A Proverbs 31 Woman - week 10

This weeks verses are ones that are really close to my heart lately. Verses 25-26

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
       she can laugh at the days to come.     

She speaks with wisdom,
       and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

First let's look at "she is clothed with strength and dignity"  The first thing I notice is that she is "clothed" with these things.  They are something she puts on, not something that is necessarily part of her.  I love this because it implies that perhaps these are things she struggles with, things that don't come naturally to her.  Phil. 4:13 tells us where this strength comes from, Christ. (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me)  Without Him we are all weak, including our Proverbs 31 Woman.  We don't always have the answers, or know the right thing to do.  This is a good thing though.  Isaiah 40:19 tells us, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak".  It is when we are weak that God can really work in us.  Reminds me of a song in which the lyrics say "Our strength comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth"  No wonder why this is something that she puts on daily, she must have a relationship with God to receive her strength.

As for dignity, websters defines dignity as the quality of being worthy.  Romans 3:10 tells us that none of us are worthy (or righteous), no, not one.  For me this is another reminder that the Proverbs 31 woman must have a relationship with Christ, who was worthy and righteous because of his sacrifice has made me so in the eyes of his father.  Yet another reason why she is "clothed" in this quality.

I believe that the reason she can laugh at the days to come are because she knows she has nothing to fear from the future.  Christ stands with her, and Hebrews 13:6 tells us, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me?"  When there is no fear the is room for laughter, joy, happiness.  We know that God will provide for us.  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  (Matthew 6:26)  Why shouldn't she laugh?

The next verse, Proverbs 31:26, for me is a reminder of my job as a parent, and as I get older my obligation to younger women.  Proverbs is full of verses about wisdom, where it comes from (Prov 1:7), how to get it (19:20) and lots more.  First I want to look at what it means for a mother.
The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.  (Proverbs 29:15)  I realize that corporal punishment is not currently in fashion in the world today, but we are instructed to not be a part of the world (Romans 12:2).  Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of it and for the most part a spanking is reserved for severe infractions or for repeated acts of disobedience.  However, I do agree that when combined with reproof (criticism of a fault in this case as a correction) it definately leads to wisdom for the child.  This verse tells us that if we do not correct, or speak with wisdom, to our children, they will develop ways that will shame us.  That is why it is important when raising our children for us to have "faithful instruction on our tongue".  In other words raise your child up in the ways of the Lord so that they will not depart from them as adults.  (Prov 22:6)

But our Proverbs 31 Woman doesn't just speak wisdom to have faithful instruction for children.  Titus 2:3-5 tells us that we should be training younger women, we should be speaking wisdom and faithfully instructing them "to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."  In order to teach these things, the Proverbs 31 woman must first know how to do these things and put them into practice in her own life.  We learn this wisdom by studying God's word (James 1:5), listening to teachers (Paul instructed Titus to teach the older women) and comparing what we learn to God's word (to verify that what we have been told is truth), and through our own life experiences.  Proverbs 3:7 tells us to not be wise in our own eyes, but to fear the Lord. 

There was a lot of responsibility packed into those two little verses.  Fortunately we can rely on God to be there with us as we try to live up to the task!


Love,

Proverbs 31 Woman - week 9

It has been several weeks since I have worked on this series.  I wasn't sure when I was going to get back to it as every time I sat down to work on it I felt disconnected from it.  Today, however, proverbs 31 was part of my daily study.  (I am doing a chronological study of the Bible in a year.  You can do it to by visiting here and then choosing your start date)  As I read, I really felt like it was time to start this again.  So here we are at week 9 and verses 23-24

Her husband is respected at the city gate,
       where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.  

She makes linen garments and sells them,
       and supplies the merchants with sashes.

What can we learn from these verses?  First our Proverbs Woman isn't married to a deadbeat.  I know this sounds kind of harsh but 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us that  "bad company corrupts good character".  We have to remember that all of Proverb 31 is advice a mother is giving to her son.  While she may be trying to ensure that he chooses a respectable and good woman, this tidbit is thrown in to remind him that his conduct is important as well.  How he behaves and acts has an impact on his future wife.  As Proverbs 31 women we need to look at this verse as a reminder to help our husbands to be the men God intends for them to be, to be respected as a good man.  This doesn't mean we nag them.  Proverbs 19:13b says that is "like a constant dripping" not helpful, just annoying.  Proverbs 25:24 tells us that our husband would be better off to "live on the corner of the roof than share a house wtih a quarrelsome wife"  and Proverbs 21:19 tells us that it is "better to live in the desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife".  So don't bug him to death, be kindhearted (proverbs 11:16a) and gain respect.  Build him up, don't tear him down.  When he knows you love and respect him, he will be free to do what it is God intends for him to do.

Second we learn that the Proverbs 31 woman makes and sells garments.  Personally, I like to make garments, whether I sew or crochet or even knit them.  I honestly can't say that this verse requires everyone to sew and sell clothes.  I believe that God has a purpose and a place for all of us and if we all made and sold clothes there wouldn't be a market for it.  However, I tend to connect this with 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 in which Paul encourages the young Christians there to "make it their ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind their own business and to work with their hands, just as we (Paul, Silas and Timothy) told them, so that their daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that they will not be dependent on anybody."  Paul was writing to both men and women, but this sheds light on our verse today.  Our Proverbs 31 woman is to be an example to others.  Paul tells us hundreds of years after this was written that we still need to be leading a quiet life, minding our own business.  Working with our hands, i.e. making garments, will occupy us and help us to do so.  Working with our hands also provides a way for us to provide for ourselves.  This woman puts her family first, cares for them first, but doesn't waste the rest of her day being idle.  She creates things of worth and then sells them which, according to Paul, may win the respect of outsiders as well as keeping this woman from being entirely dependent on her husband, from being a burden.  By keeping herself busy and selling her labor she shares in the financial responsibility of the family with her husband.  This too brings respect to her husband.

Do you have any thoughts?  Please feel free to comment and share them!  Have a blessed week.
Love,

Sewing again!!!

I missed sewing.  It has been quite a while since I have pulled out my trusty friend and put it to good use.  But no more!  In the last 7 days I have made 2 projects that have birthed a dress and 2 purses!

The dress is my own design, inspired by the many handkerchief dresses I have spotted on the web.  One day I finally sat down and put one together.  Pic to come soon as they were new handkerchiefs and I have never been one to prewash my fabric so the dress is quite stiff on baby A.  I plan to post a tut on how to make it as well.

My second project was more than 2 years coming.  I bought the fabric about 2 1/2 years ago intending to make me a purse for spring modeled after the Longerberger purses that look like brown bags.  Never got to it.  When I came across the pattern for the Buttercup Bag from Made by Rae I just knew I had to make it.  However, I realized that the material was WAY to young for me (can you see a past 35 year old woman carrying the purse below?  Maybe, but could you see her without snickering under your breath?  I didn't think so!) and decided to make one for H and baby A.

Those are little frogs going up and down the purses.  (I bought it thinking "what a great reminder to carry around to always Fully Rely On God")  To make the smaller purse I shrunk the pattern by 60% and cut my strap to be 2" by 12" instead of the length and width called for in the original.  The best part, baby A let me get everything cut out before her nap and I was able to finish both purses while she slept and still had time to eat lunch!  Would love to find a simple wallet pattern to make for H with the scrap material.

Love,
 

What I have been up to...

 My house has been completely turned upside down and my family has been forced to restructure.  It has been a very difficult time and we had had to rely on God and trust that He will find a way to work the decisions that a 15 year old makes (and a court system supports despite evidence that it isn't a wise one) for good in the long run.  Suffice it to say that there have been a lot of hurt feelings recently and for J and H there still are some unresolved emotional issues.  Those that know me personally will understand.

I just wanted to take a moment to post some of the projects I have been working on and have completed during the many late nights recently.

This is a desk decoration for H's teacher this year.  The apple, caterpillar, and base are made of polymer clay and the chalkboard was purchased.  I wrote on it with a paint pen.  A really inexpensive gift that has a purpose and hopefully won't get added to a Goodwill pile.  H is going to write a thank you note to go with it.

And this is a really bad picture of a felt flower pin I made using this tutorial that I used to close the bag we placed the desk thingy in.

This is an ongoing project that I started when baby A was born almost 2 years ago.  It usually doesn't take me that long to complete a project like this but for some reason I just couldn't commit to this one.  Her room is done in sunflowers (imagine that).  The finished size is about 5.25 by 7.25 inches.  Now to mat and frame it so I can hang it in her room.  The pattern is from Sunshine garden: 10 designs (Leisure Arts leaflet) and is actually supposed to be a pillow.  Lots of cute patterns in the leaflet with sunflowers, ladybug bears, bumblebee bears and more.

 And this is Babs.  Baby A actually named her Beeb but we convinced her that Babs was a better fit (or at least it made a little more sense!)  Babs was made using a free pattern called the Mini Free Spirit doll.  The dress she is wearing is from the same site and is also a free pattern.  Babs has become baby A's new favorite doll and she goes with us everywhere.

I also made several hats, booties, headbands, sweaters and a blanket for GTA in addition to starting another cross stitch project entitled "but they that wait" from Glorious Earth, Inspired by Isaiah Book #24011 part of the Praying Hands collection.  It's going to be a Christmas gift if I finish in time.

I plan to finish the Proverbs 31 study in the near future, and I am currently working on a few snowflake patterns for Snowflake Saturdays.  I have run out of white sz 10 thread which makes it a bit difficult to translate what is in my head to tangible items!

Love,