Timothy Ross's Posts (521)

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Shepherd Grateful Life

https://youtu.be/tGKY6vJNrgY

 

Video Description Content

 

As we head into Thanksgiving, how do we give thanks to our good Shepherd? As we continue to interiorize Psalm 23, we can be grateful that our Good Shepherd is personal and provides all we need and want. "The Lord is MY Shepherd, I shall not WANT..." As Pastor Mike shared, we make Psalm 23 to be IN us so He can provide daily the joy, comfort, and peace He provides as our Shepherd. We fear no evil because His rod and staff comfort us: picture that GM truck (Goodness and Mercy) protecting us when we walk through that valley of darkness. As Louie Giglio reminds us, He prepares a table for us IN the presence of our enemies. As Mike shared about his morning prayer time when his own thoughts were leading him to a dark place, he turned to Psalm 23 and God stopped at: He makes me lie down... Keller tells us sheep don't lie down until 4 conditions are met: no fear, no friction with others, no parasites, no anxiety about food. Just as that crying baby needs a mom to comfort her before she can rest, we need the Shepherd to help us lie down: the problems (or diaper rash!) may still be there, but as a Mom is greater than a baby's cries so the Shepherd is greater than our struggles.

The Shepherd guides us and when our thoughts are not good, we pray for Him to give us HIS thoughts. He restores our souls and leads us to the still waters and lets us know when we're drinking from the wrong places that don't satisfy our thirst. He provides just enough 'green pastures' every day and as Ray VanderLaan reminds us: don't let tomorrow's worries rob us of today's green pastures.
As you interiorize this Psalm, let each phrase saturate with meaning that you may know God and especially this week: GIVE THANKS for all His good gifts: He is our Shepherd who provides all we need, restores us, guides us, and makes us lie down: thank you, Lord!


“PSALM 23: A PSALM FOR THE LIVING #3”

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” – Ps 23: 1-3.

GREEN PASTURES:

Ray VanderLaan brings a great understanding of this. It’s natural for us to imagine the “green pastures” as “belly-deep alfalfa” because we’ve grown up in an American farm country where the pastures are lush. This skews our understanding, however. In Judea, “green pastures” are little sprigs of green sprouting from under rocks. There is just enough for today – and that’s OK because our shepherd is trustworthy.
STILL WATERS:

Clouds rolling in off the Mediterranean Sea will drop rain on the “high country” in Judea. As the watershed collects and merges hundreds of streams into a single channel, it rushes down deep ravines into the desert en route to the dead sea hundreds of feet below. A person (or sheep) could be lazily drinking water from a small pool in just such a ravine and be blasted by a 20’ wall of water, even though the sky is blue and the birds are singing.
When we “thirst” in life, (when we have a need and seek fulfillment) we often look for the closest, easiest waterhole. We have no way of knowing that it’s raining in the mountains. Nor do we know for sure that the water is clean. Simply put, before you drink, look to your Shepherd – He can see what you can’t; He knows what you don’t, or look to Him for help when you’re about to drink what you know you shouldn’t. His desire is for your wellness, He will lead you to water that is “good for you” and “in a safe place”. Ask, “Is this good for me? Is it safe?”
RESTORES MY SOUL: The green pastures and good, safe water has had its good effect.

“Restores” in the scripture can refer to “a straying sheep brought back” (Isaiah 49:5, Psalm 60:1). This is what a good shepherd does (read and remember His steady love – Ps. 103:8-13).
This phrase also means, “brings me to repentance”. Not only does He bring me back physically, He turns my desires around. I was desiring the wrong way and He turned my desires back to Him and what He gives – light & life. What good are green pastures, still waters, and a dark soul?
HE LEADS ME:

The Shepherd is a guide. The sheep do not need to know where the green pastures or still waters are, all they need to know is where the shepherd is.
IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS:

The Shepherd does not only comfort and restore, He guides the sheep into what is right. God’s guidance of us has (of course) a moral aspect. As we hear His voice, and obey His commands, He will lead us on the right path. There are many paths through life, fraught with danger, but in His goodness, He will guide us even when the way seems dark and foreboding…

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High Five For Life

Some good thoughts sent to my email this morning by Mark And Angel

5 Quotes and Notes We Need to Read 5 Times a Day Until They Sink In

1. Build friendships with people who aren’t your age. Spend time around those whose first language isn’t English. Get to know someone who doesn’t come from the same social class. Listen. Be humble and teachable. This is how you learn and grow. This is how you see the world.

2. You’ll always be too much for someone—too sensitive, too big, too loud… too edgy. And if you round out your edges to make them happy, you’ll lose your edge. Take this to heart! Apologize for your mistakes—for being perfectly human. But don’t apologize for being who you are.

3. You won't always be a priority to others, and that's why you have to be a priority to yourself. Learn to respect yourself, take care of yourself, and become a big part of your own support system. Remember, your needs matter! Start meeting them. Don't wait on others to choose you. Choose yourself!

4. There is good reason why you should wake each morning and mindfully consider what and who you will give your day to. Because unlike other things in life – goals, money, respect, good health, hope, success, and many more – time is the one thing you can never get back once it’s gone.

5. Starting today, make your time count! Love what you do, until you can do what you love. Love where you are, until you can be where you love. Love the people you’re with, until you can be with the people you love most. Put your whole heart and soul into the present! This is the way we find happiness, opportunity, peace, and progress on the average day...

YES, YOU CAN THINK BETTER about yourself and your place in the world, which means you can tap into your inner strength and ultimately live better, one day at a time...

Truth be told, life will get better when YOU get better. Start investing in yourself mentally and physically. Make it a priority to learn and grow a little bit every day. The stronger you grow and become, the better your life will feel in the long run.

And YES, I know that's sometimes much easier said than done, but you are NOT alone on this journey!

Many of us are right there with you, working hard to stay strong and do the right things for ourselves.

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Immigration Misc Notes

check out comments for additional links for info

https://www.theepochtimes.com/ottawa-makes-16-new-jobs-eligible-for-permanent-residence_4869891.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2022/11/solving-labour-shortages-in-key-sectors-like-health-care-construction-and-transportation-workers-from-16-new-occupations-now-eligible-for-permanent.html

Foreign nationals with work experience in the following 16 occupations are now eligible to apply through Express Entry:

payroll administrators
dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
sheriffs and bailiffs
correctional service officers
by-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
estheticians, electrologists and related occupations
residential and commercial installers and servicers
pest controllers and fumigators
other repairers and servicers
transport truck drivers
bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
heavy equipment operators
aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors

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Low Income Top Up Benefit

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/top-up-canada-housing-benefit.html

The government is proposing a one-time payment to help low-income renters. If legislation passes as drafted, this benefit would be available to renters who:

  • have an adjusted net income for 2021 of $35,000 or less for families, or $20,000 or less for individuals
  • pay at least 30 per cent of their adjusted net income on rent for their own principal residence in Canada

 

 

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Pine Needle Tea #HerbalMoments #ImprovingFutures

Pine needles , tea good for you , warning not if your pregnant 

 

https://www.forestholidays.co.uk/forestipedia/10-reasons-you-should-be-drinking-pine-needle-tea/#:~:text=Pine%20needle%20tea%20also%20contains,also%20good%20for%20sore%20throats

What’s so good about pine needle tea?

  1. Pine needle tea has a pleasant taste and smell (always a good start).
  2. It is rich in vitamin C (5 times the concentration of vitamin C found in lemons) and can bring relief to conditions such as heart disease, varicose veins, skin complaints and fatigue.
  3. Vitamin C is also an immune system booster which means that pine needle tea can help to fight illness and infections.
  4. Pine needle tea also contains high levels of Vitamin A, which is good for your eyesight, improves hair and skin regeneration and improves red blood cell production.
  5. It can be used as an expectorant for coughs and to help relieve chest congestion; it is also good for sore throats.
  6. It brings you clarity and mental clearness.
  7. It can help with depression, obesity, allergies and high blood pressure.
  8. Pine needles contain antioxidants. These reduce free radicals, which are harmful to humans and can cause disease.
  9. Taoist priests drank pine needle tea as they believed it made them live longer. There is researched evidence that pine needle tea can help to slow the ageing process.
  10. Pick some pine needles and let them soak in boiling water on your stove and it will add a crisp pine smell all over the house. Perfect for Christmas.
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Education Tax Credit

https://www.knowledgebureau.com/index.php/site/kbr/canada-training-credit-learn-risk-free-and-with-tax-assistance

 

Good idea to take course from quailfying institution, must be over $100, pikcup the tax benefits and your professional development. 

 

"Investing time and money into new Specialized Credentials or continuing professional develop is an important undertaking and you want to make the most of both. That’s why you’ll want to learn more about the tuition fee amount and the Canada Training Credit (CTC) as potential tax assistance when you take a course."

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It's Too Expensive

This brings me to a myth I hear all the time about insurance.

"It's too expensive."

No, it is not.

Here's what an insurance policy does for your clients:

1. It diversifies their wealth. This might be the only remaining free lunch out there.

2. It optimizes their wealth by reducing long-term taxes, as insurance policies are tax-exempt.

3. It shifts risk away from families at a low cost to someone willing to take on that risk.

4. It makes the estate planning process easier for your beneficiaries. Life insurance policies pay out expediently to the heirs, bypassing the estating process, which means less hassle and faster money.

These are all enormous benefits to our clients.

"If you present insurance positively and showcase its benefits, you will find clients will stop seeing insurance as a cost and treat it as an asset. It is well priced and has massive value for my family. "

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Retirement Centre - Dynamic Resources

Some excellent resources from Dynamic, click on the links below for some great information ~ Tim

 

Re-envision your retirement.


It’s no secret that the road to building a comfortable retirement has become much more difficult over the last few decades. In today’s economic environment, retirees will have to adjust their retirement planning to meet a number of evolving challenges.
Dynamic's Retirement Income Centre is designed to provide a road map to retirement insights, investing strategies and new perspectives on helping retirees, and those on the cusp, create sustainable cash flow to meet today's retirement realities head on.
Learn more

 

https://dynamic.ca/en/insights/planning-and-strategies/retirement-centre.html

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Market Perspectives

Some great links provided by CI Global Investments

 

Stick to Your Plan
Most stock market gains are achieved shortly after a bear
market

This chart shows how major indices performed from the bottom of the 08/09 Financial Crises, March 9, 2009, over the next 3+ years. You
can see once a bottom had been reached the market reacts swiftly and positively. It’s important to stick to the plan you and your advisor
have designed as leaving the market could cause you to miss out on large gains.
Missing out on large gains makes it very difficult to break-even and achieve the long-term return required to meet your financial goals.

https://ci-arena.ci.com/od/48cf0671

 

Downside Volatility is Normal

https://ci-arena.ci.com/od/956a449d

 

Historical Bull Markets Versus Bear Markets
75+ Years of the S&P 500 Index Expansions & Downturns

https://ci-arena.ci.com/od/2dae830d

 

Resist the Urge to Time the Market
The best and worst trading days happen close together:

https://ci-arena.ci.com/od/bb0dfeb6

 

The case for diversification

It is nearly impossible to predict what class will generate the highest returns in any given year. Investors benefit from
diversification and reduce their risk by allocating to a variety of asset classes. A strong financial plan will incorporate
investments into different asset classes that react differently to ensure investors reduce their overall risk.

https://ci-arena.ci.com/od/d3b35525

 

Trust in the plan you and your advisor created
Don’t let emotions take over: staying invested leads to better
performance

https://ci-arena.ci.com/od/fea210a9

 

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