Category: For the Love of Family

Finances, For the Love of Family

Defining Stewardship

My family and I own a small farm in Kansas. We love the farm. It has become a place for solace, rest and re-booting. While there, I enjoy walking the dirt roads, looking at the vast amount of space around me, and pondering. Last week, I was walking the dirt road thanking God for this incredible blessing of land and the people who take care of it for us. God used the opportunity to teach me what he means by being a steward of his blessings. Steward – a person who manages another’s property or financial affairs; one who administers anything […]

Family, For the Love of Family

Parenting by Faith

  And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.   It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command. It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting […]

Family, For the Love of Family

Valentine’s Day is Next Week!

Valentine’s Day is possibly my favorite holiday. Not in the romantic way, but only in the childhood precious memories way: decorating shoe boxes, making and exchanging valentines or more (relatively) recently our family’s annual tea party with homemade sugar and chocolate cookies. For whatever reason, I have always loved Valentine’s Day. The holiday gives reason to celebrate love between friends and family. Wanting to make Valentine’s Day special for our boys and Gary, it was necessary to plan. Time, money and energy resources were sometimes limited. To instill a fond Valentine’s memory in our children, management of all resources was imperative. In […]

Finances, For the Love of Family

It’s Not About the Envelopes

Our grandmothers and great aunts used them and many budget experts promote them. Envelopes.  It seems antiquated. Especially in today’s world of automation and convenience, why use an envelope for your money? There are many reasons for not using envelopes. “It’s dangerous to have that much cash available” or “It’s embarrassing to pay with cash” or “I’m not going to look like an old man/woman using an envelope”. If you have said this to excuse yourself from using ‘the envelope system’, you’ve missed the point. It’s not about the envelopes, it’s about the cash. Most people spend an average of […]

Finances, For the Love of Family

$1000 in the Bank. 5 Ideas to get started.

              In Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University©, he outlines seven very basic, yet sometimes complex, baby steps towards gaining financial freedom. As a financial coach, I recommend following these proven steps and strategies. But sometimes getting started is hard.  As Dave says in the first video, the first step,  $1000 in the bank, is the easiest and yet one of the hardest steps. Easy because it is only $1000. Hard because it’s $1000. It’s also hard because it is the first step. The first step that requires commitment. First step to prove you are […]

Family, For the Love of Family

A Resolution I didn’t make

It was crowded after our delayed three hour turbulent ride from Denver to Chicago. Passengers were inevitably going to miss connecting flights and emotion was running high,  yet most of us patiently waited our turn to exit the plane. A two minute dialogue between a young mom and two irate passengers created an unexpected personal resolution. I didn’t resolve at that very moment – it just happened.  A sad, painful ‘discussion’ caused me to unconsciously resolve to add a bit of kindness to life’s daily interactions. The mom, concerned for her young child, asked politely “would you please watch your […]