Search : Ministry of Motherhood

Please take a minute to rate this podcast and leave a review on iTunes.
Join Yvette Hampton and Aby Rinella in this very real discussion about how important the ministry of motherhood is. Above ALL other ministry, our children and husbands should be our primary ministry.
Aby Rinella is a speaker for the live, interactive, online 2020 Homegrown Generation Family Expo. Register today for over 35 hours of homeschool encouragement and instruction. There are currently 29 sessions, with new sessions every week, on topics from homeschool styles and methods, to parenting, discipleship, and even homeschooling special needs students. Lifetime access is just $20.
 
Titus 2:3-5 (ESV)
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”
Watch the first half of this interview (25 minutes) for free on YouTube. Backstage Pass Members can watch the full interview (1-hour) here.
Proverbs 31: 10-12 and 26-30 (ESV)
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
******************************
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum? CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Creative graphics and animation, synchronized with the friendly voice of internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, make learning math easy and effective. Visit CTCmath.com today to start your free trial today. 
Whether you are just considering homeschooling for the first time or you are a homeschooling veteran in need of a little encouragement, the Homegrown Generation Family Expo is for you. Registration includes immediate, life-time access to over 35 hours of encouraging video and audio, and a wealth of homeschool resources.
Do you believe in homeschooling?
Help spread the word that homeschooling is good for students. It’s good for families. It’s good for AMERICA!  Go to SchoolhouseRocked.com/support and join the movement to spread the word about homeschooling through movie theaters nationwide.
 
Support this podcast.
 
Read the full transcript of this episode: (Automated transcript. Spelling and grammar errors are guaranteed)
Yvette Hampton:           Okay. Hey everyone, welcome back to the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast. I hope you are having a fantastic day today. I am back with my amazing friend Aby Rinella or Abinella as you heard in my intro for part one and we are talking about the ministry of motherhood. If you have not listened to part one, go back and listen to that because we left you with a cliffhanger and so we're continuing on that conversation. So go back and listen to that first but Aby welcome back. Thank you.
Aby Rinella:                  Thanks for having me. And thank you so much for just being vulnerable and willing to share your heart about what God is doing in your life and the lessons he's teaching you because they're not unique to you. There are lessons we all need to learn and it just it's humbling and a blessing to hear you talk about it.
Yvette Hampton:           Well thank you. All for God's grace, all for God's glory by his grace, not for his grace-
Aby Rinella:                  By his grace.
Yvette Hampton:           And for his glory. I want people to like you said at the end of the last podcast, to just know we're in this together. This is real life, this is what we deal with as Christians, as Homeschool moms, as wives and so I want to be real. I want people to know just where I'm at. So we were talking in the last episode about just the conviction that the Lord has brought to me of having my priorities a little bit flip flopped in regards to the ministry of my family and the ministry of Schoolhouse Rocked and how he really just impressed upon me when I was away for a few days that I had it all backwards and mixed up. And I'm so grateful for that, I'm so grateful for his very gentle reminders.
Yvette Hampton:           And so I was telling you about how I came back from that weekend away and I was able to talk with Garritt. We went for a family walk and I was able to just open up to him. I mean he's a wonderful husband so I'm always able to share my heart with him. As a matter of fact, we've been married 25 years which is incredible.
Aby Rinella:                  Wow.
Yvette Hampton:           I know. By God's grace-
Aby Rinella:                  That's a quarter of a century.
Yvette Hampton:           I know. Isn't that amazing?
Aby Rinella:                  No, yes. That's incredible.
Yvette Hampton:           Wait you just doubted yourself for a second.
Aby Rinella:                  No, that's a quarter of a decade, quarter century? Century, a hundred years. You guys are well on your way to a century.
Yvette Hampton:           We are. I know. It's amazing and you-
Aby Rinella:                  And considering you're only 26.
Yvette Hampton:           I know, isn't that amazing? But in our-
Aby Rinella:                  Congratulations.
Yvette Hampton:           Thank you. In our 25 years of marriage, he's learned to read me sometimes better than I can read myself and so I was able to just open up to him and I just shared all of this with him and just said I don't know what direction to go. I need to just step down from my daily grind of Schoolhouse Rocked and fundraising and because that's actually been the biggest part of my job is fundraising for the movie. And so said I just need to step down. I need to give my two week notice and be done with that and not completely done with ministry of course, but I really need to shift my priorities and he's so just... And let me really quickly, let me back up because one of the reasons why I feel so passionate about the ministry that God has called us to is because I get to do it with my husband.
Yvette Hampton:           We get to work side by side and I think of the Proverbs 31 woman which actually want to talk about in a minute, but I think about that Proverbs 31 woman and the Titus two woman and how the Lord calls us to support our husbands. And so because of that, I felt like well I need to do this. I wasn't going out and working at another job nine to five and then coming home and not having anything left. I was actually working side by side with my husband ad so it felt like it should be right but for many months now it has felt wrong and we have felt like our family is just broken. Like it hasn't made sense and I haven't been able to put my finger on it. Garritt really hasn't because we're so consumed with ministry work.
Aby Rinella:                  Well there it is, there's the finger on it. So consumed with ministry work right?
Yvette Hampton:           Right, consumed exactly.
Aby Rinella:                  Because we should not be consumed by any that shouldn't consume us above our family and husbands and children.
Yvette Hampton:           Right. And that's what we've seen happening. And so we've just felt like we're in a state of emotional chaos and it's been really hard trying to just figure out what in the world, what do we change? What do we need to do? How do we need to do to fix this? Not that we need to fix it, but really trying to think Lord, what are you trying to teach me through all of this?
Aby Rinella:                  And isn't God's faithfulness amazing that you prayed that, you guys were on that same page and look how faithful he was to show you. He was so faithful to show you because you were faithful to listen.
Yvette Hampton:           Yeah. Well what's interesting too is I talked with you about this after the fact and you said, "I've been praying for you about this."
Aby Rinella:                  I totally did the same exact. God put in my heart for my friend.
Yvette Hampton:           It's so amazing. And then I talked with another friend of mine a few days ago we went and had coffee together and she said, "You have been so heavy on my heart. I've been praying for you." And so it's neat that the Lord has even put it on the hearts of other friends and family members who've been praying for us who didn't even really know. I mean, I couldn't have told you this is what I need prayer for. So anyway, back to our walk. We were walking, I was talking with Garritt and just saying this is where I'm at and I need step away from full time Schoolhouse Rocked ministry and really focus on our family, on our girls and because I miss them. Brooklyn is 14 we only have a few more years left with her and I feel like we have almost missed the last three years with her.
Yvette Hampton:           Not completely, I mean we're with them all day, but I'm not really with them and so when that hit me that she's going to be gone in a few years that was the point where I just said it has to be done. I have to reprioritize and then you and I were talking and one of the things that you said was how unfortunate would it be if you got to the end of all of this, Brooklyn's ready to fly the coop and she hates everything about Homeschooling. She hates family. She has no relationship with the Lord or with you or with Garritt because we were so consumed with ministry.
Aby Rinella:                  With ministry exactly. And it reminds me of that verse that unless the Lord builds our house it's all in vain.
Yvette Hampton:           Yeah, that's right. And that's what I feel like we've been doing unintentionally. And so Garritt and I mean very quickly, there was not even any hesitation at all he just said it's time for you to be done. It's time for you to step down and just to be full time wife and mom. And again I'll continue to do the podcast and I will still do things it's not like I'm going to completely shut out Schoolhouse Rocked, but it's not going to be my first ministry. And so it was so good to have just his stamp of approval and his encouragement and backing with this. And so later-
Aby Rinella:                  Because any husband needs a wife, he needs a wife.
Yvette Hampton:           Yes. Right.
Aby Rinella:                  He knows his girls need a mama.
Yvette Hampton:           That's right. So later that evening the girls got ready for bed and we had our family prayer time and then I was able to just sit with them and you know about me Aby and those who are close to me know I am not a crier, I do not. I am not an emotional person. I have feelings for sure and I can be expressive, but I am not emotional at all. It takes a lot for me to cry.
Aby Rinella:                  And I cry enough for both of us so.
Yvette Hampton:           Right. And I was just so broken by this whole thing and what the Lord had shown me and so I went to my girls and I just said girls, I need to talk with you about something and they're 14 and nine and I told them all of this and I said, "This is what the Lord has shown me over the past few days and he started preparing me for this weeks ago." And I said "I am so sorry." And I had to go to them and I had to apologize and I just had to say, "Girls I have missed you and my priorities have not been right and I am so sorry that in the name of Schoolhouse Rocked and in the name of this ministry that's all about family discipleship and motherhood and Homeschooling, I've missed it somehow. And I've put you on the back burner and you've been choking on my dust for a few years now." And I mean the tears started flowing from all of us I actually cried Aby.
Aby Rinella:                  Wow.
Yvette Hampton:           You would have been so proud.
Aby Rinella:                  I would have been so proud.
Yvette Hampton:           But the look in their eyes of the relief and when I just said, I'm back. I'm going to be a full time mom now and I'm done with the 50 hours a week of Schoolhouse Rocked ministry and the funny thing was Brooklyn said, "Does this mean you're going to actually help us with school now?"
Aby Rinella:                  Oh my goodness.
Yvette Hampton:           Here we are making a movie about Homeschooling and doing a podcast about Homeschooling and I said yes. And it was just such a sweet time and we cried together and we hugged a lot and I got to just hold them and I cannot tell you how just freeing it was and I literally felt like someone had lifted this enormous weight off of my shoulders. And they were so happy and they just were like, "Mom, we're so glad to have you back." And a few days later, Brooklyn said to me, we went to dinner, just the two of us and she said to me she goes, "Mom I'm so excited and I'm so glad that we get you back." She said, "Because just a few weeks ago you were recording a podcast with somebody about motherhood and the importance of being there with your kids." And she goes, "And all I could think was but you're not really here with us."
Aby Rinella:                  Oh my goodness.
Yvette Hampton:           And I hear that from my 14 year old daughter. And so she just was like, "Mom, I'm so glad. I'm so excited to have you back." And so it's just so neat. The Lord is giving us time as a family to really regroup. We're taking a few weeks off we're recording this podcast a little bit prior to when it's going to air, but in a few weeks we're taking a two week sabbatical just our family. We're going to take some time off. We have an amazing friend who has offered us to stay in their Lake house and we're going to go for two weeks and we're going to just reset and have some time to just breathe and renew our family and then be able to come back and start all over and that is the beauty of the God that we serve.
Aby Rinella:                  Absolutely.
Yvette Hampton:           He gives us second chances and-
Aby Rinella:                  And third chances and fourth chances.
Yvette Hampton:           Millionth chances.
Aby Rinella:                  He does.
Yvette Hampton:           Because he is full of grace and mercy and I'm so grateful for the things that he shows us and for his gentle discipline and his gentle reprimands and how he has used several people over the past few weeks in my life. Not even knowing what they were saying and you're one of them Aby, people just speaking truth without really realizing what it was leading up to. So in light of that I've been thinking through a couple of pieces of script scripture and I would love to hear some of your take on all of that but two of them and I mentioned them earlier is Titus two three... Actually let's take a quick break.
Aby Rinella:                  Okay.
Yvette Hampton:           And then we're going to come back and I want to talk about some scripture that the Lord has really put on my heart.
Aby Rinella:                  Awesome.
Yvette Hampton:           Okay. We are back with Aby and we are talking about the ministry of motherhood. And before the break I wanted to talk about some scripture that the Lord had put on my heart and one of them many of you are going to be familiar with it and for those who are not I would encourage you to go read the whole book of Titus. But Titus 2:3-5 is such an important passage for us as Christian women and as moms. And it says, this is the ESV version, it says "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husbands and children. To be self controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands" and this is the important part I need a drum roll here-
Aby Rinella:                  [drum roll sounds]
Yvette Hampton:           "That the word of God may not be reviled." and I love that passage of scripture because that is really as Christian women who we are called to be. we are called to teach what is good, we are called to train the younger women in that in my family that is my daughters. God has given me two daughters and it is no one is going to train them the way that I will be able to train them by the grace of God and I can't do that if I'm completely consumed with ministry and doing other things. And to love my husband I need to spend time focusing on my husband and our relationship with one another. And to love their children to be self controlled, pure working at home. It's so good thing-
Aby Rinella:                  It's a great thing.
Yvette Hampton:           Society wants to make us think that if we're not working outside of the home, that somehow we're not doing enough.
Aby Rinella:                  Fulfilling our purpose.
Yvette Hampton:           Right.
Aby Rinella:                  Right. And I think about when it's doing enough I like how you say that. I think there's always going to be someone else that can do all these other aspects of ministry. There's going to be someone else that can make the phone calls, there's going to be someone else that can do all these other things, but there is no person that can replace you in your child's life as their mother. And the scary part is if you're not there, they're going to go looking for someone to replace that but there is nobody that can replace you. Someone else can write the email, someone else can make the phone calls and we're not saying don't serve. We're not saying don't serve in the church or in your community. We are not saying that, but we are saying that anything that comes at the expense of your children is not a good thing even if it looks good.
Aby Rinella:                  That there is only one mom for your kids and that's the one that God made for them. And we also feel this isn't enough. Sometimes sitting at home, wiping rear ends, cleaning the dishes, doing the laundry. We feel like these aren't big things to make a big impact in the world for our big Jesus. Sometimes we feel like we have to do these bigger things, but I think it comes down to do we trust God to do the big things while we're faithful in the small things? And when you were talking about scripture in Matthew I look at the Canaanite woman and you know what she did? She cried out to Jesus. That's literally what she did. She prayed, she prayed. She had a demon possessed daughter and she didn't go out and do all these big things. She cried out to Jesus. She prayed and that is our job as moms is are we praying for our kids or are we too busy doing the big things?
Aby Rinella:                  The things we think are big, but you know what if it weren't for that mama the turnout of that child would have been very different. And then I think of you mentioned Proverbs 31 which really that was King Lemuel's mom and we look at all the big things she did. She bought land and she sold land and you know that's kind of intimidating but do you know what that passage really is? That was her teaching her son. That whole part of Proverbs 31 is a mom sitting down teaching her son God's ways. That is what Proverbs 31 was. He was looking for a wife, he was not yet married and she sat down and she was teaching him what God wanted in a woman and what did that mom do? She taught her son about Godliness and wisdom.
Aby Rinella:                  She didn't say, I don't have time or you know what? I have this other job to do that's more important. Or let me send this email or let me. No, she sat down and she talked to him and she taught him God's way. These are little things, praying for our kids we don't really think that's big. Sitting down and talking to our kids, we don't think that's big. And then I always think about the boy with the fish who brought his fish and his loaves and Jesus did this incredible miracle for thousands of people. And I think you know what? There was a mama somewhere that packed that little boy's lunch. And all three of these women, the Canaanite woman, King Lemuel's mom, the mama that pack the lunch there's no names in there.
Aby Rinella:                  They don't have names. We kind of think oh, they're just unimportant women we didn't even have a name for them. But they did the most incredible things and we think all they do is sit at home and pack lunches and wipe bums sorry, that one keeps coming but it doesn't sound like a very glorious job, right? We don't think that's going to make an impact on the kingdom, but there was a mom who took the time to pack a little lunch and I always picture speaking of imagery, a little brown bag, which I'm sure that's not what he packed in. And she took the time to do the small menial tasks that we're called to do as moms and God used those little things to make huge impacts, waves rippling down to where we're still reading those stories today. So moms, if you want to make an impact on the culture around you, if you want to make a wave in the world be mom first. Do the things that we need to do first, love your kids, pray for your kids, talk to your kids, make them the lunches, play the games, teach them truth and that is the big ministry of motherhood.
Yvette Hampton:           Yes, yes. Oh, I love that so much, Aby. When I was pregnant with Brooklyn, I had a mom say to me once she said, "Become the wife and mom that you want her to become." And that has always stuck with me. And if you have sons you be the wife and mom that you want your sons to marry. I mean, there is no greater thing and I would never want my daughters to grow up with my grandchildren and have to completely constantly push them to the side. I'm sorry, I don't have time for you. I'm sorry I don't have time even though you're sitting right next to me. I'm present, but I'm not really present.
Aby Rinella:                  Right. I'm too busy.
Yvette Hampton:           I'm too busy. And that's not God's heart for family. And I love you talking about the Proverbs 31 woman and as I was reading through that passage today there were a few verses in there that I want to point out. And verses 10-12 it says and it's all about a woman who fears the Lord that's what Proverbs 31 is. And verses 10-12 says "An excellent wife who can find she is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm all the days of her life." And then you skip down to verse 26 and there's a whole bunch of stuff in the middle of what she does but you go down to verse 26 and it says "She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." And let me just stop there for a second because oftentimes when we're so busy and so consumed with other things-
Aby Rinella:                  We snap.
Yvette Hampton:           We're not very kind.
Aby Rinella:                  No, we snap at them.
Yvette Hampton:           We don't have the patience for our kids and this says the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Well we can't teach something we don't have and so if we're not being kind our children aren't going to be kind to one another to us, to others. And then it continues on, it says "She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her. Many women have done exceedingly but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." And I love that it ends with but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised because it's all about him, all of it. It's all about him. It's all about pointing our kids towards Christ. And I mess up as a mom all the time but how heartbreaking it would be for my girls to come out of our home.
Yvette Hampton:           We only have them for such a short time and if they left my home and felt like I wasn't there for them, and like I put everyone and everything else above them which really is what I have been doing. How sad would that be for them to just walk away and I would have no relationship with them. And its all about-
Aby Rinella:                  Right, right and how dishonoring to God really because really the big picture is and where our motive as moms come from is it must be the Lord. We aren't doing this mom thing for any other reason that God has called us to do it. And this is our God given purpose and when we embrace that we no longer have this emptiness and I need to be doing more and I'm not doing enough and I need to be doing something bigger because we are seeing this big picture that this is God's calling. And honestly when I slack in this area, I'm dishonoring God. I'm not answering the call that he's given me and it's really not about me. It's about... I mean think, just think I get so excited about what motherhood is. We are raising people who will worship God. I mean it's about God.
Aby Rinella:                  And if I get too busy, I'm sacrificing worshipers right? And we are raising the future heads of homes. And I know we talked about early we want to make an impact on the world. Well, the best way we can make an impact on the world is by raising Godly men that will lead a home and by raising Godly women who will teach and train her children in him. That's going to be what impacts a world. So we have to have the right perspective that none of this is about me and it really isn't even about my kids either it's about God and the way that he designed things to work the best. So when we have that perspective, we can wipe those little bums with joy because we know that we are doing kingdom work when we are doing the menial things day to day.
Yvette Hampton:           Absolutely. I cannot not agree more and it seems insignificant, it so often seems like another math lesson, another-
Aby Rinella:                  Another meal-
Yvette Hampton:           Another meal, another 20 minutes of sitting with my child while they go c a t teaching them how to read. It seems-
Aby Rinella:                  Right. Another fight and helping them resolve, another fire I'm putting out.
Yvette Hampton:           Right. I mean there are so many things in our day to day life that just seem meaningless and none of them are meaningless. Every single thing we do with our kids has an impact.
Aby Rinella:                  Is an act of worship, yes.
Yvette Hampton:           Well it should be an active worship and they all are going to impact our kids one way or another, either negatively or positively. And there's no perfect mom, there's no perfect parent so we're often going to have negative impacts on our kids, but what are we characterized by really? And what do we want our kids to be characterized by? And so we have been given such a gift of being able to have these precious children that God has entrusted to us. It is our job to steward those children into embraced their hearts not just take care of their physical needs. And no matter what ministry it is, it could be church ministry, it can be something like what we're doing, or maybe you're a blogger or maybe you do foster care. That's one that I've seen... I mean, I think foster care is amazing. Absolutely it's so desperately needed but I've seen it happen where the foster family it's their whole family is completely overwhelmed with foster care in the name of ministry and they've forgotten their first ministry. And I'm not saying that foster care is bad, I'm just saying what are your priorities right?
Aby Rinella:                  None of these things are bad as long as they don't come before. Just like anything in life. Marriage is good but if my marriage comes before Christ it's no longer good. Anything we have to have it goes Jesus, husband, children and then all the other things. And when we can get those things, when we can get our house in order, things are going to go smoothly. And that's just the reality of it.
Yvette Hampton:           Right. Because the Lord will honor our obedience. And I think it's constantly having to check and recheck and trusting that the Lord is going to provide the things that we feel like we're lacking in. And again, it's his kingdom work and so with me with Schoolhouse Rocked I will do what I can do when I can do it and everything else I'm going to trust the Lord.
Aby Rinella:                  Yeah. If he wants it done, he's going to get it done. He is God.
Yvette Hampton:           That's right. He does not need me to accomplish his will. So Aby thank you for being my prayer warrior. You have been such an amazing blessing and thank you for those of you who listen to the podcast. I cannot tell you what a blessing it is to get random messages for people. It's so often comes at just the right time or somebody will send me an email or they'll message me on Facebook or text message me and just say, "Just thinking about you today. I'm praying for you or how can I pray for you?" And we need that in the body of Christ. We need to do that for one another. We need to come alongside our mama friends, link arms with them and say, how can I support you? How can I help you? How can I pray for you? What are you struggling with?
Yvette Hampton:           And then we need to be real with one another and we need to just keep pressing on in doing what the Lord has called us to do. So I'm just so grateful for this ministry. I still strongly obviously believe in it but the ministry of my family is my first and most important ministry. So please pray for us as we continue to move forward with Schoolhouse Rocked and as I'm stepping down, pray for Garritt because now I don't know this is going to put a heavier load on him but again, we're trusting that the Lord is going to just take care of it. He's going to accomplish-
Aby Rinella:                  I think it's going to put a heavier load on the Lord and he can handle it because he is God.
Yvette Hampton:           He really can that's right. That is exactly.
Aby Rinella:                  He can handle all of it. Well thank you for sharing this because it encourages all of us because I think that we constantly need to be stepping back and reevaluating. I noticed with Homeschool moms, we do it in the fall. We get all our ducks in the row in the fall, and then we have the February meltdown where we redo it again. Right? But we need to constantly be saying, are my priorities? So you've inspired me. You've inspired me to go out and honestly it to ask my kids, do you feel like mom was there for you or do you feel like I'm not? And our husbands, am I available the way that you need me to be available or do I seem too busy? So thank you for spurring all of us on with your vulnerability.
Yvette Hampton:           Well, it is what the Lord is doing in me right now.
Aby Rinella:                  It's a good thing.
Yvette Hampton:           And so I'm glad to share it because it's hard to be vulnerable sometimes and to share the reality of our lives but at the same time, I know it's not just me. I know I'm not the only one who's dealing with this issue of priorities and of motherhood.
Aby Rinella:                  Well I can't wait to see what God's going to do. When you start making those little sack lunches he's going to feed thousands through your obedience.
Yvette Hampton:           But wait a minute. Why do I need to make sack lunches when we eat at home? I'm confused.
Aby Rinella:                  Yeah that's true.
Yvette Hampton:           Unless we go to the park.
Aby Rinella:                  And you can now because you're going to be doing more of that.
Yvette Hampton:           Do you make sack lunches for your kids at home?
Aby Rinella:                  No, I don't.
Yvette Hampton:           Do you put little notes in them and stuff. And your like your kids-
Aby Rinella:                  In the summer I'll pack them lunches to take out in the backyard because they think that's great fun.
Yvette Hampton:           Yes it is. So well, you say in the summer because you live in stinking freezing Idaho but-
Aby Rinella:                  That's true.
Yvette Hampton:           I'm in Georgia where it's like 75 degrees today-
Aby Rinella:                  Oh yeah you can do that all year round. Go make a sack lunch. Well we are so excited to see what God does with your family, with the ministry of Schoolhouse Rocked and with your ministry of the Hampton family.
Yvette Hampton:           Yeah. The Ham Fam as my friend [Jesse 00:53:11] calls it.
Aby Rinella:                  The Ham Fam I love that.
Yvette Hampton:           I think she gets that from Cam Fam, which is Kurt Cameron's ministry-
Aby Rinella:                  Oh that's funny.
Yvette Hampton:           The Cam Fam studio so she calls us Ham fam but anyway, thank you Aby and thank you guys for listening today.
Aby Rinella:                  Thank you.
Yvette Hampton:           You are such a blessing and again as I said at the end of the last podcast, we would love it if you would tell us how the ministry of Schoolhouse Rocked is impacting you, how this podcast is impacting you, how Homegrown Generation Family Expo has impacted you, our blog, our social media, whatever it is. We would just love to know that we are making a difference in your life and that it has been a blessing to you and to your family. And if there are questions that you want answered and any way that we can serve you let us know.
Yvette Hampton:           I will do the podcast so I won't answer all your questions but I will answer some and so just let us know. If there are podcast episodes that you would like us to do, if there are certain things you would like us to address, let us know. If there are certain guests that you'd like to hear on the podcast, let us know. We would be glad to invite some of them on and so we're in this for God's glory and to serve you. So let us know how we can do that. You can learn more of course at SchoolhouseRocked.com and make sure you share with your friends. So thank you guys so much for being with us today. Have a fantastic rest of your week. And Aby, thank you for being a blessing to me and a prayer warrior-
Aby Rinella:                  Thank you.
Yvette Hampton:           And we will be back next week. Have a good day. Bye.
Aby Rinella:                  Bye.
 
 

Please take a minute to rate this podcast and leave a review on iTunes.
Join Yvette Hampton and Aby Rinella in this very real discussion about how important the ministry of motherhood is. Above ALL other ministry, our children and husbands should be our primary ministry.
Aby Rinella is a speaker for the live, interactive, online 2020 Homegrown Generation Family Expo. Register today for over 35 hours of homeschool encouragement and instruction. There are currently 29 sessions, with new sessions every week, on topics from homeschool styles and methods, to parenting, discipleship, and even homeschooling special needs students. Lifetime access is just $20.
 
Titus 2:3-5 
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”
 
Watch the video of this interview (25 minutes) for free on YouTube. Backstage Pass Members can watch the full interview (1-hour) here.
Proverbs 31: 10-12 and 26-30 (ESV)
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
******************************
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum? CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Creative graphics and animation, synchronized with the friendly voice of internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, make learning math easy and effective. Visit CTCmath.com today to start your free trial today. 
Whether you are just considering homeschooling for the first time or you are a homeschooling veteran in need of a little encouragement, the Homegrown Generation Family Expo is for you. Registration includes immediate, life-time access to over 35 hours of encouraging video and audio, and a wealth of homeschool resources.
Do you believe in homeschooling?
Help spread the word that homeschooling is good for students. It’s good for families. It’s good for AMERICA!  Go to SchoolhouseRocked.com/support and join the movement to spread the word about homeschooling through movie theaters nationwide.
 
Support this podcast.
 
Read the full transcript of this episode: (Automated transcript. Spelling and grammar errors are guaranteed)
Yvette Hampton:           Hey everyone, this is Yvette Hampton. Welcome back to the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast. I am on today with my amazing friend Aby Rinella who our family lovingly calls Abinella because why waste time separating the words Aby Rinella? It's just so much easier to just say Abinella, It really makes a lot more sense.
Aby Rinella:                  All about efficiency.
Yvette Hampton:           Right? As Homeschool moms, it's what we have to do. We have to really make the best use of our time.
Aby Rinella:                  That's awesome.
Yvette Hampton:           So, Oh goodness. Well Aby, thank you for being on with me today. I actually texted you this morning and I was like, "Hey, you want to jump on a podcast with me this afternoon?" And we both scrambled to rearrange our day to make this happen. And part of the reason is because both you and I have been talking a whole lot over the last several weeks, but specifically over the last week just about some motherhood things. And the Lord has really put this podcast episode on my heart and so I said, I really feel like we need to record this one and as always you jumped on board with me and so here we are.
Aby Rinella:                  Here we are because this is an incredible message that I think every woman feels it is this motherhood thing. And we're in the midst, we're all busy so we need to be able to sit down and talk about motherhood and priorities of motherhood and what God says motherhood is.
Yvette Hampton:           Yeah, that's right. We've titled this when the ministry of motherhood and I want to tell a little bit of my story and give a little bit more insight into my world. Last week I was invited, while I wasn't invited last week, but several months ago I was invited to an event that took place last week at BJU Press and it was a great event. I loved getting to go and learning more about BJU Press and their ministry there and all the things that they do there. They're a fantastic organization but the interesting thing that happened while I was there was that for the first time in a really, really long time I was able to step out of my everyday normal, my little box of life and what I just am normally used to.
Yvette Hampton:           And the Lord had really been working on my heart for several weeks in regards to some things and so I really want to be vulnerable here and just share it and I know I've shared with you, but I just felt like I need to share with my audience, with our audience what God is doing and the things that he is showing me. So it goes back to a few weeks ago. Well, let me back up. Sorry if I seem so scattered here. Most people who listen to this podcast unless they're brand new to the podcast or to the ministry of Schoolhouse Rocked. They have a little bit of a glimpse into my life and to this ministry that the Lord has called us to and when I say us, I'm talking about my husband Garritt and myself and our two daughters and we've spent the last three and a half years of our lives pouring every ounce of our being into the ministry of Schoolhouse Rocked.
Yvette Hampton:           We have filmed a movie, we have done this podcast now for a year and a half, we have a blog, we have our social media staff, I mean there's just so many things that are going on at one time. And we are certain that the Lord has called us to do all of these things and called us to this ministry. And I've been feeling for most of those three years that we've been doing Schoolhouse Rocked, the ministry of Schoolhouse Rocked I have felt pulled in many different directions. Sometimes more than others, but for the most part I have felt like I am being pulled in a million different directions and there's just not enough of me to go around. And I know Homeschool moms often feel that because there's so many things vying for our attention. We're constantly having people asking us to do things in the name of ministry and we've got our family who we need to attend to and we've got church responsibilities and we have just so many things going on.
Yvette Hampton:           So this has been my world where we have just literally poured everything into this ministry and it's been amazing. We are so grateful. We pray daily for the ministry of Schoolhouse Rocked. We pray that God would use our family to impact his kingdom in the most amazing way and in the way that he has called us to do it because it's all for his glory, it's not for our glory. And in doing so I have found myself completely consumed by ministry and people often ask me how do you do that? How do you work full time and how do you find time to still Homeschool your kids and be a mom and do all of the other things? And I keep saying I don't know. It just happens, somehow the Lord just brings it all together and he just orchestrates our lives and our schedule.
Yvette Hampton:           And at the same time I constantly and we've talked about this on the podcast before, I constantly have this feeling of mom guilt like I'm just not doing enough with everything. I feel like I'm failing with my kids, with my husband, with the ministry, with Homeschooling, with everything. Like things are just falling to pieces but there's a little bit of stickiness holding, kind of post it note kind of sticky. I'm not talking gorilla glue kind of sticky-
Aby Rinella:                  A little breeze and it's gone.
Yvette Hampton:           Right. Just barely hanging on by a thread. And so it's been a really hard thing for me to deal with. So several weeks ago a good friend of mine, she sent me a text message and she said, "Hey, I just was thinking about you and I was..." And she's a veteran Homeschool mom, she Homeschooled all five of her kids. And well actually Connie Alberts, I think you are familiar with her she's one of the cast members in the movie. She was a speaker for Homegrown Generation and just a sweet friend. And so she just randomly out of the blue, she sent me this text message and she said, "I was thinking about you and I was looking at some pictures of my kids when they were growing up when they were younger." And she said, "I just wanted to remind you to keep your priorities straight." And I was like, yeah, I know I need to do that and I feel like I am doing that but why is it so hard? And so she texted me back a little bit later and she's saying, "I hope that didn't offend you or hurt your feelings. I just felt like I needed to say that."
Yvette Hampton:           And I was like, "No, that didn't offend me at all. I'm really glad that you said that and reminded me about that." And then fast forward a few weeks and a while back Heidi St. John she had a podcast and you and I both listen to her podcast all the time and she was talking about the same thing. And she was talking about ministry and how oftentimes they've seen their families just crumble in light of ministry because ministry can take over your life. And when I say ministry, I'm not talking about necessarily that your husband is a pastor or that you are a missionary out on the mission field or any of those things. If you are committed to doing what the Lord has called you to do no matter what that is it's ministry. Because he's called us all to some sort of ministry. We can either say yes or we can say no but sometimes we get completely overwhelmed and the ministry takes over our lives.
Yvette Hampton:           So anyway, Heidi was doing this podcast and she was answering a question from a mom and basically just said "Don't allow ministry to consume you and to be to the detriment of your family." And that again, it was like the Lord just pricked my heart and just was like, "Are you listening? Are you listening to what she's saying?" And then I think you called me the next day Aby and you were like-
Aby Rinella:                  And I was like, "Did you hear that?"
Yvette Hampton:           You did. And I don't know if when you called me if you were even like saying that like did you hear that? You really need to be convicted of this thing. I think it was more of a-
Aby Rinella:                  This is amazing and honestly every woman needs to hear this because I think this is a pull that every... I mean yours more so because you guys are literally in full time ministry with Schoolhouse Rocked but so many moms be it, I'm a Sunday school teacher or I'm organizing the co-op or anything outside of the home. We feel that we feel that. So when we heard that it spoke to all of us.
Yvette Hampton:           Yes.
Aby Rinella:                  So I said, "Did you hear that? I needed to hear that. Did you hear that?"
Yvette Hampton:           But when you said that to me it really was even though you didn't mean it to come across this way, I heard it as you really needed to pay attention to that which I really did. And so again, the Lord just was pressing on my heart and just saying, "You need to listen, you need to pay attention." And so fast forward a couple of weeks later and I go to attend this event at BJU Press and like I said it was the first time in a very long time that I've been able to just pull away from my normal every day bubble and really had a chance to see inside of my world of what we've been doing, what the Lord has called us to which are all good things. But in my view, I'm a super visual person. Over the top, I literally visualize everything. Are you like that? Do you have a constant movie going on in your head?
Aby Rinella:                  No, I can't shut my mind off but I am a visual person but not to that extent.
Yvette Hampton:           Oh man. Oh, what was it recently at this rabbit trail, but recently all of her Facebook people are talking about that some people don't have an internal dialogue.
Aby Rinella:                  Yes, I saw that.
Yvette Hampton:           I don't understand that. How is that possible? Because I never stopped talking to myself.
Aby Rinella:                  I know I don't either. I wish I could turn it off sometimes.
Yvette Hampton:           Right. I never stopped talking to myself and I never ever have a blank slate in my brain. I always have a picture all the time constantly.
Aby Rinella:                  That's going. Do you think it's a Homeschool mom thing too? That we are always talking to herself because I don't have another grownup all day to talk to so-
Yvette Hampton:           No because I did it before I had kids.
Aby Rinella:                  Oh, there you go.
Yvette Hampton:           I've just always talked to myself.
Aby Rinella:                  It's just constantly. But the visual, that's interesting that you're always seeing a visual in your head.
Yvette Hampton:           Yes, always.
Aby Rinella:                  Interesting, visual learner.
Yvette Hampton:           I am. I am a visual learner. So as I was removed from my normal situation, I had this visual in my head of my normal every day and what that has looked like for me and for my family is that we all are sitting around a table and this is not imaginary, this is actually what we do. We all sit around this table and Garritt is working and I'm working on my computer and our girls are sitting next to us working and doing school stuff and I mean they go outside and they do things and it's not like I don't pay any attention to them at all. But it seems like all the time my girls are saying, "Mom, can you help us with this? Mom can you help us with that? Mom, we need you here." And I'm like, "I'm sorry I can't I have to work. I've got another email to send, I have another phone call to make, I have another podcast to record. I have to get all the stuff done in the name of Jesus, for ministry."
Yvette Hampton:           And what I realized is that my heart so deeply desires to serve the Lord and I really passionately want to impact this world. I look at what's going on in our culture, I look at the direction that our world is going for my girls. They're young and they've got a long time left on this earth and I look at the direction that our country is going and that our world is going on and I'm like, "I don't want that for them, and so I'm going to do everything in my power as long as the Lord allows me to somehow impact people for Christ." So in my deepest heart's desire to do that, I have mistakenly put my first ministry off to the side. Not intentionally, but I kept thinking, well, this is what God's called me to. This is what God's called me to. He's called us to do Schoolhouse Rocked. He's called us to do the movie. He's called us to the podcast. He's called us to all of this stuff and it's so much work and I can't stop doing this because this is what the Lord has put on our family. All the while forgetting that my first ministry as a mom-
Aby Rinella:                  Is sitting right there.
Yvette Hampton:           Is being with my children. It's being present with them, it's engaging with them. It is not putting my hand up one more time and saying, I'm sorry I can't help you with your math right now or with your science because I have to answer this phone call or I can't go outside and play ball with you because I need to record a podcast or I can't play chutes and ladders with you because, because, because, because. In the name of ministry. And so the Lord brought just deep, deep conviction to me and not in the sense that what I was doing was wrong, just in the sense of my priorities were all screwed up but for some reason I couldn't see it. And so when I went to this event at BJU Press the Lord just really got a hold of me like he hasn't done in I don't know how long... I mean in years.
Yvette Hampton:           And it was almost kind of like... I've talked about this on the podcast when we started Homeschooling, it was like the scales fell from our eyes and we were like, "Oh, this Homeschooling thing, this is amazing." And it was very much the same in that it was like the Lord just opened my eyes and just said, you're doing good work, at least attempting to do good work, you're committed to it but your first ministry needs to be to your family. And so while I was there, while I was at this event I had an opportunity to talk to a couple of friends there and this is happening in real time. I mean the Lord is working in my heart and I'm with these friends and these women who I strongly admire. One of them was Heidi St. John and so I just was like, I don't know what's happening but God is putting these things on my heart like right now today.
Yvette Hampton:           And it was so neat because I had a chance to sit and talk with Heidi and I just said, "Heidi I don't know what to do because I feel like I need to just completely flip flop everything around but I don't know how all this stuff is going to get done for Schoolhouse Rocked if I just placed it off to the side and take over my first ministry which is my family. And not just my girls, but my husband as well because we get to the end of the day and I've got nothing left for him and I mean nothing. I'm exhausted. I am mentally, physically, emotionally, completely spent and so as Heidi often does and Connie was also there Heidi said "God is never going to ask you to do ministry to the detriment of your family."
Aby Rinella:                  Absolutely.
Yvette Hampton:           And that was the moment where I just went, "Ah yes, that's it. He's not going to ask me to do this to the detriment of my family." And so I just continued to pray about that and I came home from that event. I had a three and a half hour car ride home and it was so neat to just be able to just put everything into focus and just see how the Lord means it to be. So I came home and that evening we went for a family walk and the girls were riding their scooters ahead of us and Garritt and I were just walking and talking and I just shared with him everything that was on my heart. And I said, "I just feel like I need to be done." Not completely done with ministry as a matter of fact, the podcast is the one thing that I'm going to hold on to because that's easy.
Yvette Hampton:           For me it actually doesn't take very much time. He does all the hard work I just get to sit in front of a microphone for a little while and talk to you and our podcast guests and it's awesome. But as far as the daily grind of everything else I've been doing for Schoolhouse Rocked I just said "I don't know how this is going to get done but I need to step down." And one of the things that Heidi said was maybe you guys have been working so hard trying to get this movie off the ground, trying to get through post-production, trying to get it done. Doing all this stuff in the name of ministry so maybe it's time for you to just step back, let go and allow the Lord to work a miracle and watch him work.
Aby Rinella:                  Absolutely. And I don't think it's that you're stepping away from the ministry of Schoolhouse Rocked, I think it's that you're stepping into the ministry the first ministry that you were called to which is being a wife and mom and allowing God to handle what only God can handle. So it's not... Yeah you're stepping in to where God has had you all along.
Yvette Hampton:           Yes, right. But somehow I forgot about that I mean-
Aby Rinella:                  Because we do.
Yvette Hampton:           Wow. Yeah.
Aby Rinella:                  We do. I think as Christian women we look at women of the world and I think sometimes we think oh, they're so pulled by the world and their careers and their climbing of the ladders and we don't do that we're moms we're stay at... I mean most people listening to this are Homeschool moms. So we've already died to those things to step into this role of Homeschool mom but then what we do because we have an enemy that wants to distract us in whatever way he can from our first ministry, is we get distracted by good things. These are good things. All of these secondary ministries, they're really, really good things but they're still pulling us from the first ministry. And we think of these admirable things like you said, you want to impact the world that your kids are going to have to live in. But the truth is when we go to the Bible really the world that's God's job. Our job is to prepare our kids for the world that they're going to live in.
Aby Rinella:                  And we can spin our wheels trying to change the world but if we put out kids that have not had mom and dad they're going to flail in that world. And when I think of missionaries I always think when you say the word missionary you think someone going into a tribal area that doesn't even speak English and living in a tent and they're reaching an unsaved people, that's really what a missionary is. There is someone that reaches an unsaved community or person and I think when God gives us these children, he's handing us unsaved children. And it is our job to be missionaries to this little tribe that we've been given in our home to speak their tongue and to spend time with them and to immerse ourselves in their world to reach these children for Christ. And so really, we're missionaries every day and again, we have an enemy that wants to distract us from that with good things that seem good but they pull us from our primary ministry which is our home.
Yvette Hampton:           And you said secondary ministry and that's where I've really had it mixed up is that I've taken my first ministry of my family and I've made that my secondary ministry and I've taken Schoolhouse Rocked and made that-
Aby Rinella:                  Made it your primary.
Yvette Hampton:           Primary ministry. And again, not intentionally. I realized that I was doing it butt all along it just felt like but this is what God's called us to. This is what's God called... I can't stop. And one of the things that he really showed me during my time away was we have worked so hard to minister to families and to minister through Schoolhouse Rocked but God does not need me to accomplish his will. Now he uses us. We are his vessels and he uses us and when we're obedient to him he will open doors for us to be able to serve but he doesn't need me. And I think all along I keep feeling like well, I need to do these things, the Lord needs me to do this-
Aby Rinella:                  And if I work hard enough, it will be successful. If I just one more phone call, one more email, one more service, one more... Like for me like one more I don't know anything because we have lots of women listening to this, but maybe if I take on one more job at church I'm going to make a bigger difference for the kingdom. And we will but not if it's at the expense of our home.
Yvette Hampton:           Exactly. I want to keep talking about this.
Aby Rinella:                  Yes.
Yvette Hampton:           But let's end this episode, this first part and then let's continue on. We're going to do a part two of this and we're going to continue on with our story. Is that a good cliffhanger?
Aby Rinella:                  I love that cliffhanger. And I want to dive into some women in the Bible, they were examples of this to us but you'll never know unless you come back.
Yvette Hampton:           And listen to part two of the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast, the ministry of motherhood.
Aby Rinella:                  The ministry of motherhood.
Yvette Hampton:           Yes. Come back on Wednesday and we will have part two of this story and how God is just moving in my heart.
Aby Rinella:                  Awesome.
Yvette Hampton:           And you guys thank you for listening to this podcast because this really is part of our ministry, part of what God has called us to. Aby and I we're not getting rich off of this podcast-
Aby Rinella:                  Nope.
Yvette Hampton:           But we are getting rich off of the fact that we know that it is ministering to you. The reviews that we're getting and the reviews are not so that we can pat ourselves on the back and say, "Oh my goodness, look what a great job we're doing." The reviews are such a blessing because we get to hear from you the listeners how this ministry really is having an impact in your lives. And there is just nothing better in light of ministry than to know that you actually are making a difference. And so we would love it-
Aby Rinella:                  And that we're in it together. We want the listeners to know we are in the trenches with you guys and it's good to know that we're not alone. And so as much as we want to be an encouragement to you, it's an encouragement to us to know that we're all in this together.
Yvette Hampton:           Yeah, absolutely.
Aby Rinella:                  We have the same struggles.
Yvette Hampton:           Absolutely. We do. So thank you guys for listening. You are such a blessing to us and if you have not left a review for the podcast, we would love for you to do that. It's kind of a hassle I know but Garritt actually said, let's put a link in the... We may try to find some link to actually just put on the website or something where people can leave reviews because it's a little bit complicated to do that on Apple, on the iTunes app and other apps and stuff like that. So anyway... Or just shoot us an email. That's the other thing is if you want to send us a message you can email me at Yvette@SchoolhouseRocked.com and I will obviously get those because that's my email address. And so I would love to know how we're being an encouragement to you, but we will continue on with this conversation. Have a fantastic rest of your day and we'll see you back here in a couple of days.