Last month we sent out a newsletter asking for volunteers to help out in certain areas. The response we received was absolutely overwhelming, in a heart-warming way!

Every morning I opened my inbox to dozens upon dozens of emails from you sweet ladies wanting to volunteer your precious time to serve the Lord through Heart of the Matter. Many of you knew exactly where you wanted to join in and were loaded with the most amazing ideas. Others just wanted to say, “…God told me to email…so use me”. And still, many others emailed to simply offer prayers and be a source of encouragement.

My heart cried out in joy, “Thank you Lord, for using me to help bring HOTM into the world, and for reminding all of us to keep our focus on YOU. And thank you for bringing these sweet ladies in our family here at HOTM.”

Now, I would like to introduce you to the first batch of our new (and inspiring and fun and heart-tugging and…I could go on) contributors who will be submitting their first articles within the next two weeks. And, keep in mind, this is just the first batch of authors!

Christin is the wife to Jonathan and mother of 4 children. She is an avid list planner, organizer, reader, writer, and dedicated to the journey of becoming a gracious woman. She delights in the small things in life and uses her camera to capture them and make them distinguished. It takes daily recognition and connection with Jesus to remind her that she can do nothing without Him and that it is He who directs her each and every step. You can check out her blog at http://christinnjon.wordpress.com/.

Cassandra Simpson is a homeschooling wife and mother of four children, ages 1, 8, 9, and 12. She is starting her 6th year of home educating in Indiana and uses a “Classically Eclectic” teaching approach. Cassandra is the Assistant Lead Moderator for HOTM’s forum and loves talking homeschool with anyone who will listen! Her hobbies are reading, blogging, sewing, and cooking. You can check out her family’s blog at In His Image.

Angela Mills homeschools her two amazing girls. When she’s not dreaming up her next organizational system (the one that will really work this time!), she loves to spend time with her husband of nine years. She is seriously addicted to reading, Lost, and Burt’s Bees lip balm. She’s been a working mom, stay at home mom, stepmom, and is occasionally a weird mom, or so her kids tell her. You can catch her blogging at Angela Mills.

Lynn is a blessed wife to a wonderful husband of 12 years, a mom to three children, ranging from 15 to almost 8, and in the process of expanding their family through adoption. They are in their fifth year of homeschooling, using a hands on/eclectic approach to learning. You can find out more by visiting her blogs @ Learning By Living and Ladybug Chronicles.

Laura Delgado gave birth to four children in exactly 40 months, but cheated since the last two were twins. She now happily homeschools her 8,6, and two 4 year-olds. She earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Rice University, but finds that she uses her undergraduate Great Books education far more in her homeschooling pursuits. In addition to writing for various homeschooling publications, she creates educational materials for edHelper. For homeschooling helps and curriculum reviews, please visit her at http://livingasmartha.blogspot.com.

Joonu is a wife and mother to a 3-year old energetic little boy and has one on the way. She is just starting out on her journey in homeschooling and embraces it as a family lifestyle. She is also a successful yoga teacher, the co-founder and President of a charity called Blackstone Valley WomenAid, Inc, coordinator of service activities at her church, and a Chief Dream Officer of an entrepreneurial development community for women called The Dream Factory Community. She enjoys being in nature, spiritual study, reading, golf, chocolate, and spending time with family and friends. She started blogging as a way of recording her observations and got great feedback from family and friends so she kept going. Her intention is that by sharing of her own experience she can offer resources, support, and ultimately enrich someone experience of themselves as whole, perfect, and loved. Please visit her blog at howhomeschoolinghappens.blogspot.com.

Aubrey Lively is a homeschooling mother of four, ages 8, 6, 2, & 1. She has a BA in Literature and an MEd in Teaching and is currently surviving seminary with her husband of ten years. Visit Aubrey online at http://aubreylively.blogspot.com.

Janet is a first year homeschooling mother to four children, age six and under. She and her husband Jason are in their tenth year of marriage and seventh year living in Asia. They currently live in Indonesia where her husband teaches at an Christian International school. Janet is also owner of THE DAILY DIGI (a website for digital scrapbookers and photographers) and blogs about her life as a wife, mother, and homeschooling mom at The Well Rounded Mama.

Montserrat is completely devoted to her wonderful husband, Joseph, and their seven (soon to be eight) children. They live on a 2,500 acre alfalfa farm nestled in a small Northern Nevada valley. They’ve been homeschooling for 10+ years. Montserrat enjoys, photography, cooking, crafting, chocolate, and sloppy goodnight kisses. She strives to live each day as God would have her do following Mary’s biblical supplication, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) You can find her at her blog Chocolate On My Cranium.

Jennifer Sikora has been married to her wonderful husband for 16 years. They have two beautiful children who are the light of their lives. Robert will be turning 15 soon and Kayla is 11. They have been homeschooling for three years, as eclectic homeschoolers who try very passionately to follow Charlotte Mason’s style of teaching. In her spare time, Jennifer loves to craft, quilt, knit, and crochet. She began writing and blogging when She first started homeschooling as a way to map their journey, but it has definitely turned into so much more than just blogging about school. You can drop by her blog at www.jennifersikora.com to read the latest of her writing endeavors.

Sheri (with the help of her fabulous husband Mike) began homeschooling her four children in 2001. She spends her time creating whatever she can out of nothing to make her house more homey, creating lesson plans, and listening to her son’s garage band and writing how God is carrying her out of the depths of depression. You can catch up with Sheri at her blog, be sure to check out the on-going Love Story she and her husband are writing while you are there!

Heather Preckel homeschools her only child and has just started her third year. She feels God has called her to homeschool not just for her daughter; but for what He has to teach her through it as well. Each day is a new opportunity to grow closer to Him and to each other in this journey. She resides in Western NC with her husband of 16 years, her 10 year old daughter and 2 dogs. She loves scrapbooking, photography and reading. She blogs about her everyday life, homeschooling, scrapbooking and her faith at Sweet Simplicity.

Peggy Dalley has been married to her best friend and husband for 13 years. She uses the eclectic approach to homeschool their three sons, 12, 10 and 7. Her interests include writing unit studies, Bible study, history and she is working hard to become a Proverbs 31:10 woman instead of a Proverbs 21:9 woman.

Jennifer R. has been married for 20 years to her college sweetheart and began homeschooling her two daughters in 2003, while also working full-time as a computer analyst. Four years later, she was blessed to be able to come home to be with her daughters full-time. She tries to cherish every day she spends at home with her family as she trains her children to use their natural gifts and abilities to glorify God and serve others. In her free time, she enjoys reading, singing, and crafts and loves to organize theme-based parties. Be sure to visit her blog at Reflections by Jennifer.

Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children whom she homeschools in sunshine-y Florida. She has been clinging ferociously to the hand of her Lord since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, homeschooling for the past thirteen years, and has eighteen more years ahead of her with the children who are glad she will have done most of her experimenting on those who went before. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to such a daunting task. After the house goes to sleep she can sometimes be found gathering her thoughts at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MistyKrasawski.