We are getting ready to send two kiddos to college at Cedarville University in Ohio. It’s hard to believe that we are at this point in our parenting journey, but we couldn’t be more excited for them. This is why we raise them - to go out into the world and thrive. Jon and I met at Cedarville and graduated from there in 1998, so it’s wonderful to have my kids go there too.
The last couple of weeks have been a flurry of Amazon orders, Walmart runs and checking things off our lists. Since we are in the throes of packing, I thought I would share some things that aren’t usually on a normal college supply list, but we have found them to be necessities.
Read more...We are going to take a brief pause in our current series on The Five Stages of Grief, and I want to share a little about our homeschooling journey. Homeschooling is definitely not for the faint of heart, especially as a widow, but I am so glad God allowed me to home school my kids. It wasn’t always easy, and there were sometimes tears over math or reading, but the rewards far outweigh the hard times.
Here are ten things I love about our homeschooling experience:
- Being able to teach my kids the truth of the Gospel through school subjects. Keeping our schooling centered around Biblical truth was important to me, and I specifically looked for Bible-centered materials. Along with Bible-focused curriculum, we also memorized scripture together, and my kids still remember many of the verses. We also sang some of the Gospel-centered hymns that I learned at a young age.
The Dangers of Anger
While anger is a necessary stage of grief, it's crucial to remain mindful of its potential to become destructive. If left unchecked, anger can isolate us from our support systems, strain relationships, affect our health (both physical and mental) and delay healing. It can turn inward, manifesting as self-loathing, or outward, harming those we love. Recognizing this balance is essential in navigating our grief journey.
For me, my anger turned into trying to control everything, which I referenced in the series on denial. Everything was so out of control when Jon was sick. Then he died, and I felt so lost. I was determined not to let it happen again, and gaining control was the only way I thought I could change things. It became an obsession to have all my ducks in a row, and to be able to do it all. I wanted to be strong and to be able to handle whatever came my way, and I deceived myself into thinking I could handle it for quite a while. Eventually, everything crashed and burned, and my illusion of control crumbled.
Sticking to a budget can be challenging as a young widow. There are many expenses that we have no control over, but the grocery budget is one area that I found I can bring my monthly expenses down. I have control over what I buy, and when meal planning is applied, it can make such a difference in this area. Today I am sharing three easy, versatile, kid friendly recipes that are easy on the budget.
Black Bean Soup
2 16 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ c. chicken broth
1 c. chunky salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
Read more...Budgeting is not always the most exciting topic, but it’s and imporant part of how I was able to make ends meet as a widow with young kids.
Having been budgeting for several years, I had a pretty good feel for it. But after Jon passed, I got out of the habit and struggled with motivation to continue. I was tired, sad and overwhelmed by life, and budgeting just seemed like one more thing. I had reduced our living expenses quite a bit and didn’t think I needed to account for every purchase.
Something Had to Change
I became aware of how important a monthly budget was several months into my journey as a widow. We were halfway through the month, and I only had $50 left for the month to buy food, and the fridge was looking bare. While my kids were only 5 and 7, they had healthy appetites. I couldn’t continue to leave it to chance. I needed to make a change.
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