Managing Our Money
When I was in my 20’s, I was fortunate enough to have a good job. I also started a new side hustle, which has allowed me to earn more income. Although I earned more money, I did not handle my financial blessings wisely. Looking back now, I think I was so uncomfortable with having money in the bank that I thought of any way to spend it. I helped family members with their bills, with new cars, and I went out and had fun a lot. Focus on Your Family Needs Before Others It’s amazing to help your family, but when the timing is right. I was sitting on a house of cards. I had a good income, but no discipline to manage it properly. This is the mistake I am trying to get my kids to avoid when they are young adults. When I look back at all the money I could have saved and how much good I could have done by giving. It makes me regretful. Giving Today, though, is a new day, and every day we can do better. Have you ever heard of the word stewardship? Stewardship is the management of things. In a Christian sense, it is the management of all that belongs to God. In a financial sense, our money belongs to God. If we are blessed to have money in our bank accounts, we need to be good stewards of that money. Money can be a blessing for the good it can do, or a curse if we do not manage it properly. When I was young, I never budgeted my money; I just paid bills, used credit cards for random spending, and I couldn’t even tell you what I spent that money on. I had a ton of fun with my friends and just lived for the present. Don’t get me wrong… I’m not saying we should not spend money on fun experiences and things. Just spend responsibly by saving, budgeting, and tithing or giving. Growing and Learning Better Ways to Manage Money I have learned so much by reading, practicing, and learning new habits to be better with money. Any of the books by Dave Ramsey have been very helpful in establishing a foundation. I know a lot of people either love Dave Ramsey’s advice or totally disagree and don’t follow it. Personally, it has helped me focus on getting out of debt and saving money. Recently, I have read Simple Money, Rich Life by blogger and podcaster Bob Lotich. Great read with lots of excellent advice and habits to incorporate. The main lesson is to act today to make tomorrow better. Think of one step you can take today to move you in the right direction. Now go do it.
Being Wise in a Foolish World
We associate foolishness with teenage behavior or adults who never grow up and become the traditional citizens who follow the rules of society. Whatever that means.. Our degrees, accomplishments, and platitudes tell us we are wise, and we should be listened to and even admired for our intelligence. I have a PhD or a doctorate; therefore, I must know more than the man sitting on a park bench feeding the pigeons. What could that man possibly know? Being Open-Minded He could know why we are foolish. He could understand the secret to life. Disregarding someone simply because of their lot in life is a missed opportunity to learn about us and the world. Chasing our dreams in circles, not knowing whether we are truly happy or just doing what comes next…is that the definition of wisdom? The Book of Proverbs guides us to understand the difference between wisdom and foolishness. Foolishness is acting according to our whims and the world’s expectations and not listening to God’s truth and his purpose for you. Our Search for Meaning It’s so easy to fall into our routines, our desires, and focus on everyone else’s opinion. What job should I have? Should I stay home and raise my kids? Are fame and fortune the most important things no matter my values? I must have my desires met at all costs is a trap we are told. Maybe that old man on the bench feeding the pigeons knows about the meaning of life for us all, or maybe he is just as clueless and has not taken action to grow in his purpose in this world. Action is key! We will never know unless we are open to hearing him and learning from him. Our ability to put aside our egos, learn, love, and guide one another will allow us to rise above “foolishness” and gain wisdom and purpose. The way we gain wisdom is through experience and guidance from truly wise people around us. We need to discern God’s voice in the mud that is our inner voice. Seeking His true voice, not our distorted, wounded inner voices that may be telling us stories and lies. Seek Knowledge The Book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom, and we should always strive to learn through reading, audiobooks, and podcasts. Seeking discernment is listening to the right content. I once heard a speaker at a conference who still impacts me to this day. Maybe I resonated with him because he reminded me of my grandfather. Recommended Reading Andy Andrews is an internationally renowned author and speaker who has many golden nuggets and life lessons. He was once like a man lost in thought, sitting on a park bench feeding the pigeons. Check out Andy Andrews’ website, which leads to many wonderful books that may just help you in your journey of life. Just think: if Mr. Andrews had never acted on his purpose, we would not have so many wonderful stories of wisdom to read. Wishing you love and peace always.
Overwhelming self doubt can be paralyzing to the mind and to our relationships. To me it feels like suffocating in my own thoughts of unworthiness, paranoia and self doubt.
The Lies We Tell Ourselves All of us have a God-given purpose. We must muddle through all the lies, stories, and BS in our heads to truly understand, conclude, and implement our purpose in this world as our best selves. What makes the process so difficult is that we must sit quietly and wholeheartedly with our struggles, weaknesses, and habits and work through them… not cover them up, avoid them, or drown them out with the world’s noise. Today is particularly tough, and I want to run from my thoughts and push them aside instead of asking where these weak thoughts are coming from. Overcoming Doubts We all have vulnerabilities, doubts, and worries that we need to talk to, process, and then give up to God. We are worth so much more than what the anxiety says in our heads. Everyone, but especially moms, deal with a lot of self-doubt around parenting, working, and our relationships with our spouse, co-workers, and friends. There are so many stories out there in social media and heck, even at the PTA meeting that we are not enough, and we can do more and be richer, smarter, craftier, prettier, and just not ourselves..because that is just not good enough. We have to remind ourselves.. We got this! Through the Lord’s Grace, we can do hard things. It’s ok to not be perfect, it’s ok to doubt ourselves, just don’t let it prevent you from taking action on your goals. It’s ok to have a day where you rest and not do anything remotely productive by society’s standards. I’m here reminding myself that it is ok to not have a perfect job, perfect body, and perfect family who does exactly what I say (my family is full of opinionated, smart, witty, beautiful people). It’s ok to sit with my sadness for a day, work through it (ask for help when I need it -Betterhelp is a great tool I have used while dealing with grief), and learn how to be strong in who I am and my purpose. We can, as a society, rise above self-doubt and lift each other up in strength and love. Much love to all of you living, loving, and learning. God bless you.
Overcoming Temptations Through The Grace of God
We all have some vice or temptation that we struggle with daily. Some of our vices are more detrimental to our health than others. I advise anyone needing counseling or addiction recovery to seek the proper help. I am not a licensed therapist or certified addiction counselor. I’m simply here to share my experiences with my struggles. I am a sugaraholic! I crave sweets, and sugary things that I shouldn’t. My habit, over the years, has been to reach for sweets when I feel stressed. Mindless Eating Mindless eating habits do not serve us well. Yet I think “What does it hurt to eat a cookie here and there or a “fun-size” candy bar…it’s fun-sized for a reason, right?” If I were able to stop and think for even a second to break the cycle. I would realize I am thirsty, not hungry. I also just want to eat sugar to avoid the stress of whatever is bothering me at the time. So many times we mistake thirst for hunger, and just eat something just because we are thirsty. The hypothalamus controls both hunger and thirst. It is easy to confuse the two. Water is Life Have you ever had a day where you think back and realize you may have had one glass of water all day? Maybe you had some sodas, teas, or other sugary drinks, but no water without any type of sugar in it. Then at night I am super thirsty for water.. Dehydration cycle continues. The odd thing is I like water, and I like fruit and vegetables even more than the junk I choose to eat instead when I’m stressed out. Sugar and chemicals in snack foods are very addictive, and create this cycle of crashes, dehydration, and a slew of other health concerns if not controlled. I was talking to my son about healthy eating the other day because he struggles a bit with snacks and junk food as well. He responded to my concerns with the truth and a simple answer. “Then don’t bring the junk food into the house.” That’s when I realized I played a huge part in creating temptation in my household because I was bringing unhealthy options into our home, and simultaneously saying we need to eat better. Remove the Temptation I wouldn’t want a recovering alcoholic to bring alcohol into their house just in case someone may want alcohol at a party or an event, but I would expect them not to touch it themselves. Why am I bringing junk food into my house and expecting myself and my family members to limit it to one portion-controlled snack? It’s a recipe for disaster. We need to eliminate all temptations related to that vice from our homes. Numerous temptations cause distress to our souls and can lead to health issues. Each of us must consciously decide to remove access to our vices from our living spaces. I pray that God gives us the strength to fight our temptations with common sense, the grace of God, and a sense of worthiness so strong that we can avoid and ultimately overcome temptations. “God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it..” Corinthians 10:13
Great Read and Study Guide
During this time of Lent, it is very traditional to give up something. Our favorite desserts, our bad habits such as drinking sodas, eating fried foods, or bad language. I challenge all of us to go a little deeper these 40 days. Try including Jesus more in your life these 40 days. What do I mean by this? Invite Jesus to your dinner by praying before your meal to give thanks and to ask for guidance this week. Say the prayer the Our Father before bedtime alone, then with your kids, and eventually with your husband as a united family. The more you practice a habit, the less awkward it becomes. Then, just like people who go to the gym every day, it will become a habit you crave. Find your bible and open it up. I had many years where I had up to three to four Bibles in my house sitting on the shelves. The Bible is a tool to show us how to live together and understand our lives. If we don’t open it, we cannot practice those lessons. I have always been curious about religion, but we never went to church as a family growing up. I was lacking in knowing all the stories of the Bible. One day I decided to start reading the Bible, so I started at Genesis…it quickly became overwhelmingly too much information. Many have suggested the best place to start is in the Gospels (New Testament). Recently I came across a book at Target that I am thoroughly enjoying. It helps me study the Word in a more organized and thoughtful lesson. 40 Days Through the Bible by Lysa Terkeurst and the Proverbs 31 Ministries Team. It’s excellent for beginners and experts alike because it breaks every story down into manageable chunks, but the questions in each section range from easy to deeply thought-provoking. I love this read and study guide. Just takes a bit of time a day 15 minutes or so with your Bible next to you for reference. A great addition to your daily life this Lent. “Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.” St. Francis de Sales
A Forgiving Heart
Morning Blues Isn’t it just so hard to let go of grudges at times? Don’t we all tend to ruminate on the wrongdoings against us? I realized I was guilty of this a few days ago when my daughter did not listen to me in the morning before school. She ultimately was grounded from electronics because she did not want to listen. I followed through with the grounding. However, because I was hurt and took her actions personally, I kept mentioning her mistakes and bad behavior the rest of the afternoon. After another reminder of her mistake that morning, she said to me, “Mom, why are you being mean?” I didn’t say anything and realized that I was being mean to my little girl who is ultimately just a child with bad days and good days. Key notes We as adults can’t control our emotional outbursts a lot of days, and we expect our children to be perfect. The Lord gave me my children to show me the practice of patience and kindness. Awareness I didn’t realize until the next morning why my behavior occurred in the first place. I was holding a grudge because she hurt my feelings by not respecting and listening to her mom. For some reason, she woke up in the middle of the night and could not go back to sleep. That’s why she was tired and acting out. Instead of being empathetic to her exhaustion, I felt she was being intentionally disrespectful. Next time, I will focus on empathy and forgiveness. The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is a great story about forgiveness to remind us of our responsibility to forgive the people in our lives.
Faith to Begin: My Journey
Faith Journey I grew up in a non-practicing Catholic family. Everyone was Catholic except we didn’t go to church. Well except for the occasional baptism, wedding, or funeral. Weekly Mass was not practiced at all. Sundays were for relaxation, football games, and projects around the house. I always believed in God and even the Trinity, but my understanding was weak. Religion has always been an interesting topic for me. I had friends of all different religions, and regularly checking out books about Buddhism, Christianity, and different ways of life was my college extracurricular activity. In one word, I was spiritually confused. I was missing a critical faith foundation, which I believe is a crucial component against life’s obstacles. Faith is the answer to ALL worries, angst, and general adolescent concerns. I didn’t start practicing and understanding more about Catholicism until I was engaged to a Catholic young man – my good friend I grew up with through high school. To be married in the church I started my journey in classes, and ultimately being baptized, accepting communion, and confirming all in one special Easter Mass. Little did I know, my understanding of the faith and the purpose God has for me, is an ongoing journey of faith. It doesn’t stop at the sacrament of Communion. It is only the beginning. formed.org is a great resource to get started learning in your faith journey. Whether you are a lifelong Catholic, a newly converted Catholic, or new to Christianity all together, we all have room for expanding our capacity for faith and trust in God. It starts with prayer. Pray to open your heart to the word of God, so that when you go to Mass you may hear Him guide you. So many of us go to Mass because it is tradition, or what our parents told us to do. Some only attend Mass on Easter, Christmas, and family events like a Baptism. I challenge you to go to Mass each week intending to give thanks to God for the week of life you were able to experience. The good of the week, the struggles of the week, and the lessons of the week – bring it all to the Alter – and pray for thanks and ask for understanding with an open heart. Do this for a while.. and you will build a relationship with God, and learn how to hear his guidance. Many blessings to all of you. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Finding Grace: Navigating the Challenges of Family Life
In this post, I share my personal journey as a working mom of two young kids, navigating the challenges of today’s world. From balancing career and motherhood to instilling Christian values in my children, I discuss how faith has helped me grow as a mom, wife, leader, and overall moral and good person. Join me as I explore the importance of faith, good health, happiness, and patience in our lives and how we can learn from each other’s struggles and celebrate the beauty of being human.