September 2021 Newsletter
September 2021 Newsletter |
Greetings, We pray this newsletter finds you well. We wanted to do something different to maybe put some light in some dark times. Please understand that while we are investment and financial advisors, we believe in God and the power of prayer. Covid has hit hard, we have sick love ones in the hospital and at home. We have seen love ones pass and our hearts breaks for each and every one. In the next few months, we would like to share testimonies of those who have experienced first hand this virus. We hope this will be an encouragement to you! Below is the first testimony of a dear friend, a mother to a covid patient. We pray you find strength through her words. In The Span of A Day Dear Beloved of God, I am writing this as I listen to the soft hum of machines and the gentle breathing of my oldest daughter in the PICU at Mayo Hospital in Jacksonville Fl. Today is day 32 of our fight with the ugliest virus that we have ever seen. I say “our fight” because it has truly been a fight that we as a family have had to fight together in. Time and word limitations do not allow me to share her full story but someday I shall! We have seen God move in ways that have astounded even the best medical teams in our country. What we have seen is nothing short of a miracle and we give King Jesus ALL of the praise for what He has done! Today I have a passage from 2 Kings on my heart. 2 Kings 7:1 Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the LORD! This is what the LORD says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.” 2 The chief officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!” But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!” Wow! What a difference a day can make! #ButGod Israel had been besieged by their enemy Syria. They were completely surrounded so that no food or supplies could come in and no one could go out. They were trapped. It became so bad that a donkey’s head and dove’s dung was the dish of the day. YUCK! In fact, it was such a desperate situation that mothers were literally boiling and eating their babies. Heartbreaking. It was so unbelievable that even the “expert” (Chief officer) laughed in disbelief of what God promised he would do. While I have never experienced a famine, I certainly understand the feeling of being trapped and surrounded by the enemy. 2021 has felt that way for me in several situations for sure. #ButGod The bible speaks of a day coming when there will be a famine of a different sort. I personally believe we are there now. Amos 8:11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. 13 “In that day the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. We don’t have to look far in our world today to see that there seems to be a famine of people who are receiving the True Word of God. We can see a generation of men and women who have “truth” at their fingertips and yet who still are driven by hunger and thirst for “something more” though they don’t seem to know what that is. This famine is not just among the young, beautiful, or strong. Our entire world is on a search for truth and that search is leaving so many around us hopeless, angry, frustrated, and is dividing many, sadly, even among the body of Christ. #BUTGOD God’s promise to us is that those who TRULY hunger and thirst for righteousness WILL BE filled. Those who seek WILL FIND if they seek Him with their WHOLE heart. And if anyone lacks wisdom -Spiritual, relational, financial, or medical, God will give it to them, liberally and without shame or condemnation. (Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 5:6, James 1:5). Our God is not a “respecter of persons” and what he has done for others (Elisha and Israel) he can surely do for us. His mercies are new every morning and his faithfulness is great toward us! (Lamentations 3:22-23) Sometimes the turnaround in our lives comes in a literal 24hour period and sometimes the “day” is a little longer coming…but it will come…if we do not faint. (Galatians 6:9) Yesterday I heard my daughter’s voice for the first time in 31 days. Such a simple but GINORMOUS Blessing! She had a speaking valve placed over her trach. Her voice was soft and a little weak but it was HER voice! 3 days ago an “expert” told us that we were looking at about 4 weeks before she would be able to speak or eat again. Today she will have a swallow test and when she passes that test (notice I didn’t say “if”) she will begin eating soft foods. #BUTGOD I have learned a new level of respect for our medical teams and what they are doing during this season. However, I have also seen their limitations and frailties as humans. Every step of the way, God has gone before us and even when the situation felt as hopeless for us as Israel probably felt in Elisha’s day, God spoke words of encouragement, gave us revelation of his Truth, and kept us encouraged that “Tomorrow at about this time,” a turnaround was coming! He has given us wisdom, knowledge, and strength to advocate for our daughter’s care and has surrounded us with the prayer support that we have needed to believe that what God has promised, we will see. Praise God! True to his Word, we have seen it! A million tiny miracles creating a Tsunami of God’s amazing grace for our daughter, our family, and those who have been praying and following her story along with us. Dear Child of God, I don’t know what “famine” you are facing today, but I DO know a God who is able to send a turnaround in the span of a day. Be encouraged! Nothing is impossible to our God! There is nothing named (Not even a virus) that is greater than the name of JESUS! I am praying for you today! Shelby Leigh Wilson Crisis Averted? Financial Help for Struggling Renters and LandlordsBy one estimate, U.S. landlords were owed about $57 billion in unpaid back rent at the beginning of 2021. The average household that fell behind owed about four months of rent, or $5,600. Altogether, more than 10 million U.S. families were facing the possibility of eviction.1
Many landlords, including those who depend on rent payments for retirement income, have experienced financial difficulties in lockstep with their heavily impacted tenants. Although multi-family apartment complexes are often owned by large corporations, about 90% of single-family rentals are owned by small investors who are facing the risk of mortgage default, bankruptcy, or forced property sales.2 Fortunately, the March 2021 federal stimulus bill added almost $22 billion in housing assistance to the $25 billion previously allocated by Congress.3 In many cases, payments are being sent directly to landlords through new or existing local programs on behalf of renters who meet certain eligibility requirements. Program Parameters Under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), the U.S. Treasury has distributed grants to states, cities, and counties with populations greater than 200,000 to be used for back-due rent and utility bills accrued after March 13, 2020. Eligibility is limited to households that earn less than 80% of the area’s median income, as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Applicants must document their incomes, prove they qualified for unemployment benefits or suffered financial hardship due to COVID-19 that impacted their ability to pay rent, and submit unpaid bills or notices that demonstrate they are at risk of becoming homeless. What Can Landlords Do? Tenants and landlords generally apply for the funds together, but the application process and guidelines differ from program to program. In some states, landlords may be asked to forgive a percentage of the rental arrears in exchange for larger rent payments. If you are a landlord, you might reach out to tenants who are behind on rent and encourage them to explore any potential opportunities for financial assistance. Check the websites of your state and local housing agencies to find the status and requirements of various housing programs and how to apply. Of course, many higher-earning households won’t be eligible for help, and in areas with lots of lower-income renters, local programs could run dry quickly. Evicting tenants can be a painful and expensive process. If you have tenants who fell behind but are trying to catch up, it may be advantageous to work out a payment program instead to help keep them in place. Reminders: Please remember the required minimum distribution will need to be taken out before Dec. 31,2021. Also, the fees on the brokerage accounts at National Financial Services will also due. You may call your advisor or Jan at the office if you have any questions. Have a safe and happy LABOR DAY!
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