[…]that will go to the bank rather than your pocket. And it’s important to remember—a paid-off property cannot be foreclosed on if your financial situation changes unexpectedly. As financial expert Dave Ramsey says “100 percent of foreclosures happen to people with mortgages.” Myth #4: I can depreciate my rental property and take a tax deduction You can deduct the “depreciation” of your house every year on your taxes. However, when you sell it you will also have to pay some of that back to the IRS because it now counts as income, costing a homeowner more than $10,000 in taxes […]
[…]of saints. Today is the time to make sure Jesus is your spiritual sponsor for that coming day. Marine Corps: As a sponsor…you provide initial important contact [and] first impression of our unit. Jesus provides the connection between God and us, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). Navy: Meet incoming Sailors/families…Remember the feelings and confusion experienced as a new arrival. Jesus knows our weaknesses, feelings, and fears, “For we do not have a […]
[…]and the pleasure of spending time with the Lord begins to fade in all the noise. I’m reminded of the true-life story of Jim Morris in the movie The Rookie, a high school baseball coach who achieves his dream of making it to a major league farm club after being challenged by his players to try out. But the simple joy of just playing baseball begins to fade in the minor league world of travel, low pay, and concern for his struggling family’s welfare. On the verge of giving up, Morris’ wife dissuades him from quitting by recounting their young […]
[…]was getting a divorce in the first place. His response included a detailing of his wife’s two one-night-stands, the second one resulting in a pregnancy with baby due any day. My self-righteousness abated and my soul began to ache at the realization of my sin, completely jumping to conclusions when I didn’t have all the facts. Mahatma Gandhi, a leader of India who championed nonviolent civil disobedience, is quoted as saying, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians.” His problem with the Christian faith isn’t Jesus Christ—it is us. I proved Gandhi right that afternoon with […]
[…]the dialogue box-and keep it open Seek to understand your wife or husband’s need, goal, or point of view Commit to caring for the other’s concerns Catch, pray for, and cooperate with God’s vision Serve each other with proper motives Following an interactive session, a young spouse asked us, “So how do you grow together spiritually?” Our response was to start with these basics of good communication: Routine spiritual pulse check. Safeguard from serving on an empty tank. Weekly calendar merge. Share, know, and be involved with what each other is doing. Inquire about what your husband or wife is […]
[…]to the OCF Class of 2012! We who have gone before welcome you to the profession of arms and the start of your great race the Lord has set before you. Crossing the threshold, you now carry two commissions simultaneously: one conferred on you from our Commander in Chief and one from the King of kings. You are now a Christian officer. Notice that “Christian” is in the adjectival position; your Christianity is preeminent and modifies, shapes everything else you do. As you launch out on your race, you can be comforted by some sage advice from the apostles. […]
[…]my active duty days–cyber-war, in which we would initially defend against by employing “defense-in-depth.” This defense-in-depth consisted of a firewall, providing a perimeter of defense to keep out the bad guys, and anti-virus software patrolling within the perimeter to ensure nothing had slipped through to do damage, steal information, or render you useless. The last line of defense was the user who employed a password or other measures to encrypt and protect their information. In the spiritual world, we can draw the same analogy-our defense-in-depth measures include fellowship, which acts as our perimeter defense, surrounding us with brothers and sisters […]
