Melva Gifford

I hope the following idea can be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals, family counselors, and family home evenings.

Let’s say you meet someone and from the first impression you see, he or she is an outstanding individual. This person is so impressive that you would do anything to be able to associate with him. You would like to be his friend and have him consider you as his trusted friend. Because this person is so impressive, you seek to be on your best behavior when you associate with him. In fact, you start altering your behavior to present your best self to this person

You realize that this person is not artificial but is authentic in their relationships. That means complete honesty of your strengths and weaknesses as you communicate with this person. Because this person has accomplished so much in his life, you hope that you’re association with this person will help enable you to greater success. You would like this person to be your mentor. Now you need to figure out how to convince this person that you now have the mindset to reach greater heights if he will simply advise you on the techniques of success.

This person is Christ. We learn from the Scriptures all the wonderful things that he has done. Because of his deep understanding of human nature, further, gained through his experiences in the garden of Gethsemane, He understands each of us more than anyone else.

If Christ was a business associate, and each of us were to become a partner with Christ; what would we do up hold out part of the partnership? Christ would be delighted to mentor us, but he wonders if we are committed to the eternal goals we want to achieve? If each of us wanted to create a business partnership with Christ what would be our mission statement of such a business?

I invite each of us to create a list of what traits and behaviors we would want to develop to be a partner with Christ. A mission statement might be a signified by Scripture that holds significance to you when it comes to a relationship with Christ. The values of you and Christ’s business would represent the teachings of Christ. Such a business partnership would contain yearly goals decade goals and eternal goals.

Discuss with the family or class. What kind of standards. The business should contain in order for Christ to want to be a part of that organization. If your family mostly consist of younger members maybe have them discuss creating a club instead of a business, with Christ as President and the child as vice president. What kind of club would it be?

It’s always fun when I can promote the talents of another individual. This coming Friday, January 31 at the SCERA in Orem will be not display by the illustrator, picture book, artist’s Cyrene Swallow.

Here is her website: http://abrushwithcolor.com/

When you have a chance, take a look at her Gallery. She also has a Facebook page. Her show opens at 6: 30 p.m. and wraps up by 8: 30 p.m. on January 31. The Scera movie theater is on Scera Park, 699 S State St, Orem, UT 84058.

Also check out Cyrene Swallow’s Facebook page.

I always want to spell this word with an A rather than an I. The only thing I can think of is using a visual image for this word. If I want to be flexible than one good way to do so, is to lift barbells or hand weights. The little dot over the I can represent a hand weight.

Another possibility would be I want to be more flexIble. Maybe I’ll remember the eye that way

Bad: Flexable

Good: flexIble

If you have a better way to help on the spelling here, please feel free to share in the comment section this blog

One way some people are coming up with a way for secondary income is to buy a home from a tax deed sale and then rinse it. Here are some ideas on what to look for when you want to select a property that may be good rent material.

1. You want to buy a home in a community that is growing rather than having people leaving. That will provide a better selection of customers who may want to rent your home.
2. If you’re looking for a good deal, by way of deed, then you might want to consider 10 or 20% cost of the overall worth of the deed property as your point of investment. That would be a good range.
3. Sake of brick exterior is considered a more desirable surface then other items when considering renting of a home. It’s more stable and indicates higher quality.
4. Many people want to rent a home that will maximize their convenience. This includes a home that has a garage
5. As you decide upon which home to buy and later rent, you would will want to consider the quality of the neighborhood and surrounding resources that make the location. A convenient place to rent. This may range from easy access to main highways and roads to schools, stores, and perhaps entertainments.
6. The status of the neighborhood should also be a part of the determination. When choosing a home to rent. This would include avoiding areas that show signs of crime and graffiti.
7. Many people don’t like having of responsibility managing a rented home. So for usually 10% of the rent, the homeowner can hire a managing company to take care of the residents on the homeowner’s behalf.

If you have rented a home or have some experience and advice to renting a home, please feel free to share your input in the comment section of this blog.

I hope the following lesson can be useful to family counselors, family devotionals, youth ministries and family home evenings. Winter is my least favorite time of year. I hate being cold and dislike the restricted movement that bad weather often provides such as shorter darker days, bad weather, snow and ice.

As a counterpoint, I know many people find winter to be their favorite time of year. And so, for today’s lesson, I propose an idea that would be executed during the time of each family member’s worst time of the year. In my case, since this winter. This lesson would apply to me now.

On a select day that doesn’t have whether that would discourage travel. It would be good for people who hate winter to be introduced to the good things winter. one way that this can help me is while still within the confines of a warm, comfortable car members of my family could go somewhere where winter is in its full glory. I would have the chance to see the beautiful snow on mountains, perhaps the frozen waterfalls, take a moment to make a snowman or to try skiing, or maybe even tubing down the hill. As long as I am dressed warm and prepared for the event, and I can associate with family and friends there, what might be otherwise considered an unpleasant experience could be transformed into a pleasant one.

A number of scenarios could be created that can only be executed during the winter, such as tubing down the hill, or having a snow fight with loved ones or friends. It would also be an appropriate time if I take the opportunity teach young ones how the change of seasons can help trees go to the lifecycles are how animals can hibernate and come out in the spring. It would be nice for me to remember and teach how the importance of snow contributes to the earth. The collection of snow can provide essential water during the summer.

Winter sports is also a wonderful opportunity for people to have a whole new slew of adventures that can’t necessarily be obtained during other times of the year.

Another good idea, if possible is to team up with friends/another family who actually loves winter. Have their passion for the season infect yours. There is no bigger advertisement of something than from a true fan. and since they may be experienced wintereers they may have tricks that may make the adventure even more fun.

If you have family members who hate the summer, and there would be a time arranged with the family could enjoy different attributes of summer. Provide circumstances will they can be comfortable with having fun with family and friends, and thus create and experience that may will be interpreted as fun. That way, for those that hate summer and the heat they might be able to learn how even the heat is part of the change of seasons. In the summer, we have access to fresh harvest of fruits and vegetables that provide wonderful flavor when they are picked at their peak. We are able to enjoy the shade of a tree or gentle breeze.

So this is just an invitation that if there’s something we normally hate we might be able to combat that preconceived perception by providing scenarios that display that time of year in more pleasant forms.

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

I had a Facebook friend express concern that President Bush never got the level of hate that President Obama now gets.  I remember the intense hate quite clearly.

Here is a short list.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2013/04/25/the-insiders-why-do-they-hate-bush/

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/50-reasons-you-despised-george-w-bushs-presidency-reminder-day-his-presidential

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1237314/posts

Bush-Hating Nation

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/09/28/152665/-Why-We-Hate-George-W-Bush#

I guess since I don’t like many of the things that Harry Reed is doing I’m also anti-white. Drats they’ve caught me.

Bad: Sophiscated

Good: sophisticated.

Whenever I think of wanting to use the F sound in his fancy way to spell the word I think of pH. And of course being a sophisticated person I would naturally spell it with pH. It’s the middle. The word that I also check over. I think of the word fist as part of the middle of the word, but still at the office with the pH. The last part of the word. I cated. seems to not be a problem for my spelling. Thus, soPHIST-icated.

Do you have a trick to spell this word correctly, please feel free to share. Thanks.

1. Obtain a list. This is usually done through the County assessor.

2. Narrow your selection. The conditions of the neighborhood may influence the future cell. How should invest in.

3. Pull records, county etc. you are look at the property to see what current conditions in and see what improvements of a done to it.

4. Determine exit strategy and maximum bid. Depending upon if you want to read the property or resell it may influence what kind of home you want to buy.

5. Auction registration and bid. It might be good to attend an option prior to participating, so you can see how it is run.

6. If you are interested in investing in more than one property, you might want to do it in the same area for the ease of management