Bruised Camels are all about stewardship. In this edition, I look at stewardship of time as it relates to stewardship of your wellbeing. The end of the year is also a season of full-contact charitable fundraising. If you want or need to research a new non-profit, I’ve got a couple resources for quick and dirty due diligence.

This advent I’ve been listening to John Ortberg’s daily podcast series “With.” He explores the Immanuel principle. My Christmas prayer is that you would experience God’s “with-ness” frequently and deeply.

Journey On,
~Mark

Mark King
​Mark@BruisedCamels.com | LinkedIn
​

Business | Taking Time Off

“Thou Shalt Relax” Hezekiah 14:3

Do you have leftover vacation days at the end of the year? Yeah, me too. I’m not proud of it. It’s a reflection of poor planning and lack of prioritization. You likely know that research consistently shows the value of taking time off. But Jesus was modeling it long before Psychology Today endorsed the idea.

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:15-16 NIV

How convicting is that? If Jesus can take a break, I have no excuses. My report for our investors feels pretty lame compared to crowds of people needing healing.

Jesus knew what he needed to do during his “time off.” Do you? Here are four principles to consider:

• Do nothing – Seriously. It’s okay to take a nap. If you’re reading this newsletter, the smart money is betting you need one.
• Do something new – Travel someplace new. Read a new genre or author. Try new ethnic restaurants. Research shows that your brain will be more innovative and healthier if you get out of your usual routines.
• Do something social – Even if you’re an introvert, hanging with people that care about you and don’t view you as a unit of economic production is rejuvenating.
• Do something physical – If you’re like me and sit staring at a computer all day, this is especially helpful. Outdoor activity earns you bonus points.

You don’t need to copy the three wise men by taking a pilgrimage for Christmas. Although mission trips do provide a new, social, and physical experience. But definitely take some extended downtime over the Holidays. It will make you wiser.

If you want to geek out on the science of time off, this nine year study at UMass has a mountain of data. It also raises interesting social justice questions. Lower socioeconomic status correlates to less vacation which in turn compounds other health risk factors associated with lower socioeconomic status. Giving lower income workers paid vacation contributes to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Investing | Philanthropy

Last Minute Donation Due Diligence

All your mailboxes, both digital and analog, are most likely bursting with end of year charitable appeals. I’m sure you’ve developed a long-term, disciplined, strategic approach to philanthropy. If not, don’t worry, there’s a future article in the works. But what do you do when your work friend hits you up for a serious donation for her favorite non-profit that you’ve never heard of? Stall her and do some quick and dirty diligence. Here’s how:

Start by searching GuideStar.com. I previously mentioned Thistle Farms in Nashville; here’s the Thistle Farms GuideStar profile as a sample. GuideStar provides solid, basic data without the marketing spin of the non-profit’s website. Charity Navigator provides similar overviews. I like some of the financial ratios that Charity Navigator provides. You can compare by looking at Thistle Farms’ Charity Navigator profile. Lastly, Charity Watch is a third option with similar overviews. But, I was disappointed that it didn’t have some non-profits I searched for (e.g. Thistle Farms).

If you want some serious detail, dig into the non-profit’s IRS Form 990. It’s all the gory detail you’d expect in a tax return. All three sites mentioned above include links to 990s, or go to the source at IRS.gov.

And of course, it never hurts to check Google News for any scandals or fraud. I use these three search terms:

• “name of non-profit” scandal
• “name of non-profit” fraud
• “name of the CEO”

Use the name of the organization with and without quotes around the name. You’ll occasionally get different results.

Kitchen Drawer | Dad Jokes

Office Holiday Party Jokes

Instead of gossiping about the heavy drinkers at your company holiday event (another future article in the works), try these jokes to pass the time.

Why are Christmas trees so bad at knitting? Because they always drop their needles.

My biggest fear is being trapped in a small room with Santa. I have Claustrophobia.

Why is it getting harder to buy Advent calendars? Because their days are numbered.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!