She and her husband lived frugally to buy their dream home. They only have two children and she is a homemaker. Now, she's deeply regretting her decision to buy this home and wants another child but knows that she can't since she'd have to go back to work full-time and put her children into daycare. "My uterus literally aches despite the fact that logic suggests we can't afford it right now. After talking it over, and trying to adjust the budget, we have come to the conclusion that the decision to buy our dream home last year has eliminated the possibility of having any more children." My advice to her ~ "Sell the dream home QUICKLY and find an affordable home where you can have more children since children are WAY more important than stuff!"
It's so easy to get caught up in having the "perfect" home but it comes at a high price for many. I have known many women who work full-time and leave their beautifully decorated dream home empty all day. Their state-of-the-art kitchens stay perfectly clean since nobody uses them. Yes, I know there are many of you who aren't living in your dream home yet still work full-time to pay the bills. However, the older I get and the more women I mentor, I believe that any woman with children can be a homemaker since whatever God commands, He provides. It's a matter of living very simply and trusting God. I hear from too many women who make the leap to be a homemaker and I've yet to hear of one starving.
Homes need a keeper! Raising children is a full-time job and training them to be godly, hard-working adults which is WAY more important than having a big, fancy home. I love these tips on raising children from Nancy Campbell which is only a small part of being a keeper at home ~
I only allow children to eat in the kitchen or at the dining table, never in the bedrooms or the rest of the house. It makes more crumbs, more marks on the carpet, and more work for mother that is unnecessary. Nor do I allow children to chew gum in my home. There is nothing worse than finding gum stuck on the floor or furniture. To solve the problem, I outlaw it! Each one of us are different so you will set the house rules that are important to you. And as the keeper of the home, you will make sure your children keep to the rules.
We are also the keepers over all our food as this Scripture tells us {1 Chronicles 9:29 and Proverbs 31:7}. Everything is sacred in your home when God lives in it. As a homekeeper and gatekeeper you watch carefully over your food supplies. You make sure you have basic foods in stock without running out. Ordering in bulk is much cheaper in the long run. When you keep running out of basics and have to run to the shop to replenish, you usually pay much more. You only have food in your pantry that are healthy for your children to eat so you don't have to continually say "No" to them when they want this and that.
If Mrs. Charles Ingles can be home full-time on the prairie watching over the ways of her household and raising many children while her husband made very little money and they always had children living in their home, along with MANY other women down through the ages who took care of their husbands, children and home, you can too! There are so many ways to cut expenses and live frugally since all things will perish but children are huge blessings from God and will live eternally!
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5, 6
