We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Meagan Wolterman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Meagan , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom for the last 8-years. In that time, I’ve experienced all the emotions that come with being a stay-at-home mom. Such as anxiety, depression and the loss of one’s self identity. My kids became my complete and total focus. I honestly stopped taking care of myself and started silently spiraling. Then I found my love for gardening. How I could plant just one tiny little seed and grow something absolutely breathtaking or something that could nourish our family.
In that love and passion for gardening, I found my faith in God again. That anxiety, depression and lack of identity disappeared. I became grounded in who I was as his daughter. I started our YouTube channel – Wolterman Homestead. Where I would share what I was growing in the garden. I shared my successes and failures. Then I started sharing cooking content using the food I was harvesting from the garden in the kitchen.
The gardening then trickled into wanting to provide a meat source for our family. At the time we were only on a 3rd of an acre so our options were limited. We were already managing chickens and getting eggs daily, but we wanted more. We ordered 20 Cornish Cross meat birds. Which we raised and processed them ourselves. It gave us such a respect and care for our food that we had never felt before. We had friends who were raising meat birds around the same time. They asked for our assistance in the processing steps. We went over and helped them. Their freezer was filled to the brim when we left.
Something sparked that day, it was more than just sharing with others online through YouTube. It was physically helping and seeing the knowledge being transferred to someone with the desire to learn. I’ve grown so much since then. My husband Dylan and I have been invited and have spoken at multiple different homesteading events here in Indiana. We’ve taught on different topics from homesteading, gardening, and even hands-on poultry processing classes. We’ve been blessed to help assist some of the biggest names in the homesteading community. It’s been beautiful!
This year I realized that all these things have been beautiful learning opportunities for me. They’ve been skills and lessons for me to understand my purpose, like stepping stones. That I find joy and fulfillment in sharing with others. I find happiness in teaching homesteading skills and empowering others. To see someone attend one of my speaking panels asking questions and then turn around a couple hours later and see them processing with a smile on their face as they are physically learning. It’s amazing and I thank God for the garden. I thank him for that small seed that planted such beautiful experiences and opportunities not only in my life but my family’s lives.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m a mom and wife first above all the other things I do. It’s what brings me joy. I’ve been a content creator for the last several years. I started our Instagram and YouTube channel – Wolterman Homestead first. I began simply by sharing my successes and failures in the garden. I shared weekly garden tours of what I was growing. I was sharing cooking content using the things from the garden in the kitchen. I began sharing my faith and other life content there. It’s now become so much more!
We have been blessed to attend different events and share with others. We will be at the Patriot Homesteaders Conference in Scottsburg, IN at the end of April 2024 teaching hands-on poultry processing.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I can really only think of two things.
1) Being a content creator is hard. Not only can you get criticism from others but you realize that you are your own worst critic. This year I’ve come to the realization that our words have power. I shared a video on our YouTube channel called “What are you Speaking over Yourself? | Blessings and Curses”. The bible tells us in multiple different places like; Psalm 34:13, Proverbs 10:31, Proverbs 12:14 & Proverbs 18:21 that what we say matters. These verses remind us that our words can basically bless or curse us. I came to the heartbreaking realization that I had been cursing myself. For most of my life, especially since becoming a creator I’ve spoken a phrase to/about myself, “I’m not good with words.” These words are simple but direct. I broke down and cried. I surrendered these words and feelings to God. I prayed and asked that he would remove this stronghold, this stumbling block that I had placed on myself. I specifically started asking and praying that he would help me to become better with words and here I am. I smile… I’ve been given so many opportunities to speak already with the Wolterman Homestead social media platform. With the different homesteading conferences and events. Recently, I started a blog where I share a post each Monday. Then this email appeared to be interviewed by “Bold Journey” and share my story with you. I pray that your eyes are opened and if you have a stumbling block too, that you surrender it to God and allow him to move in your life. Stumbling blocks can look different for each person. They could be how you see yourself, how you speak to yourself (like me), how you love yourself and so many other things. Yet in these things, I want to remind you… that they aren’t who God says you are. Find your identity in him, not what others or even you say about yourself.
Who am I? I am a wife, mother, friend, daughter, content creator, writer and I’m an encourager. Encouraging you from the Wolterman Homestead to go out, seek God and chase your dreams.
2) Do it even if you’re afraid. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that “God doesn’t give us the spirit of fear, but of sound mind and self-control”. Take control and have that sound mind. Just put one foot in front of the other, soon the single steps will turn into running.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Being overwhelmed is so hard, somethings are just heavier than others. When I’m overwhelmed I go to my place of refuge. I seek the dimly lit corner of my closet. The place that I like to call my “war room”. If you’ve never seen the movie “War Room” I highly recommend it. It’s what sparked my desire to create and have a quiet place.
I have a YouTube video sharing this space and going into the different details of it. Basically it’s the corner in Dylan and I’s master closet. It’s where I go to sit in the quiet and pray. It’s where I go to be alone with God. There are pictures, verse and so many hand written notes of prayers, requests and desires.
God is how I deal with feeling overwhelmed. I’ve learned that nothing is too hard for him. That he can help me fight my battles. He can help strengthen me and give me shelter in the harder seasons of life. If he can do those things and provide for me, what can he do for you if you allow him too?
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.woltermanhomestead.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolterman_homestead
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woltermanhomestead
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/woltermanhomestead
- Other: Email: [email protected]
