The Peaceful Mompreneur
Encouraging and equipping Christian Mompreneurs to have peace in their lives and business while staying grounded in Jesus Christ.
The Peaceful Mompreneur
Embracing Faith Amidst Family Challenges
What happens when you take the leap from a stationary life to a mobile one with a dozen kids in tow? Emmy Maynor joins us to share her incredible journey of faith, family, and the pursuit of biblical living through "Manor Manor". Married for 20 years and a mom to 12, Emmy offers an intimate glimpse into her family's transition to a life on the move, emphasizing the importance of nurturing a deep friendship with God and staying true to spiritual rhythms amidst chaos. She provides practical insights on how daily scripture reading—even those often-overlooked genealogies—can fortify your relationship with the Lord.
Parenting, as we all know, doesn't come with a manual, and Emmy opens up about the trials and triumphs of expanding her family from two to three children. Through personal stories, she highlights the invaluable role of community support and mentorship, sharing how influence from positive role models, like the Duggars, helped her find peace during challenging times. You'll discover the power of surrounding yourself with a diverse group of people, drawing from their experiences and perspectives to enrich your own parenting journey, particularly during the demanding days of seminary life.
In a world where differences in faith interpretations can often divide, Emmy explores the beauty and complexity of finding unity within a diverse Christian community. She reflects on the importance of working through conflicts with love and service, drawing on biblical examples like Paul and Barnabas. Emmy also shares heartfelt advice on prioritizing rest, especially for new parents, and underscores the necessity of setting daily rhythms that align with one's values. Trusting God's guidance, she reveals, has been a transformative force in her life, offering a reassuring reminder of the clarity and understanding that faith can bring even in the most uncertain times.
Connect with Emmie Manor:
Bible Study Toolkit: https://to.themanormanor.com/lead-magnet-2950-7789
The Manor Manor Community (off FB): https://themanormanor.app.clientclub.net/communities/groups/the-manor-manor-community/home
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themanormanor
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/emmie.manor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themanor.manor
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.manor.manor
Grab the Healthy Sustainable Weekly Rhythm Guide for Busy Moms ► ► https://aliesehalcomb.com/weeklyrhythms
Okay, hello, we're so glad that you guys are here. All right, so I want to introduce you to my sweet friend, emmy Maynor, and I said it right, so I'm very excited about that. So she is. I met her through a mutual friend and I just think that she's going to have so much wisdom to offer and instead of introducing her myself, I'm going to let her introduce herself. So, emmy, tell us about your family, your business, like where the God is leading you, and, yeah, all that stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here. My name is Emmy Maynor and, yes, it has been a really interesting few years. I am married to Jim and we have 12 living children 15 down to almost one in just a few days and we are. We're from Georgia and we're actually getting ready to go mobile, which I'm really excited about and we are the Mainer Manor and we disciple families in biblical living, helping you to hear God's voice in the midst of all the noise, and we walk alongside you from birth into eternal life. We cover a lot in that, but our primary focus is Bible study and discipleship, because it all starts there. We need to know God's word. We need to know what he says and know and get guided by him on how to live that out, so that we are doing what God calls us to do, not just whatever anyone else calls you to do or thinks you should do.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's great. That's great. So, ok, so you have you're married, yes, 20 years. How many? 20. 20 years Congratulations, that's super exciting. Okay so you've been married for 20 years, you have 12 living children and you guys are running a full-time business, right Well?
Speaker 2:we're still in the beginning stages, but yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:All right, so that is a serious plate, right? So how do you do this without losing your mind? Well, I occasionally lose my mind and I scream at God right and go. What am I doing?
Speaker 2:And then I go okay, you know what? No, he has given us a lot of tools. He's given us a lot of wisdom. Over the years. We have been very gracious, like he's been very gracious to us. Our family did get built really, really fast after we started having children. Our average is like 15 months apart for all of our children and in the early stages of that we did have my sister live with us for a few years, so that actually helped a lot. That was a really big blessing when we had a bunch of littles and that helped, but a lot of it has just been pressing into God.
Speaker 2:One of the things that I have been very blessed with in my life is to have a deep friendship with the Lord and um, I think that is is really key and it's one of those things that's really hard to teach. It's just one of those things that you have to practice, and there are days, there are times I'm a horrible, one of those things that you have to practice, and there are days, there are times I'm a horrible friend, a horrible daughter to the king and I like I just keep going along and then after a while he's like excuse me, what are you doing and um, and then I come back and I'm like you're right, I'm sorry, okay, I'm not hearing clearly, I need to sit down and I just take a minute and pause. Um, and a lot of it, too, has been learning how to have the rhythms that we need and for our family, so that we're all getting filled as much as we can, and that's been especially crucial in the last year or so, with just some things that happen, but it's been such a blessing to grow together as a family in the Lord, and so that helps a lot too. Now that we have older ones, it's also changed the dynamic. So, um, it looks different in each season. We're definitely unique in the fact that we have every season from, you know, teen down to to well, she's not really an infant anymore, since she's crawling, but but yeah, so, um, but a lot of it is just having that deep friendship with the Lord and learning to hear his voice and, yeah, and just trusting that he knows what he's doing, even when it feels like everything is out of control.
Speaker 1:That is a good point, yeah. So it's like we have to remember, like the things that we say is that we trust the Lord. Right Now you can say it, but are you living it out? Do you believe it? And that is like that's a jump sometimes. But sometimes you just have to start with saying like I trust you and saying it a lot, like your heart and your ass will follow.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of that and I know you said it's not an easy thing to teach somebody but if someone was gonna say like, okay, I need a practical step, can you give me like one to three things like I can start doing today, right? Um, when we're recording this, it is the brand new year, right? And so here we are in the new year. What can I do to grow that relationship with the Lord? Just something very, very practical, very practical.
Speaker 2:Read the Bible, read scripture every day. If it's one verse or a whole passage or a whole book, read something. Once we get, once we realize we're reading the words of God, that the, and you hold fast. Okay, this is the word of God. Even when you're reading the genealogies yes, they are important, okay, but trust, but know that, know that it's important. He's telling us that generations are important. He's telling us that family is important. He is showing us all of these things. He's showing us. I mean particularly the line of yeshua, right of jesus, and um, and yeah, like those, even those are important. So if all you read is the genealogy, that day, like, just sit in that, like that's cool, right, and then pray, um.
Speaker 2:Dr whitney, donald whitney, has a book called praying the scriptures. It's super practical um, uh, and you just just look at the scripture and pray whatever, whatever it is you write about, even if all you read was a genealogy and I like to use something obscure like that, because people are like what? But like it's like that, it's like thank you for my family and start praying for your family members um and uh. And then the next thing is do, especially in those passages that have commands in them, do them. What does it mean to do that? And then I know there are a lot of questions throughout the Bible about well, what does that look like today? You know versus like then. But I mean, step into that and pray, say you know, what do you want me to do with this God?
Speaker 1:How am I to live this out right now? That's perfect, that's. I love that because it's not as complicated we were talking about that before, as make it right, it's not the Lord. Read your word, pray that word and ask him to help you live it out. Like that is what Christianity is Like. We believe that Jesus is who he says he is and we want to do what he said to do. Right, yeah exactly.
Speaker 1:That's beautiful. I love that Very practical Big fan. Okay, so let's talk about the early years, like when you first started having lots of littles, so a lot of people that watch this. They have littles, and so we're trying to figure out how to create that foundation that your children will grow up in the Lord, first and foremost, but also that you'll have this peaceful home that sometimes is chaos, absolutely, cause there's little people, but your mind is at peace, your family is at peace, even when there's screaming and yelling and juice or milk on the floor. You know like the life that people with lots of littles have. So what is that piece look like for you? How did you cultivate that in the early years?
Speaker 2:I know you talked about having your sister there, so community was, yes, deal, um, just just anything about early years, um, when you just started having all these little babies okay, so early years, we so we moved actually from our hometown in Georgia to, uh, kentucky to attend seminary, from our hometown in Georgia to Kentucky to attend seminary with two littles in tow. So that was so at the beginning. We lived right across from my parents, so we had them nearby. We definitely had a lot of people who loved us at the time and so, yeah, we had what we needed. I was able to stop working when our first was seven months old or so, um, which was a huge blessing because I cried when I had to go back, so, um, so that that's a huge part of it was just being able to be at home with them. And then, after moving, um, yeah, we, we were able to develop some community very quickly.
Speaker 2:It's interesting, our very first friends there were actually Iraqi Muslims and they, so they would come and help us. The women in that family would come and help me occasionally, and we met some others that had just moved to the area for seminary at the same time and we ended up in the same congregation, so, and we lived in the same complex, so we would do things together, um, and that helped a lot. Uh, I am not very domestic, so that was a learning curve for me personally and that did cause me a lot of stress. But God put these women in my life who are very domestic and I learned from them, was able to try things out and they, like, they showed me, you know, how to make bread and how to, you know, just put a meal together, um. So, yeah, like early in those early years, uh, it was a fact. It's funny it's gonna sound funny a lot of the ways the early years are almost easier when it was just a couple of them.
Speaker 2:Now, when you add that third in the third is the hardest and you will almost find that completely across the board, like they're going to be a few that disagree with that because the third, you're going. Okay, all right, I have only two hands. There are only two adults in this house and he's usually not here because he's working in in classes. Um, but even that, I just I stayed home a little more than, or I would just go stay in our complex, the likes. We lived in an apartment at the time, um, and then we were blessed to have my sister come and live with us, um, not long after that, and so that was, that was a huge blessing. Um, she now she did work and was in classes and all that, but she, she helped out a lot. And um, she, she likes to cook. I do not. So that helped because she was able to help with some of that when Jim was working, because he does like to cook. He is really the chef in the house. He is amazing and I'm so blessed by that. So that helped too. Like just having, in some respects, what people would consider nontraditional help, because just having that and God knew I needed that, god knew he needed that, and for him it's an outlet. He loves it. So, um, yeah, so that helped too.
Speaker 2:Um, but yeah, a lot of a lot of it, though, was just being intentional about um, reading the word praying, getting sleep when I could cause we were in really funky schedules so I might nap or have some downtime when the children did. That is a lot of it, too, is making sure you rest, and I know everyone is always like what do you mean rest? I'm like the one thing I do not tell people is take care of yourself. If I can't do anything to help them, do that that I get so tired of it. Remember to take care of yourself Well, what are you going to do to help me do that? So instead, you need to look at, like, what's going on and say, okay, do I need to ask for help? Right, and, like I said, thankfully God brought the right people at the right time.
Speaker 2:So, yes, having the community around you is lovely, but if you don't like has been the case with us in the last year um with, with the littles is just trusting god to give you the strength that you need and to take those moments that he gives you and not take them for granted and be really intentional with them. Um, I love, I love movies, I love tv, all that. So it's really easy for me to just veg out um, but and sometimes that's okay and I can rejuvenate like that but not it's usually not good. So it's like one of those save those for like once every couple weeks or something like that or be very choosy in what you watch um. Now, I know it's a bit controversial now, but that at the time when I had my third, I was watching um the 17 and counting um with the Duggars and that gave me a lot of encouragement because I was like, if she can do it with 17, I can do it with three.
Speaker 2:Okay, like Lord, show me how to do this with three. So I think it's important to to eat and, like I said, I know it's controversial with them, but I mean, that's really neither here nor there. The point is she did, she did do it with three and and 17, and all that. And look at others that have gone before you. Find yourself a mentor and and don't be weird about it like just be, like, hey, I need some help. And then don't argue either like you can. You can like say I'm not sure about this, but like I mean that that's a huge thing. Is like ask for help and then like listen, process and then say, ok, what can I realistically take from this, because we're not going to be able to do everything. People give me suggestions all the time and I have to sit there and go, ok, I'm going to try this one because you can't do it all right.
Speaker 2:So getting getting those those good suggestions from those that have gone before you, and even just like someone, that's a step ahead right. Like if you're in the stage with all littles and like I have ones that are older and littles, so I can speak to you in a way that someone that may only have older is not going to be able to speak to you, but they also may have some good suggestions because of the situation. So it's just you get various life stages that's what I'm looking for. Get various life stages, that's what I'm looking for. Having that in your life. And that was really helpful when we went to seminary, because at the congregation we were at, it was a lot of young families, but they also had been very intentional in bringing in older families as well. So you did have several life stages to tap into there. So that was that, I think, is a really big thing. If you're in a congregation, that's all one life stage. Something's wrong and you need to go find someone that's that's older and younger too, because those younger singles you get to be a blessing to them and they can be a blessing to you by you allowing them into their home and them getting to practice their skills, and then and then they're helping you with things too. So that's another great resource that's happened to you if you have it in your area. And all of that, yeah, all of that helps bring peace right.
Speaker 2:Okay, and that was the original question, but it's like I mean it really. It really boils down to the like asking it's I mean the peace comes from trusting God, right, okay. Ultimately, that's the Like asking I mean the peace comes from trusting God, right, okay, ultimately, the peace comes from trusting God and trusting God in the process. So if you're surrounded by people and you're able to do all that, amazing. If you're not, it's still amazing and God will give you the strength to do it. And that's the peace. The peace comes from the trust I mean. Yeah, absolutely that's perfect.
Speaker 1:No, that's absolutely true, right, so we are grounded in Christ, absolutely, like that is our first and foremost thing. He gave us people. If he gives you people, um, use those people, find people that are around you, like, yeah, always learning, we never, ever arrive. And also, like you said, which I really love, is you listen and then you take the things that you can do. Right, you don't have to do everything that everybody does, even if every person in your life does it a certain way and it is not working for your family. If it's not not biblical, right, like, as long as it does not align, then you don't have to do it the way they do it. That's totally cool, right? So I really love that. So, taking from people, listening, not arguing, that's a good key there. And what works for your family, like, that's how we have.
Speaker 2:We're grounded in Christ and then we do what works for our family, because we learn from other people Like that is beautiful and that's another key too for the mentor is, if you have someone that is like I'm trying to make you into my image, they're not the right mentor for you, you need to tell. You need to just like. I just want to throw that in there because that can come up a lot with some of the generational gaps, so just yeah, yeah, be wary of. That is what you're saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if they think it's like my way or no way, like they're not great for you, just pray for them and wander away.
Speaker 2:Thank you for your advice. I'm moving on now.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely, yeah, yeah, Good, that's very good advice. That's very good advice. So, if someone um didn't have a community right, so they don't have people around them, um, is there a way, like a practical way, that you think that they could try to find that?
Speaker 2:Um, because it is important to have people, even if you know it's just a couple. Well, one of the blessings that we have in this digital age is the fact that we can have encouragement even from the distance. Is it great when you need physical help in your home? No, it's not great, but it is something you can tap into and that has been a huge blessing for us over the last couple of years, for our entire family, and we even had the blessing of being able to go visit some of these friends during Tabernacles this year. So that was a lot of fun. And we got our camper that we're going to be living in and just went out there and enjoyed fellowship with them, bird that we're going to be living in and just went out there and enjoyed fellowship with them, and I mean, and that's like carrying us through, because we're like well, oh yeah, remember when we did this and remember when we did that, you know and like, and then they'll send messages back and forth. So it's it's great for that spiritual and mental and emotional health and which leads to really the physical health, because when you're doing well mentally and you're doing well spiritually and you're doing well emotionally, you're more likely to do well physically and you can handle more of the stress, the physical stress that's coming at you. We, I know, and physical is important.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying that the physical help is not important, so that that is one thing. I mean I don't, I don't know that I have really great. I mean you can, I mean you can congregation, hop and see if you, if, like there's people that, um, that are I don't want to say click with, because that's not right, like we want, we want diversity in the body, right that's. We're not looking for people that we're identical with, but at least ones that are not going to sit there and um act like there's something wrong with you because you're following scripture, um, this way and they're understanding it that way, and you know, and it's not of it's not of the like, the top tier importance, right, right, yeah, so does that make sense?
Speaker 1:Yes, I think it hopefully makes sense to everybody else. I don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know I'm trying to be delicate because we I mean, we were told many times like, well, like you're, basically your convictions are very visible and it's like is that, is that a problem, like right? So it's like you know that. It's like is that a problem, like right? So it's like you know that it's one of those things that, just like you want, if it's a problem that your convictions are visible, then yeah, then that's a problem for them, not for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly Like they don't. You're not like making them do it. They calm it down over there.
Speaker 2:And I think that's what it is you're like. Okay, we've read the bible and this is how we're holding to and we don't mind disagreeing with you, but you know, we just would like some community, you know, and that's something you have to work through and it's something we should work through as a body, I mean you see it, with Paul and Barnabas and Mark and Peter, I mean, they had conflicts. So why do we act like we can't, you know, work through these things?
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's a lot there's. There's stuff in there that talks about how to work through Right and so and you're right, like the body of Christ is a beautiful thing because there are a group of people that would not otherwise not be friends, yeah, our our. The thing holding us together is Jesus.
Speaker 1:And you don't get along with people from every walk of life unless you have Jesus. And so, yes, I agree 100%, like you don't want to have you're not trying to find a group of people that are exactly like you, but you're finding it, trying to find a group of people that love the Lord enough to be willing to walk in life with you the way scripture says. And you know, love you well and you can serve them and they can serve you. People are people are crazy, like everybody is so different and it's such a good time, and it's like whenever I'm frustrated with people who I know love the Lord, but are we're not on the same page. I'm like who I know love the Lord, but we're not on the same page.
Speaker 1:I'm like this is what the body of Christ looks like Like. Would it be easier if, like I left, or they left? Probably, but it would not be good for the body of Christ, you know. And so that's where we want to live and that's what we want to do. Something I did. I know I asked you the question, but I'm going to share this anyway Very early on whenever.
Speaker 1:So my husband and I we got married. We were safe when we were in high school, or he was earlier, but still when I was in high school. But we were not living for the Lord when we first got married, like we were doing whatever we wanted. And when I first came, we first started coming back to the Lord. I didn't have any Christian friends. I had one, but we weren't close right, she was around but I didn't really know her. Um, well, yet I do now, um and so, but I didn't really have a lot. And so I asked the Lord. I was like, please send me somebody, please send me someone. And I'm telling you like, quickly, people started showing up in my life and I made it very awkward. Like hey, you want to be my friend? Like literally, like sending texts, like, hey, I would love to hang out with you. I'm looking for Christian friends, I would like to hang out with you. She said, yes, and we started hanging out, like it may feel awkward, but, being honest and upfront, people like that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and something. Something I would add to this too, now that I like that you actually brought that up, is there are life stages where you're going to be able to do more and be around others more, and it is why it's so necessary for us to have the different life stages together, because someone that's an empty nester or retired, or someone that, like you know, high school student, maybe a high school homeschooler or, um, or a young college girl, may be able to come and help you with more things and but we tend to niche and this and that's like the danger of niching so um and within community.
Speaker 1:So we want to it's not we.
Speaker 2:We need, like, we need those ladies that are like, hey, you're going through this too, going on, but then you also need okay, we don't know what's going on, we need someone older, that's walked through this before, or we need someone, we just need another set of hands. Hey, so-and-so. Could you come? You know, come to my house, you know, one or two days a week and just for a couple hours, and help me with this so I can do that. Um, you know those kinds of things. Um, I lost my thought but, um, it's all good. Yeah, oh, the stages. Yeah, cause, like there are gonna be times in your life when you you need to be home more, and that's okay, and there are gonna be times in your life you can get out of the house more, and that's okay. When you've got a new baby at home, stay home, please, for the love of all. That is good and like, stay home.
Speaker 2:I, we, we act like it's such such a bad thing. But, as I have learned over the years, like I did a lot of damage to my body by getting out too early because I wanted to get out and I wanted to see people and, oh, I have to take my baby to the, to service and all like, and it was like I always I had to instead of going okay, no, I need to rest and let my body heal, like there is a reason God tells women to wait 40 days like. That's why the like, the instructions from OBGYN is to wait six weeks. Six weeks, 40 days are almost the same. It's that rest period for your body to start, that initial resting and so you can heal from giving birth.
Speaker 2:Because it's a big deal, right, it's like it God's not being mean. He's saying hey, I'm, I'm, I'm helping you out here, like I'm telling everyone else, like you need to help her and make sure she's not stressing her body out. That's what I'm telling you and and we've, we've come to come, kind of come to the opposite in our, in our uh, in our society today. So that's something I learned with this last one and I intentionally took my and I had a girl. So I took the 80 days like recommend this as as in the Bible, and it made a huge difference in my recovery.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, that's great. That's very good advice. You're absolutely right. Three people in my life that just had a baby in the last like four days. So yeah, so it happened real quick. But it's all great. All the babies are everywhere.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and so that's an opportunity for you then to say, hey, what can I do to help you right now, like within your whatever, within your ability, and making sure they are resting, because we don't, we don't do that. And your ability and making sure they are resting, cause we don't, we don't do that, we don't like it's, you know, it's we. We struggle. I say we as a society. We struggle to be like oh hey, they just had a baby, they need to rest. What can I do to help?
Speaker 1:Absolutely, yeah, yeah, we're, we are, uh, our church and our gym friends. We're like rallying around, so it's been very good, very good, very yeah, we're very excited. Um, okay, so we talked about that. Let's see. So, in the season of stress or business, how do you stay grounded in your faith and avoid burnout? Like, what does that look like for you?
Speaker 2:For me, um, it does go with different seasons, like again the seasonal thing, but a lot of it is making sure I have time to sit, read and write. Um and read scripture is what I mean by read um, read scripture and write. I am a writer, it is. It is how I am wired. God made me that way. I am unapologetically a writer and I I sit and I reflect and when I, when I have, like my husband can tell you when it has been about five to six days since I've written something, he can tell you there's a difference in my demeanor and how I handle things, because I haven't had time to sit down and process out in written form like I'm praying all the time in my mind yeah but but when I sit down and I'm intentionally like praying and like either recording the events or asking God questions or telling him how I'm feeling, whatever, like, there's something about that process for me that really, really helps.
Speaker 2:So it is something that I need to make a priority. And I do have seasons where it's just hard to make it a priority, like right after having a baby. That it does get challenging and so, yeah, then I just go, I just I need to sit and I'll, even if it's five minutes, I just sit down and write. And another like another thing. For me personally, it's just like extended showers. I just like the way the water feels on my like. It's. It's soothing or rain, if I can, if I can get out in the rain if it happens to be raining that's perfect.
Speaker 1:I love that so much.
Speaker 2:I'm like just go, just go, get out in the rain, it's so like with bare feet on the ground on the grass and just like soak in, like what God has made. Um, yeah, like that's, it's so. Yeah, it's little things like that. Um, I, as I said before, I'm very blessed with a husband who knows how to cook and take care of a lot of this stuff. So I I, you know like you'll hear ladies like freak out about leaving their husband home and I'm like I never, I've never freaked out about that, ever, never it's.
Speaker 2:I'm like I don't understand that. I've no like. So, um, yeah, that that's a lot of. It is just like making sure I'm, I'm in the word and and also having conversations with friends, like whether whether it's I communicate with my friends like through an app or something like that, and just having those conversations as long as I'm doing is like doing those things. I am an extreme extrovert, which has made the season a little challenging, but I have found other ways to be able to get that interaction that I need and God uses that and blesses it, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, speaking of what you were talking about, you know you need to be writing most days at least, right? Um and so what strategies or rhythms have helped you build that? Like you know, know, this is important, so how do you make sure that it shows up in your day, especially with 12 children?
Speaker 2:like, yeah, I have a daily journal that's I use as a gratitude journal, and if I can write in that every day, that's a good start. So, um, it's. It's not like I usually need to do more than that, but that is that's kind of like my bare minimum, if I can get that in, usually in the morning. Um, now this morning, because last night was kind of chaotic in our house, we woke up really late, so I have not done that yet today. But when we get off of here I will go do that and and get my, get my. Um, my thankful for is for yesterday written in and. Um, yeah, but my, my, I am not an early bird, but God has helped me to be able to get up early. Um, I am not going to be that woman that tells you you have to have your Bible study in the morning, you don't, um, but I have found that in this season, because of the ages and stages of our children, it is. It is good for me to get up before they get up and have 30 minutes to just sit down, read, write, reflect, pray. That is my goal Now.
Speaker 2:When I was, like nursing a newborn, it was usually between naps, sorry, during a nap. I would say, okay, like rest hour in the afternoon, a lot of the younger ones are resting or playing with Legos or whatever, and I that I will use that time then. So it, but it, I put it with the season, that's, that's the. That's. The biggest part is you have to find it in that season, and sometimes it takes a couple days of not doing it to go. Oh, I haven't been doing this, all right, when does this? Where does this need to go? Now? And you, just you, you find that spot and you put it there.
Speaker 1:That's absolutely beautiful Cause I would totally agree, right, like as the seasons change and, like I said, I only have a two-year-old, but like a lot happens in the first two years, like naps change, things change, he can walk, he's got full sentences Like how is this person talking so much, um? And so it's just like every season it's different and I have to basically reevaluate what life looks like. Like what, where am I going to read my Bible? When am I going to do this?
Speaker 1:And something early on, like I was very there was guilt. It was not a conviction, the Lord did not tell me this, it came straight from me. Like I felt so bad that I couldn't get up in the morning the way I used to before he was born, right, and I just could not do it. And then my husband's in the military, so he was gone for a period of time. Thankfully, the military has a good paternity leave process, so that was fabulous. He was very here early, but then he had to leave and I'm like what, this little person under a year old and like I can't get myself up in the morning, like here he is, like all this stuff. And so my best friend and I were talking and basically had this like epiphany that I don't have to do it in the morning, I can do it before I go to bed Like.
Speaker 1:I can just like turn stuff off and do it before I go to bed and like that was such freedom. And I realized like I was an idiot, Like there is nothing says that I have to do it in the morning, and so I'm totally with you. Like I'll never tell somebody you have to do it at a certain time as a look, a certain way. You just have to fit it where it fits. And that means evaluating where you are looking at what's most important, like figuring out your priorities, making those things actually show up in your day and in your week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and something and something to think about that scripturally um cause I like to take everything back to the scripture is during the Bible. During that Bible, during the Bible times, the day started at sunset. So if you, you're really starting your day with the word, when you do it right before bed, it's like it seems backward to us because our day starts when we wake up, but their days started before they went to bed.
Speaker 1:So perfect yeah.
Speaker 2:I love it.
Speaker 1:Okay. So I'm going to ask you one more question Um, so what, especially now, as you're moving into this like business world, and you guys are about to go mobile and and you're figuring stuff out how, what kind of rhythms have you put in place? We're just talking about that, um, to be able to build your business and allows you to serve other people, serve your children, honor your values like with and have boundaries right, like, so what does that look like for you guys right now?
Speaker 2:It's actually really funny because my husband and I have been like okay, this is our um, uh, guinea pig week where we're trying to figure that out okay, all right a really good question because one of the things that we, as I told him, I was like we need to find a rhythm that's going to work, whether you're working an assignment or or not, like, so we've got to to figure that out because he's a he's a nurse and so we're gonna he's planning to take some travel assignments and, um, so to just help us in this transition and um, yeah, so I'm like we need to have a basic layout and right now it's pretty much staying the same where we have, um, my husband and I, our goal is to get up at five. Sometimes it's six, but between five and six is we get up and we've actually started reading the bible together in the morning, which has been such a blessing these last couple of weeks. We started that probably three weeks ago and, um, and that's just been a blessing get up and have coffee and breakfast and all that, and then the children get up and while they're eating, we do Bible and breakfast with them, so reading scripture and talking about it, um, and then, then and this is where it's been getting interesting, because now he's here, we're going, okay, so what does this look like? Because when he would go, we would clean up from the morning, do our morning tasks, get everything taken care of, and then we would sit down and have extended Bible study and like the time that we do all our studies together, because Bible study always leads to history and geography and all kinds of other fun stuff. So that would be like our extended learning time, for you know our hour and a half in the morning and so, yeah, we've been exploring with that this week, with him here versus not here, and and then, yeah, then the afternoons are going to be more like we're still like right now because we're trying to clean our house and all that it's.
Speaker 2:It's been a lot of that but also working on getting the business time in as well. So, like Wednesday, wednesdays have typically been business days. We set those aside for meetings and you know, you know interviews and getting making sure, getting emails and stuff like that done. Um, so we'll probably continue that forward and having a day that's like set aside for like that's. We're going to hammer a lot of things on that day and then have little things that we do the other five days because we do Sabbath. So, yeah, so like right now, that's kind of where we are and then like having an evening time.
Speaker 2:I think it's like working on generally having a good cut off. I think that's something we need to work on, and making sure we go to bed earlier is something that we I think we need to incorporate, but we haven't quite gotten there yet, but I think it will help. So, anyway, right now, because we're in this week, we had a really good rhythm for the last few years and that what I'm telling you is mostly what we've been doing. So like, take that time. So I would take like one to two hours in the afternoon and that's when I would get, um, you know, like little business things done. Um, we also have our oldest son actually writes our Bible study guides, so, um, yeah, that's been a blessing. He writes them and then designs them in Canva and all that. He loves to do that, so that's been a huge blessing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is incredible. Okay, I said that was the last question, but I have one more question for you. Um, that was the last question, but I have one more question for you before we start wrapping it up. Okay, so you are homeschooling right With the other kids? Okay, this is my question for you, and it's it's just kind of a personal question too.
Speaker 1:How are you handling having all these little people still like around when you're trying to homeschool your like school-age kids, your high schoolers, like middle schoolers, like you have everybody all the ages. So, like, what are the little people doing? What are you doing with them? Or you know what I mean. Like what does that look like?
Speaker 2:I actually primarily only work with the little ones. I teach my children to read and once they have a good knowledge base and reading, then they take on their own studies and they come to me with questions Because you really want them learning, you want to teach them how to learn. You don't want to teach them everything. That's that. You know. You're raising little adults, you're not raising, so you're not, you're not raising many me's um, so that's that's been.
Speaker 2:Um, the the biggest part of it is getting them to that good reading level that they can then take on their own studies and that I mean everyone is a different age and stage for that um. So it's just, it is what it is. And um, I primarily will do things with the little ones in the morning, because that's when they're awake and really wanting to learn, and by the afternoon they just want to play where, and then the old, the other ones that are all older than them, if they need help, they come and tell me, because the little ones I mean under, really under, like 10. They I mean it's like 30 minutes, maybe an hour a day, depending on the child, like I have some that really like to study and will do like study all day long, if I let them, you know, and I mean, and I don't mean that like I wouldn't let them, but I'm like go get outside for a little bit.
Speaker 2:But but yeah, and then I have others that it's like they need to move around so much. They learn better if they do. So once they go and they, they play outside and whatever, then they'll sit down and and work on reading for 30 minutes an hour and, like I said, we do do our big time in the morning where we all we re hit like a bunch of like Bible history and are you guys doing that as like a family, so like the older ones and the smaller ones, you're all talking about the same thing, everything.
Speaker 1:So that that's interesting, right. So you're kind of incorporating everybody's at different ages and they're all getting different stuff out of them because they're different ages. But then in their more individual time, the older people handle it because they can read, and then the younger ones you do more hands on, and then so you still like you have a one-year-old, you just like, hold her, she's just there.
Speaker 2:You know, I let, I let she just runs around and or she sits in or she sits in her chair with a book like a book that's not gonna tear up, um, but but one of the things I will never forget from the trips Margie and Ted trip they came and did a parent conference when we were in seminary and they said always teach to the older ones, because the younger ones will pick it up later. And they're so right, because the older ones are going to have different questions. And then the little ones are listening, but they're just not to that understanding yet. But they're still here, they're still there and they're hearing it. So they may be just coloring or building with some blocks or whatever, but they're there and they're listening. And it's probably one of the.
Speaker 2:A great resource that I just read was this book called Think, learn, succeed, from Caroline Leaf, and it has actually changed the way I do a lot of stuff, even in the big time, because I have one. He has to be working on something in order to retain. Now he can be doing anything. He can be working on his words, he can be drawing, he can be doing math, he hears everything we say and we'll come back later with, like, all these great questions. So it looks like he's not listening. Like if you were, if he were in like a classroom setting, he would look like he's not listening, but he takes in everything. So now that I have like like I'm learning how my children learn, it's actually changed a lot of that as well. So there's like this one side where you teach these expectations and then on the other side you're going OK, now how do you learn best? And you find a way to make that work so that everyone can learn together, and that's been the trick recently. But figuring that out with your children as soon as possible, like little ones. Little ones are not going to see that yet. They're still figuring out how they learn. But once they get to like you know nine, 10, 11, what they call the tween stage.
Speaker 2:Once, like you know 9, 10, 11, what, what they call the tween stage, um, once you get start getting into there, you're going to start seeing it more. So it's like I have, like I have some that I'm like, no, you need, like they have to sit next to me. And all that because I was realizing they're not listening to anything, because they're watching the ones that need to draw or need to do school work in order to listen. So I like I have to separate them now. So I have a section for those that are and I'm not going to do this in the camper, very well, but the ones that need to be doing something because they're take to take it in, and then, you know, space over here for the ones that need to be reading the word alongside me or looking at, or looking at whatever we're looking at. So, yeah, know your children. That's like a large part of it is. It's just like knowing your children and then figuring out how how to make it work.
Speaker 1:That's perfect. I love that Okay. That really was my last question, except so tell everybody, um, where they can find you. I know you have a resource that you want to provide for everyone. Tell us about that, and yeah, so like how they can get in touch with you, how they can get that resource, and I'll put it in the description how they can get that resource and I'll put it in the description yeah, okay, so our website is to like tothemainermanorcom and it is my last name.
Speaker 2:Twice um, like uh, com and um, yeah, so the resource that we have as a Bible study toolkit and it is questions that you can ask of any text of scripture to help you dig into it. We always say the two most important questions is what does this teach me about God and what is he telling me to do? And then, with that, is there anything I need to repent of because of that? Like, if there's something there. But there are other questions too that can help you dig into the scripture. So, if you've got just a couple minutes, just ask a, you know, take those questions and ask a couple um. Or if you've got like an hour and you want to dig into all of them and just like, really delve into a passage um, yeah, it's, it's, it's great for all of that, um. And then we've got like questions to help you pray the scripture, um, and it walks you.
Speaker 2:The one that we have laid out is like the axe model is like so what can you adore god for in this passage? What do you need to confess from this passage what do you need to thank him for? And what, then, do you need to ask him for? And it doesn't have to necessarily be something from the passage you need to ask him for, but you know, like, let that lead you into what you like, what, what do I need to pray for? And then, um, it also has a child's page that has, like your basic questions and a drawing sheet. So and I know some adults like to draw too so you can print that out for yourself if you want like a little drawing box on your page.
Speaker 2:So yeah, it's, and it's just a great little resource that they're all questions that we ask all the time when we're reading scripture and we just just put it into a nice packet that that you can use and that way you just start somewhere. You know Genesis one, mark one, revelation one.
Speaker 1:That's super awesome, yeah, so I love that. I will put that in the description. Um, well, that is awesome. Do you have anything else you want to share with the audience? Anybody? Any wisdom, tips, things you thought about?
Speaker 2:honestly, the biggest wisdom I can give you is the wisdom that God has given me the last year, and it is do what he says, no matter what. It doesn't matter if like who who you're dealing with, because sometimes you don't know who you're dealing with and we'd have to go back to God's word and listening to his voice and if you have trouble hearing his voice, take a step and see what happens.
Speaker 1:Yep Perfect. I love that. I love it so much. Okay, well, thank you so much, amy. I'm glad that we got to do this.
Speaker 2:Yes, thank you so much.