Top 5 Life Changing Decisions

Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Top 5 Life Changing Decisions

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Looking back, I realize that five decisions have changed our lives for the better.

Top 5 Life Changing Decisions

It’s important to me to analyze my goals and vision for my family.

  1. Homeschooling

    I used to be a teacher. I taught middle school, high school, and university.
    Homeschooling my own children has probably been our greatest decision as a family.
    School is not necessary.
    As a student and a teacher, I had very few good experiences. I wanted better for my children.We’ve experiemented with different curricula over the years, and have finally gotten to a comfortable place, with very little scheduling. My kids own their learning experiences, make decisions, and we respect their choices.
    We don’t participate in a co-op. We learn at home.

  2. Alternative health

    We made the shift from allopathic medicine to primarily alternative methods about five years ago.
    My husband was on several medications that really didn’t improve his health. He was on meds for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes, and a diuretic. We made several lifestyle changes that enabled him to not need those medications anymore, so he gradually weaned off and the doctors gave him the all-clear to quit taking them. He no longer has any health issues.
    Our eldest child was diagnosed with ADHD, but we didn’t like the common methods from the medical community expected to manage that. We sought alternatives and loved all the results.
    We use essential oils, cod liver oil, vitamins, exercise, the outdoors, and healthy real foods to be proactive about our health.
    We do go to doctors if needed – for injuries, and recently, for one of our daughter’s double ear infections. And yes, she took antibiotics. I think this is the first time any of my three younger children ever has!

    We made a radical decision to eat healthier about ten years ago.
    I was in adrenal failure after the two back-to-back births of my middle daughters and was prescribed many vitamins and a paleo diet (before it was even a thing).
    As a family, we added in more whole foods, and lessened our daughters’ intake of certain chemicals, but we didn’t eliminate all processed food.
    When we did eliminate the processed foods about five years ago, we really saw some wonderful changes in our health, mood, behavior, and energy levels.
    The ADHD symptoms mostly went away. Our weight leveled out. Medical labs came back better and meds were no longer needed.
    We continue to eat mostly natural foods, cheating only occasionally. We all feel so much better because of this!

  3. Faith

    It’s been an arduous journey to discover my faith.
    I didn’t grow up with church or religion other than attending a Lutheran church with my grandma twice a year when she visited. I said a blessing at dinner and a little recited prayer before bed.
    As I grew up, I began to realize something was missing and I resented how my dad ridiculed my grandma’s and others’ faith.
    I started attending a Pentecostal church with my first husband. It was an extreme introduction to church and so vastly different from my grandma’s Lutheran service. I was swept up in the teachings of the charismatic doctrine.
    I experienced some spiritual abuse – for being an outspoken woman, asking questions for understanding, and then shamed for divorce. It was all very confusing and I had few truly wise counselors. Then two different self-proclaimed “Christian” employers abused their positions and fired me for arbitrary reasons when I needed a job the most.
    When I met my new husband, I began attending a Presbyterian church at his request since that’s what he grew up with. It was bland and a show for the rich in town.
    Moving around so much with the military has exposed our family to several different denominations and church experiences.
    We attended a fundamental Baptist church in Hawaii that confirmed everything I don’t want for my family. It was very legalistic and narrow-minded. They even had brochures in the lobby with scriptures supporting how women and children should appear and behave!
    Then we attended a Presbyterian church in Utah with an amazing pastor, but little in the way of adult Sunday school. We recently attended a Lutheran church, but it offers little in the way of spiritual growth for our family. The lay leaders are very liberal and the new pastor wants to make a lot of changes and compromises. We’re mostly just bored.
    I read a lot and I’m dismayed by the religious best sellers and their outright heretical teachings. So many Christians and churches support these authors and their books, having classes and conferences, spreading these lies that people devour since they don’t know any better. The children and I read devotionals and scripture every morning and evening together.
    It’s my job to seek out the truth for them.

  4. Respectful parenting

    I’m dealing with my own past and learning how to be more respectful towards my children. I grew up with extremely authoritarian parents, very conditional, walking on eggshells. I want to have a good relationship with my kids. We’ve gone away from punishment and rewards and it’s very liberating. I’ve changed my whole perspective on parenting and it’s very enjoyable. The kids and I have marvelous discussions about all sorts of things. I’m delighted at their interests and how well they get along with each other. I know I’m on the right track, and it feels revolutionary.
    I’m now highly aware of other parents when they disrespect their children and it saddens me. I realize that much of Western culture is still steeped in Puritanical beliefs that children should be seen and not heard and are incapable of making decisions even about their own bodies and needs. These beliefs create adults who can’t make decisions without an authority approving it. I should know!
    I know from experience that children are very capable and trustworthy.

  5. Being debt-free

    It’s important to us that we are not tied down financially. We are *this* close to being debt-free! We were once before, a few years ago, but we got sucked back into credit card debt.
    This decision greatly affects the way we live in that our priorities are different than most. We focus on investments for the future. We delay instant gratification for longer term benefits. We teach our kids the value of money.
    We simplified our needs and purged our stuff to only what we use regularly.
    When we desire to make a purchase, we think about it, pray about it, and often wait to see if it is truly needed or if a better deal comes along. Sometimes, the desire goes away or a different opportunity presents itself.
    We like to be able to travel frequently. It’s important that I show my kids the world to expand their views and educate them.

What decisions have affected your life?


Linking up: Life of Faith, Blogghetti. Proverbs 31 Wife, What Joy is Mine, Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth, Darling Downs Diaries, Donna Reidland, Marilyns Treats, A Fresh Start, Inspiration for Moms, Modest Mom, Curly Crafty Mom, Mrs. AOK, Practical Mom, Reflections of the Heart, Rich Faith Rising, Teaching What is Good, Holly Barrett, VMG206, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Tell Me a True Story, Pat and Candy, Holley Gerth, Jaime Wiebel, Christian Blogger Community, Messy Marriage, 3D Lessons 4Life, Penny’s Passion, Katherine’s Corner, Jamiffer, Bountiful Love, Women with Intention, Yearround Homeschooling, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Creative K Kids, Feeding Big, Classical Homemaking, Life with Lorelai, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Missional Women, Sincerely Paula, Create with Joy, RCH Reviews, The Diary of a Real Housewife, Being a Wordsmith,

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Comments

  1. #4 – you’ve put into words the very thing that I couldn’t have expressed when I was raising my children; all I knew for certain was that I wanted to parent very differently from how it was done in my family of origin. I’ve never regretted that path; though some people ridiculed me, I think my beautiful, educated, kind & sweet grown children appreciated the closeness of the family Mr Shoes & I raised.

    I came to visit you from Happiness is Homemade bloghop – hope you’ll make time to someday stop by my place & let me know you were there.

    Reply

  2. Jennifer, as I read this post I realized again how every decision not only affects us but our families. May we be wise women always seeking direction and wisdom from God and His Word. It is then we will be confident our decisions are right and best for everyone. Glad to be your neighbor this morning at Soul Survival. Have a great week!

    Reply

  4. These are all excellent decisions! In thinking of my future I hope I’ll remember to keep these in mind as I mature both as a person and as a christian. I know I eventually want to home-school (as I was) and I know my faith will be the leading of my home, but the one I hope to really keep in mind is the respectful parenting. I know I am young yet, but I constantly wonder if I’ll be a good parent and wonder about the kids that don’t even exist yet. As Mrs. Shoes said, you’ve put into words all that I hope for.

    Reply

  5. Your decisions and insights are very influential and inspirational. Thank you for being honest about your experiences and transformations. I think it’s great you’re developing a relationship with your children that is healthy both for their physical and mental well-being. It sounds like you trust them very deeply and value their points of view.

    Reply

  6. Wow! You go! Thank you for sharing a piece of your inspiring life! I love what you have to say about homeschooling. We are blessed with an amazing school system here, but any system is just that …as system. Individual learning is intriguing!
    Happy Tuesday, from the Tell Me A True Story link up!
    Megs

    Reply

  7. Wow. Yes to all five of these, especially respectful parenting. It can be hard sometimes to find the patience to parent this way, but it is so beneficial. I believe my faith and my caretaking of my special needs son have been two of the crucial decisions in my life as a parent. Parenting him and the decisions we make regarding his therapy and medical intervention continue to prove the most monumental in how and why I make the decisions that I do.

    Reply

  8. When my children were of school age, I had never heard of home schooling. Fortunately we had great public schools and they thrived except for our youngest. We entered her in a boarding school where the discipline was just what she needed. She graduated with honors and later joined the Air Force, where she received a college education and became a school teacher. I was raised in an Assembly of God Church that was very strict, due to the Pastor and his beliefs. It seems that each church, no matter the denomination will have it’s own personality and usually it has to do with the Pastor. I now attend an independent Pentecostal church that ministers to a varied group, married, divorced, single and many are in recovery and some are homeless. We do believe in Women in the Ministry, and I teach every week at our prayer service, where about 20 young men and a few women attend. The men are in a program to gain a high school diploma and re-enter society as Christian citizens. They inspire me each week with their eagerness to soak up Biblical Truth and not opinions. Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.

    Reply

    • Thanks for sharing your story with me. I’m glad y’all have good experiences. I love to hear good things! I just had a series of bad ones with several different denominations. I skimmed over the reasons, but the details would scald your ears.

      Reply

  9. We are a homeschooling, food-growing, deeply faith-based, debt-free family too. I agree that homeschooling is the best decision since regardless of how good a public school system is, the command to train our children (Pro 22) and teach them as we rise up and lie down and walk along the way (Deut 6) is given to the parents, not a government school system! Keep up the good work, and don’t give up on church. Remember that it isn’t just what you get out of church, it’s also what you BRING to church. Though there is never that “perfect” local body of believers, God does call His followers to be active in His body and work together to do glorify Him in all the earth.

    Reply

  10. JW.org has had the biggest impact on my life and how I live it. Everything published on the website is solely based on Bible scriptures and bible principles. Many people will try to say otherwise but if you ask them what they base their opinion on it’s solely on someone else’s opinion, not because they’ve searched or read anything on the website themselves….just haters. There are articles and incredble videos for all ages. Please check it out.
    It’s different and refreshing.

    Reply

  15. Jennifer, thanks for sharing your top 5 “Game Changing” decisions with #ThoughtProvokingThursday last week. I had a crazy week and am playing a little catch up today on my blog posts. — What you shared here really resonated with me. My hubby and I are working with a John Maxwell coach these days, and he is nudging us toward making the tough decisions that will help us to turn the tide toward growth and greater abundance in our hearts and our home. Your story inspired me to “keep at it.” Thanks xo

    Reply

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