An Introduction

We live in a day and age when most women work outside of the home because they think they have to, but I'm here to tell you that isn't true.... you don't have to work. Well, yes, it is true if your husband has passed away or divorced you, or he is disabled in someway, but if he is a perfectly healthy man then it is possible to be home with your family and live comfortably on just his income. There are some conditions to this however, but I will address them later. My purpose for starting this blog is to help women see that they can be home with their children, to love, teach, and nurture them to be happy adjusted human beings. It takes a lot of work and getting rid of a lot of preconceived ideas that stop us from being successful.
Let me start by saying that I have always been home with my children. I’m an ordinary, in fact, uncommonly ordinary woman who had four children and stayed home to raise them to adulthood. We have never been afluent, but always had enough for our needs. I love my quiet life of being a wife, mother and homemaker. I love the freedom I have to just pick up and leave to serve
where I see a need or when it is asked of me. I love the coziness of casual conversations with dear friends whenever the feeling strikes me or them. The joy I receive from creating something from nothing is only surpassed by the feelings I have for my family and my faith in Christ. I hold dear the quiet moments where I restore my soul by pondering the things of the Spirit. I love the simplicity of my life and I can't believe that I am the only woman out there that feels this way.
I hear women mourn the fact that they feel that if they quit work that their families would starve and that they would never be able to make ends meet. I’m here to tell you that it can be done!
In 1993 my husband decided to start his own business. We had heard how hard the first few years were going to be financially, yet we were still committed in keeping “mother” in the home, and had faith that the Lord would help us in our righteous desires. That was a very rough first year. It was hard in ways I didn’t even comprehend existed. Not only were my resourcefulness and budgeting skills challenged, but psychologically and spiritually I was tried to the very depths of my soul. It was definitely a refiner’s fire for me (and I was the
refiner’s fire for my husband). While it was a lot of hard work and a bit of a struggle at times, we managed to keep our grocery budget between $25.00-$30.00 a week, we had all our needs met and even lived somewhat comfortably. When it was time, however, to figure all of our income and expenses for the year, we were amazed to find that our income level was well below what the government considers poverty level! We hadn’t even felt poverty stricken!
Our second year was an even greater eye opener! Financially, the tightness seemed to ease. We were able to do a lot of extras. The kids were active in the music program at their schools and music can be so expensive. We were even able to get a little ahead, so we figured the business was doing a lot better, but to our complete surprise we had made identically the same amount as the previous year!
I have a few friends and family who are stay-at-home mothers but they were astounded at how far I could make the budget stretch. When I told them what I did to make it stretch so far, they complained that it was just too much work. That I can’t dispute. Your home and family are your jobs. It is work . . . a lot of it. But isn’t it better to put your heart, soul, talent, and intelligence into something that can keep you home with your family, than burn yourself out for
someone or something that isn’t of eternal importance? That is what this blog is designed to accomplish. First, to inspire you with the words of others, to help lift you and encourage you to return home from the work place and keep you inspired over the rough times that are sure to come. Second, to give you the encouragement and the resources that will help you, help yourself, to stay home.

The ideas that we will discuss here are tried and true. They have worked wonderfully for me in caring for my family. I pray they will help you and bring to you the joy and fulfillment that can only come to you as a Mother, striving to keep the welfare of your precious children and family first. Afterall, they didn't ask to come to our homes...we are the ones that brought them to it, and we should be the ones to nurture them to grow to become adults who make this world a better place because they are here.

God bless you in your sincere desires and efforts.