Here are some closing thoughts.
Ultimately, not even the most sophisticated technology can eliminate risk from investing. The best we can do is limit risk by diversifying. One thing is certain, however. Once you feel that returns are guaranteed and your iron resolve insulates you from volatility, that's when risk will come screaming out of nowhere and remind you it hasn't gone away. Money , "Risk", Updegrave, Walter, June 2000, pp133-6
Invest for a reason. [Joseph] Rosenfield is a living reminder that wealth is a means to an end, not an end in itself. His only child died in 1962, and his wife died in 1977. He has given much of his life and all of his fortune to Grinell College. "I just wanted to do some good with the money," he says. That's a lesson for all of us. Instead of blindly striving to make our money grow -- or measuring our worth by our possessions -- each of us should pause and ask: What good is my money if I never do some good with it? Is there a way to make my wealth live on and do honor to my name? Money , "The Best Investor You've Never Heard Of", Zweig, Jason, June 2000, pp140-44
Each afternoon, the king, with his entourage, would leave his palace to review his kingdom. Across the river from the palace gate sat the beggar, Nasrudin. Each day, Nasrudin would call out to the king. "Hail to the king and his kingdom. My only desire is to live within his palace."
"Nasrudin, you are my guest." the king would reply.
After many years of this exchange, the king shouted across the river to Nasrudin. "Each day you ask to live in my palace, and each day, I invite you. Why do you not come to live with me in my palace?"
"Hail to the king and his kingdom. My only desire is to live within his palace, but there is a broad river between us. I fear I would drown trying to cross it."
"To show you how much I want you in my palace," replied the king, "I will build a bridge across the river."
As the king had promised, a bridge was built across the river. To the king's surprise, however, Nasrudin remained in his spot on the other side. After many months had passed, the king, asked the beggar,
"Nasrudin, you are my guest, why have you not crossed the river to join me in my palace?"
The beggar responded, "Hail to the king and his kingdom. My only desire is to live within his palace. Since you already built the bridge, I am waiting for you to build your palace here where I sit."
From Mount Hor, the Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea (or the Sea of Reeds), to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food." Then the LORD sent poisonous (or fiery; Hebrew seraphim) serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live." So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. (Numbers 21:4-9)
In the third year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, Hezekiah son of King Ahaz of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the sight of the LORD just as his ancestor David had done. He removed high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole, Asherah. He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it; it was called Nehushtan. (2Kings 18:1-4)
"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you [Greek: plural] do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3:11-14)
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!" (Matthew 13:1-9)
Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house Simon the leper (leper can refer to several diseases), a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, "Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor." But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news (gospel) is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." (Matthew 26:6-13)
Thank you for participating in this study.