Focus in a time of crisis: Warren Buffett’s rules and four ways to improve your life and world

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Focus in a time of crisis: Warren Buffett’s rules and four ways to improve your life and world

In these days of working from home and social distancing,
one of our great challenges is to find and keep focus on what matters most. It
is challenging to parent at-home children while officing at home. Distractions
from the news on the pandemic are ever-present. So much has changed about our
lives, making it easy to feel disoriented and unfocused.

In this context, an article I read just now on Warren
Buffett may be helpful.

Buffett is obviously one of the most successful investors
and business leaders in the world. However, he is countercultural in so much of
his life and work.

He has never had a computer in his office. He has never used
a stock sticker. He does not have a smartphone. He rarely talks to the media.
He doesn’t attend industry events. And he barely attends internal meetings.

What he does do is maintain focus.

He refuses busy work and lives simply: he’s lived in the same house in Omaha, Nebraska, for sixty years and spends only $100,000 a year. He focuses his investment strategy on only a few, long-term bets.

The profile then suggests steps we can follow in prioritizing our schedules and lives. I encourage you to read more at “Warren Buffett: ‘Really Successful People Say No To Almost Everything’”.

Four ways to improve your life and world

Warren Buffett may be one of the most influential investors
of our generation, but Jesus Christ is the most influential person of all time.
And he lived by the same commitment to focus and priorities.

He began his day alone with his Father (Mark 1:35). He
focused his message and ministry on advancing God’s kingdom in all he did
(Matthew 4:17). He knew and fulfilled his mission: “The Son of Man came to
seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

Now he stands ready to focus and direct your life. Consider
these steps:

One: Ask the Lord how he wants to redeem this time of uncertainty in your life.

If you’re working from home, how would Jesus make…

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‘Caremongering’ Movement Provides Beacon of Hope amid COVID-19 Outbreak

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‘Caremongering’ Movement Provides Beacon of Hope amid COVID-19 Outbreak


‘Caremongering’ Movement Provides Beacon of Hope amid COVID-19 Outbreak

A new online movement has recently become widespread across Canada as a way to provide help to communities, especially to those who are at high risk if they contract COVID-19.

BBC News reports that “more than 35 Facebook groups have been set up in 72 hours to serve communities in places including Ottawa, Halifax and Annapolis County in Nova Scotia, with more than 30,000 members between them.”

Acts of kindness across the globe have ranged “from delivering soup to the elderly in the UK to an exercise class held for quarantined residents on their balconies in Spain.”

Canadians, who has long been stereotyped by the media as “kind to a fault” have recently established the “caremongering” movement to help others.

Under the social media hashtag #caremongering, one can read about the dozens of acts of kindness being done across Canada.

The initial caremongering group was founded by Mita Han with the assistance of Valentina Harper.

Harper shared with BBC News that the pair decided to start the #caremongering movement to combat widespread fear of the coronavirus.

“Scaremongering is a big problem,” Harper told the BBC. “We wanted to switch that around and get people to connect on a positive level, to connect with each other.

“It’s spread the opposite of panic in people, brought out community and camaraderie, and allowed us to tackle the needs of those who are at-risk all the…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

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Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson released from the hospital: Why good news is such good news

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Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson released from the hospital: Why good news is such good news

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson became the first celebrity faces of the coronavirus pandemic when they told the world they had contracted the virus. Since that time, they have shared words of encouragement and wisdom; Rita also compiled a very entertaining “Quarantunes” playlist for those who are isolated.

Now we are learning that the couple has been released from their hospital in Australia and are in self-isolation at a home they are renting in Queensland.

Other celebrities are now known to have contracted the
disease as well, including actor Idris Elba and Sophie Trudeau, the wife of
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. But Hanks and Wilson are especially
beloved by Americans and other fans around the world. Their story has
personalized the pandemic in a powerful way.

Part of the reason we are grateful for them is that they
consistently find ways to speak good news into our culture. Hanks is famous for
his kindness to fans and strangers. He and his wife have been on a decades-long
quest to improve the lives of those they influence.

The coronavirus pandemic is just the latest example of their
commitment to reframing challenges as opportunities.

Why good news is such good news

Maya Angelou famously noted, “I’ve learned that people
will forget what you said; people will forget what you did; but people will
never forget how you made them feel.”

When the pandemic is over, people will remember how you made them feel during these hard days.

Did you encourage others through your social media interactions and other connections?

Did you seek to serve those who were sick or discouraged?

Did you make a tangible, practical difference in someone’s life?

Most of all, did you find ways to glorify your Lord and draw
people to him?

Paul encouraged us to “rejoice in the Lord always”
(Philippians 4:4). James taught us to “count it all joy, my brothers, when
you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). Solomon…

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‘We Have an Invisible Enemy’: Trump Urges Americans to Limit Groups to 10 People

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‘We Have an Invisible Enemy’: Trump Urges Americans to Limit Groups to 10 People


‘We Have an Invisible Enemy’: Trump Urges Americans to Limit Groups to 10 People

President Trump issued new guidelines Monday, urging Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people for 15 days, saying it is essential to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

“Each and every one of us has a critical role to play,” he said. 

The guidelines are a companion to CDC guidelines issued one day earlier that recommend “mass gatherings” with 50 or more people be canceled or postponed for eight weeks. Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci of the Coronavirus Task Force said the “trajectory of the outbreak” may last until July, although the 10-persons guidelines will be revisited at the end of 15 days.

Together, the guidelines mean churches must find different and new ways to serve the community.  

“It’s important for the young and healthy people to understand that while they may experience milder symptoms, they can easily spread this virus, and they will spread it indeed, putting countless others in harm’s way,” Trump said.

“We especially worry about our senior citizens,” he said.

The coronavirus is at least 10 times deadlier than the flu. For the elderly, the mortality rate is between 10 and 20 percent, according to data from around the world. There is no vaccine. 

“We’ve always heard about the Greatest Generation,” said Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force. “We’re protecting the Greatest…

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Samaritan's Purse Rushes Aid as Hard-Hit Italy Sends 10,000 Student Doctors into Coronavirus Fray

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Samaritan's Purse Rushes Aid as Hard-Hit Italy Sends 10,000 Student Doctors into Coronavirus Fray

Italy is rushing 10,000 student doctors to help hospitals struggling to cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

More than 2,100 people there have died from the virus making it the worst-hit country after China. Nearly 28,000 have been infected.

The crisis has overwhelmed the country’s hospitals forcing the government to build outdoor facilities to accommodate the growing numbers of sick patients.

In the northern Italian city of Bergamo, one of the hardest-hit regions, families buried their loved ones Tuesday, as the number of new cases there spiked this week.

The entire country is under quarantine, preventing 60 million Italians from leaving their homes unless it’s for food or medical emergencies. All public gatherings are been banned.

Franklin Graham’s aid ministry called Samaritan’s Purse is rushing aid to Italy. 

The organization tweeted Tuesday: “Our DC-8 is en route to northern Italy with a 68-bed emergency field hospital to care for those infected by #COVID19. Please join us in praying for all who have been affected by the #coronavirus.”

Our DC-8 is en route to northern Italy with a 68-bed emergency field hospital to care for those infected by #COVID19. Please join us in praying for all who have been affected by the #coronavirus. https://t.co/Ca5sl3pH7s

— Samaritan’s Purse (@SamaritansPurse) March 17, 2020

Edward Graham, Franklin Graham’s youngest son, is also a leader in Samaritan’s Purse. He tweeted, “Italy bound, wheels up to serve in Jesus Name on the front lines of COVID-19. Please be praying for our crew and hospital staff that will be helping the Italian people during a time of crisis.”

Italy bound, wheels up to serve in Jesus Name on the front lines of COVID-19. Please be praying for our crew and hospital staff that will be helping the Italian people during a time of crisis. #coronavirus #covid_19 #serving #hope #fieldhospital #love #lovethyneighbor pic.twitter.com/xUeLL200sm

— Edward Graham (@EdwardG1911) March 17, 2020

 

Source CBN

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Bishop Barbara Harris, first woman bishop of Anglican Communion, dies at 89

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Bishop Barbara Harris, first woman bishop of Anglican Communion, dies at 89


Bishop Barbara Harris, first woman bishop of Anglican Communion, dies at 89

(RNS) — Retired Bishop Barbara Harris, the first woman to be ordained and consecrated as a bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion, died on Friday (March 13).

She was 89.

Harris died at a hospice house after a recent hospitalization.

“Our hearts are truly heavy at the loss of one who has been a faithful and altogether irrepressible companion, pastor and inspiration to us in the Diocese of Massachusetts for 31 years,” said Bishop Alan M. Gates, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, in an announcement.

“At the same time our hearts are truly buoyed by the hope which she preached and the conviction she embodied for us throughout all these years,” he said.

Harris, who was known for quoting the words “Hallelujah anyhow” from a gospel song, served as a suffragan, or assisting, bishop in the diocese from 1989 until she retired in 2002. She later served as assisting bishop in the Diocese of Washington from 2003 to 2007.

“Bishop Barbara Harris was not large of physical stature,” said Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in a tweeted statement. “In fact, the opposite. But she was larger than life. She was larger than life because she lived it fully with her God and with us. She did it by actually living the love of God that Jesus taught us about.”

The great-granddaughter of a woman born into slavery, she described herself as a “fiercely…

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‘Prayer in the Time of Coronavirus’: LA Parishioners Worship in Mostly Empty Pews

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‘Prayer in the Time of Coronavirus’: LA Parishioners Worship in Mostly Empty Pews


‘Prayer in the Time of Coronavirus’: LA Parishioners Worship in Mostly Empty Pews

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Catholics seeking standard Sunday services were met with something new this past weekend.

At the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the mother church of LA’s Archdiocese, church bells tolled over deserted streets and an empty plaza on Sunday (March 15).

In lieu of the typical door greeter, visitors were met with health advisory signs and a stack of flyers titled, “Prayer in the Time of the Coronavirus.”

Inside the sanctuary, fewer than 100 people gathered in a space that can fit 3,000. Before the Mass began, an usher walked the aisles and whispered that the offertory bowl would not be passed around in an effort to avoid the spread of germs. In its place, a lonely basket sat in the center of the aisle for people who wished to drop their gifts.

After Mass began, the church’s pastor, the Rev. David Gallardo, wasted little time before addressing the unease.

“Health is on everyone’s minds during this pandemic,” he said, his voice echoing through the mostly empty church. “Health is important, but as Christians, we cannot forget that we are truly children of God destined for eternal life. This is why Jesus reminds us over and over again in the Gospels: Do not be afraid.”

But people are afraid.

News reports of the deadly virus have occupied the media for days on end. The WHO’s latest numbers declared 118,000 diagnoses across 114 countries and…

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What It's Like to Have COVID-19: Infected Doctor Tells CBN News His Faith Carries Him Through

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What It's Like to Have COVID-19: Infected Doctor Tells CBN News His Faith Carries Him Through

ABOVE: Dr. Yale Tung Chen spoke with CBN News on Newswatch via Skype from Madrid about his own fight with the coronavirus

An emergency room physician who got infected with COVID-19 is giving his social media followers a day-by-day blog of how the virus’s symptoms are affecting him.

Dr. Yale Tung Chen is an emergency doctor at Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, Spain. The 35-year-old got infected while treating patients at his hospital.

While living in quarantine in his home since Sunday, Chen, 35, is tweeting out ultrasounds of his lungs along with commentary about the symptoms he’s experiencing.

Chen says he wants his experience to be educational. Chen’s symptoms have been relatively mild. “It’s no more than a common and regular flu infection,” he told CBN News. His symptoms have included dry cough, weakness, low-grade fever, and especially a headache.

Experts say the virus affects everyone differently and younger people often have milder symptoms. 

Day 5 after #COVID diagnosis. Less cough & tired, still no dyspnea/chest pain. #POCUS update: Effusion resolved, as subpleural consolidations spread bilaterally on both posterior lower lobes. Started on HCQ yesterday. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen @acam_acam pic.twitter.com/fjtq2SEM1d

— Yale Tung Chen (@yaletung) March 13, 2020

Chen tells CBN News he believes this is now a known virus that the medical community has learned how to treat. So his message is this: “To stay calm, to follow all the instructions from the health ministry, the government.”   

Dr. Chen is a Christian and he says his faith is carrying him through. “It means everything. I wouldn’t stay that calm,” if it wasn’t for his beliefs, he told CBN News. 

You can follow Chen’s progress here.

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Coronavirus: What You Need to Know

Chen is not the only one sharing with others their fight against the coronavirus.  A man in Wuhan, China was sick for three weeks with the disease.

Tiger Ye, 21, told The Guardian he was diagnosed on Jan. 17 and was cleared by Feb. 7.  He told the newspaper the illness was at its worst from Jan. 21 to Jan. 26. 

People who have been infected with COVID-19 are recovering. As of Friday, the total number of known cases worldwide stood at more than 137,000 – but that’s just for people that have been tested and confirmed. There have been more than 5,000 deaths due to the disease.  

However, the total number of people who have recovered from the virus currently stands at almost 70,000. 

John Hopkins University has created a website where the medical data by country is added and is regularly updated.   
 
For those who do contract COVID-19, roughly 20 percent will experience severe-to-critical symptoms, but the vast majority do not. That’s one reason why it’s unclear how many people have actually contracted the disease since some people may not even have had enough symptoms to think they needed to get tested.

Source CBN

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T.D. Jakes Addresses the Coronavirus Plague and Says We Have Got to Get Our Hearts Back to the Gospel and Stop Embracing Christianity and Embracing Our Faith Because We Want Prosperity, a Job, Are Looking for a Companion, or Want God to Help Us Out

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T.D. Jakes Addresses the Coronavirus Plague and Says We Have Got to Get Our Hearts Back to the Gospel and Stop Embracing Christianity and Embracing Our Faith Because We Want Prosperity, a Job, Are Looking for a Companion, or Want God to Help Us Out

T.D. Jakes Addresses the Coronavirus Plague and Says We Have Got to Get Our Hearts Back to the Gospel and Stop Embracing Christianity and Embracing Our Faith Because We Want Prosperity, a Job, Are Looking for a Companion, or Want God to Help Us Out

In light of global precautions for the COVID-19 Coronavirus, and to ensure we are adhering to the direction of our leading health and government authorities, effective immediately, all church activities, gatherings, auxiliary ministries, including Sunday Service and Wednesday Night Bible Service, are postponed until further notice.

The Potter’s House Staff is actively monitoring the COVID-19 Coronavirus developments as it relates to the health and well-being of our members and community, and continuing close communication with local health and government authorities.

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St. Patrick’s courage and Martin Luther’s hope: How to make God our “mighty fortress” today

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St. Patrick’s courage and Martin Luther’s hope: How to make God our “mighty fortress” today

Today is a St. Patrick’s Day unlike any other in my lifetime. Parades were canceled across the country last weekend. Bars and restaurants are being closed. People are being urged to work from home.

Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the late fourth century. He was kidnapped at the age of sixteen and enslaved in Ireland, but he escaped back to Britain. He then chose to return to Ireland as a missionary, where he established churches, monasteries, and schools. 

His compassionate courage is a model we’ll consider today. 

Hope in hard days 

The stock market plunged nearly three thousand points yesterday, its second-worst day in history. Coronavirus deaths outside China have now surpassed those in China. The Supreme Court postponed oral arguments because of concerns over the novel coronavirus, apparently the first time the court has scheduled such a recess since the Spanish flu outbreak in 1918. 

The Peace Corps has suspended operations and evacuated all volunteers. Schools have closed to more than thirty-two million students. The Trump administration released new guidelines that include avoiding groups of more than ten people. And we are learning that people without symptoms may be spreading coronavirus more than was previously thought. 

Where do we find hope in these hard days? 

On the medical front, the first human trial to evaluate a candidate vaccine against coronavirus began in Seattle yesterday. Other treatments are also being developed that, while not vaccines, hold promise and could be available more quickly. The world’s governments are taking very significant steps to support their economies. Social distancing measures will help to keep people from becoming infected, infecting others, and overwhelming our medical resources. 

But there is an additional source of hope to which Christians can turn in days like these. 

When the plague came to Wittenberg 

The bubonic plague struck Wittenberg,…

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