Mom to Mom - coming up!

I've been thinking a lot lately of what we can do to encourage our children's relationship with the Lord.

I figure if we all pool our ideas together it could be a huge benefit to all of us!

So, I'd like to have a carnival on the topic - sometime next week. So, think of ways you already do encourage your children in this area, brainstorm some new ideas - and get ready to share!

Imitators

I was really struck by one verse of my One Year Bible reading the other day and I wanted to expand on it here a little.

2 Kings 17:15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, "Do not do as they do," and they did the things the Lord had forbidden them to do.

Is there a difference in the way we (as Christians) live compared to the way the world lives? Or have we become imitators of the "nations" surrounding us?

Do we live according to the world or according to the Word?

Can people tell we are different by the words we speak? I don't just mean cursing (though of course that applies as well!). Are we building each other up or tearing each other down?

1 Thess 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

The following passage is long, but it is beautiful, and challenging!

¹ Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? ² Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

⁶ Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
⁸ he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

¹² Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ¹⁶ Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. ¹⁷ But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. ¹⁸ Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

We certainly should be living differently from the world!

1 John 2:15&16 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.

The first step is, of course, to become a Christian. But sometimes, even after accepting Jesus Christ as a Saviour, it is hard to let him be Lord of our lives. To allow Him to work in our hearts, changing us to be more like Him, to finding out what His plan is for our lives and to follow it (sometimes we're scared He'll call us to the jungle of Africa as a missionary if we do that!). For every decision in our lives to be influenced by the fact that we belong to Christ, and we reflect Him (by both our words and our actions) to a watching world.

I've heard it said that you can tell a person's priorities by 2 things - how they spend their time and how they spend their money.

If we truly love Christ, we will want to obey Him, we will want to glorify Him in all we do and say, we will want to live for Him alone.

If we are truly living out our faith, it will show in the things we say, the movies and shows that we watch, the way we interact with our friends and family, in every. single. aspect. of our lives.

And, yes, that will mean being different.

Is there a difference in your life?

Who are you imitating? The world or the Word?

O Canada - do you know ALL the words?

There is quite the history of Canada's national anthem.

It was originally commissioned by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec for the 1880 St. Jean-Baptiste ceremony - Calixa Lavallée wrote the music to a poem by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The text was originally only in French.

Robert Stanley Weir wrote the English version in 1908, and it is not a translation of the French version. The words were revised slightly, and only officially became Canada's national anthem in 1980!

Weird wrote 4 verses in total! Only verse 1 is the official lyrics - but I will post the others as well. I love how they reflect our Christian heritage.

Here are a few interesting facts from Canada's Christian Heritage website....

Canada’s coat of arms, adopted in 1921, stands upon the Latin phrase “A Mari Usque Ad Mare,” which when translated means “from sea to sea” a reference to Psalms 72:8.

Canada’s official motto comes from Psalms 72:8, “He shall have dominion from sea to sea.” The full verse reads: “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”

Before the fall of 1983, July 1 was called “Dominion Day” which was a recognition of the sovereignty of God. On October 27, 1982 the Canadian Parliament changed the name to “Canada Day.”

In 1533, Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River to Montréal. To commemorate the founding of Montréal, Cartier wrote in his diary “…we all kneeled down in the company of the Indians and with our hands raised toward heaven yielded our thanks to God.”



Here are the official lyrics to O Canada...

English
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

French
Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

See here for 3 more verses of French lyrics and their translations.

Translation of French Lyrics
O Canada!
Land of our forefathers
Thy brow is wreathed with a glorious garland of flowers.
As is thy arm ready to wield the sword,
So also is it ready to carry the cross.
Thy history is an epic of the most brilliant exploits.
Thy valour steeped in faith
Will protect our homes and our rights
Will protect our homes and our rights.


Here are the additional 3 stanzas...

O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western sea.
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons, and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western sea.
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion in thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the better Day,
We ever stand on guard.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.



There is also a hymnal version!

Lord of the lands, beneath Thy bending skies,
On field and flood, where’er our banner flies,
Thy people lift their hearts to Thee,
Their grateful voices raise:
May our dominion ever be
A temple to Thy praise.
Thy will alone let all enthrone;
Lord of the lands, make Canada Thine own:
Lord of the lands, make Canada Thine own!

Almighty Love, by Thy mysterious power,
In wisdom guide, with faith and freedom dower;
Be ours a nation evermore
That no oppression blights,
Where justice rules from shore to shore,
From lakes to northern lights.
May love alone for wrong atone;
Lord of the lands, make Canada Thine own:
Lord of the lands, make Canada Thine own!

Lord of the worlds, with strong eternal hand,
Hold us in honor, truth and self-command;
The loyal heart, the constant mind,
The courage to be true,
Our wide extending empire bind,
And all the earth renew.
Thy Name be known through every zone;
Lord of the lands, make Canada Thine own:
Lord of the lands, make Canada Thine own!

Hope you learned something new today and....

Happy Canada Day!!!

True Woman Tuesday - Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of the True Woman Tuesday study being hosted by my cousin Tammi over at Valleygirl. And wow, was this a convicting week for me!

Lesson 7 was titled Measured Words and was based on Proverbs 31:26

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. (NIV)
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (NASB)
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. (The Message)
When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. (NLT)

Nancy points out that here we are, all the way at verse 26 and this is the first verse that mentions this woman talking. I think that's pretty important. This woman is not known for shooting her mouth off. She is know for her servant's heart and her compassion, but not for her frequency of speech. And when she does talk - it's deliberately, with wisdom and clothed in kindness and love.

Isn’t it sad that we’re so much more careful about the words that we say outside our homes than often we are inside our homes?

Oh how painfully true this often is. There are sooo many verses in the Bible that speak of the tongue - how powerful that one little body part can be. It can be used for good and it can be used for evil. It can build up and it can tear down.

I want to say that no matter how many domestic skills you have, no matter how well you can cook and clean and sew, no matter how creative you are, no matter how efficient and organized you are in your home, no matter how capable you are in your workplace or in your home environment, no matter how clean your house is, no matter how beautifully decorated your home may be, you can destroy it all with one little instrument called the tongue.

And it's so important to realize the words we say are a reflection of our heart.

I think this is often a pretty big struggle for women. I know that I personally need to work on this! I need to correct my children in love and with kindness - teaching them immediately, instead of waiting until they're on my last nerve. And if I am upset, to stop and wait before speaking. Words, and the damage they can do, last a lifetime. And it's not just the words themselves, it's the tone in which they are said. That is really the area I need to work on. Tone of voice is huge!

Lesson 8 it titled What Does Your Home Communicate? and is based on verse 27.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. (NIV)
She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. (NASB)
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. (The Message)
She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. (NLT)

As women, we need to be knowing what's going on in our household. We need to be in tune with our children and our husband. We need to have eyes on the back of our heads!

We need to know both physically and spiritually - which is why we need to be praying for our family, and that God would reveal things to us that we need to address. Catching things early on is key - and we won't do that if we're not really tuned in. The first part of vs 27 is a good reminder of the importance of this!

The second half of that verse is where it gets convicting. To not be idle or lazy. To be on task and get things done - not just think about getting things done, not procrastinating about getting things done. Just doing it! Flylady has helped me with this a bit, but this is still a work in progress. I need to keep my priorities my priorities, and everything else needs to be secondary. First things first.

Am I talking on the phone instead of taking care of my household? Perhaps more to the point for me, am I on the computer instead of taking care of my household?

I have found that the days I am diligent and take care of the stuff that has to be done - there often does end up to be time to do the fun stuff. But it doesn't seem to work so well the other way around.

And the thing is, everything we do - the way we live, the way we keep our house, the way we spend our time - all of it, reflects on ourselves, our husbands, our families and most importantly on Christ. We are a witness at all times in all things. I don't want to let Him down.

Lesson 9 is called "High and Holy Calling" which continues to focus on vs 27.

Prayer is such a huge responsibility and priviledge for us as we watch over our households.

I loved this quote...

What a blessing it is for a man to know that back home there’s a wife who’s watching and praying on his behalf, and praying that as he goes out into that world, God will protect him and God will keep his heart pure.

Ladies, if you’re not going to pray that for your husband, who do you think is going to pray that for him? Who’s going to watch and pray for his soul? You can protect him in that way, and you protect your children as you watch and pray. Ask the Lord to show you things that you need to be alert to, in their lives.

I want to be that blessing for Nathan and our children.

The woman in this passage - well, Martha Stewart has nothing on her! She can sew, make things from scratch, she has all kinds of skills and abilities. Yet it is not these skills and abilities that make her a virtuous woman. It's her heart. Her heart is centred on her home, and it's focused on serving God by serving her family.

We cannot allow ourselves to define success the way the world does. Success should not be defined by what we do outside the home - on a career, or on a volulnteer job, on something we "do". To be successful as God defines success, we need to have a heart for our home. And this means that we are a support and help to our husbands, and a servant in our homes. This obviously does not mean that we do every little thing, but we need to manage it. And we need to train our children to do the same. We need to be lovers, givers, servers - this is our high and holy calling.

Attending Bible Study doesn't make you spiritual, memorizing verses doesn't, teaching Sunday School doesn't - all of those are good things and, if we have have the time, are worthy things to do - but what makes you spiritual is living out a heart that is dedicated to God.

Another quote I loved...

What you’re doing in that home may not seem very important. It may not seem very meaningful. It may not seem very fulfilling. Where did we get that word? Fulfilling— everything today has to be fulfilling. That is so selfish!

The question is: Are you fulfilling God’s purpose and God’s plan for your life? Not: Are you fulfilling what you want to do with your life? If you want ultimate joy and ultimate happiness, then set yourself to do the will of God, and you will find there is, long-term, nothing more fulfilling.

And, finally, here is Proverbs 31 from The Message - I rather enjoy this version.

Proverbs 31

Speak Out for Justice

¹The words of King Lemuel, the strong advice his mother gave him:

^2-3 "Oh, son of mine, what can you be thinking of! Child whom I bore! The son I dedicated to God! Don't dissipate your virility on fortune-hunting women, promiscuous women who shipwreck leaders.
^4-7 "Leaders can't afford to make fools of themselves, gulping wine and swilling beer, Lest, hung over, they don't know right from wrong, and the people who depend on them are hurt. Use wine and beer only as sedatives, to kill the pain and dull the ache of the terminally ill, for whom life is a living death.
^8-9 "Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!"

Hymn to a Good Wife

^10-31 A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long.
She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises.
She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day.
She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking.
She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise:
"Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!"
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!

He gives and takes away

He gives and takes away.

This week has contained more than it's share of taking away.

There were, of course, the deaths of famous celebrities Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.

There were also two deaths that hit much closer to home for me.

This past Father's Day Sunday, a 49 year old father of 4 collasped shortly before crossing the finishing line of the local marathon alongside one of his two daughters. After remaining in a coma for several days, he passed away on Friday. His family are members of my in-laws church where we attended for a short time.

And this past week, a couple from our church had their moment of greatest joy turn into a sudden tragedy. Wes and Ashley gave birth to their firstborn daughter on Monday, but something went wrong during the delivery and baby Ciara (pronounced Sierra) died on Friday. I cannot begin to imagine the pain these parents are going through and the long road they have ahead of them.

Just over 2 short months ago, Mike & Kristen lost their daughter Georgia to SMA.

Stellan continues to struggle in out out of the hospital with SVT.

Just over a year ago, Todd & Angie Smith (from the musical group, Selah) said goodbye to their fourth daughter Audrey just hours after her birth.

I have lost two babies to miscarriages early in pregnancy and I lost my first dad when I was just 2 years old.

As I mentioned in this previous post on the same subject, most of this life's tragedies are a result of the fall of man, the direct result of sin. Even creation was disfigured as a result of the fall - resulting in natural disasters and more minor annoyances like weeds and mosquitoes. Until Jesus comes to take us home, we have to live on this less-than-perfect earth - experiencing all the high and lows that go along with it.

But God is sovereign, He is still on His throne.

And He weeps with us during these times of intense sorrow and grief. One day...... "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4

2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 16-18 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.......That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Jesus is coming back. And when He does, He will wipe away every tear, He will right every wrong, and we who enjoy an imperfect relationship with Him here on earth, will finally celebrate a perfect relationship with Him for all eternity.

Thankfully, in the meantime, we are given opportunity to experiences glimpses of the joy awaiting us. Our family, our friends, music, art, a good book, a delicious meal. All just a taste of the perfection awaiting us in heaven.

But no matter if we are currently experiencing joy or sorrow - Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He alone is worthy of our praise.

Job 1:21 The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.

I've always loved the song Praise You in This Storm by Casting Crowns (I pretty much like everything by Casting Crowns!).

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
stepped in and saved the day
but once again, I say "Amen," and its still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God that gives
And takes away

I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You herd my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't Find you

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God that gives
And takes away

I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes into the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of Heaven and Earth

I lift my eyes into the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of Heaven and Earth


I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

Like most songs, this was inspired by real life events and it is a truly remarkable story. You can read the story behind this song here.

And please, pray for the families I mentioned above. That God would give them the comfort and peace they so desperately need.

New Bible story

I discovered a new story in the Bible as I was reading my One Year Bible reading plan yesterday!

Did you know that Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5000 is not the first miracle like that?

It's true - check out Elisha and the feeding of the 100!

2 King 4:42-44 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said."How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: 'They will eat and have some left over.' " Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

Here is the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand.

I just think that's really cool. :)

And it's also really sad that I didn't know this story was in the Bible. I'm really glad I decided to read through the whole thing. This is not the first new story I've come across and I'm sure it won't be the last!

True Woman Tuesday - Week 2

Welcome to the True Woman Tuesday bible study! Check out my cousin Tammi's website (by clicking on the True Woman button) for links to the other ladies doing the same study - some good thoughts there.

This week we're going through Lessons 4 - 6.

First of all, here is Proverbs 31 in the New International Reader's Version (today's study verses are bolded)...

Proverbs 31

The Sayings of King Lemuel

¹ These are the sayings of King Lemuel. His mother taught them to him. She spoke them as if they came from God.

² She said, "My son! My very own son! The son I prayed for!
³ Don't waste your strength on women. Don't waste it on those who destroy kings.
⁴ "Lemuel, it isn't good for kings to drink wine. It isn't good for rulers to long for beer.
⁵ If they do, they might drink and forget what the law commands. They might take away the rights of all those who are beaten down.
⁶ Give beer to those who are dying. Give wine to those who are sad and troubled.
⁷ Let them drink and forget how poor they are. Let them forget their suffering.
⁸ "Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor.
⁹ Speak up and judge fairly. Speak up for the rights of those who are poor and needy."

The Noble Wife

¹⁰ Who can find a noble wife? She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband trusts her completely. She gives him all the important things he needs.
¹² She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
¹³ She chooses wool and flax. She loves to work with her hands.
¹⁴ She is like the ships of traders. She brings her food from far away.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark. She provides food for her family. She also gives some to her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it. She uses some of the money she earns to plant a vineyard.
¹⁷ She gets ready to work hard. Her arms are strong.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading earns a lot of money. Her lamp doesn't go out at night.
¹⁹ With one hand she holds the wool. With the other she spins the thread.
²⁰ She opens her arms to those who are poor. She reaches out her hands to those who are needy.
²¹ When it snows, she's not afraid for her family. All of them are dressed in the finest clothes.
²² She makes her own bed coverings. She is dressed in fine linen and purple clothes.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate. There he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen clothes and sells them. She supplies belts to the traders.
²⁵ She puts on strength and honor as if they were her clothes. She can laugh at the days that are coming.
²⁶ She speaks wisely. She teaches faithfully.
²⁷ She watches over family matters. She is busy all the time.
²⁸ Her children stand up and call her blessed. Her husband also rises up, and he praises her.
²⁹ He says, "Many women do noble things.But you are better than all the others."
³⁰ Charm can fool you. Beauty fades. But a woman who has respect for the Lord should be praised.
³¹ Give her the reward she has earned. Let everything she has done bring praise to her at the city gate.

Lesson 4 focuses on Proverbs 31:11 & 12

NIRV - Her husband trusts her completely. She gives him all the important things he needs. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
NIV - Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
NLT - Her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
NKJV - The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
AMP - The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

Oh how I want those words to describe me! For Nathan to know that he can trust me completely, have full confidence in, rely on me, to know that I will comfort, encourage and do him only good as long I have breath within me. That is truly my desire - to be faithful in all things (both big and small) and to be trustworthy.

Obviously faithfulness in the big things are important. Keeping yourselves for each other alone - physically and emotionally, speaking highly of our husbands, instead of putting them down, especially in front of others (this one, I'm happy to say, I'm actually pretty good at - course he makes it easy since he's such a fabulous and involved dad and husband. See, there I go again! Ahem). Confiding in him (not complaining to him!) and keeping his confidences. Praying for him. Protecting his reputation. Presenting a unified front to 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.

But faithfulness in the small things is important too. Some things I know I need to work on, and that I know Nathan would appreciate, are.....
1) remembering to lock the patio door.
2) keeping the house more picked up
3) keeping up with the bookwork and not letting it get behind
4) not being late (ok, maybe that one's not so small!)

And why does a godly woman do her husband good and not evil? Obviously because she loves him. But there's more. There's a deeper and more compelling reason...

She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. Why? Because she’s a covenant-keeping woman; she’s a woman who’s made a vow, and her vow was first to God.

By being faithful in our commitments to our husbands, we are being faithful in our commitment to God. If you are a follower of Christ you have made a commitment to live for Him and His glory. The marriage union is a wonderful covenant relationship instituted & created by God himself - it is very good! And if you are married, then you stood up before God and your family and friends, and committed yourself to this man and this man only for the rest of your lives together. He needs to be a priority, second only to God.

This can be a hard thing for moms and especially for moms with young children. Obviously there are seasons in life where your children's needs will have to come first (infants immediately spring to mind:). But overall, we cannot let our lives revolve around our children - or in twenty years once they're out of the house we won't even recognize the man lying next to us, for our purpose will be gone. And nothing is better for our children than to see the security and stability of a husband and wife committed to each other - and living like it!

Here's another quote that can be a bit of a sensitive issue...

This man can trust his wife to meet his physical needs. He has no need of spoil. He has no need to seek marital intimacy elsewhere because his wife is faithful. Whether she feels like it or not, she is committed to be a giver in the physical aspect of their marriage, to meet his needs sexually.

Ladies, let me just say here, if you don’t meet your husband’s physical and sexual needs, there’s another woman somewhere who would be happy to. And you may end up putting him in a position where—not justifying, not excusing, his sin—but you may make him more vulnerable to temptation and to immorality if you are not faithful to him in even your physical and sexual relationship, as a giver.

This is a pretty personal topic obviously, but I just have to say that I couldn't agree more with this quote. We had a speaker at our church's women's retreat that said something to the effect of "Ladies, your husband didn't marry you to have a best friend. He married you (partly) to have sex with you. He wants and needs to have sex. Who do you want him to have sex with?" I think some of the older ladies just about fell off their chairs during that particular session :)

I'd like to end this discussion about this lesson with this quote...

A godly wife inspires a 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, encourages, and helps him in every way possible.

Again, this is all only possible by the grace of God.

Lesson 5 is about a godly woman's work and focuses on Verse 13 (NIV) "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands."

This verse talks about a godly woman working hard. And she works hard in her home.

Titus chapter 2 teaches us that women are to be home-workers—workers at home. That’s what the Word says. That’s what the Scripture says.

Now, that doesn’t mean—and we’ll see in this passage—that there is no other place that a woman works. But the first place that she works is in her home. Until she has cared for the needs of her home, she has not got the right to go out and tend to the needs elsewhere. The core, the central place of her ministry, of her work is out of her home......

Now, she and her husband will work together, and I realize there are some situations where, for reasons due to break up of homes or whatever, there may not be a man to be a breadwinner or where a woman may not be physically able to minister in these practical ways to her family. But we’re talking about the ideal, about God’s plan, which is that it is an honor and a privilege and a blessing and a high and holy calling for a woman to tend to the practical, physical affairs of her home.

As godly women, we need to recognize the honour and privilege that is ours. And if we are mothers, we are truly working for eternity. The work we do will have eternal significance! That's a daunting and frightening thought in some ways -what a huge responsibility! And yet it is also a rewarding thought.

Often mothers think that because they are not bringing in the paycheque that what they do in the home is not contributing and not worthwhile. I hear so many women who say they just can't wait to go back to work once their kids are in school, because they feel like they have not been useful at home, and that now they can finally contribute to the family.

That just makes me so sad. As women we have a huge responsibility to our families in the home. This contribution is absolutely not worthless, it is truthfully priceless! If you are feeling worthless or down because you don't "add anything" to the family coffers - know this - it is not of God. It is NOT of God.

We need to accept our responsibilities and then perform them to the best of our abilities - with the right motive and the right attitude. Of serving the Lord, of serving our husbands and our children. Of training them up in the way they should go. Of providing a haven for them to come home to.

We absolute need to have our quiet times with God and we need to commit to serving Him with all our hearts. And then that commitment needs to come out in practicality.

And here I have to admit I have a ways to go. I know that I struggle with laziness and simple procrastination. I need to listen to my own teachings to my girls - we do what we need to do before we do what we want to do. I need to stop thinking of all the stuff that needs to be done and just do it. I need to waste far less time on the computer. That's definitely a "want" category. I really need to make a rule for myself that "playtime" on the computer does not happen unless certain tasks are taken care of. So - this will be a major focus for me as I strive, with God's help, to grow as a woman of God.

Lesson 6 is about working joyfully and continues in verse 13 pretty much dealing with one specific word - eager! Verse 13 - She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

So, we've committed to doing the work. Now, how are we going to do it? With a martyr attitude? Or with joy? Because we have to or because we want to? With resentment or with a servant's heart of love?

No doubt, most of the work in the home is mundane drudgery. That's encouraging eh? If we think of it like that, it will feel like that. We need to refocus, we need to "rephrase" that, we need to look at it through the lens of Colossians 3:17

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I am blessed (blog title!) to be a wife, and in particular to be married to Nathan. I am blessed with 4 delightful and healthy children. I am blessed with a beautiful house, a hard-working husband who provides for us, material possessions, a Christian extended (and extended!) family, people who love me. I want to bless my family. I want to bless my husband and my children. And one very important way I can bless them is to work for them. And, in the case of my children, teach them to work as well. To work eagerly, as to the Lord! My work in the home is a gift to my family. A gift given out of the joyfullness of a heart filled with the love of Him who created my hands for such tasks as these.

This following quote just about brought me to tears...

Let me ask you right now to stop and look at your hands. Just look at them. If you’re a Proverbs 31 woman, or becoming one, as we are committed to becoming together, 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.

Can I say that 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.

2 Chronicles 15:10 “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!”

It will be.

And all the women said "Amen!"