First, if you haven't read Patrick's response to my last blog, I would highly suggest you do that. He had some good thoughts and insights. 

Secondly, here is an excerpt from Insight for Today written by Chuck Swindoll that sounds awfully familiar to what's going on in our world today:

I was intrigued several years ago when reading about some ghost towns littered across the plains of Nevada. The writer pointed out that there was every indication between the middle and the end of the 1800's that these towns would flourish forever. There were people by the thousands. There was gold in abundance. There were new buildings, vast plains, a spirit of excitement. The Gold rush looked as if it would last forever. But suddenly everything came to a screeching halt. Almost overnight those bustling, loud population centers became vacant dust collectors. The sound of the cash registers were silent.

Doesn't take rocket science to make that correlation to today does it? What looked like a little over a year ago that things would last forever and make an impact are now gone in no time. The events of 2008 have changed the landscape for so many companies and individuals like myself. For some companies they will become empty buildings that echo only silence instead of their former spirit of excitement. For still others, continuing to survive means changing your stance and preserving values while the stronger companies are positioning themselves to take advantage when the market changes.

Now here's the personal connection for you and me. What we think will last forever ends eventually. It's only a matter of time. Mortality comes. It could be today, tomorrow but at some point God will say, "that's it." Done. And we can live a life of futility and just exist or decide to see all that's going on in the world today as well as in our lives as a part of His plan. He has something in mind although I don't pretend to know what it is.  I certainly can't wait to find out! I want to see what He does with the economy, with companies, and most especially with you and me!

"God help me to see things the way you do, from a much broader perspective and not spend my days with 'inward eyeballs' or 'navel gazing at my poor pitiful self'. That thought disgusts me. So, remind me you have always balanced out whatever the bad is with so much more good."

rb