Know it All

Back from Kansas, it was a good visit with family.  With 22 hours in the car there was plenty of time for reflection, phone conversation with friends, and education.  Finally I have started using all my retired phones as audio servers for podcasts, and books.  So even after a trip to the downtown Public Library to check out Great Courses, I discovered I had an overcapacity of content for even 22 hours. 

Most of the trip out was spent listening to Rev. Timothy Keller  sermons.  However on the way back I listened to Great Courses - "Creating Humans: ethical questions where reproduction and science collide" by Alexander McCall Smith, and "Understanding the fundamentals of classical music" by Richard Freeman.

So putting all this randomly together ---  what have I learned?

The mystery of God's creation will be an infinite laboratory for us to work, play and discover how much we don't know as we try to prove we know it all.

Pill Box Memories

D'Lane called me last week to reminisce about our Youth group trip to Europe in the summer of 1972.  After flying into Belgium it was a short trip to a farmhouse in Solrinnes, France near Maubeuge.  Our mission was to salvage as much materials we could from a building that would become a youth center for a local church. 

As I recall we spent the first two weeks doing the reclamation before traveling to Germany, and Poland to talk with Albert Speer (Hilter's Architect and author of "Inside the Third Riech") and then visit East Berlin and Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

One of my most vivid memories was during an evening before dinner several of the high school guys began exploring the beautiful Northern France countryside.  We came upon an abandoned German Pill Box jutting up in the middle of a field.  This is not a picture of the exact Pill Box but my memory is that it is close. 

This discovery is every boy's delight- especially those like me who spent countless hours watching Combat and Gallant Men TV series in the 1960's .  Fearless, I knew that many Pill Boxes were connected with underground tunnels.  So I rushed inside the box to see the hole that was either a tunnel or lower level bomb shelter.  Naturally I wanted to jump down in (no flashlight, no matches nothing).  As I was about to shinny my way down the hole, my partner in discovery grabbed my shirt to prevent my entry.  "Wait", he said and proceeded to throw a rock into the dark crevasse only to hear a splash of water.   Yes, who knows how deep I would have found myself under water before hitting bottom.

Now trying to recreate that memory, I discovered the power of information on the internet.  Yes - every interest is covered.  There is actually a group (and website) fascinated with the history, purpose, preservation and location of these structures - The Pillbox Study Group (PSG).

That first trip to Europe was full of stories that I still enjoy retelling to this day - Poland Bumper Cars, Even/Odd Elevators, Steak Tartare, Polish Zolty, and more. 

Active Investing Mountain

Today I was instructed to clean my office by M.L.  One of the most unsightly piles (yes I manage and file papers by piles) is all the correspondence since 12/28/15 from the Prime Clerk office regarding the Magnum Hunter Bankruptcy.

TWO FEET of paperwork with over 80 Federal Express envelopes delivered to my door (nearly one every other day).  The postage alone must exceed $500.  This mountain was the result of R.M. encouraging me to write the Judge asking him to consider Chapter 7 bankruptcy vs Chapter 11.  That innocent letter was recorded in the Prime Clerk office and I was listed as an "interested party". 

And.......  I continue to get paperwork even after the ruling (in favor of the Chapter 11) at the house.  I've decided to stop collecting it to add to my pile and will throw it away today.

My Magnum Hunter stock and preferred is now worthless - along with many other sorry investors..  While painful - it is not financial significant (I feel sorry for those that invested their retirement in Magnum) and I can add this to the list of other risky investments I have made (and have gone bankrupt) over the years (i.e. Symbolics, Learnout & Hauspie, Euro Tunnel, Euro Disney, Nortel, Presidential Casino, Webvan etc.).  

What have I learned in 40 years of investing? -  that passive investing (index investing) is the proper way to invest for your life savings.  Remember LeBouef's Law from his book "The Millionaire in You" -   -  "Invest your time actively and your money passively"

Does that mean you should avoid those tempting get rich quick ideas, or brilliance of buying the early Microsoft?   No - but only if you treat it like gambling and entertainment.  Expect to lose it all - "play money" is the term.  Also expect the time spent to be wasted also.  Don't have the illusion that the time spent on these activities will get any great return also (other than interesting topics at lunch or dinner).

But...... there is a whole industry focused on active investing arguing that with enough time and intelligence (and many add diversification), you can "beat the market".  There are plenty of stories and testimonials about those who have done it.  Just ignore the Nobel Laureates - Markowitz, Sharpe, Miller, Kahneman, and who cares about what Adam Smith, Bachelier, Samuleson, Fama, French, Galton, Sinquefield, Malkiel, von Hayek, John C. Bogle, and yes.....   Warren Buffet himself say.   Listen to those who will profit from your fees -  they have your best interest in mind.

But in the Financial Planner's defense -  They can protect you from yourself....... and TWO FEET of paper :)

Brighter Faith

Today at FMBS we discussed Faith - and what that means.

I remember asking R.M. on our road trip from Wilmington to Cincinnati to describe something that requires a leap of faith.  As he pondered the question he replied = "The trust in our monetary system".  He was reflecting the mystery that we all can use this paper money as a means of economic exchange that provides ongoing  security, and sustenance in our daily existence. Yet there are plenty of examples where money and monetary systems have failed or completely changed in our society.

But what about the faith in a higher order (even higher than money) - maybe faith about God and even an afterlife - something beyond daily existence.  I just finished a documentary movie "Flight from Death - The Quest for Immortality that was inspired by Ernest Becker's book "Denial of Death".   "Wealth is  a symbolic barrier to Death" was a comment by one of the scholars interviewed.  So faith in money (Wealth) is just an illusion of temporary mortality here on earth.  "Social Death" may occur as a result of poverty here on earth. But you can even have "Social Death" as a millionaire (e.g. poverty in relationships).  So faith in wealth is an illusion.

So how does one "get" faith?   G.M asked this morning.  Is it an on and off switch?  Or is it like a dimmer?  For faith in God, I believe that the Holy Spirit can't be turned off - it is always on.  So the light gets brighter and darker with each moment of worldly tests.  You can see faith in action through others. In fact like a room full of lights - the luminosity increases with both more lights and greater lumens. 

Brighten your day - turn up the dimmer switch.

ERA - Eternal Retirement Account

While at Scott River Lodge, upon my suggestion to read Ron Blue's book "Splitting Heirs", S.L. suggested I read "Money, Possessions and Eternity" by Randy Alcorn.  Of course, had read Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven" during my early Heaven Board research, so this recommendation was an easy "sell". 

At first glance the book seems daunting - 504 pages, 22 Chapters and additional appendices and 840 Bible Verse references.  But I have found that nudges occur for a reason.  I'm now on Part 2 - "Seeing Money and Possessions in Eternal Light.  As I was preparing today for SVP Cincinnati's Membership Committee meeting some of the coincidences just converged.

S.L had also asked : Why I had chosen SVP Cincinnati to invest my time and treasure vs a faith based activity?   I didn't have a pithy or quick response.  Yet in today's planning, I feel making investments in SVP Cincinnati is building eternal wealth.  As Randy Alcorn puts it - Jesus isn't saying (Matt. 6:19-24) it's wrong to invest.  He's saying, "Don't make a stupid investment, make a smart one". 

That's what SVP Cincinnati is all about - Engaged Giving and Investing Smartly (vs Checkbook Philanthropy).  I will present an idea that came to me to help build the retention,  renewal, and relations of our Partners - SVP Philanthropy Night (Some Very Philanthropic Discussions).  Groups of 3-6 Partners will dine and discuss topics of significance instead of the typical chit chat on meaningless affairs (like our current politics).  With the help of my other Partner's we will create a list of 10-15 questions in Philanthropy to discuss - JIGS (Joy in Giving Scenarios). 

So the to S.L.'s question - SVP Cincinnati  is like making deposits into my ERA (Eternal Retirement Account).  It's just another form of asset allocation with eternal dividends :)

Second Wind - Heaven Board #11

It was de va ju  - the "Second wind at J.H. Ranch" for both Ellen and I with Susan joining me for the couples program at Scott River Lodge.   American Airlines once again created all kinds of stress both going and coming (flight cancellations; flight delays; close connections).  Even the Hertz rental redirect and drop off at different airports resulted in a driving the Chevy Spark (in fact I think that car is so small you could fit three of them in Susan's Tahoe).

Ellen returns on Saturday - her first flight alone.  It will be a Brave Journey for both her and us!  It was only a short year ago that Ellen and I did the Father/Daughter camp (A glimpse of Heaven).  And yes the J.H. Ranch mantra - I heard and I forgot; I saw and I remembered; I did and I understood;  really hit home as all the memories of what Ellen and I experienced flooded back into my heart, soul, and mind.  Now those are combined with the experience that Susan and I shared last week.

It was in the very first session that our facilitators Terri and David Sumlin were able to reach me in the objective:  the oneness of marriage to help demonstrate and teach the Love of God - both infinite and unconditional. This week was more than a glimpse of Heaven - it explored every sense - seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. 

 

 

Boston Legal #8

It was my turn to host what has become a fun summer tradition that came about rather spontaneously. It was a GOLDEN SESSION.

There are just times the guys need to convene independently and without female supervision or oversight.  I justified this principal in two ways - first citing Brian Tome's recent book "Five Marks of a Man" and C.S. Lewis's excerpt from "Four Loves".

Long before history began we men have got together apart from the women and done things. We had to.  And to like doing what must be done is a characteristic that has survival value.  We not only had to do the things, we had to talk about them.  We had to  plan the hunt and the battle.  When they were over we had to hold a post mortem and draw conclusions for future use.  We liked this even better.  We ridiculed or punished the cowards and bunglers, we praised the star-performers.  We reveled in technicalities.  In fact, we talked shop.  We enjoyed one another's society greatly: we Braves, we hunters, all bound together by shared skill, shared dangers and hardships, esoteric jokes ---away from the women and children.

What were the women doing meanwhile?  How should I know?  I am a man and never spied on the mysteries of the Bona Dea.  They certainly often had rituals from which men were excluded. ......

This pleasure in co-operation, in talking shop, in mutual respect and understanding of men who daily see one another tested, is biologically valuable.  You may, if you like, regard it as a product of the gregarious instinct... something which is going on at this moment in dozens of ward-rooms, bar-rooms, common-rooms, messes and golf clubs.  I prefer to call it Companionship --- or Clubbableness.

In a perfect Friendship.... each member of the circle feels, in his secret heart, humbled before the rest.  Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters.  He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company.  Especially when the whole group is together, each bringing out all that is best, wisest, or funniest in all the others.  THOSE ARE THE GOLDEN SESSIONS; when four or five of us after a hard day's walking have come to our inn; when our slippers are on, our feet spread out towards the blaze and our drinks at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk; and no one has any claim on or any responsibility for another, but all are Freemen and Equals as if we had first met an hour ago,  while at the same time an Affection mellowed by the years enfolds us.  Life ---- natural life --- has no better gift to give.  Who could have deserved it?

 

Whether it's Wednesday Guys Tennis, SVP Cincinnati Guys Appendix club, AC Alumni Partner, Friday Morning Men's Bible Study, or Men's Movie night (e.g. War Movies), Vistage (mainly the guys), we Braves can mark ourselves as MEN not BOYS!