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Nevertheless, A Time for Thanksgiving© Sound Mind Investing | November 2008
"David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying...'Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.... Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." — 1 Chron.29:10-13
Over the past two months, many Americans have been reaping the harvest of what others have sown. A corrupt Congress that voted down needed reforms. A clueless Federal Reserve that continued to feed the housing bubble. Indifferent regulators who were absent from their posts. Greed-driven financial institutions that leveraged their debt to unimaginable levels. Predatory lenders who abandoned sound financial practices. Irresponsible borrowers who took on more mortgage debt than they could reasonably service. All of these groups, acting in concert as mutual enablers, created the "perfect storm" which we're now experiencing. We've been discussing this matter, as well as the market's wild ride, almost daily in our Editor's Weblog Going forward, here's what you can expect. You can expect government to continue to do everything in its power to restore liquidity to the credit system. Nevertheless, you can expect the financial news to continue to be mostly discouraging. As a result, you can expect the stock market to continue to be frighteningly volatile at times. Eventually, perhaps already, you can expect a new bull market to be born. And through it all, you can expect your heavenly Father to keep His promise: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and [the Father] will give you everything you need" (Matt. 6:33). If we could spend a few minutes together, I would try to bolster your confidence that you can survive and thrive during this downturn. Of course, that assumes you've been following our advice over the years, advice based on the protective money-management principles found in God's word. If you have, you'll be fine. That's because: • You have the right motivation. You see yourself as a steward, a caretaker, of God-given wealth (1 Chron. 29:11-12). You're not just in this for yourself, but to increase your abundance so you can make your Father happy through your generous giving (2 Cor. 9:7). • You're building on the right foundation (Psalm 119:105). You've been living within your means, spending less than you earn (Prov. 21:20), and using your monthly surplus to get debt-free (Prov. 22:7) and build a savings reserve for times like these (Ecc. 11:2). • You have a specific, personalized plan (Prov. 21:5). Your investing decisions are based on "inside-out" thinking that reflects your personal goals and tolerance for risk. You don't let yourself get distracted by listening to stock tips or news reports on what the "smart money" is doing. You're an initiator, not a responder. Your buying and selling is thoughtful and purposeful (Prov. 13:16) because it's dictated by your investing plan. • You have the correct perspective on time. You're not short-term oriented. Taking your cue from the Parable of the Talents where the master was away for "a long time," your strategy is a long-term one (Matt. 25:14-19). This allows you to take up-and-down market cycles in stride. • You have a realistic goal. You know that a preoccupation with profits can be dangerous (1 Tim. 6:9-10). You have learned that annual gains of 8%-12% over time can be made with relatively little time investment, and you are content to be reasonable in your financial ambitions. • Your confidence is in God. Just as you should not "grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13), neither should you be fearful (2 Tim. 1:7) like the rest of men who have no heavenly Father who has promised to "meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). Earthly treasure is useful and needed, but we cannot place our hopes there. Wealth cannot guarantee peace, joy, contentment, security, or an eternal home. So let us not forget, the kingdom of heaven, and the King who reigns over it, are "like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in His joy went and sold all he had and bought that field" (Matt. 13:44). When our daily lives — the decisions we make and the dreams we pursue — reflect that we rest in Christ as our treasure, we can truly give thanks. 
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