True Woman Makeover – Week 3

 

I know… it’s NOT TUESDAY!!!  Here’s the deal…

Once again, or should I say STILL, I’m behind. :-)

But!… I am DETERMINED to catch up by tomorrow (week 4) so here’s my bullet list (my biggest “take-aways”) for this last set of lessons…

Lesson 7 – Measured Words

• I’d be mortified if someone was secretly recording conversations in my home!
• Yet, EVERYTHING I say is being recorded by God.
• Why are we more careful about what we say OUTSIDE our homes than INSIDE?
• Am I the same woman at home that I am in public?
• The Proverbs 31 Woman “Opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
• Just because I think or feel something, doesn’t mean I need to say it!
• Self control (or “Spirit” control) is key!
• Our words reflect our hearts.
• Jesus said “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”.
• WISE and KIND words must be cultivated.
• Lord CHANGE MY HEART!
• Kindness isn’t just about what you say, but HOW you say it.
• Wisdom comes from the WORD of God… I need to spend time there!!
• Speak well of ALL – even those that hurt you – be careful of everyone’s character.
• Did I say “OUCH” yet? ;-)

Lesson 8 – What Does Your Home Communicate?

• A Proverbs 31 woman “watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness”.
• I need to have a “watchful eye” on my family… not just letting kids grow up, but WATCHING them.
• She knows the climate/temperature of her home.
• Tune into changes in children
• Be a helpful observer for the husband
• If he doesn’t see what you see, DON’T NAG! Ask God to help you chose your words/timing, and let HIM reveal things to husband’s heart.
• Be alert to details… not so you can be CONTROLLING but in order to be a BETTER SERVANT.
• PRAY FOR YOUR KIDS!!
• I can’t do this alone!  I must have the Holy Spirit to help and guide me!
• Be careful not to micromanage.
• She does not eat the bread of idleness… she is constantly “on call”.
• Too much time on my hands can lead to TOO MUCH TALKING (aka: gossip - see 1 Timothy 5:13)
• OUCH again!!
• We cannot be effective managers of our homes if we eat the bread of idleness.
• (Geez my toes are hurtin’… and I still have one more lesson to go!)

Lesson 9 – High and Holy Calling

• Continuing with verse 27, she doesn’t just watch (physically) over her household… she WATCHES in PRAYER.
• Many verses in the Bible talk about “watching” and “praying” in conjunction with each other.
• Praying for my family provides PROTECTION for both my husband and my children.
• Pray that you will KNOW what you NEED TO KNOW concerning your kids… that they won’t be able to hide things from you.
• Use your time wisely.
• Time wasters:  Telephone (Ouch!), television, computer (DOUBLE OUCH!!), snooze button, “stuff” that clutters our lives.
• Time savers:  making lists, prioritizing, SEEKING GOD’S FACE AND ASKING HIM TO HELP US with scheduling/prioritizing/etc…
• “Plan your work, then WORK YOUR PLAN”. (I emphasize the latter as that is my weak point.  I can plan/schedule all day, it’s the follow-thru that gets me!)
• Laziness = Frustration with an overwhelming load
• Check your To-do list… is it ALL supposed to be YOURS to do, or should you give it to someone else?
• Don’t let the “lesser things” steal time.
• Don’t feel guilty when you struggle… confess to God, receive His forgiveness, and accept His GRACE and POWER!
• Whoo hoo!! That makes all that butt-whoopin’ worth it!  HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME and His POWER is made perfect in weakness!!

I am so thrilled at the way God is using these lessons to mold me, shape me, and YES, correct me!  Discipline isn’t always fun, but it’s necessary in order to become the woman HE designed me to be!

True Woman – Week 2

Since I missed last week’s post, I am going to try to catch up in two separate posts this week.  In an effort to keep things brief and get back on track, I will be posting (in bullet form) my biggest “take aways” from these lessons.  All of these are straight quotations from the podcasts, but I have emboldened the parts that spoke the loudest.

DAY 4

Her husband has full confidence in her
       and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,
       all the days of her life. 

                        - Proverbs 31:11-12

• “When I read those verses, there are a couple of words that come to my mind. First of all, the obvious word: trustworthiness. Here’s a woman who is trustworthy. Then, the word loyalty. She’s loyal to her husband. She has a permanent, unconditional, lifetime commitment to act in a way that is according to his best interests—not to serve herself, but to serve her husband”
• “Here’s a woman who is loyal. She’s got a covenant relationship with her God that enables her to keep her covenant relationship with her husband, regardless of what he does. And don’t even think for a moment that this husband doesn’t ever blow it, that he doesn’t ever fail, or that she doesn’t ever have to love him unconditionally—on faith, rather than based on her feelings”
• “This woman is faithful. She’s loyal. She’s a covenant-keeping woman in implementing her husband’s heart in the home with the children. When she gives direction to the children, she represents the heart of her husband, and he can trust her. When he’s gone from home, she’s going to be implementing his heart in the home.”
• “She’s consistent. She’s a covenant-keeper. She has an unconditional commitment, and that is what earns the trust of her husband. She always, always, always has his best interests at heart. She’s not in competition with him. She’s committed to his success.”
• “That’s what inspires the man to be worthy of her devotion. He rises to that because he knows he has a woman who is an asset, not a liability—a woman who supports and encourages and helps him in every way possible.”

 DAY 5

• “she does need to spend time alone with God to become a godly woman, but she doesn’t spend most of her time alone. She comes out of that room, she comes out of that place, and lives out that walk and that relationship with God and that devotion to God, lives it out in the laboratory of life. In the nitty-gritty, day-in and day-out of life.”
• “I don’t like it when I hear people say to a woman, “Do you work?” Now, I know what they probably mean is, “Do you have a job that pays you a paycheck outside of your home?” But the fact is any woman who is a godly woman, a wife and a mother, works. And a godly woman works hard. Here is a woman who takes initiative to meet the practical needs of her husband and her children. She is a hard worker. She’s diligent.”
• “Verse 27 says she does not eat the bread of idleness. She is a diligent woman. I saw recently a definition of diligence that I thought was helpful. Diligence is viewing each task as a special assignment from the Lord and using all my energies to accomplish it.”
• “I have looked into the eyes of women and listened to the stories of women who are so busy serving God outside of their own homes that it’s obvious by the condition of their health, or the condition of their husband, their marriage, their children, that they have neglected the first things: their priorities in their home.”
• Your good works ought to first be done at home. Ministering to the needs of your family. Then as God gives you time, opportunity, available resources, or in a different season of life, to take those gifts and those abilities and expand them, as we’ll see the Proverbs 31 woman does, outside of your own home.

 DAY 6

She seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands.  (v. 13)

• “She willingly works with her hands. The New International says, “With eager hands she works.” It’s literally with delight of her hands, and this suggests—now, hold on here, because you may not believe this—that she actually enjoys her work. She does it with enjoyment. She puts her hands joyfully to work.”
• “We read in Ecclesiastes chapter nine, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10, ESV). For this woman, her work is not drudgery. It’s not chores, though she could certainly look at it that way. But she’s chosen to have a different kind of attitude about work because she sees the end results. She sees the purpose. She sees the meaning. She sees the motivation behind that work. It’s love. It’s love for others. It’s love for God. It’s her love for God that makes her willing to work with her hands in providing food and clothing and cleanup around the house. It’s motivated by love.”
• “She’s not living for herself; she’s living for others, and she finds her greatest joy in loving service for others.”
• “that most menial and manual labor becomes holy. It becomes sanctified, consecrated, when I give it up to God as an offering.”
• “Jesus said when He spoke about doing the work of the Father, “I delight to do Your will, O God” (Psalm 40:8, NKJV).”
• “If I want to be like Jesus, then I need to pray, “Oh Lord, give me a heart that delights to serve, that delights to work, that delights to be spent on the behalf of others. If this is Your will for my life, if these are tasks of Your appointing, then help me to do them with joy. Help me to work willingly with my hands.”
• “This earth is the work of God’s hands. Psalm 111 tells us the works of His hands are truth and justice (Psalm 111:7). And then, we know that Jesus worked with His hands. Growing up as the son of a carpenter, it’s certain that He did labor as a carpenter with His hands. He also used His hands to be a means of blessing to others. Matthew chapter 19: “He laid his hands on the children” (Matthew 19:15). Luke 24, as Jesus was getting ready after His resurrection to be ascended back into Heaven, the Scripture says, “He lifted up his hands and he blessed them” (Luke 24:50). He blessed His disciples.”
• “your hands may not be model’s hands. You may not have perfectly manicured nails. But let me ask you this: Are they serving hands? Are they hands that you’re using to bless and to minister in practical ways to the needs of others?”
• “If they are, then though they may not be beautiful hands, they’re hands like the Master’s. See, Christ’s hands were nailed to a cross. He endured that, out of love, out of the heart of a servant, for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of the plan of redemption.”
• “when you serve your family with your hands, when you work with your hands, when you clean and cook, whatever you do with your hands around your home, you’re doing it for the sake of the Gospel. You’re doing it so that your children may know what Jesus looks like, so they may be drawn to Him, so they may want to know Him.”

“But you, be strong, and do not let your hands be weak, for your work,” if it’s done as unto the Lord, “will be rewarded!” – 2 Chronicles 15:7

Once again, I am being stretched and am learning much. I am thankful for these insights, as I pray to become a Proverbs 31 woman, and ultimately the woman that God intends for me to be!!

Thanks so much, Tammi, for issuing this challenge and hosting this study.  If you’d like to join in with this TRUE WOMAN study, click here to find all the details.

Friday Five

1.  We’ve had a blast this week (the kids and I) attending North Point Community Church’s NICK AT NITE (VBS with a mess!) in Columbia, SC!!

2.  The weather has been perfect for “pool fun” at Papa and Nana’s every day! (Too dang hot to do anything else!)

3.  My KISA preached three nights at LifeChangers camp in Flo-town this week, and last night there were SIX decisions made for Christ!  YAY God!!

4.  I can’t wait to see my KISA this evening.  I miss him very much!!

5.  Have I ever told y’all how much I love SUMMER?!?!

BIG Weekend!

Today is my Daddy’s birthday.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!! I love you VERY much!!  You’re the BEST Dad and Papa in the world!!

 

Tomorrow is mine and KISA’s 11th wedding anniversary.

I love you, Baby!!! Thanks for being the best provider, protector, sweetheart, and friend a girl could ever ask for!! Thanks most of all for being my Knight In Shining Armor… YOU ROCK!

 

And we all know that Sunday is Father’s Day!

Chris: You are also the best Daddy I know!!  Our children adore you, and you are doing a great job shepherding our family!! 

Daddy: Thank you for showing us girls what real love is, by loving and honoring our mother as the treasure of your heart!  That’s the best gift you could have ever given us!

Happy Father’s Day to you BOTH!!

True Woman Tuesday – Week 1

 

As I was away last week, and only just found out about this online study on Sunday, I am a little behind.  I’ve only been able to listen to the first two lessons, but WOW… have they impacted me!

I have to admit that I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with the Proverbs 31 woman.  I’ve admired her from afar, yet secretly resented her for representing something that I feel so far from… so incapable of becoming.

Yet, as I have listened intently to these lessons,  I have been encouraged by that very word; BECOMING.

Skipping ahead to Lesson 2 for a moment, I’ll share a quote that explains what I mean by this:

She’s a woman in process. She’s a woman who’s growing. And she’s a woman who, like most of us, often finds herself taking three steps forward and two steps back. You see, spiritual maturity is not so much where you are as the direction in which you’re headed. And here’s a woman who’s in process; she’s in direction.

It reminds me of what the Apostle Paul illustrates so beautifully in Philippians chapter 3…

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Pressing on toward the goal… the goal of becoming this kind of woman; a woman after God’s own heart. The goal of standing before my Savior some day, and hearing him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”.  Not in my own strength, but through the power of Christ living in me.

And if His praise isn’t motivation enough to participate in this “makeover” and allow him to truly transform me by the power of his Spirit, the following quote from Lesson One gives even more motivation:

When we say we want to be women after God’s own heart, we want to be women who, in every area of our lives, are controlled by the Word of God, by the Spirit of God, the gospel of Christ. Living that out—what it means for Christ to be in us, what that looks like—that is what makes an impact on a lost culture, on a lost world, on a world that desperately needs to see Christ incarnated, lived out, through all of life.

How I long to have an impact in this world.  Not just in my culture, but before my children.  To teach them as King Lemuel’s mother taught him.  To pray with them and for them, and to MODEL for them the kind of life that Christ desires for them.  So often I fall short, but I am coming to understand that it is not because my motives are wrong, it’s because I continue to try to do these things in my own strength.  Because of this, I consistently grow weary, afraid, and ultimately fail.

I often equate my life to one huge game of “whack-a-mole”.  Working hard to keep everything together, and just when you think you’ve achieved perfection (or something like it) in one area, another pops it’s nasty little head out of place for you to deal with.  But this idea is nothing new, for women, I am sure.  And as Nancy shares through the portrait she paints of this woman, they key is putting Christ first.

The heart of this passage is the woman’s heart. It’s her relationship with God, and out of that relationship comes flowing all the things that she does. It’s a picture of her character, her conduct, her priorities, her values, her daily routine, her marriage, her family life. But all of that flows out of the fact that here is a woman who has a reverence for God.

Again, more scripture comes to mind…

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

So often I let the busyness of my day (or the overwhelming feeling to put it off and lay in the bed an extra 30-40 minutes) come before my time alone with God.  When I fail (and OH how I’ve failed in recent weeks) to spend my early moments alone with Him, in His Word, and in prayer to Him, my day quickly goes awry.  And then I have the audacity to wonder what happened! Why is my fuse so short?  Why can I not keep it all together?

Because that was a job that was never meant for me.  He holds me together, and I can do nothing, achieve nothing, without his power flowing through me.

I love this quote from Nancy in Lesson 2:

You cannot become that woman on your own. Apart from Christ, you can never be virtuous or excellent. But through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, the gospel of Christ, we are able to be transformed one day at a time, one experience at a time, one step at a time into the likeness of Christ.

So as I continue to gaze into what Matthew Henry

called  “a looking glass which every woman ought to look into as she dresses herself”, I will no longer see it as a discouraging effort in futility, but a beautiful picture set before me as to what I WILL LOOK LIKE someday. 

I am His masterpiece, and He’s still working on me!

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PS: If you’d like to join this study and participate in the discussion, visit Tammi’s blog to find out all the details!

Gettin’ Our Read On

Took my little Reeders to the library today (yeah, I made a joke about that on Twitter… a couple people thought it was “punny”).

Here’s a pic of our loot:

In the immortal words of Arthur, “having fun isn’t hard… when you’ve got a library card!”

(Just in case you have NO idea what I’m talking about…check out this video.)

The English teacher in me gets a big kick out of that! ;-)

Hey, at least I didn’t quote Joe Jonas:

“Hey girl, I got my library card, and I’m checkin’ you out!”

Wait, I just did!! UGH!!

At any rate, I think we’ve got enough to keep us busy until next week, don’t you?

Happy reading y’all!

Now Is the Time

The time is NOW!

For what, you ask?

A MAKE-OVER. Not just any make-over, but a TRUE WOMAN make-over.

My friend Tammi has done it again!! She’s inspired me to get on board with another great study. You can find out all about it over at her blog. Then travel on over to the True Woman website to sign up for the 30 Day Make-over challenge.

Tammi is also hosting True Woman Tuesdays so that we can discuss what we’re learning with others on the journey. You can get the scoop on all of that HERE and even grab a button for your blog!

I am so excited! This is going to go really well with the Esther study I’ve already started, and I can’t wait to see how God will use BOTH of these “for such a time as this” in my life!

So what are you waiting for? Let’s “discover and embrace God’s design” for our lives, and become the TRULY CAPTIVATING WOMEN that HE created us to be!

Summer Lovin’

Since it’s been two weeks since I last blogged, tweeted, or posted an update on Facebook, I am sure many of you have been wondering…

Where in the world has this girl gone?

Here’s the answer to that question:

Very UNplanned, and UNexpected, (we had decided to take a break from the extended Family Vacation this year…) Papa and Nana called and said, “We’ve rented a house at the beach, and we want y’all to come with us!”. 

Well, let me tell you, that was all I needed to hear!  It only took two days to get our stuff in gear and head out for Sunset Beach!  It was a marvelous week of relaxation and refreshment!  Just what we needed after a full two weeks of end-of-school-year activities.

Even though KISA couldn’t come, my sister Betsy and her boys were able to be with us, and there was no shortage of fun to be had!  We pretty much hung out by the ocean and were “beach bums” all week!  The kids surfed the waves on their boogie boards, and when Uncle Buck got there, he helped them ride THE BIG KAHUNA!

We got home on Friday morning and turned right around and headed to Columbia that night.  We had a LUAU at Nana and Papa’s’ pool for all the June (and one July) birthdays.  (Betsy, Buck, Sam, Papa, and Justin).  Kabobs, fruit, and corn on the cob were served, along with cake and ice cream.  We swam and played in the pool until almost 10 pm!

A BIG THANKS goes out to Nana and Papa for helping us kick off our summer with a BANG!!  We love you!!!

Happy Birthday Sambo!

It’s so hard to believe that my little man turned FIVE YEARS OLD this week!!  Has it really been that long since my youngest little Reeder entered this world?

What a blessing he is!!

So full of love (literally; he hugs and kisses all day long!), imagination, and warmth. He never fails to greet me each morning with a “Good Morning Mom” and he won’t let me leave his bedside at night until he’s told me a “scary story”…usually along the lines of a Scooby Doo caper. ;-)

We had a great time last Saturday, celebrating this fifth-year milestone with family and friends.  In true “Backyardigans” style, we set up the back yard with tons of things to do.  Sand boxes, swing sets, bubbles, water guns, jump ropes, and hula hoops.  It was great fun!

His favorite gifts were a “homework” book w/ markers from Brennan, some scary bugs and snakes from Matthan, and Scooby Doo action figures and Mystery Machine from Mom, Dad, Emilee and Jake. 

After all the clean-up was over, and we were getting ready for dinner that evening, he came over to me, wrapped his little arms around my neck and said, “Thanks, Mom.  That was the best birthday ever!”

That’s my little man! Can’t you see why I love him so!?!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy!! If the rest of your life is as much of a blessing as the first five years have been, we’ve got a lot of love in store!!

I love you!!!

Friday Five: Family Night is Still Alive!!

I know it’s been, like, FOREVER since I’ve posted about family nights.  It feels like forever since we had one!  With baseball, end-of-of school activities, and Revolution goings-on, it’s been a bit tough.  But I’ve still tried to schedule at least one each month. 

This post will reflect past, present, and future.

1.  SPACE NIGHT – We decided to “boldly go where no man has gone before” and it was a BLAST!  (Pun intended!)  To decorate we printed and colored replicas of the planets, and then hung our “solar system” from the ceiling using ribbon and tape.  We played lots of games (found here, and here), ate “astronaut meals” (aka: pre-packaged… BIG USE of creative license) including drinking from silver pouches.  (Adults, too!)  We had a “space scavenger hunt” where we looked for clues to find the planets.  The grand prize was a huge gift bag full of “space goodies” (POP corn – to symbolize “asteroids” in the place of POP rocks, Sunkist soda, and MILKY WAY bars!)  Then we dug into our prize, and watched the movie, Space Chimps.  Great night!

2.  AWARDS NIGHT – Last night, to honor all of Emilee’s accomplishments (and a few of her brothers’ as well) we held our own banquet.  I cooked Emilee’s favorite meal (chicken fettuccini) and then we presented the children with various certificates (printed from this site), and gift bags full of goodies.  (I went to the dollar store and found some fun workbooks for them to use over the summer to stay sharp, “gold medals”, and a few of their favorite candies.  They also got gift cards. (Boys = Brewster’s Ice Cream; Emilee = Red Lobster, HER FAVORITE!)  After awards had been presented, we all watched School of Rock together as a family.  (I know, it has some bad words, but it was Dad’s pick. ;-) I just made sure to COUGH REALLY LOUD during the questionable dialogue! - On a humorous note, the children went to bed singing, playing air guitar, throwing up their “goblets of rock”, and talking about “sticking it to The Man”.  Ha ha!!)

3.  Tonight we will have a FNO!  We're going to dinner and a movie!! (It’s a surprise, and as you have probably discovered, Emmie G reads my blog, so I’ll have to give you the details at a later date!)  All I can say, is THEY’RE GONNA LOVE IT!!

4.  Next week is Sam’s birthday, so I’m working on his (Scooby Dooby Doo) party, but I’d also like to have a SCHOOL’S OUT night.  (I already know the soundtrack; can you guess?? Here’s a clue: “What Time is It?”).  I also have an idea for a “special location” but I still need to work out the logistics.

5.  I’m always looking for new ideas.  Got a few that have been floating around in my brain for a month or two.  Waiting on “timing”.  One is a “Down on the Farm” night  (looking for an excuse to show the classic: Charlotte’s Web), and the other (suggested by a reader) is “Say Cheese” – where we eat a lot of cheesy goodness and watch either “The Tale of Despereaux” (preferred) or “Ratatouille”. 

I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts on any or all of these, so PLEASE feel free to leave a comment.  I love getting feedback!!

HAPPY WEEKEND Y’ALL!!!