Resolutions and Goals for 2023

There are a few things that allow us to accomplish things like having goals, perseverance, and faith in the Lord.    With God giving us directions and help, we really can set our minds to do some amazing things.    For the past two years, I have made some New Years’ Resolutions and want to discuss what they were, and how God helped us to accomplish them.

Zig Ziglar has said that it would be rather silly to send a basketball team onto the court and ask them to score a goal if there were no goals or backboards set up to shoot at.   So having a goal is important.   One of the books I read this past year said that only 3% of people set goals, but those 3% many times accomplish more than any 10 of those not making goals.

The term Resolutions is not in the bible.   But there are several verses and stories regarding the making of plans and setting up goals.

Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 
Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 
Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 

So planning within God’s will for our lives is not a negative, but a good thing.

To not make this too long, let’s review my goals and resolutions at the end of 2021 for this past year of 2022.    I made 7 which is the most I ever tried to accomplish in one year. 
 
The first five were related to my service to God, and the last two were about personal goals.
 
       Resolutions for 2022

1.  Live so close to God that nothing will offend me.

Psalms 119:165 (KJV)  Great peace have they which  love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

2. Stay focused.    One thing at a time.                                                                                                     

3. Trust God no matter what happens.  

4.  Be Bold in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   Try to witness every opportunity God gives me to family, friends, and new acquaintances.  

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

5.  Remember how short the time is we have here on earth.  

Psa_90:12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Pro_27:1  Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
​ 
6.  Attempt to pay off our Home Loan.

7. Study to make investments more profitable.  

If you remember that in 2021, I had some of these same goals, and all worked out well.  God helped and guided me throughout the year and we even met our one personal goal to be debt free of all loans except our home.   On Sept. 7, 2021, we made our last payment on all those liabilities.   It was shouting time for us. 

But before I got too excited and lead you to believe all was was a bed of roses once that was done, four days after reaching that goal, we found that we had foundation issues on the east side of the house which required some expensive foundation work.  However, for a few days, we were debt free except for the house.   Our financial condition was the best of our lives,  and the foundation issue certainly did not offend me.   I was disappointed, but not offended.   I just trusted God.

Focusing on God and trying to consistently read my bible, really helped me focus on important things.   I quit watching the news and tried to turn every care over to the Lord.   While I might not have been 100% effective, very few things offended me this past year.    And there were tons of things that came up through the year that could have thrown us off course.    When your focus is on God things are much easier to deal with as He carries the load.

When you are a Christian, you know that you will face persecution.  I don’t have time to tell you of the many issues that came up in my family’s lives and at work, but there were many. There will always be a battle to fight.   But our trust was in the Lord and the year went well.
​
Of my resolutions, I think the one I failed most on was witnessing more to the lost.  I may have been a bit bolder, but this area I need to work on in 2023.

I watched several of our church members die and leave this old world in 2022.   Also several of my other relatives died, and my focus on numbering my days was made even more real.   I try to realize that this may very well be my last day and I best make the best of every moment.

In August, we made our last payment on our home and I found that the grass is truly a bit greener and more of a blessing to you when you know that the home is all yours.   The Bible teaches that the borrower is a servant unto the lender, and to live debt free is a noble thing to shoot for.

In studying investments, I met a fellow in April while reading one of his free kindle books named Joshua King.   He is a 39-year-old Marine and he began writing kindle books 2 years ago.  He now is the leading seller of Kindle books on Amazon with over 200 books, and I have read several of his books and we have become friends. 

I decided to try and spend more time reading and studying as he suggested, and this week finished up my 90th book in the year 2022.   Sounds impossible since I had never read 12 books in a year before.   All that it took was spending one hour a night to read versus watching 2 hours of tv.   It has been such a learning experience.   All the books I read focused on investing, habits, and having the right mindset.    And my first reading every day and my last reading is the bible.

By focusing our investments on the newer methods I learned (mainly from Joshua King), we were able to end the year having missed by $249 doubling our investment dollars in our Roth IRAs.    And if you ever had a year where that sounded impossible, it was 2022.    I won’t elaborate on it, but I know God has been with me and guided me in the decisions we made.   A lot of the investment advice I read was not true, but the Holy Spirit gave me insights into what was truth and what was lies.  Same in other books.  If they were total myths, I quit reading many and went to the next book.

So for this new year, I am going to do those first 5 resolutions again and really focus on #1 and #4.
 
 2023 RESOLUTIONS
 
1.  Live so close to God that nothing will offend me.

Psalms 119:165 (KJV)  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
 
2. Stay focused.    One thing at a time.
 
3. Trust God no matter what happens. 

4. Be Bold in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   Try to witness every opportunity God gives me to family, friends, and new acquaintances. 

Rom_1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 
 
5.   Remember how short the time is we have here on earth.

Psa_90:12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
 
Pro_27:1  Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
 
So in conclusion, my results show that setting goals and having resolutions can be a good thing if you use discipline.     I think God wants us to be people of purpose and planning.   While this is all good to be able to reflect upon, it is crucial that we see it accurately.

I pray that we will never look at our earthly possessions as our checkpoints to having success, as that is so minor in comparison to having a great family, a great church, and most of all a good relationship with God.   What is so wonderful about serving God is that he will provide for us with or without any possessions.   If everything here on earth we accomplished is gone tomorrow, God is still there.   My #3 resolution is to ALWAYS TRUST GOD.   Our main focus in life should always be to look to serving the Lord and letting the Holy Spirit guide us daily.
 
Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 
Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 
Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 
 
 
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I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Ramit Sethi

DISCLAIMER -  I am not a Financial Advisor and do not work for any Brokerage Firm. The opinions given are my own and are not to be used as professional advice.  These are my findings and can help you to make informed decisions on investing.  Consult a Broker or Lawyer before making any investment. 
 
I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi is a wonderful financial guideline book.  Perhaps of all the 83 books I have read on finances this year, this is probably the best.  The reason I say this is that it is not complicated.   It gets down to simple advice about what it takes to handle 85% of your finances in just six weeks.  If you never do the last 15% and you follow his guidelines in these first 6 weeks, I believe your odds will be great that you will retire with a huge balance in your retirement account if you are starting in your 20s or 30s.


All of what I said above is true.   But after reading Zig Ziglar's book "Master Successful Personal Habits", I have decided I must withdraw my recommendation on this book.  While the advice is good on investments, some of the language used contradicts some of my Core Values.   In "Winners Never Cheat", Jon Huntsman says none of us should ever do things that conflict with our core values.   As a Christian, I know that I should not have ever recommended this book due to some of the language.

In Zig Ziglar's book which I will review later, he encourages us to speak positive words to ourselves.  He says we should start each day stating the following.

I am a compassionate, respectful, encourager who is a considerate, generous, gentle, patient, caring, sensitive,  personable, attentive, fun-loving person.  I am a supporting, giving and forgiving, clean, kind, unselfish, affectionate, loving, family-oriented human being, and I am a sincere and open-minded, good listener, and good-finder who is trustworthy.  These are the qualities which enable me to build good relationships with my associates, neighbors,  mate, and family.

I'm a person of integrity with the faith and wisdom to know what I should do and the courage and convictions to follow through.

I have a vision to manage myself and to lead others.  I'm authoritative, confident, and humbly grateful for the opportunity life offers me.  I am fair, flexible, resourceful,  creative, knowledgeable, decisive, and an extra-miler with a service attitude who communicates well with others. I am a consistent, pragmatic teacher with character and finely-tuned sense of humor.

​I am an honorable person and am balanced in my personal, family, and business life, and have a passion for being, doing and learning more today so I can be and do more tomorrow.

These are the qualities of the winner I was born to be.  Tonight I'm going to sleep wonderfully well.  I will dream powerful and positive dreams.  Tomorrow I will awaken refreshed, and it's going to be an absolutely magnificent day.


I started trying this out, and I did great on this until I got to that line about integrity.  How can you be a man of integrity and do something that conflicts with your core values.  You can not.

Joyce Brothers say you can not consistently perform in a manner which is inconsistent with the way you see yourself.  If you do, your conscience will be pricked and you will say "That is not me." 

Well my conscience was pricked, and I am withdrawing my recommendation on this book as of 1/21/2023.  While great in content about managing money, it does not meet the requirements my core values demand.   If I recommend a book, I want it to be one my grandchildren could read.    Sorry for any confusion on this.

I will try very hard to never do a book review on any book that ever conflicts with my core values again.




 
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Myths in Stock Market Advice – Part 2

DISCLAIMER -  I am not a Financial Advisor and do not work for any Brokerage Firm. The opinions given are my own and are not to be used as professional advice.  These are my findings and can hopefully help you make informed investing decisions.  Consult a Broker or Lawyer before making any investment. 

Those of you who have been following my blog and articles for several months, know my reason for doing this is to share some of my findings in investing in the stock market.   I want to help everyone to make good solid decisions when it comes to investing.  My first 40 articles have been tied to things that have worked for me or promising new things I am trying this year.   The reality of the situation is that I can only share what I know to be the truth.  
 
I wrote my first article on myths last week.   I want to continue on that first topic today and again document some of my findings from the 3 books I mentioned in that first article.   I may write several articles on Myths as I keep finding more and more fallacies in stock market advice.   A lot of unscrupulous people are taking advantage of the uneducated.

To read article one on myths, click below:   
https://lifecanbesimple.net/blog/myths-in-stock-market-advice
 

MYTHS IN STOCK MARKET ADVICE

Last week we started with the fallacy of believing in an average 12% annual return in the stock market, and I want to elaborate on this topic a bit more this week.   A lot of people teach that the stock market will average out to a 12% annual return so don’t have to worry about where you invest, just invest it consistently, and it will work out.

WRONG!!!

This is so prevalent a teaching that even I have been guilty of using this to encourage people to “Just Invest” no matter the market.   I can’t overemphasize the importance of knowing the market and knowing WHAT to buy and what to avoid.

​In the book “Stop Investing Like They Tell You” by Stephen Spicer, a CFP (Certified Financial Planner),  he points out the fallacy of believing the S&P 500 will always average a 12% annual return.   Note: On this next image, you can read this better in a browser than on your phone.

So if you lose ½ of your money, now to break even, you must have a 100% return.   How many of you ever made a 100% return in your IRA or 401K?   I have been investing for 30 years, and I think my best year ever was 22%.
​
So our number one goal should be to never lose money.  Not easy when you are trying for above-average gains, but there are logical ways to proceed cautiously.

My new goal is to limit all stocks and ETFs to an 8% loss by using stop-loss orders.   After we hit a bottom in the market, I buy back in, sometimes on the same stock or ETF.   But I try to not ride out a 25 to 40% down market.   It is extremely hard to ever overcome.   And there will be some upcoming myth articles about when the market did much worse than lose 40% in one day (more than once).

Using this stop loss orders method for the last 4 months, my wife and I now have an overall gain of around 3% on all five of our Roth IRAs for the year.  That is so much better than the current 26% loss in the S&P 500.   While my new Dividend Growth Stock approach is unproven, the majority of those stocks are in my Schwab account which is up 8.6% for the year.   At Vanguard where we are primarily in full stock market indexes and real estate (REITs) and ETFs on Dividend Growth Stocks, we are up 6.8%. 

Our two Wealthfront IRAs are managed by Wealthfront, and both are about 1% up for the year.  These are heavily conservative with balanced investments in all markets and some foreign bonds and foreign stocks.

So as far as the advice to never bother or consider the markets,  I think we know that is bad advice.   I am not advocating not putting money into investments in down markets, but I am advocating placing new money to Savings accounts, Bonds, CDs, Tips, and I-bonds until the market downturns bottom out.

Capital One 360 Savings have high-velocity savings paying 3% per month and Discover Savings is also paying 3%.  I saw today that Credit Karma has a savings account paying 3.3%, but have not researched it.   I purchased a six-year CD in my Fidelity Roth IRA this week which is paying 5.05% and 4 year one paying 4.8% that is not callable.  Conservative options abound during this bear market as we face the possible 2023 recession.
 
A Few More Myths:

The United States has the highest tax rates in the world.   Not true!

Mutual fund myth:   Don’t worry about low one or two-percent fees on Mutual Funds.   False again.  Just a one percent fee can reduce your long-term return up to 28%.   A two percent fee can lower your long-term return by as much as 63%.   Fees matter.

Another hot tip myth: 

When things take off on whatever is hot now, jump in without regard to verifying the value of the investment.  Extremely stupid advice.   History is full of “The Greater Fool” stories where euphoria takes hold and cost does not seem to matter to investors.   Cost and value ALWAYS matter.   I think Amazon’s P/E ratio is far from 8 to 1 as is desired.    I think I read it is more like 1400 to 1.   Does that make it a bad investment?    Sounds risky to me, but many people got rich buying Amazon when it started.   But now is not then.

Warren Buffet warns to “Be Fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.”

The key to this advice is to buy when prices are down and the market is stabilized.    Then when the market is high, consider selling when the stock or ETF has exceeded a fair value.   I personally try to minimize buying and selling, but huge gains sometimes are a good time to at least recover your initial investment.   High prices typically do not last forever.

Myth:  Financial independence and the ability to retire early (FIRE) is easy to obtain.

Financial Independence means you are earning enough that your investments are making more than your annual costs in perpetuity.

The reality is this is very hard to accomplish.   You can not expect an average of 12% per year, and you may not average 8% per year.  If you need $50,000 of income yearly, you must accumulate $700,000 (or more) to sustain your retirement expenses based on an 8% return which is never for sure.

So take these findings and learn to make better decisions.  Keep reading and studying on your own.   I will do another Myths article in the upcoming month.  If you are a serious investor, be sure to read the 3 books I mentioned in the first article which is below. 
 
https://lifecanbesimple.net/blog/myths-in-stock-market-advice

 
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Christmas is A Time of Family and Joy

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  It is great to come together with family and rejoice in all the blessings God has given each of us through the year.   When we get together as a family as God planned the family, it is a true time of joy.

Sadly, many spend much of the Christmas season wrapped up in buying and giving gifts.   While that is sometimes enjoyable, Christmas is so much more than just buying, giving, and receiving.   I believe minimalists are people who can look past all the glitz and marketing of goods, and see the true meaning of Christmas.

It certainly does not take a lot of big spending to have a joyful Christmas.    When you seek out the season’s true meaning, you have to conclude that the gifts are not really what it is all about.

Don’t get me wrong.   I think giving gifts is fine, and little children should receive most of the gifts. In our family, we try to spend 80% of our allotted Christmas budget on the children.  When you are young, these are your children.   As the years go by, they become grandchildren, and at my advanced age, we now even have 3 great-grandchildren.   What a joy to see their eyes shine and twinkle when they get to open their gifts.

One of our granddaughters did a little presentation at her music school’s recital last year.   Our little 6-year-old Mary did a super rendition of a fun Christmas song “Santa Claus is coming to town”.  I still watch that video on my phone every few months.   Last night she and her older sister Rachel both performed wonderful renditions of new songs.   What a blessing to all who got to attend and hear them sing.

So doing things and sharing time at Christmas with people is great.  We also try to go down and watch the huge exhibit of electric trains and also take a tram ride at our Fantasy of Lights at Midwestern State University. Just watching the kid's eyes light up with the viewing of Christmas lights is super.

The joy that truly comes from Christmas is about the true reason for the season.  Christmas is truly not about the gifts we give one another, but it is about the greatest gift ever given to mankind. 

That gift of course is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.  

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 
 
Christianity is the only religion that has a living, risen Savior.   Jesus came to earth at the exact perfect timing that God set in eternity when it was determined what each of the three parts of the Godhead would play in Salvation.  The Holy Spirit would bring men and women to the point of conviction and draw them to the Father.  And Jesus was the true lamb of God who would come and live a sinless life and pay the blood sacrifice required for the forgiveness of sin.

Jesus lead a perfect, sinless life, and paid the sin debt there on Calvary.  He was buried in a borrowed tomb, and after 3 days and 3 nights he arose from the grave.

When Adam, the first man sinned there in the garden of Eden, that depraved nature was passed down to every man and woman.   Only the perfect sacrifice could pay the penalty of sin.   We can’t live good enough to get to Heaven, but because of the Perfect Gift given to man by God, we can find salvation in the name of Jesus Christ.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
John 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 
John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

So as we enjoy this Holiday Season, give the honor and glory to God and seek Christ for salvation if you have never been saved.   To enter heaven, we must be born again.   Jesus explained all of that in John Chapter 3:1-10.
 
       We have Many Spiritual Blessings and Gifts in Christ

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 
 
I pray that you have a wonderful Christmas season, and if you have not received the greatest gift ever given, that you might seek salvation through Jesus Christ.     Have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
 
Joshua Becker sent me this great story written by Jessalyn Jones about the 5 important lessons she learned from being a minimalist.
Check it out:   Minimalist Lifestyle Taught Me 5 Important Life Lessons
 
 

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