BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS, SWEETHEART LUNCHEON, CAR SHOW AND MORE!

Blessing Of Te Animals

The United Methodist Church of Sun City Center, located at 1971 Haverford Ave. in Sun City Center, invites the community to bring their pets to the church for a special blessing for health and happiness in 2023. This event will take place in the fenced area behind the main sanctuary building on Saturday, February 11 from 10 a.m.-12 Noon. All pets and their owners are welcome. Safety measures will be in place. A light complimentary lunch will be provided, and each pet will receive a goody bag. Owners will be gifted a free commemorative photo. This special day is sponsored by Community Connections, a ministry of the church. For additional information, visit www.sccumc.com.

Sweetheart Luncheon To Raise Money For Local Scholarships

The GFWC Ruskin Woman’s Club, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, presents its annual sweetheart luncheon, ‘Tea Leaves ’n Thyme’ on Saturday, February 11 at 12 Noon at the group’s historic clubhouse, located at 503 S. U.S. Hwy. 41 in Ruskin. Tickets for this annual event are $35 for adults and $20 for children. Tables can be reserved for up to eight people. Your reservations should be made by Monday, February 6 by calling 813-296-3900. Payments can be made with a mailed check or using a credit card online at https://www.gfwcruskinwomansclub.org/events. This is an extremely popular event, so tickets will sell out quickly. Guests rafes and 50/50 will top of the festivities. All proceeds from the event will provide scholarships for local students.

Love On Purpose Marriage Conference

The 11th annual Love on Purpose Marriage Conference, an immersive two-day event experience, is coming to Tampa on Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18, and the public is welcome to participate. The speakers at the conference are Dr. Jomo and Dr. Charmaine Cousins, the senior pastors at Love First Christian Center in Riverview. They have been married for 24 years and have three children, and their goal is to create a community of people who aspire to enjoy life together as a couple. With a strong foundation in Christ, they hope to inspire and motivate those who may need a little guidance on their journey. The event is being held at the Tampa Convention Center. For registration or more information, visit https://lovefirst.churchcenter.com/registrations/events.

South Bay Genealogical Society

Host February

Meeting

On Tuesday, February 21, the South Bay Genealogical Society will meet at the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center, located at 1971 Haverford Ave. in Sun City Center. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. is an optional roundtable discussion, followed by a sitdown luncheon at 12 Noon and then a presentation at 1 p.m. The speaker will be Paula Smith, who will be presenting ‘Paul Milton, Where Did You Go? A Case Study.’ The cost is $18 per person for the meal and presentation. For reservations and meal choice, call Dianna at 864-607-1330. Payment must be received by Thursday, February 9.

First Baptist Church Of Brandon

Presents Te 5 Love Languages Date Night

First Baptist Church of Brandon, located

By Kelly Wise Valdes

at 216 Parsons Ave. in Brandon, is hosting a date night on Wednesday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m. The event is centered around Dr. Gary Chapman’s book, The 5 Love Languages. Discover the tools you need to make a good relationship great or a hurting relationship heal. Expect to learn, laugh and connect as Dr. Chapman reveals powerful insights that will give you a better understanding of yourself and your loved one in the ways that connect you most. For more information, visit www.fbcbrandon.org.

St. Francis Of Assisi Catholic Church Hosts Sweetheart Car Show 2023

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church invites the public to come enjoy its Sweetheart Car Show on Saturday, February 11 from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Come bring the whole family to celebrate all the beautiful things in life, including cars, international food, prizes, music, dances and more. The church is located at 4450 County Rd. 579 in Sefner. www.stfrancisccsefner.com.

New Hope Church Hosts Buddy Break For Special-needs Children

New Hope is hosting Buddy Break, a free parents’ day out/respite program where kids with all types of special needs (VIP kids) have fun in a safe environment. At Buddy Break, VIP kids and their siblings make new friends, play games, do crafts, hear children’s stories, enjoy music and more. VIPs are kids with special needs, including kids with any physical, cognitive, medical or hidden disabilities. The first Buddy Break of 2023 is taking place on Saturday, February 25 at 10 a.m. For more information, email buddybreak@findnewhope.com or call 813689-4161. New Hope is location at 213 N. Knights Ave. in Brandon.

Financial Focus

In the past year, we’ve seen some big swings in the fnancial markets. This volatility may make you feel as if you have little control over your investment success. But the truth is, you do have more control than you might think — as long as you don’t let fear guide your decisions.

Investment-related fear can manifest itself in a few diferent ways:

• Fear of loss – Some investors may emphasize avoiding losses more than achieving gains. Consequently, they might build portfolios they consider very low in risk, possibly containing a high percentage of certifcates of deposit (CDs) and U.S. Treasury securities. Yet, a highly conservative approach carries its own risk — the risk of not achieving enough growth to stay ahead of infation, much less meet long-term goals such as a comfortable retirement. To reach these goals, you’ll want to construct a diversifed portfolio containing diferent types of assets and investments — each of which may perform diferently at diferent times. Your objective shouldn’t be to avoid all risk — which is impossible — but to create an investment strategy that accommodates your personal risk tolerance and time horizon.

• Fear of missing out – You’re probably familiar with the term “herd mentality” — the idea that people will follow the lead of others for fear of missing out on something. This behavior is responsible for fads or the sudden emergence of “hot” products, and it’s also relevant to investing. In fact, herd mentality may contribute to sharp jumps in the fnancial markets as investors drive up prices by buying stocks to avoid being left behind. And the same may be true in reverse — when the market starts dropping, skittish investors may accelerate the decline by selling stocks so they, too, can get out before it’s too late. Buying or selling investments should be considered as needed to help advance your long-term fnancial strategy — not in response to what others are doing.

• Fear of the unknown – Some investors fall victim to “familiarity bias” — the tendency to invest only in what they know, such as local or domestic companies. But this behavior can lead to under-diversifed portfolios. If your portfolio is dominated by just a few investments, and these investments are fairly similar to each other, you could experience some losses when the inevitable market downturn occurs. To help reduce the impact of market volatility, it’s a good idea to spread your investment dollars across large and small companies in a range of industries and geographical regions. And that’s just on the equities side — it’s also wise to consider further diversifying your portfolio by owning bonds and government securities. (Keep in mind, though, that diversifcation can’t guarantee profts or protect against all losses.)

• Fear of admitting failure – Some individuals don’t like to admit when they’ve been wrong about something, and they may continue the same failed activities, hoping for eventual success. This behavior can be costly in the investment arena. Sometimes, a particular investment, or even an investment strategy, just doesn’t work out, but an investor is determined to stick with it — even if it ultimately means considerable fnancial loss. Don’t let his happen to you — if it becomes apparent you need to change your investment approach, move on to something better. Fear can hold us back in many walks of life — but don’t let it keep you from making appropriate investment moves.