Verse of the Week

y Holland

A friend of mine called the other day and was really excited about a new idea he had about flipping houses My wife and I watch programs about renovating properties and we enjoy seeing the creative ideas and amazing results I told my friend I thought this was a great adventure and that I’m sure it will be a success since he is skilled in the area of construction work I became even more enthused when he went on to tell me that quitting his job and going into a new profession was not the only thing that was going on in his life He also has a desire to rededicate his life to God and allow the Lord to do some serious spiritual remodeling within his heart This vision of making a major change is refreshing to say the least and I’m always encouraged to hear about individuals who step out in faith and have a passion to improve their life and fulfill their destiny No matter who you are or what you’ve been through, God is inviting you today to be spiritually redeemed and transformed by the grace and love of Jesus Christ

Whether remodeling a house or our life, it’s going to take a lot of determination and hard work Have you noticed it seems there are always improvements that need to be done around the house and a considerable amount of constant maintenance in order to keep everything running smoothly? Of course, some issues are more important than others, but we can agree that our foundation is one of the most critical factors because that is what everything is based on If the foundation has problems, we need to deal with that before we go any further in our improvements It’s deceptive to paint and decorate a structure that is literally falling apart internally Likewise, when it comes to our spiritual life, many people can paste a smile on their face and seem to be alright on the

7:24-27, we read the words of Christ, “Therefore, everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise person who built their house on the rock The rain came down, the floods came, the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish person who built their house on the sand The rain came down, the floods came, the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a terrible destruction ” Just as the foundation is the most important part of any physical structure, becoming born-again creates for us a brand-new spiritual foundation along with a new identity as a member of God’s eternal family These storms and floods are referring to the difficulties we will face throughout our journey and is a heavenly warning for us to be prepared by trusting God who is our refuge in times of trouble How many times have we known what we should do, but rebelliously decided not to do it? Christianity is a privilege and an opportunity to follow Jesus, nevertheless just because someone declares to be a follower does not necessarily mean they are living God’s way There is a huge difference between knowing about God and having a personal relationship with him How can we learn to trust God if we do not know him? When our comprehension of him is cloudy, we are going to view him wrongly However, the individual who places their faith in God and is dedicated to obeying his instructions will have peace and joy no matter what type of crisis may come Giving our life to Jesus as a “fixer-upper” is the most important decision we will ever make Only his power and authority can transform us into what we’ve been called to be Our creator has all the answers and solutions, but it’s our responsibility to take the initiative as building inspectors to make sure the foundation of our life is strong on the

“What am I that You, God, should think about me, that You should care for me? You made me only a little lower than Yourself and crowned me with glory and honor. You gave me charge of EVERYTHING You made, putting ALL things under my authority…”

Psalm 8:4-6 (NLT)

Generic versus brand name: Is there really a difference?

Hey Taylor - Working on my grocery budget and wondering about those store brands - the products named after/specific to the grocery store where I’m shopping Those are always cheaper, but is that because the product is bad? - August

Hey August - That’s the thing about good prices, we tend to question them and wonder what the catch is In my experience, those generic brands have all the same qualities as bigger brands Here’s a quick summary of how those products work and why you shouldn’t be afraid

Price is lowered by lack of marketing. When you pay for a bag of Lays or some Newman’s Own dressing, you pay for national marketing expenses The brands that have become household names have commercial and print ads which cost a lot of money, and those prices are typically covered by the consumer If a large corporation can run national commercials and have its product carried by all major retailers, familiarity will inspire people to pay the extra dollar to buy the potato chips they’ve heard of before Meanwhile, the store brand doesn’t have to advertise because you’re already going to that store The other products are paying to motivate shoppers through commercials, so a store can cut marketing costs and pass those savings on to consumers like you and me The product is just as good, and the need to cover marketing expenses is gone

Make decisions easier For me, the worst part of a visit to the store is looking at 90 versions of the same product and trying to figure out which one I should get I would argue that additional money is saved when you decide on the generic brand ahead of time When

Living with children

you spend too much weighing the pros an every product, your w slowly evaporates an increase the chances for the most expense Instead, accept that t brand is a less-famou the available options off the shelf without thought

The ingredients are there to be seen Can’t decide which brand of refried beans to buy? Read the ingredients on the back Most of the time I find that the generic brand uses the same essential ingredients as everyone else Some of the healthier, organic companies might have a different recipe, and you have to decide what’s most important to you Instead of wondering whether or not the store brand is cheap because of what’s in it, just have a look at the back of the label and see for yourself. If you can get the exact same ingredients at half the price, that sounds like a pretty good deal to me

There’s no need to be afraid of generic groceries It’s always worth doing a little comparison, but you don’t have to be afraid of getting swindled Enjoy your meals, August!

Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar com, or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901

“So, what do you think of attachment parenting?”

My inquisitor was a 30something mom I sensed she was testing me, trying to determine whether I was worth her time

“Not much,” I said “I don’t see any objective research that would verify any short- or long-term benefits; therefore, I don’t think the effort – on the part of the mother, primarily if not exclusively – pays off ”

“Well, I disagree,” she replied “I practice attachment parenting and I see lots of benefit ”

“To whom?”

“Uh to both me and my child "

“How many kids do you have?”

“He’s my first ”

“So you have no control group or other point of comparison ”

“Maybe not,” she said, bristling, “but I have a right to raise my child any way I choose ”

“Actually, no, you don’t ”

“Well, isn’t that narrow-minded of you!” At which she stormed off

Yes, it is narrow-minded of me If one’s thinking doesn’t “narrow” as one grows older, then one is simply not paying attention, much less truly growing

Anyone who thinks they are entitled to raise a child any way they choose is wrong In the raising of a child, one has an obligation to one’s neighbors, broadly defined. That obligation over-rides one’s obligation to one’s child, in fact Furthermore, the parent who understands and practices what I just said is going to do a much, much better job than the parent who believes his or her child is the beginning and end of their obligation The child who learns, early on, that he is not worthy of being the center of attention, that the world does not revolve around him, is going to be a much happier camper than the child who is caused to believe otherwise

Another way of saying the same thing: Esteem of self – once known as pride – makes only ONE person’s world go around Humility – a willingness to serve others, no matter the inconvenience – is what glues culture together Humbleness also makes for the highest level of personal satisfaction For those reasons, the highest of all childrearing goals is to raise a humble child There are not multiple, equally viable ways of accomplishing that There is one Therefore, there is one proper way to raise a child and the Almighty YOU do not have a “right” – selfconferred, of course – to raise YOUR child any old way YOU choose That is narcissism, plainly speaking It could be argued that one has a right to be a narcissist, but if so, the right ends when one’s self-absorption impacts another person The only functional narcissist is a hermit

Attachment parenting is the latest postmodern parenting aberration Women who have practiced it and then escaped its cult-like grip attest that there is no way a child so idolized can draw any conclusion other than that his needs surpass everyone else’s It is HUMANism pushed to a pathological extreme, the epitome of not understanding that the proper raising of a child is an act of love for one’s neighbors

It’s quite simple, actually: By keeping one’s obligation to one’s neighbors uppermost in mind, one will do the very best job of raising a child When said child finally realizes why he’s so happy, he will not be able to thank you enough.

Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond com, parentguru com

John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society