We recently got back from a trip to Ohio to take both of our kids to Cedarville University for the start of their senior and sophomore years. Cedarville University is my alma mater, and I am thrilled that both of my kids are attending there this year. My son had planned to attend last year, but he had an unexpected illness that came up, and we had to pivot at the last minute (more on that in a future post). So he transferred in this year as a sophomore after doing his freshman year online through Liberty University. We are so thankful he is healthy and strong and ready for this next step.
Since this is the fourth year we’ve taken a kid to college, it’s safe to say we’re experienced at this. I want to share some of the things that have helped them and us get ready for the transition to college, things students should know before going, and some other tips.
Read more...I started this blog a year ago on September 1st! It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year, and I am so thankful for the way God is using it.
Much of what I share are things that I have learned and am continuing to learn as a widow, and a child of God. He has done so much healing in my life, and if someone else can benefit from my experiences and the lessons I have learned and am learning, then praise God!
To celebrate one full year of this blog, I am doing a giveaway! To enter you just need to SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG. If you are already subscribed, then you are automatically entered into the give away. For a bonus entry, leave me a comment over the next two weeks on any of the blog posts.
Read more...As we continue to refocus our minds on Christ, lets look at the second and third way we can do that.
2. Cast
1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
After Jon passed, I struggled with anxiety. At times, it was hard to have a reasonable thought, and little things would cause my heart to race and my body to go into flight mode. Sleep was difficult because my mind would race, noises would startle me, and my heart pounded with worry. So many things put me on edge, and I was constantly worried about the future. It wasn’t until I cast my anxiety on the Lord, that I began to experience relief.
Read more...Our thought life has a big influence on how we respond to situations, it affects our feelings and emotional well-being, and impacts how we view our circumstances. We have thousands and thousands of thoughts each day, and many of them are negative. As a widow, I have found that in the intensity of grief, my thoughts tend towards despondency, leaving me feeling stuck, overwhelmed and inadequate.
It’s easy to look to books on grief, self-help and mindset, and while those are not bad in and of themselves and can be helpful at times, they can become a worldly replacement for where our focus really should be, and that is on Christ. He is the only one who can truly help us change our destructive thought patterns.
Read more...Did you know...
- Only 5% of widows in the US are under 40? I was 33 when I was widowed.
- Young widows often have small kids, and life is overwhelming. Grief often gets put on the back burner until it gets too big to ignore.
- Single parenting is different as a widow. You don’t get a break like you do in a two parent household or a divorce situation. You have to intentionally carve out time without your kids.
- Young widows need support, community, encouragement, and love. We feel like we don’t fit in anywhere.
