Hi! My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I love making new friends! I am a pastor’s wife serving alongside my husband in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern Kentucky. We have nine children between us – a whole story in itself – four of whom are still at home where we homeschool and enjoy our dogs, chickens, horses, and other countless critters who pass through our home.
Update: I just added a new post: 10 Things You May {Not} Know About Me so you can get to know me even better!
- I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. You can read my testimony here.
Despite my mistakes, like the woman at the well, God’s grace abounded and He has blessed me more than I could have ever imagined! In 2001, A Virtuous Woman came to life. I’ve been writing here ever since. A Virtuous Woman offers hundreds of practical articles and ideas on how to apply Proverbs 31 to their lives today.
- This ministry is based on the 10 Virtues of the Proverbs 31 Woman {free download}.
We have lived in Harlan, Kentucky since 2003, but we have been in the area since 2001. My husband’s mother was born here way back in 1925 and I feel very blessed to be able to raise my children in this amazing small town. Harlan is kinda famous! There have been movies made about Harlan like Harlan County USA and Harlan County War. And the song “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” plays on the radio and has been recorded by country music artists Brad Paisley and Patty Loveless. I personally prefer the version by artist Darrel Scott who wrote the song.
As a family we enjoy being outside and have lots of adventures! One of the most exciting adventures we’ve had was our recent 4 Day, All-Girl Backpacking Trip in the wilderness of the Cumberland Mountains! Amazing!
As a homeschooling mom, I love seeing my kids explore God’s creation with a curious eye and a sense of wonder – like the day when Hannah yelled, “Mom’ I’ve found a snake!” and the girls all run to go get a good look. What better way to see God working than to just look around!
As a homeschooling mom it’s important to me that I find that special passion in each of my children and focus on that one thing for each of them. For some it’s art, others its science, and another it’s writing and being creative. Each one of my children is wonderfully different and I am so thankful for the opportunity to inspire them to be all that God created them to be.
I love to cook for my family. I love trying new recipes and coming up with my own! We have been vegetarian since 1998 and eating healthy, living healthy is a passion of mine. One of my favorite things to make is Sweet Sourdough Bread. This bread is so easy to make! You can find the tutorial here. I also love to can and preserve food. I do a lot of canning and often invent my own recipes!
I love to plan my menus (using my menu planner in my “This is My Life” Planner) each week so we know what we are eating and every now and then I’ll post my menu plans.
I have written a number of e-books including The Homemaker’s Journal: Keeping House, Spring Cleaning for the Heart and Home, and From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home. I recently wrote my first novel and am working on my next. In June of 2012 I was picked up by a literary agent – Mary Sue Seymour at The Seymour Agency. That was a dream a dream come true!
I hope we can get to know each other better! Be sure to drop me a line and let me know you were here! I love chatting with my guests!