The Book That Brought Me Home

by Sally Matheny

     Not long ago, I was asked to participate in a blog hop for the on-line magazine, Books Make a Difference. I am to share how a particular book has made a difference in my life. The problem lies in narrowing it down to one book! 

     Books have influenced my whole life.  But one particular turning point occurred when I was thirty years old.  

      My life brimmed with children—twenty -eight kindergarten students during the day, and my own two toddlers at night. In addition to His Holy Word, God used another book to drastically change that number of children, and to reroute my life.

     


      Even though I loved teaching kindergarten, my little girls continually begged me to stay at home with them. I, too, longed to devote more time to their momentary childhood.  However, my husband and I were living paycheck to paycheck. The first time I brought the topic up with my husband he said, "What? I don't know if we can pay our bills on one income!"

     I picked up the book, Women Leaving the Workplace, by Larry Burkett (Moody Publisher, 1999). It was the book that brought me home for good.

     Burkett is well known for his successful financial advising. Writing with a Christian worldview, he did a superb job offering spiritual counsel and practical advice for women considering coming home full-time.  

     For months, we followed several of Burkett’s suggestions. We practiced living solely on my husband’s income. That meant selling our new car in exchange for a used one. We ate out less often and practiced Burkett’s envelope budgeting system.

     We talked with our girls about the possibility of me leaving my teaching job. If I "came home for good," we would not have money for many extra things. I'll never forget how I felt when our four-year-old replied, “Oh, that’s okay, Mommy. I don’t need anything.  All I want is you.”

     Women Leaving the Workplace helped equip us to take a leap of faith and be obedient to what God was calling our family to do. We were amazed! Not only were we able to pay our bills, we were able to save, give tithes and offerings, and still enjoy a few treats along the way. The time at home provided more precious moments with the children and opportunities to teach their tender hearts.

     The encouragement and guidance this book offered made a difference not only in my life, but also in the lives of my husband and our children.

     Besides budgeting, the book contains a chapter on how to transition back into the workforce.  At one time, I worked part-time as a church secretary and my children were allowed to accompany me. However, after our oldest completed second grade, God called us to a new adventure—homeschooling!

    Books were influential in that decision as well, but that’s another story for another day.

Share with us. What book has made a difference in your life?

A Mama's Work is Never Done--Or is It?

by Sally Matheny

A Mother's Work is Never Done--Or is It?

Has your child ever called you an insulting name? One Saturday morning, after eliciting my eleven-year-old’s help with cleaning, he spewed the words, “You’re a Danny Tanner!” 

For those of you not familiar with the family television show, Full House, Danny Tanner is the parent obsessive with cleaning.

At first, I was insulted. I am not obsessed with cleaning. Danny Tanner uses a Dust Buster to clean his vacuum cleaner! He doesn’t allow anything out of its place. I vacuum once a week, and if we’re lucky, we may get the main pieces of furniture dusted. Also, I’m a stacker. I have little stacks of mail, magazines, and numerous slips of paper filled with writing ideas all throughout the house. Danny Tanner would go spastic in my house.

It only took a few minutes of comparing myself to Danny Tanner that I found the whole thing hilarious. I can overlook a messy house for almost five whole days before it begins to annoy me. And I prefer to do a multitude of other things instead of cleaning! But I feel responsible for maintaining a peaceful haven for my family. And let’s face it. An unorganized, messy home does not induce an atmosphere of serenity. Even my little name-caller will admit he likes the house better after all the work is done. I do, too. And so, for the next five to six days, we enjoy ourselves—before it’s time to clean again.

However, relaxing and having fun appear to come more easily for my husband and children. Seems like I have to be more thoughtful and intentional to stop doing whatever I think is "necessary" in order to join in the fun.

It’s a fact, a mother's work is never done. Truly. Never.