Does wealth guarantee happiness?
Issue #028, July 21, 2008
Yep, weal:th. Riches. Mo'ney. Moola. Gold and platinum, stocks and bonds, lotsa loot. That's what brings true happiness, right? Millions of people are betting their lives on it, because they're spending all their time and energy trying to acquire as much mo'ney as they can. But I've know a few rich people, and several of them were downright miserable. I think about mo'ney a lot, as I'm sure you do too. Here's why I believe wealt'h can't buy happiness.
July Poem: Only a Whisper AwayEvery day is a mystery,which you must work out. Your small place in history full of wonder and doubt. You load up your sorrows 'Cause He's only a whisper away. If you're brokenhearted He's longing to save you 'Cause He's only a whisper away. Jack Zavada, 2008
Quote-stravaganzaJuly's quotation comes from American author, philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). Although he wrote some weighty volumes, Emerson was short and to the point in this quotation, with which I agree completely. Oh, and you've got to appreciate a guy whose middle name is Waldo.Ralph Waldo Emerson We all need to work and we all need to pay our bills, but the real truth is that there's a lot of stuff we can do without, even though advertisers assure us we can't. It's wise to build up an emergency fund. To pay off credit card debt. To carry health care insurance, even if the premiums are obscenely expensive. Here's a bonus quotation this month from British patriot Oliver Cromwell: "Trust in God but keep your (gun)powder dry." If you're living too close to the edge financially, this is a wake-up call to consider what would happen if you lost your job, or got sick or injured. God wants you to use the intelligence he gave you, and that includes with your incom'e.
Does God still work miracles?Today's miracles aren't as dramatic as the parting of the Red Sea or raising Lazarus from the dead, but when God steps into your life and turns an impossible situation around, the results are just as overwhelming.Stories of Calvary, a new softcover book co-edited by my friend Mary Fairchild, tells some gripping stories of people on the edge and how God grabbed them and pulled them back into his kingdom. If you could use a spiritual boost, this is inspiring stuff. You can read my full review here...
Buying Bible study software?Mary also recently put together a comprehensive review of several popular Bible study software programs. She compares features, speed, ease of use and prices. And, as you all know, a tightwad like me especially appreciated that there's a neat f'ree software package among them called e-sword.Before you buy, be sure to read Mary's review of Top 10 Bible Study Software Programs. We answer your e-mailsAs you may have noticed, the layout and content of this issue of Inspire-O-Gram were a bit different than usual. I hope you liked it.Our web site and newsletter are not huge, impersonal operations. In fact, it's just me and Charlie the dog here. If you want to comment on this newsletter or www.inspiration-for-singles.com, just use this easy contact form. We--well, not Charlie--I promise to answer your email. Hope you're enjoying your summer--or winter--if that's what's going on where you live. Remember that we've got more than 275 pages of information and fun at www.inspiration-for-singles.com. Be sure to tell your friends and relatives. Thanks for reading, and see you again in August!
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