Sunday, June 29, 2008

Coming Home Series/Week 1

The intent of this blog site is to help ladies that are currently working full-time outside their home, that have a true desire to return to full time homemaking, learn frugal steps and skills to help them obtain their hearts desire to come home.

I was a full-time working mama just a few short years ago. I am a critical care RN, certified in Radiology Nursing. I worked in a very busy Angiography suite in a hospital in upstate NY. I was one of 3 full-time nurses that rotated every 3rd weekend of call, and many late nights. For those of you wondering what Angiography nursing is, in short, it is taking pictures of specific blood vessels(in the heart, brain, liver etc.) through an arterial access site using contrast dye. Some of these patients are very ill and I was involved in more life threatening situations than I care to remember. I made excellent money and was well respected in my profession. But God had different plans.


While I was challenged in my job intellectually and there was rarely a dull day, I was discontent in my heart. I hated leaving my son at day care everyday. I remember picking him up late one afternoon only to have my beeper go off as soon as I pulled into our driveway. I had already worked 50+ hours that week. My husband was allready home from work, so I kissed my son goodbye, sent him in the house and drove back to the hospital. (After being paged we had 20min. to report to the hospital.) I remember crying all the way. I knew in my heart that day, that something had to change.

Backup a couple of months. My husband and I started attending Church a few months prior. I had gotten saved as a young girl in Vacation Bible School. I had lived for the Lord thru my early teen years but had fallen away. (That's another post) However God never fell away from me! Praise the Lord!!!! (Hebrews 13:5)


My husband had gotten saved through the church we started attending and we both started growing in the Lord! Although we both wanted me to be home at that point, we were in no position financially to make that kind of move!! At this point in my story, I want to make a statement and say, You absolutely cannot have it all!!! You cannot have a full-time career , maintain your home, rear your children, and be the helpmeet to your husband that God created you to be. It can not be done. Something or someone is sacrificed. And it is my firm belief according to scripture that God never intended it that way. Keeping a home, rearing children and being a helpmeet, is a full-time job, and then some. Many days I am more physically and emotionally drained than when I was working 60 hours a week, but in a much different way.


When I mention the above job description (Proverbs 31 woman) I in no way mean the worlds standard of maintaining your home(Martha Stewart style), rearing perfect children, (P.S. There are none!!) homeschooling the next Nobel prize winner (help us) and looking like you left the salon every time your hubby walks through the door. No, I am referring to doing the best you can to maintain a clean well ordered home, raising your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and loving the man God gave you like no other woman can!! I in myself can do none of the above, however I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.(Phil 4:13 )


Dear friend if you are reading this and you are where I was a few years ago , longing to be at home with your family, please don't loose heart. It absolutely can be done!! The way it happened for my family may not be how it works for your family. Perserverance and hard work pay off! God always rewards obedience and diligence. God changed the desire of my heart but it did not happen overnight. It took thought, planning, prayer (lots of prayer) and Gods grace. I went from full-time to partime then to perdiem. I will share the in and outs in the upcoming posts. Stay tuned for more of the story................. But please know that while I don't know you, I am praying for you and want to be an encouragement to you. Our Country and society are in a desperate time morally and spiritually. I believe the influence of the right type of Mothers with a heart for God and home can change the fate of a nation!! 1 chronicles 7:14


Have a blessed day!! Michelle

Todays Frugal Tip: Start monitoring your garbage. I know this sounds crazy, but in the early stages of my quest to become frugal, I noted that for a family of 3 we had an insane amount of garbage. I really started paying attention to what I was throwing away. I asked myself these questions: 1. Could it be recycled? 2.Was there any other use for this item? 3.Was itcompletely empty?


We live in a society where everything is disposable. I knew if I could decrease the amount of garbage we had, I probably would be saving money. I was exactly right. Do you know whats in your garbage?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Michelle
Thanks for your post, I got here through Biblical Womanhood.

I love your thoughts here. I work hard outside the home as a part time family doctor. I am very fortunate that I managed to negotiate a 3 day a week job even before I was married! My intention then was to do Kids Ministry. Not long after starting that job I became engaged and am now married. We don't have kids yet so I don't mind working outside of the home. I love my job, and praise God for the ability He has given me to do it.
But there is a struggle inside. I would dearly love to be a stay at home mum, but then feel a responsibilty to use the years of training and knowledge in the medical world. However I can "come home" as you put and whilst I wait for the children and wait to see what God wants us to do I am loving reclaiming my home. Planning, organising, watching the pennies where I can, and really helping my husband. This is challening but is wonderful to do. Perhaps it is something to do with fulfilling a God given role?

Jodi said...

This is an excellent post! I totally agree about the Martha Stewart, raising Nobel prize winners thing. You can't do everything. Being home is hard. It's not a vacation, like so many seem to think. It does take an adjustment.

Anonymous said...

Good for you. Nothing is easy. I am happy to hear you are doing well. I too was in your shoes. I even did daycare to stay home w/my kids.

Becky said...

Michelle,
I loved reading your post. It was amazing how much it describes my situation right now. My DH and I have been married for 4 years, are moving into our first home next week and I am working full-time. I SO long to be a stay at home wife and prepare for children. I used to be a rad tech at a hospital here but I now work as a service dispatcher. Work is easier somewhat but I am driving 45 mins to work one way. I am hoping and praying to be able to do what you did soon. I look forward to reading more from you soon!

Darla said...

I agree with you when you say, you can't have it all. And you can't! At least not all at the same time!