Electing Our Next Four Years

After two years of campaigns, phone calls, television ads and debates, we are finally at the final countdown to the presidential election.  Whew, FINALLY!  That is all I have to say!  Ok, not really.  I do love to "talk"... so with 11 DAYS to the election, here are a few non-partisan thoughts.

1.  Ignore all the commercials, mailings, and telephone calls.  The campaigning and debating is usually quite biased, and does not tell the truth, just one group's perspective.  I usually throw out all of the literature and hang up on the automated messages.

2.  Do your own research.  Check out non-partisan voter guides (such as the ones found at http://votesmart.org and http://www.presidentialelection.com and the one I use - specific to my state - http://michiganfamily.org)

3.  Focus on the candidates that are supposed to represent you in the US House and Senate and the State legislature, and all the "little" things.  These people are the ones who will make the most difference in the coming years.  (And yes, you CAN leave the box for President blank. . . no one will even know)

4.  Pray, asking God for mercy for our nation.  Mercy is showing compassion when punishment is deserved.  Our nation is in turmoil and our people are slaves to sin.  We deserve terrible leadership, four years at a time.  Only through His mercy will we have great leadership that puts the good of the nation over any other agenda.

5.  Most importantly... No matter who wins this election, you should give them your respect.  God has placed them in this position of authority, and you may as well get used to the fact that God's will WILL be done, whether you agree with it or not.

Some scripture passages relating to government:

ABOUT A NATION
Proverbs 29:18
Ecclesiastes 10:17
Proverbs 28:2
ABOUT LEADERSHIP
Proverbs 11:14
Proverbs 29:14
Proverbs 16:12
Proverbs 29:4
Proverbs 2:21
Proverbs 29:2
ABOUT BEING GOOD CITIZENS
1 Peter 2:13-17
Romans 13:1-7
2 Chronicles 7:14

An interesting read:  
The Biblical Basis for Christians in Politics and Government  http://whateveristrue.com/heritage/ticipate.htm

Celiac Progression and the effect of gluten

People are often surprised when I tell them my kids "just looked" Celiac.  They often ask me what a Celiac "looks" like.  I have no words to explain it, but here are some pictures:

This picture was taken on Dennis's third birthday.
He had not had any significant exposure to gluten prior to this date.

This picture was taken one week before he began preschool.
He had been on a gluten challenge for three months.

This is his kindergarten picture.
At the time of this picture, he had been off gluten for four months.

Any questions?

Taxes

So I was just lazing around, keeping an eye on my newsfeed, when I saw a post from Wood TV 8 that said, "How much do you trust your tax preparer?  Target 8 discovers how easy it is to get ripped off and get in trouble with the IRS...." 

My response, "That is why I have done my own taxes ever since I entered the workforce at age 15!"

Apparently, there was a whole segment of the news tonight dedicated to that.  I personally would never have anyone else do my taxes.  I know what I'm doing, and I am comfortable with the complications.  If you pay a company to do your taxes, you are probably getting ripped off.  How much do they charge for doing your taxes these days?  In 2010, H&R Block's average fee was $189, while Jackson Hewitt charged an average of $208.  Then they offer audit protection for additional cost, and charge extra for taxes that are "complicated by" taxable income besides wages and unemployment.  There is also a fee if you want them to make your refund available to you immediately (refund anticipation check).

Too many people I know have had their paid tax preparer mess up their taxes so they have to file an amended return, or they get audited, or they have a ton of penalties to pay later... simply because the tax preparer did not know how to do taxes!  This seems wrong, doesn't it?  You are the taxpayer.  It is YOUR responsibility to make sure the taxes are done correctly.  Do your research and get an idea of what your complete tax return should look like.  Ask questions and do not sign anything until you are sure it is right.

If you go to a H&R Block, the tax preparers are supposed to know what they are doing.  H&R Block even has a guarantee: "Worry-free Audit Support", their tax professionals will assist you in case you get audited.  I researched our local H&R Block offices.  I wouldn't trust any of them to do my taxes!

In the three offices that are closest to my home, there are a total of 30 so-called "tax professionals". 

Education:

• Four have a Master's degree
• Eleven have a Bachelor's degree
• Three have an Associates degree
• Seven have taken some college courses
• Five only have training fron H&R Block

Experience:

• Nine have a background in Taxes/Accounting
• Five have a background in office management
• Three have a background in the medical field
• Four have a background in Teaching/Childcare
• Nine have backgrounds in other areas (including military, sales, engineering, delivery services, real estate, and forensic science). 

I have a friend that went to H&R Block to have their taxes done for many years in a row.  They had the same house, the same kids, pretty close to the same income and deductions every year, and their taxes were done DIFFERENTLY every time!  Some years one of the children wasn't even counted as a dependent!!  Now they have to file amended returns for those years, and find a new tax preparer.

If you go to a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), they may not be knowledgeable about tax law and can make costly mistakes.  I have a friend who went to a CPA that was well-known by her husband's family.  He missed some of the taxable income and some of their deductions, and he didn't understand the way to process their mortgage certificate.  This caused them to have to pay someone else to file amended returns and they had to pay penalties due to unreported income.

If you are self-employed, a traveling worker or a clergyman, it may seem reasonable to go somewhere the preparer understands the special needs that these people have when they file taxes.  Just because someone says they know what they're doing... it doesn't make it true.  Deductions can be missed or calculated incorrectly without your knowledge.  This can mean you owe money, or that you get a smaller refund.  Sometimes it can mean you get audited.  Sometimes it can mean your entire refund goes to pay the Social Security and medicare taxes.

Want to know the best way to do your taxes?  It really is up to you.

If your AGI is $57,000 or less, you can file online for free at any of these listed websites http://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp

If you prefer, you can purchase the H&R Block or TurboTax software, using these user-friendly programs to help you with each step.

If you have questions about changes and general tax information, you can look at this website http://www.irs.gov/faqs/index.html

If you should choose to have someone else do them for you, make sure they know what they are doing. Someplace like Bailey Tax Matters, LLC  (http://www.hendgeslaw.com/Income_Tax.html)

If you hire a tax professional, make sure they fill in the portion that asks about Paid Preparer's Info, just in case you get audited, your preparer has to show up too.

AND IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!!!
Avoid going places that claim they can get you a higher refund than someplace else.  If they are all doing it right, they will all get you the same refund, what is legally the most you can receive.

Here is the article from Wood TV 8, which was broadcast on TV while I was typing this blog.
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/target_8/tax-preparer-with-a-secret
Learn something.  Don't be a victim!

GRRR... Stupid Celiac People...

Okay, so I know I am not the smartest person in the world.  I also know that I am a bossy know-it-all.  I have two parents, two sisters (and their husbands), two brothers (and their wives), a husband, and three kids... not to mention a lot of Celiac acquaintances... that will be more than willing to agree with me on that!

It really irritates me when people who have Celiac Disease try to justify using products containing gluten.  Whatever the excuse, if you are living gluten free, that means NO gluten!

So, I am going to vent a little here:
Gluten free food  ...  check!
Gluten free lip balm  ... check!
Gluten free toothpaste  ... check!
Gluten free vitamins  ...  check!
Gluten free lotions  ...  check!
Gluten free shampoos  ...  check!
Gluten free soaps  ...  check!

Self-stick envelopes and stamps  ...  check!
pocket or purse sized condiments  ...  check!
Replace wooden spoons/cutting boards  ... check!
Strip and recondition cast iron  ...  check!
Replace any damaged teflon  ...  check!
Eliminate all gluten flours and mixes from the home  ...  check!

Make breads, cakes, and cookies from scratch  ... check!
Shop at the same stores and in the same aisles  ...  check!
Be OCD about reading ingredient labels  ...  Definitely!

Stop going to church  ...  NOPE!!
Avoid all restaurants  ...  Don't think so!
Become a hermit  ...  NEVER!!

If you have Celiac disease, you should try to avoid all kinds of potential contamination, but seriously, you can still have a life!  Go places... with people... Do things...