Friday, March 23, 2007 11:23 PM CDT
Column: Conference reveals Mom’s heart is always at home
By DAWN SCHABBING, Features Writer
dschabbing@jg-tc.com
Recently, I attended the Hearts at Home national conference held at Illinois State University in Normal.
This was my fourth conference with the organization. It is a weekend event that my friends and I look forward to each year. I was introduced to the event by a friend at church about five years ago.
This year’s theme was “Extreme Home Makeover,” and it was designed to help women make small adjustments or big changes that all lead to a “home makeover.”
The weekend conference is designed especially for moms who want some Christian-based practical advice and encouragement in many areas of our lives -- parenting, family, marriage, finances, spiritual growth and personal growth.
Like each year I’ve attended this conference, there were plenty of resources, music, entertainment and an excellent keynote speaker.
The conference doubles as time away to meet with friends, listen to some experts on a variety of topics, and let Dad handle the full mothering responsibilities for one day out of the year.
At this conference, wife, mother, author and former actress Lisa Whelchel was the keynote speaker.
She was popular on “The Facts of Life” for nine years during the ’70s and ’80s, as the rich, snobbish Blair Warner. Before that, she was a Mousketeer for “The New Mickey Mouse Club.”
But in real life, her story was different. She became a Christian at the age of 10, and when her child acting career dried up, she considered it a gift from God that she be called into motherhood and as a wife.
Whelchel is witty and charming and a devoted Christian mother and wife. She has written 12 books on child-rearing and homeschooling and is the mother of three children.
Hearts at Home was founded in 1994 for moms who might feel overwhelmed and maybe even underappreciated, with the role one of the toughest jobs on earth.
The organization believes that family comes first and it encourages women who choose to be stay-at-home moms by giving them resources to help make it possible.
Hearts at Home means that even if Mom works outside the home, her “heart is always at home.” It wants moms to understand their God-given value and the important role they have for their children, their husband and their community.
According to the group’s Web site, Hearts at Home began as a small ministry to mothers at home in Bloomington. When the group decided to reach out to other communities, its first conference drew 1,100 women from 10 different states.
Each year, I’m amazed by how many women flock to ISU to attend the one- or two-day conference. This year there were 5,826 women attending the two-day event. On the first day that I attended, there were 2,533 women present.
The number of children represented by these women was 13,386.
There were at least 25 states represented, including California, Nebraska, New Jersey, Texas, New York, Kentucky, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa -- with 1,887 women from Illinois alone.
They shared data at the conference about numbers in attendance and who they represent. About 1,069 women were full-time, stay-at-home mothers; 593 were those who worked part time outside the home; 345 worked full time outside the home; and 262 work full time in the home with a business.
It would take a few more columns to cover all the tips and means of encouragement I personally gained from this conference. But to summarize, I’ll paraphrase the words from Hearts at Home founder Jill Savage, who also spoke at the conference.
Moms are not perfect. We can ask for help by reaching out to God for guidance, answers and strength. And one thing our children need in the home is the best mom and dad they can get.
Enjoy your journey in motherhood and appreciate all the challenges it brings.
For more information about the organization, check it out at www.hearts-at-home.org.
Dawn Schabbing is a features writer for the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier. Contact Schabbing at dschabbing@jg-tc.com or 238-6864.
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