It’s that time of year again. Here are a few items that may apply to your personal tax return. As always, if you have questions, please consult your tax preparer or irs.gov. Do you itemize or take the standard deduction? Standard deduction is $12,200 for a single person – $24,000 for a couple filing jointly. If you […]
On January 3, 2018, Monumental United Methodist Church was having some weather-proofing done on the steeple. A propane torch used in the weather-proofing ignited the steeple. The fire destroyed the steeple, and water ruined the sanctuary. After two years of meeting in the Fellowship Hall and Centenary UMC, the church is re-built and fully back […]
It’s Christmas time and houses are being decorated, stores are having sales, and everyone is planning where they will be on Christmas. I John 1:1-4 tells us the purpose of Christmas. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. Christmas is about the […]
Housekeeping really matters and it is not always a matter of vacuuming and washing the windows. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” Our body is God’s temple and we need to treat it as our dwelling place. Housekeeping […]
For many people, the holiday season is a time of family togetherness and goodwill. But for many others, the holidays are lonely and dreadful times. Perhaps a loved one is missing, or you are separated from family and friends in a new community far from home. Others find the holiday season very stressful due to […]
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to remind one another of the many reasons there are to be grateful. 1 Chronicles 16:34 says, “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever.” And the Lord is good! He has blessed the Foundation with a wonderful ministry which would not […]
As Christmas approaches, a lot goes through our minds: what to give everyone, who to invite to that special party, and where will we eat Christmas Dinner? In addition to all the planning is the nagging thought, “have I paid enough in taxes and have I paid my 2019 Church pledge and what am I […]
“When I got off the bus there was a chocolatey smell coming from Mrs. Turner’s back porch.” “Come on over, Jonathan and have a cookie,” she called to me. Then, while I ate cookies and drank milk, I’d tell Mrs. Turner about my day at school. One day when my friend, Mitch, and I […]
I wonder what your most valuable possession is? Many might say their home, while others might say their businesses. Many years ago Bob Buford said at a Seminar, “It seems insane to me that a person would be willing to trade what he has a shortage of – time – in order to gain more […]
There is a longstanding history of connectionalism in the United Methodist Church. The Discipline states, “Connectionalism in the United Methodist tradition is multi-leveled, global in scope and local in thrust. Our connectionalism is not merely a linking of one charge conference to another. It is rather a vital web of interactive relationships.” (Book of Discipline […]