September, 2008
DOW DROPS 777 POINTS
777. That is how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell today (9/29/08). For many, that number brought fear, anxiety, anger, despair, or even down right panic. Although I am trained to not be emotional about market moves, I must confess that I had a nauseating feeling in my stomach watching the House vote fail and the subsequent 777 point drop. It was a sick feeling to be sure. I know from talking to lots of people that there were thoughts of uncertain futures and an easy peace of mind was rare in light of a 777 point drop in the stock market. People’s 401k plans, pensions, and other investments in the stock market lost somewhere around 7% today. SEVEN!
I wonder how many people felt like me when they see 777 on every headline news tomorrow morning. It wasn’t until I got home and got to my quiet place that something hit me. SEVEN is a number that appears many, many times in the Bible. It symbolizes God’s completion and perfection. Man oh man how my feelings changed in an instant. What a great reminder in the midst of a storm that God is there in complete control and with a perfect plan. Details
Image is Everything
I remember seeing a TV ad years ago for some camera company that featured tennis great Andre Agassi and the tagline, “Image is Everything.” What is that all about? Image is a very powerful thing. Modern culture sends a message of a certain image that one should try to live up to. Chasing this certain image can lure people into doing some things that don’t make a lot of sense in the big scheme of things. People can go to some exhausting and extreme lengths to portray this certain image.
But why? I remember hearing a quote one time which said, “People spend money that they don’t have, on things they don’t need, in order to impress people they don’t like.” What force could cause a person to live that way? Perhaps this “Image is everything,” is the answer. Maybe there is a desire to grab all we can in the advancement in this temporary kingdom which we live. Could this be a misguided pursuit? Details
