Bye-Bye Realtor, Hello School

I have been working as a Realtor from home for the last 2 and 1/2 years. It has worked well, because I have been able to do a lot of helping for sale by owners. Which only requires me leaving the house twice and the rest is done by fax and phone. This has helped to provide some needed money in the past, but as the real estate market has deadened owners are having an extremely difficult time selling their houses which means I do not make anything. But I still have to pay my many fees each month. So I, like many other Realtors in a slow market, have been thinking about what I should do. I can not put more time and money into it, because I really can't go full time which is what is needed to be successful. I also just don't have the heart for it at this time because regular real estate does not mesh as well with being a homemaker, homeschooling mother and wife, helping FSBO's did, but unfortunately there has been no income from that lately.

So after much thought, prayer and study I have decided to go back to school to get my BA and then my teaching credential with the goal of being an ES in a charter school and helping others homeschool. I already spend a lot of time teaching others how to homeschool and I imagine I will do so for the next 25 years at least. As an ES I can set my schedule somewhat around my family, I can work part time, even to the point of just being the ES to my own children and I can hopefully have a bigger say in the direction of the Charter school we are involved with. Of course it will also supplement my husbands income while providing some benifits and retirement. This has been a hard decision for me mostly as I have wondered if this would be okay with God.

As I was contemplating this I read Mothers of the Prophets and learned that many of the mothers and wives of the prophets worked in fields that were compatible to their primary responsibilities. Some of them worked out of economic need and others simply to bless the lives of those around them. I read many quotes of the prophets about education and finances and the mothers need to stay focussed on the family, not because she couldn't do as well in a working environment, but because she is truly and deeply needed there. I read the scriptures of Proverbs 31, you know the one about Solomon's ideal woman. She is industrious, does earn income but she is still the guard of her home and her focus remains there even through all else she does. I reread my patriarchal blessing ecspecially the lines about my education and training which I had always wondered about. I compiled all of these verses and quotes and then I prayed. I felt immediately like this was right, and I would be able to find a way to keep my family and home as my priority while also pursuing this field of study. It was wonderful how clear the revelation was. I prayed about one school that was very cheap and felt very quickly like that it was not right, later I learned that it did not have the accredidation that I will need. I researched 14 online schools and kept going back to Ashford University. I prayed about that one and felt like it would be a very good choice. That was last week. I start the BA program in Psychology next tuesday. After a six year absence I will be returning to school. And I am looking forward to it.

As it is all online, I am actually thinking it will not be that hard to keep up with. I will work on it during quiet time and Kevin has said he will do the dishes and bathe and get the children ready for bed when I need to study in the evenings-that should give me more than enough time. I am just glad almost all of my school planning is already done for the year and my pre-fall cleaning and purging are half way done as well. I need to go work on my kitchen though. So I will say farewell for now.