In the wake of losing a spouse, handling your finances may be the last thing on your mind.

Andrea Carston says God's Word is a guide to prepare us for times of crisis.

I absolutely believe that there are some biblical financial principles that we can turn to.

Ideally before a life-defining moment happens, that we've given it thought prior

to that time, but then knowing that there is this very solid biblical plan backing us up so that

the journey doesn't have to be one of chaos and upheaval, but it can be a process of well-thought-out

time period.

This is the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss-Walkalmood, co-author of True Woman

201 for August 21st, 2018.

Yesterday, we heard from three women who understand what it's like to be left handling the family finances after the death of a loved one.

Karen Melby was left a widow when her husband went to be with the Lord in 2016 after a battle with leukemia. Lisa Hagenauer is an estate planning and

probate attorney in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Andrea Carston is a financial advisor, also

in Grand Rapids.

Today, they're continuing a conversation with Nancy about the steps necessary to get your finances in better order.

You may have heard me talk over the years about my dad. I loved my dad. I'm the firstborn child.

First born of seven. When my dad went to heaven, we all said, we thought we were his favorite. But I'm sure I was. No, we all think we were. But you've heard me talk about how the Lord took my dad to heaven when I was on the weekend of my 21st birthday. So there were seven children ages 8 to 21. My mother was 40 years of

age. My dad was 53, dropped dead of a heart attack. And the Lord knew in eternity past that this day

was coming when it did, but we had no clue. And how thankful I am that my dad had had the

wisdom, the foresight, the discipline, the determination to make preparation in many areas, spiritually, emotionally, family-wise, financially, his will, his financial areas that were in place, a team of people to help my mother navigate those hard things that followed

in terms of what to do with his business, et cetera. And so as I look back on that period,

of course, there were a lot of tears, a huge sense of loss, but also a huge sense that God was

our protector. And the reason we were able to feel that was because our dad had done a good job of preparing

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