Mother's Day / Clergy Sabbatical Survey / Budget Caution / Ms California - 5/10/09

Sun May 10 00:37:28 EDT 2009

- MOTHER'S DAY
- CLERGY SABBATICAL RESEARCH
- THAT BUDGET TAH DAH
- MISS CALIFORNIA CONTROVERSY
- ORLANDO DREAMING.....

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- MOTHER'S DAY
Here's a baby squirrel video for Mother's Day. Mama stays and gives baby
squirrel the confidence to use whatever comes along......Yes you can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jByfWOLmjo

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- CLERGY SABBATICAL RESEARCH

If you have served in any form of ministry setting (school, mission, or
church work) and have had a sabbatical, we would like 14 minutes of your
time for an online survey about your experience.  Please forward this to any
clergy person you know who has had a sabbatical - your own pastor, friend,
family member.  Total confidentiality.

Here's the link:
http://fs6.formsite.com/Pastors/sabbaticals/

- Dave Carder 

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- THAT BUDGET TAH DAH

Chris Gersten cautions that my Tah Dah celebrating that the Marriage Money
was in the 2010 budget may have been premature.....he warns that the budget
still has to get through Congress.  All I know is that the $150 million for
the Marriage Money is in the budget unlike the Abstinence education money
which is zeroed out - both the discretionary and the mandatory abstinence
education are gone. They were 38 million and 95 million each year and are
both down to "0" for 2010.  That's zero, as in no funding.  Of course, that
also has to get through Congress.

Chris Gersten wants to enlist anyone that would like to help him lobby for
the marriage money = he says better safe than sorry.  If interested in
learning more, go to http://www.famli.us to sign up for email updates and
strategy conference calls. - d

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- MISS CALIFORNIA CONTROVERSY

California Healthy Marriages Coalition Says Miss California Controversy
Misses the Point About Marriage

May. 8, 2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Miss California, Carrie
Prejean, and Perez Hilton are engaging much attention around the national
debate on legalizing gay marriage. Individuals on both sides continue to
address the issue with great passion and find ways to voice their positions.
The problem with much of the national dialogue, says California's leading
Marriage Education organization, is that the real issue of marriage is being
missed altogether.

What is the real controversy? Marriages are failing at alarming rates and
divorce is eroding society. We now know that children who go through divorce
have higher instances of poverty, mental illness, juvenile delinquency,
conduct disorders and lower educational attainment. Researchers have also
shown that adults who go through divorce have higher instances of mental
illness, depression, suicide and job absenteeism. What is also disconcerting
is that, according to last year's benchmark study on family fragmentation,
divorce currently costs our country upwards of $112 billion and California
taxpayers more than $4.8 billion per year.

"California is now in an economic crisis and yet we still are not addressing
the issue of divorce and this has the potential to make a significant
difference in our bottom line," said California Healthy Marriages Coalition
(CHMC) President Dennis Stoica. CHMC will be discussing the impact of
divorce and more at the luncheon briefing "California's Fragile Economy:
What's divorce got to do with it?" on May 14, 2009 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento.

"Californians stand divided on gay marriage," Stoica says. "Engaging in the
topic is important for our society; however, even more important, in my
estimation, is making all marriages more stable, healthy and successful so
our families as well as our economy can thrive."

For the past four years, CHMC has taught proven relationship-building skills
to California individuals and couples. CHMC offers these classes through a
network of partnering organizations located throughout California. Local
class information plus information about the luncheon briefing "California's
Fragile Economy: What's divorce got to do with it?" are available at
www.CaMarriage.com.

SOURCE California Healthy Marriages Coalition

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- ORLANDO DREAMING 

I'm working on the Badge Mailing letters and realize this is info that might
help you as you plan.

€ Attractions: Drive in any direction for wondrous sights. Disney,
Universal, Sea World, etc are 10 mins down the road. An hour west: the Gulf
of Mexico and Caladesi, the #1 ranked most beautiful beach in the country.
An hour east, on the Atlantic, Kennedy Space Center & St Augustine, the
oldest city and fort in the U.S.  Or head south for the Everglades and the
Keys. See attractions at smartmarriags.com

€ Avis Discounts: Why Avis when Enterprise has a desk at the Shingle Creek?
Avis has lower rates, is open Sunday (Enterprise is closed Sun); has an
office/lot a mile from the hotel with FREE pick up/drop off service; & you
can pick up a car at the hotel & return it at the airport with no extra fee.
Enterprise charges a $50 airport drop off fee. Reserve at 800-331-1600 using
Smart Marriages Discount code #D086788. In Orlando, pick up at the airport
or call 407-370-3231 an hour in advance to schedule pick up from the hotel.

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13th Annual Smart Marriages® Conference, The Shingle Creek,
Orlando, Florida, July 6-12, 2009 (General Conference July 8-11)
Pre-Conference Training Institutes July 6-8
Post-Conference Training Institutes July 12

Shingle Creek: http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/

To download a Conference brochure, register online, or for Exhibit
information:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/conferencedetails.html

List your program and resources on the Directory of Classes at
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html

Order conference audio & video CD/DVD/MP3s: 800-241-7785 or
http://www.iPlaybackSmartMarriages.com

Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE)
Diane Sollee, Director
5310 Belt Rd NW, Washington, DC 20015-1961
http://www.smartmarriages.com
202-362-3332

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