The Billy Graham Rule, Pillar #3 in Alzheimer’s Prevention, The Old Man Makes a Comeback
Business
The Billy Graham Rule
Call me sheltered, but I have never had to think much about adultery. Growing up, almost all of my friends’ parents were still together. It wasn’t until much later in life that I began to notice more divorces with infidelity often suspected if not obviously the cause.
We see far too many Christian leaders falling into this trap. How I have no idea! You’d think these guys are so deep in their walk with God that they would never fall into adultery. I have never interviewed any of these fallen leaders but it appears that pride and arrogance are contributing factors.
I had never heard a leader talk about adultery until John Maxwell did a Catalyst Conference I was at years ago. Maxwell said that he too had never thought much about adultery. The thought of being with a woman other than his wife never entered his mind, so he felt pretty safe. Then, a good friend of his had an affair. This was a guy Maxwell respected and admired (up until this news). That event caused Maxwell to develop a healthy fear of adultery. He started living his life as if this was a real problem that could happen to him if he was not careful to avoid it. The best analogy I can think of is someone recovering from an addiction. People in recovery must live their lives avoiding situations that could cause them to fall. That is what Maxwell started doing. I can’t remember if Maxwell stated that he follows what is known as the Billy Graham rule, but I’m pretty sure this conference is where I first heard about it.
What is the Billy Graham rule? It was originally known as the Modesto Manifesto and has gotten a lot of press recently after the Washington Post published a story about Vice President Mike Pence following the rule by never eating alone with a woman other than his wife. The article also mentioned that Pence would not attend an event where alcohol was being served unless his wife was with him. As you can imagine, this article got a huge response from the media. Many calling the rule sexist, others applauding Pence’s commitment to his wife.
While the “Billy Graham Rule” is getting a lot of press for this one rule, there are actually four rules that Graham and his organization agreed to in the 1940s. These rules were meant to keep Graham and his ministry away from the pitfalls that had taken down other celebrity preachers like Henry Ward Beecher and Aimee Semple McPherson. In hindsight, following these rules were a very good call for Graham and his ministry. Graham’s reputation remained untouched by scandal throughout his career while other celebrity preachers continued to fall into disgrace.
The four rules covered the four big pitfalls that had taken down other ministries. They were money (being financially accountable), sex (avoid even the appearance of sexual immorality), local churches (avoid criticizing other pastors and churches) and lies (mostly about crowd size and number of conversions). These were all huge problems for traveling preachers at the time and they are still today.
Think about the ministries you have seen collapse. Wasn’t one of these four the cause? There is some very interesting history behind the four rules and a lot to discuss about their modern application. We’ll cover those in future posts.
Health
Pillar #3 in Alzheimer’s Prevention
Last week, we covered Pillar #2 – Stress Management. This week, let’s look at Pillar # 3 – Exercise and Brain Aerobics! Your brain is a part of your body. Like the rest of your body, it requires good nutrition and strong blood flow to perform at its best. It makes sense that exercise would help!
According to the ARPF, studies have shown that regular physical exercise can reduce your Alzheimer’s risk by 50%. Studies have also shown that women from age 40 to 60 who exercised regularly were seen to have a dramatic reduction in memory loss and cognitive decline.
How much exercise is enough? The research is pointing to a minimum level of 150 minutes per week of cardio and strength training. That is only 21 minutes per day or you can stack up on weekends. With four young kids in our house, exercise has certainly gotten the short shift lately but this has inspired me to make more time for it!
Studies are also showing that mental exercise can reduce Alzheimer’s risk. Social interaction is a form of mental activity, so are games, puzzles, reading or learning something new. Studies have also shown that formal cognitive training such as memory training, reasoning training or processing training help.
So, stay active. Be sociable. Find and learn to enjoy new mental challenges. Play games. These are all great habits for a good life, and they’ll help keep your brain healthy too!
Life, Fun, Whatever
The Old Man Makes a Comeback!
Forbes recently ran a great article by T. Boone Pickens, the business magnate and financier. He recently turned 89 and made some great points about aging. Check out the full article here. Below are some things I learned:
- His post-65 years have been the most productive of his life.
- Starting over is good for you. It keeps you learning and hungry.
- Failing is required for learning.
- “Boone has been in the “prime” of his life 3 times!”
- He shows up for work every day at 7 am and leaves at 6 pm.
- Did not make his first billion until age 70.
- Has paid 85% of his lifetime taxes since he turned 70.
- Fear of becoming a FOFWAW (Fine Old Fart With A Watch) drives him.
- He suffered mini-strokes and came back.
- He thanks the Lord for every day given to him, each day is a thrill.
Lots to learn. This can be a long, fun, purposeful life if we do it right!
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