the purpose of success. Most suppose that success should bring a good and comfortable life filled with happiness and peace. After all, that's the American dream, isn't it? From this perspective, success is about completing my agenda. How often we pray, "Lord, help me with my plans." That prayer simply reflects a deep cultural belief that the end of my efforts must be the accomplishment of my goals.

If we look at the world through the eyes of the Psalms, we see a different purpose. First we discover the two parts of life's success formula: God watches over us and we watch over His word. That should have given us a clue about purpose. But just in case we missed it, David spells it out in this verse. "Lord, grant me favor so that:

  • I may draw the next breath of life, and
  • I may continue to obey You

That's it! The purpose of success is obedience. Not wealth, not possessions, not comfort, not peace. Those may come as by-products of obedience, but they are not the goal. The end of the rainbow is obedience. "Lord, let me go on living so that I may continue to serve You."  The Hebrew word here is gamal. It conveys the idea of recompense. The context shows us if the reward is for good or evil. David cries out to God, "Grant me your favor in order that I may serve You.” David knows that life itself is God's gift. It follows that everything else is also His gift and insofar as God gives bountifully, all that He gives is intended to bring me into deeper communion with Him and greater commitment to His ways. Bountiful living is obediently experiencing God.

We need to make a serious adjustment to our definition of success. Can you say, "My life is successful … I am obeying the Lord each day"? Or do you stumble over that thought, mixing this world's ideas of success with God's view of obedience? Can you take an accounting of your life and see black ink entries on the obedience side of the ledger? Does that make you feel successful? Or are you still struggling with the new media portrayal of the "good life"?

The Biblical success formula for living is simple. The purpose is also simple. Life revolves around our connection to God. Not managing that is disaster no matter what we accumulate along the way.

– Skip Moen

(Ed. Note: Skip Moen, PhD, is the president of At God’s Table and the author of Words to Lead By.)
     
 

 
 

   

Resources

Evangelicals Then and Now, Peter Jeffery, Evangelical Press (Buy Now)

   

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