When it comes to money, helpful resources should be accessible

A Time For Prayer

If you’ve been listening to me and reading my letters, you know that I highly value personal Freedom. Increasing freedom in my life and the lives of those around me is a driving force in why I continue to do what I do. I view freedom in four core areas. Freedom of time, money, relationship, and purpose. This month I’d like to talk about freedom of money. This can be a difficult topic to discuss because we all have different experiences and paradigms about how to manage, grow, invest, and protect money. The Bible has a lot to say about money. It’s the most frequently discussed topic in both the Old and New Testament. Psalm 62:10 says, “though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” The danger is not necessarily in “having material things” but rather in “setting our heart on them.” We’re warned in 1 John 5:21, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” I never really saw how that verse applied to me. I mean, I don’t have graven images or carvings of physical idols laying around! I don’t have anything like that to worship or admire. However, when I read the verse in the New Living Translation (NLT), it comes alive to me in a fresh way. NLT says, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” This translation helps me realize that idols in my life can be more than just graven images. An idol is anything that takes God’s place in my heart. Thinking about it that way… I probably have the potential for many idols in my life. The danger with money is it can easily take too high of a place in our hearts. One thing that’s helped me to guard against this is to think more wholistically about my assets. Several years ago, I was introduced to an idea by a friend of mine who was coaching me on some money matters. As I discussed my assets with him, my list included investments, money in bank accounts, real estate, business equity, etc. Those were the things I consider to be my assets. He agreed that yes, those were indeed, all assets, but he suggested that I had other assets I hadn’t thought about or taken the time to recognize the value of. He taught me to think of my assets in four different categories…or quadrants. The first quadrant is Core Assets. Core Assets include our relationships, health, values, integrity, worldview, faith, belief system, etc. These are all at the core of who we are, and are in fact, assets (if we are willing to recognize them as such). The second quadrant is Educational and Experiential Assets . Formal education is an asset. You also have life experiences…both good and bad. Personally, I’ve learned more from my failures than I have from my successes. I love the quote from Hellen Keller, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.” The “turns” we’ve learned to make in life are all a part of our experiential assets. We should strive to be life-long learners. Living wisely is the goal! Our life education and our life experiences help us to live skillfully, and those learned skills are valuable assets too. The third quadrant is Charitable and Community Assets . These are things that we give time and money to that are outside of us, they have purpose that extends beyond our individual lives. Things we participate in or volunteer our time for. How we live out our faith, etc. The writer of the Book of James admonishes us to act on what we believe. These actions and beliefs are very personal in nature. Therefore, they are extremely valuable assets. Finally, we have the Financial Assets quadrant. This quadrant includes the things most of us consider assets. So, if you wrote down a list of all the things that you value in each of these quadrants, wouldn’t that represent a more complete picture of your net worth vs just financial assets minus liabilities? Your wholistic net worth is the sum total of all 4 quadrants. There is one final part to this exercise…Let’s say that I waved a magic wand and everything you listed in these 4 quadrants disappeared. In other words, you are bankrupt. You don’t have your health, you’ve lost all your relationships, you don’t have your faith, your education, the experiences you’ve learned from, no money, ALL IS GONE! You are broke in totality. Now, let’s say out of the goodness of my heart, I wave the wand and let you pick only one of the four quadrants to get back. Which would you choose to get back first? If you’re like most people, you’re going to choose your Core Assets (relationships, health, values, integrity, worldview, faith, belief system, etc.) Let’s go one step further. I’m going to wave the wand again and give you one additional quadrant back…but only one! What’s the second one you’d choose? From experience, when doing this with other people, most choose their Educational and Experiential Assets. It’s interesting that we intuitively know that if we have our Core, and Educational/Experiential Assets, most of us could rebuild our Financial and Charitable/Community Assets. I started this letter talking about freedom as it relates to money. If we view our assets as just piling up more money, we’re probably missing out on the abundant life Jesus talks about. Sincerely, Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team 320-905-3306 invest@3dmoney.com P.S. One final thought. Forget ESG investing! It’s a foolish idea! Most of you know how I feel about the subject. Contrarily, 3D Money is committed to Kii investing (“Kingdom Impact Investing.) In other words, we consistently look for ways to have Kingdom Impact through the real estate investments we purchase and the profits we make. If you’re fed up with the rigged game of Wall Street and the unstable US banking system, we have several cash flowing real estate opportunities we are raising money for. We’d love to tell you more!

There’s a line in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet that says, “Know thine self and to thine own self be true.” One of the benefits of age and maturity is we tend to gain a deeper understanding of who God created us to be as individuals and how we can be most useful to His purposes. I’ve always worked to focus on the abilities I’m strong at, vs feeling guilty about the many things I don’t do as well as someone else does. A few months ago, I hired a coach to help me understand my Unique Ability more deeply. I’ve always been a pretty laser-focused person, but I wanted to take my understanding of my unique giftedness to new levels. So far, I’ve had five 2-hour sessions and I have learned a ton about myself. This coaching journey has come at an interesting time of year. This December, I’m reading the Gospel of Luke. There are 24 chapters. So, reading one chapter per day starting on the 1 st brings me through the entire Gospel account by Christmas Eve. I’m always amazed at the intentionality of Jesus. From the time He was a young boy getting left behind at the temple, because He was so engrossed in the teaching environment that He didn’t even know His parents had left … to the purposefulness of His public ministry. Jesus clearly knew who He was and what He was destined to accomplish. This was evident right up until the time He resolutely turned His face toward Jerusalem, fully knowing what was ahead. He didn’t have need for a unique ability coach to clarify God’s call on His life. From my perspective, purpose in life is really about who you are as opposed to what you do. In other words, who are you when no one is around? Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” After exiting my financial services firm in 2010, I found myself in a career transition. I was trying to decide what God wanted me to do in the next chapter of my life. I spent six months fasting, praying, and petitioning God. I desperately wanted to know His direction for my life and what He wanted me to do . When I finally heard His voice, it was short and sweet. He said, “Jeff, I don’t care what you do, I care what you become.” This profoundly impacted me. So, I set out to identify the kind of man I wanted to become in the next season of life. What characteristics did I want to expand? What habits did I want to leave behind? Zig Ziglar said, “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” God showed me that what I become is reflective of my purpose in life. It’s true for me and it is also true for you. A few years back, I met with a couple of young men. They are brothers and they live in the Pacific Northwest. They asked me questions about personal development, career decisions, and life in general. I really appreciated their interest in gaining wisdom and insight. The fact that they asked great questions was impressive to me. One of them asked, “what are the keys to being successful in the real estate business?” When the question was asked, I think they expected me to talk about it being financially lucrative, how you can utilize leverage, how it is tax efficient, etc. However, that is not the track I went down. I started with another quote from Zig Ziglar, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” So many times, people focus on themselves. What’s in it for them? The most successful people in life are more focused on how they can help others. I know when I’m focused on how I can help others, I’m more likely to be in the right place and time. This is when God can fully use me and my unique abilities. Jesus was a master at this. The first step to accomplishing this is to shift your focus outward. When Dennis, Gabe, and I started acquiring real estate, we took time to speak with other landlords and real estate investors to see what we could learn from them. There was one person we met that said something we found quite offensive. He referred to his tenants as “his animals.” As we drove away from that meeting, we made a pact. If we ever started thinking that way, we agreed to sell everything and get out the business. We believe that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their economic position in life. Again, it comes back to the mindset of focusing on other people and helping them get what they want. It’s not a give-to-get thing. It’s your purpose, it’s who you are — as a human being, as a man, as a woman, as a God follower. It makes no difference whether you’re a real estate investor, business owner, employee, homemaker, or retired. Whatever you choose to do, do it through the grid of Loving God and Loving People. You can never go wrong with that mindset. When Jesus was asked in Matthew 22, “What it the greatest commandment?” He gave the following answer, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” My email tag line originates from these verses. It’s the mantra of my life… Love God, Love People, Do Cool Stuff! I’m not sure how it works, but I know that it does work. When I start with Loving God and add a healthy dose of Loving People … Cool Stuff seems to come my way! Jim Rohn said, “There are some things you don’t have to know how it works. The main thing is that it works. While some people are studying the roots, others are picking the fruit. It just depends on which end you want to get in on.” Pick the Fruit this Christmas season that comes from the tree of Loving God and Loving People. I guarantee you’ll love the gift it gives! Merry Christmas Brothers and Sisters! Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team invest@3dmoney.com 320-905-3306

As we approach Thanksgiving, I’d like to express my gratitude for the relationship we have with each of you. You help us to provide housing, jobs, and foods to our local communities. We are grateful for our partnership with you. I am also grateful for the pressing questions that are brought to us each week from our investors. Top of the list continues to be concern about the fragile state of the economy and how that could affect an investment in 3D Money . So, I thought I’d give you a peek behind the curtain in each area of our investment focuses-- Housing, Jobs, and Food. Housing Roger Stabauch said, “It takes a lot of unspectacular effort to experience spectacular results.” This statement is remarkably true in the work force housing marketplace. As background, we started buying housing in 2010. Our tagline was, “reasonably priced housing for modest income families.” We intentionally stayed out of the government subsidized markets because we prefer tenants who pay with their own money vs people who get a handout. This decision has proven to be rewarding. However, one of the biggest challenges in this market niche is collections. The reality is that most of our tenant’s live paycheck to paycheck. Very few have any cash reserves to weather a financial obstacle. Early on, our biggest operational challenges were in areas of reconditioning and refurbishing properties we acquired. Then, in 2020 when the Pandemic hit, our focus changed significantly due to the government’s nearly 2-year long eviction moratorium. When you tell someone who is living paycheck to paycheck that they can choose to either pay or not pay … it is a recipe for disaster. We fought hard during that time. Thankfully, the Supreme Court declared the Action unconstitutional. In the roughly one and a half years since the order was lifted, we have been cleaning up lagging messes. One of the best moves we made this year was to hire a COO. His name is Dean Zuleger and he has been a blessing to our organization. His primary role has been to focus on improving operational efficiencies in our housing portfolio, and he continues to do a stellar job. Many of our tenants are minorities and Dean loves Jesus. So, he always finds ways to love people and minister to them while still being mindful that he has a business to run. We pay Dean well and he continues to be worth every penny. Currently, we are not pursuing acquiring additional housing as the market is in a transitional period. With interest rates rising, the market value of properties for sale is decreasing. However, sellers have not adjusted their prices. So, we remain on the sidelines. We believe there will be buying opportunities on the horizon, but it will take a couple years for the timing to be right. In the meantime, we have three complexes that are still sitting in bridge financing. Since rates have risen, we intend to extend those loans. Our plan is to wait until rates stabilize or hopefully soften. Then, we will pursue a long-term securitized mortgage solution on those complexes. Fortunately, the long-term financing on all our other properties is in place at low rates. Jobs GVL Poly is the contract manufacturer we acquired last year. They are in the plastics and roto molding business. The business has been evenly divided between agricultural, industrial, and residential production. The agricultural business continues to be a steady performer for us. The industrial and residential lines have taken a reduction in revenue due to a slowdown in the economy because of rising interest rates. Existing management is doing a good job of pursuing new business opportunities to replace lost business. The new business is scheduled to come online in the first quarter of next year. To reduce expenses, we have not replaced natural staff attrition, but we will soon have to start hiring again for the new business opportunities in the pipeline. When we acquired the company, we had 48 employees. Employee count currently stands at 33. So, for the time being, we have yet to create the number of new jobs we had hoped to. However, we believe short term fiscal management trumps the long-term goal of job creation. On the current horizon, a significant opportunity has risen. GVL has acquired a small medical device company. We believe the growth potential in this market is exponential and should add further stability to the company’s business revenues in the coming years. Additionally, it will increase shareholder value. Food At the time we acquired GVL last year, it was our highest dollar purchase to date. It was a $13M transaction which took about $10M of investor capital. When the egg producing partnership opportunity with Forsman Farms presented itself, we knew it was a God-sized project. At a completed cost of $100M, it is nearly 10 times bigger than anything we’ve previously done. However, we truly believe God is opening this door for us. The 80-acre site in Renville County, Minnesota had been purchased, permitting is transferred to us, and the site is currently being scraped and prepped for construction. We’ve spent about $5,000,000.00 so far and still plan to construct a few of the smaller buildings yet this year. The large-scale construction will begin in the spring of 2024. By April, we will have invested approximately $11,000,000.00 of investor capital into this project. We have preliminary approval from a Senior Lender, and we are currently going through the underwriting process with them. Our capital need for this project is high. So, we continue to actively pursue investors looking for a place to invest money. As most of you know, we increased our interest rate to 7% and are pleased with how well that has been received. If you have CD’s maturing and are concerned about the ongoing instability in US banks or you are fed up with the roller coaster ride of the stock market, I’d encourage you to consider moving additional funds our way. We are a well-run company that has never missed an interest payment. Many of our investors love the monthly cash flow that our real estate backed, Secured Note offers. Finally, I am personally so thankful for each one of you. Thankful for the trust and confidence you continue to place in us by allowing us to be a part of your financial future. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team invest@3dmoney.com 320-905-3306

John Wooden was arguably one of the greatest coaches in any sport. Here’s how he defined success: “Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” I love that! I frequently get asked why I am still pursuing expansion and growth at the age of 62, when most of my peers are looking for the exit door. There are multiple facets to my answer, but Wooden’s definition of success is certainly a part of it. I love the satisfaction that comes from knowing I am trying to become the best version myself. For me, that means the continual pursuit and improvement of every area of my life. Becoming the best version of myself in my Faith, my Family, my Fitness, and my Finances. Today, I’d like to talk about becoming “the best version of ourselves” in the area of finances. Now, before you tune me out … I realize many of us have a love/hate relationship with the subject of money. None the less, it’s a vitally important topic for us to consider. The Bible has a lot to say on this subject. In fact, would you be surprised if I told you it is the most frequently discussed topic in both the Old and New Testament? According to Churchleaders.com, there are 2,350 verses about money in the Bible, compared with only 500 verses pertaining to topics of faith and prayer. Jesus had a lot to say about money! Nearly 15% of everything He spoke about related to money and possessions. Eaglebrook church, in the Twin Cities, recently asked their attenders to fill out a card that was titled “it would take a miracle to…________” (fill in the blank.) Many of the cards that came back discussed needing a miracle in the areas of money and finances. Here are a few actual responses: It would take a miracle for me to get out of debt. It would take a miracle to be financially free. It would take a miracle for me to avoid bankruptcy. It would take a miracle for my spouse and I to stop fighting about money. It would take a miracle to win the lottery! (No Doubt😊) The truth of the matter is many people struggle with their money. Additionally, it’s unusually hard to discuss money in large group settings, because there is such a wide diversity in where people are at with their finances. There is no “one size fits all” approach. For example, consider the differences between Dave Ramsey and Robert Kiyosaki. Dave is a well-known radio personality who offers financial advice. Robert is the author of the best-selling finance book of all time, “Rich Dad Poor Dad.” Both are very successful, yet their opinions and advice couldn’t be more opposite. While there may be no “one size” that fits everybody, there are some Biblical principles we can draw on that apply to every God Follower. - Proverbs 22:7 “The borrower is slave to the lender.” - Proverbs 13:13 “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” - Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Over and over again, the Bible lays out God’s plan for how we are to manage our money. However, it seems like many Christians don’t know these principles. Or, they are unwilling to abide by them. Harvard did a study in 2018 where they asked 4,000 millionaires how much more money they would need to be happy. The most common response was 10% more. Wealth can be like salt water. The more you have, the thirstier you become. The Apostle Paul had it figured out. In Philippians 4:12 he says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” In the next verse, he tells us how… “I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.” The first money principle my parents taught me was 10/10/80. They instructed me that with every dollar I earned, I should give 10%, save 10% and then I could spend 80%. I’ve lived my whole life by that principle … and it works! The first piece of that principle … giving 10% ... is such an important subject. I can’t close this letter without saying a few words about it. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first of your harvest then your barns will be filled with plenty.” I know there are some people who say that tithing (or giving a tenth of your income) is an Old Testament concept, not a New one. While I understand the position, I can’t get past Luke 11:42 when Jesus says, “you should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things.” So, is tithing the most important thing we can do? No! Loving God and Loving People are the most important things. However, Jesus told us we should still tithe. Generous people prosper! This does not mean giving money to the church will always make you healthy, wealthy, and wise. However, the Bible does teach that generous people prosper. There are many ways to prosper besides money and financial wealth. You can have greater Joy, Peace, Fulfillment… really…all the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Generosity is a guardrail that keeps us from holding on too tightly to our possessions. All throughout the Bible God says, “don’t test Me, don’t test Me, don’t test Me.” So, it is significant when in Malachi 3:10 God says: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” This is the only place in the entire Bible where God says to test Him! My challenge is for you to test God in this area and see what He chooses to do with your faith. Test Him and see if generous people really do prosper. Brothers and Sisters, God can do a miracle in your finances, but it starts with inviting Him into this area of your life. Abiding in faith for you as you seek to trust Him more and more, Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team invest@3dmoney.com 320-905-3306