Experiment

 There are two verses I am going to use in order to conduct an experiment. 

Malachi 3:10 (Literal Standard Version)

Bring in all the tithe to the treasure-house, "" And there is food in My house; When you have tried Me, now, with this,” said YHWH of Hosts, "" “Do I not open the windows of the heavens to you? Indeed, I have emptied on you a blessing until there is no space.

and 

Matthew 6:33 (Good News Translation)

Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.

I believe the Lord is calling me to divide my bi-weekly paycheck in half every time I get paid and separate that amount unto him and contribute that money to wherever he leads me. 

The last time He led me to do this (it was never His will that I stopped, that was on me) I saw spectacular super-natural financial provision come into my life. 

I'm expecting similar things this time as well.

I'm currently 38 years old and understand the ramifications of not prudently saving for retirement. I will do a post-year analysis of my finances 1 year from now which will show the growth of my brokerage accounts with no money added, vs what it would have been had I periodically added 1/2 my paycheck to the accounts and passively invested vs. investing where and when He tells me to with no money added. 

See you July 1, 2023.

 How to Make Money Without Sorrow

Want money? Then learn how to be content. When you learn how to be content, The Lord will show you where the opportunities are to make money. 

Do you look at fancy cars and opulent houses? You're not content.

Do you dream about what it would be like to live like the rich and famous? You're not content. 

Do you think about how great it would be to get that one really nice thing you've always wanted? You're not content

Contentment is satisfaction with what you have right now, completely lacking in desire for anything you don't currently possess outside of your basic necessities.  

You see the car you always wanted and you think, "I don't need that, I don't even really want that, actually getting that thing sounds like it would become a terrible burden". 

Your friend gets a house just like the house you always wanted; you're genuinely happy for them.

You considered making an investment, but ended up not. That investment ended up increasing dramatically in value; you don't care, they'll be another one. 

Contentment starts with humility and progresses into submission to God. When He says to go buy the Porsche, that's when you go buy it. When He says to buy that 10M house on the water, you go buy it, when He says to give millions away, you do it. When you submit your lifestyle expansion decisions to Him, no sorrow comes with those decisions. 

Peace 

How to Win Everyday

I have a secret to tell you. Not many people know it.

The status of being a winner is purely up to YOU.

Deciding if you are a winner is subject to the narrative you create for yourself in your head.

Take for example a father who works as a janitor for 35 years, but sees his children go to college and graduate. Many people would see that man and not see a winner, but he had a vision of his kids graduating from college while he was working and he defined winning as watching his children graduate from college, that's how he defined it, so he is a winner.

Or consider a hedge fund manager worth 250 million dollars, but he can't get his golf handicap below 10. In his mind he is a loser. He can't be and won't be excepted by his pears, he won't be invited to the best and most exclusive golf clubs all his friends are part of, and because of that, he wife will probably leave him because she sees him as a failure since he couldn't secure a position at "the" club to be at.

The janitor has a narrative which makes him content, happy, able to connect and have intimacy with his family.

The hedge fund manager's narrative will only lead to destruction and despair.

Both are solely capable of writing their own narrative and so are you.

Win, Win Some More, Then Win Again

Do you want to feel great? Are you depressed, anxious or worn out? Do you feel hopeless, in despair, maybe suicidal?
I have a solution for you. Go and win.

I don't care what it is that you do as long as it doesn't hurt someone, but winning is the way out.


I heard a quote recently,

"Life isn't a game. It's a set of games, if you aren't winning at one of the games, get up and go play a different game"

If you hate your job, go to another field, another industry that you believe you can win at, and go play with them.

Marriage not great? Play a different game with your spouse, one you believe you can win at. Change it to something you believe will help you win with them. What do they like? What makes them feel valued and appreciated, do that and you'll win....maybe.

Trading strategy not working? Try another strategy, overlay a strategy on top of the one you have, take a break from trading, don't trade for a while, then come back fresh. Could be a discipline problem, become more discipline and you will win.

Something I like which is a sure bet is exercise. Go to the gym, work out and you just won! You successfully engaged your muscles to the point of exhaustion, you increased your heart rate, you burned off some calories and sweat out toxins. You set out to do that before you left and succeeded, you are a natural born winner and now with those bulging muscles, you look like one too!

There is no such feeling as winning. Making the money, closing the deal, getting the girl, feeling loved and accepted. If this isn't happening to you, change your strategy, do something different that makes logical sense that will bring more victories in your life and depression will become a distant memory of someone you no longer are, because now you're a winner.

Things you may not have considered:

Changing jobs
Moving to another state
Downsizing to a more affordable apartment (more disposable income to go try new things to win at!)
Setting boundaries with friends and family, or a spouse
Investing heavily in a person so a deep friendship will form
Discipline yourself to meditate and find direction from the Holy Spirit, He loves to show people how specifically they can win.
Take action on what you already know to do and in that action, more knowledge and understanding will come.

Looking for More

In the book of Matthew, we see a man whom Jesus loved. I would speculate because he wanted
more...
This man we know as the "Rich Young Ruler" found in both books of Matthew and Mark. The
historical account goes as follows:

Mark 10:17-27  MSG

As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”

He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”

Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”

The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.

Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”

That set the disciples back on their heels. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.

Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.”

This man who earnestly sought out and found Jesus to ask him this question, I believe was looking for more. He knew there was more then just making money, donating money, obeying the commandments. He knew there was a way to interact with God, a higher, more selective calling, today we would describe this calling as "full time ministry". This calling is not for everyone, there are some people in "full time ministry", who should not be, and some people who aren't and should be based solely upon the will of God. The young man is someone who was operating in his correct place, his calling was to be a business man and serve the Lord in that, but he knew there was more and he wanted it, so he asked for it. What I find particularly amazing about this story is how Jesus actually offered it to him. See how it says, "Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him!" This verse goes hand in hand with 1 Samuel 16:7 which describes how the Lord looks not on the outward appearance, but on the heart, and Jesus was looking right on the young mans heart and saw that he wanted more. 

An opportunity was presented, but it's not free, it's an amazing opportunity, but it is going to cost you and this young man was not willing to pay the price. He believed his money was more valuable then this precious opportunity the Lord was offering him. I call it precious because The Lord does not offer it to everyone who asks. 

I actually admire this young man. At least he was honest enough with himself to say, "no thank you, I'm happy enough where I am". I don't see the tragedy in this historical account that most people do. I believe this young man continued to serve the Lord in his lower calling for the rest of his life and was welcomed into heaven when he died, but once he arrived, I believe it became immediately apparent that he had the opportunity to receive much, much more honor and glory for much, much longer and on a much, much grander scale. I'm sure in the end, he regretted not readily accepting this precious and rare gift the Lord Jesus was bestowing upon him.  

From the Inside Out

It is wise for every human being to search for and determine a metric for which to measure what is important in life. Not just their life, but what is the metric by which we will all be measured. This should be in an effort to choreograph an end which is both satisfying and worth wile.
I personally started this journey with a question, "at what point will I be finished with this life?" and also, "what will be important to me then?". It was in these thoughts that I contemplated what would be next after death and what would be important to me then. It was with this thought that I have learned to measure every action, effort and resource I expel for the rest of my time here on earth. I want to prepare now and every waking moment from now on for that day, because that day is really the only one that matters at all. What will be important to me then will truly be what is important because the next life will not be measured in years, but will be never ending.

Verses to consider:

Revelation 2:26-28 MSG

“Here’s the reward I have for every conqueror, everyone who keeps at it, refusing to give up: You’ll rule the nations, your Shepherd-King rule as firm as an iron staff, their resistance fragile as clay pots. This was the gift my Father gave me; I pass it along to you—and with it, the Morning Star!

Revelation 3:5 MSG

“Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels.

Revelation 3:12 MSG

“I’ll make each conqueror a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, a permanent position of honor. Then I’ll write names on you, the pillars: the Name of my God, the Name of God’s City—the new Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven—and my new Name.

Revelation 3:20-21 MSG

 “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!

Luke 12:32(AMP)   

Do not be afraid and anxious, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Matthew 13:44-46  (AMP)

   “The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].   “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Romans 8:18-21 (MSG)

     That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

Everyone of these verses describes what is to come. In Luke 12:32, Jesus totally spoils any mystery hidden in our future, He gives away what the end result will be. The Kingdom one day will be ours, but this is only accomplished by trading our lives, which is made up of our time, our resources, our status. We have the opportunity to trade what is relatively worthless (compared to the Kingdom of God) in exchange for something of infinite value. Of course the world sees this life as all there is, so they grab and get as much as they can. As Christians, we see the truth, that God has given us this time here and is patiently watching to see what we do, to see if we believe what His Son said about us inheriting the Kingdom, and if we obey Him here and now. Should we prove our faith here and now,
we will rule the nations, how the master will one day lead us in a victory parade and then present us by name to the Father and His angels followed by Him setting us in a permanent position of honor.  

I hope if you are reading this, you recognize the value in choosing to serve Jesus wholeheartedly, a decision which will cost you your entire life, I believe a deal worth making. 

Determining value is something I do on a daily basis. As a full time investor, I search for opportunities in which to trade something (US Dollars) for something which I believe will one day be more valuable then what I paid. If I'm going to trade $10,000 for 10 shares of ownership in a company, it should be because I believe the future value of those 10 shares will be significantly greater then $10,000 when I eventually sell. We must recognize that what we are going to eventually receive (The Kingdom) is far more valuable then this temporary place, we will receive a permanent, eternal place in the Kingdom of God. 

The Beginning of The End

As 2013 came to a close and 2014 appeared on the horizon, I began to become more and more pessimistic about the stock market i.e. the S&P 500. After several failed attempts to express a short opinion of it, and many lost thousands of dollars later, I relented.

This leads me to this past weeks market price action and an opportunity in our new possible friend SPXS, a triple leveraged inverse SPY etf (triple leveraged = not for the faint of heart)

A picture for your consideration

regards

2 year SPXS chart (notice the new breakout at arrow)