Hearts at Home - Day 3

Today I think it would be a great time for you to get to know the founder of Hearts at Home a little better...I think then you get a real genuine idea of why Hearts at Home is such a great resource to help you along your journey to Godly Homemaking, and what it looks like to truly have your heart at home! I am attaching a interview of Jill Savage, hope you enjoy it! I just love her, I have been to several of her conferences and workshops and read several of her books!

Jill Savage Interview Questions

Growing up, did you ever see yourself as a mother – better yet, a professional mother? Please explain.

I had one goal in mind growing up…I wanted to be a music teacher. That’s how I envisioned my professional aspirations. I did see myself as a mother, but I felt that a teaching career would work well with motherhood (summers home, same schedule as school age children, etc)

Your organization’s purpose is to help mothers love their lives. Why is motherhood often looked down upon in today’s society?

I think we associate money with value. When a mother contributes to the family in a non-monetary way, we have wrongly assumed that the contribution isn’t as valuable as a monetary contribution.


Should a bright, intelligent, educated and professional young woman shy away from being a wife and mother if, in her heart, she desires to be?

We have the most educated generation of mothers we’ve ever had. We have more mothers with college degrees than any other preceding generation. That makes the decision to solely be a wife and mother an even harder decision to make. I believe however, that full-time motherhood is a valid career choice. A woman who desires to be at home for a season of time is not throwing her education away. As the founders of the former Mothers at Home group used to say, “She is simply applying her good mind and exceptional skills to the nurturing of her family.” And that is valuable!

What does it mean to professionalize motherhood?

Most moms answer the “what do you do” question with “Oh, I’m just a mom.” That answer alone speaks volumes about the lack of value she feels about what she does everyday. However, when a woman thinks of motherhood as a valid profession, she carries herself differently. A professional sets goals, seeks out continuing education, and sees her contribution to society in a positive way. When this woman answers the “what do you do” question, she responds with “I’m a wife and a mom and I love my job. I’m a woman committed to the profession of motherhood.”

How do you run an international ministry and still be the mother you’re instructing others to be?

15 years ago when Hearts at Home had our first mothering conference, we were expecting about 500 moms to attend. When 1100 mothers from 10 states showed up we realized that what we meant for a one-time event, God meant for the birth of a ministry. One of my early prayers was, “Lord, if this is going to be bigger than my vision, you have to send me many moms to make the work light.” God has answered that prayer over and over again. We have over 150 moms and about a dozen dads that serve the Hearts at Home ministry year-round. They each take one little piece of the puzzle and do their job well. I may be the most visible voice and face of the ministry, but home is still my priority.

What is the meaning of the name “Hearts at Home?”
There are so many good things that a mom can do---not just in the workplace, but also in the volunteer arenas. Before we know it, our heart is tugged in so many different directions. We encourage women to keep their heart at home---making their family their first priority---because we only have one chance to raise our kids.

Briefly describe your ministry and its purpose.

Hearts at Home is a Christ-centered organization designed to encourage, educate, and equip women in the profession of motherhood. We offer encouragement through our conference events, website (www.hearts-at-home.org), published resources, bi-monthly magazine, and our newly launched radio program. Our National conference alone, held in Central Illinois every spring, hosts over 5,000 moms each year. The women who attend represent over 30 different states.

Why must mothers make sure that their hearts are at home?

Most of us don’t realize just how fast our kids grow up. In the blink of an eye your kid moves from a Happy Meal to Value Meal #9! When you keep your heart at home, you make the most of this unique season of motherhood.

Does this mean you discourage mothers from working outside the home? How do you respond to those who do?

Hearts at Home makes no judgment call on those who work outside the home. We do, however, know that women who consider motherhood their profession need a cheerleader and that’s what we’re able to be for them. They also need quality resources that help them be the best wife and mother they can be. Honestly, though, most of the resources available through Hearts at Home would encourage any mom and we have a lot of working moms that attend our conference events and tap into our resources.

What are the key characteristics of a good mother?

A good mother recognizes the value of what she brings to her family. She keeps the perspective of this fleeting season at the forefront of her mind. And she understands that a mother’s number one job is what I like to call the “ministry of availability.” She’s available to nurture and guide her children through the twists and turns of life.

What’s the foundation for being a successful mother?

I believe it’s understanding our value in Jesus Christ. If a mom is trying to find her value in how her children look or behave, she’ll always come up short. Children change all the time. And that’s like building your life on sinking sand. However, if a mom understands that her value is determined by the God who created her and loves her more than she can imagine, she has a firm foundation. God never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And that’s like building your life on a solid rock.

Why is a healthy marriage so important? In other words, why must you be a wife first and a mother second?

My husband and I are self-described as being married 25 years, 15 of them happily. That’s because we made a mistake in the early years that many couples make. We wrapped our lives around our children…and just about ruined our marriage. What we eventually learned as we sought out counseling to bring healing to our hurting relationship, was that the best gift we could give our children was a strong marriage. This gives our kids the stability they long for and assures us that our marriage has more in common than our children who will someday grow up and leave home. We’ve come to learn that taking intentional time to nurture and grow our marriage away from the children is the most loving act of parenting we can actually do.

I read that the consequences of pornography and sexual promiscuity had a strong hold on your marriage for quite sometime. How did you release that stronghold and how did doing so impact your role as a mom and wife?

My husband and I both carried a lot of baggage into our marriage. Mark had been exposed to pornography at a young age. The pictures and the lies of pornography were impressed upon his mind. When Mark became a Christian, he left the world of pornography. It wasn’t an addiction; it had just been a regular part of his life. He didn’t even struggle letting go of it. But seven years into our marriage we found ourselves sitting in a marriage counselor’s office trying to find out how our relationship was falling apart. That’s when we realized that even though Mark hadn’t seen pornography in over seven years, the lies of pornography were still in his mind.

The next year was spent in a “renewing of the mind” process, replacing the enemy’s lies about sex with God’s truth about the sex. Mark read every Christian book he could about the sexual relationship in marriage, he delved into Song of Solomon, we attended marriage seminars, and we had several prayer sessions where we specifically prayed that God would break the strongholds of the past. In time, God’s truth became the default in his mind rather than the lies of pornography.

Both Mark and I were sexually active before marriage. We carried that baggage into our marriage, as well. For me, I had to deal with my lack of sexual desire. However, before we were married, I had plenty of sexual desire. I began to ask, “God, what is at the heart of this disparity in my life?” God soon showed me that my sexual desire before marriage was a false desire built out of rebellion. I knew that sex before marriage was wrong…it was the forbidden fruit…so I desired the forbidden fruit. Once I was married, there was no more forbidden fruit and there was no desire. I had to repent of my past and ask God to help me understand what true sexual desire looked like in marriage. Just like my husband, I got serious about learning about God’s plan for marriage and sex, and slowly but surely, began to replace the lies with truth. Years later, I wrote the book Is There Really Sex After Kids? to help men and women replace the lies with truth and understand how to keep their marriage a priority in the midst of raising a family.

Mark and I have a passion to encourage other couples out of the lessons we have learned ourselves. We present “ABC’s of A Healthy Marriage” seminars in churches and communities to help cast vision for all that marriage can be. (More information can be found at www.jillsavage.blogspot.com.)

How do you become the “intentional” mom that your family needs? What exactly does it mean to be intentional about motherhood?

Being intentional is about deliberately using the moments we are given with our children. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive. An intentional mom has a vision for her family and home environment and she pursues that with purpose and goals.

Tell me about your book – “My Heart’s at Home: Becoming the Intentional Mom Your Family Needs.”

My Heart’s at Home looks at all the roles that home plays in our life such as Home as a Safe House, Home as a Rest Area, Home as a Trauma Unit, and Home as a Church. We explore Home as a Pep Rally and Home as a Playground, too. My premise is that you would never build a house without a blueprint because it helps all parties to work toward the same goal. The same principle applies to a family. We shouldn’t build a family without a blueprint that casts a vision for what those relationships can look like and how the home environment can be. My Hearts at Home provides a visionary blueprint to moms for understanding the value of home for every member of the family. It’s also incredibly practical on how to make home all that it can be!

How have you seen God mold you into the mother you are now?

God is always teaching me lessons through my children. He’s molding my character everyday. I’ve made many mistakes over the years, but grace and forgiveness allow me to learn from those mistakes and move forward. I don’t think we ever fully arrive. It’s a continuum of learning about ourselves, our children, and our God.

What’s one of the best gifts you’ve received from one of your children over the years?

It would have to be a picture of my teenage daughter with her arms spread wide and this message printed on the picture: “I am so grateful for all the years you have invested in my life. Thank you…for taking care of me when I was sick…for crying with me when I needed to cry…for loving me even when it was incredibly hard…for being patient with me when you probably wanted to yell at me…for spending time with me when I needed it most…for listening to me when I felt like no one could hear me…and for not giving up when times were hard.”

She gave that to me after an incredibly hard season of her teenage life. It made all the challenges of mothering in that season worth it!

What universal, unchanging piece of advice would you give to all mothers?

In the words of my dear friend Charlene Baumbich, “Don’t miss your kids…they’ll be gone before you know it!”

We can’t go back and raise our kids again. We’re presented the opportunity just once. Use this season to the fullest and keep your heart at home.

****I hop eyou enjoyed getting to Know Jill a little bit more! Don't forget to comment on Hearts at Home Day 1 in order for a chance to win one of Jill Savage's Books! Full details on day 1!!!