Wednesday, October 28, 2015

ObamaCare: To pay (the penalty) or not to pay? Health Insurance Decisions for 2015 that will impact 2016

It's that time of year again. Health Insurance enrollment time.

My work gives me from 11/02/15 through 11/20/15 to make a decision that will radically impact the outcomes of my 2016.

I've been pondering making a HUGE change the last two years, but didn't put enough research into it to make the decision until now.

Why I'm considering dropping health insurance:

I first started considering the idea of dropping Health Insurance altogether after the politicians in Washington D.C. decided to put their hands on my health insurance. As will ALWAYS be the case when the US Government gets involved, quality went down, cost went up, and the end was worse than it started.

From one year to the next, my health insurance went from being one of the primary reasons I kept my job, to something I didn't even want anymore.

Then, to add insult to injury, the US Government told me I HAD to have it, or pay a fine? Estupido Tonto Burros!

My mom is a nurse, I've grown up around medicine my entire life. There is one thing I've come to understand. Medicine is Big Business. It's not there to make you well, it's there to take your money. Nurses and Doctors who fight for the patient are steamrolled by the Insurance Companies, and CEO's of the hospitals.

Most vaccines, drugs, & treatments are not the result of careful research into what will make you healthy. They are the result of careful research into what will make them wealthy. Make no mistake, the hospitals, drug companies, and research companies are not on your side.

A small handful of Nurses and Doctors (those not brainwashed by the money machine) are on your side, but they are being silenced every day by the Medicine Machine.

I've know for a while that my insurance was WORTHLESS, ever since ObamaCare ruined it.

So why not drop it entirely?

Could the tax penalty cost me more than insurance?

Are there any creative marketplace alternatives?

I have not come to ANY conclusions as I start this post. I have an hypothesis, but no conclusion.

I'm going to analyze what I can find out, and let you into my decision making process this year. I'm going to research and run the cost benefit analysis as I work through this issue. What you will see is not only my conclusions, but the process I used to get there.

* Disclosure:

Health and Health Insurance is a very personal decision (which the US Government had no right to impose on) and you should prayerfully consider all of your options and how they will affect you.

*Assumptions:

I will be using a household income of $50,000 (which was the average household income in the USA in 2014 (here). The average was actually $53.657.00, but I'm rounding down as a fair market average. Plus even numbers are easier to work with.

I will be using a household of 4, two adults, two kids.

I will be using a hospital cost of $10,000. I'm assuming that the only time I'd ever go to a hospital was for a delivery of a baby, and this cost is an average. I've seen estimates as low as $7,500 and as high as $20,000.

*Offer:

If you would like to use my Excel sheet to do your own calculations, you can download that (here).

Also in my planning: Maximized Living Clinic (an alternative to sickness treatments)

This year, I am probably not going to have a baby. It's possible, but not in the plan. I am however already planning to engage the services of my local Maximized Living Clinic (Chiropractic and More), in the North Fort Worth/Keller area. If you haven't checked out Maximized Living, you SHOULD!

Why treat sickness, when you can prevent it?

Also in my planning: Negotiated Medical Prices:

With or without insurance, you can negotiate the cost of your health care through sites such as MDSave and PricePain. You have to pay out of pocket up front, but it can save a ton. I ran a normal baby delivery (non C-Section) through my zip code at MDSave and got an average cost of $12,992.00 and a negotiated cost of $5,673.00 (pre-paid - does not include office visits or doctors fees).

Even with prevantive care, and negotiated prices, I still have a decision to make for this year. On to data analysis.

ObamaCare Fines

So what's the IRS fine for not having Health Insurance? According to HealthCare.Gov:

If you don’t have health insurance in 2016, you’ll pay the higher of the two amounts below:

2.5% of your yearly household income (Only the amount of income above the tax filing threshold, about $10,150 for an individual in 2014, is used to calculate the penalty.) The maximum penalty is the national average premium for a Bronze plan.

$695 per person ($347.50 per child under 18) The maximum penalty per family using this method is $2,085.

Just figuring for a simple example. If you made $50,000 in 2016, you would only pay a penalty for the portion over $10,150. So you would pay a 2.50% fee on $39,850, which is $996.25

The other options was: A family of four would pay a penalty of $695.00 per adult (2) and $347.50 per child (2), which would be $2,085.00.

However, it's the HIGHER of the two (diabolical government).

Therefore, if a family of four (two adults and two kids), making $50,000 a year, doesn't get insurance, they will have to pay $2,085.00 to the IRS.

While a single person making $50,000 annually would have to pay a tax penalty of $996.25.

If I were single, this would be a NO-Brainer, take the hit, and get rid of the insurance. I would take every penny over the tax hit of what would have gone into premiums and put that into an HSA Account (not the plan mind you, just the HSA Account). I would be unlikely to need any medical intervention for several years (if not decades) and the little I did use (Chiropractor) could be paid from here. The rest would build.

Then when I needed tests, baby delivery, etc, I could shop for the best price and pre-pay through MD Save. It's like the Dave Ramsey school of medical!

Since I'm not single (meaning the tax hit is higher)... let's keep looking.

My insurance options, as I see them today, are:

Health Insurance through Work
Health Insurance through ObamaCare Marketplace
Direct Primary Care
Medi-Share: Christian Care Ministry
Out of Pocket, No Insurance, take the tax hit.

Let's break each of these options down in more detail below:

Option 1. Health Insurance through Work

* I'm going to use my workplace insurance options (because that's what I know, and the decision I'm making). However, this should be similar to a lot of other workplace insurances. Check your plans to see the differences at your work.

I have two and half options at my work:

HRA
HSA Gold
HSA Silver

Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)

Premium per Paycheck (per month): $190.26 ($380.52)
Premium Annually: $4,946.76
Deductible: $3,800.00
% after Deductible: 20%
Annual out of Pocket Maximum: $7,600.00

Note: HRA is a plan that comes with an account. They give you a pocket of money in the HRA, and you can earn more through Health and Wellness Dollars. You can also contribute to the HRA yourself. Your money rolls over from year to year, but, if you leave the company that money disappears! Poof be gone!

You pay out of pocket, through the HRA money and your own money until you have hit your deductible, then they pay only 80% after that. That means you still pay 20% after paying premiums plus $3,800.00. After you you have paid a total of $7,600.00, they pick up the rest.

Gold Health Savings Account (HSA)

Premium per Paycheck (per month): $177.79 ($355.58)
Premium Annually: $4,622.54
Deductible: $3,800.00
% after Deductible: 20%
Annual out of Pocket Maximum: $5,700.00

Note: HSA is a plan that comes with an account. Unlike HRA, they don't preload this account with money. You can still earn money through Health and Wellness Dollars, and you can add money yourself. UNLIKE the HRA, this money DOES go with you if you leave the company. Think of this as your 401K for Health Expenses.

Silver Health Savings Account (HSA)

Premium per Paycheck (per month): $89.28 ($178.56)
Premium Annually: $2,321.28
Deductible: $5,700.00
% after Deductible: 20%
Annual out of Pocket Maximum: $6,850.00 per person ($9,500.00 per family)

What great about HSA's, is that you get a tax deduction for money going in, and a tax free withdrawal for money coming out, as long as you use that money for health expenses. However, this does not include the money you spend on preventative health (vitamins, and supplements) (diabolical government).

You pay out of pocket, through the HSA Gold money and your own money until you have hit your deductible, then they pay only 80% after that. That means you still pay 20% after paying premiums plus $5,700.00. After you you have paid a total of $6,850.00 per person ($9,500.00 per family), they pick up the rest.

HSA NOTE: Another factors in HSA accounts, is that I can invest the unused portion of the funds into the market (like a 401K). Therefore I could get growth stock mutual fund increase on the money, and it's mine forever (even if I leave the company).

Work Plan Conclusion:

As a ran the cost analysis imaged below, I found that as I factored in the total cost paid over the course of a year, with premiums added back in, the HSA Silver plan costs me the least with $7,281.28 (vs $8,062.54 (HSA Gold) & $8,386.76 (HRA)).

Therefore, if I am using the work plan, I'll be using HSA Silver.

All future analysis will compare HSA Silver to the other options.

Option 2. Health Insurance through ObamaCare Marketplace

The following is from ObamaCareFacts.Com:

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), officially called The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and sometimes called ObamaCare, is a US law that reforms both the healthcare and health insurance industries in America.

HealthCare.Gov is the official Health Insurance Marketplace, although many state’s created their own Marketplace.

I checked the preview of the 2016 plan options:

Entered my Zip Code, County, Answered a serious of questions, and got this:

Your household may be eligible for a premium tax credit

Your monthly premium costs could be lowered by $653 /month
A premium tax credit is a tax break you can use immediately to lower the amount you pay for a health insurance plan each month.
Based on the information you provided, it looks like your household qualifies for this tax credit.
Your household may also be eligible for savings on out-of-pocket health care costs
You also may be eligible to pay less out of your own pocket each time you get care -- for things like deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.
To get these savings, you must pick a plan in the Silver category.

Without that "could be lowered" part, the cost of this insurance is $700-922 a month. The plan closet to what I have at work (although much harder to understand) is $922.00 per month. Yes, that's right! a MORTGAGE PAYMENT!

Theoretically, I could get some tax credit for this? So after I pay $11,064.00 all year, I might get $7,836.00 back on my refund? So I would have paid $3,228.00 total? That's still more in premiums than my work HSA Silver plan.

Marketplace Conclusion:

My total cost without the tax credit is $16,064.00, and with the tax credit is $8,228.00. Still more than HSA Silver at work.

Option 3. Direct Primary Care - Concierge Medicine

In fairness, this one requires more explanation:

What is Direct Primary Care (also known as Concierge Medicine)?

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFA) describes the The Direct Primary Care Model this way:

The direct primary care (DPC) model gives family physicians a meaningful alternative to fee-for-service insurance billing, typically by charging patients a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee (i.e., a retainer) that covers all or most primary care services including clinical, laboratory, and consultative services, and care coordination and comprehensive care management.

Because some services are not covered by a retainer, DPC practices often suggest that patients acquire a high-deductible wraparound policy to cover emergencies.

Direct primary care benefits patients by providing substantial savings and a greater degree of access to, and time with, physicians.

Wiki defines Direct Primary Care:

Concierge medicine (also known as retainer medicine) is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer. This may or may not be in addition to other charges. In exchange for the retainer, doctors provide enhanced care, including principally a commitment to limit patient loads to ensure adequate time and availability for each patient.[1]

The practice has been referred to as concierge medicine, retainer medicine, membership medicine, cash-only practice, and direct care. While all "concierge" medicine practices share similarities, they vary widely in their structure, payment requirements, and form of operation. In particular, they differ in the level of service provided and the fee charged. Estimates of U.S. doctors practicing concierge medicine range from fewer than 800[2] to 5,000.[3]

The Physicians Foundation found that 9.6 percent of "practice owners" and 6.8 percent of all practices were planning to convert to cash/concierge practices in the next three years.[19] In 2012, there were 4,400 private physicians - a 25% increase from 2011.[20]

History of DPC:

You may, or may not, recall that medicine was not always run by the government and multi-national corporations. Before the modern invention of health insurance, people saw their family doctor in much the same way as they did their local farmer, or local butcher. And just as Big Business ruined the quality of farm produce and cattle, while simultaneously driving up costs... so insurance did to medicine.

The doctor doesn't perform the procedures he wants, he performs the procedures your insurance company tells him to. He (or she) is a virtual slave to an impersonal machine called medical insurance.

Just as there has been a resurgence in personal farming, and organic free range livestock, some Doctors and Patients have opted out of the insurance machine altogether.

This is how Direct Primary Care (generally) works:

You pay a fee (monthly, quarterly, or annually) called a retainer (just like a lawyer). For that fee most or all of your care is pre-paid. You want to see your doctor? Just go, no co-pay. You may pay a nominal fee for a band-aid. But instead of paying $7.00 for a $0.15 cent band-aid, you might pay $0.50 for that same band-aid.

This is possible because insurance (and it's disastrous results) adds MOST of the cost of health care.

The Direct Primary Care Coalition (DPC) is fighting hard to keep the rights of doctors and patients away from the business and government that wants to put it out of order.

I've looked hard, I could not find many DCP's in my area. I found one in South Fort Worth, but that's all I could find. I'm not driving that far to see a doctor (especially when I don't go more than once a year if that!).

Obama's Tax Penalty and Direct Primary Care:

You cannot, currently, use a Health Savings Account (HSA) for payment of Direct Primary Care or for other forms of preventive care (vitamins, supplements, etc). The government wants you sick, not well. They can only feed the machine (and their billionaire donors from the drug companies) if you are sick and on medications. They don't want you well. The FDA won't approve preventative medicine, only dangerous and expensive drugs either, but that's another post.
DCP only works to avoid the ObamaCare tax hit if it is used in combination with a Wrap Around emergency care policy.

Direct Primary Care Conclusion:

Although this is my ultimate preferred goal, I do not have the money to pay for DCP AND a wrap around policy right now. I'll pass this year, hope the US Government enhances HSA's for this purpose, and hope more DCP's open in my area.

For now, I'm still seeing the HSA Silver, and my Maximized Living Clinic as my best combination.

Option 4. Medi-Share: Christian Care Ministry

Each month, your monthly share is matched with another’s eligible medical bills. Through a secure online portal, Christian Care Ministry publishes the bills eligible for sharing and coordinates the direct sharing of medical costs between members. You will know every month whose bills you are paying, and when you have eligible bills, your fellow believers will be sharing those and praying for you.

*This is NOT insurance, but it does meet the requirements to avoid the tax penalty.

The paragraph from their site sums it up perfectly. You agree to pay a certain amount each month into a holding account. When someone has a need, they submit the bill to Medi Share. Medi Share makes sure that the bill meets the requirements, and then negotiates with the hospital for the best possible cost.

Then they post the payment for sharing. The bill is paid directly from members accounts. If you have a cost, you decide (before you start) what amount you will pay for out of pocket before asking other's to share your bill. You pay more per month and pay less out of pocket in the future, or you pay less per month, and pay more out of pocket in the future.

This Online Cost Estimator, shows a household of more than three members, the oldest being 35.

What if I need to go to the doctor for typical/normal things?

MediShare does not pay for well visits or annual check ups or preventative care. The purpose of MediShare is to pay unexpected burdens. These are things that are expected, and planned for. However, MediShare does negotiate cost for these items.

Q. What is the provider fee?
A. The provider fee is $35 for office and hospital visits and $135 for emergency room visits. This is the amount that a member must pay at each visit to a medical provider. Members are always responsible for paying the provider fee, even after the AHP has been met. Please note this does not apply toward the annual household portion.

Q. Besides the provider fee, do I pay anything to the doctor or hospital when I visit?
A. No. Even if you know you have not met your AHP, you should have the providers submit the bills to CCM for discounting, to determine if they are eligible and whether they should be applied to your AHP. Your provider will then bill you for the net amount (which is the discounted amount minus the provider fee).

So what is the cost benefit analysis for Work Insurance vs Medi Share?

The total cost of MediShare came out to be an estimated $14,914.00 vs $7,281.28 with Work Insurance HSA Silver.

Option 5. Pay the ObamaCare Penalty, and pay for medical Out of Pocket

What if i said: "I'm over this!", then had to go to the hospital and pay out of pocket?

Cost with HSA insurance: $7,281.28
No insurance at full cost is $10,000 (plus the tax penalty) for a total of $12,086.
No insurance with a negotiated cost of $5,000 (plus tax penalty) for a total cost of $7,086.00

I actually SAVE $195.28 by having no insurance and negotiating the cost. But that is contingent upon me being able to get that deal at that time. Kind of a gamble for $195.28 in savings.

Final Conclusion:

Let's say that I have NO health expenses. I am just paying for nothing.

Here's the difference between taking the hit and using the HSA Silver:

I take the tax hit of $2,086.00, or I pay $2,321.28 into premiums for HSA Silver. At first glance this sounds like the tax hit wins.
BUT, I'm getting Health and Wellness Dollars back from my work. They will pay me back $800.00 for me, and another $800.00 for my wife (for doing some basic assessments).
In that instance I am getting $1,600.00 back, so I'm only out of pocket $721.28.
Remember, unlike the HRA, this money is mine forever. If I leave the company, I can take it with me. I can also invest the HSA money in the market like my 401K. So I'm actually ahead by taking the HSA Silver (with market growth, I could be ahead a lot!).

So... this year (2015 enrolling for 2016) I'll be using the work plan HSA Silver. But if the penatly for not getting insurance ever goes away, OR, if the HSA can be used for preventative health and DCP's count on their own, I'm OUT!

In addition, I'll probably add another $80.00 per paycheck (80*26=$2080 annually) to my HSA. This will pay for Chiropractor visits (HSA can be used for that), dentist costs, vision/glasses, and unlikely but possible other medical expenses.

Your Turn:

What's your decision going to be this year, and why?

Comment on this post, or Hit me up on Twitter @DarrellWolfe , Google +DarrellWolfe, Facebook DarrellGWolfe, Etc...

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#TellYourStory#BeStillBeLed

By Darrell Wolfe

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http://authorfun.blogspot.com

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http://www.lifeinfortworth.com

Discover, Navigate, and Enjoy Fort Worth Texas. Reviews

Written October 28, 2015 by Darrell G Wolfe

Financial Excellence, Perspective No comments

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Topos Consulting Questionaire

Your Contact Information:

Your Name
Your Position
Brand Name
Industry
Address
Telephone
Email
How did you hear about Topos Consulting?

The following are questions to consider. Don't worry if you don't have the answers yet, this is part of why you are using Topos Consulting. But these will get you thinking:

What is your story?

What product or service do you provide?
Why did you decide to pursue this business?
What makes you special, unique, or qualified to do this?
What is your favorite part of doing this work?
Why do you find it rewarding?
What value do you provide?
What impact has it had on the people you serve?

What are your brand elements?

Colors (Do you have RBG, or Hexidecimal Codes?)
Fonts (Georgia, Times New Roman, Etc)
Logos (or images)
Do you have digital copies for any of these?

eTools: Do you already have any of the following?

Website
Domain Name
Facebook Account (personal not business)
Facebook Page (business not personal)
Email List Service
Google Place Listing

eTools: Do you already have user ID's for any of the following?

Wordpress.Com or Blogger
Domain.com
Facebook
Google Place
MailChimp
Gumroad or another way to store and deliver the PDF?

Written October 27, 2015 by Darrell G Wolfe

No comments

The Topos Model

Topos: Strategic position of opportunity and influence

There are so many businesses without a website or Facebook page.

Why?

In 2015, where everything is plug and play ready?

Why use Topos Consulting?

You have a story to tell.

What would it look like for me to use Topos Consulting?

I'd TELL their story. I'm a story teller. THAT is what I do. That is the hinge point of great marketing. The technical stuff we can outsource if need be. I can ask them questions, gather pictures, history, absorb the data, and then tell their story. I can put that together in a basic web page. Help them get onto Facebook and Google Place. Help them create some easy hand out / tip sheet for adding value to their customer's and gathering email addresses.

I'd use Blogger, Google Place, and Facebook as the trifecta of start up online presence (optionally twitter and pintrest).

I'd also teach Etsy as an online market place for Creatives.

I'd have a list of resources for people who do what I don't do. Comprehensive web design, more aggressive social marketing, etc.

Tools:

Blogger
Domain.com
Facebook
Google Place
MailChimp
Gumroad or another way to store and deliver the PDF?

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I have lots of random thoughts from today. I’ll try to organize them into some kind of flow.

What’s funny is, I feel like I have everything I need from the perspective of how to get business. I just can’t get myself to focus on a single business idea to grow it.

You mentioned two of my favorite names on the internet:

Pat Flynn and Michael Hyatt are both AWESOME!

I’ve listened to both of their podcasts for a few years now. Seth Godin and Chris Ducker are some interesting ones to read/listen to if you get a chance.

Pat Flynn has 3+ separate podcasts now.

· His main site is SmartPassiveIncome.com. His primary 45 minute podcast goes by the same name in iTunes.

· He also has a shorter one called AskPat.

· His other site and podcast, which I think you would get a kick out of, is 1-Day Business Breakthrough (1daybb.com). He co-hosts that with Chris Ducker. That one is interesting because they take a person’s business who volunteers to sit on the “hot seat”, and present their one biggest problem. Then they dissect and advise for 15 minutes. They do both online and brick and mortar businesses (but specialize in the online aspects of both).

From an internet marketing perspective, there are a few things that I think Pat Flynn would call basic-need-to-know’s.

I feel like I could/should be doing all of these myself, if I only had a product or service to offer that was worth investing in… Hmm… I’ve been pondering that for a while. Started several and dropped them. Curse of the perfectionist I suppose. Or curse of Ideation… lol…

But that’s a conversation for another day.

Anyway…They are…

Advertising and Landing Pages

You don’t seem to lack ideas for how to advertise. But here are some ideas on what to do with it.

Any advertising you do (paper flyers, offline to online, Facebook, etc.) should have the singular purpose of directing people to a “landing page”. The landing page can be hosted on your site, but should take them to a special page, not just the home page.

Example an ad ending:
“Visit OfferName.KetosCreative.com for a special offer.”
“Visit KetosCreative.com/OfferName for an exclusive offer.”

And then that site-page would be set up for two purposes.

1. To sell that special offer (whatever it may be) (should provide great value to the individual)
2. Get their email address

They have to deliver their first and last name, and email, to get the offer.

Offer:

The offer could be anything that provides intense value, and increases their curiosity about your story/brand.

Ideas could be (reduced enrollment, special session, or even just a special pdf handout, mini book, or CD, or….? You’re creatives I’m sure you’ll have ideas).

I like the single hand out, mini book, or CD/DVD/MP3/MP4, because the best offer provides immediate reward.

You tell me that you can help me do XYZ in less than 10 minutes, I do what you tell me, and I accomplish XYZ to my own utter amazement! NOW I want to know what else you can do for me.

What’s great about that, is that this is what you are already doing with your play now teaching style anyway. So I’m sure you’ll have ideas on what your offer(s) could be. You can even try different offers for different events. Have special landing pages for each.

Note for your internet web geek: if you want to hide the link to the pdf or mp3 on the site just make sure the download page is set to “no follow” and don’t link it anywhere on the site, only link them in the ad flow. That should keep people from getting to them accidentally. If a few find them accidentally, Hurrah! They’ll get great value, and want to come back for more. It’s ok.

In essence, you did this for me personally already. In your 5-minute drum lesson demo when I was there on open house day. I sat with your drum person, and when I left I said “Hey… I could do this…” and even though I’ve been too busy to come back so far, it’s still in the back of my mind… burning… “go back… go back….”. Your offer, whatever it may be, should do the same thing that drum lesson did to me, in the minds of those who get your offer.

Remember, your brand is your story. You live to create, you love to teach. Tell that story at every interaction point. So tell your story while you sell the offer.

Email List:

There are many great services to manage an email list. I’ve tried most of them and my favorite is “MailChimp”. It’s free to get started (great feature) and you can pay for additional space and services after the list starts being profitable. Once you get enough going to start paying for anything, you can start writing that off as a business expense too.

Regardless of which program you use, the point of the email list is to deliver value again and again to your list. The subscribers should be on the edge of their seat for your next email. However, how to go about that varies from person to person, business to business. I’ve seen some that turned me off. So you have to find your own way that works for you.

Bring me back, remind me why I need you and your business in my life:

One reason more blogs show up on Google Searches than static sites, is because continuously updating content means fresh content and ideas. Some kind of updating blog feed on your site is a great way to bring repeat traffic and business. If you have no updating feed, then I see your site once, think “that’s really cool” and then get busy and forget about it.

The feed doesn’t have to be a written post. I could be a YouTube video, podcast update, or a mix of many things.

Give me a reason to come back to your site as often as you can remind me.

The two components of that are:

1. Having a site with updating content
2. Having an email list to remind people to come back

The content of the emails and site could be a variety of things.

As to what goes into that email and site feed.

It could be a blog feed, podcast feed, just an actual letter from you to your Creatives about the things you’ve been doing at Ketos Creative. Jesse Duplantis said it best:

“Always tell them what you did, what you are doing, and what you are going to do.”

Content: You could explore what you’ve been doing, tell stories about the business, students, accomplishments, something you’ve learned, a break through your student had, anything really. You could write about industry news, new tech, creative ideas, creative tips, etc, etc…

Student led opportunities: Whatever avenue, or avenues, you choose could be at least partially student led. Put them to work, teach, but get something out of it for the business too.

Blog: You could write about these things. Post weekly, monthly, as often or seldom as you want. Regular is more important than frequent. If I know you have a monthly newsletter, with all kinds of updates, I’ll be expecting. If I know you’ll be having a weekly tip, I’ll expect that.

Podcast/VideoPodcast: The benefit of adding video, is that you can use iTunes Audio, iTunes Video, and YouTube all at once. I know personally, I’m more likely to listen to a podcast on the go than I am watch a video, or read an article. But I find articles and videos helpful when I’m looking for some instruction that is specific to the task at hand.

NewsLetter: Similar to the blog post, but this could be done monthly, have multiple articles, and other news updates. Think “Gateway Life”.

Any combination of these could be included in an email format through MailChimp, and have links back to your site with encouraging “Calls to Action” to get people back to the site.

Another Ketos Service: Podcast Assistance

I like the podcast too, because you could even offer that as a service. If people want to podcast, but have ZERO technical ability or equipment, they could come in to your studio for 30 minutes, record a session, and you can splice (and create) their intro music and voice over… etc. Then send them the MP3/MP4.

I THINK that’s all of what you saw going through my head… I’m sure I’ll think of something else. I’ll let ya’ll digest that for now.

Shalom!

Darrell G. Wolfe
Author | INFJ | Intelection, Learner, Ideation, Achiever, Input

www.DarrellWolfe.Com
Twitter: @DarrellWolfe
Darrell@DarrellWolfe.Com

*******

Written October 27, 2015 by Darrell G Wolfe

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Why Storytelling?

Here are some clips from great articles about using story telling in Brand Marketing:

FastCompany: Why our brains crave storytelling in marketing

When reading straight data, only the language parts of our brains work to decode the meaning. But when we read a story, not only do the language parts of our brains light up, but any other part of the brain that we would use if we were actually experiencing what we’re reading about becomes activated as well.

i-Scoop: Questions to ask yourself about your brand story

What is the story and narrative behind everything you do as a brand, ranging from what you stand for to the reason why you developed solution X or decided to support ‘good cause Y’?

How can you get to that story that’s part of your brand and even people’s DNA instead of to just the facts?

How do you actually connect with people in the language they understand best: the language they can “visualize” in a story-like context?

What types of stories appeal to your content marketing “personas”?

What about the stories your customers and ‘audiences’ are already telling? How do you listen to those and include them?

Entrepreneur.Com: Storytelling Could Bring Your Brand to Life and Strengthen Your Marketing Impact

A brand's story is no longer limited to or controlled by the media outlets and advertising that it uses. One would even say that this has been completely reversed: the media now runs stories based on how much traction they've gained elsewhere. Your customers and advocates are now the tastemakers, giving power to the stories that resonate with them.

Forbes: 5 Secrets to Use Storytelling for Brand Marketing Success

Honesty and transparency are important in brand storytelling. Yes, you’re crafting “stories,” but they need to be rooted in the reality of your brand, products, and industry. In other words, even brand stories must adhere to the three primary steps of brand-building: consistency, persistence, and restraint.

Written October 27, 2015 by Darrell G Wolfe

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Sunday, September 27, 2015

How to adjust your TRUST-Rod | Guitar adjustment leads to revelation about building trust in God.

Guitar adjustment leads to revelation

I picked up my KONA K1 Acoustic guitar last night, for the first time in many months. This has been the best guitar I've ever known. I may never buy a Fender again. (check them out here).

I got this one used and I finally decided the action was too high. So I starting looking up how to lower the action on a guitar. I have to admit my ignorance (even after 25 years of playing) I always believed the myth that the Truss Rod should be adjusted for better action.

Found two great videos:

Guitar Myths 3: Truss Rod Myth

Acoustic Guitar Saddle Shaping/Shaving

Wiki: Truss - Guitar

The truss rod is part of a guitar or other fretted, stringed-instruments used to stabilize and adjust the lengthwise forward curvature (also called relief), of the neck. Usually it is a steel rod that runs inside the neck and has a bolt that can be used to adjust its tension.

The point of the truss rod is not (primarily) to push the whole neck backward and forward for better action. The point is to put a slight bend in the middle of the neck. You actually DO NOT want a straight neck in a guitar.

The string vibrate more in the middle, and need more room to play than at the ends. Therefore you need a slight bow in the neck where the middle dips away from the strings to avoid buzz when you play.

If you want better action, you need to adjust the bridge (not commonly needed - at the head of guitar) or the saddle (most common adjustments - at the bottom near the sound hole). See videos above for more explanation.

Truss - support structure

This got me thinking about the truss in the roof of a home. These are most commonly the triangle structures built of wood in our attic holding your roof up.

Wiki: Truss - Engineering

In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assemblage as a whole behaves as a single object".[1]

Two-force members acting as a single object.

Etymonline:

truss (n.) c. 1200, "collection of things bound together," from Old French trousse, torse "parcel, package, bundle," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *torciare "to twist," from Late Latin torquere (see torque (n.)). Meaning "surgical appliance to support a rupture, etc." first attested 1540s. Sense of "framework for supporting a roof or bridge" is first recorded 1650s.

truss (v.) c. 1200, "to load, load up," from Anglo-French trusser, Old French trusser, torser "to load, fill, pack, fasten" (11c.), from Old French trousse, torse (see truss (n.)). Related: Trussed; trussing.

Trust: A Two-force members acting as a single object.

I couldn't find any connection historically in these words, I have no idea if they have the same root, and it could very well be that the similar sounds are an accidental evolution of the English language.. but I started thinking about Trust in light of Truss.

When I trust God, I am acting with him in unison. When I do not trust God, I am acting in dis-unison. The same would go for any relationship (Husband/Wife, Boss/Employee, Government/Citizen). When one party doesn't trust the other, they cease to work as a single entity toward a single goal.

Without this trust, the supporting structure of my life is missing. I cannot function. Over time the elements of this world (stress, pressure, heat, temptation, etc) will warp my life. Then when my strings are played there will be no room for them to move freely and vibrate, so there will be a buzzing in my life.

How to adjust your TRUST-Rod

As I spend time in the Secret Place I am building strength and support structures into my heart, mind, and will. These are where my greatest battles will take place on earth.

It's not a matter of duty, it's a matter of safety. It doesn't matter if I go to my Secret Place once a day, once a week, once a month, 70 times a day.... It's not a matter of being a "good Christian". It's a matter of strengthening my Trust Rod. The more time I spend, the stronger it is, and the better adjusted it will be.

You Turn:

How do you know if you are trusting God?

Comment on this post, or Hit me up on Twitter @DarrellWolfe , Google +DarrellWolfe, Facebook DarrellGWolfe, Etc...

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By Darrell Wolfe

New Here? Start HERE
Got LIFE?
Insight In Your Inbox: Sign up for email delivery here.
Click Here To Get My Book: "Banking Basics for Believers", which guides you through the basics of banking and money from a Christian Perspective.

Other Hobby Sties by Darrell:

http://discerningthetime.blogspot.com

End Times Prophecy Study

http://authorfun.blogspot.com

Fiction and Flash Fiction Practice

http://www.lifeinfortworth.com

Discover, Navigate, and Enjoy Fort Worth Texas. Reviews

Written September 27, 2015 by Darrell G Wolfe

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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Grow by reading: "Secrets of the Secret Place" - by Bob Sorge

Hi! It's been a little longer than usual.

I haven't been writing much lately. I've been busy with transitions at work and home. But the truth is, I didn't feel like writing, because I didn't feel I had anything valuable to say. I was in a mood, complaining, whining, pissy... You can't influence people for good or God in that mood.

My wife was kind enough to reorganize the house and put a comfy chair in my office. OK, it might be that she just wanted me to go away in that mood... but it was still great! This has become my prayer chair.

I've been reading:

Secrets of the Secret Place: Keys to Igniting Your Personal Time with God. By Bob Sorge

This may be one of the most profound books I've ever read. I want to give a special thanks to my friend Allen for giving me this book. I don't know if I would have picked it up off the shelf naturally, and it's been a profound help.

As with many books, if I'd read it some time ago I may not have thought so. You have to be open and ready to grow. The book is divided into 52 mini-chapters of about three pages each. You could read straight through, or you could read one each morning or evening. I've been dong a bit of both.

Bob Sorge's insights into prayer have unlocked a new dimension to my prayer life. I've only touched the outside of the the tip of the iceberg, but I can sense a new season has already arrived. I'm not even half way through the book.

I'm not going to outline the book, or re-write it for you here. Every chapter was important so far. Go pick it up and read it!

But I do want to draw out some things that really stood out to me in this season of transition I'm going through.

I wanted to share some lesson's with you that I've picked up along the way so far:

Chapter 3: The secret of listening

Hearing God's voice has become the singular quest of my heart, the sole pursuit that alone satisfies the great longings of my heart. Things don't change when I talk to God: Thins change when God talks to me. So the power of prayer is found not in convincing God of my agenda, but in waiting upon Him to hear His agenda.

'nough said

Chapter 4: The secret of radical obedience

The New Testament word for obedience, huakoe, is a compound word from two Greek words. Hupo "under", and Akouo "hear". To obey God is to "hear under".

Devotion to the secret place is the saint's first great act of obedience.

If you haven't heard God, you have nothing to obey. You cannot obey God until you have heard God, and put yourself under that thing you heard.

Chapter 8: The secret of decision making

Intimacy precedes insight. Passion precedes purpose. First comes the secret place, then comes divine guidance. God doesn't simply want to get you on the right path, He wants to enjoy you throughout the journey.

God's primary desire for your life is not that you discover His will and walk in it; His primary desire is that you draw near to HIM and come to know Him.

God wants to be known!

And then He desires that from that knowing relationship there come a tender walking together in His purpose.

My God. My Father (Daddy-Relationship), My Lover (the lover of my soul)... God is not a king that demands his servants serve Him. He is a Daddy who wants to be with his kids. Jesus is a husband that wants to be with his bride. This is the heart God has for you... and me. One of passion and pursuit.

God wants your heart, he wants you, not just your obedience.

Chapter 10: The secret of burning

OK... I was about to just write this WHOLE chapter out, because so far this one has had the greatest impact. Every word is awesome! God read it. Here is the biggest part:

The secret to staying ablaze for Jesus is not in responding to alter calls (as good as those are); it's not in having someone lay hands on you and pray for you (as valid as that is); it's not in listening to a good teaching tape or the latest worship CD; the only sure source for staying white-hot is in devoting yourself consistently to the place-of-the-shut-door. It's the place where the "spirit of burning" (Isaiah 4:4) ignites your soul as you gaze upon His glory with an unveiled face (2 Cor 3:18).

I've been to so many alter calls I feel like my knees wear out, but with no LASTING change. I dull down before the week is out. Sometimes before the service is out. I've grown numb to them. I don't feel anything anymore much of the time.

I thought this was a bad thing, a sign of my growing cold to God. At some level it might be that. I've been mad at God for a long time about certain things. But now I realize a deeper truth. The coldness, and the mad at God are symptoms, not root causes. Those will simply burn away in his presence through CONSISTENT time spent in his presence.

Chapter 12: The secret of humility

Prayerlessness is the first sign of prideful independence.

Chapter 13: The secret of intercession

As a body feels pain, and that is a signal to repair and replace... so THE BODY of CHRIST should feel pain in it's members. The disease of leprosy causes a deadening of the nerves so that the body doesn't feel pain. If the hand is burning the body doesn't react to stop it. For many churches, we have spiritual leprosy, the churches nerves are dead. If we do not feel the pain of our members (people hurting in our midst) than we cannot react to repair damage, and replace lost things.

Intersession is a response to pain.

If I know someone is hurting, I should go before God and intercede for them. I should also go before those demonic spirits and DEMAND they loose my brother or sister. I have the authority in Christ Jesus, I should be using it for others not just myself.

Chapter 15: The secret of radiation therapy

You don't know you're being exposed to radiation when it first happens. People who get sun-burned don't realize they've been exposed to excessive radiation until after the damage is done. The effects of radiation are always delayed. The same is true of God's glory. When you spend time in His presence, you first thought is, "This isn't accomplishing anything." However, if you will believe the truth and just devote yourself to mega-amounts of time in His presence, the effects of spending time with Him will eventually manifest... You start to think differently, and you don't even know why.

That's all the things I wanted to share today. If you have a desire for, or even an inkling that you could benefit from, a deeper relationship with God through prayer... you need this book!

Shalom!

Your Turn:

What's the most profound, or impactful, thing you've learned about prayer. It could be about prayer, or how to do prayer. Share your thoughts with me.

Comment on this post, or Hit me up on Twitter @DarrellWolfe , Google +DarrellWolfe, Facebook DarrellGWolfe, Etc...

Tweet These:
#TellYourStory#BeStillBeLed

By Darrell Wolfe

New Here? Start HERE
Got LIFE?
Insight In Your Inbox: Sign up for email delivery here.
Click Here To Get My Book: "Banking Basics for Believers", which guides you through the basics of banking and money from a Christian Perspective.

Other Hobby Sties by Darrell:

http://discerningthetime.blogspot.com

End Times Prophecy Study

http://authorfun.blogspot.com

Fiction and Flash Fiction Practice

http://www.lifeinfortworth.com

Discover, Navigate, and Enjoy Fort Worth Texas. Reviews

Written September 24, 2015 by Darrell G Wolfe

Spiritual Growth No comments

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Growing Restless

Restless of being Weary

Jacob and Esau are the fraternal twin sons of Isaac. Esau is a whole 30 seconds older than Jacob, being exposed to air first. Jacob comes holding onto his heal.

Esau is born reddish and hairy. Esau ends up becoming a hunter and warrior personality (Modern Translation: Jock and/or Soldier personality).

Jacob ends up being "a peaceful man living in tents" (Modern Translation: Geek and/or Artist personality) and also becomes quite a good chef.

Isaac is Abraham's son of promise. Through prophecy, and a whole lot of ignorance and deception, Jacob ends up with the blessing that belonged to his older brother by birth right. After he gets the Blessing, he walks into the annals of history to change his name to Israel. He then fathers a nation of the same name, The Israelites.

Esau, saddened at his loss, comes to his father. Can I get a blessing too Dad? Just a little one?

Genesis 27:40 KJV

And by thy sword shalt thou live , and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion , that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

New International Version

"You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck."

NASB

"By your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve ; But it shall come about when you become restless, That you will break his yoke from your neck."

This word Restless Defined:

The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon: "Ruwd"
Strong's Number: 07300
Original Word Word Origin
dwr a primitive root
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Ruwd TWOT - 2129
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
rood Verb
Definition
to wander restlessly, roam
(Qal) to roam
(Hiphil) to be restless, show restlessness

So what lessons can we learn from Esau?

Have you ever been the blessed one, but you forfeited your rights because of short sighted wants and desires? You ended up becoming a servant of sin, sickness, demons, fear, addiction, etc? Maybe it wasn't that bad, maybe you just forfeited the best, for good enough.

When you get restless, you can throw off those chains. Through Jesus, all people can be blessed now, not just the few and the chosen.

But it's not going to just fall on you. Jesus paid the price, but he's already done everything. It's now up to you. When you grow restless, tired of not having enough, tired of not being enough, tired of living in defeat... than you can throw off the chains of servitude and find freedom.

It will not be easy, or comfortable. Imagine, for a moment. That you are bound in chains, and yoked to pull a a wagon behind you. Like a human mule. Imagine the force it would take to not just remove... but BREAK the chains and yoke off of you like an explosion.

Dave Ramsey calls this Gazelle Intensity.

Restless is a Verb, and action. It's not a feeling, it's a demonstrated motion of activity. You aren't restless when you feel tired or irritated. You are restless when you become motivated, and that motivation is apparent in your actions.

No one around you will doubt or wonder if you have become restless. It will be like an explosion of new and different activity. You have to live like no-one else, so that you can live like no-one else.

When you are restless... we'll all know. Until then, we'll just watch to see when it hits.