Hey, my favorite mamas in the whole wide world!
My kids are tucked away in their beds, my in-laws are in their pj's, and we just stuck on an old movie, "Rat Race." Anyone remember that one?? HAA! If you've seen it, then you'll chuckle. If not, then maybe someday you'll Netflix it and enjoy the hilarity of it! It's about people racing to find a treasure and all their blunders along the way. It's probably so funny because we all feel like that at one point or another! :)
Obviously, this is the totally appropriate time to write on Proverbs 31. Hee! So bear with me as I ramble a bit...but it will all make sense in the end. Promise!
Proverbs 31:10-31...A Wife of Noble Character
Who doesn't want to be this? Seriously. I love the title of this passage.
This is not the wife OF A NOBLE. If it was then we'd all have an "out" for taking this to heart, because in the USA, there are no Nobles. But instead, this is a wife that has and acts with a NOBLE character. (And if you attend Titus 2 Bible study, you'll recall the chain of changing oneself...thoughts produce feelings, feelings produce actions, actions produce habits, habits produce character. A Noble Character.)
And unfortunately, this noble character is not dependent of her husband and his character. This passage doesn't say, "She is noble because HE is noble..." or "She is noble only when HE is noble." Nope. I know. Like an arrow to your heart and mine.
So prepare yourself and your heart. Take away your feelings, thoughts, emotions about your marriage and your hubby...and for once, take a deep breath, strip your pride and excuses, and just be you. Because we're all in the same boat: well-meaning, imperfect, emotional, temperamental, tired, struggling to keep it all together when circumstances are normal...and falling apart when circumstances go against us.
Trust me. I'm there. And I write this with a heart humbled by my inability to be a wife of Noble character...and I am challenged just the same as you!
So, I read through these verses in November 2004 (whenever I underline verses in my Bible, I mark the date and place I was when I read it...I know. Neurotic. But sometimes very cool!) and ended up circling all the descriptive words of this Noble wife in all the verses.
Here's just the brief list of what she does and who she is:
virtuous
capable
trustworthy
enriches others
aids husband
finds supplies and makes them into things
brings necessary things to her home
gets up early
goes to bed late
prepares for her family
energetic
strong
hard worker
savvy with money
helps those in need
has no fear of the future
dresses well
is an entrepreneur
dignified
laughs without fear
words of wise
kind when giving instructions
carefully watches all that goes on in her household
is not lazy
productive
I know...I'm exhausted just listing them!
But here are the results: (v. 28-29) "Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!' "
v. 30-31 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise."
So, as you consider your goals for this new year...or maybe just the new month, choose ONE you can work on. One, preferably, that you do not already possess. For I know you all very well, and I would say that all of you posses many of this qualities already!
As a disclaimer, let me just say that there is no way any of us can be all of these things all the time, no more than we can earn our salvation through works without grace. We are not perfect, and will never be perfect. But that does not excuse us from trying.
Let me finish with Happy NEW Year! Remember...our thoughts produce feelings that produce actions that produce habits that produce character.
Love you much!
Rebecca
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Proverbs 30
So, it's not too late...9:12 pm. So it's still the 30th.
Of course, I'm just gearing up for the 31st...and what an awesome Proverb tomorrow to read through before the beginning of the year. No mistaking why we land on the 31st the day before we turn a new leaf and a new year!
Anyone written goals? Anyone have a verse for the year?
Okay...if not...find some time tomorrow to spend in reflection and dig deep. Let your heart be known to the One who cares most for it. And trust Him with all you are.
Proverbs 30...
I love this Proverb, and honestly, this is probably the first time I've read it in its entirety.
Check out verses 1-3. How many of us can cry this at the end of the day..."I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God [not just ONE weary, but TWO...in my case one "weary" for each child!!]. I am too ignorant to be human, and I lack common sense [like when I forgot about my groceries today in the back of the car and the turkey began to thaw over 8 hours], I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One."
Okay...yikes!
And then follows by v. 5-6 "Every word of God proves true [not MY words...but HIS]. He defends all who come to Him for protection. Do not add to His words, or He may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar."
V. 7-9 "O God, I beg two favors from You before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. [Um...how many of us coming out of the great 2000s would ever have prayed this back then, but now understand the meaning of having enough, but not too much that you become slaves to what you now own??] For if I grow rich, I may deny You and say, "Who is the Lord?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name." [Contentment my girls! This is not a lazy man's excuse not to do anything, but it's also not a proud man's excuse to work to the bone so that he may receive everything and every recognition on earth. For what we have and what we achieve is HIS. And when we realize this, then we don't worry about keeping up with the Jones. PS...the Jones's are filing for bankruptcy; you just don't know it!]
v.15-16, v. 18-19, v. 21-23, v. 24-28, and v. 29-31 are a collection of lists that the author observes in nature that show things in nature (and human nature) that he cannot understand or that are amazing. I love that he always says, 'There are three...no four things..." because how many times are our minds as mommies always running behind and adding to our lists?? I know I add to my lists in my sleep! Haaa!
My fav...v.18 "four things I don't understand... (v.19d) how a man loves a woman."
As a wife I had to chuckle...because it's kinda true. How hard to we make it for our man to love us? How many hoops must he jump through, even though we now married, to continue to "win" our affections...and how easy it would be to just love first. Then maybe the author wouldn't be stupified by this whole notion. Hmmm. I'm challenged!
If you are having a hard time reading the version of the Bible you have at home, go to www.blueletterbible.org and on the home page, you can type in the passage and select the version of the Bible you'd like to read it in.
Please keep in mind, that several versions are paraphrased, which means they are not direct translations from the Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). But they do make it quite easy to understand and gleen from!
Some translations to try:
NIV (New International Version)
NASB (New American Standard Version)
NLT (New Living Translation)...This is the Bible I use, only because I can understand it, though it is a paraphrase.
So, mamas! Tomorrow's the BIG PROVERB! Are you ready? And more importantly are you ready for 2010 and all God is going to do in your heart, your life, your marriage, and your family?? Start praying! It's going to be big!
With love!!
Rebecca
PS...If you don't want to receive these, just let me know. I totally won't take it personally! I promise I'll still love you! Heee!
Of course, I'm just gearing up for the 31st...and what an awesome Proverb tomorrow to read through before the beginning of the year. No mistaking why we land on the 31st the day before we turn a new leaf and a new year!
Anyone written goals? Anyone have a verse for the year?
Okay...if not...find some time tomorrow to spend in reflection and dig deep. Let your heart be known to the One who cares most for it. And trust Him with all you are.
Proverbs 30...
I love this Proverb, and honestly, this is probably the first time I've read it in its entirety.
Check out verses 1-3. How many of us can cry this at the end of the day..."I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God [not just ONE weary, but TWO...in my case one "weary" for each child!!]. I am too ignorant to be human, and I lack common sense [like when I forgot about my groceries today in the back of the car and the turkey began to thaw over 8 hours], I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One."
Okay...yikes!
And then follows by v. 5-6 "Every word of God proves true [not MY words...but HIS]. He defends all who come to Him for protection. Do not add to His words, or He may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar."
V. 7-9 "O God, I beg two favors from You before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. [Um...how many of us coming out of the great 2000s would ever have prayed this back then, but now understand the meaning of having enough, but not too much that you become slaves to what you now own??] For if I grow rich, I may deny You and say, "Who is the Lord?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name." [Contentment my girls! This is not a lazy man's excuse not to do anything, but it's also not a proud man's excuse to work to the bone so that he may receive everything and every recognition on earth. For what we have and what we achieve is HIS. And when we realize this, then we don't worry about keeping up with the Jones. PS...the Jones's are filing for bankruptcy; you just don't know it!]
v.15-16, v. 18-19, v. 21-23, v. 24-28, and v. 29-31 are a collection of lists that the author observes in nature that show things in nature (and human nature) that he cannot understand or that are amazing. I love that he always says, 'There are three...no four things..." because how many times are our minds as mommies always running behind and adding to our lists?? I know I add to my lists in my sleep! Haaa!
My fav...v.18 "four things I don't understand... (v.19d) how a man loves a woman."
As a wife I had to chuckle...because it's kinda true. How hard to we make it for our man to love us? How many hoops must he jump through, even though we now married, to continue to "win" our affections...and how easy it would be to just love first. Then maybe the author wouldn't be stupified by this whole notion. Hmmm. I'm challenged!
If you are having a hard time reading the version of the Bible you have at home, go to www.blueletterbible.org and on the home page, you can type in the passage and select the version of the Bible you'd like to read it in.
Please keep in mind, that several versions are paraphrased, which means they are not direct translations from the Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). But they do make it quite easy to understand and gleen from!
Some translations to try:
NIV (New International Version)
NASB (New American Standard Version)
NLT (New Living Translation)...This is the Bible I use, only because I can understand it, though it is a paraphrase.
So, mamas! Tomorrow's the BIG PROVERB! Are you ready? And more importantly are you ready for 2010 and all God is going to do in your heart, your life, your marriage, and your family?? Start praying! It's going to be big!
With love!!
Rebecca
PS...If you don't want to receive these, just let me know. I totally won't take it personally! I promise I'll still love you! Heee!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Starting on the Right Foot
To My Favorite People in the Whole Wide World....
If I could gather you all in one room, I think my heart would be full from your smiles, laughter, encouragement, tears, and love for those around you. I think friendships are like the decorative touches in the interior of a home...you don't have to have that enormous clock hanging on the wall that you can't tell time from anyway to call your house a home, but it sure is beautiful to have around, and it fills an empty space on the wall which would be lonely without it.
Let's just say the walls of my home are filled with decorative touches...and you enrich my life with beauty more and more on a daily basis! Thank you for being you!
For those of you receiving the Proverbs text messages, thanks for giving me a week or so off! Somehow life happened, and isn't it funny how the first thing to go is the most important ingredient to your survival of the day? I know if my Bible had a voice (just imagine the dogs in the Disney movie "Up" who could suddenly speak words), it would be screaming at me like my kids, or my alarm, or my dryer buzzer, or my microwave.
And if that happened, I suppose I would feel more inclined to actually get up and "hit" the Word (not physically hit it...but hit it like hitting the books to study).
As I was reading in my Study Bible, I came across these notes that I thought made amazing sense, and has become my reason for reading Proverbs:
"Strategy for Effective Living
1. Begins with...God's wisdom...Respecting and appreciating who God is, reverence and awe in recongnizing the almighty God.
2. Requires...Moral application...Trusting in God and His Word; allowing His Word to speak to us personally; willing to obey.
3. Requires...Practical Application...Acting on God's direction in daily devotions; commiting to filter all words and actions through His directions.
4. Results in...Effective Living...Experiencing what God does with our obedience."
I loved this because I think it encompasses why we are where we are and whose we are leading to ultimately who we are...We are His, for such a time as this, to reach others for Him, and for glorifying Him in all we do. What a serious calling that begs to infiltrate every movement, word, intention, thought, act through His wisdom.
I always see the days between Christmas and New Years, to be a time of reflection. A time of recounting the past year, and where the following year might take me. I actually love this week because it gives me permission to sit and reflect in silence and hand over the reigns of the next year to the Lord. And I then ask Him to take me on the wildest ride yet...firmly planting me in the palm of His hand all the way through.
And so mamas, I challenge you to do the same. Sit for an hour and write out your goals, your prayers, your heart's desires, and then pick a verse that can become your theme verse for the year (this idea I stole from my wise mother-in-law). Grab a journal (my fav thing in the world if you see me on a regular basis is to cart around journals all with different purposes), and start a prayer journal...a spiritual road map documenting where the Lord will take you this year. (If you need an easy prayer journal format, let me know. I have a really simple one that is very user friendly and amazing in short amounts of time.)
If you don't mind receiving the Proverbs reminders via email instead of by text (saving my cell phone bill), let me know and I'll switch it. Again, if you don't care to receive anything and don't already, then no worries. :) I know there is only so much time in a day and many of you are being fed in other ways, which is already amazing!
And so my sisters...I hope you had an amazing Christmas with your hubbies and kiddos.
Here's to an off-the-hook 2010!
With love and complete respect...
Rebecca
PS...Please assume this is Proverbs 27 day! :)
If I could gather you all in one room, I think my heart would be full from your smiles, laughter, encouragement, tears, and love for those around you. I think friendships are like the decorative touches in the interior of a home...you don't have to have that enormous clock hanging on the wall that you can't tell time from anyway to call your house a home, but it sure is beautiful to have around, and it fills an empty space on the wall which would be lonely without it.
Let's just say the walls of my home are filled with decorative touches...and you enrich my life with beauty more and more on a daily basis! Thank you for being you!
For those of you receiving the Proverbs text messages, thanks for giving me a week or so off! Somehow life happened, and isn't it funny how the first thing to go is the most important ingredient to your survival of the day? I know if my Bible had a voice (just imagine the dogs in the Disney movie "Up" who could suddenly speak words), it would be screaming at me like my kids, or my alarm, or my dryer buzzer, or my microwave.
And if that happened, I suppose I would feel more inclined to actually get up and "hit" the Word (not physically hit it...but hit it like hitting the books to study).
As I was reading in my Study Bible, I came across these notes that I thought made amazing sense, and has become my reason for reading Proverbs:
"Strategy for Effective Living
1. Begins with...God's wisdom...Respecting and appreciating who God is, reverence and awe in recongnizing the almighty God.
2. Requires...Moral application...Trusting in God and His Word; allowing His Word to speak to us personally; willing to obey.
3. Requires...Practical Application...Acting on God's direction in daily devotions; commiting to filter all words and actions through His directions.
4. Results in...Effective Living...Experiencing what God does with our obedience."
I loved this because I think it encompasses why we are where we are and whose we are leading to ultimately who we are...We are His, for such a time as this, to reach others for Him, and for glorifying Him in all we do. What a serious calling that begs to infiltrate every movement, word, intention, thought, act through His wisdom.
I always see the days between Christmas and New Years, to be a time of reflection. A time of recounting the past year, and where the following year might take me. I actually love this week because it gives me permission to sit and reflect in silence and hand over the reigns of the next year to the Lord. And I then ask Him to take me on the wildest ride yet...firmly planting me in the palm of His hand all the way through.
And so mamas, I challenge you to do the same. Sit for an hour and write out your goals, your prayers, your heart's desires, and then pick a verse that can become your theme verse for the year (this idea I stole from my wise mother-in-law). Grab a journal (my fav thing in the world if you see me on a regular basis is to cart around journals all with different purposes), and start a prayer journal...a spiritual road map documenting where the Lord will take you this year. (If you need an easy prayer journal format, let me know. I have a really simple one that is very user friendly and amazing in short amounts of time.)
If you don't mind receiving the Proverbs reminders via email instead of by text (saving my cell phone bill), let me know and I'll switch it. Again, if you don't care to receive anything and don't already, then no worries. :) I know there is only so much time in a day and many of you are being fed in other ways, which is already amazing!
And so my sisters...I hope you had an amazing Christmas with your hubbies and kiddos.
Here's to an off-the-hook 2010!
With love and complete respect...
Rebecca
PS...Please assume this is Proverbs 27 day! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
