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I’m writing articles again, so expect more articles and videos soon. I’ve been uploading YouTube Shorts as well. Lots more to come this year!
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MONEY TIP
If you or your spouse is a stay-at-home parent, is there a proper life insurance policy in place? Stay-at-home spouses need life insurance because they are often more expensive to replace than the one earning the income. I know my wife would be much more expensive to replace than I would be. Dave Ramsey recommends a $400k policy for stay-at-home spouses. I think that’s a good general rule, but the important thing is to make sure you have some sort of policy.
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OPPORTUNITY
If you love Bible studies and devotionals but want to go deeper, consider a more advanced Bible software. I use Accordance. It goes as in-depth as you’re willing to go, and it’s more cost-effective than some of the other leading software (e.g. Logos). You buy your tools individually. There are options to purchase anywhere from a single book to an entire library of Bible commentaries and much more.
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MINIMALISM TIP
Studies show kids are happier with fewer toys. Kids become better at playing, especially with other children, when there is less to play with. In America, it’s common for our kids to be unappreciative. And it really isn’t their fault that they were born in an affluent country and culture that over-consumes. How common is it for our kids to walk into their bedroom or playroom, look at the thousands of toys, and exclaim, “There’s nothing to play with!” Likewise, how often have we walked into our kitchen when the pantry is bulging out and thought, “There’s nothing to eat.” We appreciate what we have more when we have less. Less doesn’t equate to worse.
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ESSENTIAL READING
While we’re on the topic of appreciating what we have, this week’s book will help with that. Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch is all about helping our children reframe their mindsets regarding money and stuff.
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NOTION
We don’t want to raise sore losers, but we should go a step beyond that and teach our kids how to actually learn from their mistakes. Michael Jordan once said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” You may have heard the phrase “fail forward,” which was first popularized by John C. Maxwell in his book of the same title. Edutopia says, “Changing your students’ perspective on mistakes is the greatest gift you can give yourself as a teacher.” Studies have shown that the use of “productive failure” is more effective than simple, direct instruction. While there aren’t many studies on how teachers respond to mistakes in the classroom, teachers often punish for mistakes that could’ve been used productively.
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TRAVEL TIP
When you and your spouse fly together, book the aisle and window seats instead of two seats next to each other. Why? Because the chances of someone else sitting in between you are lower than someone booking the aisle or window seat, and if someone does get that middle seat, they’ll easily switch to get an aisle or window seat and you can still sit next to each other. But you’ll have more room if it works out in your favor and the middle seat remains unbooked.
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SCRIPTURE
“One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.”
Proverbs 13:7
Closing Question
Is there something you added to your life in the past that had a great positive effect? Are you still doing that? If not, could you start doing it again?
