Father's Day If You Have Lost Your Dad

The other day Kingston asked me what the difference was between gas and deisel fuel. "Um..." I said, stalling, "I think it's all about how the engine uses the fuel... but we can Google it when we get home.". What I was really thinking was that my dad would have known the answer to that question. A year and half after his death I still have to remind myself that he isn't there for me to call.

Last year was the year of "firsts" in my journey of grief. I dreaded Father's Day for months and spent the week weepy and feeling hollow. Finally, the day I had been anxious about arrived and I was strangely OK. I missed my dad and thought of the many things I loved about him, but I also enjoyed making the day special for Nate and his dad. It was one of the first times that I felt like I was able to understand the mix of sorrow and joy that often goes hand in hand with losing loved ones.

This year has been different. I still miss my dad, I still get weepy from time to time and I still can't bring myself to delete his contact info in my phone. But healing has occurred. When I think of him (which is often) I am able to smile and find joy and peace in the things I loved and miss about him. Like the way he could fix anything, and had a story to tell about everything. The way he said my name and the fluctuation in his voice when he said "This is your dad..." on the phone. He sounded like the Eeyore character from Winnie the Pooh. When I smell someone who has the unique scent of cigarette smoke and aftershave I breathe in deeply and think of him (and cough /get weird looks from strangers).

As I marvel at God's goodness to heal my heart and turn such sorrow into joy and hope, I think about so many of my friends who have lost parents this year. I'm not sure if more of my friends are experiencing the death of their parents because we are aging, or if I'm just more aware of it. Either way, I wanted to share some things that have helped me, in hopes they will make your journey easier too.

• Cry. Let it out. If I try to stuff my feelings in then I end up a gasping, hysterical mess (often in public) and I would much rather have this moment in private.
• Talk to other people who knew your dad. Share memories, look at pictures, don't shy away from these things even though they are hard. It brings healing to remember the sweetness of time shared, even if there is a mix of sadness that comes with those sentiments.
• Look for the ways God has provided other father figures in your life. I realize this may not be true for everyone, but I have an amazing father-in-law. He has loved me as his own even before I married Nate and I could not be more thankful for him. One of the biggest blessings of living with Nate's parents last summer was spending time with him when I needed a dad the most. Maybe this is true for you, or perhaps there is someone else who has invested in you or taken care of you like a dad.  Spend some time reflecting on them and make sure you tell them how much they mean to you.
• While I don't relate to Nate as my dad, he is an AMAZING one to our kiddos. Focusing on him and finding ways to honor him throughout the day made it easier to be without my dad. It brought about a greater appreciation for so much of what my dad did for me as a kid. When I see the way Nate loves our kids when he is tired or has had a crazy day at work it makes me appreciate the times my dad did the same.
• Know that day by day, you will wake up and the sadness will be less. The weight in your chest will not be so heavy and you will smile and laugh again. You will feel God's presence and be able to praise Him for His goodness. These were all things that took time for me, and I didn't really realize they were missing from my life until they came back. I trusted God in those dark months, I prayed, I had faith, I read His Word and I have no doubt that God was with me all those days. But it was months before I FELT the light of hope again. It will come. God is faithful and gives us a hope that does not disappoint.

My prayer for you (and for myself) is that we would find joy this Father's Day, not only in the memories of our dad's, but in the love and healing of God the Father. Blessings!

*originally posted June 2016

How We Save Money on Health Care

 The average American family spends a minimum of eight hundred dollars a month on  health insurance premiums and has a family deductible of eight thousand dollars. With almost eighty percent of American workers reporting that they live paycheck to paycheck, it's easy to see how one medical emergency can cause financial hardship. I don't know about you, but every dollar counts in our family. We want to be good stewards of what we have been given, and use our resources wisely. So a few years ago we looked at the tens of thousands of dollars we were spending annually on healthcare and realized we weren't really utilizing what we were paying for.

We began the search for an alternative, from going out on our own for privitized insurance to medi-share co-op's. We found the latter to be in the best interest for our family, both in quality of care and in financial terms. Medi-share plans, or health payment co-op's require members to send in a monthly share (this is like a health insurance premium) that is then used to pay other member's medical expenses. If our family has a medical expense we collect the bill from the provider, submit it to our co-op electronically via an app and then wait for checks from other member's to arrive to pay our bill. It's simple and cost effective and has saved us LITERALLY thousands of dollars over the past year.

Pros of a Medi-share plan:

• Monthly expenses are less (we pay around $500 for our family)
• Discounts are offered for cash pay patients
• Less out of pocket expenses for deductibles. For each medical need we have (my sprained ankle for example) we submit every single bill from doctors
• , urgent care, therapy, follow up appointments, and for supplies like crutches and braces. For the entire need our personal "deductible" is $300 BUT the medi-share company we use counts any discounts from medical facilities or doctors towards that deductible. So the discount the urgent care offers me for being cash pay will likely cover that $300, meaning I have received excellent medical care for an injury, at the facility of my choice, and I have no out of pocket expense. 
• Freedom to choose any provider in or out of country, and potentially have travel expenses reimbursed (this is particular to our plan and varies by medi-share company)
• Some supplements are covered. If your doctor suggests a particular supplement it can be covered by Medi-share since it is part of your treatment plan. As someone who values preventative care and supplements, this is a huge benefit for me.

Cons of a Medi-share plan:

• Pre-existing conditions are not covered/covered in a limited fashion (varies by company)
• Prescriptions for pre-existing conditions are not covered, but access to discounted prescriptions is available
• The work of submitting bills and following up with payment is on you as a participant. I personally don't see this as a con, more as a trade off. Many times with traditional insurance I would be on the phone negotiating charges and payment, so this is no different.
• Preventative care is not covered. For our family, the trade off of paying for a yearly well check is well worth the thousands of dollars of savings. 

I was so anxious about leaving traditional insurance because I had always had it. Now, I can't see going back. We have weathered everything from strep throat to kidney stones to a sprained ankle using our co-op (Samaritan Ministries) and it has saved us thousands of dollars. If you are wanting to make a change in your health coverage here are some things you can do:

1. Add up how much your insurance costs you per year - from premiums, to co pays to your deductible. How much would it cost your family if someone had to max your out of pocket expenses?

2. Research medi-share companies. A simple Google search will highlight a number of options, and for us Samaritan Ministries was the best. Read through their policies and procedures and call with specific questions. 

3. Chat with a friend who uses medi-share. Hearing my friend Betsy's medi-share experience was what really made me feel like I could make it work for our family.

Feel free to contact me with questions and I will happily share more of our experience!

xoxo,

Theresa