Welcome to Done with Diligence!
Hi! My name is Ivy, and I’m so glad you are here! First and foremost, I’m a follower of Christ. I have 4 children ages 1, 4, 8, and 12. Two boys and two girls. This is our 7th year of homeschooling, so life is busy! Most days you will find me somewhere between completely overwhemled with thankfulness and completely overwhelmed with the demands of motherhood!
Before I became a mom, I was an elementary teacher with 8 years of classroom experience. I have my Master’s Degree in Elementary Literacy and National Board Certification in Reading/Literacy. I absolutely love watching the light bulb go off as a brand-new reader “gets it”! I also spent 3 years working as the Children’s Ministry Director at my church. That experience gave me the opportunity to prayerfully consider ways to make disciples for Christ. I’ve always loved working with children, but more than anything, I love being a mom! And I believe that motherhood is my greatest assignment yet.
My natural-health journey began about 7 years ago when my dad was MISdiagnosed with pancreatic cancer. That experience caused me to take a MAJOR step back from my current way of eating the Standard American Diet and relying on our medical system to “fix” everything. I realized the importance of being your own health advocate. I began to look into one topic at a time. One thing lead to another, and I just kept reading and learning!
As a mother, I’m convinced that part of my God-given role is to steward these children diligently. That means nourishing them well, remedying them well, parenting them well, training them up in the faith well, and so much more. The Lord has blessed me with so many wise friends and wonderful resources that have helped me on this journey. In a sense, this blog is a collection of all of the things…big things and little things…that I WISH I had known at the BEGINNING of my motherhood journey.
Another thing about me…I’ve never been able to keep good news to myself! When I learn something cool, I just have to share it! And, boy, have I learned a lot on my natural-health journey! For the past few years, I’ve found myself taking homeopathy courses, reading countless articles and books, hosting classes for moms, answering texts from friends with sick little ones, and recommending new recipes or products that are helping my family. So, that’s how this humble blog came to be. It’s my attempt to pass on what I find, and its my way of helping busy moms make diligent decisions for their families.
A word to the wise before I go…The transition from conventional ways to more natural ways can be overwhelming at times. It can make you want to throw your hands up and go eat a bag of Doritos!! But I urge you…don’t give up! Just focus on one little change at a time. One decision at time. And before you know it, you’ll have covered FAR more ground than you ever imagined. And your family will be better for it!
You can do this, Diligent Mama. In His strength, and one day at a time, you REALLY can do this. And I’ll be here to help however I can.
Stay diligent,
Ivy
