Giving Thanks and Giving Back

It is no coincidence that the season of giving follows the season of gratitude, and yet, since Christmas is much more readily commercialized, more and more we see Thanksgiving pushed to the side. But not today.

Today we, as kingdom-minded businessmen and businesswomen, are going to stop and take a moment to reflect on our blessings. We’re going to look on the bright side, remind ourselves of reasons for hope, and then see how we can give back, in light of the awesome gifts that we have received.

The research on negativity bias is extensive – it is easier for us to see the reasons a plan will fail rather than the reasons it will succeed. It’s easier to remember the bad things that happened during the week rather than the good things. And if we don’t escape this sort of thinking, many good ideas will be shot down by our internal critic, many good works won’t get done, and our hearts won’t experience that beautiful metamorphosis in which they enter with thanksgiving and come out with praise.

Because the truth is there is still plenty for us to be thankful for…

The DOW Jones, S&P500, and NASDAQ all saw their third straight week of gains last week, as AI is back on investor’s minds. The dollar has weakened slightly in comparison to the Yen, Yuan, Pound, and Euro in the past week, but for the moment, the dollar is still strong, the lynchpin of the global economy…

Everyone knows about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but ever since 2012, we have one more day in the series of consumer holidays: Giving Tuesday. Created in response to the creeping commercialization of the season of giving, every Tuesday after Thanksgiving, people are encouraged to give to charity, donate time to a good cause, or find someone in need and help them out…

Food prices have been increasing sharply since 2020, but in recent months, the rate of increase has slowed – though that’s little relief for consumers, since prices remain well above what they were three years ago. Ground beef prices, for example, have steadily risen to nearly 20% above 2020 prices, while other commodities, such as eggs, have been volatile…

Your weekly chance to test your Bible knowledge! The answer to today’s question may surprise you:

Q: What is the New Testament word for “Thanksgiving” (giving thanks)?

Answer at the bottom

TIPS & TRICKS

3 Podcasts for Kingdom Business Leaders

We all know the struggle.

You get a random pocket of time, or you have some mindless work to do, or a commute to make, and you reach for your phone to pick out a podcast…

And you have no idea what to listen to.

Well no more – we’ve got three must-listen podcasts for kingdom business leaders to help you succeed in your personal finances, your investments, and your spiritual walk…

• Turmoil at Chat GPT's OpenAI, as Co-founder Sam Altman is forced out, then reinstated only days later.

• UAW workers ratified an agreement with Big 3 Automakers, officially ending the strike.

• Fraudulent schemes that target older Americans (such as “person in need” scams) cost consumers over $1 billion in 2022. With the advent of AI generated voice clones, that number may see a significant rise.

• The Gospel Coalition publishes a list of recommended advent devotionals to help keep Christ in Christmas with your family.

• Chip and Joana Gaines discuss how their marriage has grown and shifted after 20 years in life and business together.