Devotional

Finishing Well

In reading Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon, it dawned on me that Solomon did not practice what he preached. 

Consider that Solomon wrote: “I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.” (‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7‬:‭26‬)

Yet, in his old age, God became angry with Solomon because he himself was ensnared by his wives and his heart turned from God:

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” (‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬)

“The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.” (‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭11‬:‭9‬)

Unfortunately, Solomon did not finish well. Yet, most Christians praise him for his God given wisdom. Some even named a newsletter after him :-)

The lesson I'm getting is a reminder of how God uses imperfect people, just like Solomon, you and I, to accomplish his will. It also reminds me not to discredit anyone that has done God's will in the past but has ‘fallen from grace’ for a season. That’s a tough one for me. I have read great books by pastors that fall into this category. God is reminding me that He chose them to write those books. Similarly, if someone was saved under their ministry, they don’t lose their salvation because that person has fallen. God is the one that saves, the one that redeems, and the one that restores. When we see Christ followers that have fallen or turned away from God, pray for them to be restored. God's mercy endures forever.

“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever.” (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭106‬:‭1‬)

We should also humbly acknowledge we are no less deserving of God's mercy, and not be puffed up to think we could never fall like Solomon. We need to stay rooted in Christ, abiding in the Vine. In doing so we can finish well and hear the Master say some day, ‘well done, good and faithful servant’.

Health Nuggets

Childhood Vaccine Changes

The National Institute for Health (NIH) recently updated the childhood immunization schedule based on a recent presidential order. It moves away from the previous model of universal, routine recommendations for all children toward a tiered system that emphasizes risk assessment and shared clinical decision-making (SCDM) with parents.

Over the past few decades, the total number of recommended vaccine doses for a child from birth through age 18 has risen significantly, from 18 doses in 1980, 30 in 1995, 55 in 2010 and most recently, 72 in 2025! Yet as we all know, people's health has declined dramatically in the last few decades, including higher rates of autism which has been possibly linked to vaccines.

The number of diseases targeted by routine (universal) vaccination for all children has been reduced from 18 to 11. There is also an emphasis on splitting the vaccines so that children no longer get them bundled.  The recommended 11 are: measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and varicella. Several vaccines previously recommended for all children—such as rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, and Hepatitis A and B, have been moved to risk-based or SCDM categories.

For more information, please see the Presidential order on “Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans.” There is also a video of the Aug 10, 2026, announcement here.

Note: Health Nuggets are opinions and not medical advice.

Financial Update

Renting the Building Boom

We’ve covered the expansion of construction in America (new builds, construction materials, etc.) in previous posts, but today we’re diving into a specific topic powering that expansion: the equipment, more specifically, rental equipment.

Contractors need excavators, aerial lifts, generators, forklifts, compressors, trenching equipment, and hundreds of other specialized machines. However, the companies doing the work don't necessarily own all that equipment; they rent it.

Equipment rental has quietly become an important part of America's construction and industrial economy. The reason is largely financial. Heavy machinery can require significant upfront capital while sitting unused between projects. Renting allows contractors to access equipment only when needed while shifting much of the responsibility for storage, maintenance, transportation, and fleet management to the rental provider.

The scale of the business is easy to underestimate. United Rentals, the world's largest equipment rental company, generated $13.8 billion in equipment rental revenue in 2025, up 6% from the previous year. Its fleet included approximately 1.1 million pieces of equipment valued at $22.5 billion at original cost, operating through more than 1,700 rental locations.

Importantly, construction isn't the industry's only customer. Rental companies serve manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, industrial facilities, government agencies, and infrastructure contractors. United Rentals, for example, generated 11% of its 2025 rental revenue from power and HVAC equipment alone, with additional specialty businesses serving trench safety, fluid management, temporary storage, and other applications.

Several economic trends could support continued demand. America's expansion of manufacturing facilities requires specialized machinery during construction and maintenance. Roads, bridges, utilities, energy projects, and water infrastructure require fleets of heavy equipment. Companies may also favor renting when economic uncertainty makes committing millions of dollars to machinery less attractive.

Industry consolidation is another development worth watching. Herc Holdings completed its acquisition of H&E Equipment Services in 2025, the industry's largest acquisition, and reported $3.77 billion in equipment rental revenue for the year, an 18% increase. The combination expanded Herc's network to more than 600 North American locations.

Investor Takeaway

Investors looking for direct exposure can research United Rentals (URI), the industry's dominant operator, and Herc Holdings (HRI), another major North American rental provider. Equipment manufacturers such as Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE) offer a different approach by supplying machinery used throughout construction and industry. Broader exposure is available through infrastructure and industrial ETFs such as Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE) and Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI).

Equipment rental provides a useful investing lesson: benefiting from a building boom doesn't necessarily require owning what gets built. Sometimes the opportunity lies in owning the tools everyone else needs to build it.

Tech Update

Transhumanism

The title of this article should give everyone that is a Christ follower reason to pause. This topic is both technical and spiritual, so let’s cover both.

Transhumanism is a philosophical and scientific movement that advocates for the use of advanced technology to enhance human physical, intellectual, and psychological capacities beyond the limitations of our current biological state, and I would add beyond what God intended. 

Extending Natural Life

One promise of transhumanism is the pursuit of radical life extension with the goal of overcoming human death. Companies like Altos Labs are pursuing Cellular Rejuvenation Programming, with the goal of reversing the aging process.

As a Christian, our life on earth is but a short vapor in view of eternity (James 4:14). However, a non-believer who thinks, ‘I only have this life to live,’ may do anything possible to extend it. Be aware that pursuing life beyond human death is counter to the Word of God: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Transhumanism attempts to extend human life is essentially trying to overcome God’s will for your life.

DNA Manipulation

CRISPR is a revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows scientists to precisely alter DNA sequences and modify gene function. It is effectively a pair of “molecular scissors” that can cut and paste genetic code, enabling the editing of the very blueprints of life. This is another technology being used today in an attempt to play God. It is being disguised as a medical breakthrough and using terms like ‘gene editing’ to make it seem a legitimate way to fix or correct your genetic errors. If you believe this to be true, then you cannot believe you are uniquely and fearfully made in the image of God as described in Psalm 139.

Cognitive Enhancement and Control

This aspect of transhumanism is about using brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) or genetic engineering to boost human intelligence, memory, and information processing speeds. Essentially merging your God given brain with an AI powered computer. This is a tough one to process. On one hand companies like Neuralink, an Elon Musk enterprise, are touting brain chip implants to aid those with a brain or nervous system disability. That sounds so great on the surface, but to what extent will this be used and pushed in the future? It’s conceivable that in x-10 years from now the average citizen might be able to opt for a brain chip implant like if it was a simple ‘human upgrade.’ Struggling in math, no problem, get the Algebra/Calculus bundle so you don’t have to ‘learn’.

This whole concept is a chilling thought in light of end times prophecy. What if the state can then access and control your brain chip and regulate what you do or buy. The mark of the beast is not some far fetched technology, it’s here today.  

There is so much more on this topic. I encourage you to watch this short video by Vlad Savchuk, on “The Coming Deception That Christians Need to Prepare For”.

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