Devotional

Set Apart and Empowered

I read these two verses about the prophet Jeremiah and John the Baptist that struck a chord in my spirit as to God’s intimacy with humans even before we are born:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬)‬‬

“for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬)

Set Apart

In Jeremiah 1:5, God said He knew Jeremiah before he was born and even before he was conceived by his parents.  Let that sink in.  God set him apart and predestined him for greatness.  

The world has grossly distorted human life to justify the murder of children pre-birth.  This is an injustice that God sees and breaks His heart as does those that follow Him.  Yet we are not in despair.  We know that God's relationship with the naturally born and unborn is not limited by human intervention.  

You are reading this today because God gave you the opportunity to experience life on earth and because He prepared ‘in advance’ work for you to do:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesian 2:10)

Just like Jeremiah you have been called and set apart! 

Empowered

You are not just called, but can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work you are called to.  

In Luke 1:15, we are told that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit before his natural birth. That’s pretty amazing to consider.  As Christ followers, we are ‘born again’ through Jesus and as a result the Holy Spirit is deposited in us as our seal of salvation.  The Holy Spirit is also our helper, advocate, guide and power source in this life as Jesus indicated in Acts 1:8:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” 

The promise to receive power to be a witness is available if you ask.

Just like John the Baptist, you are empowered to do amazing things for God!

Financial Update

The Finance Sector Replacing Big Banks

Who Needs Banks?

Not long ago, if a business needed funding, the choices were straightforward: borrow from a bank, or issue bonds in public markets. Today, a third option is quietly taking over — private credit — and it’s reshaping how money moves through the global financial system.

What Exactly is Private Credit?

Private credit (sometimes called private debt) is lending that happens outside the banking system and beyond public bond markets. Instead of JPMorgan or Wells Fargo making the loan, capital comes from asset managers, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and other private investors.

The result? A parallel credit market that has grown into a $1.7 trillion industry as of 2025, up more than threefold in the last decade.

Why the Surge?

Several forces are driving the boom:

• Banks are pulling back. After the 2008 crisis, stricter regulations made banks more conservative lenders. They now avoid riskier borrowers, creating gaps private credit funds are happy to fill.
  

• Yield-hungry investors. In a world where Treasury yields and corporate bonds don’t always keep pace with inflation, private credit offers annual returns in the 7–12% range. That’s hard to ignore for pensions, endowments, and family offices.
  

• Borrower appeal. For companies, private credit means faster approvals, more flexible terms, and customized loan structures compared to slow-moving banks.
  

• Big players entering. Giants like Blackstone, Apollo, and Ares have built enormous private credit operations, turning what was once niche into a mainstream asset class.

The New Power Brokers of Finance

Private credit is shifting financial power away from banks and into the hands of asset managers. Blackstone, Apollo, KKR, and Carlyle now collectively manage hundreds of billions in private credit portfolios. Sovereign wealth funds from the Middle East and Asia are pouring in as well, seeing it as a way to diversify beyond stocks and bonds.

In effect, Wall Street’s asset managers are becoming shadow banks 2.0 — and they’re rewriting the rules of corporate lending.

The Risks Lurking Beneath the Surface

The growth story is impressive, but the risks are real:

• Liquidity traps. Unlike stocks or bonds, private credit isn’t easy to sell. If markets seize up, investors can be stuck.
  

• Default danger. Because these loans often target riskier or mid-market borrowers, a slowing economy could trigger a wave of defaults.
  

• Opacity. Data is scarce compared to traditional credit markets, making it harder to track overall risk.
  

• Concentration. With a handful of mega-funds controlling much of the market, there are growing “too big to fail” concerns.

Why It Matters for You

Private credit is more than just a Wall Street fad. It represents a fundamental shift in where financing comes from, and who controls the flow of capital in the modern economy.

• For businesses: Especially mid-sized companies, private credit offers a lifeline when banks say no.
  

• For investors: It’s a way to earn stronger yields — but with higher risks attached.
  

• For the economy: It raises questions about stability. When lending power moves from highly regulated banks to private asset managers, the system becomes more flexible… but potentially more fragile.

The Bottom Line

The private credit boom shows how finance constantly evolves in response to regulation, opportunity, and the search for yield. Whether you call it shadow banking 2.0 or simply the next chapter in lending, the rise of private credit is one of the biggest shifts in global finance in decades.

The only question is whether this new market will remain a stabilizing force — or become the source of the next financial shock.

Whether you choose to tap into private credit or not, remember as a Christ follower, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of what God entrusts us with:

Tech Update

AI Impact on the Brain

I recently listened to a lengthy podcast on the use of AI tools and its impact on our brains that got me interested in exploring this topic and sharing.

Early Research

A recent MIT study evaluated adults and tasked them with writing essays using one of three methods: Generative AI Large Language Models (LLM); Internet Search Engines; or their brains only.  Over time, it was evident that the brain activity of those using AI had a noticeable decline in brain activity and neural connectivity as measured with EEG brain scans. Yikes! This sounds like brain atrophy to me.

This is all really early and not definitive, but it should make us think about our brain health.  Many studies are out there that validate the saying ‘use it or lose it’ when it comes to your brain in general, not even factoring the recent onset of AI.

What Can We Do

Like with every wave of innovation there is cause for excitement and concern.  

Think back of the dawn of the Internet.  It became a great tool for rapid worldwide knowledge transfer but also a tool for exploitation and sharing of explicit data by those bent on evil.  Mobile smartphones brought us portable palm sized computers and the proliferation of APPs, but they also accelerated cyber bullying and digital anxiety disorders.   

Here we are in the age of AI, and now need to consider how best to use it as a tool, and not as an alternative for our God given cognitive thinking and reasoning.  We also need to consider the impacts on children that are growing up in a world today that won’t know what it was like before AI.

AI can be used for good, and as Christ followers, we should use it responsibly and wisely.  

Our Advantage

As believers, we truly have an advantage when it comes to intelligence and our brain.  While the world relies exclusively on learned and artificial means of stimulating their brain, we have God’s ‘anointed intelligence’ which can never be matched by ‘artificial intelligence’.

I encourage you to remember how unique you are through verses like:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  (Psalm 139:14)

You are truly a one of a kind masterpiece as we touched on in our previous newsletter, including your brain.

Your brain is what God gave you to operate in this life, so use it to glorify Him first and foremost in all you do.

Health Nuggets

ACHOO! Is it a cold or fall allergy season?

Fall allergy season in the Southeast U.S. is primarily driven by high levels of ragweed pollen, making it the peak period for weed allergens. Ragweed thrives in the region’s warm, humid climate, and its pollen can be very pervasive during this time, often beginning as early as mid-August and reaching its highest levels in mid-September.  In addition to ragweed, other weed pollens like cocklebur, sagebrush, and plantain, as well as some late-blooming grasses such as Bermuda grass, may also contribute to allergy symptoms in the southern states.

To reduce exposure to allergens starting in mid-August:

• Monitor daily local pollen forecasts and stay indoors on high pollen days.

• Keep windows closed and use air conditioning if possible.

• Shower and change clothes after outdoor activities.

Allergy season in the southern U.S. generally continues into October, finally declining in November as ragweed dies out and the weather cools.

Note: Health Nuggets are opinions and not medical advice.

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