One Heartbeat at a Time

By MAD21

My friend Bridget Chumbley did a beautiful tribute to her mom last week on her blog. In her post she included a video someone put together for Mother's Day with a song sung by Steven Curtis Chapman. I think every mother should hear it, and be encouraged by it.

You're up all night with a screaming baby
You run all day at the speed of life
And every day you feel a little bit less
Like the beautiful woman you are

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Why A Roth IRA Conversion May Make Sense For You

By Heather, CPA (Balance With Purpose)

It’s a new year, and there are many tax law changes going into effect that promise to keep life interesting and tax professionals busy. As a CPA, I like to think of this as job security.

Today, I’m highlighting one of my favorite tools to use for tax planning and saving for the future–the Roth IRA.

First, let’s look at the basics:

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Life Is Funny: Top 5 Christmas Vacation Quotes

By MAD21

1.  While on our way into the National Zoo, my husband asked our girls, "What's your favorite animal?" Without hesitation, my youngest yells with much enthusiasm and arms in the air, "MEEE!"

2.  It is tradition that we drive around looking at Christmas lights after going to the Christmas Eve services at church. For quite awhile, we were oooing and aaaaahing at the beautiful decorations that people had on their houses. At one point, we drove through an area that didn't have anything to see. Our youngest exclaims, "Wow! Awesome!" My niece who was in the car said, "What? What did you see?" My youngest sweetly says, "Nooothing." (With a smirk on her face, of course.)

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The Saturday Evening Blog Post: Remember

By MAD21

The first Saturday of each month, fellow blogger Elizabeth Esther hosts a carnival where people go and link their favorite or most popular posts of the month. For this month, she wants us to post our favorite from 2009.

This is the first time I have participated in this carnival. I tried to find a post that was both popular, and perhaps best fits with a January post. This is a time when we traditionally reflect on the past year in the hopes to capture important events, both to reminisce and to help us improve ourselves over past mistakes. So, for this month, I choose: One Word at a Time: Remember.

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My Chains Are Gone

By MAD21

New years represent a lot of things to a lot of people. But mostly it represents new beginnings. A fresh start. Or like the quote I posted in today's "Something to Think About," a blank page. As we face the challenges and tasks that await us in this coming year, let us remember the King of fresh starts, of grace and love, and of forgiveness. Let us go forth into this year with courage, perseverance and the knowledge that Christ is walking every step with us. I pray each of us has the courage to love others the way he loves us.

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