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Far Above Rubies: Proverbs 31:13-15

This week we are going to do something different. I know we originally said one verse per week, but this week we are going to look at Proverbs 31:13-15. I hope that's okay! I mean, I don't know too many people who should give a fuss about looking at 3 verses instead of 1! ha!

I'm going to apologize for any incoherence today. I have had a really great weekend, but I'm very tired, too. Anyway, let's get down to it:



"She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands" - in the time that these words were penned, a woman would not only sew her own clothing, but she would make the cloth that she was going to work with. I do not believe that the Bible is outdated, but I do know that times in that sense have changed. However, the principle in my mind remains. This woman is doing this work to make sure her family is provided for with clothing, and she is doing so willingly. That doesn't mean if you don't sit down with a sewing machine and make your own clothes that you're sinning. But we should always be willing to go to great lengths to make sure our families are cared for!

"She is like the merchants ships, she bringeth her food from afar" - Can you see why we're looking at these all together? It's obvious how these all tie in. A virtuous woman is going to be willing to go to all lengths to supply food for her family.

"She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens." - Again, she's going to go to great lengths to provide for her family, and this also shows how she is generous with those other than her family.

I think that "great lengths" is something that the world gets mixed up sometimes. Sometimes they think that to provide all of this means they need to get out and have both parents working full-time to bring in big bucks and fill a savings account at the same time. I am not saying it's wrong for both parents to work if it is necessary, because sometimes it is. But this isn't the going to great lengths that I thought about when I read this.

Having a family and being a parent and spouse means sacrifice. It means sometimes you have to stretch and stretch every penny and give up that pedicure or whatever extra you're receiving while the rest of your family may sit on the back burner. Extra things are nice - but they should be extra. Sacrifice means being selfless, not selfish. Thinking of one's family above self. Focusing one what she can do for her family instead of what she can do for herself.

Sometimes, a bit of relaxation and maybe even a splurge is nice and wonderful. I'm not saying that's wrong. I just this past weekend took a vacation with my son and parents, and had a wonderful time doing so. So I'm not saying you can't take time to yourself.

But to me, the virtuous woman is painted as being selfless, sacrificing.

I am sorry I don't have more thoughts to share... I have had a headache for a while now! What are your thoughts on the subject?

One Thousand.

1,000.

One Thousand.

That's a big number. Huge, to me. $1,000 may not seem much to some people, but to me, that's huge. 1,000 anything would be a lot.

Today, officially, my husband and I have been married for 1,000 days. One Thousand Days.

One Thousand Days of ups and downs. One Thousand Days of laughter and tears. One Thousand Days of growing and learning. One Thousand Days with the man I love, who I knew I loved within a couple weeks of knowing him. Not many people know this, but Carl and I met on MySpace, through a mutual friend. I was dating someone at the time, but it didn't take me very long at all to realize who I really wanted to be with. We've been through a lot. I can't imagine anyone else I would rather be with for the rest of my life! One Thousand Days seems like a LONG time. It hasn't even been 3 years yet!

Today we will be parting ways for the weekend, and it makes me really sad! I will be looking forward to seeing him again on Sunday!

Carl, I love you! I have loved you more each and every one of these 1,000 days, and I pray that I will continue to do so!



And every time I see you
I still hear trumpets

Beware.

Very reliable resources {Benjamin and Mariah} have informed me that this penguin, which came in a Happy Meal, is quite terrifying to 15 month olds.



Right now, we are at my parents' house. Benjamin and I will be away with my parents visiting my grandparents this weekend. It's going to be very nice to be stress-free {or, as stress-free as I can be, as I will be playing single parent again} for once. It's been a rough few weeks around here. God is taking care of us, though, and I'm very thankful for my parents, who are willing to lug us out to South Carolina along with them. I'm very excited. Oh, and this guy...



will not be coming. However, these beauties...



oh yeah, they're coming. Cookies and Cream cupcakes... I'll post the recipe when I get home.

Anyway, tomorrow there will be one more blog post, and then I won't be posting until probably Monday's "Far Above Rubies" post {Proverbs 31:13, by the way!}. But I will be taking photos!

Take care, y'all, and watch out for the evil penguins...

Wordless Wednesday: Snacktime in Bible Class

For more WW, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Far Above Rubies: Proverbs 31:12

Let me just start off by telling you all how blessed I have been by this study so far. Where I am right now there are very few women who do get together for ladies' study. Back when we were at Memphis while my husband was studying to expand his knowledge so he could go out and preach God's word, we had ladies' class every Monday night. So it was a big change going from weekly, to monthly if that. This has been so encouraging to me. I really can't tell you all exactly how I feel about this segment here... it means a lot to me that you all are joining in here.

Moving on!



These verses {I mean the verses we've already discussed} keep building up, don't they? First we talked about being a virtuous wife, and we've been building on that with being a wife that earns and keeps her husband's trust.

This verse, I feel, just builds even more off of that. Our husbands should be able to trust us, because we will only do good to him, and not evil, all the days of our lives.

That seems like an easy thing to say. Good only, no evil.

A wife needs to be an asset to her husband, which means, she would be of value to him. Specifically with these verses, her value would be far above rubies! She won't be a disadvantage to him. She won't add sorrow to his life, but joy, by her actions and behavior.

This is a constant thing. And there are so many ways we can do good to our husbands to add value to his life. For instance, if your husband works really hard during the day, perhaps it would add value to his life that after he is finished with his work {probably for most of you he would work away from home, so if he came home after work---}, he wouldn't have to worry about doing a lot of the stuff around the house. It would already be done, as a way to thank him for caring for you. Make him feel appreciated by showing him how much he means to you. It will make him feel loved and in turn he will see you as being valuable to him.

Be good to him. Don't pick fights or hold grudges. Don't start the blame game. Marriage is not always easy but it should never be a battle field.

The second part of the verse, "all the days of her life" are very important here, too. It seems like a very simple phrase, but just look at it. ALL the days. Marriage from the very beginning was meant for two people.



A husband and wife are supposed to become one flesh, inseparable! If your body was ever split in half, don't you think that would be painful? And shouldn't that be how it is when we are apart from our spouse? This coming weekend, Benjamin and I are going to be out of state, away from my husband. And while we are going to be with family, and we are going to probably have a lot of fun, it's going to be very painful being away from my husband for even three days. There are some couples who actually take separate vacations from each other! How can they do this?! Doesn't it pain them?

Actually someone told me once of someone they worked with who gave his wife two cruise tickets for Christmas or something like that, and she immediately thought of friends who could go with her. When her friend told her she couldn't go, the wife grudgingly told her husband that he could go.

Do you think that wife adds much value to this man's life? I think not. Would it surprise you if I told you that the couple recently split?

That's a big thing today now, though. Divorce. Nobody really likes to talk about it from a religious point of view, and I can leave that open for discussion in comments if you'd like. But isn't it sad that the rate of divorce in America is close to 50%? And with the way that people treat their marriages so lightly and nonchalantly, I am sure the rate is only climbing in the future!

Marriage is a divine institution that God placed even in the very beginning! How do you think God feels when He sees that so many people are just throwing aside this divine institution that He created for us?



A virtuous wife is one that honors the wedding vows. She is one who intends to be joined to her husband for life. When the going gets tough, she puts 110% effort into making things better, and to have a marriage that is pleasing to God.

{I want to be clear here, because I do have friends who have suffered divorces: I know that the ideal scenarios don't always play out. I understand this. What I am trying to say is my thoughts on the subject, that a wife has the duty to put as much effort as she can into saving a marriage that seems to be in danger. This effort is not always met. We all know that marriage is a partnership, and when one falls out, then the partnership is torn. I mourn marriages that end in divorce, for all who are involved, especially if the couple have children.}

A virtuous wife is going to be good to her husband in each and every way all the days of her life. What are your thoughts on this? I haven't even been married for 3 years ... all the days of my life haven't passed yet {though, we have no idea how long our lives will be}!

As always, thank you for your discussion and posts if you plan on making them! I look forward to reading all of your thoughts!

I need more days like today!

We had a pretty awesome day today! Started out with me going to a very uplifting Ladies' Bible Class, which was full of discussion although we didn't get through much of the lesson at all. Then we took Benjamin to his little friend Ella's first birthday party {photos from that to come}. He had so much fun! He loved playing and he had a great time... especially eating the eggless cake that Jessica ordered... what an awesome friend, right?? Anyway, after that we went to Target and Hobby Lobby to grab a few things, and headed on home. We ate, and Benjamin had a bath, and then went to bed. Then I finished my mother's Mothers Day gift {I will post pictures AFTER Mothers Day, since she can check this out willy nilly}.

And then I remembered the Baby Gap gift card that Benjamin had received for his birthday back in January, which I hadn't used yet. We were thinking it had $15 on it. So I went and decided to shop at Old Navy instead {which you can do because they are owned by Gap Inc, just so you know.} - turns out they are having a 30% off everything sale. So I went to the sale section and picked out a few things, entered my promotional code and gift card... and it turns out the card had MORE than $15 on it. So I went and got another item. $25 were on the card.

This is what we ended up with:



$1.95!!

Yeah, I'd say this was a pretty awesome day! God's looking out for me! He knows I needed this day!