I know for a fact that the Lord allowed this video to pop up on my feed. And I just want to say thank you for making this. I have had such a struggle the last 6 years of my life that I feel no one understands. I've been married for 15 years and have 6 children. (Homeschooled for 3 years now.) We are currently living in a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment above our garage while we renovate our entire house. We lived in the house for 2 years as is. Just to give an example of how bad it was, we caught 9 mice in one day. I swore I would never tell anyone that. Lol! But we couldn't take the conditions anymore and built a garage with apartment, where we have been living the past 4 years. And you are right when you say that tiny house living, especially with a large family is romanticized! This was our best option however at the time. Like you, homemaking has always been very important to me. For awhile now, I feel as though I've given up on our apartment. It's been next to impossible to keep clean and organized with homeschooling and shuffling things around constantly. Not to mention that because of it all I have dealt with a lot of anxiety and bouts of depression. After watching your video this morning, I decided to paint the hallway of the apartment, then I just kept going! 😄 I painted almost the entire apartment today, and have more motivation now to just care for what I do have. It's been a long, but wonderful road with Jesus, humbling me, and showing me how faithful He is. And I wouldn't change the hard times, because it was in those times that I needed Him most, and sought Him diligently. And similarly like you, we had a 2 year period in our marriage that we lived in a lovely towmhome that we renovated for a year before moving into. It was our first home purchase, and we knew it was just a flip house for us to be able to get more out into the country. I love all your Scripture around the house. Your home is so lovely! Sorry for the long comment, but I just wanted to say thank you for your words of wisdom! What an immense gift to me during this season of my life where there seems to be no end in sight. ❤❤❤
Thank you for telling me this and sharing a piece of your story. My heart goes out to you. I pray God rewards your faithfulness 1000x over. I know God counts your frustrations and tears shed. He will right the pain! Keep the fight and faith, Friend!
This old remedy works, go around every room and search for any opening. Now take some steel wool and cram it into the opening till you can't cram any more. Use a screwdriver or what ever tool that will work. You will stop the mouse traffic.
Wow, I'm humbled by your endurance. I wasn't going to say anything, but I thought that, and then I saw the above comment about the sabbath and wanted to say
Thank you for your video. I’d like to encourage all who are going through hard times. Sometimes we can feel really alone. My husband and I have just been able to buy a house and we are in our mid 60s. We have raised 8 children in some very “ different” accomodations but each home had its blessings. Our children are all grown now…25yrs to 41yrs and are very resilient and able to cope with the challenges life is throwing at them. We have very different personalities but are very close and come together to help,each other. I am so proud of their characters and their Christian morals. I have realised that the hardship of our early years has resulted in a wonderful harvest. Don’t give up hope. God is growing some wonderful souls. ❤️
I wasn't going to watch this..but i'm glad i did. i've been a sahm mom for 10 years now and we live below the poverty line. some days its hard. we homeschool, live in a rental (will never be able to buy) and serve our church. there are a lot of days i just don't want to get out of bed. but videos like these, and the Lord's gentle presence, reminds me that what i'm doing matters. thank you for sharing
Don't give up on owning a home. Your state probably has a program. Mine did and that put me in my house. The other is Habitat . Lots of folks don't know there are options.
Don’t give up, give the need to the Lord to fulfill. Trust Him that it will happen, but don’t sit back, keep working on your home and paying your bills. I prayed for you to be able to get a home.
(Will never be able to buy). God doesn’t want you to think that way. I dreamt for 20 years but I never gave up hope. We’ve built 3 new homes now. All are around 1700 square feet and only one had a carport. Our youngest son was still home but a teenager. We knew he’d get his wings soon so we didn’t need a large home. I say all of this to say that your faith will move mountains. Be faithful and believe. I use to tell our boys, “believe, receive.. doubt, do without!” I believe I’ve even seen that quote but I’d never heard it before. Lol. Hope the best for you and anyone reading this.
Agree keep positive and trust in the Lords timing . I’m a new agent at 60 going through a terrible divorce. Hard to see a bright future but trusting the Lord. I’d be happy to help you find programs to make it possible- may take several years but God has the right plan for you and your family.may you feel His presence in this journey.
I am praying for you that God will honour you living and working for Him and bless you with your own Home!🏡Our little Cottage Home🏡was and is an incredible miracle and how we got it.🙏 Sometimes God works in incredible ways! ❤❤❤
I'm eighteen and still live at home. I don't have any plans to move out of my parent's homes right now. I keep romancing married life and family life and this video has helped me take my rose tinted glasses off and realize the struggle of having a family.
Yes stay home, take your time. I have a 14 year old and I want her to stay home until she marries I'm planning to make the garage an apt or maybe just buy a tiny house and putting it in our backyard 😊
What a wonderful time to be in. No matter what stage, you look back and say "those were the good days". Don't miss out on living in the good days. The state of humanity leans hard into a state of suffering.
I guess this is more of an American concept. I’m Romanian and when I was 18 I never even thought about moving out of my parents home. My oldest is almost 20 and the thought for her to leave our home is nonsense. In our culture, only when you get married you leave the family home.
But don't run away from the idea of family and married life. In the end it's so rewarding and it's nice to have more than just yourself around in your old age. With kids, the good outweighs the bad 💯. Plus, as they get older they can help around the house ☺️😉
It used to be easier. You would wait until your fiancé had bought a house so you could get married and have a house right away. Society has sold us the lie that being a career driven woman is best, but wanting to be a traditional homemaker is a wonderful virtue that should be cherished way more than it is.
What a wonderfully honest and helpful video. I am 74 now. We raised 6 children (had one miscarriage), have 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. I have always been a homemaker and home schooled for a number of years. We decided before we had children that if at all possible, I would stay home and raise them. It was not easy! But is has been so worth it! We lived in some pretty small and run down places for the first 16 years. Then we bought a huge old farmhouse and it took a lot of work but was a wonderful place to raise our family. Now my sweet husband and i lve in a small trailer, but we were able to buy it new, which has been so nice. I do not regret our choices. I am grateful. Our 6 precious babies have grow up to be wonderful people. Kind, intelligent, generous, talented, and hard working.
@@Patriciaking-j3q You know when pandemia started, my husband and I moved to a smaller city, almost a village, and in cheaper surroundings. The people are more warm, and everything is more connected, and lot cheaper. I lived in a very big city in my country. I grow my own food now, on our small land, and we manage to keep our budget. In a big city we couldn't. I hope everything goes well with you.
Wow it’s a REAL HOUSE where REAL PEOPLE actually live!!! Just found your channel and I think I’ll have to follow along because you actually show real life 🥰🌸
Thank you for this video, its great. Just to encourige others: we always lived in a small spaces. My husband was on the whealchair for 2 years, after 3 brain surgeries (brain tumor ) and its really miracle that he is alive and walking again. Our son is autistic, but with God's grace he is doing amazing (after years and years of therapy). We bought our dream home, and just 2 years later our 15 years oldest daughter pased away. We had to sell it to get away from trauma and sad memories. We live again on a small space, 6 of us, 700 sq ft. We only have things that we need here and now. No matter how difficult life is, God always gives us all we need. We have food, shelter, clothing and most important we have love.
My story is a little different but I badly needed this. I am in my sixties and have no family left. I took care of my mother 24/ for ten years. We lived on my credit and I'm badly in debt but it was necessary to take care of her. Years of abuse and then the caregiving caused a breakdown after she died. This was followed by years of severe depression. As family members died, I would up with stuff. I got totally overwhelmed and my house right now is a dirty cluttered mess. It's also old and shabby. As I'm walking out of the depression, I'm slowly chipping away at the chaos. I was always a super housekeeper and a homemaker for my mom and myself as well as working 60 hour weeks. I have always struggled with no self worth. I'm struggling right now bc I feel like a failure house wise and financially as well. I'm on fixed income and health issues prevent a job. In addition to being a failure, it's hard to accept that I am worth making home for. Lack of worth and motivation are making it hard for me sometimes to remember that my worth is not in my tired, chaotic house, my empty bank acvount, my illness, but in the fact that I am the daughter of a Father King Who loves me. Thank you for this. It has been reinforcement I needed. There have been people who act like this is all bc I am somehow lacking in God's eyes. I may be lacking in their eyes, I'm not lacking in His. Thank you and God bless you. (Also, like you, I am exceedingly thank ful to have a home. Totally not complaining, just in a learning curve)
Hello Sandy, thank you for sharing your story. It's important because it helps others. What a perspective change your story brings, so much you have faced! Yes, HE loves you so much. I'm praying you have a beautiful week. God bless you!
You aren't a failure. You just had to take the long, hard, rocky path to your success and happiness. You are worth everything in the world. You have sunny days ahead. We love you too. Bless you. Have a beautiful day! 💖💖💖💖
Your definitely not a failure, please start putting yourself first. You have endured enough and deserve the best that life has to offer, you were not put here to be depressed and miserable for the rest of your life. Let your life be long,secure and content
A hearty prayer just said for you. You are glorious. The simple fact you have persevered through all that you have in your life is a testament to your strength and His love. ❤
Im 29, married 3 years now & Currently homemaking & homeschooling from a hotel room. I needed this so badly, I honestly started feeling like I messed up by marrying for love & the feeling that God put us together instead of intentionally choosing to marry someone with better circumstances. I know it sounds terrible but I'm just trying to be honest & repent. I Love my husband, he loves The Lord, his mother, & our family... works so hard sometimes we barely see one another & better times seem so out of reach someday I feel so trapped, Philippians 4 4-9 has been coming up alot the last few days. I know The Lord intentionally put it in my face to help me be mindful I was Journaling & praying about it this morning .. then this video popped up on my feed. I appreciate you. So much truth in here!
Thank you for sharing this. You didn't make a mistake marrying for love. I know it can be easy to let that thought to cross your mind through hardships but on the flip side people marry for money all the time and that seldom goes well! When you live paycheck to paycheck it's hard to let your mind dwell on things besides getting by, since "getting by" demands a lot of work. It's easy to wonder where one went wrong in those situations. God cares though and he has a plan! Praying his blessings and wisdom and comfort for you 🙏.
No shame. I regret my decision. After over 30 years, I'm leaving. Sometimes men make decisions that keep them impoverished, and they drag you down. The best 6 years of this marriage were the last 6 years after I moved into my own place. It's sad and depressing. I hope you will find peace and contentment, either with or without your husband. God bless.
@@lmiller1413 Thank you for sharing this. I realize it doesn't work out when one partner isn't in it. This is not your fault! Please, be proud of yourself
@barbaracurda8918 Thank you! I needed that! It's hard to leave for many reasons, but I can't stay and hang onto "me." Somehow, I lose the "me" when I'm with him. Like a shrinking violet. It's a new thought to be "proud of me for not letting someone disrespect me." Standing up for God's version of me as worthy of respect and dignity.
Saint Vincent Depaul (depending on where you live) will pay for you and your husband to attend classes on how to get a head. It also comes with a free meal and sometimes childcare. Ask about resources. You sound like the kind of family, other families want to help, take the help now, and be the help later.
This makes me cry because your story is so similar to mine. My husband and I worked so hard to keep our faith even though we felt like giving up so many times. We tried everything to get our family out of our old mold filled one bedroom trailer. We were just waiting for the unfortunate day that we finally fell through the sagging floor. We even got turned down twice for an rv spot in a private campground! That was the point that was so ridiculous that we just knew god had something better planned for us. Now we are in an 1800 square foot double wide on acreage. It’s not fancy but it feels like a palace to us! Now I’m not running myself ragged to just do basic homemaking.
I love how you mentioned that things got to the point that it was so ridiculous that you knew God had something better! Thank you for sharing this, it's encouraging! 💛
I enjoyed this. I have more room in my home than I need. For many years I always had large Christmas and Thanksgiving meals for my family, my parents and siblings. It was a lot of work but something I very much wanted to do. Over the years so much has happened and I no longer hit the ground running. I am sharing this in the hope there may be someone who has experienced this and found a solution. I am now 75 and have lost all family members of my generation but one brother. My grandchildren to whom I was so close I never hear anything from at all. I have 2 sons that are very good men but I very rarely see them. I can not seem to get any motivation whatsoever. This seems to have started just recently after going to stay with my brother as he passed away from renal failure, and losing him was very difficult. Time is so precious. I don’t want to waste any of it but the unending hours of being alone is something I could use some advice from others on how to deal with constructively.
I am 60 year old women. I totally understand. What a beautiful inspiring video. I wish and pray for your family that God helps you continue this ministry.
This video makes me want to cry because families need to hear things exactly like this. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to everyone else on the internet. Me and my husband have had quite a rough road at making it as a family as well and I have often felt like “the poor family” but thank you for keeping it real and seeking to encourage rather than to flaunt what you have.
Peep behind the scenes and the more successful family often have huge credit card debts, hire purchase agreements, a car that could be repossessed at any moment because their lives are a juggling act. What looks better often doesn't feel better. Many people never take into account the interest they owe on loans and credit cards so they owe thousands more than they think. They still keep buying coffee on the way to work and shopping like there's no tomorrow, not because they're doing better, but because they're stupid lol. Look at the program on you-tube 'Till debt us do part" and you'll see how many couples who seem to have it all, are really managing. My kids are grown and now I have a lovely house and new furniture. Am I happier ? No.
Debbie I tell this to my husband. We thank the Lord for our home and land, but money is extremely tight. Another weird noise from the 2k truck we just paid cash for..my husband has to go lay on the ground in the driveway and attempt to fix it with not many tools. He gets so upset everyone else seems to have new cars. I remind him constantly fixing things is a skill worth having. And we own our vehicle. In the past we had something new. We laid in bed listening for the repo man to take it, and eventually he did. I'd rather be that poor looking family than live with crushing debt.
I can certainly attest to this. It brought back the memory of pantry moths and mice so bad that we ripped out our kitchen cabinets and tossed them in the yard. Then we regretted it because we lived without wall cabinets for years. Lots of stories of how God is faithful and has carried us through all the hard times.
I don't feel so alone now! We have struggled so much with keeping mice out! And I felt so frustrated with all the wasted time of having to rewash things because mice got to it. We live in the country and little field mice are abundant out here. What finally stopped them was someone abandoned 3 cats out here and they came to live under our home. We haven't had a mouse since! After 2 years of struggling to get rid of them (NOTHING worked) and praying for God to make them go away somehow, God answered my prayers with cats! 😊
I thought about having no walled cabinets. I prefer to have open shelving or even closed movable cabinets with wheels to put wherever whenever. I am 66 years, one month and 24 days as of my comments.
I cried at the end realizing that I was faithful when I had little and now God has richly rewarded me :,) My husband has used the line “polishing a turd” more times than I’d like to admit
It's not often that we get to "meet" another human in this big wide world who doesn't make you feel like crap because you don't have their perfect life. I'm in tears. I married my highschool sweetheart at 18, and months layer packed up my stuff to move with him to California. Had our first kid at 19, second kid at 21. When we moved back home after his 4 year contract, we moved into his parents' recently vacated single wide trailer. I always thought we might be there for a year MAYBE 2 years, but it turned into 8 years. That house taught me alot about myself, and while I would be very reluctant to ever have to move back into it, I am thankful for the growth and the lessons God taught me. I'm a stubborn goat for sure, but God is so gentle with me and knows exactly what I need. After a particularly long and emotional few days in which I struggles through chronic illness to try to keep my house clean, I just wanted to give up. I was just so tired of the peeling plastic counter tops, the aged yellow linoleum floor, the front door that wouldn't latch unless the deadbolt was engaged, etc., and I was just crying in the shower. I wouldn't call it "contentment" so much as "resignation", but I finally gave it up and stopped complaining. I told myself I would not utter a single complaint about anything in the house again. About 2 months later, circumstances changed and we moved from that house. I still feel alot of pressure most days to stand up to some standard, (my own or society's, I'm not really sure). I am really hard on myself. Thanks for your channel.
Becca Coleman, sounds like me😢. I'm grateful for what God has and is doing for me, but I feel like it's time for a change😢. I'm praying that I'll be blessed with the right answer.
Stay at home mom and homeschooled 26 years. It was so hard! We moved away from family and friends. I never knew it would be so hard to make new friends! Never a problem when i worked out of the home but the change of staying home really secluded me. It was not the in thing when we did it 20 yrs ago. Our children are all grown and to say it was worth it I am still not sure. I now am a lonely empty nester. My advice for all new stay at home moms would be make sure you keep doing things for yourself and keep your own interests. Not selfishly by all means but keep finding things for you to do! Thank you for sharing! More videos like this needed!
I have a similar story.. we moved away from everyone we knew and homeschool. It has been very secluding at times.. So far my kids still enjoy homeschooling after about 10 years. I think the time spent together will hopefully be something we can look back at with fondness. It is a blessing but definitely can be difficult.
You are such an inspiration ! I’m tired of watching all the RUclips Moms and homemakers “struggling “ with their newly built homes and “just can’t decide” where to put all their beautiful things. I can much more relate to you and so thankful that I found you. Looking forward to hanging out with you some more!❤
Yes! Another thing is the RUclips moms saying "just let the mess be!" I will have mouse feces in my cabinets and more mold in my bathroom and rotting wood next to my sinks if I let the mess be! It's a lot easier in a newer home or renovated home that's properly sealed and insulated to let a mess be. I do enjoy homemaking videos but this video is absolutely my favorite one on it as it addresses my specific struggles homemaking!
@@teagranola i struggle with mold in my tile shower soooo badly. Its a 50 year home and where we live has constant 70-90% humidity abd high heat. It feels like a never ending battle. All that to say i see you and i know its frustrating. Praying we see the good in the midst of all the ugly!
I feel the same way. Theres such a difference in keeping a newer house clean than an older one! I spend so much time dusting & cleaning mold off our shower tiles it drives me nuts. Bleach doesn't even seem to help much. We live in an area with atleast 70-90% humidity daily with high heat ( though not on a beach. Lol i would love that.) Our home is 54 years old and despite new windows there's just a multitude of leaks for the humidity & damp to seep in. It is really frustrating and humbling bc most my family and friends don't live in an older home with these problems. They say your house is lovely etc but they don't know how much work it takes to keep it looking decent, nor all the thousands of dollars spent on repairs with a list of future projects a mile long. All that to say you're not the only one. I appreciate you sharing your frustration, too.
"Do not despise small beginnings." It is equally as challenging cleaning a 5,600 sqft. house. The blessing is the relationship you now have with the Lord and your husband. Those things are worth more than the most beautiful of mansions. Your kitchen is lovely and so very inviting. Congratulations on breaking free from man's idea of religion. God wants us in His word, daily. Lest we fall prey to the enemy's snare. I have been putting off many projects. Thank you for the motivation and the reminder that, it is all for His glory! Continued blessings!!!!🥰
Dear mama, I hear you! Single homeschooling, work from home, homesteading mama here. We just got our own home this past summer, and I’ve been doing construction on it since then. It’s been so hard getting the kids focused and into a normal rhythm when I’m trying to balance my work, their school, the construction projects, and trying to organize things! We have been in the trenches for a while here, but we are climbing back out! Thank you for sharing your struggles and being honest! It’s helpful when all the other homeschool mamas show their perfect homes and tidy spaces! ❤ I haven’t met anyone else who really understood the time wasted every day in trying to organize and shift things because of not having enough space, and being under construction. It has been such a tough time for us. This video was such an encouragement though! ❤
I'm a single homeschooling mother too. There are times, I feel like I'm falling apart into tiny pieces because of feeling so overwhelmed. My dear oldest is finishing 11th grade. I don't know how we managed to get this far. Miracle of God is the only explanation. God provided what we needed when we needed it. I might be in a perpetual state of overwhelmed, but I am also abundantly blessed and grateful every day to be with my children.
Single homeschooling mom here also. Sent both of my children to school during the divorce, which was good for the season of our lives that it was, so when God called me back to home school my oldest I definitely was resistant, and found myself thinking "I'm just getting to the point where I can move on with my life and doing things for myself again." However it ended up being an amazing year of home school and I got to see Abba do amazing things. It seems unrealistic to me but I want to be obedient to what God intends for my children and trust that He will provide what we need to accomplish it. I would love to be able to communicate in a group with other single moms walking things out in this way.
This video was a balm for my soul! And the comments from others show me we are not alone. My husband is also a carpenter. We rent a singlewide trailer for our family of 5 and have almost given up hope of ever buying. We stayed with my in-laws for a year during covid shutdowns to save up money to buy a home, but we were too late. The housing market exploded. We live in an affluent area, which makes our situation seem even worse in comparison. I know it bothers my husband especially as he views our home/financial limitations as a reflection of his ability to provide. I remind my husband (and myself) that we have so much to be thankful for, so many ways that God has blessed us. We’ve never gone hungry or been without proper clothing. God has given us a safe place to live, even if the condition/size is discouraging sometimes. I am able to homeschool our children. And our yard is huge with a trampoline and trees to climb. We are all mostly healthy, which I never want to take for granted. I am so sorry for your loss of your baby. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Thank you for your tips and the reminder to be thankful.
Truth In Love Mama, what a challenging time you are facing. I'm sorry you are going through this, I know it is frightening and so hard. I think you have a beautiful outlook despite the hardships and uncertainties. Keep praying for your needs and hearts desires, God does care!
Thank you for this. I don't know how it showed up, but it was what I needed... A woman's home is her castle and when it's not like she wants it, it's very very hard . But it doesn't define her worth. It's very hard to home make through illness and tragedies and hardships. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I'm in a very similar situation, and to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way!! We are a family of 9 (7 kids) in 500 square feet. And our cabin is a major fixer upper 😊 and yet my kids are happy and content and my home is blessed because my husband and I made the decision for me to stay at home! It is definitely a ministry! But godliness with contentment is great gain!!
Thank you for this! We’re also a homeschool family with five children and living on one income. We’ve been in our current home for 18 years and are still renovating it as we live in it. It’s a struggle some days. The floors in half my home are painted plywood that have to be repainted about three times a year. It can be frustrating when I see other homeschool families with 3000+ sq ft homes with only two or three children and they live in a much nicer neighborhood. I’m doing my best to be thankful and do better about delegating chores and keeping the house clean on most days. I’m so thankful to see a home that isn’t perfect or ‘decorated for the season’.
Hello Ruthie, of course you already know, I get it! So last year I tried decorating for fall. It's now spring and I just removed the last of the decor, lol! I forgot to take down the corn stalks all winter. Needless to say I remembered why I don't decorate for the seasons, haha! The season of life I'm in doesn't allow for it! Blessings to you in this journey!
I may think my home is not as big, or glamorous as my neighbors..when in reality my home is a reflection of me and it is absolutely stunning!! I have worked so hard on this house for years and it is my home..beautifully created. I am blessed in my 60s brick rancher 😊 I too have been through so much but I've made it this far...ONLY with the Lord's grace, mercy and blessings ❤❤❤ I grew up very poor...at times no running water or bathroom in the house, so I definitely know what poverty is! Hang in there everyone...you'll get there eventually and when you do, stay thankful and humble ❤❤❤
Go from room to room thanking God for each space…your excellent attitude, and ability to encourage yourself in The Lord is key to your success. God bless you all.
Amen Sister!! I am 73 and we have been on one salary for over 12yrs. When the kids were home, raised 4, I cleaned houses and took in ironing. Then as they got older I advanced myself and became an Ex-Admin but my heart wanted to be home. We moved from Alabama to Arizona for hubby's work and I have been at home since. We just moved into our last home. I am getting things "in place" and workable but get it "organized" is a whole other thing. I am very happy to be at home all these years and help my hubby and help out with the Grandkids here in AZ. Take your time and as you have done set time aside to focus on the organization. Great job. Keep Yashua at the heart of your home.
I watch this video just to make snarky, rude comments, and ended up looking directly into the mirror. Thank you. I've lived in an uncompleted home (gratefully 🙏) for 14 years. Bought the house which was very dilapidated and derelict, that occasionally still smells like the 30 rabbits that used to live in it, and two years into renovation life-changing health issues stopped all progress. The outside looks complete but the inside is very incomplete, it would be condemned if the building inspector found out. I've lived off a hot plate with a microwave the entire time. Pooped in a garbage bag in a 5-gallon bucket for 2 years, until I got a toilet, and a hot water heater; took hot showers at the gym. Battle a cancer for the last 7 years, just now getting back to where I can help myself. God has blessed me with this trial and tribulation, I am sure now; this struggle has been for my Soul and to bring me closer to God, and my fellow humans. Thank you for your wisdom and this video.
I've been putting off watching this (not even sure why) but I'm going to be rewatching it over and over. The part about the "castle" mentality and not taking your circumstances personally was so big for me.
Thank you, this is so inspiring and comforting. I'm only 25, I have 2 kids but one of them passed away. I beat myself up for not being able to save the money to buy a home and take for granted that the places we have lived were perfectly good places to be and I need to accept that we are likely to live in other homes before we settle in to the one of our dreams. I appreciate your honesty and humility, love your videos, thank you!!
God bless and keep you, Amy. My daughter went home before me, too. I understand. We are truly just sojourners here. It was hard to feel the loss of her physical presence here. I am comforted in knowing that she is safe, surrounded by immeasurable love and will be welcoming me home when my time here is done. Keep your chin up, your eyes on the Lord and your armor of faith on ❤️
Thank you so much for this. It entered my feed EXACTLY when I needed it. My family has been in a 2bd, 2bath, 900sqft, crappy apartment for almost four years, and I'm pregnant with our 5th. I am letting go of friends who cause me to feel crazy or lesser than. I'm struggling with faith. "Is this all I'm worth?" is exactly what I keep asking God. I'm thinking that this may be permanent. This video helped plant at least some gratitude and hope. I'm 29, and as long as my and my husband's health remains strong, and we have a roof over our heads and food to eat, we'll be okay.
This is my third time watching this video in past 7 months. The Lord knew I needed this video because it speaks to me more personally. It's much more encouraging than the other videos I normally would watch. To see someone who hasn't always lived in nice places and just to make do with what we do have. The first time I watch this video the Lord had been speaking to me about being more content with what I have and taking care of it better. And here I am again today as I am feeling discouraged by my home, Thank you!!💕
Honestly its hard but the sacrifices are worth it. My mom was a sahm for most of my childhood for a family of 7. We were not wealthy but my childhood felt rich. Now that we are grown, my siblings and I - we are all educated and professionals due to our parents sacrifices have retired our parents, early. They have no 401k, lost their home, lost their child (my sister) entire livilihood in 2009/2010 and never recovered what they lost because in spite of all that they still managed to push us through life. Financial security and wealth is awesome but without love it means Nothing! I will hold my parents hand while they age and up to their last breath and our future little ones (all grandkids) will do the same for each other. God Bless and focus on God and your family, it will pay itself back.
I needed this, after working 10 years in the medical field I went stay home mom status after my 2nd kid. It's a hard change and we down sized BIG TIME. I do feel overwhelmed and depressed at times because im not helping with bringing in money but I have so much on my plate, animals, 2 kids and homeschooling. Thank you for sharing your experience
Hello Rebekah, wow, I can imagine it's been a complete culture shock going from 10 years in the medical field to this! Thank you for sharing here and watching! 💛 I'm so glad the video was helpful.
I needed this from 2014-2020. I was in a 1K sqft 2 bedroom apartment for 8 years as a mom. When the first baby came, I knew we would finally move. Nope. When the 2nd baby came, nope. When the 3rd baby came nope. 5 people in 2 bedrooms and 1K sqft. 2 kids in 1 room. Baby with mom and dad. Stressed is an understatement. Kids had no safe place to play outside without my supervision. But I couldn’t always go outside with them. I was homeschooling and had very little storage space. We finally moved into our near dream home with a spacious backyard, daughter finally has her own bedroom, we have a huge homeschool storage closet, kitchen is a dream, we host constantly. God has been so good. I love making our house a home.
Thank you SO much for this video! I am a homeschooling sahm of 2 on one income. We are very fortunate to have the house we have, even though it's not very big and definitely needs work. Everything thing we have is second hand and every upgrade is done little by little. The sacrifices are so worth it and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for being so real, you have inspired me so much 🥰
I am so grateful to God for just finding your videos. I’ve been married 43 years. I live in a little home three bedrooms one bath that needs work but I do love my home. Thank you for all the encouragement. I am a mom of three adult children and I have seven grandbabies, I just retired from working at a public school for 25 years. Feeling guilty because I am not working outside my home, however enjoying every moment with my grandchildren and my children.
Thank you, thank you for this! There’s so many of us that needed to hear it! We started out in a rented single wide trailer that reeked of mouse urine, had peeling cabinets, stained tubs and sinks and floors, and the back door wouldn’t stay closed in the winter unless it was dead bolted. But paint covers a multitude of sins, as you said. We had many happy times in that house. Now we bought an old house with acreage, and are so thankful to have our very own place in the country! Again, the house is one that most of my friends probably wouldn’t live in, but we painted most everything and it’s very cozy. We feel blessed to have a place to live, and really we have it so good. Yes, we technically could have afforded nicer dwelling places, but we have tried to deny ourselves while we’re young to make our future easier. Things are looking up for us, and I hope they do soon for anyone else who is reading this!
17 years married and a homeschool mom for 9 years. I watched this and kept thinking, "Thank you Lord! I am not alone." This was the best thing I have seen on RUclips in months! BTW my husband makes the " polishing a turd" comment often about our home...
Thank you from Finland! Encouraging! I have also been homeschooling for 24 years, living in small apartment in town for nearly 20 years and now in a bigger countryside house. I'm so glad now for all the years and every child. (Also lost one but she is with the Lord). Many days have been very difficult but Jesus is fathfull. He hears our prayers.
I'm glad you're hanging in there! My kids are all grown now and I'm loving being a grandmother. Best compliment one of my kids gave me as an adult was to tell me she didn't even know we were poor when she was a kid until she was grown. ❤
Wow. I so needed to hear this today. I'm 68 (until tomorrow), still working, live alone in 1200 sq.ft., and over the course of 20 years it's gotten away from me. Thank you for the inspiration to get busy with it, and thank you, Lord, for putting this video in the stream for me. Subbed right away.
I understand what’s going on with you. 1st I hope you had a good birthday 🥳 I’m turning 70 (can’t believe it) in June. I’ve lived in my home for 45 years and it’s really gotten away from me too. I’ve given up so many times, but have always had an ember of faith that I’ll still get there. I’ve decided to remind myself that no matter what happens I’ll be ok. Because I’m still ok with all the things that happened so far. ♥️
@@TheLadymiss22 Thank you! I did have a good birthday, and hope you have a beautiful birthday in June! My goodness, doesn't time fly? I remember all the times I bemoaned having to wait for this or that, and wow, look where I am now. When did that happen? 🤔 I have a new philosophy. I didn't get another year older, I got another year wiser!
@@tinyacres2827 I’m still waiting for that! I have become a little wiser. I can imagine my life would’ve been a little different if I hadn’t gained some wisdom. I’m grateful it is happening no matter what age though.
Thank you-I needed this video so much 😭♥️ Our situation is very difficult, and because of the personal nature, I can’t really open up to anyone about why our situation is what it is and how difficult it is. I’m really going to work on these tips. Please pray for my attitude to change, and hopefully, our circumstances to change. Thank you! ♥️
Your video came up on my feed and I’m so grateful! Thank you for being honest and encouraging us! Homemakers, homeschooling, farmers, walking the same road even though we live in different continents 🇿🇦.
I love how genuine and real you are. So often we see families in a perfect home, showing only the best parts of their life, and almost superficial joy. Thank you for being a realistic, God loving/fearing RUclipsr with practical and life changing inspiration and messages. Thank you for the breath of fresh air.
Thank you so much! I am retired 52. Proud of it. No children and his children are grown and gone. Thank you for doing these videos. I appreciate it very much so
Wow thank you for this video! I just found your channel yesterday. All day today I’ve been wrestling with our small home size. 650 square feet, 3 bed 1 bath. We’re a homeschooling family of 7. It’s not easy. We live very minimally (because we have to in a small space). I’d love 1-2 more children but not sure how we will do that here. Anyway you’re video “randomly popped into my feed- thank you God, and gave me encouragement that I’m not alone. Others have been here. My husband also doesn’t want to go in debt/mortgage. We have very cheap rent so I’m doing all I can to save money each money and pray that maybe in 3-4 years God will allow us to buy a cheap house but at least our own. I need to go to the Lord more to pray for contentment and also provision for our family. Giving my desire for more children to Him even as my window is closing (I’m nearly 40). It’s not easy and a daily struggle. We’ve dealt with moths, conckroacehs and rats too but thankfully not as bad as our neighbours. We do our best to keep it clean and homely but of course I would love some more space for my family. Appreciate your words today. God bless
Hello Katie, thank you for sharing this. It brought back so many memories. I've prayed God improves things for you. Don't give up asking God for the desires of your heart. I believe He cares!
We have a family of 10 in a little less then 1000 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 1 bath home. I know it's hard, but if you feel urged to have more children, don't let the space stop you. The Lord will provide. He always does. Children are a blessing still in meager environments.
I have lived this way for 39 years. I completely can relate. I also ran a small family business, ministries, and took care of my elderly parents. It's only now that we had a major termite and ready infestation, and that my husband came into a small inheritance that at 65 years old, we had to tear out decades of hard work and pinched pennies to get the house secure. We now have a beautiful front porch and lots more room. We have a long way to go but in the past year have come a long way and in the end, it will be a far more enjoyable home with the warmth of a homestead we'd hoped for. We will never have our ideal situation, but the journey has taught us so much along the way and we value every nail and board more than I could possibly express. I have friends who have owned numerous beautiful homes over the years but to them, these are houses. No matter what state our home was in, I always made it "homey" decorating studs every Christmas and birthday and giving it all the love I could. Oh the living out of boxes and living lugging the homeschool things around. Yuck! But it bonded my family in a very precious way. We knew Jesus was right in the middle of us all the time. We could feel his love and compassion and protection. So now, married for 40 years, we live in a 7 acre homestead we now share with our son and his wife. We've been on this land for 35 years. Still, a new can of paint excites me! So many precious memories here that I thought would never be for the fact our home was always under construction and now reconstruction. The Word of God says not to despise small beginnings. I can't look up three chapter and verse right now but do a search for it. Perfection in this life in material things should not be our goal. Looking around at our culture, if you compare yourself, which most do, you will grieve. Rejoice and be grateful even in the smallest of things. This delights the Lord and He will bless you. (Speaking from experience. ) Speak blessings over your home. May God truly bless your journey!
I usually just stick to the shows that I'm subscribed to but this happen to pop in somehow and I just want to say thank you. This really touched me and I REALLY needed it. God bless you.
Something The Lord has felt with me about recently is not having too much clutter. I’ve been decluttering my house & it’s made a huge difference. My kids are happier & it’s so much easier to clean ❤
This video really hit home for me. I needed the reminder of where we came from, compared to where we are now. Things are wonderful for us, even if we struggle to pay bills and keep our good health. We would be homeless if it wasn’t for the grace of God, and my husband may not even be alive. I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude for the house we have now, our child, and our wonderful families. Thank you for helping me to put things in perspective (and for the great tips!). ❤
Oh sweetie you are brave to give your story. It is so similar to mine. I am 55 now. After going through much of what you have been going through my marriage ended in divorce. My husband was even a minister but choose to leave the church and his family for a life. The deviation was overwhelming after putting so many years into being a homemaker and homeschooling the kids. Our lives change in ways we never seen possible and not for the good. I have learned so much over the last 20 years. I wish so bad I could tell you more so that as you continue this life you are living you can be prepared for the future more. My prayers are with you and your family. God bless you. Thank you for holding on. God strength is perfect in our weaknesses
I’m not quite halfway through this video and I just had to pause it to say thank you. This blesses me more than you know! From seeing the awful grime on the floor under the cabinets to the smudges on the door. And hearing your testimony so far. Your house looks like mine and until the last year or so I have felt like my mess is so much worse than everyone else’s and couldn’t fathom anyone seeing it!! But it’s honestly nice to see someone else’s house that can get grimey like mine. My SAHM journey these last 23 years has been rocky with tons of changes and lots of hard things. But I’m more determined than ever to stay home and take care of my family, and make our home a blessing.
I have been married for 9 years now and probably 6 out of those 9 years we have lived with my parents. My husband and I have 3 small children and sleep all in 1 room run our small business out of another room and have a “living room” space. I am so grateful for a place to stay and everything but I so long for my own home where I can make it a safe haven for my family and make it our own home. I have been really seeking God for peace and contentment while waiting for an answer and/or waiting for His will to be done. Whether it’s what I want or not. But I so long for my own home. Thank you for this video.
Thank you for this video! I love that you are showing the real life of a stay at home mom. I'm a stay at home mom, and I also homeschool my kids. It's so easy for the house to become messy and cluttered. It's easy to think that I'm alone in the crazy, lol. I love that you're keeping it real. May the Lord bless you and protect you.
The Lord showed me your video today. I really needed the encouragement. My husband abandoned us nearly 30 years ago, so it has been a long haul of patching, replacing and repairing the home, but never finished. The kids have grown up and moved out so now I really see all the work that needs to be done with no way to do it. Your program gave me hope, thank you so much!
I am not a homemaker, my boyfriend and i both have full time jobs and hobbies, and I am only 25 years old, but I still feel sometimes, that I am 100 steps behind on housework, gardening and all of those things that I actually enjoy and like doing. So this videos helps a lot - at least to know that I'm not in a lonely boat. :)
I totally feel this! My husband and I both work just to be able to afford to live and my medical bills. I also get frustrated over not having enough time to clean and homemake like I'd want to. We also don't have potable water in our house and half of it is unheated 😂 But we just do what we can do.
I understand what your talking about with previous living conditions. We've been working on our house 17years. It is finally feeling like its starting to come together. My home sat empty two years when we bought it. Lots of water damage, mold, rot and, dog pee 😳. We were so poor at times paint was too expensive to buy. These are sacrifices homeschool families end up making because of being a one income family. God sees the faithfulness! I'm very thankful for my home and wouldn't want to live anywhere else at this point. When I look around at all the work we have done, it's so precious to me it reminds me of everyone I love.
This can’t just in time. It has been SO hard in my 900sq ft home with all of the junk we’ve collected over the years together and having two toddlers. I feel like I’m just trying to make it through the day (the last two months have been just like this) I’m looking forward to the day I can find contentment in my heart again. I have been asking for Yah to break through my pride and teach me again.
Oh my GOSH, thank you. I have managed to scrape by on social security since my husband's passing in 2017. I'm still homeschooling, but it is so, so, so hard. I feel so alone most of the time.
Thank you for sharing these parts of your story. This was very encouraging and brought up memories of different situations I lived in. I always loved to make a place better with paint and resources I had on hand. It’s so true that gratitude and prayer over the home go along way. Also practicing hospitality even if the home is not great or what we wish had, has been a way my faith grew and added so much joy to our life. Experiencing people being blessed when you invite them in to your imperfect home is such a special thing that in turn blesses you with joy and gratitude.
I am so thankful that my family had little money when I was a child. I lived in a dumpy house with a hole in the roof that a raccoon fell through one night. We had roaches. We have multiple broken appliances. I watched my parents count change for groceries at points. As an adult, I can see the character building that it did for me. My husband never knew want as a child and now he is so afraid of losing what he has. He holds on very tightly to worldly things. But me, I know what it’s like to have little and I know I can find joy in that too.
I needed to hear all this! Thank you! ❤️ I live in a small 3 bedroom house. I have 6 kids and homeschool. The house needs repairs that we can't afford. So though I clean and clean and try to make it look nice, it never looks as nice as I want it to between the the walls needing repair and painting and the suffocating clutter everywhere. Some days I do give up. The thought "what's the point" stops me right in my tracks more than I'd like to admit. This year has been especially hard. I had been graciously surprised with finding out I was pregnant with twins! After I thought I wouldn't be able to get pregnant. However I went into labor too early and lost both Babies one week apart. The grief is still overwhelming. During that time I was in the hospital for over a week and almost died from hemorrhaging and had to have surgery to stop it. So I wasn't home keeping up with things and then was on bed rest when I got home. Everything got so behind I couldn't see how I could even catch up. In the end things were finally caught up and as I've been healing (physically and emotionally) I've been able to get my home back to what it was and looking pretty decent 😊 Then because of things I don't wish to indulge on, my husband and I have split up. At this point it just feels like one tragedy after another. Heart ache after heart ache. Trying to see God's goodness in the hurt and uncertainty. Your video gave me encouragement and clarity as well as helped me get back to a good and right perspective! Thank you! ❤️
Stephanie, your story breaks my heart. I'm so sorry for all you've been and are going through. It can take up to a year to get your health built back up after a pregnancy loss, so I hope you are still able to take it easy. I've prayed for you. Another commenter had a slightly similar story. I'm praying the same verses over you as I am for her, Isaiah 40:31, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." and Joel 2:25 " And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten..." May God give you strength and healing through such a difficult time, Dear. I'm praying God gives you beauty for ashes soon.
So nice to see realistic life 😅 some homemaking videos with houses like castles seem to me unreal 😅 We live in small house, and sometimes it feel crowded, but by God's grace, people always say it is cozy and warm place. God really convicted me that gratitude and contentment is a key. Godliness with contentment is a great gain:) ❤❤❤❤
My mom guided me to take a loan from my credit union against my own savings account. I could not get denied because I was using my own money as collateral. I was 19. When I was 20 I bought a home. I recommend this to anyone looking to establish credit. This is a great video.
This video has been coming up for me to watch for awhile, and I just kept ignoring watching it. I finally watched this, and I wish I would've watched it sooner. I am a homeschooling mama. I have been home for 14 years now. We have a unique situation, but have always had people constantly put me down for being home. Even thru seasons of me helping my husband with his own business. He now works away from home. We are blessed in many ways, but we have been struggling lately financially. Every car we have has been breaking. And almost every person in our lives has pointed fingers and blamed the fact that I don't bring in income as the problem. It is so difficult right now. I thank you for this. Not just for what you've said, but for the comments from all the other mamas out there. I don't feel so alone. 💚
We live in a small house that was built in 1780 so I hear you. It’s charming but needs a lot of work. Currently have a rat problem in the barn 😬 Thanks for the encouragement 😊
Lived in rural Alaska raising and homeschooling our 5 children. What wonderful years. We had a small house 1200 sq Ft but it seemed large with all our homeschool life even with the long 8 month winters. Fluorescent lights in our living room/dining helped kept it bright and cheerful during the long dark days. I am blessed with a husband who fixed things and had a successful business so we could afford to leave town occasionally. I was never depressed during those years. Even during the darkest winter days, our house was full of the light of learning. We had a great church and a wonderful tiny community. My biggest struggles with self-pity and lack of purpose came after they all left home!! After homeschooling for 21 years, I couldn’t find anything to replace that fulfilling life. I painfully learned to go small instead of big and enjoy the kind of life I had before I had kids. Wow!! What a long road for me. My husband felt called to move back to New Zealand (poor little ‘ol me😅). I left behind child rearing and am embracing a beautiful life here with 1/2 the year living back in Alaska. Gratitude and attitude are so important. I have kept a blessing journal for many years. I only write the good things that have happened in them. I have many journals now full of the goodness of God’s love to me and my family!
Oh girl, this was so good! I love RUclips but the perfection overload is hard. Thank you for sharing and normalizing realness! Much love to you and your family 💖
Even when we “ give up”, or “ throw in the towel” , well, WE ACTUALLY DON’T. We do not have that choice! What we CAN do is have a heart change. I have had to go to God and ask him to change my heart, give me wisdom and direction, and open my eyes to the solutions to my problems, and sometimes, just help me endure what I cannot change. He sees my life, and as long as He is in it, I can bow my knee to His will. He will give me the grace that I need day by day, and sometimes hour by hour. Now I am older, and can tell you that relying on Him has gotten me through! His love is my song.❤
God blessed me with this today. You blessed me today!! I’ve been a STAHM for 3 years with my son. We just bought a piece of property and built a 300 sq ft house on it. It’s half finished but livable. Some days it’s incredibly hard, knowing that I don’t even have the money to wash the laundry or pick up groceries. We don‘t have an oven to bake fresh bread in. I pray and thank God daily for it, and know he gives us just what we need.
I loved this so much! Thank you for sharing some of your story. I had to laugh at the "polishing a turd" comment. We have definitely lived in some turds. We are active duty military now and bought an amazing dream home in 2021. Ended up getting orders at the beginning of 2022, of course. We are now renting out our "dream house" and living in a much smaller rental home. The house is nice, but it is difficult because it doesn't really serve our large family's needs well. It's been a trial for me to be thankful to God in all things. Now that we've been here almost a year, I'm finally coming around to the idea of doing a bit more decorating!
Homemaker/ farmers wife for 45 years. Tragedy, financial losses, sickness and loss of children. Yet God is faithful! Praise his Holy name! He provides! He gives us creativity! And ingenuity! My mom always said to take care of everything as if it were brand new. So thankful for hand me downs of all kinds. Have a blessed day each and every day in Christ Jesus!
We are currently houseless after being homeless. We are staying in my hubbys parents camper in their driveway. Despite all the rough and not pretty places we lived in previously we are so happy for this camper. Thank you for showing this and being open and honest about it. You don’t see that often. I can absolutely relate.
Thank you for sharing a chapter from your story. I've prayed for you. I can only imagine how hard it has been for you. Praying things continue to improve quickly in your situation. Thank you again for sharing. God bless you 🙏.
This is a beautiful story! My husband and I have had a rough road with our 6 children too and now in our 40s we have finally settled into a big beautiful farmhouse. I don't know who you are or why I was recommended your channel but I am subscribing! I look forward to watching more of your videos 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing the hard times. It's an encouragement to me at this time. I have rearranged things so many times trying to find a better way and sometimes there isn't a way. But the want to feel better, have things more organized, and clean is always in my heart. Homemaking in hard times is still just as important if not more important!!! Cleaning areas that need more than "just soap and water" day after day need our attention but there are times that I just don't want to look. I am honestly out of words on this video! It was so powerful and close to my heart. I will be thinking on this for days. Thanks for your time. So glad to see this posted today!!!
I can completely relate to rearranging things so many times to try to find a better way! So frustrating! Thank you for sharing, Alesha, I hope this video helps you, I know it's hard. It's good to hear from you again!
I'm so grateful your video popped up 🤗 as a Christian and a home keeper it sometimes is hard to watch the perfect homemakers /keepers on RUclips. I have found a few channels so inspiring and yours is like a breath of fresh air. We are almost done with our reno and have been busy for 10 years so I understand what you are talking about. Our kids have all left
Amen. So timely as we just found out that our housing options are grossly limited for the next season for our growing family. It’s hard to see beyond cosmetic things sometimes. The worth part hit the nail on the head and I thank you for that.
Thank you for sharing! I know that I’m very rich in my situation but I feel so crowded in our apartment. We’ve been planning on moving for the last 6 years but it’s never worked out for us. I’m working on my patience and gratitude because I don’t want to be ungrateful for the wonderful life I’ve got but I do get frustrated in such a small cramped apartment.
Yes. Disrepair. And it has been this way for years. It feels like it's not worth the effort to clean something that looks so bad no matter what. I've been praying hard about how to get unstuck. Today I reaffirmed that: "The battle is the LORD's." Mine is just to obey I really appreciate your exhortation not to give up. It gives me hope.
This is wonderful. Separating religion from the actual walk has been a journey! Always beating ourselves up for missing church, and being embarrassed to admit that my husband’s sleep issues were the main cause of us not making it to church in the mornings was always such a burden. We recently learned from a friend who experienced a separation in their church that there’s a podcast called UnSunday. It goes over how church isn’t even a biblical concept, and instead we should have open discussions, and shared meals. Fellowship is the root of what we should be doing. Iron sharpens iron, and I’ve always had an easier time in a setting like that rather than listening to one person lecture, like in school. Especially with my ADHD, it’s hard to pay attention for a whole sermon, and it’s easier to edify and be edified in a small group setting. I’ve always loved potlucks, growing up as a Ukrainian with our practices of hospitality.❤ As far as credit, I’m not sure that I could trust myself with credit cards, even if I could qualify, since I used to be a hoarder- (coming from Ukraine to America and discovering Goodwill and Food Banks…) and previously to motherhood being a shopaholic!😬 I’m glad that debit cards that build credit exist, and plan to get one of those instead! 😊 I actually have wanted a tiny house for years, but I have 4 kids, so my husband agreed to it only if we wait for them to grow up and move out, lol. (I personally think it would be fine when the younger two are left, who are currently 4 years old and 10 months old, but we’ll see.) :) I love the wood and plants in your home!
You got yourself a new subscriber right here! ❤ I've only been a homemaker for about 6 years & I'm a new mom of a 7 month old, but I can relate... my husband & I both were raised in "dumpy" houses/trailers... Our first place together was incredibly small. We had about 4ft of floor space in our bedroom after adding our bed 😂 and couldn't close the door... our shower was the kind made for an RV. Washing my long hair was very challenging 😂 So when we bought our first house, we both were extremely grateful. Its far from perfect or magazine worthy, but it's bigger & better than anything either one of us grew up in. After a few years, I found myself comparing our house to others... Sometimes I have to remind myself where we came from & how blessed we really are. The stuff on social media is fake anyway. They all have holes in the wall, dirty kid/pet marks on the walls, stains in their carpets & closets filled to the ceiling that they hide from the camera 😂 I appreciate your honesty & I feel like Im going to love your content! I plan on homeschooling our daughter 😊
I just want to thank you so much for this testimony. I will pray for your family as I ask you to pray for mines. You are sharing your story and guess what, you are also showing God’s true power of restoration and grace… in tears bc I know your path, mines have include homelessness and a prodigal teen… living in small one bedroom homes with animal damages, water and mold… oh but the joy of God… blessings to you❤
I just want to say thank you so much for this video. I feel God brought it to me just when I needed it . We have been living in a rental trailer for 5 years and it was built in the 80s . And we have had our struggles with it as well as raising a special needs child. I started to give up hope that we would ever own a home and we haven't made many improvements where we are at now because the thought process of well.. we won't own it . but the Lord has shown me to be greatful for what we have and you know what we are living here now making memories here now . Why not try to make the best of it ! When I feel really down I just try to remember there are always people who have it worse and that it's a blessing just to even have a roof over out heads , running water , food , cool air , heat something many others in the world don't have . After a long time i realized I was putting off happiness for the future thinking ill be happy when we own a home or when we reach this or that goal . But that thinking robs you . I'm going to be happy and thankful now . Keep building my credit and doing the best I can ✌️😁
Hi. I just found you. This was good. I’m 64 now. Married for 39 years 3 grown kids and a grandma of one. I lived very much like you for many years as a at home mom I never homeschooled all my kids were too unruly lol. I just didn’t have the confidence and it wasn’t so big back then, they went to a local Catholic school regrettably. I sent him to public later on in years. I lived pretty poor for a long time and I’m a woman of faith to. It was a sacrifice. It was hard. The feminist movement destroyed the family and dethroned motherhood. We’re all doing pretty good though now I’m still grateful for all of it and I’m grateful I was home with my kids. The hand that rocks, the cradle rules the world right? God bless.
Thank you for this inspirational video. It is easy to get sidetracked especially with social media and the popularity of pictures displaying lovely homes. This can make being content difficult. The narrow road is often difficult, and a good shot of hope is always needed.
I just spent the past 5 years making our blah, damaged (cosmetically only thankfully), and filthy house into a beautiful custom looking home while being a full time work from home Mom. The only thing we contracted out was shower tile work- which turned out to be a complete disaster anyways. I did it with my own 2 hands- trim, floors, accent walls, vanities, plumbing, fixtures, landscaping, paint, etc. A few months ago an opportunity fell in our lap to have a life we've always dreamed of. I finished the house, we put it on the market, pending offer in less than a day. It was magical. Until it wasn't. Job offer rescinded which lead to us backing out of the house we were going to purchase, and not being able to stop our house from selling. So now we have only a few weeks until we are without a house and without our dream we were going to have. It's excruciating. It has completely put into perspective the things I took for granted. Having a place to call home no matter what state of construction it's in. Having a backyard my kids can play in. Being able to add my personal touch on something that gains equity. Our mortgage was 2% and now rates are well over 6%. This has been the hardest few weeks of my families life. Still I know, we are very privileged. God has a plan, even if I can't see it yet.
Ive been married for 16 years. We've always lived below the poverty line, yet we've always managed. Sometimes we lived in parsonages (my hubby was a pastor) and other times rentals. My husband lost his most recent pastoral position at a small rural church when they had to close the church doors. We moved across the state and now my husband is a chaplain at the state prison here. We homeschool, we're a family of 6, i also lost a baby, ewe currently rent a 1000 sq ft home. Im not sure we'll ever own. We've never lived anywhere longer than 4.5 yrs. I struggle with letting myself settle down. Always feeling like i need to remain unattached in case we move again. We're a very healthy, happy, and string family, im so thankful. However, it is hard at times not being able to take my kids on vacations, or get them music lessons etc. but i grew up this same way and honestly now i veiw it positively. I pray my kids do too.we found a good church to join and some fellow homeschool friends. Im grateful for your videos. Thank you for sharing!
I don't know how I stumbled across this video... (well actually I think I do.. thank you, Abba!) but it was EXACTLY what my soul and heart needed to hear at this very moment. What they have needed to hear for so long. Thank you for this gentle heart to heart. I can't express just how much it helped me in the season that I'm in. May God bless you and yours ABUNDANTLY. 💜💜💜
I don't think I can put into words how much this speaks to me and our family's situation. Thank you for being willing to share. It's a comfort to know we are not alone and not unworthy of what it seems like so many others in the States have
I know for a fact that the Lord allowed this video to pop up on my feed. And I just want to say thank you for making this. I have had such a struggle the last 6 years of my life that I feel no one understands. I've been married for 15 years and have 6 children. (Homeschooled for 3 years now.) We are currently living in a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment above our garage while we renovate our entire house. We lived in the house for 2 years as is. Just to give an example of how bad it was, we caught 9 mice in one day. I swore I would never tell anyone that. Lol! But we couldn't take the conditions anymore and built a garage with apartment, where we have been living the past 4 years. And you are right when you say that tiny house living, especially with a large family is romanticized! This was our best option however at the time. Like you, homemaking has always been very important to me. For awhile now, I feel as though I've given up on our apartment. It's been next to impossible to keep clean and organized with homeschooling and shuffling things around constantly. Not to mention that because of it all I have dealt with a lot of anxiety and bouts of depression. After watching your video this morning, I decided to paint the hallway of the apartment, then I just kept going! 😄 I painted almost the entire apartment today, and have more motivation now to just care for what I do have. It's been a long, but wonderful road with Jesus, humbling me, and showing me how faithful He is. And I wouldn't change the hard times, because it was in those times that I needed Him most, and sought Him diligently. And similarly like you, we had a 2 year period in our marriage that we lived in a lovely towmhome that we renovated for a year before moving into. It was our first home purchase, and we knew it was just a flip house for us to be able to get more out into the country. I love all your Scripture around the house. Your home is so lovely! Sorry for the long comment, but I just wanted to say thank you for your words of wisdom! What an immense gift to me during this season of my life where there seems to be no end in sight. ❤❤❤
Thank you for telling me this and sharing a piece of your story. My heart goes out to you. I pray God rewards your faithfulness 1000x over. I know God counts your frustrations and tears shed. He will right the pain! Keep the fight and faith, Friend!
This old remedy works, go around every room and search for any opening. Now take some steel wool and cram it into the opening till you can't cram any more. Use a screwdriver or what ever tool that will work. You will stop the mouse traffic.
Wow, I'm humbled by your endurance. I wasn't going to say anything, but I thought that, and then I saw the above comment about the sabbath and wanted to say
😢😊
Thank you for your video. I’d like to encourage all who are going through hard times. Sometimes we can feel really alone. My husband and I have just been able to buy a house and we are in our mid 60s. We have raised 8 children in some very “ different” accomodations but each home had its blessings. Our children are all grown now…25yrs to 41yrs and are very resilient and able to cope with the challenges life is throwing at them. We have very different personalities but are very close and come together to help,each other. I am so proud of their characters and their Christian morals. I have realised that the hardship of our early years has resulted in a wonderful harvest. Don’t give up hope. God is growing some wonderful souls. ❤️
I wasn't going to watch this..but i'm glad i did. i've been a sahm mom for 10 years now and we live below the poverty line. some days its hard. we homeschool, live in a rental (will never be able to buy) and serve our church. there are a lot of days i just don't want to get out of bed. but videos like these, and the Lord's gentle presence, reminds me that what i'm doing matters. thank you for sharing
Don't give up on owning a home. Your state probably has a program. Mine did and that put me in my house. The other is Habitat . Lots of folks don't know there are options.
Don’t give up, give the need to the Lord to fulfill. Trust Him that it will happen, but don’t sit back, keep working on your home and paying your bills. I prayed for you to be able to get a home.
(Will never be able to buy). God doesn’t want you to think that way. I dreamt for 20 years but I never gave up hope. We’ve built 3 new homes now. All are around 1700 square feet and only one had a carport. Our youngest son was still home but a teenager. We knew he’d get his wings soon so we didn’t need a large home. I say all of this to say that your faith will move mountains. Be faithful and believe. I use to tell our boys, “believe, receive.. doubt, do without!” I believe I’ve even seen that quote but I’d never heard it before. Lol. Hope the best for you and anyone reading this.
Agree keep positive and trust in the Lords timing . I’m a new agent at 60 going through a terrible divorce. Hard to see a bright future but trusting the Lord. I’d be happy to help you find programs to make it possible- may take several years but God has the right plan for you and your family.may you feel His presence in this journey.
I am praying for you that God will honour you living and working for Him and bless you with your own Home!🏡Our little Cottage Home🏡was and is an incredible miracle and how we got it.🙏 Sometimes God works in incredible ways!
❤❤❤
I'm eighteen and still live at home. I don't have any plans to move out of my parent's homes right now. I keep romancing married life and family life and this video has helped me take my rose tinted glasses off and realize the struggle of having a family.
Yes stay home, take your time. I have a 14 year old and I want her to stay home until she marries I'm planning to make the garage an apt or maybe just buy a tiny house and putting it in our backyard 😊
What a wonderful time to be in. No matter what stage, you look back and say "those were the good days". Don't miss out on living in the good days. The state of humanity leans hard into a state of suffering.
I guess this is more of an American concept. I’m Romanian and when I was 18 I never even thought about moving out of my parents home. My oldest is almost 20 and the thought for her to leave our home is nonsense. In our culture, only when you get married you leave the family home.
But don't run away from the idea of family and married life. In the end it's so rewarding and it's nice to have more than just yourself around in your old age. With kids, the good outweighs the bad 💯. Plus, as they get older they can help around the house ☺️😉
It used to be easier. You would wait until your fiancé had bought a house so you could get married and have a house right away. Society has sold us the lie that being a career driven woman is best, but wanting to be a traditional homemaker is a wonderful virtue that should be cherished way more than it is.
What a wonderfully honest and helpful video. I am 74 now. We raised 6 children (had one miscarriage), have 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. I have always been a homemaker and home schooled for a number of years. We decided before we had children that if at all possible, I would stay home and raise them. It was not easy! But is has been so worth it! We lived in some pretty small and run down places for the first 16 years. Then we bought a huge old farmhouse and it took a lot of work but was a wonderful place to raise our family. Now my sweet husband and i lve in a small trailer, but we were able to buy it new, which has been so nice. I do not regret our choices. I am grateful. Our 6 precious babies have grow up to be wonderful people. Kind, intelligent, generous, talented, and hard working.
Awe, this is such a sweet testimony, THANK YOU for sharing it, Yolanda! 💛
That's the best gift and reward🫶
Thank you. This is beautiful. We got evicted during covid and have been scared and homeless ever since. I'm praying for a home for my daughter and I.
Hello Eva, I'm so sorry to hear of your situation. I'm praying it improves quickly. 🙏
I’m praying too, Eva. ❤
Eva, you will succeed. Try to change surroundings.Maybe somewhere else is better for you. I wish you all the best.
@@saranouvelles8910 that's what I'm in need of .... a different environment. Can't afford to right now😢.
@@Patriciaking-j3q You know when pandemia started, my husband and I moved to a smaller city, almost a village, and in cheaper surroundings. The people are more warm, and everything is more connected, and lot cheaper. I lived in a very big city in my country. I grow my own food now, on our small land, and we manage to keep our budget. In a big city we couldn't. I hope everything goes well with you.
Wow it’s a REAL HOUSE where REAL PEOPLE actually live!!! Just found your channel and I think I’ll have to follow along because you actually show real life 🥰🌸
Awe, thank you! I do try! I'm glad you found me!
It's so refreshing to not be shown round a show home. They just make you want to give up before you try.
@jen lutz I really would love an beautiful home. Its just nice to see someone during the process so that you can see their process.
Thank you for this video, its great. Just to encourige others: we always lived in a small spaces. My husband was on the whealchair for 2 years, after 3 brain surgeries (brain tumor ) and its really miracle that he is alive and walking again. Our son is autistic, but with God's grace he is doing amazing (after years and years of therapy). We bought our dream home, and just 2 years later our 15 years oldest daughter pased away. We had to sell it to get away from trauma and sad memories. We live again on a small space, 6 of us, 700 sq ft. We only have things that we need here and now. No matter how difficult life is, God always gives us all we need. We have food, shelter, clothing and most important we have love.
I'm so sorry to hear about the struggles and loss of your daughter. May the Lord stay close to you and hold you all close.
My story is a little different but I badly needed this. I am in my sixties and have no family left. I took care of my mother 24/ for ten years. We lived on my credit and I'm badly in debt but it was necessary to take care of her. Years of abuse and then the caregiving caused a breakdown after she died. This was followed by years of severe depression. As family members died, I would up with stuff. I got totally overwhelmed and my house right now is a dirty cluttered mess. It's also old and shabby. As I'm walking out of the depression, I'm slowly chipping away at the chaos. I was always a super housekeeper and a homemaker for my mom and myself as well as working 60 hour weeks. I have always struggled with no self worth. I'm struggling right now bc I feel like a failure house wise and financially as well. I'm on fixed income and health issues prevent a job. In addition to being a failure, it's hard to accept that I am worth making home for. Lack of worth and motivation are making it hard for me sometimes to remember that my worth is not in my tired, chaotic house, my empty bank acvount, my illness, but in the fact that I am the daughter of a Father King Who loves me. Thank you for this. It has been reinforcement I needed. There have been people who act like this is all bc I am somehow lacking in God's eyes. I may be lacking in their eyes, I'm not lacking in His. Thank you and God bless you. (Also, like you, I am exceedingly thank ful to have a home. Totally not complaining, just in a learning curve)
Hello Sandy, thank you for sharing your story. It's important because it helps others. What a perspective change your story brings, so much you have faced! Yes, HE loves you so much.
I'm praying you have a beautiful week. God bless you!
You aren't a failure. You just had to take the long, hard, rocky path to your success and happiness. You are worth everything in the world. You have sunny days ahead. We love you too. Bless you. Have a beautiful day! 💖💖💖💖
Sarah, thank you so much. I copied your note in my journal and I will read it several times a day. It has already helped me a lot. Have a blessed day!
Your definitely not a failure, please start putting yourself first. You have endured enough and deserve the best that life has to offer, you were not put here to be depressed and miserable for the rest of your life. Let your life be long,secure and content
A hearty prayer just said for you. You are glorious. The simple fact you have persevered through all that you have in your life is a testament to your strength and His love. ❤
Im 29, married 3 years now & Currently homemaking & homeschooling from a hotel room. I needed this so badly, I honestly started feeling like I messed up by marrying for love & the feeling that God put us together instead of intentionally choosing to marry someone with better circumstances. I know it sounds terrible but I'm just trying to be honest & repent. I Love my husband, he loves The Lord, his mother, & our family... works so hard sometimes we barely see one another & better times seem so out of reach someday I feel so trapped, Philippians 4 4-9 has been coming up alot the last few days. I know The Lord intentionally put it in my face to help me be mindful I was Journaling & praying about it this morning .. then this video popped up on my feed. I appreciate you. So much truth in here!
Thank you for sharing this. You didn't make a mistake marrying for love. I know it can be easy to let that thought to cross your mind through hardships but on the flip side people marry for money all the time and that seldom goes well! When you live paycheck to paycheck it's hard to let your mind dwell on things besides getting by, since "getting by" demands a lot of work. It's easy to wonder where one went wrong in those situations. God cares though and he has a plan! Praying his blessings and wisdom and comfort for you 🙏.
No shame. I regret my decision. After over 30 years, I'm leaving. Sometimes men make decisions that keep them impoverished, and they drag you down. The best 6 years of this marriage were the last 6 years after I moved into my own place. It's sad and depressing. I hope you will find peace and contentment, either with or without your husband. God bless.
@@lmiller1413 Thank you for sharing this. I realize it doesn't work out when one partner isn't in it. This is not your fault! Please, be proud of yourself
@barbaracurda8918 Thank you! I needed that! It's hard to leave for many reasons, but I can't stay and hang onto "me." Somehow, I lose the "me" when I'm with him. Like a shrinking violet. It's a new thought to be "proud of me for not letting someone disrespect me." Standing up for God's version of me as worthy of respect and dignity.
Saint Vincent Depaul (depending on where you live) will pay for you and your husband to attend classes on how to get a head. It also comes with a free meal and sometimes childcare. Ask about resources. You sound like the kind of family, other families want to help, take the help now, and be the help later.
This makes me cry because your story is so similar to mine. My husband and I worked so hard to keep our faith even though we felt like giving up so many times. We tried everything to get our family out of our old mold filled one bedroom trailer. We were just waiting for the unfortunate day that we finally fell through the sagging floor. We even got turned down twice for an rv spot in a private campground! That was the point that was so ridiculous that we just knew god had something better planned for us. Now we are in an 1800 square foot double wide on acreage. It’s not fancy but it feels like a palace to us! Now I’m not running myself ragged to just do basic homemaking.
I love how you mentioned that things got to the point that it was so ridiculous that you knew God had something better! Thank you for sharing this, it's encouraging! 💛
I enjoyed this. I have more room in my home than I need. For many years I always had large Christmas and Thanksgiving meals for my family, my parents and siblings. It was a lot of work but something I very much wanted to do. Over the years so much has happened and I no longer hit the ground running. I am sharing this in the hope there may be someone who has experienced this and found a solution. I am now 75 and have lost all family members of my generation but one brother. My grandchildren to whom I was so close I never hear anything from at all. I have 2 sons that are very good men but I very rarely see them. I can not seem to get any motivation whatsoever. This seems to have started just recently after going to stay with my brother as he passed away from renal failure, and losing him was very difficult. Time is so precious. I don’t want to waste any of it but the unending hours of being alone is something I could use some advice from others on how to deal with constructively.
I am 60 year old women. I totally understand. What a beautiful inspiring video. I wish and pray for your family that God helps you continue this ministry.
Thank you so much 🙏❤️.
This video makes me want to cry because families need to hear things exactly like this. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to everyone else on the internet. Me and my husband have had quite a rough road at making it as a family as well and I have often felt like “the poor family” but thank you for keeping it real and seeking to encourage rather than to flaunt what you have.
A gigantic AMEN to that!
Bless you & yours.🤗
❤
My adventure, Amen 🙏. People never talk about the rough patches in life to get to their destination, but knowing you're not alone is encouragement.
Peep behind the scenes and the more successful family often have huge credit card debts, hire purchase agreements, a car that could be repossessed at any moment because their lives are a juggling act. What looks better often doesn't feel better. Many people never take into account the interest they owe on loans and credit cards so they owe thousands more than they think. They still keep buying coffee on the way to work and shopping like there's no tomorrow, not because they're doing better, but because they're stupid lol. Look at the program on you-tube 'Till debt us do part" and you'll see how many couples who seem to have it all, are really managing. My kids are grown and now I have a lovely house and new furniture. Am I happier ? No.
Debbie I tell this to my husband. We thank the Lord for our home and land, but money is extremely tight. Another weird noise from the 2k truck we just paid cash for..my husband has to go lay on the ground in the driveway and attempt to fix it with not many tools. He gets so upset everyone else seems to have new cars. I remind him constantly fixing things is a skill worth having. And we own our vehicle. In the past we had something new. We laid in bed listening for the repo man to take it, and eventually he did. I'd rather be that poor looking family than live with crushing debt.
I can certainly attest to this. It brought back the memory of pantry moths and mice so bad that we ripped out our kitchen cabinets and tossed them in the yard. Then we regretted it because we lived without wall cabinets for years. Lots of stories of how God is faithful and has carried us through all the hard times.
I don't feel so alone now! We have struggled so much with keeping mice out! And I felt so frustrated with all the wasted time of having to rewash things because mice got to it. We live in the country and little field mice are abundant out here. What finally stopped them was someone abandoned 3 cats out here and they came to live under our home. We haven't had a mouse since! After 2 years of struggling to get rid of them (NOTHING worked) and praying for God to make them go away somehow, God answered my prayers with cats! 😊
😱How can anybody live in the countryside and not having a single cat? You need a cat to catch mice and a dog to protect your house and a family!!
Did the same but because of roaches and people letting dogs poop inside the cabinets
I thought about having no walled cabinets. I prefer to have open shelving or even closed movable cabinets with wheels to put wherever whenever. I am 66 years, one month and 24 days as of my comments.
I cried at the end realizing that I was faithful when I had little and now God has richly rewarded me :,)
My husband has used the line “polishing a turd” more times than I’d like to admit
It's not often that we get to "meet" another human in this big wide world who doesn't make you feel like crap because you don't have their perfect life. I'm in tears. I married my highschool sweetheart at 18, and months layer packed up my stuff to move with him to California. Had our first kid at 19, second kid at 21. When we moved back home after his 4 year contract, we moved into his parents' recently vacated single wide trailer. I always thought we might be there for a year MAYBE 2 years, but it turned into 8 years. That house taught me alot about myself, and while I would be very reluctant to ever have to move back into it, I am thankful for the growth and the lessons God taught me. I'm a stubborn goat for sure, but God is so gentle with me and knows exactly what I need. After a particularly long and emotional few days in which I struggles through chronic illness to try to keep my house clean, I just wanted to give up. I was just so tired of the peeling plastic counter tops, the aged yellow linoleum floor, the front door that wouldn't latch unless the deadbolt was engaged, etc., and I was just crying in the shower. I wouldn't call it "contentment" so much as "resignation", but I finally gave it up and stopped complaining. I told myself I would not utter a single complaint about anything in the house again. About 2 months later, circumstances changed and we moved from that house.
I still feel alot of pressure most days to stand up to some standard, (my own or society's, I'm not really sure). I am really hard on myself. Thanks for your channel.
Becca Coleman, sounds like me😢. I'm grateful for what God has and is doing for me, but I feel like it's time for a change😢. I'm praying that I'll be blessed with the right answer.
I hear you x living and homemaking with a chronic illness is so hard x
Stay at home mom and homeschooled 26 years. It was so hard! We moved away from family and friends. I never knew it would be so hard to make new friends! Never a problem when i worked out of the home but the change of staying home really secluded me. It was not the in thing when we did it 20 yrs ago. Our children are all grown and to say it was worth it I am still not sure. I now am a lonely empty nester. My advice for all new stay at home moms would be make sure you keep doing things for yourself and keep your own interests. Not selfishly by all means but keep finding things for you to do!
Thank you for sharing! More videos like this needed!
I have a similar story.. we moved away from everyone we knew and homeschool. It has been very secluding at times..
So far my kids still enjoy homeschooling after about 10 years. I think the time spent together will hopefully be something we can look back at with fondness. It is a blessing but definitely can be difficult.
You are such an inspiration ! I’m tired of watching all the RUclips Moms and homemakers “struggling “ with their newly built homes and “just can’t decide” where to put all their beautiful things. I can much more relate to you and so thankful that I found you. Looking forward to hanging out with you some more!❤
Thank you, Fern!
Yes! Another thing is the RUclips moms saying "just let the mess be!" I will have mouse feces in my cabinets and more mold in my bathroom and rotting wood next to my sinks if I let the mess be! It's a lot easier in a newer home or renovated home that's properly sealed and insulated to let a mess be. I do enjoy homemaking videos but this video is absolutely my favorite one on it as it addresses my specific struggles homemaking!
OH EM GEEE! I thought I was the only one completely over it!!!!😂😂😂😂😂
@@teagranola i struggle with mold in my tile shower soooo badly. Its a 50 year home and where we live has constant 70-90% humidity abd high heat. It feels like a never ending battle. All that to say i see you and i know its frustrating. Praying we see the good in the midst of all the ugly!
I feel the same way. Theres such a difference in keeping a newer house clean than an older one!
I spend so much time dusting & cleaning mold off our shower tiles it drives me nuts. Bleach doesn't even seem to help much.
We live in an area with atleast 70-90% humidity daily with high heat ( though not on a beach. Lol i would love that.) Our home is 54 years old and despite new windows there's just a multitude of leaks for the humidity & damp to seep in.
It is really frustrating and humbling bc most my family and friends don't live in an older home with these problems. They say your house is lovely etc but they don't know how much work it takes to keep it looking decent, nor all the thousands of dollars spent on repairs with a list of future projects a mile long.
All that to say you're not the only one. I appreciate you sharing your frustration, too.
"Do not despise small beginnings." It is equally as challenging cleaning a 5,600 sqft. house. The blessing is the relationship you now have with the Lord and your husband. Those things are worth more than the most beautiful of mansions. Your kitchen is lovely and so very inviting. Congratulations on breaking free from man's idea of religion. God wants us in His word, daily. Lest we fall prey to the enemy's snare. I have been putting off many projects. Thank you for the motivation and the reminder that, it is all for His glory! Continued blessings!!!!🥰
Dear mama, I hear you! Single homeschooling, work from home, homesteading mama here. We just got our own home this past summer, and I’ve been doing construction on it since then. It’s been so hard getting the kids focused and into a normal rhythm when I’m trying to balance my work, their school, the construction projects, and trying to organize things! We have been in the trenches for a while here, but we are climbing back out! Thank you for sharing your struggles and being honest! It’s helpful when all the other homeschool mamas show their perfect homes and tidy spaces! ❤ I haven’t met anyone else who really understood the time wasted every day in trying to organize and shift things because of not having enough space, and being under construction. It has been such a tough time for us. This video was such an encouragement though! ❤
I'm a single homeschooling mother too. There are times, I feel like I'm falling apart into tiny pieces because of feeling so overwhelmed. My dear oldest is finishing 11th grade. I don't know how we managed to get this far. Miracle of God is the only explanation. God provided what we needed when we needed it. I might be in a perpetual state of overwhelmed, but I am also abundantly blessed and grateful every day to be with my children.
Single homeschooling mom here also. Sent both of my children to school during the divorce, which was good for the season of our lives that it was, so when God called me back to home school my oldest I definitely was resistant, and found myself thinking "I'm just getting to the point where I can move on with my life and doing things for myself again." However it ended up being an amazing year of home school and I got to see Abba do amazing things. It seems unrealistic to me but I want to be obedient to what God intends for my children and trust that He will provide what we need to accomplish it. I would love to be able to communicate in a group with other single moms walking things out in this way.
This video was a balm for my soul! And the comments from others show me we are not alone.
My husband is also a carpenter. We rent a singlewide trailer for our family of 5 and have almost given up hope of ever buying. We stayed with my in-laws for a year during covid shutdowns to save up money to buy a home, but we were too late. The housing market exploded. We live in an affluent area, which makes our situation seem even worse in comparison. I know it bothers my husband especially as he views our home/financial limitations as a reflection of his ability to provide.
I remind my husband (and myself) that we have so much to be thankful for, so many ways that God has blessed us. We’ve never gone hungry or been without proper clothing. God has given us a safe place to live, even if the condition/size is discouraging sometimes. I am able to homeschool our children. And our yard is huge with a trampoline and trees to climb. We are all mostly healthy, which I never want to take for granted.
I am so sorry for your loss of your baby. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Thank you for your tips and the reminder to be thankful.
Truth In Love Mama, what a challenging time you are facing. I'm sorry you are going through this, I know it is frightening and so hard. I think you have a beautiful outlook despite the hardships and uncertainties. Keep praying for your needs and hearts desires, God does care!
And your children will always say they were rich in happiness.... Parents like you never let children know anything but a happy and hopeful life
You are speaking my language
@@mountainmamashome thank you! God bless 🙏🏻💜
@@alexandercove1194 that is so sweet! I don’t know how true it is but I trust God to fill in the gaps 😅
Thank you for this. I don't know how it showed up, but it was what I needed...
A woman's home is her castle and when it's not like she wants it, it's very very hard . But it doesn't define her worth. It's very hard to home make through illness and tragedies and hardships. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
You are welcome, thank you for commenting!
I'm in a very similar situation, and to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way!! We are a family of 9 (7 kids) in 500 square feet. And our cabin is a major fixer upper 😊 and yet my kids are happy and content and my home is blessed because my husband and I made the decision for me to stay at home! It is definitely a ministry! But godliness with contentment is great gain!!
Thank you for this! We’re also a homeschool family with five children and living on one income. We’ve been in our current home for 18 years and are still renovating it as we live in it. It’s a struggle some days. The floors in half my home are painted plywood that have to be repainted about three times a year. It can be frustrating when I see other homeschool families with 3000+ sq ft homes with only two or three children and they live in a much nicer neighborhood.
I’m doing my best to be thankful and do better about delegating chores and keeping the house clean on most days. I’m so thankful to see a home that isn’t perfect or ‘decorated for the season’.
Hello Ruthie, of course you already know, I get it! So last year I tried decorating for fall. It's now spring and I just removed the last of the decor, lol! I forgot to take down the corn stalks all winter. Needless to say I remembered why I don't decorate for the seasons, haha! The season of life I'm in doesn't allow for it! Blessings to you in this journey!
I may think my home is not as big, or glamorous as my neighbors..when in reality my home is a reflection of me and it is absolutely stunning!! I have worked so hard on this house for years and it is my home..beautifully created. I am blessed in my 60s brick rancher 😊 I too have been through so much but I've made it this far...ONLY with the Lord's grace, mercy and blessings ❤❤❤ I grew up very poor...at times no running water or bathroom in the house, so I definitely know what poverty is! Hang in there everyone...you'll get there eventually and when you do, stay thankful and humble ❤❤❤
Go from room to room thanking God for each space…your excellent attitude, and ability to encourage yourself in The Lord is key to your success. God bless you all.
Amen Sister!! I am 73 and we have been on one salary for over 12yrs. When the kids were home, raised 4, I cleaned houses and took in ironing. Then as they got older I advanced myself and became an Ex-Admin but my heart wanted to be home. We moved from Alabama to Arizona for hubby's work and I have been at home since. We just moved into our last home. I am getting things "in place" and workable but get it "organized" is a whole other thing. I am very happy to be at home all these years and help my hubby and help out with the Grandkids here in AZ. Take your time and as you have done set time aside to focus on the organization. Great job. Keep Yashua at the heart of your home.
Hello Melissa. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your comment and perspective, and encouragement. Thank you! I loved reading this.
I watch this video just to make snarky, rude comments, and ended up looking directly into the mirror. Thank you.
I've lived in an uncompleted home (gratefully 🙏) for 14 years. Bought the house which was very dilapidated and derelict, that occasionally still smells like the 30 rabbits that used to live in it, and two years into renovation life-changing health issues stopped all progress. The outside looks complete but the inside is very incomplete, it would be condemned if the building inspector found out. I've lived off a hot plate with a microwave the entire time. Pooped in a garbage bag in a 5-gallon bucket for 2 years, until I got a toilet, and a hot water heater; took hot showers at the gym. Battle a cancer for the last 7 years, just now getting back to where I can help myself. God has blessed me with this trial and tribulation, I am sure now; this struggle has been for my Soul and to bring me closer to God, and my fellow humans. Thank you for your wisdom and this video.
I've been putting off watching this (not even sure why) but I'm going to be rewatching it over and over. The part about the "castle" mentality and not taking your circumstances personally was so big for me.
52 years old, homemaker for 30 years, poverty, plus I work a lot from home. It never seems to end. 😢 Thank you for being transparent.
This is the most honest video I have seen on homemaking and finding a home. You have shown strength, courage and gratitude in your story.
Thank you, Heather! Blessings!
Thank you, this is so inspiring and comforting. I'm only 25, I have 2 kids but one of them passed away. I beat myself up for not being able to save the money to buy a home and take for granted that the places we have lived were perfectly good places to be and I need to accept that we are likely to live in other homes before we settle in to the one of our dreams. I appreciate your honesty and humility, love your videos, thank you!!
Thank you, Amy. And I'm so sorry for your loss.
God bless you momma, my heart breaks for your loss and I'm praying for you
God bless and keep you, Amy. My daughter went home before me, too. I understand. We are truly just sojourners here. It was hard to feel the loss of her physical presence here. I am comforted in knowing that she is safe, surrounded by immeasurable love and will be welcoming me home when my time here is done. Keep your chin up, your eyes on the Lord and your armor of faith on ❤️
Thank you so much for this. It entered my feed EXACTLY when I needed it. My family has been in a 2bd, 2bath, 900sqft, crappy apartment for almost four years, and I'm pregnant with our 5th. I am letting go of friends who cause me to feel crazy or lesser than. I'm struggling with faith. "Is this all I'm worth?" is exactly what I keep asking God. I'm thinking that this may be permanent. This video helped plant at least some gratitude and hope. I'm 29, and as long as my and my husband's health remains strong, and we have a roof over our heads and food to eat, we'll be okay.
Nothing better than raw testimony. Well done, sister-in-Christ.
This is my third time watching this video in past 7 months. The Lord knew I needed this video because it speaks to me more personally. It's much more encouraging than the other videos I normally would watch. To see someone who hasn't always lived in nice places and just to make do with what we do have. The first time I watch this video the Lord had been speaking to me about being more content with what I have and taking care of it better. And here I am again today as I am feeling discouraged by my home, Thank you!!💕
Honestly its hard but the sacrifices are worth it. My mom was a sahm for most of my childhood for a family of 7. We were not wealthy but my childhood felt rich. Now that we are grown, my siblings and I - we are all educated and professionals due to our parents sacrifices have retired our parents, early. They have no 401k, lost their home, lost their child (my sister) entire livilihood in 2009/2010 and never recovered what they lost because in spite of all that they still managed to push us through life. Financial security and wealth is awesome but without love it means Nothing! I will hold my parents hand while they age and up to their last breath and our future little ones (all grandkids) will do the same for each other. God Bless and focus on God and your family, it will pay itself back.
Thank you for sharing, this. It is very inspiring. Thank you for the encouragement too!
That's really beautiful
I needed this video in the 90’s and the early 2000’s 😢
I needed this, after working 10 years in the medical field I went stay home mom status after my 2nd kid. It's a hard change and we down sized BIG TIME. I do feel overwhelmed and depressed at times because im not helping with bringing in money but I have so much on my plate, animals, 2 kids and homeschooling. Thank you for sharing your experience
Hello Rebekah, wow, I can imagine it's been a complete culture shock going from 10 years in the medical field to this! Thank you for sharing here and watching! 💛 I'm so glad the video was helpful.
I needed this from 2014-2020. I was in a 1K sqft 2 bedroom apartment for 8 years as a mom. When the first baby came, I knew we would finally move. Nope. When the 2nd baby came, nope. When the 3rd baby came nope. 5 people in 2 bedrooms and 1K sqft. 2 kids in 1 room. Baby with mom and dad. Stressed is an understatement. Kids had no safe place to play outside without my supervision. But I couldn’t always go outside with them. I was homeschooling and had very little storage space.
We finally moved into our near dream home with a spacious backyard, daughter finally has her own bedroom, we have a huge homeschool storage closet, kitchen is a dream, we host constantly. God has been so good. I love making our house a home.
Thank you SO much for this video! I am a homeschooling sahm of 2 on one income. We are very fortunate to have the house we have, even though it's not very big and definitely needs work. Everything thing we have is second hand and every upgrade is done little by little. The sacrifices are so worth it and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for being so real, you have inspired me so much 🥰
I am so grateful to God for just finding your videos. I’ve been married 43 years. I live in a little home three bedrooms one bath that needs work but I do love my home. Thank you for all the encouragement. I am a mom of three adult children and I have seven grandbabies, I just retired from working at a public school for 25 years. Feeling guilty because I am not working outside my home, however enjoying every moment with my grandchildren and my children.
Thank you, thank you for this! There’s so many of us that needed to hear it! We started out in a rented single wide trailer that reeked of mouse urine, had peeling cabinets, stained tubs and sinks and floors, and the back door wouldn’t stay closed in the winter unless it was dead bolted. But paint covers a multitude of sins, as you said. We had many happy times in that house. Now we bought an old house with acreage, and are so thankful to have our very own place in the country! Again, the house is one that most of my friends probably wouldn’t live in, but we painted most everything and it’s very cozy. We feel blessed to have a place to live, and really we have it so good. Yes, we technically could have afforded nicer dwelling places, but we have tried to deny ourselves while we’re young to make our future easier. Things are looking up for us, and I hope they do soon for anyone else who is reading this!
17 years married and a homeschool mom for 9 years. I watched this and kept thinking, "Thank you Lord! I am not alone." This was the best thing I have seen on RUclips in months! BTW my husband makes the " polishing a turd" comment often about our home...
Thank you from Finland! Encouraging! I have also been homeschooling for 24 years, living in small apartment in town for nearly 20 years and now in a bigger countryside house. I'm so glad now for all the years and every child. (Also lost one but she is with the Lord). Many days have been very difficult but Jesus is fathfull. He hears our prayers.
Hello and thank you for commenting! We love hearing from viewers across the globe! I'm sorry for your tremendous loss, Marja. Many blessings to you. 💛
I'm glad you're hanging in there! My kids are all grown now and I'm loving being a grandmother. Best compliment one of my kids gave me as an adult was to tell me she didn't even know we were poor when she was a kid until she was grown. ❤
Wow. I so needed to hear this today. I'm 68 (until tomorrow), still working, live alone in 1200 sq.ft., and over the course of 20 years it's gotten away from me. Thank you for the inspiration to get busy with it, and thank you, Lord, for putting this video in the stream for me. Subbed right away.
I understand what’s going on with you. 1st I hope you had a good birthday 🥳 I’m turning 70 (can’t believe it) in June.
I’ve lived in my home for 45 years and it’s really gotten away from me too. I’ve given up so many times, but have always had an ember of faith that I’ll still get there. I’ve decided to remind myself that no matter what happens I’ll be ok. Because I’m still ok with all the things that happened so far. ♥️
@@TheLadymiss22 Thank you! I did have a good birthday, and hope you have a beautiful birthday in June! My goodness, doesn't time fly? I remember all the times I bemoaned having to wait for this or that, and wow, look where I am now. When did that happen? 🤔 I have a new philosophy. I didn't get another year older, I got another year wiser!
@@tinyacres2827 I’m still waiting for that! I have become a little wiser. I can imagine my life would’ve been a little different if I hadn’t gained some wisdom. I’m grateful it is happening no matter what age though.
Thank you-I needed this video so much 😭♥️ Our situation is very difficult, and because of the personal nature, I can’t really open up to anyone about why our situation is what it is and how difficult it is. I’m really going to work on these tips. Please pray for my attitude to change, and hopefully, our circumstances to change. Thank you! ♥️
This may be the most beautiful thing I have seen or heard in quite some time. Thank you for taking the time to minister in this fashion!
You are welcome, thank you, Paula!
Your video came up on my feed and I’m so grateful! Thank you for being honest and encouraging us! Homemakers, homeschooling, farmers, walking the same road even though we live in different continents 🇿🇦.
I love how genuine and real you are. So often we see families in a perfect home, showing only the best parts of their life, and almost superficial joy. Thank you for being a realistic, God loving/fearing RUclipsr with practical and life changing inspiration and messages. Thank you for the breath of fresh air.
Thank you so much! I am retired 52. Proud of it. No children and his children are grown and gone. Thank you for doing these videos. I appreciate it very much so
Wow thank you for this video! I just found your channel yesterday. All day today I’ve been wrestling with our small home size. 650 square feet, 3 bed 1 bath. We’re a homeschooling family of 7. It’s not easy. We live very minimally (because we have to in a small space). I’d love 1-2 more children but not sure how we will do that here. Anyway you’re video “randomly popped into my feed- thank you God, and gave me encouragement that I’m not alone. Others have been here. My husband also doesn’t want to go in debt/mortgage. We have very cheap rent so I’m doing all I can to save money each money and pray that maybe in 3-4 years God will allow us to buy a cheap house but at least our own. I need to go to the Lord more to pray for contentment and also provision for our family. Giving my desire for more children to Him even as my window is closing (I’m nearly 40). It’s not easy and a daily struggle. We’ve dealt with moths, conckroacehs and rats too but thankfully not as bad as our neighbours. We do our best to keep it clean and homely but of course I would love some more space for my family. Appreciate your words today. God bless
Hello Katie, thank you for sharing this. It brought back so many memories. I've prayed God improves things for you. Don't give up asking God for the desires of your heart. I believe He cares!
Don't forget to have cats as pets and they're great at keeping mice away
We have a family of 10 in a little less then 1000 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 1 bath home. I know it's hard, but if you feel urged to have more children, don't let the space stop you. The Lord will provide. He always does. Children are a blessing still in meager environments.
I have lived this way for 39 years. I completely can relate. I also ran a small family business, ministries, and took care of my elderly parents. It's only now that we had a major termite and ready infestation, and that my husband came into a small inheritance that at 65 years old, we had to tear out decades of hard work and pinched pennies to get the house secure. We now have a beautiful front porch and lots more room. We have a long way to go but in the past year have come a long way and in the end, it will be a far more enjoyable home with the warmth of a homestead we'd hoped for. We will never have our ideal situation, but the journey has taught us so much along the way and we value every nail and board more than I could possibly express. I have friends who have owned numerous beautiful homes over the years but to them, these are houses. No matter what state our home was in, I always made it "homey" decorating studs every Christmas and birthday and giving it all the love I could. Oh the living out of boxes and living lugging the homeschool things around. Yuck! But it bonded my family in a very precious way. We knew Jesus was right in the middle of us all the time. We could feel his love and compassion and protection. So now, married for 40 years, we live in a 7 acre homestead we now share with our son and his wife. We've been on this land for 35 years. Still, a new can of paint excites me! So many precious memories here that I thought would never be for the fact our home was always under construction and now reconstruction. The Word of God says not to despise small beginnings. I can't look up three chapter and verse right now but do a search for it. Perfection in this life in material things should not be our goal. Looking around at our culture, if you compare yourself, which most do, you will grieve. Rejoice and be grateful even in the smallest of things. This delights the Lord and He will bless you. (Speaking from experience. ) Speak blessings over your home. May God truly bless your journey!
I usually just stick to the shows that I'm subscribed to but this happen to pop in somehow and I just want to say thank you. This really touched me and I REALLY needed it. God bless you.
Thank you so much, Katy! 💛
Something The Lord has felt with me about recently is not having too much clutter. I’ve been decluttering my house & it’s made a huge difference. My kids are happier & it’s so much easier to clean ❤
This video really hit home for me. I needed the reminder of where we came from, compared to where we are now.
Things are wonderful for us, even if we struggle to pay bills and keep our good health. We would be homeless if it wasn’t for the grace of God, and my husband may not even be alive. I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude for the house we have now, our child, and our wonderful families. Thank you for helping me to put things in perspective (and for the great tips!). ❤
Oh sweetie you are brave to give your story. It is so similar to mine. I am 55 now. After going through much of what you have been going through my marriage ended in divorce. My husband was even a minister but choose to leave the church and his family for a life. The deviation was overwhelming after putting so many years into being a homemaker and homeschooling the kids. Our lives change in ways we never seen possible and not for the good. I have learned so much over the last 20 years. I wish so bad I could tell you more so that as you continue this life you are living you can be prepared for the future more. My prayers are with you and your family. God bless you. Thank you for holding on. God strength is perfect in our weaknesses
I’m not quite halfway through this video and I just had to pause it to say thank you. This blesses me more than you know! From seeing the awful grime on the floor under the cabinets to the smudges on the door. And hearing your testimony so far. Your house looks like mine and until the last year or so I have felt like my mess is so much worse than everyone else’s and couldn’t fathom anyone seeing it!! But it’s honestly nice to see someone else’s house that can get grimey like mine. My SAHM journey these last 23 years has been rocky with tons of changes and lots of hard things. But I’m more determined than ever to stay home and take care of my family, and make our home a blessing.
I have been married for 9 years now and probably 6 out of those 9 years we have lived with my parents. My husband and I have 3 small children and sleep all in 1 room run our small business out of another room and have a “living room” space. I am so grateful for a place to stay and everything but I so long for my own home where I can make it a safe haven for my family and make it our own home. I have been really seeking God for peace and contentment while waiting for an answer and/or waiting for His will to be done. Whether it’s what I want or not. But I so long for my own home. Thank you for this video.
Thank you for this video! I love that you are showing the real life of a stay at home mom. I'm a stay at home mom, and I also homeschool my kids. It's so easy for the house to become messy and cluttered. It's easy to think that I'm alone in the crazy, lol. I love that you're keeping it real. May the Lord bless you and protect you.
The Lord showed me your video today. I really needed the encouragement. My husband abandoned us nearly 30 years ago, so it has been a long haul of patching, replacing and repairing the home, but never finished. The kids have grown up and moved out so now I really see all the work that needs to be done with no way to do it. Your program gave me hope, thank you so much!
Hugs, Paulette, I'm sorry to hear how hard it has been and is for you. I hope God blesses you today.
I am not a homemaker, my boyfriend and i both have full time jobs and hobbies, and I am only 25 years old, but I still feel sometimes, that I am 100 steps behind on housework, gardening and all of those things that I actually enjoy and like doing. So this videos helps a lot - at least to know that I'm not in a lonely boat. :)
Hello Anne! Thank you for commenting! Isn't that always the strangest feeling when you feel behind on the things you actually enjoy, lol?!?
I totally feel this! My husband and I both work just to be able to afford to live and my medical bills. I also get frustrated over not having enough time to clean and homemake like I'd want to. We also don't have potable water in our house and half of it is unheated 😂 But we just do what we can do.
I understand what your talking about with previous living conditions. We've been working on our house 17years. It is finally feeling like its starting to come together. My home sat empty two years when we bought it. Lots of water damage, mold, rot and, dog pee 😳. We were so poor at times paint was too expensive to buy. These are sacrifices homeschool families end up making because of being a one income family. God sees the faithfulness! I'm very thankful for my home and wouldn't want to live anywhere else at this point. When I look around at all the work we have done, it's so precious to me it reminds me of everyone I love.
This can’t just in time. It has been SO hard in my 900sq ft home with all of the junk we’ve collected over the years together and having two toddlers. I feel like I’m just trying to make it through the day (the last two months have been just like this) I’m looking forward to the day I can find contentment in my heart again. I have been asking for Yah to break through my pride and teach me again.
Oh my GOSH, thank you. I have managed to scrape by on social security since my husband's passing in 2017. I'm still homeschooling, but it is so, so, so hard. I feel so alone most of the time.
Thank you for sharing these parts of your story. This was very encouraging and brought up memories of different situations I lived in. I always loved to make a place better with paint and resources I had on hand. It’s so true that gratitude and prayer over the home go along way. Also practicing hospitality even if the home is not great or what we wish had, has been a way my faith grew and added so much joy to our life. Experiencing people being blessed when you invite them in to your imperfect home is such a special thing that in turn blesses you with joy and gratitude.
I am so thankful that my family had little money when I was a child. I lived in a dumpy house with a hole in the roof that a raccoon fell through one night. We had roaches. We have multiple broken appliances. I watched my parents count change for groceries at points. As an adult, I can see the character building that it did for me. My husband never knew want as a child and now he is so afraid of losing what he has. He holds on very tightly to worldly things. But me, I know what it’s like to have little and I know I can find joy in that too.
I needed to hear all this! Thank you! ❤️
I live in a small 3 bedroom house. I have 6 kids and homeschool. The house needs repairs that we can't afford. So though I clean and clean and try to make it look nice, it never looks as nice as I want it to between the the walls needing repair and painting and the suffocating clutter everywhere. Some days I do give up. The thought "what's the point" stops me right in my tracks more than I'd like to admit. This year has been especially hard. I had been graciously surprised with finding out I was pregnant with twins! After I thought I wouldn't be able to get pregnant. However I went into labor too early and lost both Babies one week apart. The grief is still overwhelming. During that time I was in the hospital for over a week and almost died from hemorrhaging and had to have surgery to stop it. So I wasn't home keeping up with things and then was on bed rest when I got home. Everything got so behind I couldn't see how I could even catch up. In the end things were finally caught up and as I've been healing (physically and emotionally) I've been able to get my home back to what it was and looking pretty decent 😊
Then because of things I don't wish to indulge on, my husband and I have split up. At this point it just feels like one tragedy after another. Heart ache after heart ache. Trying to see God's goodness in the hurt and uncertainty. Your video gave me encouragement and clarity as well as helped me get back to a good and right perspective! Thank you! ❤️
Stephanie, your story breaks my heart. I'm so sorry for all you've been and are going through. It can take up to a year to get your health built back up after a pregnancy loss, so I hope you are still able to take it easy.
I've prayed for you. Another commenter had a slightly similar story. I'm praying the same verses over you as I am for her, Isaiah 40:31, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." and Joel 2:25 " And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten..."
May God give you strength and healing through such a difficult time, Dear. I'm praying God gives you beauty for ashes soon.
@@mountainmamashome Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers! ❤️
So nice to see realistic life 😅 some homemaking videos with houses like castles seem to me unreal 😅
We live in small house, and sometimes it feel crowded, but by God's grace, people always say it is cozy and warm place. God really convicted me that gratitude and contentment is a key. Godliness with contentment is a great gain:) ❤❤❤❤
My mom guided me to take a loan from my credit union against my own savings account. I could not get denied because I was using my own money as collateral. I was 19. When I was 20 I bought a home. I recommend this to anyone looking to establish credit. This is a great video.
This video has been coming up for me to watch for awhile, and I just kept ignoring watching it. I finally watched this, and I wish I would've watched it sooner. I am a homeschooling mama. I have been home for 14 years now. We have a unique situation, but have always had people constantly put me down for being home. Even thru seasons of me helping my husband with his own business. He now works away from home. We are blessed in many ways, but we have been struggling lately financially. Every car we have has been breaking. And almost every person in our lives has pointed fingers and blamed the fact that I don't bring in income as the problem. It is so difficult right now. I thank you for this. Not just for what you've said, but for the comments from all the other mamas out there. I don't feel so alone. 💚
We live in a small house that was built in 1780 so I hear you. It’s charming but needs a lot of work. Currently have a rat problem in the barn 😬 Thanks for the encouragement 😊
Lived in rural Alaska raising and homeschooling our 5 children. What wonderful years. We had a small house 1200 sq Ft but it seemed large with all our homeschool life even with the long 8 month winters. Fluorescent lights in our living room/dining helped kept it bright and cheerful during the long dark days. I am blessed with a husband who fixed things and had a successful business so we could afford to leave town occasionally. I was never depressed during those years. Even during the darkest winter days, our house was full of the light of learning. We had a great church and a wonderful tiny community. My biggest struggles with self-pity and lack of purpose came after they all left home!! After homeschooling for 21 years, I couldn’t find anything to replace that fulfilling life. I painfully learned to go small instead of big and enjoy the kind of life I had before I had kids. Wow!! What a long road for me. My husband felt called to move back to New Zealand (poor little ‘ol me😅). I left behind child rearing and am embracing a beautiful life here with 1/2 the year living back in Alaska. Gratitude and attitude are so important. I have kept a blessing journal for many years. I only write the good things that have happened in them. I have many journals now full of the goodness of God’s love to me and my family!
Thank you for sharing!
Oh girl, this was so good! I love RUclips but the perfection overload is hard. Thank you for sharing and normalizing realness! Much love to you and your family 💖
Even when we “ give up”, or “ throw in the towel” , well, WE ACTUALLY DON’T. We do not have that choice! What we CAN do is have a heart change.
I have had to go to God and ask him to change my heart, give me wisdom and direction, and open my eyes to the solutions to my problems, and sometimes, just help me endure what I cannot change. He sees my life, and as long as He is in it, I can bow my knee to His will. He will give me the grace that I need day by day, and sometimes hour by hour.
Now I am older, and can tell you that relying on Him has gotten me through! His love is my song.❤
I didn’t think anyone else had been through this. Thank you
God blessed me with this today. You blessed me today!! I’ve been a STAHM for 3 years with my son. We just bought a piece of property and built a 300 sq ft house on it. It’s half finished but livable. Some days it’s incredibly hard, knowing that I don’t even have the money to wash the laundry or pick up groceries. We don‘t have an oven to bake fresh bread in. I pray and thank God daily for it, and know he gives us just what we need.
Don't give up praying, He will provide! Blessings to you and peace as you wait, Dear.
I loved this so much! Thank you for sharing some of your story. I had to laugh at the "polishing a turd" comment. We have definitely lived in some turds. We are active duty military now and bought an amazing dream home in 2021. Ended up getting orders at the beginning of 2022, of course. We are now renting out our "dream house" and living in a much smaller rental home. The house is nice, but it is difficult because it doesn't really serve our large family's needs well. It's been a trial for me to be thankful to God in all things. Now that we've been here almost a year, I'm finally coming around to the idea of doing a bit more decorating!
Homemaker/ farmers wife for 45 years. Tragedy, financial losses, sickness and loss of children. Yet God is faithful! Praise his Holy name!
He provides! He gives us creativity! And ingenuity!
My mom always said to take care of everything as if it were brand new.
So thankful for hand me downs of all kinds.
Have a blessed day each and every day in Christ Jesus!
I love this comment. Thank you, Barbara 💛🙏
We are currently houseless after being homeless. We are staying in my hubbys parents camper in their driveway. Despite all the rough and not pretty places we lived in previously we are so happy for this camper. Thank you for showing this and being open and honest about it. You don’t see that often. I can absolutely relate.
Thank you for sharing a chapter from your story. I've prayed for you. I can only imagine how hard it has been for you. Praying things continue to improve quickly in your situation. Thank you again for sharing. God bless you 🙏.
This is a beautiful story! My husband and I have had a rough road with our 6 children too and now in our 40s we have finally settled into a big beautiful farmhouse. I don't know who you are or why I was recommended your channel but I am subscribing! I look forward to watching more of your videos 🙂
Thanks you! ☺💛
Thank you so much for sharing the hard times. It's an encouragement to me at this time. I have rearranged things so many times trying to find a better way and sometimes there isn't a way. But the want to feel better, have things more organized, and clean is always in my heart. Homemaking in hard times is still just as important if not more important!!! Cleaning areas that need more than "just soap and water" day after day need our attention but there are times that I just don't want to look. I am honestly out of words on this video! It was so powerful and close to my heart. I will be thinking on this for days. Thanks for your time. So glad to see this posted today!!!
I can completely relate to rearranging things so many times to try to find a better way! So frustrating! Thank you for sharing, Alesha, I hope this video helps you, I know it's hard. It's good to hear from you again!
I'm so grateful your video popped up 🤗 as a Christian and a home keeper it sometimes is hard to watch the perfect homemakers /keepers on RUclips. I have found a few channels so inspiring and yours is like a breath of fresh air. We are almost done with our reno and have been busy for 10 years so I understand what you are talking about. Our kids have all left
Amen. So timely as we just found out that our housing options are grossly limited for the next season for our growing family. It’s hard to see beyond cosmetic things sometimes. The worth part hit the nail on the head and I thank you for that.
Thank you for sharing! I know that I’m very rich in my situation but I feel so crowded in our apartment. We’ve been planning on moving for the last 6 years but it’s never worked out for us. I’m working on my patience and gratitude because I don’t want to be ungrateful for the wonderful life I’ve got but I do get frustrated in such a small cramped apartment.
I think this may be the best video you've ever made. Thank you ❤️ I needed a reminder of those verses in Luke today.
Thank you. This one has been a long time coming and I prayed so hard while creating the many parts of this. Thank you for the feedback.
I agree!
Yes. Disrepair. And it has been this way for years. It feels like it's not worth the effort to clean something that looks so bad no matter what. I've been praying hard about how to get unstuck. Today I reaffirmed that: "The battle is the LORD's." Mine is just to obey
I really appreciate your exhortation not to give up. It gives me hope.
This is wonderful. Separating religion from the actual walk has been a journey! Always beating ourselves up for missing church, and being embarrassed to admit that my husband’s sleep issues were the main cause of us not making it to church in the mornings was always such a burden. We recently learned from a friend who experienced a separation in their church that there’s a podcast called UnSunday. It goes over how church isn’t even a biblical concept, and instead we should have open discussions, and shared meals. Fellowship is the root of what we should be doing. Iron sharpens iron, and I’ve always had an easier time in a setting like that rather than listening to one person lecture, like in school. Especially with my ADHD, it’s hard to pay attention for a whole sermon, and it’s easier to edify and be edified in a small group setting. I’ve always loved potlucks, growing up as a Ukrainian with our practices of hospitality.❤ As far as credit, I’m not sure that I could trust myself with credit cards, even if I could qualify, since I used to be a hoarder- (coming from Ukraine to America and discovering Goodwill and Food Banks…) and previously to motherhood being a shopaholic!😬 I’m glad that debit cards that build credit exist, and plan to get one of those instead! 😊 I actually have wanted a tiny house for years, but I have 4 kids, so my husband agreed to it only if we wait for them to grow up and move out, lol. (I personally think it would be fine when the younger two are left, who are currently 4 years old and 10 months old, but we’ll see.) :) I love the wood and plants in your home!
Really beautiful video! As a woman, these are the kind of videos that fill my heart with joy! Thankyou so much!❤
Thank you, Dew!💛
I just love your heart so much! What a true testament! Your encouraging reminder of Luke 16:10 brought me to tears.
You got yourself a new subscriber right here! ❤ I've only been a homemaker for about 6 years & I'm a new mom of a 7 month old, but I can relate... my husband & I both were raised in "dumpy" houses/trailers... Our first place together was incredibly small. We had about 4ft of floor space in our bedroom after adding our bed 😂 and couldn't close the door... our shower was the kind made for an RV. Washing my long hair was very challenging 😂 So when we bought our first house, we both were extremely grateful. Its far from perfect or magazine worthy, but it's bigger & better than anything either one of us grew up in. After a few years, I found myself comparing our house to others... Sometimes I have to remind myself where we came from & how blessed we really are. The stuff on social media is fake anyway. They all have holes in the wall, dirty kid/pet marks on the walls, stains in their carpets & closets filled to the ceiling that they hide from the camera 😂 I appreciate your honesty & I feel like Im going to love your content! I plan on homeschooling our daughter 😊
I needed to hear this today. Thank you. I am grateful for what the Lord is doing and has done for me. I am blessed by seeing this today
I just want to thank you so much for this testimony. I will pray for your family as I ask you to pray for mines. You are sharing your story and guess what, you are also showing God’s true power of restoration and grace… in tears bc I know your path, mines have include homelessness and a prodigal teen… living in small one bedroom homes with animal damages, water and mold… oh but the joy of God… blessings to you❤
I just want to say thank you so much for this video. I feel God brought it to me just when I needed it . We have been living in a rental trailer for 5 years and it was built in the 80s . And we have had our struggles with it as well as raising a special needs child. I started to give up hope that we would ever own a home and we haven't made many improvements where we are at now because the thought process of well.. we won't own it . but the Lord has shown me to be greatful for what we have and you know what we are living here now making memories here now . Why not try to make the best of it ! When I feel really down I just try to remember there are always people who have it worse and that it's a blessing just to even have a roof over out heads , running water , food , cool air , heat something many others in the world don't have . After a long time i realized I was putting off happiness for the future thinking ill be happy when we own a home or when we reach this or that goal . But that thinking robs you . I'm going to be happy and thankful now . Keep building my credit and doing the best I can ✌️😁
T&T, this! I just love this comment, and your perspective. What you have said is so true and good. Thank you for sharing this!
Hi. I just found you. This was good. I’m 64 now. Married for 39 years 3 grown kids and a grandma of one. I lived very much like you for many years as a at home mom I never homeschooled all my kids were too unruly lol. I just didn’t have the confidence and it wasn’t so big back then, they went to a local Catholic school regrettably. I sent him to public later on in years. I lived pretty poor for a long time and I’m a woman of faith to. It was a sacrifice. It was hard. The feminist movement destroyed the family and dethroned motherhood. We’re all doing pretty good though now I’m still grateful for all of it and I’m grateful I was home with my kids. The hand that rocks, the cradle rules the world right? God bless.
Thank you for this inspirational video. It is easy to get sidetracked especially with social media and the popularity of pictures displaying lovely homes. This can make being content difficult. The narrow road is often difficult, and a good shot of hope is always needed.
I just spent the past 5 years making our blah, damaged (cosmetically only thankfully), and filthy house into a beautiful custom looking home while being a full time work from home Mom. The only thing we contracted out was shower tile work- which turned out to be a complete disaster anyways. I did it with my own 2 hands- trim, floors, accent walls, vanities, plumbing, fixtures, landscaping, paint, etc. A few months ago an opportunity fell in our lap to have a life we've always dreamed of. I finished the house, we put it on the market, pending offer in less than a day. It was magical. Until it wasn't. Job offer rescinded which lead to us backing out of the house we were going to purchase, and not being able to stop our house from selling. So now we have only a few weeks until we are without a house and without our dream we were going to have. It's excruciating. It has completely put into perspective the things I took for granted. Having a place to call home no matter what state of construction it's in. Having a backyard my kids can play in. Being able to add my personal touch on something that gains equity. Our mortgage was 2% and now rates are well over 6%. This has been the hardest few weeks of my families life. Still I know, we are very privileged. God has a plan, even if I can't see it yet.
This came at a much needed time in my life. Despair is very real and can rob one of much. Thank you for sharing this story.
Hello Julie, I'm glad this has come to you when needed. Praying the despair lifts and is replaced with comfort for you. 🙏
I am praying for you Julie. Sending my love and prayers to you.
Ive been married for 16 years. We've always lived below the poverty line, yet we've always managed. Sometimes we lived in parsonages (my hubby was a pastor) and other times rentals. My husband lost his most recent pastoral position at a small rural church when they had to close the church doors. We moved across the state and now my husband is a chaplain at the state prison here. We homeschool, we're a family of 6, i also lost a baby, ewe currently rent a 1000 sq ft home. Im not sure we'll ever own. We've never lived anywhere longer than 4.5 yrs. I struggle with letting myself settle down. Always feeling like i need to remain unattached in case we move again. We're a very healthy, happy, and string family, im so thankful. However, it is hard at times not being able to take my kids on vacations, or get them music lessons etc. but i grew up this same way and honestly now i veiw it positively. I pray my kids do too.we found a good church to join and some fellow homeschool friends. Im grateful for your videos. Thank you for sharing!
I don't know how I stumbled across this video... (well actually I think I do.. thank you, Abba!) but it was EXACTLY what my soul and heart needed to hear at this very moment. What they have needed to hear for so long. Thank you for this gentle heart to heart. I can't express just how much it helped me in the season that I'm in. May God bless you and yours ABUNDANTLY. 💜💜💜
Thank you so much! And blessings to you as well, Dear!
I don't think I can put into words how much this speaks to me and our family's situation. Thank you for being willing to share. It's a comfort to know we are not alone and not unworthy of what it seems like so many others in the States have