road tripWhat a difference a year makes!

It amazes me how far we have come. Just twelve short months ago, think of how worried, scared or downright panicked many were at the end of 2008. Through those tough times, I never lost faith in our approach or in the God who provides everything!

I was often reminded of Psalm 57:1, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” It was hard to believe it would be all right while the financial markets collapsed around us, but yet I knew brighter days were ahead. You see, I knew that we had a proven biblical plan in place to combat whatever the financial markets threw at us. Though we weren’t bulletproof, I knew we’d hold our own.

The very same principles that protected our money from harm during the financial crisis will continue to help us in 2010 and beyond. If we stick to our plan, strive to protect capital, and outpace inflation, we cannot go wrong. To survive the bear markets and participate in the bull markets is what we strive to accomplish. The opportunities ahead may not be as easily distinguishable as they were in 2009, yet I still firmly believe there will be plenty of ways to make money in the years ahead.

We need to be prepared for rising rates. We also need to be prepared for a rise in the U.S. dollar. Yes, a rise, at least for a while! Since we hit a low point in November of 2009, the dollar has well been on its way to a recovery. As the dollar continues its ascent, be prepared for gold to sell off. There will be opportunities to play on these themes and we will start the year with a few strategies to take advantage of the upcoming opportunities.