My Work-Outside-The-Home Life

If you'd told me I was going to be a career-woman I probably would have lol'd. I was raised from the homeschooled all 12 years thing, to the daughter of a pastor, to the I-married-a-youth-pastor. So where does working outside the home and having two kids fit into the equation? Heck, I even know how to can tomatoes...something I'm trying desperately to forget.

I'm so looking forward to exploring the nuances of being a WOHM on the blog here and how it fits into the mold of being the Mom God created me to be. Since there's not a lot of resources out there for us WOHM's, I hope my contribution to this blog can be especially encouraging to those of us who God has led into a direction that doesn't tend to be most preferred within a Christian family setting. But it CAN be done, and in a God-honoring way where my husband is still my Captain, oh Captain, and yet I bring home the bacon. (Which doesn't equate to us living on a pig farm...yet).

So here's a few critical things I've learned about myself in this foray into the workforce of directing people, hitting the 9-5 grind and still coming home to balance family, housekeeping, child rearing, church ministry and that ever-distant concept of ... time to myself?!

1. Oprah is nuts. Yes I deserve "me" time. Yes, it would benefit my family. But no, there's no way possible to make that happen. So yes, Oprah is nuts.
2.  I can't cook--so it's an obvious disqualifier for me being a SAHM
3.  I am not a self-contained liberal advocate who thinks her husband is a wuss or that I am somehow superior.
4. Being a mom becomes more precious because of my limited time.
5. House chores are suddenly put into perspective on the low scale of importance.
6. Sometimes you just have to realize not every one is going to agree with you being a WOHM.
7. Sometimes you just have to know that the Lord takes people down very unique roads and it's awesome to see how He works.
8. Coffee is a necessity for every mom -- Acronym notwithstanding.
9. I will never--ever be geared mentally, physically or emotionally for more than 2 kids.
10. ...and that's OK
11. I will often be an outsider in the world of Moms...and that's ok too.

Unlike SAHM's, makeup is daily occurrence, as are showers, dress clothes, and heels. But like SAHM's, pajama pants are still the preferred source of comfort and kids bouncing off the walls still make me smile...and cringe. We have a lot in common...and a lot of differences. But this I know to be true...we all, at the end of the day, kiss our children's temples and pray a prayer of grace and blessing. In that, we are united.