Reflection

It’s funny how life turns out sometimes, isn’t it?

For the first 63 years of my life, “Navigating Abundance” wasn’t even a vapor in my head. Now, at 66, I can’t seem to get it out of my head. And while I never saw it coming, I now understand that providence was outfitting me to set off my own “road less traveled” adventure all along. For just like you, the sum of my past experiences and decisions truly have “made all the difference”.

1987

The first half of my adult life was spent in the pursuit and practice of pastoral ministry. Having completed my ThM at Dallas Theological Seminary in 1987, I served three churches over a 17 year period in Colorado and Michigan. Along the way I became an Air Force Reserve Chaplain which greatly enriched my personal life and ministry. What a privilege it was to serve our men and women in uniform.

2005

Fast forward to 2005, I am 47 years and on top of the world. Blissfully married with two great kids and a thriving congregation to pour my life into. That meant that life was good. Make that very good. But then, well, it happened. Unexpectedly and for no apparent reason, I began to feel that I was being lead to be doing something else with my life. “Weird” would be an understatement. Not knowing at first what to make of this, it took me several years of soul searching and prayer to finally come to the conclusion that yes, God was actually “releasing me” from pastoral ministry to spend the second half of my adult life accomplishing something else. And what would that “something else” be exactly? After all, starting a second career at 47 is crazy enough, but what use is a theology degree out in the world of business? One thing was certain, whatever this new adventure was to be, it was going to require a lot of faith.

2008

That “something else” ended up being serving successful families with financial planning and investment advice (a sacred calling in and of itself). So, in 2008, I moved my family to Grand Haven, Michigan, and launched Strategic Financial Group. Now, if you’re a business owner you can understand that over the years, I have accumulated many war stories full of risk, loss, fear, mistakes, faith, and triumph. Perhaps someday we could trade a few with each other. But I know that you also understand, on a very personal level, what a blessing it is to come out on the other side of it all with a realized success to the degree you never imagined possible. Like you, I am so very grateful to be living in that blessing right now.

Now

The idea of Navigating abundance was hatched, in part, by a personal revelation that unless I developed several outrageously expensive hobbies, I would never be able to spend through that which I had already accumulated. Swimming in the ponds of abundance, with their corresponding opportunities and responsibilities, is something I am still getting used to. As you may already know, there is much to learn. At times, like you, I feel rather ill-equipped.

The Good Book says, “To whom much is given, much is required.” To me, this is a profound statement with application across every area of my life. While our belief systems may not completely align, surely we all have come to understand that the stewarding of generational wealth requires significant and ongoing thought, effort, and investment. The pursuit of “Total Family Wealth” is far too great of a quest to expect anything less.

Onward

I don’t know about you, but it seems that the older I get the more I come to appreciate that life really is precious and far too finite. And yet, I often have to remind myself that I was not put on this earth to merely consume and collect things, but rather to execute an impactful life. To simply take up space, suck in oxygen, and eat, drink, and be merry would be a tragic existence. No, the truth is that we are all called to make some kind of a difference in this world while we have the chance. We are also here to implant that same legacy of purpose into our children and grandchildren while we have the chance. If the Navigating Abundance Community can serve to encourage you toward any of these ends, we will have activated our mission. Better yet, in so doing my friends we would have “made all the difference”.

Yours in the pursuit of TFW,
Chris