Our heavenly Father, as the old year ends and a new year begins, forgive us for the failures of the vanished days. Keep us from vain regrets, and let us face forward in the light of the best that we have learned from the past.
Can pastors ever retire?
Market Commentary February 2018
We all have been somewhat spoiled by the smooth upward rise of the market for the last several years, but now that “roller coaster” feeling of the stock market is back. So far, February has been an eventful month for the stock market, dropping nearly 8% from recent highs. Although investors experienced an unusually calm and positive ride in 2017, volatility is back.
New Year, New You: Get Financially Fit!
The Season of Giving
Our culture puts a strong emphasis on giving (and spending!) during the holiday season. Most of the advertisements you hear during the season involve a sale to help you buy a present to give to someone you care about. At the same time, you hear organizations making their final push to meet their year-end budget goals and potentially attract new donors. It is rare to go the holiday season without being solicited to give a tax-deductible year end gift. This is all for good reason. Giving charitable contributions isn’t only a good thing to do, but qualified charitable contributions to qualified organizations are tax deductible in the year the contribution is made. Sometimes it is even wise to accelerate giving you intend on doing in the beginning of the next year into the end of the current year.
Does your Wealth have a Hold on You?
In this season of Thanksgiving, the question must be asked regarding our wealth: do we have a handle on our finances, or does our wealth have a hold on us?
I well remember thanking the good Lord when my husband asked me to marry him 34 years ago. I was deeply in love, thoroughly moon-eyed and so thankful he had asked! But, let me share the rest of the story.