Melva Gifford

Sometimes our biggest problems are created by our responses to decisions. I hope the following lesson can be of use to youth ministries, family devotional, family counselors and home evening groups. Today’s topic is how we respond to temptation. Tilting the boat excessively to one side and little a little water in can be  compared to temptation. Just one short tilt and we get a little water in, but if we keep tilting the boat more water comes in until our boat may be comprised with too much water and we could sink. Or if there is a hole in our boat, neglect to a personal vulnerability we have and we don’t tend that weakness. The leak could grow until we are once more compromised.

Object lesson: tub of water, a bowl, pebbles, and a chop stick.

Get a glass or plastic bowl and put it in a tub of water. Press the side of the bowl with a chop stick to one side and a little water comes in. The bowl still floats. Let more water in again and again until the bowl finally sinks because it can’t hold all the water. This can be compared to how we respond to a small temptations. One little nibble to something we are weak at and it doesn’t have any known affect. But as we dip/submit to more and more our temptation, they may become a habit or an addition and we may get sunk.

Maybe discuss that a bowl that is empty will rest high in the water. But then gradually add small pebbles into the bowl and the bowl gets heavier and heavier until it is equal or below the water line. What was once a small temptation becomes a constant challenge.

Maybe discuss with the family or class possible ‘small’ temptation that may become large. Find a reference to high profile crime. Maybe brainstorm how the person accused of a crime may have succumbed to a first temptation. Discuss various temptat6ion and techniques on how to avoid temptation. Also discuss how prayer and living a life close to God can aide in fighting temptation and addiction. We also have to change our actions. Maybe also discuss how who we choose to associate with or our small actions can contribute or defend against temptation.

If you have any ideas to contribute to this idea, please feel free to share in the comment section of this blog. Thanks.

Here are my notes of the speech from Sen. Mike Lee when he spoke at the rally of the Republican Utah conference. I tried to be as accurate as I could and hope I haven’t misrepresented the speaker in any way.

–          Government has become too big and intrusive.

–          The word, politics can be divided up is two words. Politics when broken up can mean two things: Poli means two and ticks are blood sucking insects.

–          America is great because of what we do.

–          We need to share what we are for not what we are against.

–          Lee has three recommendations:

–          1. I invite each of you to read the Constitution, this weekend or if not the whole constitution, then at least article 1 section 8.

–          2. Support candidates who stand for freedom.

–          3. Help me get elected 2016.

Bad: salid or saled

Good: salad

It’s usually easy to remember the first A. Here is a way to remember the second. People eat salads to get a well-balanced meal. Thus I remember two As because they are perfectly balanced since they’re both the exact letter, A.

Can you think of a better mnemonic to spell this? please feel free to share in the comment section of this blog.

During a finance seminar last August  I took notes on the topic of myths of investing. Hope they will be of interest.

–          Average American can save their way to retirement.

–          Wall Street Journal article: retirees take high stock price and low bond yields.

–          -rule of 72. Means that your current fund times 72 gives you the amount of time that that fund will double. Example 100×72 = 72 years (I believe).

–          Liens earn double their rate every four years. This is how you can get 18%

–          Real estate investments can double every 2 1/2 years.

–          CDs will take 35 years to double.

–          Money market has a return it starts at .7, which is bad.

–          Five-year treasury. Offers 1.49×72 equals to double.

–          People invest because they feel comforted by the label. FDIC.

–          DIC once would have $1.25 protection for every $100 in the bank.

$100 in the bank has $.25 coverage in 2009

It got worse with Bush and now is bankrupt under Obama.

–          The Dodd and Frank act was supposed to help with the Federal Reserve, but it didn’t.

–          I need more degrees to make more money.

–          If I do what my parents did I’ll be set

–          Get out of your comfort zone:

–          Book: awakened the great within by Anthony Robbins

–          Investing follows an 18 year cycle.

–          Quote: if I can’t, I must

–          Book: think and grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. The book is about a study of Oxford students. 3% of the students had goals written out, planned for their lives and careers. At the time of graduation. 20 years later at the Oxford reunion. The author interviewed the class and the 3% had a marketing plan made more money than the 97% of students who didn’t have a plan.

–          10% of households declared bankruptcy in the last 5 to 6 years.

–          You need to diversify your sources of income by doing the following.

–          A: Asset protection.

–          B. Cash flow in such things as commercial real estate

–          C: instant equity such an as in residential property.

–          D. Hedge investing, tax liens and deeds.

–          10K lease option.

–          Article: the greatest retirement crisis in American history.

Have something to add to the list, please put it in the comment section of this blog. Thanks

At times, a goal may not be achieved first time we endeavor to gain it. Many times a major goal can be accomplished through a succession of smaller goals or building gradually building our mindset to achieve a specific goal. I hope today’s lesson can be of use to youth ministries, family counselors, family devotionals and home evening groups.

At church, I have gained some wonderful advice. One great point is that before I face a challenge of a moral concept that I should make a decision on how I may respond to certain temptation. Prior to actually facing that challenge, if I already have my decision made, and all I have to do is follow through and not have to debate making a difficult decision when I’m highly tempted to do something I may later regret.

Making a decision is like tying a knot in a rope, cord or thread. A small knot when pulled to the material may pop through because the knot is not large enough to be stopped by the material. However, if you carefully tie a second knot around the first knot the ball of thread or rope becomes thicker, making it more difficult to pass through the material. Tie the knot a third time and it becomes even more difficult to pass through. This is how we can accomplish our goals. If you want to remain chaste, for example, it can be easier by making an early decision before we faced temptation to be chase. Then as we already decided how we will respond that is the first temptation. We have made the foundation knot. The second, larger, knot is accomplished by following through with our previous decision and not compromising ourselves when tempted. That second knot secures and supports the first. The knot becomes bigger still want we continue to resist the same temptation.

Another way to think of this is if you want to accomplish a goal of serving the Lord, by becoming more spiritually active. We might already be attending church weekly and we’ve established a pattern of that. But now we want to do something more. Making such a decision is our first knot. Our decision to read the scriptures daily is our second knot. We even establish reading the scriptures as a habit. The third-larger knot gets created by working on daily prayer and pausing in our prayers to give Heavenly Father a chance to inspire us through the Holy Spirit.

Here is a third way our using the knot in a rope concept. What of our goal to gain a higher education? The first knot is making that decision. The second knot might be saving money for it and study hard in high school, so we have good grades. The third is that we work efficiently in college to get good grades and learn our craft.

Think of all the wonderful, talented people in the world who excel in their careers. Think who you know who can play instruments well, or those who play sports. Each of these talented people took hours and hours practicing to excel in their abilities. As Christians, we endeavor to live good lives through daily practice. Work at it hard enough and consistently enough and we become more successful in our goals.

Today’s object lesson: a long strip of road or several long strands of court or stream.

Tie the first knot in the rope and talk about the goal as it’s first created. Then tie the second knot on top of the first and how that knot can prevent the end of the thread from going through the material.

Another way to implement this concept is by tying a succession of knots along a rope or thread. Talk about how successions of goals climbing up the rope ladder. Climbing the succession of knots/smaller goals can help you accomplish a major goal. Talk by achieving smaller goals through the climb.

If you have any ideas of how to contribute to this concept, please feel free to share them in the comment section this blog. Thank you

Here are my notes of the speech from Reince Priebus when he spoke at the rally of the Republican Utah conference. I tried to be as accurate as I could and hope I haven’t misrepresented the speaker in any way.

–          Here are my notes of the speech from Reince Priebus when he spoke at the rally of the Republican Utah conference. I tried to be as accurate as I could and hope I haven’t misrepresented the speaker in any way.

–          Here we mark the place of freedom.

–          We need leaders who honor their word.

–          We need leaders who govern as they campaign.

–          During the last Presidential election, the Republican Party was about $35 million in debt. We had 80 employees for the whole nation.

–          The Democrat party had 800 employees just in Florida. We are now no longer in debt.

–          The left will work four years in a state building a support system for an election, while the Republicans will devote energies only during the last year prior to the election.

–           Our party needs to get obsessed about mechanics.

–          The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

–          If we are not going to be big and bold, we should not be here.

In addition here are a couple of comments by Utah attorney general, Sean Reyes:

–          I will continue to fight for the will of Utah State. I swear I’ll obey on the laws of Utah.

Feastable

Festival

When I envision a festival I see a bunch of streamers, signs and balloons. It looks like a valley of decoration with the party nestled in the middle, thus I thing of VAL (VALley) and the end of the word. Do not think of table because people are sitting but are moving around conversing and partying.

During a finance seminar last August  I took notes on the topic on Real estate as a business. Look at the list and see if any of it is of use to you.

–          Some people can earn 18% by state mandated loans.

–          Book: value investing.

–          Quote: the most important people in your life or your spouse, your children, and your mentor. In that order. The first will make you happy, the second makes you proud and the third makes you successful.

–          The number one cause of failed businesses is that they are undercapitalized.

–          Different kinds of real estate investments:

1. RCFE: means residential care for elderly. This is a good choice for real estate investment.

RCFE Is the only facility that can bypass the restrictions of a housing authority were to be put in a residential area.

Good source of income.

2. Billboards. The locations for new billboards are usually in new areas where constructions being done.

Companies such as Viacom may manage billboard rentals

Ground outdoors is a company in Texas that manages over 200 billboards.

Sometimes people can rent a billboard for $2800 a month. Thus, this makes a great source of income.

3. Storage facilities. Is also a good way to passive income.

4. Tax lien or tax deeds: you only need an Internet connection.

Arizona is a good state this type of investment

Asset protection:

–          Protect your assets

–          You control the assets, but you don’t own them. Thus, people can’t take them away from you.

–          Investing criteria has three components:

–          Risk:       you want the lowest risk possible.

–          A cash savings you will always lose because of inflation and compounding provides negative returns

–          Return: wealth managers provide low returns.

–          Tax loan and deeds give high returns.

–          Liquidity: need access to your taxes.

–          Annuity is an insurance product.

–          Is constructed guarantees.

–          Sellers of annuity take 10% in the first year.

–          Tax deeds and liens. You can get out in nine months. If necessary.

Have advice to add, please provide ideas in the comment section of this blog.