I am answering another question from one of my readers today!
What does your husband do!?
As many of you know, last year my husband and I were both teachers in the public school system. It was my fourth year teaching, and my husbands third. I went to school to be a high school history teacher. At the time, I never really considered staying at home full time with my kids. I figured teaching would at least give me the same schedule as them, but getting married and having babies wasn't even on the radar yet so I just decided to teach because it made sense! I mean, I had been going to school for 13 years already, and my mom was a teacher, so I'd say I knew the system pretty well! lol
Anyway. . . my husband, on the other hand, did not go to school to be a teacher. He was a GREAT baseball player (seriously!), and was truly planning to make it to the "BIGS" (that's for you, Skyler!) In high school he had scouts looking at him. This is a pretty big deal when your from a small town, and a 2A school! After high school, he decided to go to a Jr. College in St. Louis per advice from the Yankee scout he was working out with. This would allow him to be drafted, whereas playing for a four-year university would prohibit this. His first semester at college, he tore his rotator cuff and dislocated his bicep tendon! This came after he had a good heart to heart with the Lord. He expressed his desires to make it (even though God already knew!), but he also knew what was most important! Ultimately it was most important for God to be glorified. If God felt like Skyler could glorify him best in another way, then he that's what he wanted.
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| Skyler catching for SBU. |
So Skyler left St. Louis, and went to play baseball at SBU. God was still allowing Skyler to play baseball! It just looked a little different than he had initially anticipated. Playing for the pros wasn't completely out! Skyler knew God had put that passion in him for a reason, and he still believed God was going to do BIG things! All things are possible for God, and what a testimony it would be if he were able to make it now! He played at SBU four years, got his degree in mass communication (you know so he could be a sports analyst/anchor once he was finished playing!), and met me! :) Yeah!!!
After college, Skyler played a little independent ball. He would always make it to the final cut at tryouts, and the scouts would tell him he definitely had what it takes, but a major factor was his age. He was already 24! That doesn't seem like a big deal, but if you know baseball, one must work his way up from the minors to the majors, and at 24 they were concerned. If he were going to make he would have to get in right away as a starting catcher. The two independent teams that offered him a spot both put him behind two of the best catchers in the league! This wasn't going to work . . . .
Eventually, Skyler felt God leading him in a different direction, and decided to stop pursuing a career in baseball. During this time, he was working a job in construction. It was flexible, and allowed him to travel to tryouts. Once he decided to stop, he took a part-time job working for a ministry called CIY. He worked in the "Know Sweat" department, and would be gone all summer coordinating service project for jr. high and high school students all over the country. He had interned with Know Sweat in college, and always thought it would be a great place to work. It really was a great place, but when a full-time position came open, God was moving him in a different direction for a variety of reasons.
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| Couldn't find any pictures of the summer Skyler worked for CIY, but here is a picture of him as an intern a few years before! He is getting things ready for the evening service! |
That's when Skyler went into teaching. He found out how to get alternatively certified. He did so in English, simply because he had a background in communications (English is not his strongest subject, though, he is more of a math/science kinda guy!). He ended up teaching credit recovery/alternative school for 2 years at the school he graduated from, and then this last year he taught English in Carthage (the town where we go to church!).
So that brings us to the next transition. I have told you all of this, because sooooo many people wonder why Skyler would have ever wanted to get out of teaching. They assume he went to school to be a teacher. Plus he is an AwEsOmE teacher! . . . but he didn't go to school to be a teacher, and even though he enjoyed it, he knew someday he would like to do something different.
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| Skyler dressing up like a "nerd" for spirit week! What a fun teacher! :) |
Skyler has an entreprenurial spirit! Since I have known him, he has always told me of ideas he has for various businesses and inventions! Once we found out we were pregnant, and even a little before, Skyler and I prayed about our financial situation. We knew we were committed to me staying at home once we had babies, but on paper this wasn't going to be possible without a little extra income. I still had students loans, and we weren't sure how God was going to work it all out, but we knew he would! We hoped he would! That's what faith is . . . right!?
Skyler had several promising opportunities come open after those prayers, but none of them seemed right. Here we were pregnant, not knowing, but trusting . . . I resigned officially assuming Skyler would still be teaching! I figured even if I had to live off of Top Roman Noodles and Mac n Cheese it would be worth it to be at home with our little girl! Skyler agreed, and he even said he would take on another job in the evenings if he had to. We hoped this wouldn't be the case, but sometimes when you can't see what God is working up, it's easy to be . . . uneasy! :)
Not too long after that, Skyler watched some
Entreprenurial videos from Vision Forum. Some friends had let us borrow them the previous year (the link above is a post I wrote after the first time we watched them!), but we never finished watching them. They were just the motivation Skyler needed. The speakers in the videos gave lots of tips on starting a business without a lot of overhead, as well as lots of other good stuff.
Skyler decided to talk to his dad about his business. My father in law has owned his own business for about 5 years now. He sells and services toners, cartridges, printers, copiers, fax machines, etc. He is a stud at what he does! He has a great business, really cares about getting his customers the best price, and he can because he doesn't have to pay a bunch of other employees! Up until this summer, he was a sole proprietor! He had grown the business to the extent that he could handle on his own. If he wanted to expand the business he would have to hire someone. That's where Skyler comes in!
Skyler had always thought he might go into business with his dad, but neither of them expected it would happen so soon! His dad signed a few big contracts, Skyler gave him some suggestions he came across from the videos, and come to find out God did indeed have something BIG planned!
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| Skyler and his dad with Kyria at Cheddars. This day Kyria turned two months, so they decided to bring her to work with them for a couple hours . . . some of their customers were anxious to meet her! :) |
The business is going great! I am staying at home, and we have our needs provided for! Skyler is a hard worker, and I think that's what makes being an entreprenuer/working for yourself so liberating. In other jobs, teaching especially, you sometimes feel like a wage slave. You are working for someone else, and it doesn't matter if you do the bare minimum or go above and beyond, you will still be making the same (unless you go back to school, which means more debt, and often more hours working). Also, in order to keep the job you must be willing to be there when they say so. Not that this is completely awful per say, but . . . Oh the freedom you find in working for yourself!
Right now Skyler is putting in long hours. He gets up at about 6, starts work by 8, and doesn't get home until around 6. He's making sales, and learning the ropes. However, there have been days when he's stopped by for lunch, taken off early to go to dr. appointments with me, took off a whole week after the birth of Kyria, gone golfing with his dad on a nice day! . . . It's hard work, but the payoff is nice! Skyler is wired for work, so this is the perfect situation for him!
It's AWESOME how, when we are faithful, God gives us more than we could ask for or imagine! We are incredibly thankful for all the blessings He has given us! We are praying He will continue to bless this family business, and that it would bring glory and honor to His name! AFG!
