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4/26/2006

Calling Christian Women Back to the Garden The New Harvest Homestead newsletter
encouraging Christian women to slow down and fulfill their dreams of the “homestead” life

CARLOTTA, Calif., April 25 /Christian Newswire/ -- In this tiny, rural hamlet most people would have a hard time finding on a map, Lisa Vitello is busy feeding her flock of chickens, baking bread and canning jam. As a converted “city-girl” who was passionate about her adopted country lifestyle, Lisa decided to share her joy in this unhurried way of living with other Christian women. In May 2005, the New Harvest Homestead newsletter was born in order to do just that.

After the birth of her first child, Lisa wanted to learn how to make money by saving money in order to be a stay-at-home mom. She began to teach herself how to grow a vegetable garden, raise chickens and preserve her homegrown food. What began as an attempt to save money turned into a soul-satisfying way of life for Lisa and her husband, Guy. “I found out I was a country girl at heart,” she gushes.

As Lisa began to interact with other moms, she noticed an unsettling trend among her peers. These moms seemed to be constantly on the go and only a hairsbreadth away from total burn out.

“What I saw were moms who were involved in so many different activities between school, church, children's activities, errands, and all the other everyday things moms do, that many of them were hardly ever home. And these were ‘stay-at-home’ moms!” she exclaims.

“I talked to women who were yearning to slow down and live a simpler life, but they had little encouragement to do so from the culture around them. They thought being constantly busy was the norm and never questioned it,” Lisa shares. She began to invite these moms to her home for “Titus 2” meetings where they could learn practical skills, while also receiving the support they needed to be “steadfast at home.”

The New Harvest Homestead newsletter is published bi-monthly and now reaches out to women all over the country. Topics covered have included everything from raising goats to cultivating a quiet spirit. There is as much inspiration as there is instruction in every issue and one is left feeling like they have just been given “a warm hug from the Lord,” as one reader puts it.

If you want to take a step toward the simple life, be sure to visit the New Harvest Homestead website at www.newharvesthomestead.com  and request a free introductory issue.