But with every good thing that is used very frequently wear and tear sets in. The Bible Experience can be purchase either in CD form or in MP3 download format. Many Christians who have purchased The Bible Experience have done so by purchasing the CD version. With frequent use many of them have either, lost, damaged or had one or some of their CD’s missing.

The problem for these avid listeners of one of the best Bible audio in history, is not that they would have to purchase a replacement but that there is no shop online they can find one to purchase. The only solution seems to be to replace the entire set, and that is an expensive way to replace just one CD.

Fortunately, there is a way to replace a missing CD without purchasing the complete set. The easy solution is to download a MP3 version for only $3.99 and then burn the audio on CD. Since most computers comes with a free version of Microsoft Windows Player, which has a free CD burner option, the replacement of damaged or missing CD is easy.

For a complete guide to replacing your Bible Experience CD’s visit The Bible Experience Single CD replacement page

• GMAT Verbal Bible PowerScore has just released the highly anticipated GMAT Verbal Bible, the ultimate guide for mastering the Verbal section of the GMAT. This latest publication, which joins a considerable lineup of best-selling standardized test preparation materials published by PowerScore, was written by David Killoran, founder of PowerScore, Steven Stein, PowerScore's Director......
• The Bible Experience - So many Bible to Choose From By Richard Scheinin So you're thumbing through the "Bible Illuminated: The Book, New Testament" and you can't help noticing that this recent entry in one of the book industry's most aggressively marketed niches — Bible sales — looks like a fat, glossy fashion magazine. It doesn't smell of perfume, but......
• BibleNow and The Bible Experience This Christmas Inspired By Media Group and Danteck Group Inc., have collaborated to create "The Bible Experience - NowBible Color (Audio/Visual Bible Reader - 4GB)." Released in November 2006, Inspired By...The Bible Experience is a series of dramatized audio Bible featuring character portrayals accentuated by a theatrical underscore and musical soundtrack. Additionally,......

• 100 Thing challenge What do you think, could you do it? I have to admit I've pared down some this week -- as have my kids without even being asked! -- and I've given away clothes and other items on a regular basis for years. But it still seems like I collect more......
• What’s Going On? Monetizing OK, I swear, this is the last article in a long time that will relate to the finances of the site (although I may announce new store offerings occasionally). I've been chasing the dime a bit lately.  After nearly 450 articles, the site really hasn't produced much revenue.  Part......
• What is a Bank CD? Before comparing interest rates or buying a CD at the bank, come to an understanding on how Certificates of Deposit work. Rules and Regulations of Bank CDs CDs, commonly known to many as bank certificates of deposit, are issued by many different banks. CDs are tightly regulated via state and......

The instruction for creating single disc below is being reviewed until further notice.

If you have purchased The Bible Experience, either the New or Old Testament version or both and have had one or more of your CD’S lost, missing, scratch, damaged, broken or stolen, here is how you find a replacement for your Bible Experience CD.

Currently there are no way to replace your CD through direct purchase of a Single CD, so we have to download an MP3 version and then transfer it or burn it to a CD. The process is pretty simple and the cost is only $3.99

TO REPLACE SINGLE DISC, FIRST Purchase the MP3 version by identifying which book of the Bible you need replaced according to number. Click to purchase

Then click on Download available image link

A new page opens with different options for purchase

Click on Download by Disc NT or Download by Disc OT

Select the Bible number based on books of the New or Old Testament. Please see below for the exact number that matches the Book of the Bible you would like to download

To Burn download audio to CD you can use either Microsoft Media Player

Or Rhapsody Real Audio or any other CD burner

Purchase Single Bible Experience

01. New Testament Disc 1 $3.99

01. NT - The book of Matthew $3.99

01. Old Testament Disc 1 $3.99

01. OT - The book of Genesis $3.99

02. NT - The Book of Mark $3.99

02. Old Testament Disc 2 $3.99

02. OT - The book of Exodus $3.99

03. NT - The book of Luke $3.99

03. Old Testament Disc 3 $3.99

03. OT - The book of Leviticus $3.99

04. NT - The book of John $3.99

04. Old Testament Disc 4 $3.99

04. OT - The book of Numbers $3.99

05. NT - The book of Acts $3.99

05. Old Testament Disc 5 $3.99

05. OT - The book of Deuteronomy $3.99

06. NT - The book of Romans $3.99

06. Old Testament Disc 6 $3.99

06. OT - The book of Joshua $3.99

07. NT - The books of 1Corinthians and 2Corinthians $3.99

07. Old Testament Disc 7 $3.99

07. OT - The books of Judges and Ruth $3.99

08. NT - The books of Galatians - Colossians $3.99

08. Old Testament Disc 8 $3.99

08. OT - The book of 1Samuel $3.99

09. NT - The books of 1Thessalonians - Philemon $3.99

09. Old Testament Disc 9 $3.99

09. OT - The book of 2Samuel $3.99

10. NT - The books of Hebrews and James $3.99

10. Old Testament Disc 10 $3.99

10. OT - The book of 1Kings $3.99

11. NT - The books of 1Peter - Jude $3.99

11. Old Testament Disc 11 $3.99

11. OT - The book of 2Kings $3.99

12. NT - The book of Revelation $3.99

12. Old Testament Disc 12 $3.99

12. OT - The book of 1Chronicles $3.99

13. OT - The book of 2Chronicles $3.99

14. OT - The book of Ezra $3.99

15. OT - The book of Nehemiah $3.99

16. OT - The book of Esther $3.99

17. OT - The book of Job $3.99

18. OT - The book of Psalms $3.99

19. OT - The book of Proverbs $3.99

22. OT - The books of Jeremiah and Lamentations $3.99

23. OT - The book of Ezekiel $3.99

24. OT - The book of Daniel $3.99

25. OT - The books of Hosea, Joel, and Amos $3.99

26. OT - The Books of Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah $3.99

27. OT - The books of Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai $3.99

28. OT - The books of Zechariah and Malachi $3.99

The Bible Experience Old Testament Download $48.00

The Complete Bible
Audio CD (2 day FedEx Shipper) $121.59

The Complete Bible Experience DL $68.00

The New Testament
Audio CD $49.00

• Guidance To Understanding The Bible With Confidence The key to understanding the Bible with confidence is Godly devotion. It is essential for one to train their self in order to achieve full Godly devotion. One's aim or objective in training their self is not to achieve selfish, materialistic gain. However, there is gain to the one who......
• The Bible Experience There is much talk about the CD project, The Bible Experience, which is set to be released in September, 2006. The CD is a dramatic audio perfermance of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. The CD is being put together by 80 black celebreties reading, singing and performing music to......
• 14 Major Points of the End Time The Bible not only tells us about yesterday, it also tells us about tomorrow. It is full of thousands of detailed prophecies that describe specific people, places, times, situations, and events. Many of these prophecies are about the final period of man's kingdoms on earth, a period known as the......

• Oak Quarry Golf Course, Riverside, CA Oak Quarry Golf Course is located in: Riverside, CA Phone: (951) 685-1440 Website: http://www.oakquarry.com/golf/rates.html Course History: Oak Quarry Golf Course is a newer course that was opened to rave reviews in 2000. It was built by Dr. Gil Morgan/Schmidt Curley Designs, and quickly became one of the most popular courses......
• Melt value If you're into precious metals investing, one good way to get involved is to own bullion (the metal itself) directly.  You can buy bars of the stuff, or buy coins with a substantial content of some precious metal, like gold, silver, palladium, or platinum. The more current, more common bullion......
• Stay far, far, far away from Swoopo And if you bid on Swoopo.com, please stop.  Even if you've won an auction.  I can just about guarantee you'll pay back every cent you saved on that one auction win, plus a lot more. Swoopo bills itself as an auction site, but the auctions are little more than giant,......

In the 1900’s, Madame C.J. Walker revolutionized the hair straightening market with her “Wonderful Hair Grower.” Today, you can directly see the influence of our ancestors in our cultural beliefs about hair, and in the various ways we care for our hair today. For example, Madame C.J Walker has been an influence for today’s hair care entrepreneurs, such as Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter, Karen Tappin of Karen’s Body Beautiful, Miko and Titi Branch of Miss Jessie’s and Anthony Dickey of Hair Rules.

As far as hairstyling, we’ve almost come full circle as well. Whereas black women and men previously saw straight hair as the only way to succeed in the world, there is now greater social recognition and acceptance of the many different styles of black hair.

What lies in the future for black hair? It is up to us. And only time will tell.

The Bouffant: The 1960s
Talk about big hair! The bouffant was a style popularized in the 1960s and one that required more than a little bit of hairspray. Barbara McNair rocked a mean one.

Wigs: The 1960s
The Supremes must have had a ball dressing in the latest fashions AND hottest hairstyles every time they stepped outside the door. They all wore top-of-the-line wigs, which gave them a different look every night.

The Conk: The 1960s
Popular since the 1920s, Malcolm X famously noted in his autobiography about a horrible experience he had trying to put lye, or a conk, in his hair. Jackie Wilson killed the look du jour with shiny, perfect waves and probably a little pain to get it just right.

The Afro: The 1970s
Angela Davis was the poster child for the Afro during the late ’60s and ’70s with perfectly coiffed orb o’ hair. Davis said she had to put Tide detergent in hers to make it stand up just so. Afro pick!

The Afro: The 1970s
On the man side, Sly Stone went for a little texture in his ‘fro, which was about the same height as Angela Davis’s. The sideburns and sequins completed the look of the perfect ’70s rock star!

Cornrows with Beads: The 1970s
Alicia Keys has reprised this classic ’70s style with a modern twist. Her cornrows, or hair braided to the scalp in intricate designs, were quite common during the ’70s. The squiggly parts gave it that ’90s swag.

The Flip: The 1970s
Natalie Cole was the perfect representation of the ’70s here with the flip — hair curled upward in layers made most popular by actress Farrah Fawcett. Her gold hoops and wide collar cement the look.

The Mushroom: The 1980s
The flip turned into a mushroom in the early ’80s where hair was curled under all around.

The Jheri Curl: The 1980s
Who could even think about the ’80s without thoughts — or shudders — of the ubiquitous jheri curl? Everybody had a curl back then and the jokes about activator on pillowcases lasted much longer than the hairstyle ever did. Soooooooul Glow!

The Shag: The 1980s
We all sang the line “in my younger days I used to sport a shaaaaag?” The Pharcyde remembers and so do we! The uber-retro Kanye West even brought back the “black man’s mullet” this year. Oh yes.

The High Top Fade or Box: The 1980s
With the rise of hip-hop in the mid-to-late ’80s, a hairstyle rose right along with it — the high top fade. Hair was shaped into a box shape (of varying heights) and the sides are gradually “faded” down. Will Smith was a man of the day.

Razor Cuts: The 1980s
Later in the ’80s, the high top fade morphed into the skyscraper with accents cut in with a razor. By the end of this fad, people had faces, names and designs in their hair and eyebrows. Rapper Big Daddy Kane kept his crispy fresh with a barber on staff.

Waves: The 1980s
Waves reached their peak in the ’80s. The effect was achieved from grease, water, a brush and a doo-rag or scarf to lay the hair down in a pattern. If your hair was not naturally curly, Nu Nile or S-Curl was the way to go.

Fingerwaves: The 1980s
Fingerwaves, such as the ones worn by Keyshia Cole, were actually a reprise of yet another era — the 1920s. This flat, to-your-head style, tended to be hard to the touch. Helmet city!

The Asymmetric: The 1980s
This hairstyle ruled the late ’80s. Salt ‘n’ Pepa bust out with it in the ‘Push It’ video, and they pushed it to us in different colors even. Best. Hairstyle. Ever. Oooh baby baby!

The Baldie: The 1990s
If a man ever popularized a hairstyle, it was Michael Jordan and his “baldie.” After men saw that you could be masculine and sexy sans hair, many a receding hairline followed suit — and even some with a full head of hair too!

The “Halle Berry”: The 1990s
The actual hairstyle, a short layered haircut, was named the “Halle Berry” by many. Berry and songstress Anita Baker had women running to the salon to chop it off in the early ’90s.

Dookie Braids: The 1990s
As the early ’90s ushered in the Afrocentric movement, “dookie braids” or big individual plaits, became all the rage. After Janet Jackson sported them in 1993’s ‘Poetic Justice’ with Tupac Shakur, it was a ovah!

Individuals or Box Braids: The 1990s
Braids went from big to smaller as the ’90s progressed. The hair type used (synthetic to human) also changed. Pop star Brandy wore her “individuals” for many years with aplomb.

The Weave: The 1990s
Many women sported the classic weave, where extra hair is braided in and not sewn or glued in on tracks. The style mirrored the era’s big hair party. “Yes, it’s mine — I bought it!”

Cornrows on Men: The 1990s
Though worn by a few in the ’80s, the ’90s saw this hair trend take off with ferocity. You couldn’t turn around without seeing a man with an intricate braid style. Allen Iverson kept his for at least a decade.

Layers: The 1990s
If this hairstyle had a name it would be the “Jennifer Aniston.” It was this ‘Friends’ star who popularized the layered look in the ’90s. Previously layers were worn longer on the top and shorter on bottom.

The Mohawk or Frohawk: The 2000s
First made popular in the 1980s with punk rockers (and Mr. T), the mohawk (or frohawk) recently made a big comeback on both men and women. Stars like Diddy wear theirs faded to perfection and with just the right touch of S-Curl on top for texture.

The Lacefront: The 2000s
The lacefront is to many the perfect weave, in that you can now wear parts and have a natural hairline even with added hair. Beyonce and Tyra Banks are its most famous wearers.

The Precision Cut: The 2000s
When Rihanna decided to change her look, her career went into the stratosphere. This included her hair, which went from blah to short, sassy and razor sharp. Incidentally, an actual razor is sometimes used to achieve that choppy, edgy feel.

• FoxFaith to Promote Color of the Cross The home video division of Twentieth Century Fox said Tuesday it will acquire as many as a dozen family friendly movies a year and market them under the FoxFaith banner. One of these movies will be Color of the Cross, a story film depicting Jesus as being black. Fox has......
• The Bible Experience There is much talk about the CD project, The Bible Experience, which is set to be released in September, 2006. The CD is a dramatic audio perfermance of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. The CD is being put together by 80 black celebreties reading, singing and performing music to......
• Black women living in South Carolina are more likely to develop cancers James Herbert of the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health and colleagues examined data from the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry to determine if health disparities exist among black and white residents diagnosed with cancer (USC release, 9/13). The study finds that black women are 60% more......

• 50 Cent May Put Black Magic On Back Burner 'I am not sure it will be my next album,' rapper says.By Kyle Anderson 50 Cent Photo: Jorge Rosenberg/ Getty Images Since the release of his 2009 album Before I Self Destruct, 50 Cent has been traveling the world, playing shows and taking in new musical ideas. Along the way,......
• Player Profile: Greg Norman Greg Norman, arguably one of the most famous golfers in the 1980’s and 1990’s, was born in Australia in 1955. His nickname, The Great White Shark, referred to his heritage, his white blond hair and his killer instinct on the course. There were few that could top Norman when he......
• Actresses/Models With Black Hair? Do you know any NON DISNEY (i.e Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens) actresses or models who are caucasian and have black hair? It's for a story, I need visuals of my characters..I'm willing to tweek and photoshop until I've got them close enough to what I imagine my character......

It is a pretty atypical book. There isn’t a lot of leeway in writing when your audience wants you to be true to the original (ie, the Bible). All the kid’s Christmas books (setting aside the Christmas tree/ shopping/ winter ones) have the same story with different art, all written to kid’s levels of understanding. What really won this book a place in my heart was its details, like Jesus being a bouncing toddler on Mary’s lap when they leave Egypt. A few more examples? Tiny things like putting the word “only” in the phrase “they bowed down and worshipped God’s only Son and gave Him expensive presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Or when it explains that when the census in Bethlehem was over, “Mary and Joseph moved into a house.” At the top of each new part of the story it refers you to the part of the Bible it was taken from. Another cool thing about this book is the interaction it encourages between the reader and the child. At the base of every other page is a question about the story aimed at the young child.

They include:

- “What would you do if an angel suddenly appeared right here in front of you?”
- “The name Jesus means ’savior.’ What does a savior do?”
- “Joseph obeyed God immediately. And God kept his family safe. Why is it good to obey quickly?”

At the end of the book is soft-cornered blocks of the images from the book, that the kids can put in the right order to practice sequencing. But the cool bonus feature of the book is a 17 minute (total) DVD with 6 stories from the life of Jesus, including

- John the Baptist, good because it ties into the Zechariah story from the book
- Jesus is born, a video version of the book’s climax.
- Where is Jesus? from the trip to Jerusalem when he was 12
- Jesus Tempted by Satan, good conversation fodder to talk to kids that He was tempted but chose the right way. Also my kids pointed out that if you tell Satan Scripture, he disappears.
- Jesus’ Life, healings, the loaves and fishes, Jesus weeping over his friend Lazarus.
- Jesus Loves the Children

It has an inscription page in the front that makes it ideal for gift-giving. At our house we have a box of Christmas books and some DVDs and this is totally going to be a keeper. The link above has it on Amazon for less than $10! I found a lot of books in the series that I would be interested in owning also. My kids were really enthralled with the Satan character and that Jesus interacted with him. He was weird-looking; imagine a male character from the time period, in the dress/toga thing, but with a hood. He had normal hands and feet poking out, but inside the hood it was just a flat charcoal grey cloud instead of a face. Every time Jesus rebuked him with Scripture, Satan pantomimed some frustration and then disappeared into a harmless cloud of bubbles.

Teresa Dear is a homeschooling mom of four kids. She and her husband have been married for eleven years. She spends her time educating her children, creating a comfortable home, and studying God’s word.

Follow her difficult journey of spiritual growth, and polish the monuments to what God is teaching her. You can celebrate with her at http://mama4x.blogspot.com.

• How to Write the Perfect Sermon The title suggests that there is such a thing as a perfect sermon. I believe that perfection is like beauty, that is, in the eyes of the beholder. You may think that a sermon was perfect but half your congregation were falling asleep. On the other hand you might consider......
• The Bible is the Word of God and the Path to a Better Life Understanding The Bible is the word of God. It is a witness for God and Jesus Christ. Members of the Church are encouraged to study it and follow its teachings. The Church uses many translations of the Bible in various languages. In English, the King James Version is used as the......
• 4 Reasons To Believe The Bible As Your Final Authority All Christians have questions about the Bible and its role in today's life. For example, why are there so many books, programs and seminars to teach Christians what to believe about the Bible? Does the Bible really need to be interpreted by scholars before it is understood? Is the Bible......

• Why Religion is an Important Part of Personal Finance - The glblguy's Perspective There is an incredibly interesting post over at Get Rich Slowly titled Why Religion is an Important Part of Personal Finance. I read the entire article and all of the comments. While many of the comments go a little off track and start the whole Christian vs. Atheist Debate, along......
• The Annapolis Book of Seamanship: Third Edition, Completely Revised, Expanded and Updated by John Rousmaniere When you want to learn proper seamanship, what better way that to go straight to the Navy. This is the perfect book for beginners and professionals alike that need to learn solid techniques, and really understand what it means to be a good seamen. This book is very easy to......
• The Millionaire's Retirement Plan Is Backwards Have you seen the latest article on Yahoo! Finance? I recently read "The Millionaire's Retirement Plan," where the author explains that to stay on track for retirement, 25 year olds should save $200 a month, 35 year olds $400 a month, 45 year olds $450 a month, and 55 year......

About Danteck
Founded in 2002, Danteck Group, Inc. provides “Innovative Bible Technologies for the Mobile World” via
the unique NowBible^TM electronic platform. The company’s products feature synchronized text and audio
narration of the Bible, LCD touch screen displays, and MP4 Video/MP3 Audio capability. Danteck’s most
recent bible products have reached “best-seller” status on Christianbook.com, and garnered an average five
star rating by consumers. Visit Danteck on the web at www.nowbible.com
About Inspired By Media Group
Branded by its signature banner Inspired By…, Inspired By Media Group, Inc., is committed to serving the
faith-based and general markets by creating family oriented products that are culturally relevant in scope.
With more than a combined 40 years in the convergent areas of music, television, film, theater, literature,
new media and technology, the company is an industry leader in delivering contemporary multimedia
products. Visit Inspired By Media Group on the Web at www.inspiredby.com and
www.thebibleexperience.com or www.zondervan.com
About Zondervan
Zondervan is the leading Christian communications company in the world. Zondervan, a division of
HarperCollins Publishers, produces Bibles, books, new media products, gift products from its Inspirio
group and children’s products from its Zonderkidz group. The world’s leading Bible publisher, Zondervan
holds exclusive North American publishing rights to the New International Version of the Bible, the
bestselling modern English translation in the world. More than 215 million copies of the NIV have been
sold or distributed worldwide. Visit Zondervan on the Web at www.zondervan.com.
For more information about The Bible Experience, NowBible device and Zondervan, please visit the
websites listed above. To speak with the creators of the NowBible or The Bible Experience, contact Rhonda
Ridley at Affinity Public Relations at 718-432-6412 or Rhonda@affinity-pr.com
###
Affinity Pulic Relations is a Christian Urban Entertainment PR, Branding and Marketing firm located in
NYC

• 20th Annual Bible Reading Marathon Before the steps of the nation's Capitol, hundreds of Christians will be gathered throughout this week to partake in the 20th annual U. S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon. Starting Sunday night at 6 p.m., the Bible will be read aloud from start to finish on the west lawn of the......
• Mustard Seed Necklace - Mustard Seed Fair Trade Mustard Seed Teardrop NecklaceA beautiful reminder of the truth of Matthew 17:20, our dainty pendant features a genuine mustard seed encased in clear epoxy and accented with delicate greenery. Silver-plated pendant is 5/8″ with 18″ chain. Gift boxed. Mustard Seed Cross PendantCarry the message of Matthew 17:20 with you......
• Is The Bible Truly The Inspired Word Of God? Is the Bible the Word of God? Or is it just a collection of human writings? How can we know for sure? Any google search on the inspiration of the Scriptures will bring up a surprising amount of results from people who do not believe so. These people can be......

• How To Earn Cash Flow Online For Life What would you say if I were to tell you to invest 10$ per month and make increasing passive income FOR LIFE??? If your answer is YES, then read on HOW TO… Network marketing is quite a common term these days and most of us are very much repellent of......
• Why Do Americans Call It Soccer? Here is why. To trace the origin of “soccerâ€� we must go all the way back to 1863, and a meeting of gentlemen at a London pub, who congregated with the purpose of standardizing the rules of “football,â€� which was in its infant years as an organized sport but was......
• The Obama Civilian National Security Force - Red Alert Sunday Paper - March 15th, 2009   ... And that's why my administration is committed to renewing diplomacy as a tool of American power, and to developing our civilian nationanl security capabilities... ... We have to enlist our civilians in the same way that we enlist those members of the......

2 Examples:
(1) Every other week, the church, collects an offering for the Pastor, and then a check is written from the church’s account to the pastor. Would our contributions to this biweekly offering be deductible?

(2) Once a year, we hold a celebration for our Pastor, and we take up offerings, but we give the money directly to him. So these contributions are not deductible because members of the church took up the offering and the money was given directly to him?

Answer: According to the IRS, love offerings must be:

Unsolicited
Spontaneous in nature
Given with proper donor’s intent — If the donor gives the gift out of a detached and disinterested generosity, out of affection, respect, admiration, charity or like impulses, then it is considered a gift, according to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
If the process of taking up the love offering follows these guidelines, it will be non-taxable to your pastor and non-deductible to your donors. So your weekly offering would probably be taxable to your pastor and deductible to your donors.

The “annual appreciation” offering would probably not be taxable to him and definitely would not be deductible to your donors as it is not processed through the church.

Question: We’ve had a question arise concerning love offerings. I understand the basic rationale for the offering being non-deductible for the giver, but also not being taxable compensation to the recipient, but my question is this: If an individual writes a check payable to the church, but designated as a love offering to the pastor (or other person), the church does not consider it a charitable contribution and merely processes the check through the church’s bank account and then writes a single check for the love gift.

On your website you made the following comment: “Another example of this is when the church takes up a love offering for the pastor. If the love offering is given directly to the pastor and is not processed through the church’s contribution records, then the donors are not going to be able to deduct their donation. The love offering is a non-taxable personal gift to the pastor by the church members.”

So, I am wondering what it actually means to have a love offering “processed through the church’s contribution records?” If the church merely acts as a conduit, has no control over the gift since it is designated to a specific individual, does not treat the gift as a charitable donation (and communicates this to the giver), would the gift still be considered as being “processed through the church’s contribution records?”

Answer: Love offerings get kind of sticky when it comes to taxes. What I meant when I said is “not processed through the church’s contribution records” is that the donation “gift” is not recorded on that individual’s contribution record and would not be included on their annual contribution statement.

It can; however, be processed through the church’s financial records and in fact must be if there are checks made out to the church and a church check is issued.

However, it must be made obvious to your congregation that a love offering for your pastor is a spontaneous and unsolicited gift of love and affection out of a detached and disinterested generosity and that they will not receive a tax deduction for their gift to your pastor.

If you are giving out love offering envelopes, I would state something like that in bold on the envelopes.

One more quick bit of advice…in order for love offerings to be considered as gifts and not taxable to the recipient or deductible to the giver…the recipient (your pastor) must be receiving a salary or salary compensation package from the church.

Question: Concerning love offerings—- are love offerings tax deductible to the contributor and taxable to the Pastor? Is the pastor allowed to take a love offering and receive salary too? We used to take up regular love offerings for our pastor, but then we put him on salary. However, people are still putting envelopes in the offering container with his name on it and marking the envelope as love offering. We’ve discussed taking the amount in the envelope and subtracting that from his salary. Is this proper? Who can legitimately receive a love offering?

Answer: Love offerings are NOT tax deductible to the contributor and NOT taxable to the pastor…if it is handled properly. Yes, a pastor is allowed to receive a salary and receive love offerings and in my humble opinion definitely should receive both. It would not be proper to deduct his love offerings from his salary.

A “non-taxable” love offering according to the IRS is an offering that is not solicited…must be spontaneous in nature…and must be clearly defined as a gift with no service attached. Giving it to the pastor in his hand or even in a proper stated envelope is fine, but always be sure your donors understand that because it is a non-taxable gift to their Pastor…they cannot take a tax deduction for it.

As far as I know there are no restrictions on who can receive a love offering or gift.

In conclusion, love offerings can be a blessing to the recipient, or it can be a nightmare. Make sure you know the IRS’s rules and regulations on love offerings and be sure you are properly handling and in some cases…properly documenting those offerings.

• Colporteurs the Bible and African American The term "colporteur" is not familiar to most people. But those who acted as colporteurs for the American Bible Society formed an essential link between the Bible and African Americans. Dating back to 1796, it comes from a French word that came to refer to those who travel to sell......
• Mustard Seed Necklace - Mustard Seed Fair Trade Mustard Seed Teardrop NecklaceA beautiful reminder of the truth of Matthew 17:20, our dainty pendant features a genuine mustard seed encased in clear epoxy and accented with delicate greenery. Silver-plated pendant is 5/8″ with 18″ chain. Gift boxed. Mustard Seed Cross PendantCarry the message of Matthew 17:20 with you......
• Religious Stationery For Invitations Baptism, Announcements and Cards In today's world everyone is busy in their own life. Even today religion and spirituality occupy an important place in our lives. We are what our religion makes us and molds us into. Religion determines our vision and attitude towards life. Thus no religious function is celebrated without close friends......

• Why Do You Invest? For today's baby boomer reading, you might be interested in a post I wrote today on my Tough Money Love blog. It's called "Why Do You Invest?" For investors in today's economy, I believe that the "why" question needs to be answered before the "when to invest" and "what to......
• Roundup - Tis the Season To go shopping, hang out with friends, gather families, share food, bring laughter, and build memories. Happy Holidays! Banking, Credit, and Debt Credit Karma writes How Does Bankruptcy Affect Your Credit? The Sun's Financial Diary posts How to Use Your Credit Card without Going in Debt. The Consumerist with How......
• Obama chooses Kagan for Supreme Court A source close to the selection process said a central element in Obama's choice was Kagan's reputation for bringing together people of competing views and earning their respect. Kagan came to the fore as a candidate who had worked closely with all three branches of government, a legal mind......

Now consider the universal language, music. Good music contains melody, harmony, and a rhythm. When the rhythm of a verse is locked into the rhythm of a song, it will help you learn it, help you remember it, and help you remember it correctly.

Let’s consider an example. Acts 4:28 in the KJV reads, “For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done,” speaking of the sovereign plan of God in His death on the cross. Now read this verse in 3/4 time, i.e. emphasizing every third syllable- do, ev, hand, coun, etc. You will notice the word and sentence accents are in perfect 3/4 time.

To remember this verse, simply put the words into a three-four melody such as a Strauss waltz or a familiar song like the verse of “Oh How I Love Jesus.” Just make sure the downbeat (first beat of each measure) is the accented syllable we identified above.

Better yet, once you have determined the rhythm of a verse, ask God for a fresh melody unique to that verse. It helps me remember the verse much better when I can’t get the words mixed up with other words associated with this tune.
Of course, most verses don’t read in perfect rhythm. In such cases, it is necessary to hold some words longer, to repeat words or phrases, or squeeze two words or syllables into one beat. Consider the song, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live.” In the first two measures, the downbeats are on ‘I’ and ‘life’ with the secondary beat on ‘rec’. Thus ‘resurrection’ is compressed with shorter notes and ‘life’ is held for a whole note. These two measures contain 10 syllables. However, the next two measures contain 11 syllables and must also be compressed. The phrase ‘yet shall he live’ is repeated and the words given longer notes.

A caution is that you try not to change the accent of the word in order to fit it into the melody. Also, note that the downbeat words are always emphasized. Work at making the song emphasize the words you feel are key in the verse. In other words, make the music submit to the verse as much as possible.

One rule I had in writing Scripture songs is to stick with the text exactly. This doesn’t mean repetition of words or phrases is not used. But when we paraphrase part of a verse in order to fit it into a song, then the music is the master and the Scripture is submitting. An example is the song, “Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us.” By changing ‘bestowed’ to ‘given,’ this fixes the accent problem but changes the Scripture word. It would have been possible to hold Father for two beats and then ‘bestowed’ would fit with the correct accent on the second syllable.

Bible songs

• Guidance To Understanding The Bible With Confidence The key to understanding the Bible with confidence is Godly devotion. It is essential for one to train their self in order to achieve full Godly devotion. One's aim or objective in training their self is not to achieve selfish, materialistic gain. However, there is gain to the one who......
• When Did the Exodus Occur? Several years ago, Reader's Digest had an article about the biblical record of the nation of Israel. The author concluded that it was impossible to identify the time of the Exodus because there were no Egyptian records of them having entered or left Egypt. The article called attention to a......
• Inspirational Bible Verses - Encouraging Bible Verses Without regard to age, sex, moral beliefs or cultural background, life can present many struggles. If you're looking for encouraging and inspirational ways to contend with the trials, tribulations and stress of daily life, the words of the Wonderful Counselor found in bible verses are your greatest option. Proverbs 3:5-6......

• Word For Sale - Online Marketing Strategies Have you been trying around and looking several ways to build links to your website? Perhaps you will have thought of a principal key phrase which could possibly be attributed to your site and would describe the site as an entire? Some people agree that their websites might be summarized......
• How to Tell If You Are Reaching Your Audience Is this thing on? If you are starting to feel like you are blogging to an empty room, or your posts are accompanied by the sound of crickets, it’s time to start focusing on whether or not you are reaching your audience. There are a number of methods that can......
• Shopping for a Child Size Guitar - What You Need to Know When it comes to purchasing acoustic musical instruments for children, choosing the right size is absolutely vital for the best results. When it comes to shopping for a child size guitar for example, it can not be over emphasized how important it is to consider neck size and the overall......

Charity is “the pure love of Christ,” or “everlasting love”. Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of charity. In His mortal ministry, He always “went about doing good,” teaching the gospel and showing tender compassion for the poor, afflicted, and distressed. His crowning expression of charity was His infinite Atonement. He said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This was the greatest act of long-suffering, kindness, and selflessness that we will ever know.

The Savior wants all people to receive His love and to share it with others. He declared to His disciples: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”. In relationships with family members and others, followers of Christ look to the Savior as their example and strive to love as He loves, with unfailing compassion, patience, and mercy.

God The Divine Adventure

• 2009 Barack Obama Wall Calendar from Cushcity.com Cushcity.com, the world's largest African-American retailer online with over 20,000 products, has published a full-color Barack Obama 2009 wall calendar. The calendar's cover features a color image of America's first family and the presidential seal. The calendar includes more than 30 color photos of president-elect Obama and his wife, Michelle,......
• Bible Bee $260,000 in Prize Money The Shelby Kennedy Foundation is excited to introduce the first annual National Bible Bee, a motivating Bible memory competition for children and youth from 7 to 18. Harvest Church, 707 Lithia Inn Road, Lincolnton, NC, will be hosting a Local Contest on September 12, 2009. Interested contestants and their families......
• The Bible is the Word of God and the Path to a Better Life Understanding The Bible is the word of God. It is a witness for God and Jesus Christ. Members of the Church are encouraged to study it and follow its teachings. The Church uses many translations of the Bible in various languages. In English, the King James Version is used as the......

• Tips for Fire Safety If you want to practice good fire safety, then you are going to need to have a plan in place. If your home or workshop should ever happen to catch fire, you are not going to have much time with which to escape. Smoke fumes are capable of incapacitating a......
• Avoid Borrowing and Lending Money to Family with Peer to Peer Loans Most consumer advocates say that one of the biggest financial mistakes that one can make is borrowing money from or loaning money to a close friend or a family member. Fortunately, most of us can now avoid this awkward situation by making use of the fledgling peer to peer lending......
• Facebook Profile Spy? You Can See Who Views Your Profile? I was at my friends house today and we were on her facebook and I noticed a little icon on her updates that said (10 New Views). She showed me and it shows you all the people who looked at your profile. I wanted to get the Profile Spy for......

The Bible is a collection of sacred writings containing many of God’s revelations. It is a record of His dealings with some of His children from the Creation through the ministries of Jesus Christ and His Apostles. It was written by prophets and historians who knew God and testified of Jesus Christ. It is read and revered by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they study it regularly. When we read the bible we are reading the diary of God to a better and happier life. God is the king of kings, he wants the best for all of us.

The Bible is not God’s final revelation to humanity, however, and neither is this collection of sacred writings complete. The Bible itself speaks of other authoritative books of scripture including books of Nathan the prophet and of Jehu and Enoch, the prophecy of Ahijah, the visions of Iddo the seer, and even missing epistles of Paul (see 2 Chronicles 9:29; 13:22; 20:34; 1 Corinthians 5:9; Jude 1:14). Other books of Latter-day Saint scripture-the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price-clarify the gospel as taught in the Bible and corroborate the truthfulness of the Biblical witness of Jesus Christ.

God The Divine Adventure

• Why Did Christ Come Into the World? It seems to be a foregone conclusion today that Christ came into this world over 2000 years ago to establish his glorious earthly kingdom in Israel. And since he failed to do that at that time, he must return soon to set it up! This establishment of an earthly kingdom......
• Why Does God Allow Evil People to Get Away With So Much in This Life? An unjust God? Sadly, because of the gross injustice prevalent in this world, we tend to think that God is an unjust God. How can He be a loving Father and yet allow a child to be abused? There's something inherent in us that cries out for crimes to be......
• When the Circumstances Are Difficult and Grim, Know That You Can Overcome With Jesus Christ! Read the letter of John in the New Testament and enjoy every blessing God has for you and commit yourself to faithful service. This article is based on Chapter 5 of that beautiful letter. When we are committed to Almighty God through Jesus Christ, we are then called to love......

• State of the Union and Bad Nuts Welcome to the second edition of my rant that appears here once a month on The Soap Boxers. My first post was on Christmas Eve and now this my second is on my 32nd birthday. So Happy Birthday to me and let us move on to the main topic of......
• Did Jesus Really Claim to Be God? There’s an argument from people who casually read the Bible, looking for holes in the theology they see lived out in the lives of us who are even quick to admit we don’t have the  corner on right living, that says “Jesus never claimed to be God.” Is that true?......
• Lessons from Luke: Taxation and the birth of Christ Last Monday, I announced a new series of articles dealing with the subject of money in the Gospel of Luke. Keep in mind that the book of Luke was a letter written to a rich man by a rich man. Some commentators have said that a major theme of the......

Girls traditionally wear white dresses for First Holy Communion. Formal dress and Bridal Shops generally will sell these dresses, just as they also sell prom dresses, but it may be a family choice to go to a store that specializes in Communion Wear and Communion gifts. These dresses may be long or short, or mid length. It is important to remember that a communion dress is modest and conservative. They also usually wear dress shoes, white anklets, or white tights and white slippers. They may wear a veil or wreath or special barrette in their hair to show that they are giving themselves to Christ as a bride. Any shop that sells formal white girls’ dresses will be able to provide the necessary formal head wear for the occasion. Some of the choices are dependent on local parishes and what is considered appropriate. It is an even that no one forgets. It is important that the dress be appropriate and also comfortable for the girl who is taking such a major step.

Boys wear for first Holy Communion often tends to dress suits, or even tuxedoes. In some areas the young gentlemen are also expected to wear white, symbolizing purity. Other choices are light gray, cream, charcoal gray, navy and black. Just as the girls may be outfitted in bridal and formal shops, the Tuxedos for the boys may be obtained at local shops. If the community or parish is a little less formal, the family may opt for the boy to have a nice dress suit. For some areas it is acceptable to wear a nice blazer and slacks. Usually the young man will wear a tie. There are even special First Communion ties as part of the boys communion wear. Check with the Catechism Director if you have any doubt about the expectations. Many times this is a group ceremony and the group is expected to dress similarly. Conservative is the key word for a boy’s first communion wardrobe.

Like many other traditions, the customs of First Communion have changed over the years. Professional consultants in formal wear, either in a shop or online will be the best help in selecting the clothes for a young person receiving the sacrament. Appropriate clothes for the entire family can usually be purchased in one location. Provisions can also be made for parties and other celebrations of this holy day.

• Five Secrets Of Selecting The Perfect Wedding Gown One of the most important decisions you'll make when planning your wedding is selecting that perfect gown, the one that will dazzle your fiancee, your friends and your family. Although your mind may be made up and your heart set on a particular style prior to going shopping, be sure......
• Cleveland Jones Writes The Firescalds Road Sky, a Novel of a Young Boy's Faith Journey to God Holy Fire Publishing releases The Firescalds Road to the Sky (Paperback, US$15.95, ISBN#978-1-60383-131-4). Cleveland Jones writes fact-based novel of a young boy's faith journey from a religious sect to a personal relationship with God in rural Appalachia. The Firescalds Road to the Sky is a fact-based novel that follows a......
• 4 Reasons To Believe The Bible As Your Final Authority All Christians have questions about the Bible and its role in today's life. For example, why are there so many books, programs and seminars to teach Christians what to believe about the Bible? Does the Bible really need to be interpreted by scholars before it is understood? Is the Bible......

• Wilson Little Kid/Big Kid Advantage Court IV Tennis Shoe,White/Silver,5.5 M Big Kid User Reviews Send this to a friend Wilson Little Kid/Big Kid Advantage Court IV Tennis Shoe,White/Silver,5.5 M Big Kid Manufacturer: Wilson Customer Rating: List Price: $40.00 Sale Price: $29.95 Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Now Product Description The Wilson Advantage Court IV Junior is the latest......
• Molly Mormon Messages: Why Mormons Build Temples Mormon temples are primarily places of learning and instruction and likens them to the Lord’s university: “We learn about our relationship with God. We learn about the purposes of our life here upon the earth. Questions such as where did we come from? Why are we here? What happens to......
• Thanks for 2007 and goals for 2008 The year 2007 will be history in less than an hour here.  Thank you everyone for visiting, reading, linking to, subscribing to, and commenting on Mighty Bargain Hunter this year!  I'm so blessed to have you participate.I feel a bit left out right now; I haven't posted a comprehensive list......