SPRINGFIELD - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will celebrate the holidays with two volunteer events on Tuesday that reflect her roles as the state's point person on education reform and chair of the Governor's Rural Affairs Council.

Simon will visit Lee Elementary School on Tuesday morning to celebrate the holidays with students in an all-school assembly. The students, of varying abilities age 5 to 21, will sing along and play instruments as Simon leads the songs with her banjo.

Tuesday afternoon, Simon and members of her staff will volunteer time at the Central Illinois Food Bank. The volunteers will bag potatoes to be distributed to food pantries throughout central Illinois.

About 15 percent of Illinois' population is "food insecure," meaning they don't have access to enough food to sustain a healthy, active life for all members of the household. A family might not be food insecure at all times, but could forgo other necessities in order to purchase food. Statewide, 22.2 percent of children are food insecure.

"The holiday season is a wonderful time to spend time with family and friends and reflect back on the year, but also an important time to give back to the community," Simon said. "I encourage everyone to make an effort to do something to give back to their community this holiday season.

Tuesday, December 18

EVENT: Musical assembly at Lee Elementary School

TIME: 11 a.m.

PLACE: Gymnasium, Lee Elementary School, 1201 Bunn Ave., Springfield

NOTE: This event will be for photos and b-roll only.

EVENT: Volunteering at the Central Illinois Food Bank

TIME: 1:15 p.m.

PLACE: Central Illinois Food Bank, 2000 E. Moffat Ave., Springfield

"At MOPS International, our hearts are broken for the families in Newtown, Connecticut. We're lifting them in prayer, asking for God's divine comfort to surround them. While our heads cannot make sense of this horrific tragedy, our hearts are overwhelmed with love and concern for these moms and dads, friends and community members in Newtown, Connecticut," says Sherry Surratt, CEO and President of MOPS International {Mothers of Preschoolers}

Dear moms,

My heart hurts as I grieve today with the families in Newtown, Connecticut. The questions of, "why?" and, "how could this happen?" swirl in my head as I try to make sense of such a horrific tragedy. My head and heart are overwhelmed when I think of the loss and pain these families are facing and I desperately want to help. I know you do as well. While we can't undo what has occurred, we can join together and do what moms do best: offer unconditional love and support, and an unshakeable foundation of strength and courage in the face of pain and loss.

I'd like to invite you to join MOPS International in a National Call to Prayer for moms, by moms. Please join us this Wednesday, December 19, at 9:45 a.m. Central Time, to observe a moment of prayer as we lift up the families who were devastated by this shooting. Specifically, we'd like to pray for the moms whose hearts are broken, that they will feel God's arms surrounding them during the difficult days ahead.

I'm also praying for families across our world, whose hearts are filled with fear as they consider these events. None of this makes sense, and fear feels close and crippling. On behalf of moms everywhere, I'm calling out to the God who holds each of us in his big comforting hands. I'm crying out for the moms, who even this day, dealt with fear and anxiety. I'm praying this verse on their behalf.

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you. I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Psalm 16:11

God truly is our rock of comfort and strength, even when nothing around us makes sense. At our Denver MOPS office, we'll be gathering this Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. Central Time (8:45 a.m. Mountain Time) to join hands and pray. We'll be crying out to the rock that is higher than us on behalf of the dear families in Newtown, and for moms everywhere. Will you join us?

We will also be inviting moms to share their prayers at www.facebook.com/MOPS.Int

About MOPS INTERNATIONAL
Denver-based MOPS International is a non-profit ministry that creates communities to help "Better Moms Make A Better World." Since 1973, MOPS International has served millions of mothers and families in thousands of local MOPS groups across the U.S. and in 38 countries internationally.  MOPS ministries include Classic MOPS, Teen MOPS, Military MOPS, International MOPS and MOMSnext.  MOPS is the best in the world at creating authentic communities of growth that invite women into a spiritual relationship.
www.MOPS.org www.MOPS.org/groups www.facebook.com/MOPS.Int www.youtube.com/MOPSint

By Jason Alderman

When it comes to making New Year's resolutions, getting into good shape financially ranks right up there with losing weight and eating healthier. All three goals require discipline and planning; and, as you've no doubt experienced, it's not unusual to encounter setbacks along the way.

Don't let losing a minor battle here or there convince you to surrender on the bigger war. You'll probably have more success if you start out taking small steps, learning from your mistakes and gaining momentum as you go.

Here are a few suggestions for better managing your personal finances in the New Year:

The first step on the road to financial health is to create a budget you can live with. If you're new to budgeting or haven't been successful in the past, start slowly. For a few months write down every cent you spend: mortgage/rent, utilities, food, gas, medical copayments, credit card interest - the works. You'll be surprised where you money goes.

At the same time, compare money coming in (income) to money going out (expenses). If you're just breaking even or losing money each month, you need to boost your income and/or aggressively trim spending. Try these strategies:

• Pay bills on time and send at least the minimum amount due. You'll avoid late fees and related interest rate increases; plus, you'll improve your credit score.
• Balance your checking account regularly and use in-network ATMs to avoid overdrafts and fees.
• If your employer offers flexible spending accounts, use them to pay health and dependent care expenses with pretax dollars.
• Raise insurance deductibles and shop around for better rates.

Once you start reducing expenses, use the savings to pay down debts more quickly. Try making a table of all outstanding credit card and loan balances and their corresponding interest rates. Then, each month pay the minimum amount due on each - except pay as much as possible on the account with the highest interest rate. Once that one's paid off, move to the next-highest rate account and so on.

Another smart move is to have an emergency fund in case of financial upheaval (layoff, medical emergency, unexpected car repairs, etc.) Ideally you should save enough to cover six months' of expenses, but don't be discouraged if that sounds insurmountable: Start slowly by saving a few dollars each week. You won't miss it and your little nest egg might just save you from needing an expensive short-term loan to cover an unplanned bill.

If something terrible happened to you, would your family be protected financially? Make sure you have a valid will, durable power of attorney, health care proxy and living will. Numerous books, online articles and sample forms are available if you want to draft them yourself, but you should probably review your documents with a financial advisor or attorney to avoid potential legal problems. Also, make sure you have adequate life and disability insurance.

It's debatable how much Social Security will be able to contribute toward your retirement income in coming decades, so if you're not already participating in your employer's 401(k) plan or an IRA, make that one of your top financial resolutions.

Sticking to resolutions is never easy - if it were, we'd already be doing them. But striving to improve your financial situation now will pay off big-time down the road.