I have spent the last 15 years attempting to instill in my children that appearances do not make you whole, happy, or bring you wealth.  It is love, service, prayer, and Jesus. Having faith that the steps that you take each day are building a solid foundation for loving and serving others.

Yes, it is difficult to trust that loving and serving others will put us in a position to have everything we need.  My family has what we need and much more.  However, often what we have are not the things that are flashy on social media. 

At times my kids struggle with this lesson.  They know I have a Ph.D. and am fully capable of bringing in a decent salary, as I have in the past.  I established myself in both business and academia.  All the appearance boxes were checked off.  However, Jesus doesn’t really care about those things. Nor do I!  But much of the world does care about money, status, and appearances.

I had never cut grass, shoveled snow, or owned a standalone home.  But that was my new challenge.  It was raising children so that they would fly.  On their own with respect to and for others.

Often it was a challenge for my kids to know that I have the ability to be a successful business person and bring home significant money yet choose to be a homemaker working part-time jobs.  It was my choice to follow my intended path.  I had an overwhelming amount of signs that led to serving my kids, family, and Jesus without a full-time career.    

It was hard for my kids to understand why I would give up having the extras that come with a career.   Truthfully, it was a new mindset for me too.  One that I challenged many times before realizing that this was the season for me to intensify my journey with Jesus.

Over time they have come to understand and appreciate what they have gained having me home for much of their lifetime.  They still would like to be able to vacation on a yearly basis (or more, lol) but realize that is not my priority.  There will be a time to enjoy those things, but this is not the season.

I also would love to take yearly vacations and not think about some of the other adult daily responsibilities, but it is a role I am fortunate to undertake.  For 15 years, I did not know where the funds to cover expenses would come from, but the opportunity to earn funds was there for me every step of the way.  I learned to uncover my path through prayer and faith.  Appearances fade, but being whole, happy, and wealthy with Jesus is forever.  The feeling of peace is priceless.

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