Proverbs 31:13-15

"She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchant-ships; she bringeth her bread from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her household, and their task to her maidens."

Whenever I read this, I always get the feeling of passion and zeal that this exemplifies for a woman's family. She goes great lengths to provide for her family and does it willingly! What a lesson for us!

I realize that we don't necessarily have the same tasks, such as making our clothes from the plant and sheep up, but the principle is the same. That of working willingly, working hard and working with a specific end in mind.

The example of wool is rather close to home for me. We used to have wool sheep and my Mom loved the whole sock making process! We have a whole bin full of the beautiful work she's made. Dad would shear the sheep, then Mom would take the wool, wash it, spin it on her spinning wheel and then dye sometimes. She took that woolen yarn and knitted it into socks and mittens. It takes a lot of work to do all that, and the end result is amazing! I love Mom's hand knitted wool socks! They kept us warm and dry in the winter....and they were beautiful too. She taught us the value of hard work and to realize what it really takes to do a good job. (I knitted a pair of socks too...from wool I spun and let me tell you, they needed some help! I'm still trying to figure out how they ended up twisted!!....Maybe I need to work on that!)

It's so easy, (and I know my last post was about attitude, but it still applies!) to fall into the trap of a bad attitude. While there may be certain tasks that are distasteful, or boring to us, that doesn't mean our attitudes should change. God has given us the beautiful opportunity to bless our families (and as we'll see in later verses, we will be blessed by so doing) and care for them.

Let's take these words and not feel daunted by tasks, but encouraged to love and serve our families even more! We don't work to keep the laundry clean, and the beds made, we work because we love our families and care for their well-being.

Proverbs 31:12

I feel like the worker who hired on at the last hour!! I know this is very late but I still wanted to post a few thoughts I've been mulling over this whole week!

(Just for the record, I've been helping Mom and my sisters prepare for a HUGE garage sale- huge as in going through every room in the house and going through closets, drawers and shelves....We've been singing and smiling because that's way better then frowning and complaining about all the JUNK we've been going through!! So it's been a busy week!)

This study has been so encouraging and thought provoking to me! All this week I've enjoyed reading the different blogs and comments...there is much wisdom to be gained from the different ladies I've been reading. The perspectives have been very insightful. Mrs. Joy, with her 25 years of marriage, Kristen, with her 1,000 (and a couple by now!) days, and Julia, who will be married in 75 days! As well as the ladies who've linked their blog on Kristen's.

"She doeth him good and not evil all the days of her life."

Doing good. I know I said this last time, but there is SO much packed into this little verse! But I've been thinking about our hearts as we do good. I'm a list person. I like to make lists and check them off! So I could make a list of good goals to have, good things to do for my husband and dutifully follow it- have a clean house. *check* Make sure his clothes are clean. *check* Have a full cupboard. *check* Etc. But is it really "doing good" if my mindset and heart isn't right?

In the book and movie, Anne of Green Gables, there is a scene where Anne has insulted Marilla's good friend and neighbor Mrs. Lynde. Marilla insists that Anne apologizes but Anne refuses. So Matthew (he's probably my favorite!) creeps up to Anne's room to talk to her and says (roughly) "Can't you just smooth it over, Anne? You don't have to really mean that your sorry, but just kind smooth it over so to speak"

In I Corinthians 13 it talks about love, and what love is. At the beginning of the chapter it talks about having good attributes and standards, but if those are not followed with love, they are nothing. Isaiah 29:13 says "And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me.."

Both of these scriptures are talking about having the right attitude; having the right heart-set and mindset.

It's really easy to start checking off lists and "doing good" things for our husband and families, but are we "smoothing things over" and not having the right attitude? Are we just doing to survive? Or are we providing with graciousness for our families? Are we doing laundry and cooking meals so the family doesn't smell bad and doesn't grouch because they're hungry? Or are we providing comfort and sustenance? Do we view our lives as housekeepers or homemakers?

Our families and husbands are such a joy to our lives! (My family is to me!) This is a challenge to me to truly have the right heart. And not just do. Doing good on the outside and doing good on the inside too.

Deuteronomy 10:12 "And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all they soul."

A walk, a camera and some words of wisdom

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Be not therefore anxious, saying What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

"Either make the tree good, and it's fruit good; or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corupt: for the tree is known by its fruit."

Proverbs 31:11

"The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no lack of gain."

In one little verse there is a goldmine of instruction!

"The heart of her husband" Isn't that what we're all working toward? To me, this phrase means the most important part of our husband. His heart: not just his affections but also the true heart, where faith, honor and character stem.

What a beautiful thing, to be wholly trusted!

What is trust?

The Webster definition of trust is "assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something"

But what does it mean to be trustworthy? Dependable, honest, open, hardworking, resourceful, insightful...the list could go on. It provides such peace of mind and harmony for the husband and family too!

"And he shall have no lack of gain"

No lack of gain in face as well as household management. It's not enough to just run your husband's house well. It's also the tender and trustworthy care of his whole being.

To me, this is such an important part of our role as women. There are so many directions the world wants to push us. But when we are grounded in faith and trust we will be able to stand by our husbands and be a better help-meet.

Proverbs 31:10

I'm really excited about this study! Thanks to Kristen for heading it up!

"A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies."

As this week I've thought about this little verse, I've been challenged by it's conciseness. It's not just a suggestion, but an observation. It's up to us to work hard to become a worthy woman.

Worthy here is also translated excellent and virtuous. What does this mean? It can apply to much, but I think it's talking generally about what the core of a woman of God should be: one who has moral excellence. For when the foundation and core is pure the rest falls under that: it has a stable place to grow.

I just read in Guy N. Woods commentary on James a paragraph on righteousness- "He who does righteousness is righteous; but he who does righteous does right; therefore he who does right possesses righteousness." When we are working toward and on moral excellence and virtue we possess them, at least in part. That is such an encouragement to me! We can have confidence that we will gain a little every day, in our goals and our worth.

So what are some goals to work toward from this verse? I would say working toward more complete moral excellence. Things like integrity, honesty, true love (and I include many forms of love in that one word). What do you think are some traits that would fall in this category?

To close I want to share two other verses that are such a propelling force for me- Proverbs 12:4a-"A worthy woman is the crown of her husband" & Proverbs 19:14- "House and riches are an inheritance from fathers; But a prudent wife is from Jehovah." What more noble goal could there be then to work toward being such a blessing to your husband?

Back home again...

I have the tendency to not write something because I don't have that one certain blog that's in my head typed out and I haven't had the right time to do it yet! (you know, that "right" time when you're in the right mood, and the right situation and you're not too cold or hot...stuff like that!)

So! I'm back home again! Oh, what a wonderful feeling! To be home, with all your comfortable things- like those super comfy pants that should be thrown out they're so old! Like your siblings, close around you, telling stories and catching you up on stuff that happened. Like sweet little brothers that like to sit with you early in the morning...with their sleepy eyes and sleepy heads comfy on your shoulder. That comfortable feeling of laughing with your sisters as you're getting ready for bed...little chats with your parents throughout the day...:) It's truly a wonderful feeling to be home again.

Here are some random thoughts I'm trying to catch...

• I had a wonderful time in Africa! My life has been blessed so richly by my time there! I'm thankful for safe travels, for my dear friends the Jensen family and for the time God has blessed me with.
• Going through storage sheds and old junk is a good thing! Last Saturday we cleared out our "upper room" which translated is our junk shed! We threw stuff away, we put stuff in a garage sale pile...and it's quite neat and tidy now! We should have done that 10 years ago!
• I'm really enjoying this Far Above Rubies study with Kristen...I'm going to post more about that later.

So that's my list for now. I know this is a little random, but that's just me! :)

I hope you have a wonderful evening! Or morning! :)

12 April 2010

I can hardly believe that my month here in Tanzania is up! Time has a way of fleeing....

It's been such a lovely visit....being with the Jensen family, worshiping with the people here, the Swahili singing, the beautiful scenery...I could make a list a mile long. But I won't.

It's just good to be encouraged by people you love and to let the beauty of God's creation sink into your soul.

Yesterday Jacob, (with Don and Axe!) Julia, Luke, Linz and I took a walk up the hill from the house. It's really a lovely walk and the view is spectacular. You can see all the way to Kisongo where the school is. You can see the Maasai plain stretching out to Longido. It's just beautiful. Beautiful because there are round hills just at random. Because the yellow blossomed trees that line the road wind around like a wavy pencil line. It's beautiful because the sun is so warm and brilliant; it's beautiful because God made it that way. So we we walked and chatted and enjoyed the beauty. We ended up sitting on the green grass and just being together. Oh, Jake was brushing the dogs and Julia was taking pictures and I was not crying, just for the record! :) It was just so nice to be with my dear friends. Time stood still for just a few precious minutes. And then we walked home and that was that. But it's those moments in time that make life more precious.

That us standing in the sun-left to right, Linz, myself, Luke, Julia and Jake.

My flight leaves at 9:30 (or there about) and I'll get home around 5 pm on Tuesday. Please keep me in your prayers!