Melva Gifford

Today’s lesson is going to take an interesting twist today and I am not sure if my idea is going to flop. But the concept has been useful to me, personally. We’ll see if parents and teachers agree or not. I hope this topic can be of use to youth ministries, family counselors, family devotionals and home evenings.

Let me first tell you the origin of the idea. I was quite under the weather today and stayed home all day and only begun feeling better in the afternoon. Only as I began to feel better did I thank God for the return of my health. It is something I take for granted frequently as well as taking for granted my family, home, friends and my country. It seems I have to feel like crap to be reminded of my health blessings.

I think all of us take things for granted. But maybe there is a way to be reminded of blessings without always having to lack those blessings to remember them. Here are some ideas that might be of use.

1. See photos of before and after shots of under privileged situations. For example a vacant lot that has been turned into a beautiful neighborhood park or bare shelves at a church or food pantry that gets restocked because of the generosity of the neighborhood and congregation.
2. The catastrophe of an event of nature but then show of people coming and helping those who have been hurt. Or perhaps, show examples of how people have brought people who have no home into their own homes. Even family members or friends helping others in need even if they don’t know them.
3. People taking the time with youth groups or big sisters or brothers or other community or national projects.
4. My more extreme example is to record the audio of a child when they are sick. Record their voice their sadness but then record them having fun and being in peek health. It might be a way to remind them of the difference between a challenge and a blessing after the challenge.

That is at least a few ideas of how we might be reminded of our blessings without having to remember the hard way. If you have an alternative means of share this concept, please share it in the comment section of this blog.

there was a meeting on the development of Orem tonight. I missed it due to scheduling conflicts. This video is excerpts made by the Principal and Founder of DPZ, named Andres Duany regarding Seven50. Why is DPZ in our City? Find out tonight at 6:00 P.M.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3rGwpyNwnY

This is a link to DPZ website:

http://www.dpz.com/About/People

If anyone went to the meeting, would you be willing to share your observations in the comment section of this blog for others to read? Thank you.

Bad: synopsys

Good: synopsis

I have two ways to remember the spelling this word.

First is to remember to spell the word, synopSIS like sounds, ie:  SIS at the end.

Second is that a lot of times the synopsis is a sister document included with a query letter when a writer is submitting a manuscript to an editor or agent. Thus, synopSIS is a SISter document .

If you have alternative ideas, please provide them in the comment section of this blog

Last fall I attend a financial workshop and learned some great stuff. Here are some of my notes on liens and deeds. Hope this can be of interest.

–          Tax liens, when a person get in the first position to acquire the property due to the original owners, nonpayment of taxes. The only exception is New Mexico.

–          Utah is a tax deed state.

–          Get about 10 or 20 tax liens on different properties.

–          You can contact the owner about the debt.

–          Second quarter is when the tax liens get sold.

–          Over-the-counter: is when you buy properties after the auction.

–          Homeowners usually pay their taxes from their tax refunds.

–          Tax deeds: bye foreclosure properties of people who have not paid their taxes. You will not have to pay the mortgage on this property.

–          If you want to buy property. This is a good way to do it.

–          Article: by delinquent tax rolls jump.

–          Tax payment is often 2K

–          Most liens are paid three fourth’s quarter of the year.

–          Lien is of transfer of ownership of debt.

–          When we get tax liens of certificates stored in a database, so it’s easy to manage.

–          Texas pays 25% of tax lien as a penalty to the homeowner.

–          Risk: many liens often go into foreclosure.

–          This is a good investment because your rights. The property is prioritized over everyone else.

–          Fair market cell: new buyer owns tax debt.

–          Bankruptcy: when the house gets sold. You get paid.

–          Divorce: still get paid.

–          Burns down, you still land if inch insured house. You get in search money to repair a bill the house

Have something to add to the list? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

Tonight’s theme was inspired by a Facebook quote. I shared a message similar to the following: ‘Four quarters is better type of friendship than a 100 pennies’. When it comes to good friends it is better to have four quarters than a hundred pennies. I hope today’s lesson can be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals and family home evenings.

Let’s take a moment and consider what a 25c friend would be compared to a penny friend. A quarter is a higher currency because of more metal in the coin. More metal could mean a friend who is willing to go the extra mile. For me, a true friend is someone who will tell me the truth even if it is painful.  It would be someone I would feel comfortable in calling up in an emergency.

They would be a person who has shown me worth the investment of their time and vicsa versa. Common values or intent can be shared. If two close friends have a difference opinion on a topic, than the friendship concentrates upon things we share in common.

A penny may be someone for a fun conversation but a true relationship has not been developed yet. Pennies may have a future capability of becoming quarts by both sides of the friendship treating someone like they would want to be treated.

Discuss with the class or family what a quarter could purchase to a penny. Maybe for young family members discuss what might be required to earn a quarter over what is needed to earn a penny? The investment of effort and time would be more because the currency is worth more. So the same can be said of friendships.

If you have a way on how this object lesson could be applied in another way, please feel free to share it in the comment section of this blog. Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFAdBdL87Xg&list=PLFpomMxqmUAz-ClPUYHQwtTqW0_Hradar

Bad: repitition

Good: repetition

I’m not overly happy with this idea but we’ll see if it works. When you want to train a pet to do a trick it requires a lot of repetition and rewards. So remember the word rePETition  in repetition.

Have an alternative idea? Please share it in the comment section of this blog.

Last fall I attend a financial workshop and learned some great stuff. Here are some of my notes on How to lose money in tax liens.

–          purchasing back. Property that can’t serve a value.

–          Area is in a flood zone, here you can lose money.

–          You must do due diligence in researching what properties to dueling on.

–          Avoid areas that have passed chemical pollution.

–          Vacant properties are properties that do not have a home, but his broad land.

–          Look at the use code to determine the use of the land.

–          Meth lab: do a pencil title search. This will check the history of a house.

–          Tax lien investment is usually 2% of the worth of the house.

–          Many people will start the tax lien business with doing 10 3K properties.

Have any suggestions to add to the list? Please feel free to add you feedback in the comment section of this blog.