Reflections: Feeling Lost and Powerless
I spun in circles, for years—trying to stitch myself into a pattern that was never made for me. I chased approval in all the usual places young girls do, longing to be seen, to be enough, to earn enough to be called worthy. But the more I fought, the more I frayed.
When I stepped away from the noise—quieted the voices of “should” and “shine”—I began to hear something truer. An old soul whisper that called me home.
Not to a trend or to perfection. But to a quiet life of rhythm and root. Presence over performance, connection over comparison or perfection. A life of independence and peace. A life where my soul could finally breathe.
The First Seeds Were Sown
What started with sewing decor for our firstborn’s nursery and planting our first family garden drew as much out of necessity as it did of passion. Gradually, we added on more skills and changed our lifestyle to create a more self-sustainable lifestyle that prioritizes God, family, community, and stewardship of the land.
Gardening was our gateway into our homesteading mission.
I found a glimpse of hope in harvesting something that I grew with my own hands. From the beauty of picking our own flowers to the awe of making stir-fry entirely from our own backyard, gardening has given our family a myriad of fulfilling experiences that make us love a serene life with nature.
Season by season, we added a few skills at a time. Our core beliefs transformed our way of life. From our struggle grew a mission to create a more self-sustainable lifestyle that prioritizes God, family, community, and stewardship of the land- a life of independence and freedom.
The Power of Homesteading
Learning from these challenges taught us the essence of a more sustainable and authentic life characterized by independence, freedom, love and community.
Food security
Growing, cooking, and preserving my food instead of relying on outside food supply chains gives us control over how we fuel our bodies today and in the future. It’s true that we still buy food, but our freedom isn’t found in doing everything ourselves. It’s found in giving ourselves choices. We know that with each meal we grow or preserve, we’ve taken one more gentle step toward the life we believe in.
Financial Savings
What we no longer spend on grocery aisles and fleeting convenience, we now steward elsewhere: Into long tables filled with laughter, family memories our children will carry fondly, the quiet work of building a soul-fulfilling life, generosity and the quiet needs of our community. This, too, is provision. Not just for our own, but for the ones God has placed near. A kind of faithfulness our grandmothers would have called abundance.
Skill Development
We’ve gathered new skills slowly—animal care, gardening, preparing, even a bit of carpentry and technology. Some are old as the hills, passed down through generations. Others are new, learned out of necessity and grace. But all of them shape us. Each task—whether tending the soil or troubleshooting a broken hinge—teaches patience, stirs gratitude, and strengthens our ability to care for those we love.
These everyday labors are not just chores. They’ve become our shared language. Everyday tasks become an adventure of appreciation and resourcefulness.
Environmental Mindfulness
Our quiet pursuit of mindful living—choosing what is needed, reusing what is good, and treading lightly upon the land—it’s about more than today. It’s bigger than ourselves. We’re planting seeds for the generations who will walk these fields after us- literally and spiritually. It’s our way of saying: we were here, and we cared well.
Mindfulness
Homesteading drew me back into the steady rhythm of nature—sunrise and seedtime, stillness and surprises. With each passing day, we’re learning to walk slower, notice more, and cherish the quiet journey toward a life of deeper meaning—one rooted in God’s timing, not the world’s pace.
Connection To Our People
In choosing a simpler way, we’ve found ourselves not only closer to the land—but closer to each other. The soil taught us patience; the seasons taught us trust. Some time along the way, the quiet bonds of family grew deeper. We laughed more. We lingered longer.
Beyond our own walls, we found kindred spirits—neighbors, mentors, fellow keepers of the old ways. In their presence, I was reminded: we were never meant to build a meaningful life alone. There’s strength in shared work. There’s beauty in becoming part of something bigger than ourselves.
Disconnection From Government Intervention
Our wisdom gained through immersion in homesteading led us to advocate for freedom from government overreach. By relying on internal and local resources, we regain control over our family’s wellness and reduce dependency on “higher-power” systems. Every step towards self-sufficiency reaffirms our core belief in a lifestyle grounded in autonomy and meaningful living.
Leaving a Lasting Impression
Together, these experiences wove a richer tapestry of life grounded in the joys of simplicity.
Over time, our homesteading desire transformed into a powerful stand: choosing meaningful connections and real-life experiences over the shallowness of endless consumption. We welcome harmony with nature over the allure of convenience and the grip of corporate and government interests.
