ENCOURAGED IN HEART

Wanted to pass along an invite to a support group for mothers of elementary-aged children!

If you mention my name, you’ll get no discount whatsoever (how’s that for a plug?!) BUT you could save money on gas cause I’ll load you up in my sexy mini van (I’m not selling this very good am I?) Please pass this along to a friend who could use a night out filled with fun and encouragement from other women/Moms – there is space available!

I went last night and was encouraged to learn my children’s love language, make a vision for my family, had hot tea and a treat and WON A POT BELLY’S GIFT CARD in the free raffle! Woo-hoo!

Next month they’re discussing paying for college! Hope you can make it!

NEW FOR 2009!!! ELEMENTARY MOPS GROUP!

Christian Fellowship Church is proud to be one of
only five pilot programs in the country for the next chapter of
MOPS-Elementary moms!

At Elementary Moms, you’ll be welcomed, accepted and
inspired to reach your full potential and recognize your influence
within your family and the world!

     Our monthly meetings are designed to encourage, equip and renew the elementary mom!

 

 Common Questions

Who can participate?                   

Moms who have at least one child of elementary school age.

Do I need to register?                                   

Yes, registration is required.  You can also register when you come by simply filling out a short information sheet.

Are there any fees?                                     

 Yes, MOPS moms pay $10 to join and non-MOPS moms pay $20.  Financial assistance is available.

What do I need to bring?                              

Just yourself to the first meeting, we will alternate bringing food to share.

May I bring my children?                               

Though we love our children, the evening is designed for moms only.

I’m already in MOPS.  May I attend this too?   

As long as you have one child of elementary school age, you are welcome to come!     

What will the evening meeting look like?
Moms will enjoy appetizers and desserts during the welcoming social
time, followed by a speaker, and end with small group discussion. 

 

Room 118 from 6:45 – 8:45 p.m.

Meeting Dates for 2009

February 26th

March 26th

April 23rd

         May 28th          

      For more information contact:

Kristen Mason at masonkt@msn.com

(703)433-6197  

 

                                                                       

 To register contact:

Barb Fontaine at befontaine@aol.com

(703)430-3707

http://www.cfellowshipc.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=9192

Hi again!  Well, in the past three weeks, we’ve talked about budgets, paying yourself, and tithing.  This week, we are are going to talk about paying “the man”.  That’s right taxes.  (Cue the Imperial Death March from Star Wars…)

Most of Americans dread this time of year.  Between mid-January and the end of February, we are greeted weekly with mail labeled, “IMPORTANT TAX INFORMATION ENCLOSED!”

I know you’ll think I’m nuts (and Steph would verify your thoughts), but I actually look forward to tax season.  WHY?!?  Because I plan ahead.  Because of the planning, I ensure that I don’t owe taxes at the end of the year.  That means a payday for my family.  Cha Ching!

So, how do I plan ahead?  I carefully analyze my paycheck withholding.  You don’t want to over withhold.  If you do that, even though you guarantee a tax refund, you are in essence giving the government an interest free loan on your money!  You don’t want to under withhold, because then you will owe taxes.  It’s a delicate balancing act.  If, you’ve gotten huge refunds in previous years, you most likely are under withholding.  Couldn’t you put that extra money in your paycheck to good use?  I know I can.  You can download the withholding form from the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf.  Make sure you do the entire worksheet.

If you change your withholding, check your tax liability quarterly to make sure you are on track.  You can do this by doing a Google search for “calculate tax liability.”  There are numerous online calculators out there that you can use.  You’ll have to estimate what your end of year numbers for 1040 information (Salary, Other Income, Deductions (Mortgage Interest, Property Taxes, Charitable Giving), etc.) will look like but if you’ve established a budget, that won’t be difficult to do.

If you find that you over-corrected in the beginning and are now on track to owe taxes, fill out another W-4 to adjust your withholding again.  The sooner you catch any possible mistakes, the better off you will be.

Oh, and before I forget, for those of you that do your own taxes, COSTCO has a $10 dollar off coupon for TurboTax until 25 Jan 09.  Cha Ching!

That’s it for now.  See you next week!

Monday brought a leisurely morning thanks to the honorable Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Dave had the day off and we were able to talk over our morning coffee as the boys continued their “Wii-fest” contentedly down stairs.  In only the
way Dave knows how, he busted our talk into the least common denominator with, “No one’s
perfect.” I envy his ability to be
concise and precise…cause he’s married to the anti-concise (no, I did not write the anti-christ, thank you very much!).

No one’s perfect – yet God still loves us and pursues us! I thought about that as I continued to read (and just finished) Redeeming Love.

What an amazing story of an imperfect woman loved by a Perfect God!!!

Today I faced a brisk
morning that necessitated a combined private time and exercise.  My legs burned rubber while my spirit got encouraged in Job.

(What, isn’t your elliptical in your guest room too?!?!)

As minute 29 (of 30) approached, I went into road runner
mode

I gave my best performance for the last minute, to end on
a high note. I glanced down to monitor my activity.  My legs accelerated until the top level, “Performance” light illuminated.

See what I was going for? The top, “Performance” – know what
God wants from me? The next step down, “Endurance”.   My “training zone” was my living zone too!

Ouch.

No one’s perfect…

So to put the sprinkles on the cake, here’s His loving word,
a huge hug for me…that I just “received” moments before I busted out into my “performance” sprint session…

Do you think he’s dependent on your accomplishments?
The only ones who care whether you’re good or bad are your family and friends and neighbors. God’s not dependent on your behavior. Job 35: 4-8 (The
Message)

Where are you on the performance scale – still addicted to “works”
or performing for God? Though “works” are both important
and good, God is not dependent on our behavior, but desires our heart!