Go Team Budget

Here's my Relief Society lesson from today.


Time and time again we are counseled to have a budget. Every family, every person needs a budget. Today I’d like to share our family’s Budget with you. This is our fish his name is Budget. Every family must have a Budget.
He is a responsibility, you have to change his water every week or he’ll start to stink. You have to feed him a little every day. You might think the responsibility makes vacationing difficult or impossible but a vacation is even more fun with Budget!
Budget can strengthen your family and support your values. Budget helps you prioritize. Budget reduces stress; he is a calming and wise presence. Budget helps you prepare for times of challenge. Budget gives back 10 fold all the love and attention he gets. To some it may be difficult counsel to follow but I’d like to enlist you all in Team Budget.

Go Team Budget!

Everyone gets a Budget to take home. He’s yours to care for and he’s yours to enjoy.
(Ziplocs with “fish” inside – paper Budgets)


Family Pet
Budget is a family pet. Sometimes families buy a pet and one person ends up doing all the work? The kids say I’ll feed it or I’ll clean it and in the end one person gets the chore. This is not how we care for Budget. As a member of Team Budget we work together but you are not alone. The church has many resources to assist including the pamphlet One for the Money as a member of Team Budget you will get a copy as soon as they arrive. In One for the Money Elder Ashton provides inspired financial advice he says, “We should regularly review our family income, savings, and spending plan in family council meetings. This will teach our children to recognize the difference between wants and needs and to plan ahead for meaningful use of family resources. Marriage is a management partnership with husband and wife both parties have a voice when children reach the age of accountability they too should be involved in money concerns on a limited partnership basis. Control of the money by one spouse as a source of power and authority causes inequality in the marriage and is inappropriate. Conversely, if a marriage partner voluntarily removes himself or herself entirely from family financial management that is an abdication of necessary responsibility.

89% of all divorces can be traced to quarrels and accusations over money. 75% of all divorces result from clashes over finances. These marriage tragedies are not caused by lack of money, but rather by the mismanagement of personal finance.
AS Elder Hales says, “The three most loving words are “I love you,” and the four most caring words for those we love are “We can’t afford it”.

Family Spending Values
During Family Home Evening make time for family business. For Budget to survive he needs everyone to look out for him. Use Budget’s bag to collect all your receipts - no holes in the bag please and change Budget’s water every week before family home evening. Know where your resources go. Are all or more of your earnings gone? What purchases are needs & which are wants? Can you cut back on some things to pay debts or start saving? Are your purchases in line with your values?

President Tanner once said “I know of no situation where happiness and peace of mind have increased with the amassing of property beyond the reasonable wants and needs of the family. Let us learn from the sorrows of the past and avoid enslaving our time, energy, and general health to a gluttonous appetite to acquire increased material goods.

As a member of Team Budget I encourage you to talk with your family about your values and priorities. Discuss the following questions with your family during family home evening.

1. How do you define success or a life with no regrets?
2. What do you think our purpose here on earth is?
3. What matters most? What do you hold sacred? When do you feel peace? What brings you the most fulfillment?
4. What characteristics do you value in your friends?
5. What are families for? What does your family believe in? What’s important to us? What do you stand for?
6. What makes you happy? What activities give you greatest joy? What activities do you like to do together?
(Questions from Living Simply with Children by Marie Sherlock)

Spend more = work more working more means less time with family. Identify what is valuable to you ask as Elder Hales suggests is the benefit temporary, or will it have eternal value and significance. Identify where you want to go and how you want to live. Create a family values statement using what you learn.

If I gave you $100 what would you do with it? How would you spend your money and keep in line with your values?

What will you do with all the Lord has given? Be wise. Be virtuous. Think before you act. Think before you spend. Counsel with the Holy Spirit to do what is wise and good. Start where you are and move forward. If you are not paying your tithing start now. If you are spending money on worthless addictions seek the Lord’s help. Addiction is the craving of the natural man, and can never be satisfied. As children of God, our deepest hunger and what we should be seeking is what the Lord alone can provide-His love. His sense of Worth, His security, His confidence, His hope in the future, and assurance of His love, which brings eternal joy.

Family Goal
Elder Hales’ family had a family council when their boys were young and they set a goal to take a “dream vacation” down the Colorado River. When any of them wanted to buy something during the next year, they would ask each other, “Do we really want to buy that thing now, or do we want to take our dream trip later?” This was a wonderful teaching experience in choosing provident living. By not satisfying our every immediate want, we obtained the more desirable reward of family togetherness and fond memories for years to come. Talk with your family about a goal that will help encourage you to keep up on changing Budget’s water and other responsibilities. “Some families miss a tremendous financial and spiritual experience when they fail to sit together, preferably during family home evening, and each put in his share of the monthly amount going to the son or daughter, brother or sister, who is serving in the mission field.” (Ashton)

As Benjamin Franklin said "Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship"

There is a sticker for each of your debit or credit cards to remind you of your membership in Team Budget. Every time you see your Budget sticker think of your family home evening where you talked about Who you are and who you want to be or think about your family goal or a favorite scripture maybe 2 Nephi 9:51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Harken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which periseth not, neither can be corrupted.

Serve family, others and the Lord
Draw your family near do not let money become a wedge. Follow Elder Hales’s counsel joyfully live within your means, be content with what you have, avoid excessive debt and diligently save and prepare for rainy day emergencies, provide for yourself and serve and bless others. Nothing seems so certain as the unexpected in our lives. (Tanner) Our challenges, including those we create by our own decisions, are part of our test in mortality. Your situation is not beyond the reach of our Savior. (Hales) He will extend his arm and support you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he will be with you in every time of trouble. (D&C 3:8)

Set a righteous goal and the Lord will see you through it. How you treat the debt collector, how you treat the poor, how you treat your waitress, how you treat your family, your neighbor, this is who you are. Do not let money or material things keep you from being who you want to be. Money is a tool. We should use it to assist us in achieving eternal happiness. It is a happy day when money be thy slave and not thy master for if it is not your slave it will be your master. Be honest, be wise and have integrity in all matters. Do what is right and fear not for you are Christ’s, and He overcame the world (D&C 50:41)

My daughter said I shouldn’t be nervous about teaching in relief society because I teach kids all the time and adults know how to behave.
Our family like most has experienced times of financial trouble. I’d like to share from my journal some of our experience.

“Struggles come to everyone and no one is immune. We all have illnesses, unemployment natural disasters etc. We will all face challenges and I never want to look at my kids and say, “there’s no more to eat”. We’ve had some close times eating oatmeal and PB&Js more often than anyone would have liked. I hope when our financial situation changes we’ll never forget these PB&J days and we’ll have compassion for those who are going through rough times and compassion for ourselves by being prepared for future challenges. Hunger and Poverty don’t care about excuses or reasons. There is no compassion in them only in us. I’ll never pay my fast offering and think ohh this will buy a sandwich or some oatmeal because people need more than oatmeal and PB&J. Christ gives them more and so will I.

While in Salt Lake I had the blessing of touring the Church’s Welfare Square and Humanitarian center. I testify to you that the Lord’s work is being done. There are trucks loaded ready with supplies to go wherever they are needed. Sometimes it is hard to pay our tithing and to give offerings but I testify that there is great need. A prophet of the Lord said if the church had one dollar left it would go to feed the poor.

The Lord does not ask us to do more than we can. Pay your tithing and offerings, avoid debt, take care of Budget and he will take care of you, build a reserve and teach and work together as a family. I know this is the Lord’s work. I know he wants us to care for each other and ourselves and to be who he knows we can become. You can do it with the Lord’s help. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

TEAM BUDGET

Congratulations on your new pet BUDGET!

Use Budget’s bag to collect all your receipts no holes in the bag please. Change Budget’s water every week before family home evening and see where the money is going. What items are needs and what items are wants? Are your purchases in line with your values? Spending all or more of your earnings?

FHE Questions
1. How do you define success or a life with no regrets?



2. What do you think our purpose here on earth is?



3. What matters most? What do you hold sacred? When do you feel peace? What brings you the most fulfillment?



4. What characteristics do you value in your friends?



5. What are families for? What does your family believe in? What’s important to us? What do you stand for?



6. What makes you happy? What activities give you greatest joy? What activities do you like to do together?

Create a family values statement using what you learn. Use this statement to assess your spending and budget. Are they in line with your values?









Budget (From church materials)
Income Planned Actual
Wages/Salaries (after taxes)
Other Income
Total Income

Expenses Planned Actual
Church Donations
Savings
Food
Mortgage or Rent
Utilities
Transportation
Debt Payments
Insurance
Medical
Clothing
School Expenses
Other


Total Expenses
Incomes less Expenses

Budget weekly, biweekly or monthly according to your pay schedule.

Budget % from Dave Ramsey (not a church source)
Charitable Gifts 10-15%
Savings 10-15%
Housing 25-35%
Utilities 5-10%
Food 5-15%
Transportation 10-15%
Clothing 2-7%
Medical Health 5-10%
Personal 5-10%
Recreation 5-10%
Mad Money (money to blow) 2-5%
Debts 5-10%
Spend less than you earn. Save and invest the difference. Eventually you can retire on the difference.

Seeing percentages really helped me so hopefully it is useful to you. J
Remember your Budget sticker and to put it on your credit/debit card as a reminder.

Food Storage

Food Storage Calculator
Dry Pack/Food Storage order form
Message on food storage

Cloth Diapers - Are you prepared?

Cloth Diaper Tutorial

Cloth diapers

Cloth diapers are a good thing to have even if you don't use them. What would you do if you could not get to the store or could not afford to buy diapers? You would be stuck. Get some cloth diapers and covers just in case or use cloth diapers every day. You'll never run out of diapers. at least if you clean them. ;)

So for the folks getting together their emergency supplies, their 72 hour kits, their year of food storage. DON'T FORGET CLOTH DIAPERS!!!!

The above diaper tutorial has some great ideas and information about diaper bags, types of diapers, detergents etc.

There is also a book called Diaper Changes that I found to be helpful. Good luck and I have to admit my little cutie looks so sweet wrapped in cotton. :)

Pirates Don't Change Diapers - David Shannon

Putting the FUN in funeral

If people's first greatest fear is public speaking than this should be a breeze besides it will be your last chance to throw a party. Planning your funeral is a gift for those you leave behind. There will be no arguments about what you wanted and no emotional baggage over concern that your wishes were not fulfilled because it will all be as plain as black and white. You'll know about costs so you can prepare and it won't be another stress for those you leave behind. Plan now to relieve loved one's pain later.

Medical items to consider

Living Will
Living Will PDF
Physicians Orders for life sustaining treatment POLST Click on your state for more information
POLST

Organ Donation
Organdonar.gov
10 myths about organ donation

LDS perspective on Organ Donation
“I Have a Question,” Ensign, Feb 1988, 50–52
I am thinking of donating some organs for transplantation. Am I wrong in wanting to do so?
Cecil O. Samuelson Jr., “I Have a Question,” Ensign, Feb. 1988, 50
Cecil O. Samuelson, Jr., regional representative and physician. Organ transplantation is one of the true medical wonders of our age. Medical science has progressed to the point that the replacement of an injured or diseased body part, such as a kidney, cornea of the eye, heart, liver, bone, bone marrow, skin, or pancreas is becoming fairly routine. Most of these tissues come from people who have arranged that they be so used following death. However, some organs—such as kidneys—can be donated to someone in need by a living family member.

As is the case with many other technological advances, questions with profound economic, ethical, moral, and religious dimensions have arisen concerning organ transplantation. And, as with many other important aspects of life, we have been counseled to study the information, make decisions, and pray for wisdom about our choices. (See D&C 9:7–9; D&C 58:26–28.)

The Church has taken no official position on organ transplants. It seems obvious, however, that organ transplantation does not affect one’s resurrection, since the organ would soon have returned to the basic elements of the earth following death anyway. Whatever happens to an organ following death, we are promised that “every limb and joint shall be restored to its body, yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost.” (Alma 40:23.)

In the meantime, tremendous blessings have come to countless thousands and their families through organ donation and replacement. Several physicians involved in transplantation have shared with me inspirational stories and letters from those who have received this special service. Families grieving from the death of a loved one have been greatly comforted by the knowledge that other lives have been saved or measurably improved through receipt of a vital organ transplant. Other families have been spared debilitating illness or death because a living family member was able to donate an organ to a loved one.

As I work with donors and recipients and witness the selfless love that is evident in this gift of life and health, I am often reminded of Peter and John’s encounter with the lame beggar as the two Apostles made their way into the temple. The lame man asked only for alms but instead was healed. To the one in need, Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee.” (Acts 3:6.)

Those who are considering donating a kidney to a loved one should find comfort in knowing that only those who meet strict criteria will be considered as donors. Because of careful screening, and because of advances in transplantation techniques, donors do not face the risk they did just a few years ago. A healthy person can donate a kidney, for example, and continue to live a normal life, sustained by the remaining kidney.

While the matter of vital organ transplantation remains a highly personal one, it deserves prayerful consideration.

Funeral Questionnaire

Vital Statistics:
Full Legal Name of the Person this Plan is For:
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YY):
Date of Death (if applicable, MM/DD/YY):
Age: Sex: Social Security Number:
Place of Birth (City and State or Country if not in USA):
Temporary Address (If applicable; Street, City, State, Zip):
Temporary Telephone Number (with area code):
Permanent Address (If applicable Street, City, State, Zip):
Permanent Telephone Number (with area code):
Do you live inside the city limits? Yes No
What is your race?
What is your nationality or ancestry?
What is your marital status?
Married Divorced Widowed Never Married
Name of Spouse (If Wife, give Maiden Name):
Your Occupation (Job title when working):
In What kind of Business or Industry?
How many years in school? How many years of College?
Father's full name:
Mother's full maiden name:
Have you ever been in the U.S. Armed Forces? Yes No
Legal Name of Next of Kin or Responsible Party:
Address of Next of Kin or Responsible Party (Street, City, State, Zip):
Telephone Numbers of Next of Kin or Responsible Party:
Home (with area code):
Work (with area code):
Mobile (with area code):
Name of family doctor:
Family doctor's Address:
Family doctor's telephone number (with area code):
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Preferred Funeral Arrangements (choices that you make):
Visitation (Calling on the Family of a loved one to offer support and sympathy)
I Prefer a Private Visitation for my Family at the Funeral Home
I Prefer a Private Visitation for my Family at my church
I Prefer a Public Visitation at the Funeral Home
I Prefer a Public Visitation at my church
During Visitation I prefer that my Casket remain closed
During Visitation I prefer that my Casket remain open
I Prefer No Visitation as I wish to be Cremated
I Prefer No Visitation but I would like a Funeral Ceremony
Vigil or Wake (a.k.a. Rosary) Service (Generally a Religious Ceremony Performed in the Evening)
Yes, I would like an Evening Vigil or Wake Service
No, I would not require a Vigil or Wake Service
Funeral Ceremony (Generally a Religious Ceremony Performed during the Day followed by the Committal at the place of Disposition)
I Prefer a Religious / Memorial Ceremony to be held at My Church
I Prefer a Religious / Memorial Ceremony to be held at the Funeral Home
I Prefer a Religious / Memorial Ceremony to be held at some Other location (detail here):
I Prefer No Religious / Memorial Ceremony
Committal / Final Disposition (This means placement in the final resting place of your choice)
I Prefer Ground Interment / Burial
I Prefer Mausoleum Entombment
I Prefer Cremation with the following disposition of my ashes:
Ground Interment of urn
Placement of urn in Niche
Private Placement of urn
Scattering of ashes
Family Fellowship after the Funeral
I Prefer a Luncheon be held at this location (enter here):
I have no Preference
I Prefer No Luncheon after my Funeral
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Veteran's Section:
No, I am not a Veteran (Skip this section)
Yes, I am a Veteran
I served my Country in the (Branch of Service):
I entered the Service on (MM/DD/YY):
I entered the Service at this location:
I left the Service on (MM/DD/YY):
I left the Service at this location:
I attained the rank of:
My service serial number is:
I have visited a V.A. Hospital and my C number is
As an eligible Veteran of this Country I request a U.S. Flag be
Draped on my Casket
Folded in a triangle by my Casket
Folded in a triangle for my Memorial Ceremony
Folded in a triangle for private presentation after funeral
I request a Government Headstone / Marker for my final resting place
Granite
Bronze
I request full Military Honors at my funeral
If I qualify, I request any V.A. Burial Allowance funds
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Details of Funeral Ceremony:
(Optional, however this may help your family to fulfill your wishes)
Theme of Ceremony:
I prefer a Religious Ceremony
I prefer a Military Funeral Ceremony
I prefer a Non Religious Ceremony
I prefer a Lodge or Club Ceremony
I prefer (detail here):
Preferred Minister
Name
Telephone Number (with area code)
Readings
Scripture passages
Special poems
Other Readings
Flowers
The flowers I like are
Instead of flowers, I prefer donations to:
Music (To be played / sung at your service)
I prefer the following popular songs
I prefer the following hymns
I prefer the following musician(s) / vocalist(s)
I prefer just background music before and after ceremony
I prefer no music
Clothing, Jewelry, Eyeglasses, Mementos and Photographs
I prefer the following clothes be used
I prefer the following Jewelry be displayed
I prefer my eyeglasses be
On
Off
I prefer the following mementos be displayed
I prefer the following photographs be displayed
I have other preferences.
Items to be removed before final disposition
Items I want to keep with me
Memorial Cards or Folders
I prefer the smaller prayer card with a poem or religious prayer on the back
I prefer the larger folder with a record of the service and poem or prayer inside
Casket Bearers
I prefer the following as my casket bearers:





Honorary Pallbearers (Optional)
I prefer the following as my honorary pallbearers:





Personal Wishes:

Funeral Questionnaire

What do you want your funeral to be like?

* Like a church meeting. Hymns only, and preach the gospel. But with a corpse.
* Touching personal stories and anecdotes that make you look awesome and righteous. Plus, bishop or SP gives a talk on church topic. Special musical number maybe.
* Personal stories that show you as a real person, warts and all, including humorous stories. Music chosen by your family.
* Similar to an Irish wake. Raucous stories. Music that you liked in life that will remind others of you. A celebration of your life for those who loved you.
* You'll be dead so what do you care? Funerals are for the living.
* No funeral.
above article w/ questions

Cremation is a custom in various parts of the world. Do Latter-day Saints practice it?

Roger R. Keller, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, Aug. 1991, 62–63

Roger R. Keller, associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. It is true that many peoples practice cremation as a way of dealing with the bodies of their dead. It is an ancient practice.

A common philosophy in some cultures where the dead are cremated is that there is a basic opposition between the spirit and the flesh. The body is often viewed as something from which to escape. The body, it is thought, imprisons an immortal spirit, which needs to rise above the material world to realize its true destiny, or the body may be viewed as part of an illusory world. In either case, the body is sometimes considered of little significance. In some cultures, it is believed that the spirit is not released until the corpse is burned completely to ashes. In this case, fire is viewed as a purifying and liberating agent. 1

The earliest regular cremations in the Middle East seem to have been among the Hittites (c. 1740–1190 b.c.) 2 and the Philistines (c. 1200 b.c.) 3 Even so, cremation was paralleled in both civilizations by the practice of burial. However, in Hindu and Greek thought, cremation pointed to the impurity of the body. Fire was seen as the vehicle of regeneration or rebirth. 4

In Asia, the custom received wider acceptance after the Buddha was cremated. Since he set the example, many Buddhist countries such as Indochina, Korea, and Japan practice cremation. 5 (Interestingly, cremation was not popular in China, probably because of the strong Confucian influence, which emphasized respect for one’s ancestors.) In Japan, the first recorded cremation was that of the monk Dosho in a.d. 700, an example which was followed by the Empress Jito in a.d. 704, which gave imperial sanction to the practice. Even so, cremation declined in medieval Japan.

In the West, cremation was common among the Greeks and the Romans. It was the mode by which the bodies of the Caesars were destroyed. 6

Among the Jews, cremation was generally not practiced. The Mishnah forbids cremation as an act of idolatry. 7 In those rare instances when cremation did take place, it was a sign of unrighteousness (see Amos 6:10) or of punishment due a criminal. (See Lev. 20:14, Lev. 21:9; Josh. 7:25.) 8

Christianity likewise opposed cremation. This reluctance to cremate can basically be traced to the Jewish and Christian belief that when God created the body and all other things, he pronounced them “very good.” (Gen. 1:31.) The body was God’s creation and, according to Christians, it would rise with the spirit in the resurrection. Thus, to cremate it would be an act of disrespect before God.

A change occurred, however, in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The unsanitary conditions of many cemeteries in western Europe caused people to reassess the way they treated their dead. Movements recommending cremation began around 1860, and in 1884 a judicial decision legalized cremation in Britain. France legalized it in 1889, and today it is legal in more than three-fourths of the world’s nations. The reasons are widely known—cremation is hygienic, requires little land, and is appropriate to rapidly growing urban areas. 9 Today, 10 percent of the dead are cremated in the United States, 20 percent in Canada, and 60 percent in Britain. 10

Where do Latter-day Saints fit into this picture? We reaffirm the perspective that the body is good and, as a creation of God, is to be respected. But as the Church has moved into nations other than the United States, there has been recognition that cultural practices differ. Generally, Latter-day Saints in the Western world have felt that nothing should be done which is destructive to the body. That should be left to nature. Church leaders have counseled that only in unusual circumstances or where required by law should cremation take place. 11

Ultimately, after consultation with the Lord and with priesthood leaders, the family must decide what to do. If the person has been endowed, some special instructions are available for the family from local priesthood leaders. Even if a body is cremated, a funeral service may be held if the ashes are buried or deposited in a mausoleum. 12

Where there is no overriding reason to cremate, burial is still the preferred method of handling our dead. In the end, however, we should remember that the resurrection will take place by the power of God, who created the heavens and the earth. Ultimately, whether a person’s body was buried at sea, destroyed in combat or an accident, intentionally cremated, or buried in a grave, the person will be resurrected.

No clearer picture of God’s restorative powers can be found than Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (see Ezek. 37), in which he sees the bones gathered together and clothed with sinews and flesh by the power of God. Nothing that is done to the body will in the end prevent the purpose of our Lord from being fulfilled. Our bodies and our spirits will finally be reunited in the resurrection of the dead.

1. Louis-Vincent Thomas, “Funeral Rites,” The Encyclopedia of Religion, 16 vols., ed. Mircea Eliade (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1987), 5:457.

2. John R. Hinnells, ed., The Penguin Dictionary of Religions (New York: Penguin Books, 1984), s.v. “Hittites,” p. 150.

3. Ibid., s.v. “Philistines,” p. 252.

4. Thomas, 5:457.

5. Flora S. Kaplan, “Cremation,” The Encyclopedia Americana: U.S. Constitution Bicentennial Commemorative Edition, 21 vols. (Danbury, Conn.: Grolier, Inc., 1988), 8:171.

6. Ibid.

7. The Mishnah, trans. Herbert Danby (London: Oxford University Press, 1933), p. 437 (Abodah Zarah 1:3).

8. V. L. Reed, “Burial,” The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, 4 vols. (New York: Abingdon Press, 1962), 1:475–76.

9. Kaplan, p. 172.

10. Robert Fulton, “Cremation,” The World Book Encyclopedia, 22 vols. (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1986), 4:904–5.

11. General Handbook of Instructions, March 1989, 1–5.

12. Ibid.

Other sites that maybe helpful
Natural Burial Directory
Green Funeral
Green Funeral Site
Cardboard casket
Pine Boxes
Biodegradable Urns
I put the fun in funeral T-shirt
LDS Funeral
LDS funeral Lunch

Articles
How to plan a life celebration
USA Today life celebrations
USA Today moving on from life naturally

Dave Ramsey Financial Advice

A friend of mine recommended Dave Ramsey if you are having financial stress. I put a couple of his books on hold at the library and looked around his site. Here is a link to his site if you want to check it out. I'll post more as I learn more but the link is a good start. ;)