The Norwegians become crown millionaires, in oil saving landmark

OSLO (Reuters) - Everyone in Norway became a theoretical crown millionaire on Wednesday in a milestone for the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund that has ballooned thanks to high oil and gas prices.

Set up in 1990, the fund owns around 1 percent of the world's stocks, as well as bonds and real estate from London to Boston, making the Nordic nation an exception when others are struggling under a mountain of debts.

A preliminary counter on the website of the central bank, which manages the fund, rose to 5.11 trillion crowns ($828.66 billion), fractionally more than a million times Norway's most recent official population estimate of 5,096,300.

It was the first time it reached the equivalent of a million crowns each, central bank spokesman Thomas Sevang said.

Not that Norwegians will be able to access or spend the money, squirreled away for a rainy day for them and future generations. Norway has resisted the temptation to splurge all the windfall since striking oil in the North Sea in 1969.

Finance Minister Siv Jensen told Reuters the fund, called the Government Pension Fund Global, had helped iron out big, unpredictable swings in oil and gas prices. Norway is the world's number seven oil exporter.

"Many countries have found that temporary large revenues from natural resource exploitation produce relatively short-lived booms that are followed by difficult adjustments," she said in an email.

The fund, equivalent to 183 percent of 2013 gross domestic product, is expected to peak at 220 percent around 2030.

"The fund is a success in the sense that parliament has managed to put aside money for the future. There are many examples of countries that have mot managed that," said Oeystein Doerum, chief economist at DNB Markets.

 

Norway has sought to avoid the boom and bust cycle by investing the cash abroad, rather than at home. Governments can spend 4 percent of the fund in Norway each year, slightly more than the annual return on investment.

Still, in Norway, oil wealth may have made the state reluctant to make reforms or cut subsidies unthinkable elsewhere. Farm subsidies allow farmers, for instance, to keep dairy cows in heated barns in the Arctic.

It may also have made some Norwegians reluctant to work. "One in five people of working age receives some kind of social insurance instead of working," Doerum said, despite an official unemployment rate of 3.3 percent.

-By Alister Doyle

 

Just Break Out of Mediocrity

When my husband and I went out to dinner recently, we were served by an extremely helpful waitress. This woman seemed to anticipate our every need; she even suggested an item that was not on the menu.

Throughout the evening, she served us with both joy and efficiency. She made our evening so pleasant that the next time we went to that restaurant, we requested her as our waitress.

In a society in which mediocrity has become the standard, she distinguished herself by her excellence.

In the same way our waitress rose above the crowd, believers in Christ should strive to shine as lights in the world's darkness.

Unfortunately, too many believers are content to just get by; they don't try to reach for the greater things God has for them. They're satisfied to live mediocre lives.

Jesus spoke against this kind of mediocrity in Matthew 5:46-47 when He said: "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?" (NKJV).

Anybody can love someone who loves him. The question Jesus asked was: "What do you do more than others? Where do you exceed expectations?"

Our call as believers is not only to love others but also to love others more than the world expects. It's when we take the extra leap to love and forgive our enemies—not just our friends—that we step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary.

Reaching for More
The Bible is full of stories of people who chose to live their lives at more than a mediocre level.

Moses is described as a man who was more humble than any other man on the face of the earth. Nehemiah is described as a faithful man who feared God more than others did.

John the Baptist is described in Scripture as more than a prophet. And the Bible says that Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness more than His companions.

All of these were "more than" people—people who would not, could not be satisfied with the ordinary or the usual. Consequently, each of them was used by God in an extraordinary way.

Joshua 7 tells the story of the Israelites going off to conquer the city of Ai after their great, supernatural victory in the city of Jericho. In the afterglow of Jericho, they felt confident that Ai could be defeated with a minimum of fighting men.

But there was something they didn't know. At Jericho, a man named Achan had disobeyed God's directive to destroy everything in the city. He had kept for himself a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold, thinking no one would know.

Isn't it silly to think we can hide something from God? Because of Achan's hidden sin, the Israelites were routed when they went up against the men of Ai. Approximately 36 Israelites died as they fled before a weaker enemy.

Distraught after the defeat, Joshua wept before the Lord. Then he cried out a question: "Why couldn't we have settled on the other side of the Jordan?

"Why couldn't we have been satisfied with just enough? Why did we have to take a risk for something more?"

The answer is actually quite simple: It wasn't in Joshua's spiritual nature to settle. Though Joshua's carnal nature would have been content with a level of mediocrity that required less effort and sacrifice, he was, deep in his spirit, a "more than" person.

The Bible says that whenever Moses worshiped at the tent of meeting, Joshua would linger in the presence of the Lord long after Moses left (see Ex. 33:11). Joshua wanted more of God. He could never have settled on the other side of the Jordan because there was still more land to be conquered for the Lord!

"More than" people cannot resist the challenge of increasing their territory. Remember The Prayer of Jabez? The widespread acceptance of that little book by Bruce Wilkinson showed that its message struck a chord deep in the hearts of believers.

Many of us began to pray diligently for God to increase our territory. But perhaps we didn't really understand what we were praying.

To increase your territory, you have to take it from the enemy. You have to fight for it! You can't settle for the status quo.

God's kingdom is an ever-increasing kingdom. The very nature and essence of His kingdom requires increase.

For us, the people of God, the challenge to enlarge the place of our dwelling and expand to the outermost bounds is intrinsic. It's who we really are! As Romans 8:37 says, we are "more than conquerors."

God has placed the desire in our hearts to excel, to increase our territory, to pursue something greater. And when we do that, we become more like Him.

After all, He is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who is more than enough. His love for us is extravagant; He

Try this Butterscotch Banana Bread

I like having a stockpile of healthy goodies in the freezer for the kids when I am packing lunchboxes each morning. This banana bread is a favorite of ours. It is moist and flavorful and holds up well to freezing. I can freeze it for up to one month, and when I thaw it, it still tastes as fresh as the day it was baked. I usually add chocolate chips but this time I used butterscotch chips and it tasted amazing. I swear, I don't know why I waited so long to do so. Double this recipe and make two loaves to help yourself out. That way you'll have one for right now and one to freeze for later!

Butterscotch Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas mashed with a fork
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a standard 9×5 loaf pan.
2. Mix together butter and sugar until fully combined. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mix well. Add mashed bananas, mix again until completely combined.
3. In a separate bowl mix flour, soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and butterscotch chips. Stir this mixture a few times and make sure the chips are fully coated with flour.
4. Working slowly, stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Keep stirring until all flour is fully incorporated. The batter may still be a little lumpy from the bananas, this is normal.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, carefully remove it from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack before serving.

-By Kelsey Banfield

 

6 Things To Do In 2014, If You Had a Bad Year In 2013

On Dec. 29, 2013 I sat in a meeting with 500 leaders from around the world who were strategizing about reaching the nations with prayer, evangelism and the Word of God. I was blown away as I sat and listened to some of my heroes of the faith who wrote books that I read in college. The night ended with my son, Alex and I standing on the stage watching his favorite band. The capstone to 2013 has been an amazing challenge to dream again.

2013 brought unprecedented open doors and opportunities that I could only have dreamed of in years past. But before 2013, I had a lot of mundane years where I wanted to quit, give up and lose hope. For my friends who had a bad year, I offer this advice from the word of God.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,[a] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.” (Philippians 3:12-16)

1. Let Christ Possess You.

“But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” Philippians 3:12

The ideal of being possessed by another spirit is the stuff of spooky movies. But how many of us have let money or lust makes decisions for us? For that moment when money made the decision, you were possessed by fear or greed depending on the situation. When food called you, your lust or stomach possessed you for that moment.

I believe that we make more decisions from being possessed by another spirit than the spirit of Christ than we think. I know I have let money or food call me instead of God more than I ever want to admit. The first step to changing our future is to let Christ possess you.

Let His word be your word. Let His motivation move you. Let His Spirit take over.

2. Change Your Focus.
Focus is an asset that needs to be protected. Your focus will determine your path. Focus on the wrong person or wrong idea and you’re going to go off track. I’ve had at to literally fight to keep my focus on the things of God. Here’s a simple tactic I’ve taken to focus on God – believe His word and not mine.

The enemy’s main battlefield is my mind. Whenever I’m thinking, “I can never do that, I will never be picked or I’m such a loser,” I know that God isn’t saying that to me. Someone else who hates me is speaking that to me in my own voice.

Choose to focus on the word of God and what God says about you. He believes in you more than you believe in yourself. Meditate on this – the God of the Universe has faith in you. That’s a scary thought but it’s true. He has no Plan B. We are the plan for advancing His kingdom.

3. Forget the Past.
The enemy will remind you of your past failures and disappointments. God is always looking to your bright future. I’ve had some bad years but I can barely remember them because during those hard years I chose to focus on His word. I’ve let what He thinks take over and interpret those bad years for me. Choose to forget the past to make way for God’s future for you.

If you’re experiencing the consequences of bad decisions in the past, pray for crop failure! Or speak the word of God over your past. Let God define your future.

4. Look Forward to What Lies Ahead.
The ability to look forward is a gift. I’ve had days when I was inundated by voices to quit and give up. During those moments, I would cry out to God and pour out my heart. Then I would get a glimpse of my future – the friends I have yet to meet, the grandchildren that I will hold in my arms some day and being with my husband as God forms him. The looking forward takes over as I get a glimpse of what lies ahead.

5. Press on.
The definition of press is:
verb (used with object)
1. To act upon with steadily applied weight or force.
2. To move by weight or force in a certain direction or into a certain position: The crowd pressed him into a corner.
3. To compress or squeeze, as to alter in shape or size: He pressed the clay into a ball.
4. To weigh heavily upon; subject to pressure.
5. To hold closely, as in an embrace; clasp: He pressed her in his arms.

Notice that you have to take the action of pressing on. You have to move, apply weight or force, you have to take action. No one can do this for you. Your pastor, favorite bible speaker or leader can’t do this for you. You have to choose to act, apply force and move.

When I’ve been overcome by hopelessness or fear, I’ve had to literally force myself to open the Bible and speak it over myself. I’ve stood in the bathroom, speaking the scripture to myself in the mirror. Let me tell you, the Word of God is the number one weapon you have for your future.

Don’t take the Word of God for granted. I heard in that meeting with leaders that there were almost 2,000 tribes that had no access to the scriptures because it wasn’t printed in their language. Here were have the most powerful force on the planet that has taken down empires, changed nations and cultures in our hands. Use it!

The Word of God was meant to be spoken, sung, preached and acted on. It is not meant to stay on a piece of paper but to come out of your mouth. So press on to your future by speaking the Word of God over your life!

6. Remember you have a heavenly prize that Christ is calling you to reach!
You have the God of the Universe and all of the hosts of heaven cheering you on in your race. There are rewards waiting for you ahead.

“Trouble chases sinners while blessings rewards the righteous.” Proverbs 13:21

I’ve seen the rewards in my own life – a godly husband and children that love God. Right now you may be recovering from your own bad choices or you’re ending a hard year. Take heart! Focus on the Word of God, press in to His Word and remember you have rewards in this life for following Him and a heavenly prize waiting for you. God and the hosts of heaven are cheering you on.

What are you believing for in 2014? Let me know and I’ll pray for you! May 2014 be a mind-blowing year for YOU

By: Leilani Haywood

DIFFERENTIATION

Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." Genesis 1:6

The second protocol that God initiated to deal with chaos and disorder was 'differentiation'. He differentiated between the waters above and the waters beneath. Both were water but they were not supposed to be all over the place.

To do that, He established a 'firmament' or an 'atmosphere' so that the waters above would be in the clouds and the waters beneath would be on the earth. When people cannot differentiate between seemingly similar concepts and situations, it leads to disorder and chaos.

For instance, the state of your spiritual life depends very much on your ability to distinguish between what is spiritual and what is carnal.

The Bible says, "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

Another example is our ability to discern between good and evil. Sometimes, the difference between what is good and what is evil may not be so obvious. But our success in life hugely depends on our ability to do just that.

In addition to the above, learn to differentiate between your present needs and your future needs, investing for long-term benefits and for immediate gratification. Making these differentiations will enable you to make quality choices and decisions.

Prayer: Lord, teach me discernment.

Scriptural Reading: Genesis 1:6-8

Some Tips to Confronting Your Kids’ ‘Ugly’ Online Life

Have you come across something out of line in your child’s Internet ventures? I suggested engaging in your kid’s online life, enlisting support and encouraging communication. But what happens if you discover a problem? What would you say? What’s the approach?

Let me answer this after sharing a true story.

Recently, I took a minute to engage in my daughter’s social media activity. I noticed one of her Instagram friend’s screen name was “Sexy Betsy” (not the actual name). Sexy Betsy is the 14-year-old daughter of a dad I know and was posting photos of herself in racy attire. I wondered if her dad knew how his daughter was portraying herself and if she realized how her images affected men, young and old, with lustful desire.

So I enlisted the help of a friend who was in the same small group of this dad to share the material with him. He was blindsided with the unfortunate news, and within a week “Sexy Betsy” was renamed Betsy MacIntyre and the revealing photos were taken down.

I noticed one of her followers posted a comment: “Hey, what happened to Sexy Betsy?” Betsy replied, “It’s a long story.”

I’m not sure how Betsy’s dad confronted her with this situation, but guessing by her response, it didn’t go down so smoothly. So here are a few suggestions for what to do if you find out something “ugly” about your kid’s life online:

1. Don’t feel stupid. Be thankful you found out. I’m guessing Betsy’s dad felt embarrassed, then dispensed an anger-ridden reaction that led to some kind of punishment explained as “consequences” for poor behavior.

Let me caution us dads to avoid this reaction. Instead, be thankful that you are now aware of the situation and the danger your child, perhaps unknowingly, faces. Knowing the battle is half the battle. Now you can do something about it.

2. Have the talk like Jesus would. Would Jesus angrily dish out punishment, take away privileges and expect children to eagerly accept the consequences as a learning opportunity? No.

First, He would confirm His love for the person He's talking to. Say something like, “Before we get into this topic, I am [or 'your mother and I are'] crazy about you. We love you. We want the best for you and know God is working His good plan for you. We also know there is an enemy who wants to destroy you and us. Do you understand?”

Now the table is set. Jesus spoke with grace and truth. He was authentic, affirming and accepting. So you do the same. Your tone should be calm, comfortable and confident that you know where this is going and what to do. 

Next—and this is the key to leading by conviction, not consequences—refer to your family values so your child recalls what is important to you as the leader, what you endorse and what is not acceptable. In my family, it's “We love God. We help people.”

Open a discussion about what that looks like online. Provide examples for what is acceptable, even encouraged. And demonstrate examples that cross the line. Now you can inform your child about what you learned about their behavior online. Ask, “Does this show love for God or help people?”

The beauty of this approach is that now you are having a conversation about your convictions and related behaviors—not a tirade about disappointment. Instead, ask your child to brainstorm ideas about how you and they can fix this situation.

This is what I call “discipline without discouragement” and “teaching through conviction, not consequences.”

3. Offer mutual accountability. Ask your child what they would think and feel if they found something “ugly” about their dad online. If they saw him posting photos of himself with hardly any clothes on and with him in a suggestive pose, would that show he loves God and helps people? Obviously not—and it’s a little weird thought, right?

Offer your child to hold you accountable online as well. Say, “You can call me on the carpet if you find something inconsistent with our conversation tonight.” Because you don’t want to misrepresent what you believe or compromise your faith and love for your family, so ask for their help.

4. Provide more time, talk and touch. Model Christ’s example to spend more time with your kids, talking about life and staying connected through touch. This sends your kids a message that they don’t need to look for attention or another male influence. Many dads today have to relearn this, being disciplined to carve out time to be alone with their children.

Don’t be in hurry with your kids. Often quality time results from quantity time. In other words, special memories don’t always occur during scheduled appointments. They arrive unsuspected over time.

Source: charismamag.com

TIPS ON HOW TO TRANSITION YOUR FAMILY TO BETTER ORAL HEALTH

If you have gone through the trouble of upgrading your home oral care, you may be wondering how best to encourage your family to get on that pathway with you.
Well, you can start by making sure that your whole family has access to the products which will provide better oral health care results.
That may sound pretty expensive at first, but if you do some savvy online shopping, you and your family can start using more effective oral hygiene products right away.

1. Ionic Toothbrushes

Television commercials only promote rinses and toothpastes for plaque reduction and prevention. A little known tool with a small price tag is very effective in plaque control; an ionic toothbrush. Brushing with an ionic toothbrush works to repel plaque to your teeth when used regularly.  This type of toothbrush actually turns off the magnetic attraction that plaque has to your teeth, making it easy to brush away much more plaque than with a conventional toothbrush.  It draws plaque out from hard to reach places in your mouth, which cuts down on flossing time.  Everyone in your family can easily get the hang of using this type of toothbrush, which makes transitioning your family to better oral health care a snap.

Some simple maintenance will extend the life of your family’s ionic toothbrushes; each toothbrush should have a snap-on toothbrush sanitizer, an inexpensive product that comes in packs of four. They are easy to use and will help to keep everyone's toothbrushes bacteria free during their recommended time of usage. You do not have to make a lot of complicated changes in order to upgrade home oral care for your household.

2.Tongue Cleaners

Having good quality tongue cleaners is also the key to having a good home oral care routine.  The best kinds are manufactured with stainless steel to prevent the buildup of bacteria. Once again, this is a low cost item to own, but one that can result in fewer trips to the dentists for problems down the line. Many people neglect to address their tongues when brushing their teeth not realizing neglecting to do so is one of the major causes of bad breath. Proper tongue scraping should be a step in every trip to the bathroom sink.

3.Elasticized Dental Floss

We’ve been told to floss with dental floss for decades to remove food and plaque from between our teeth. Elasticized dental floss does this job best because it is gentle on the gums. When flossing causes pain and bleeding, the user is less inclined to floss on a regular basis. The comfort of the dental floss encourages more regular flossing behavior.

All three of the above oral hygiene products are low cost items that can help cut down on money spent down the line at dentists, oral surgeons and periodontists and set your family up for better oral health habits for the rest of their lives. Although these items do eventually require replacement, they are affordable enough for a family of any income. Great oral health need not be limited to families with more disposable income; any family can afford to incorporate these simple items into their brushing routines and develop good habits to maintain healthier teeth for the rest of their lives.

By: Michael Kamen