Hey Kathleen, I saw your challenge listed on a page at the Feed Your Fiction Addiction blog, and thought it looked fun and challenging. I'll be looking probably for my nickname, but I have an ace-in-the-hole...my maiden name is Smith. *lol* My sign-up post goes live tomorrow and I'll come back then to link it up.

Amen!
My recent post Murder at the Mansion by Janet Finsilver - #review #giveaway

Hi Lisa, I'm visiting from OMHGWW. Always like to meet other readers! Nancy Drew is the only name that strikes a bell, but my daughter, who is standing next to me, picked the book out right away, because it had the word "Clock" in the title. :O)

I don't know about next weeks "5 After 5" though, because I can barely remember last week, let alone 3 decades ago! *lol*

Here's my OMHGWW.

I agree that children will have a happier childhood with one parent, usually the mom, in the home full time.

But I have to say, as gently as I can, that I think the title of this post will cause hurt feelings amongst women who truly have no choice but to go out and work. Seeing that title in my email felt like a slap in the face.

In the early years of my marriage, my husband had a number of medical conditions that made working nearly impossible. If I didn't work outside the home, there were those (including my MIL) who stood ready to take custody of our children, since we would not have been able to provide them the basic physical necessities of life.

I did not want to work outside the home. A few times it came close to breaking my heart. But God loved (and loves!) me, and He loved my family just the same.

Some people take the blessings in their lives for granted and do not realize that not everyone shares in their good fortune. Not everyone has internet, satellite tv, a full closet with a variety of outfits, and access to quality medical care and a good education, etc, in their lives at this point in time. And some people with those things in their lives feel that if everyone had those advantages, somehow their own position would be lessened.

I have been greatly blessed with three healthy children (including one that was born premature and is now a thriving twelve year old). My family is blessed to own our home, modest though it may be, without a mortgage. I have been blessed to be at home for the last 4-5 years, at a cost of 1 year of medical leave from my previous job, assisting adults with MR/DD due to two separate injuries from intervening with clients attempting to injure themselves or others.

So let me reiterate, I agree that women called to be mothers are also called to be at home to raise them. The vast majority of mothers want the best for their children. I do not believe Jesus would accuse a woman who had to work (and there were certainly enough widows in the Bible) of 'emotionally crippling' her child/ren.

I'm going to have to work on my forgiveness, because I am not there yet. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that years ago I received a call from a woman who wanted to ask my husband (who is not a church-goer) to voluntarily take a paternity test for her twin sons. I empathize with Anna, and know the choice she has made to fight for her marriage is not an easy one. If there is any good news in this, it's that 17 years later, we are still together, despite the naysayers. (His step-mother once gave signed over a car to me 'in case I wanted to take the children and leave'.) .

Even the times I was angry at my husband and perhaps less forgiving than I could be, I tried to remember to pray for him (as opposed to praying about him). Neither one of us are perfect ... which is probably one of the reasons we 'work' together!

Thank you for this thought-provoking post. It has given me several great reminders. Have a blessed weekend.

I noticed the linky to join up is closed, but I tweeted the fundraiser page. I'm assuming I could 'informally' join up and have gotten two books (well, one's a short story) from Amazon.

This takes me back to the first time my mother let me stay alone in the house when she went down the street to drop something off at a neighbor's house. I was six or seven and felt so 'grown up'! *lol*
My recent post #AtoZChallenge - All Gallow's Eve - C

Cool! One of my bookish bucket list items is to read a book written by a person from each country in the world (and set in that country if possible). Now I know where to come if I get stumped!:O)

And "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck is possibly my favorite book of all time, but I have not read "The Chinese Storyteller" yet. Nice!

Good for you! Don't let anyone steal your joy!

Holy heart attack, Batman! That's a LOT of Valentine's! :O)
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