Beyond the Numbers

This struck me during my morning QT: "Perhaps it's good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to have a beautiful heart." John Nash quote.

Grabbing breakfast with my son Ben.

https://www.premierfuneral.com/obituaries/Clarence-Clair-Loose/ #!/TributeWall

Clarence "Clair" Charles Loose Jr - View Obituary & Service Information Share Memories and Support the Family.

"You’re in my sights"

Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you for the greetings and warm sentiments expressed on my birthday yesterday, 9/11. I am grateful for all my family and friends, many whom I fear I have taken for granted in the past. It is a blessed man who has family and friends who truly care for him. 2024 has been a year of loss. However, last night was a watershed moment in the positive. My children helped me see my life from a different vantage point as we shared dinner in an intimate circle.
In the pursuit of life goals, career advancement, work responsibilities, volunteering activities, chasing after frivolity, or just ticking things off the “to do” list, reflection on what is truly important has on occasion (or repeatedly, if I am honest with myself) been missed. Opportunities for human connection have certainly been missed in my hyperspeed-paced life. Deeper still, perhaps the fear of transparency, putting oneself out there for the world to see, warts and all, and the potential for rejection has certainly at times prevented me from recognizing my God-given identity and fulfilling my God-preordained purpose.
Since losing one of my best friends from UVa two years ago, I have more consciously followed the advice of Socrates and critically examined my life’s meaning and that has led me to question and re-focus my priorities. Being Greek I have always had life postulates. I have been refining a new one: To fully know and be fully known is the definition of true friendship/true love. Please forgive me if you have ever felt shorted by me in that regard.
Paraphrasing Jeremiah 1:5, Before He laid the foundation of the world; before He formed us in the womb; before we were born, He knew us and He chose us. I believe that this is the highest form of knowing, the highest form of love, God’s ultimate Truth that He wants to share with His creation in forming a deep relationship with us through the conduit of His Son. God wants to give us our name, our identity, our purpose. God’s prodigal love is beyond comprehension—it certainly blows the circuit boards in my heart and mind. I know it is unattainable for me to love a fellow human being like that, even when I know he/she was created in the image of God---but it is a target for which I aim.
I am grateful to know you—even if not fully yet.
You’re in my sights!
Sincerely,
Dan

The boys and I introduced Jane to the Loose's favorite pastime yesterday. She proved to be very intelligent like her namesakes, my Great-Great-Grandmother Betsy Jane Loose AND Great-Grandmother Mary Jane Patten Loose were. Jane obviously now loves exploring ghost towns and mining camps. Combining that love with the love of dirt biking and ATV riding to reach those remote locations is simply the cat's pajamas! The ride into the Oquirrhs was indeed rough yesterday but Jane proved to be a total trooper. We were excited to share those loves with her.

Zac, Ben, and I spent the day exploring mines and ghost towns in W. Idaho. Got to visit a working gold mining operation. So incredibly interesting. I loved every second of it! Ben is pictured in the bucket of an abandoned dredger. I include a picture of what it would have looked like back in the 1930s. My great grandfather, Colonel C.E. Loose and his brothers William and Warren were with us in spirit today!

Zac, Yours Truly, and Jake on a ride near McCall.

God’s Economy

I cannot honestly say that I frequently hear God’s voice, but He spoke loud and clear yesterday at Matt Moten’s memorial service in St. George, even answering, at least in part, my questions around Matt’s premature death.

The church’s chapel, where the memorial service was held, was packed with students from Utah Tech, even though it’s summer break. Literally scores of young people traveled from around the country to support Matt’s family and share their personal stories about how Matt positively impacted their lives. It was simultaneously joyful and sad as there were slides of him baptizing students in the ocean off Catalina Island this spring. He was a friend to the friendless, a mentor to those suffering from past hurts, hangups, and addictions, a constant source of encouragement, and a guide to those seeking a transformed life through belief in the One who gives us our true identity and our lives purpose and meaning, Jesus Christ.

There is a song I love by Kutless entitled “Better is One Day,” the refrain of which goes: “Better is one day in Your courts [of your temple], Better is one day in Your house, Better is one day in Your Courts, Than thousands elsewhere.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdE03zRJtxw
This song reminded me of God’s economy which is certainly NOT our economy. Better to have lived 23 years with purpose and leave an eternal legacy than to live 100 years to one’s own selfish ends.

Matt left just such a legacy in 23 short years. Nevertheless, I’ll be selfish and state that I wish we would have had him with us a lot longer. In any event, I, too, wish to leave an eternal legacy in the days he affords me by loving and lifting up those whom He created in “imago Dei,” (the image of God), i.e., in His image, just as Matt did. Thank you Matt for being a role model--even to those of us who are slightly older than you. LOL!

And thank you, friends, for indulging me by allowing me to share my heart. Love and respect to the Moten family who are showing such incredible faith through this horribly difficult time. May your son's memory be eternal.

In His prodigal love,

Dan

Better is One Day - Kutless Better is One Day - Kutless

Friends,
My heart breaks for the parents and siblings of Matt Moten, an InterVarsity leader at Utah Tech, who passed away last night after a tragic boating accident Sunday. Matt is the brother to Sam; Sam is my son Zac's best friend at the U.
Matt was a believer in Jesus Christ. The paradox of this story (and that of many of God’s actions in scripture), Matt’s Bible was open to Psalm 4:8 "I will lie down in peace and sleep, for though I am alone, O Lord, you will keep me safe."
I have recently been reading a book entitled Living Fearless that argues that as followers of Jesus Christ, we are never to ask our Supreme Commander, our Holy, Most High King, “Why?” He encourages us however to ask “What am I supposed to learn from this?” and we can even be super real with God, “Can you help me deal with this because from my vantage this really sucks?” or “How can something good come from something seemingly so bad?” I’m firing these questions and similar ones away right now….as my prayers, sadly, were not effective in restoring Matt back to life.
Not much worse in life than losing a child/sibling. I would appreciate your prayers for Matt’s family.
Rest in Peace, Matt.
Thank you, friends.
Sincerely,
Dan

Normally, this time of year is miserable due to the approaching tax deadline. This year it was beyond measure miserable due to the death of my Godfather, Melvin Gortatowski. I gave him the best send-off I knew how. 'Til we meet again, Mel. May you RIP. Love you dearly!
https://www.starksfuneral.com/obituary/3586-ylgehekcfc

You've probably heard me talk about how important it is to get more people involved in the stock market, but it can't be stressed in my opinion. The sooner people begin, the better. Compound growth has been dubbed the "eighth wonder of the universe" by Albert Einstein, but to reap the benefits, you must first invest and then stay committed. You will not only be able to contribute to the dynamism and drive of our economy, but you will also have the opportunity to develop your personal wealth and financial security.



https://www.schwab.com/resource-center/insights/content/stock-market-investing-is-and-isnt-black-white

Stock Market Investing Is—and Isn’t—Black & White The 2022 Schwab-Ariel Black Investor Survey shows both progress and opportunities for addressing wealth inequality.

Being a father myself, I am all too aware of how important it is for our children to learn about finance and budgeting, and getting a solid grasp on all things that can help my children to have a better future as they go forward. I was comforted to see that I am not alone in this.

The article begins with: “Lately, I’ve been thinking that the sweet spot for taking on financial literacy in a more substantial way is around the teen and high school years. Here’s why—and how you can help more kids get access to high-quality financial education.”

It’s not a long read, but some good information.

While I am a CFP®, this is not any kind of financial advice or recommendation. This article references a third-party opinion, and it should be considered only for informational or entertainment purposes only. This should NOT be considered financial advice of any kind. Seek a duly licensed, and trusted professional for investment or financial advice.



https://www.schwab.com/resource-center/insights/content/how-can-we-boost-teens-financial-literacy

How Can We Boost Teens' Financial Literacy? We've made progress in teaching our nation’s teens about money, but there's much more to do.

I found this in the MorningBrew (https://lnkd.in/gS-SCdMX) mail from April 25, 2022.

This is not a happy read, but something important to stay aware of:

"Note: This article describes self-harm, depression, and su***de among US teens. Here are resources for those dealing with these issues.

America’s youth are in the midst of a spiking mental health crisis, and public health experts are racing to identify the root causes before it gets even worse.

First, the stats: Between 2009 and 2021, the share of American high school students who said they feel “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” jumped from 26% to a record 44%, per a new CDC study. For adolescents ages 10 to 19, emergency room visits for self-harm jumped 88% from 2001 to 2019.

Recent reports from the NYT and The Atlantic examined the issue of worsening mental health among American youth. Here are some takeaways:
It was happening before the pandemic. The mental health crisis isn’t just a Covid lockdown story. By 2018, su***de rates for people aged 10–24 jumped almost 60% after plateauing from 2000 to 2007. And the share of adolescents reporting a major depressive episode jumped 60% between 2007 and 2019.

The pandemic did make it worse. Covid, and resulting restrictions on socializing, took rising feelings of loneliness and depression and supercharged them. Citing a “shocking” 45% increase in the number of self-injury and su***de cases in 5- to 17-year-olds in the first half of 2021, a coalition of children’s hopsitals and physicians urged Congress to “treat this mental health crisis like the emergency it is.”

The connection to social media isn’t clear. Much criticism has been heaped upon social media companies for fueling the teen mental health crisis. But a large study of more than 84,000 people of all ages in Britain found that the relationship between social media use and teen well-being was “fairly weak,” according to the NYT. However, heavy social media use does generate lower reports of life satisfaction at certain ages: 11–13 for girls, 14–15 for boys, and again at age 19 for both sexes.

Big picture: What makes the crisis so perplexing is that, by some behavioral measures, high schoolers are doing a lot better than they used to. Cigarette use has plunged. Binge drinking is down. The use of illicit drugs, such as OxyContin, has nose-dived over the past few decades. So has the teen birthrate. The public health threats for teens that were top-of-mind in previous decades have given way to a slew of new risks that may work together—and reinforce each other—in ways researchers are still trying to understand."



https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6925064714431463425/

Dan Loose on LinkedIn: The teen mental health crisis mystery I found this in the MorningBrew (https://lnkd.in/gS-SCdMX) mail from April 25, 2022. This is not a happy read, but something important to stay aware of...

While first-time unemployment claims rose slightly more than expected in the latest weekly data, they were still near a 54-year low set earlier this month. Weekly claims fell to the lowest level since 1968 during the prior week at just 167,000. That compares to the average of about 218,000 new claims filed per week throughout 2019 before the pandemic. And the latest figures represent a staggering reversal from the outsized claims filed at the height of the pandemic two years ago, when claims at one point topped 6.1 million in a single week in April 2020.



https://finance.yahoo.com/news/weekly-jobless-claims-week-ended-april-9-2022-174045858.html

Jobless claims: Another 185,000 Americans filed new claims last week U.S. jobless claims held near multi-decade lows last week as companies worked to keep employees on their payrolls amid ongoing labor shortages.

In the month of March, prices in the United States increased by 8.5 percent compared to March 2021. That was the fastest since 1981, when Olivia Newton-"Physical" John's landed at the top of the Billboard charts.

Is it possible to go even higher?

Despite the headline number, several experts believe the Consumer Price Index is showing signs of inflation having peaked.

Unless it didn't, of course.



https://finance.yahoo.com/news/inflation-may-have-peaked-or-maybe-not-morning-brief-100519609.html

Inflation may have peaked... Or maybe not Prices continued to rise in the United States in the month of March, jumping 8.5% compared to March 2021.

Higher prices for food, gasoline, and other necessities hampered consumer spending in March, resulting in a slight increase in retail sales. Retailers are keeping a close eye on Russia's conflict with Ukraine and how it may affect consumer confidence while also worsening inflation. Wheat, vegetable oils, and electrical components like as chips are already in short supply due to the violence. It's also pushed up already-high fertilizer prices, made scarce supplies even more difficult to come by, and put pressure on farmers, particularly in poor countries. Aside from the Russian invasion, growing COVID-19 cases and renewed Chinese restrictions could exacerbate supply chain problems.



https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retail-sales-0-5-march-124345095.html

Retail sales rise 0.5% in March amid soaring inflation Retail sales rose modestly in March, but higher prices for food, gasoline and other basics took a big share of consumers' wallets. Retail sales increased 0.5% after registering a revised 0.8% increase from January to February, reported the U.S. Commerce Department Thursday. January’s increase of 4...

Block (previously Square) and Blockstream, a Bitcoin infrastructure business, are partnering with Tesla ($TSLA) to help build a Bitcoin mining facility that will demonstrate that Bitcoin can be used to fund zero-emission power infrastructure.

Blockstream Founder and CEO Adam Back stated Friday on stage at a Bitcoin conference in Miami that the facility will be powered by solar panels and battery chargers provided by the electric vehicle manufacturer. Last year, Blockstream and Block announced the collaboration.

According to a press statement shared with Yahoo Finance, the $12 million project would generate 3.8 megawatts of renewable energy and display a publicly accessible performance dashboard once completed.



https://finance.yahoo.com/news/blockstream-block-tesla-team-renewable-bitcoin-mining-facility-182852294.html

Blockstream, Block, and Tesla team up on renewable Bitcoin mining facility The facility will run off solar panels and battery chargers supplied by the electric vehicle maker.