As I spend time preparing my taxes for this year, I come to state information. Since we use Turbo Tax I'm able to play around and see if I lived somewhere else in Iowa how much more or less would I get back. Also if I lived in a different school district how much more or less would I get back.
I think most of us in Linn County know that we have incredible high taxes and it is true Linn County is up there in the top 10 of highest property taxes in the state. And unfortunately for those of you who live in Linn County and in the Lisbon School District you get double whammed. Lisbon School District taxes each house that lives in the school district as much as they can. It is even higher then those who live in the Mount Vernon School District. On our taxes I would receive back $42 more dollars from the state if I lived in the Mount Vernon School District and since my children are in the Marion School District I wanted to see what the difference would be if we lived in there school district. I would get back $56 more dollars from state if I lived in the Marion School District.
I wish the law was set up so that where you send you kids is the district that would get your tax dollars and for those who don't have kids in school why should they have to pay anything to a school that they don't even use! But government is greedy and it looks like Lisbon School District is greedy as well.
There is nothing I can do to change it and I hate giving money to a system I don't use but I bet a lot of people feel that way. And not just about schools but other government run agencies that our tax dollars go to but we never use.
But the one thing I can do is vent it out and that's what I just did!!!
The life of Shannon in small town Lisbon.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Money/Stewardship
Today was an interesting sermon at church......money. We are now having a financial class for adult Sunday school which Darryl and I took last year sometime also at church. It was through Crown Financial and it is very good weather you are a Christian or not if you want honest advise about money.
So Pastor Andy talked a little bit about it today for his sermon. Money is talked about a lot in the bible. One of the things he breezed on that I have been thinking about is being a good steward of what you have.........what does that mean?
I have watched 18 kids and counting and wanted to see what was up with this family. They are Christians and like to mass produce :). So I wondered if the tax payers of Arkansas were paying for all these kids or if they were truly evaluating and being good stewards of what God had given them.
To me being a good steward is not just of your house, clothes, possessions, vehicles, it also includes your children which are gifts from God. With each child comes big responsibilities. And from watching the show I see that Jim Bob is involved in the real estate game and is able to support each child on his income. And being on tv is another way that they are able to afford the necessities that comes with each new child. As Christians we are to rely on God for the basic needs of our family and not the government. Although it is nice to have food stamps, WIC and others government help it was set up for a temporary help not a life long plan. It drives me insane beings we are tax payers when people use it as a long term way to make ends meet. If the only way we can afford another child is by being on these government programs then we need to reevaluate our hearts. OK side trail there about the abuse of the system......
Watching the Duggards they do show that they are good steward of their possessions material wise and of their gift of kids. Although I don't agree with all they do...they are way to conservative for me, they are a great example of a big family living for God and God has entrusted them with much because of their obvious faithfulness in the little.
So now I have to ask am I a good steward of what God has entrusted me with. I try to be but I mess up and so I guess I have to say sometimes Yes and sometimes No. Pastor Andy said take out your mortgage and see what other consumer debt you have. Meaning credit card bills, vehicle payments and such. Analyze and see if those are things you needed at that price or could you have done without or paid cash for it if you would have gone cheaper. Those are great questions to ask. I'm guilty of not spending His money wisely and buying things that I didn't NEED but wanted.
With tax season upon us we are lucky to be getting money back which will pay off our consumer debt. A goal of mine if to continue to not have consumer debt unless an unforeseen situation occurs and there is no other way.
I encourage you as Pastor Andy encouraged me, to think about it and see if you are being a good steward of His money, His material goods and His children.
So Pastor Andy talked a little bit about it today for his sermon. Money is talked about a lot in the bible. One of the things he breezed on that I have been thinking about is being a good steward of what you have.........what does that mean?
I have watched 18 kids and counting and wanted to see what was up with this family. They are Christians and like to mass produce :). So I wondered if the tax payers of Arkansas were paying for all these kids or if they were truly evaluating and being good stewards of what God had given them.
To me being a good steward is not just of your house, clothes, possessions, vehicles, it also includes your children which are gifts from God. With each child comes big responsibilities. And from watching the show I see that Jim Bob is involved in the real estate game and is able to support each child on his income. And being on tv is another way that they are able to afford the necessities that comes with each new child. As Christians we are to rely on God for the basic needs of our family and not the government. Although it is nice to have food stamps, WIC and others government help it was set up for a temporary help not a life long plan. It drives me insane beings we are tax payers when people use it as a long term way to make ends meet. If the only way we can afford another child is by being on these government programs then we need to reevaluate our hearts. OK side trail there about the abuse of the system......
Watching the Duggards they do show that they are good steward of their possessions material wise and of their gift of kids. Although I don't agree with all they do...they are way to conservative for me, they are a great example of a big family living for God and God has entrusted them with much because of their obvious faithfulness in the little.
So now I have to ask am I a good steward of what God has entrusted me with. I try to be but I mess up and so I guess I have to say sometimes Yes and sometimes No. Pastor Andy said take out your mortgage and see what other consumer debt you have. Meaning credit card bills, vehicle payments and such. Analyze and see if those are things you needed at that price or could you have done without or paid cash for it if you would have gone cheaper. Those are great questions to ask. I'm guilty of not spending His money wisely and buying things that I didn't NEED but wanted.
With tax season upon us we are lucky to be getting money back which will pay off our consumer debt. A goal of mine if to continue to not have consumer debt unless an unforeseen situation occurs and there is no other way.
I encourage you as Pastor Andy encouraged me, to think about it and see if you are being a good steward of His money, His material goods and His children.
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