The Proverbs 31 Woman Finale & Announcement!

This is it – the final week in Proverbs 31!

Proverbs 31:31 says

“Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

 

I had challenged you all to memorize the Proverbs 31 passage with me – did you do it?  I did it but had a few hiccups when recording it – I left out a verse – can you tell which one? and I misquoted verse 31 – ARGH!  Grace right? 

Here’s the final video of our summer Proverbs 31 series:

(If you are reading this in a feed – click here to view the video)

Oh how I love the Proverbs 31 woman and long to have hands like her – hands that are diligent, busy, eager, vigorous, profitable, industrious, open to the poor and needy, and praiseworthy.  Though this series has come to an end – I want to never stop striving hard to follow in her footsteps!

Rather than giving you a final challenge instead I have an announcement!

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Sign-ups for the Good Morning Girls fall session will begin August 15 and run through September 15th!

The Book of the Bible we will be going through issssssssss…drum roll please…

Colossians

We will do an EIGHT-week series in the book of Colossians starting September 15!  This will include a FREE eWorkBook, Bible study Guide, videos, articles, resources and MORE!

At the end of the 8-weeks – we will then launch a 4 week Advent Bible study for Christmas!

ALL the resources for these studies will be FREE!  This is going to be so good – I don’t want you to miss it!  I will not be doing any of this study here on Women Living Well – so if you are interested in following along – I encourage you to go to http://www.GoodMorningGirls.organd subscribe or follow on Facebook – so you don’t miss out on the coming details!

 Chime in: If God has used the Proverbs 31 series  in your life this summer – please tell us about it in the comments section.  Also, we wonder –  will you be joining us for the Colossians and Advent study? Sure hope so! 

Walk with the King!

 

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 12

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 12

 

Angela, from GoodMorningGirls.org is back and she writes…

Welcome back! Our journey through Proverbs 31 is almost over…….it’s been such a joy for me to learn about the inspirational Proverbs 31 woman right along side of you! Thank you so much for joining us this summer!

We will announce the fall Good Morning Girls series at the end of the week onGoodMorningGirls.org – so please stay tuned!!!

This week we are going to focus on verse 30.

Proverbs 31:30

Charm is deceptive, and beauty if fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

 

(If you are seeing this in a feed or email- click here to watch the video)

Can I be completely honest with you???? I think verse 30 is the hardest verse for me in all of Proverbs 31. You see I get tempted to think like the world when it comes to beauty……I like to think that beauty is NOT fleeting when in fact it really is. I struggle with not wanting to “age”. I try to eat right, exercise and wear my sunscreen…..but the fact still remains……my outward beauty is fleeting!

That’s why I need to invest and cultivate my inner beauty……the beauty that will never fade.

Instead of worrying about what I put on my face, I should be more concerned about the words that come out of my mouth.

Instead of worrying about the wrinkles that are beginning to form around my eyes, I should be more concerned about the tenderness of my heart.

Instead of focusing on what I’m wearing, I should be more concerned about what I’m feeding my mind.

Instead of worrying about my fading beauty, I should be actively cultivating my inner beauty………investing in what will last forever.

I know many women look at the Proverbs 31 woman and get discouraged and intimidated…..but we really shouldn’t. Instead we should allow her example to inspire us. She is an example in the way she lived to glorify God through every aspect of her life. That’s why at the end of her life she is praised……..she is praised by her children, husband and others.

She lived her life well…a life that was completely focused on God.

She couldn’t have done all these amazing things on her own, in her own strength…….she was able to accomplish so much because she knew where to go to get her strength.

She was a woman who feared the Lord…..not fearing in a negative bad sense, but fearing the Lord as in bringing Him glory and realizing that He is HOLY.

Our God is the same God of the Old and New Testament…….He is full of grace but He also is completely Holy too. Let’s focus on living lives that bring Him praise out of our love and respect for the One who sacrificed it all on our behalf…….the One who went to the cross for us.

Weekly Challenge: This week focus on cultivating your inner beauty more than your outer beauty. Pay attention to the type of information you are filling your mind…..is it helping you to be more loving, kinder and bringing you closer to God? As you go about your week, try to be aware of God’s presence in your life…..see if it makes a difference in the way you talk and the decisions you make.

What are some ways that you cultivate inner beauty in your life?

Love God Greatly!

 

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 11

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 11

 

This week we are looking at Proverbs 31:28-29

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”

 A reader emailed me and asked the question:

“How can I be a Proverbs 31 woman with a husband who has an alcohol problem and can’t hold a steady job?”

Here are my thoughts on this:

(if you are reading this in an email or feed – click here to view the video)

The Proverbs 31 woman knew her husband’s needs, met them and as a result he praised her.  If we neglect what our husbands ask for, ignore their advice, withold love in the bedroom *wink*, refuse to respect them – it’s inevitable – we will not get a whole lot of praise from our husbands.

We can be the best room mother, best career woman, best servant at church, or best friend another woman can have but when we come home – if our husband’s needs are not met – we have failed to be like the Proverbs 31 woman.
{excerpt from the ebook}

Now let’s reverse the above scenario – let’s imagine that you do respect your husband and do all of the above…and he does not praise you…this is a very real scenario for many many wives.  I stood in the hallway at the Proverbs 31 conference while a woman told me the story of how she loved her husband and always sought to please him…and he was cheating on her.  This was not her issue – this was his!  It was not her fault that he walked away – it was his. 

Proverbs is a book of principles NOT promises.  The principle stands that a woman who strives to be noble – will have a husband who at the end of her days praises her.  But this is not a promise…and for some – their husband’s will never be the Proverbs 31 husband – and it is HIM who is falling short of what God has called him to be in Proverbs 31 and in Ephesians 5. 

We cannot change our husbands or be their Holy Spirit.  We must simply pray for them and walk in obedience to God’s word.

This week’s challenge: Go to your husband and children and ask them…what is it that I do or say that makes you feel loved?  Find out what is most important to them…is it a backrub, a homemade meal, tossing a football in the back yard, gifts, words of affirmation, or something else?  Write it down somewhere so you never forget what makes each individual in your family most feel loved and be sure to do whatever that thing is as often as you can this week. 

Walk with the King,

 

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 10

 

Angela from Good Morning Girls is back!  And she writes:

The above picture was taken this past week as we celebrated my middle daughter’s 5th birthday. Addie loves any and everything princess….so of course she wanted to celebrate her birthday with a princess party!

This week we are going to focus on verse 27.

Proverbs 31:27

She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

 

(If you are seeing this in a feed or email- click here to see the video)

I love what Angela says in her video above.  It is true that we as women – when we grow idle – can take our eyes off glorifying God and off  our own family’s needs and end up looking at what others are doing and become jealous or discontent.  We don’t want to spend our free-time making ourselves miserable!  Even our free-time can be productive.  We can read an inspiring book, talk with a friend on the phone, or create something with our hands that we enjoy and blesses others – like a yummy dessert!

The Proverbs 31 woman isn’t watching television or watching Facebook status updates – she’s watching over the affairs of her household.

You are irreplacable in your home – never forget that!  Your watchful eye and diligence will make your home a pleasant place for everyone who comes through your doors.

Look around where you sit – has your home been neglected?  You don’t want to see my school room right now peeps!  I cleaned out a cupboard in another room and pulled about 50 books off the shelf there.  Then I dropped them on the floor of the school room thinking I’d come back and shelf them on another day…well weeks later there they still sit…and I type along ignoring the mess around me lol!  These verses are convicting me!  I need to take some of my idle time and shelf those books!!!

Here’s Angela’s challenge this week that goes along with her video perfectly!:

Week 10 Challenge: Make sure to spend time together around the table this week and ask each member their “High” and “Low” for the day…..spend time discussing what each person shares. Also, pay attention to how you spend your down time….is what you’re watching, reading, listening to helping your walk with Christ or hurting it? Are you growing in wisdom because of how you’re spending your time?

Now it’s your turn, how do you put Proverbs 31: 27 into action?

Love God Greatly!

 

 

 

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 9 – Putting Order On Your Tongue

Welcome back! We are on the home stretch and up to verse 26 in our Proverbs 31 study!!!

Proverbs 31:26 says

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

 

Wanna know what my maiden name was?  It’s ironic…listen to the video to hear why.

(If you are seeing this in a feed or email- click here to see the video)

Putting order on our tongues can be an uphill battle.  James 3:2 says there is no one who speaks without fault – none of us are perfect.   I testify to this truth as just this week I said something unkind about someone I love and had to apologize   This scenario reminded me that I can memorize verses and know what I SHOULD  and should NOT say – but unless I THINK before I speak – I am going to falter with my words and hurt others.

As women striving to be like the Proverbs 31 woman – we need to:

1. Practice self-control with our emotions.  When we speak rapidly – for example when we are lecturing our kids – usually we become unkind.

2. Watch sarcasm – it usually reveals a bitter heart.

3. Watch critical remarks – they are red flags revealing a proud, envious, selfish or angry heart.

 

Week 9 Challenge:

• Be quick to notice others’ strengths and slow to point out others’ flaws.
• Let your husband hear you teaching your children God’s wisdom.  I think this encourages them to see and hear their wise wife 
• Work on filtering your words. Strive to be gentle and gracious toward your husband, and children FIRST (who you are at home is who you really are!) and then to others outside the home. 
• Purify your heart through the reading of God’s word and put aside all anger, bitterness, malice, slander, envy and self-pity.

It’s your turn – chime in – what part of this challenge is hardest for you?

Walk with the King,

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 8

 

Angela from Good Morning Girls is back with week 8 in Proverbs 31! She writes:

Welcome back my dear friends! I can’t believe we are already up to week 8 in our Proverbs 31 study!!!

This week we are looking at verses 23, 24 & 25.

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

(If you are seeing this in a feed or email- click here to see the video)

 

We’ve heard the saying, “Behind every great man is a great woman!” ……that saying is especially true for the husband of the Proverbs 31 woman! This week we read that the husband of the Proverbs 31 woman is respected at the city gate….we see he is a man of influence. I believe one of the reason’s why the husband of the Proverbs 31 woman is so respected is because of his wife! Because she serves and manages her home so well she enables her husband to be a man of influence outside their home!

I love seeing how together they are having a mighty impact for the Lord inside and outside their home!

As I was reading and thinking over verse 23, I asked myself, “What can I start doing that will help my husband be the man of influence, God is calling him to be?”

Because of the Proverbs 31 woman’s focus….she brought respect to her husband.

She was focused on her relationship with her Lord….that’s where she draws the strength for her noble character.

She was focused on her husband…bringing him good all the days of her life.

She was focused on her household…selecting and working with eager hands, bringing food from afar, being available to her family and being well prepared by what she creates and how she clothes herself and her family.

She was focused on others….by extending her arms and hands to the poor and needy.

Because of what she did inside the home, she was a reflection of her husband outside their home…….and that reflection brought him respect.

Reading through Courtney’s ebook this weekend, I wanted to highlight one important point she makes in reference to verse 24 on page 29.

“The lesson in Proverbs 31:24 is: she is willing to use her talents to add to her family’s finances BUT she does not sacrifice the family pursuing them….” – Courtney Joseph

God has blessed us all with talents we can use to be a blessing to others but we need to pray and seek His guidance and the guidance of our husbands as we pursue those talents.

In verse 25 we see that the Proverbs 31 woman saw her future in a positive light! She knows good is coming…..even if she isn’t experiencing it right at the moment.

She knows that her future is in her loving Father’s hands and that brings her confidence “to laugh at the days to come!” Her confidence isn’t in her own abilities, her worthiness as a mother or wife, her excellence in running her home or business…..no, her confidence comes from her relationship with God.

Her confidence comes because she knows who she is…….she is a daughter to the King of kings……she is His!

No matter what happens on this earth, she belongs to Him…….that’s where her confidence rests…….in Him!

Week 8 Challenge: Ask yourself this question this week “What can I start doing that will help my husband be the man of influence, God is calling him to be?”Also focus this week on giving your fears over to God. Mentally pray each time a fear pops in and give it to God. Instead of focusing on the fear, thank God for something instead and realize that YOU have a bright future with God…..one that will bring you joy and laughter “at the days to come!” Remember whose daughter you are and allow God to cloth you in His strength and dignity!

Love God Greatly!

 

, GoodMorningGirls.org

 

Thank you Ang!

It’s your turn – chime in – how are you applying these verses in your life today?

Walk with the King,

 

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 7 – Shopping for Clothes!

 Photo Credit

Alright ladies – this week the Proverbs 31 woman is getting dressed and dressing her family!

We are up to Proverbs 31:21 & 22:

 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

I have been battling laryngitis for 7 days – so I drank lots of hot tea and honey before this video and eeked it out!  I apologize for being so croaky 

(If you are reading this post in an email – click here to view the video.)

In the video, I mentioned how I like to “Clothes Swap” with my friends!  Here’s a few pics from our last clothes swap and you can find the rest of the details on this blog post here.

Each girl chose a section of the room to display their clothes.

Clare from Peak 313 Fitness scored my Easter 2009 dress! It fits! Hooray!

Look what I found! Gorgeous! (although once I tried it on it didn’t fit and went to my sister)

Becky has on a new t-shirt, necklace and shoes (plus an arm full!)

My $6 outfit!

Here’s what I wore to church the Sunday after the swap – my brand new blue shirt and new necklace – free from the swap! And a $6 skirt from a resale shop!   (minus the boots – which are Payless!)

Also, in the video I mentioned a store called Dots – here’s the link to their store on-line.

I also love to shop at resale shops and here’s a video I made a while back titled “How to Shop for Feminine Clothes on a Budget.”

 (click here if you can’t see the video)

This Week’s Challenge:  Plan and prepare now for Fall.  We all know the kids are going to need back to school clothes – watch the clearance racks for winter clothes on clearance and stock up now.  Don’t forget it’s garage sale season – I love a good garage sale and have clothes in my closet and in the kid’s closets from garage sales too!!  Be sure to share your children’s clothes that you are done with.  My kids have hand me downs from their cousins – we love hand me downs!  And all my clothes get binned up and passed on to two other Christian families who have kids just one size below mine.  Share  and Happy Shopping!

Do you have any special tips for how you clothe your family? Share them in the comments!

Walk with the King,

 

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Week 6

 

Photo credit

Woohoo…we are up to week 6 in our Proverbs 31 series!!!

This week we are looking at verses 19 & 20

“In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.”

I can’t get over the mundane work the Proverbs 31 woman does.  In  her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle to spin her own thread to use to sew her family’s clothing!  And I think ironing is hard work! lol!  Oh my, is this a mundane task!

I feel quite sure that she did not enjoy every second of this – in the same way that I don’t enjoy every second of scrubbing a toilet BUT she has a willing heart.  She is willing to do it because hidden within the mundane is a treasure – the treasure of making her home a haven for her own family and for those in need.

I love the analogy Angela uses in the video below of the Good Samaritan:

(If you are seeing this in a feed or email- click here to see the video  Also, if you are new here – Angela is leading the Proverbs 31 study over at GoodMorningGirls.org all summer long!  I encourage you to check out all the guest posts and practical wisdom found there!)

Now here is Angela’s challenge for us——>

Weekly Challenge: Pray and ask God to help you see the needs of others around you. Then bless someone this week by seeing the need and meeting it. Share in the comment section how God worked through you to meet this need.

Ideas include:

Helping someone while you are out and about during your day…..picking up something that they dropped, carrying out the groceries etc.

Babysitting for the single mom down the road

Going through your closet and giving some of your cloths away to those who need them

Surprise the family down the street who are having financial problems with a gift card or a check to help pay for one of their bills.

Sponsor a child through Compassion or World Vision

Help out in a soup kitchen

Help with VBS

Over Memorial Day, my husband rebuilt our mailbox and the neighbor’s mailbox.

Keith put each of us to work with a task.  Alexis and I did all the painting.  Then the boys did the hammering while we passed them the nails.  Before long – voila!  2 new mailboxes.

A day later, the doorbell rang and it was our next door neighbor.  She’s an older woman who was recently widowed.  With her eyes full of tears and a smile as wide as the sky, she grabbed me and hugged me and said:

”Thank you SO much!  With my husband gone and my children living far away in other states, I didn’t know how I was ever going to fix my mailbox.  That is something my husband would have handled and I’ve been worried about it.”

She tried to offer us money, which we refused, and she hugged me two more times before leaving.  Oh I could feel the relief and joy she felt from this simple thing my husband had done and it made me wonder – what else is she worrying about that I could be of use for.

Is my neighbor poor?  Financially no – but she had a need that we were able to meet.   We sponsor children through World Help and Compassion, but I must say that we don’t have to look across the ocean to find someone in need – in our case – I only need to look across my lawn to the widow next door!

The beauty that radiates from the Proverbs 31 woman is a beauty that comes from the lives she has touched.

So I wonder – Have you ever been in need and someone extended a hand to you? Please share your stories in the comments – I think it will remind us that God uses us – his children – to be an extension of his loving hands.

Walk with the King,

3 WAYS TO BE STRONG

 

 

In my first video  at the beginning of our Proverbs 31 series I mentioned that the word “virtuous” in Hebrew actually was used in the Bible normally to describe men……men of war….men ready for battle…soldiers ready to fight.
What a strange way to describe the Proverbs 31 woman……or so I thought.
My sweet sisters in Christ…..we are called to do battle. We are called to be women of war!
We are called to fight for our families!

Our marriages!

Our children!

As we are reading through Proverbs 31 we see that everything this woman does….she does for her family….for their benefit.

What is her focus? Her family…..and ultimately bringing praise to her Lord!

In verse 17 we see that the Proverbs 31 woman is strong….she has physical strength but she also has spiritual and mental strength too. Because of the battle we are in, we need to be strong as well. Here are a few ways to build our strength in these three areas.

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Building Spiritual Strength
1. Regularly read your bible and apply God’s Word to your life.
I love a great devotional book like the next person…..but we should never substitute reading a devotional with reading God’s Word on our own and applying it to our life. Reading a devotional is great but it should never take the place of time spent reading God’s Word……remember He speaks to us through His Word….God’s Word is alive! (Hebrews 4:12)

2. Pray
Pray daily, hourly, minute-by-minute make communicating with God a breath by breath habit. We are told to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)…..make conversing with the creator of the universe as necessary as breathing.

3. Godly fellowship
Participate in Godly fellowship. That’s one for the purposes of having you all in smaller groups…..we are told not to forsake the meeting of each other. (Hebrews 10:25) Why? So that we can encourage each other!

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Building Mental Strength
1. Memorization
So much of the battle occurs in our minds…..we need to make our minds strong by having verses memorized that can combat the harmful thoughts that attack us.

2. Take thoughts captive
Pay attention to what you are thinking about and focus on God’s Word! (2 Corinthians 10:5) Focus on God’s goodness, His promises, His truth…..who you are in Christ and what He has done for you!

3. Disciplined & Organized
Even when we don’t “feel like it” we need to lead a disciplined life, “rising before our children”, planning our days and being intentional and focused with the time God has given us.

_______________________________

Building Physical Strength
1. Exercise
Working out with kids, without kids, in the gym, outside, at home etc…..incorporate working out into your everyday life.

2. Get rest
Rise early but also make sure you are getting enough sleep to stay healthy. Yes, the Proverbs 31 woman occasionally “burned the midnight oil” but she also had to make sure she got to bed so that she could rise early. Don’t wear your bodies down going to bed super late and then waking up super early.

3. Eat right
We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” Feed your body healthy foods that will help fuel your body and give you the energy that you need to help you accomplish the tasks that are at hand. We see in verses 14 & 15 that she brings her food from afar….she wants the best food for her family and then in the morning she prepares the food for her family.

 

Looking at the 3 lists, which area of strength are you strongest in? What are you doing to build your strength in that area? Which area of strength are you weakest in? What steps can you take to become stronger?

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Women around the world are IN THE WORD!

Every Wednesday we will have a link-up. If you are a blogger we invite you to link-up any blog posts that you have written about your quiet time that week. We ask that you put our button in the post or on your sidebar so we can find each other. We do not have code for this link up button. Just right click and save as. Then link it tohttp://www.goodmorninggirls.org

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Love God Greatly!

THE PROVERBS 31 WOMAN~WEEK 5

 

We are up to week 5 of the Proverbs 31 Woman Series!

THIS WEEK WE ARE LOOKING AT VERSES 17 & 18

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
Her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

(If you are seeing this in a feed or email – click here to see the video)

I was going write and add a little to what I shared in the video – then I got so chatty in the video (it was longer than I meant it to be. lol! I guess this series really lights my fire!) that I think I covered it all!

THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE IS TO JOIN ME – IN MEMORIZING THE ENTIRE PROVERBS 31 PASSAGE.

I made a printable so we can print a few copies and keep them around. I encourage you to keep the verses on your kitchen counter, in your purse, folded in your Bible (read it first thing before you have your quiet time), on your nightstand or in your bathroom. If you read it a few times a day – you’ll be surprised how quickly you pick it up!

Proverbs 31 Printable (if the printable doesn’t work – click this link to open it in a new window)

Walk with the King,

WomenLivingWell.org