To view the complete 2009 Annual Report, click here.Over the course of 2009, our nation as a whole was encountering some fairly rough waters. We faced the challenges of an uncertain economy as financial markets continued to fluctuate after the upheaval of 2008. Banks were closing, bailouts were being handed out, and some major U.S. companies even seemed to be on the brink of collapse.
However, to our surprise, FDLIC seemed to be doing fine... in fact, we were doing great! In 2009, FDLIC experienced its most successful year in the history of the company.
"I was in total awe and amazement," writes FDLIC President and CEO Kris Seale in the 2009 Annual Report titled Staying the Course. "That is why I felt impressed to give something back to God. Through His guidance, wisdom, and protective hand, we (me personally, our management team, and our company) had been more than saved, we had been blessed! And thus grew the idea of the Sabbath Year for FDLIC."
What is the Sabbath Year? For one, it's all about "staying the course." When things start to go well, we tend to start resting on our laurels. We become complacent and pat ourselves on the back, saying, "I've done pretty well for myself."
But that's exactly what we want to avoid at this critical juncture in the life of our company. We have to stay the course and remain focused on what is truly important. For the Sabbath Year, Kris has granted the employees of FDLIC the option to take a 30-day Sabbatical with pay during the year. By declaring a Sabbath Year for our company, Kris is saying to us, "Don't forget what's most important in life! Don't forget to give the glory to God." We want to continue to do things well, with a purpose and renewed vision for the times that lie ahead. With this gift of time to renew our hearts and rediscover our purpose, we hope to come back with more passion than ever to live a life that is pleasing to God and to serve others as unto the Lord. We hope to stay the course by remembering where our ship is headed, and who our true Navigator is.
The employees of FDLIC would like to thank Kris for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to focus on rest, redemption, reflection, reward & repair, relationships and time to refocus. Words cannot really express what this gift means to those of us who have chosen to take on this challenge, to fully engage what will no doubt be a transformative life experience.