Should Moms "Follow Their Dreams"?

I ran across an article recently that didn't totally sit well with me, and it really got me thinking.  The article was about a homeschool mom being able to "follow her dreams" even while she homeschools. Well, what do you think?  Should a wife/mother/homeschool mom "follow her dreams"....or not?

I say NOT.  I know, my blog is always spoiling all the fun, huh?  But a woman's dream is most likely just that: HER dream., not necessarily God's.  It is something that will divert her focus off of God's calling for women, which is to be a helpmeet to her husband, a keeper of the home, and a nurturer and trainer of children.  These three things make a woman's plate very, very full!   Add on homeschooling, and we've got an overflowing plate!  If God has called women to these things, then why would he call them elsewhere, away from there?

We are called as Christians to walk as Jesus walked.  This means we are to LAY DOWN our lives for others.  Does this mean you may have to lay down a dream you have?  It just might!  If you have dreams and ambitions for your life that are outside the sphere of caring for your home and family, I greatly encourage you to take these to the Lord.  Ask Him to take away the desire if they are not of Him.  It may be that the desire will be totally taken away, or it may be that they are for a later time in your life when your kids are grown up.  But please, lay these down before the Lord.  This is the way we are called to live.  Not pursuing our dreams, desires, and passions, but laying these down and seeking the Lord for what His desires are. Then His desires will become OUR desires.

"But God has called me to this," you may say.  "God has called me to be a teacher," "God has called me to work outside the home,"...has He really?  Are you sure?  God will never go against His own Word.  Please be SURE.  Study His word very, very carefully. 

I am speaking from experience here!  Several years ago, I had a desire renewed in me to be on stage.  I love to sing, act, and dance, and have been told by many that I have talent.  I have also been encouraged by some well meaning people that I need to be pursuing these gifts that God has given me.  Well, I did pursue them for awhile.  But everything I did took me away from my calling to my family.  As I pursued MY dreams, I found my focus greatly changing.  I became very self-focused, and actually started resenting my family because I felt that they were keeping me from my dream.  My husband could see what was happening, and told me that I needed to lay down my desires and focus back on my family.  I became angry at him for "keeping me from chasing my dreams".  Do you see my point here?  They were MY dreams!  Not God's!  God's desire for me is to focus on my husband and children and home.  Thankfully, I eventually became flustered with my continuous unfulfilled desire to be on stage.  A couple of times I had solos in a show, and ended up giving them up because the stress of it (I'm very hard on myself!) was too much for my family.  So I ended up praying that if this was not God's will for me, that He would take away the desire.  I prayed this believing that the desire would never go away, because I couldn't imagine it being gone! But it did go away!  I can tell you right now, I no longer have any desire for this.  I still love to sing, but I use my voice now to sing to my children.

Well, that is just my two cents for today.  Have a blessed day, and I welcome your comments!