Scripture

 An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.

Proverbs 20:21, NLT

Quote

The sudden acquisition of wealth tends to demoralize character.

~J. B. Phillips

I was almost 40 years old when BLACK MONDAY occurred and I faintly remember it. I did not begin any kind of savings plan until the mid-80’s so my loses were minimal. Black Monday occurred on October 19, 1987 when the Stock Market plunged 508 points, a drop of 26.6% overnight. Time Magazine and others reported that it was a worse crash than 1929. Some $500 billion in paper assets disappeared into thin air. The entire world felt the shock waves. Looking back some speculators admitted it was incited by pure greed. The Dow Jones was inflated intentionally trading at 2700 when it should have been trading at 2000. People were betting that the Dow would go to 3000, but that did not happen. Most investors felt comfortable that they could reinvest if things went south but they did not have time. The crash was so sudden that everyone involved took the hit. Some folks lost up to 75% of their assets.

Two pieces of advice: [1] Do not put your confidence in the Stock Market; trust the LORD. Put your confidence in HIM. He is our provider. You must understand that the Stock Market is subject to failure. I must remind you that this failure can happen anytime and it can happen suddenly without warning. [2] I do not think it is wrong to invest in the Market. Our 401-K is heavy in the market and probably yours too. My Edward Jones rep is a Christian and I ask specifically that none of our money be invested in the alcoholic industry or any other evil. He assured me that would not happen. Other than that, I gave him no advice: he is the professional. I don’t talk to him daily or weekly or monthly. I never check the Stock Market. My faith is not in the market or in my ability to use it for the gain of wealth. I never move assets around trying to earn more money. My advice is, do not play the market unless you are a professional. I know some people who thought they could get rich quick by doing their own investing and they lost their back side.

The above is free advice–take it or leave it. Solomon’s point is that instant wealth may not be a blessing; matter of fact, it may become a curse. Do some research on Sweeps Stakes and Lottery winners. You will be shocked. Many years ago, an Ohio man won a Sweepstakes worth $7,000,000. Phillips was preaching a revival in his home town. The pastor drove Phillips by an old run down shack and then told him the story about the Sweepstakes winner. The man had lost all the money. His wife had divorced him and his children would not speak to each other. The man attempted to make more money by reinvesting and he lost it all.

Just remember: when you are dealing with greed, you cannot win. Greed will get you every time. It may be later than sooner but the greed bug is deadly.

Extra

David and I are aboout to embark for hospital where Shea Ballinger is having surgery. Normally, I can’t wait to get up and get my egg, bacon and coffee but this morning June had to call me twice. Have a good day and thanks for reading the blog.

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Extra

I really enjoyed yesterday; the sun and the heat felt good. We will be on the road today. Two COLS at the same time, 11:00 and then LW I will be visiting the retirement homes. Mid-week worship tonight at 6:00.

Extra/Extra

A Tribute To Randy Lewis

I met Randy in the mid-80’s when he worked for Allied Paper in Decatur. Randy played basketball at Danville High. It was back in the day when Danville seemed to have a good team every year. When you heard some one speak of Danville, it usually had something to do with basketball. Randy went on to play at Jacksonville State. He knew a lot about basketball. Randy was a conversationalist and he took interest in the lives of others. You might say he gave preference to others. He put others first. In the last few years he had a Job experience, one thing after another but it never affected his marvelous attitude. He kept smiling through it all. I have never known anyone that handled adversity and suffering any better than Randy. The stroke a few months back rendered him helpless. He went to rehab and tried to walk again but it did not happen. Just a few weeks ago, he told me, “Bro. Jack, I am going to walk again!” When I prayed that day, I asks God to help Randy walk. He is doing better than walking now, he is no longer bound by gravity. He has been promoted from the egg stage and he now has his wings. We have more suffering to do but Randy’s is over. He gave his heart to Jesus several years ago. He attended a Revival at Tuncel Road and was later baptized by Bro. Wally at East Highland. When I heard about it, I had to go see him. I was delighted to hear his testimony.

Randy was inducted into the Morgan County Hall of Fame back in 2019. Randy was a 6’3″ guard which gave him a height advantage over most other guards at the time. His stats are impressive. What Danville fans got to see was a high-flying offense that believed in scoring points as quick as possible. That was perfect game for a player Randy’s size. Randy said, “Coach Bowling believed in letting us run a lot and we did.”

The running game mixed with Randy’s shooting ability allowed him to rack up some impressive numbers while being a three-time All-Morgan County selection. According to research done by Lynn Holladay for his book “History, Stats and Stories of Morgan County Basketball 1945-1973,” Randy scored 1,884 career points. For that time period, it ranks him behind only Robert Whisenant (2,411 points at Ryan) and Gary Winton (2,347 points at Cotaco and Brewer).

Randy averaged 20 points per game over his career. He averaged 26 points and 14 rebounds during his senior season in 1973. He scored 20 or more points in all but two games. In the two games he didn’t top 20, he scored 18. During his career he scored 30 or more points 10 times.

Randy was an encourager and a friend. He was also my neighbor. I will miss Randy. He was one of the most considerate people I know. Joe David’s last game as a Hawk was a heart breaker. We should have won that game. Randy is the only person who sensed my pain. He talked to me outside Allied Paper on MacEntire Lane. I will never forget that conversation and Randy’s compassion. That is the kind of man Randy is: he had that very rare gift of focusing on you instead of himself. Notice the verb, I didn’t say that is the kind of man Randy was…He is not was, He is. He is more than a memory, infinitely more. I will not get to attend his COLS due to a prior commitment but LORD willing Buddy and Vicki Beavers will be there to represent myself and Grace Point. I think Randy was in there wedding. I do know they are the same age and have been friends for life. It is frustrating to want to be two places at once but that is part of life. Randy would not have complained and neither should I. He would want me to keep my promise. Knowing he is my friend is a huge encouragement to me. Thank YOU Randy! Dance for Jesus with those new and glorified legs.