Just over a year and a half ago God set into motion a plan
that he had been building a foundation for quite some time—in fact a
lifetime. I was the busy, career-minded,
single mother to three very special children.
Then this man visited our church and sat down on an empty church pew,
alone. Six months later we were married!
(You can read our story here: http://from-breadwinner-to-breadmaker.blogspot.com/2013/07/our-story-december-18th-2011.html)
Just three months after that we were expecting our first baby together! A year
in review and I don’t know if I have enough paper to write of all the blessings
God has showered us with! But that won’t keep me from trying!
In June of 2012, just a few shorts months after our wedding,
Paul and I felt called for me to become a stay at home mom. This meant living off 1/3 of the income we
were accustomed to and not knowing exactly how all the bills would be paid—but
knowing that God was the author—he knew; and our job was to trust. The day after I gave my resignation to my
company I found out we were expecting our first baby together! My last day to
work in a corporate setting was July 27, 2012.
The months ahead were so much rougher than I expected. I anticipated jumping into my new job
description and rocking it! This wasn't
the case and I struggled finding purpose, intention, and joy as a stay at home
wife and mom. Through many tears and
prayers, God began moving me into a place of strength under my new role and I
am so excited to say that the last six months of have been a time of beautiful
spiritual and personal growth for me and our family. You can read this blog from the end of October about my unexpected struggles staying home: http://from-breadwinner-to-breadmaker.blogspot.com/2012/10/realitythe-transition-is-so-much-harder.html)
The first major miracle God has provided to us is that we
haven’t starved! God always
provides. Yes, there are times when it
might look a little bleak; and scary is probably an understatement. But God always provides! The basic physical needs of our family are
always met through his endless mercies! Yes, living off a little is hard and
requires sacrifice—but the rewards are indescribable! God has used this to help
Paul and I grow in our faith and become better stewards. I can make a meal out of next to nothing—that’s
God!
The next major miracle God put before us was Paul’s cochlear
implant replacement! You can follow this link to read more about that. http://from-breadwinner-to-breadmaker.blogspot.com/2013/07/cochlear-implant-miracle.html
But it is nothing short of a 21st century miracle! And I’m so
excited to report that the surgery was a success and to have a husband that can
now hear my whisper (compared to before when we communicated using: lip
reading, hand gestures, close range, loud voice talking) is indeed a beautiful
thing!
An area of significant growth for our family has been the decision
to “bring our children home”. God called
us to home school our children and has used this calling to guide us, grow us,
and strengthen us! I can’t say enough
positive things about homeschooling and what it has done for our family. It is truly something you could never possible
imagine all of the benefits of unless you have seen them first hand. My mom visited just before we brought the
kids home and 6 months later she returned for another extended visit. She repeatedly said, “I can’t believe the
difference in your family and home dynamic.
It is such a positive place to be.”
The proofs in the pudding, folks! This isn’t the blog post for me to
climb on my platform for homeschooling (that will come) but as parents, Paul
and I are incredibly passionate about this and beyond grateful for God’s
blessing to provide this for our children.
The most recent miracle is the birth of our newest son,
Asa. He is 4-1/2 months of
perfection! We had a very healthy
pregnancy and a beautiful home birth that embodied the love Paul and I have for
each other. It will forever be one of
the most beautiful experiences of my lifetime: bringing forth a son while being
wrapped in the arms of the man that holds my heart. Here's our birth story: http://from-breadwinner-to-breadmaker.blogspot.com/2013/03/it-was-one-of-those-march-days-when-sun.html
This certainly doesn't cover it all, but it catches some of
the bigger butterflies! It has been the greatest year of my life! I know it sounds trite, but I am married to
my best friend, every day is better than the day before, and I am fulfilling my
lifelong dream of being a wife, mom, and teacher and our family is united in love and purpose!
Thank you, Father, for your faithfulness!
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