P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

My friend asked a question many folks have wondered about given the economic mayhem in the past few years. He said, “I’ve heard that bonds are safer than stocks. Is this a good time to move my investments from stocks to bonds?”

Oh, my! This was a challenging question to answer. I wondered how to respond, but finally said, “This isn’t a good time to make that move.” The stare looking back at me clearly beckoned for the long answer. I took a deep breath and began … MORE

Holiness Today  January/February 2012

Q: I hear people say that theology is reflected in the worship music we sing. Can you explain more about that?

A: The psalmist David looked at the night sky, pondered the finger play of the Creator, and marveled at the majesty and glory of God. David’s contemplation continued as he considered his insignificance compared with the grandeur of God. Then he wrote Psalm 8 to express what he discovered …  MORE

P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

When I returned from a vacation last August, I found waiting for me a recommendation request for a recently graduated seminary student. When he went to his first pastoral assignment, he discovered the congregation’s finances were not as strong as he had been led to believe. Since it was necessary for the congregation to cut almost one-third of his cash compensation, he needed to find additional employment to meet the financial needs of his family, even with his wife employed fulltime… MORE

P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

My grandchildren introduced me to “Madame Blueberry,” a member of the VeggieTales family. This lady has the blues; nothing seems to make her happy or content. She compares what she doesn’t have with what her friends have and expresses sorrow with heavy sobs muffled by soggy tissue. But then a “Stuff-Mart” opens near her house. The place is huge and filled with all kinds of things that bring delight to Madame Blueberry. She orders lots of stuff. Stuff-Mart workers begin delivering her purchases even before she leaves the store. The tree house in which Madame Blueberry lives, however, can’t handle the additional weight. The tree begins to tilt until the stuff slides from the house into the lake. Relieved of the load, the tree becomes a catapult and launches the tree house into the parking lot of Stuff-Mart where it ends up a pile of sticks… MORE

P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

“Rules of Thumb” exist for numerous issues in personal finance: from the amount of life insurance a person should have, to the maximum mortgage commitment a family should make. I’ve always been tentative about blindly accepting such rules. My left thumb is smaller than some of my friend’s, so it is an inexact, inconsistent measure. Similarly, a financial “rule of thumb” may not provide the precision necessary to make a good decision… MORE

P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

A pastor’s task list is quite diverse. The pastor must be a preacher and teacher, evangelist and disciple maker, visionary leader and counselor. Not only do congregations have high expectations, but those who educate pastors also have high hopes for their students. Biblical scholars urge pastors to exegete scripture in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek. Theologians urge them to stay current in theological discussions. Experts in the various pastoral arts—evangelism, discipleship, worship, preaching, care, leadership—urge pastors to shine in their areas of expertise… MORE

P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

The radio station that wakes me up in the morning has business and finance news at 55 minutes after the hour. Sometimes, the announcer describes activity at a local corporation or an occurrence that has global ramifications. Other times, the news may be about the latest economic indicators… MORE

P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

Spontaneity did not play out well that day. The extended Schwanz family gathered at the central Oregon coast for a week of summer memory making. My brother and I left the vacation rental house (without telling anyone where we were going) for a quick trip to Depot Bay. My brother wanted to visit his friend who operated a charter fishing boat. We found him, and he invited us to join the fishing expedition just about to leave. He had open spots, and if we would run up to the kiosk on the street above the dock to get our fishing licenses, we could join the trip at no additional cost. We didn’t even discuss the matter-just hustled so as to not delay the paying customers… MORE

P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

I can tell when it has been a good grocery shopping expedition. Judi, my wife, comes into the house with bulging shopping bags looking like a victor returning with the spoils of conquest. Recently, she proudly announced she had purchased groceries valued at $68.57 for $27.35—a savings of 63 percent. I almost expected to hear trumpets punctuate the glorious announcement with a sonic exclamation point! She paraded over to hand me the receipt verifying her victorious crusade… MORE

P&B Online / Pensions & Benefits USA Church of the Nazarene

A month ago I would have hurried past the article in the Saturday newspaper. Children’s health insurance coverage didn’t hold much interest for me. That changed on the 31st of August… MORE