Proverbs 31: 16-18
She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
Good Morning, my faithful webbies!! I'm feeling a bit better today!! I had a few defeats, yesterday, but I'm repentant of them and forgiving myself and moving forward with a clean slate, today!! My girlfriends are coming to visit this morning from the Bay Area and my house isn't clean!! Surprised?? Me neither!! Sometimes, I dwell too much on the fact that I am not Martha Stewart or my Grandmother, when it comes to cleaning my house. This causes frustration because I want the house that looks like it came off of a showroom floor.....But those homes aren't lived in, they aren't loved in.....they are just clean!! Mark and I have a lot of "stuff" in a very small space, so it's always cramped. If you add a bit of normal clutter to the already cramped, you have my house!! Maybe I can get them to meet me at the new shopping center and we can just go up to Angels Camp and meet with Pastor. I'm tired today, from not feeling well, yesterday and I am really not in the mood for company!! Anyhoo enough with my complaining......On with quiet time.....
Proverbs 31:16
She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
A virtuous wife must always be diligent, in her decision making. The word considers means to gaze on steadily or reflectively and to come to judge or classify. To me, this means that when we as godly wives, are faced with any decision, that we must consider it, wisely. How many times have we made decisions, where the end result didn't turn out the way we'd hoped or envisioned?? I know that in my own life experience, there have been way too many to list or even count!! Could those not so good circumstances have been changed, if we as virtuous wives, had put on the mind of Christ and considered all, before acting? In my case, definitely. Would our profits increased, if those decisions were made wisely? I believe so.....The word profits means valuable returns. A vineyard, in the times of King Solomon, was a big deal; It provided income, for the land owner....It provided jobs for any laborers who worked the land and at the harvest, it provided a marketable product...Grapes!! Grapes were used for wine, a necessity back then, due to the lack of clean drinking water....For vinegar, which was used medicinally as well as for epicurean reasons....and the skins and flesh were used to make bigga, which is used to leaven bread. So the allegoric use of the vineyard, tells us that a wisely made decision can be of great value. I'm going to give you Lisa's Parable of the Butter, as an example. One day, I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies.....but I was out of butter. I went to the market and saw that margarine was on sale. Without thinking, I bought some and went home and made cookies with it. The cookies were so bad, no one would eat them!! I had wasted time, money and valuable ingredients due to a hastily made decision. If I'd considered it, wisely, I would have chosen the butter and made a wonderfully edible vineyard of cookies.
Proverbs 31: 17
She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
When I first read this verse, I could see my perfect, virtuous and godly wife (Imaginary of course) becoming She-Ra the Super Wife.....Kind of like a superhero transformation!! In a way, that's the truth....The word girds means to prepare for action. When we take action in something, we have to prepare for it. I always have to prepare myself for cleaning my kitchen...
and if I don't prepare myself with strength, in Christ, my kitchen will win the battle and I'll end up on the couch watching Hannah Montana with a half gallon of ice cream. Again, if we put on the mind of Christ and prepare for our task with strength, there's really nothing, we as godly wives, cannot do...from baking the perfect brownie to installing a new faucet assembly in the bathroom sink (the best book for this is Home Depots Home Improvements 1-2-3...great pictures and written in non-guy English) ((the sink, not the brownie)) The second part of this verse has to do with the strength of our arms. Having strong arms is so important for anyone these days, but it's particularly true for the godly wife. We use our arms to do laundry, to cook dinner, to tend our gardens, to run the vacuum and for many, many other things. We also use our arms to uphold our husbands....to cradle our children...to wipe away that tear or comfort one who is broken...to uplift that spirit and lift up the praises of God!! It's good to strengthen our physical arms....I do it every other day, in the gym....but it's equally important to strengthen our spiritual arms as well, with prayer and in the word, so that we can be ready to cradle, uphold and support what we need to, in the name of Jesus. So these two verses really go hand in hand. We need to prepare ourselves with the strength of God and we need to make sure that those spiritual arms carry enough strength to get what God has placed before us, done.
Proverbs 31:18
She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
A virtuous wife is an effective manager of her home. She's frugal and inventive with all of the skills God has given her. She isn't wasteful of her blessings, but uses them for the glory of her family and her Heavenly Father. As godly wives, we need to realize that we are the most valuable possession our husbands will ever have; That our "merchandise" is good!! Merchandise, meaning those things, those gifts we bring to our homes and families. Our submission, our strength, our tenacity, our love and dedication to our families and homes...these are all commodities in a Christian marriage and family....Merchandise!! In my opinion, our "lamp" is our faith, upheld by the Word of God. The Word truly is the "Light Unto Our Paths" not only for edifying us in Christ but for instruction and guidance as women, wives and mothers. Everything we need to know about living an honestly fruitful life is contained in the Bible. The Word of God is there for us, in our darkest night....a lamp that will never go out!!
I hope you've enjoyed today's quiet time.....I know I have!! I haven't yet heard from my friends, as to whether or not they are going to make it up here, today and it's already 10:30. If they don't, then no great loss....Like I said, I am still a bit on the down side, from not feeling well, yesterday!! I wish you a day of sunshine!! Know that I love you and pray for you often!! Love each other as He loves....
Many Blessings,
Lisa
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Proverbs 31:13-15
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
Good Wednesday morning, my friends.....I am struck with some stomach issues this morning and I'm not feeling so grand!!! I'm sure it's just the change in my diet...so no worries. I have listings and things to do,today and I need to go to the gym, this afternoon and I have choir practice this evening. Another one of those days!!
So let's get back to Proverbs 31. This scripture blesses me, every time I read and meditate upon it. I hope it blesses you, as well. Last night, I watched "19 Kids and Counting" on TLC and I just have to say that Michelle Duggar emulates the picture of a quiet, gentle spirit. I strive to be like that and I am trying...I'm just still rough around the edges and soft in the middle. I'll get there, but for now, I am blessed! Okay, let's get to it.....
Proverbs 31:13
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
In Biblical times, wool and flax were spun and woven into fabrics for clothing and bedding. Sometimes, a family could farm their own wool or flax or both. Sometimes, it had to be purchased. Now days, we don't have to seek out our wool and our flax and weave or spin our own textiles, we just go to Walmart and pick up what we need. I apply this verse to my life by always looking for the best bargain, when it comes to buying clothing (or anything, for that matter). Unless I really need something for a specific purpose or things like underclothes, socks and Mark's work shirts, I buy second hand. If I buy new, it's almost always off season and clearance priced. I also use eBay, as well. I willingly work with my hands, a great deal, as well. I make my own bread and desserts like cookies and cakes. I do as much scratch cooking as I can. I make my own curtains and I am learning to garden, while living in a small home, with no usable soil (we live on dirt filmed rocks). When we work with our hands, we can see the fruits of our labor. Things like dusting, washing dished, mopping the floor, scrubbing the tub....are all working with our hands.....we must make sure that our attitudes are correct, so that we are doing it, willingly. This is still a challenge for me, but it's getting a little easier. I put some music on and go to town and suddenly, it's more like fun with a little exercise, than work....
She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
I do this every month......We live in a small community! The grocery and hardware stores in town are much too expensive for anything more than spot shopping or emergencies. So we have to travel about 45 miles, to our nearest Walmart Supercenter, once a month for our groceries. I have been sailing my merchant car for quite a few years now. It's a service to my husband and my home, because I can save money. It also gives me a greater understanding of what it truly means to serve. Grocery shopping is work!!! I drive to the store....I shop, make the decisions, look for the best prices, load the cart with my choices.....I put all of the groceries on the belt at the checkout, making sure to group all of the like items together. I put the bags in the cart, push the heavy cart to the car....I load the car....drive home....I unload the car and put all of the groceries away!! Thankfully, it's only once a month!!
She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
Every morning, Monday through Friday, I get up between 4:30 and 5:00 to provide my family with food. Mark works far away!! 96 miles north of where we live!! I get up, put on my shoes and make his coffee, make and pack his lunch and fill his commuter cups before he leaves. If he ever wanted a hot breakfast, I'd make that for him as well. (I have offered many times, but he declines, each time I offer) When Mariah stays with us, in the summer, I provide her with a good breakfast as well. No one cooks in my kitchen, but me. If someone needs a snack, I'll fix them one. All they need to do is ask. It is my duty to see to the comfort and needs of the people in my life. I don't have any maidservants, but if I did, they'd be taken care of too.
Having a servant's heart is a rare gift. God calls us, as women, to want to serve our households....It is something to be commended, especially in this self-serve age in which we live. It is something I learned when I was very young and believe it or not, it is a great pleasure for me, to serve others. I am the oldest daughter of a servant wife. I can't see it as being a drudgery or an inconvenience. I believe that it is the duty of a virtuous wife, to have a servant's heart. I have seen many wives who do not serve their families....They go out to jobs, everyday, leaving their children and husband to fend for themselves. Then, when they get home from work, they're so tired, they retire to seclusion to read and comfort themselves and take no interest in their homes or the lives of their families and that's just sad!! Yes, things would be better, financially for us, if I were working a job, but at what cost?? I do what I can, to make a little extra money, here and there and God meets our needs, as long as we are trusting Him for our everything. I don't want to seem critical, over this, but yes, I do believe a woman's place is in the home.
Well, here's to another day serving the Lord and each other!! I wish you much joy on this Wednesday and hope that it brings you nothing but flowers. I am off, to happily toil in my kitchen. Remember that I love you and if you need prayer, please leave me a comment and I'll put you on my prayer list. Thanks for sharing my quiet time, with me....and love as He loves!!
In Him!!
Lisa
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
Good Wednesday morning, my friends.....I am struck with some stomach issues this morning and I'm not feeling so grand!!! I'm sure it's just the change in my diet...so no worries. I have listings and things to do,today and I need to go to the gym, this afternoon and I have choir practice this evening. Another one of those days!!
So let's get back to Proverbs 31. This scripture blesses me, every time I read and meditate upon it. I hope it blesses you, as well. Last night, I watched "19 Kids and Counting" on TLC and I just have to say that Michelle Duggar emulates the picture of a quiet, gentle spirit. I strive to be like that and I am trying...I'm just still rough around the edges and soft in the middle. I'll get there, but for now, I am blessed! Okay, let's get to it.....
Proverbs 31:13
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
In Biblical times, wool and flax were spun and woven into fabrics for clothing and bedding. Sometimes, a family could farm their own wool or flax or both. Sometimes, it had to be purchased. Now days, we don't have to seek out our wool and our flax and weave or spin our own textiles, we just go to Walmart and pick up what we need. I apply this verse to my life by always looking for the best bargain, when it comes to buying clothing (or anything, for that matter). Unless I really need something for a specific purpose or things like underclothes, socks and Mark's work shirts, I buy second hand. If I buy new, it's almost always off season and clearance priced. I also use eBay, as well. I willingly work with my hands, a great deal, as well. I make my own bread and desserts like cookies and cakes. I do as much scratch cooking as I can. I make my own curtains and I am learning to garden, while living in a small home, with no usable soil (we live on dirt filmed rocks). When we work with our hands, we can see the fruits of our labor. Things like dusting, washing dished, mopping the floor, scrubbing the tub....are all working with our hands.....we must make sure that our attitudes are correct, so that we are doing it, willingly. This is still a challenge for me, but it's getting a little easier. I put some music on and go to town and suddenly, it's more like fun with a little exercise, than work....
She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
I do this every month......We live in a small community! The grocery and hardware stores in town are much too expensive for anything more than spot shopping or emergencies. So we have to travel about 45 miles, to our nearest Walmart Supercenter, once a month for our groceries. I have been sailing my merchant car for quite a few years now. It's a service to my husband and my home, because I can save money. It also gives me a greater understanding of what it truly means to serve. Grocery shopping is work!!! I drive to the store....I shop, make the decisions, look for the best prices, load the cart with my choices.....I put all of the groceries on the belt at the checkout, making sure to group all of the like items together. I put the bags in the cart, push the heavy cart to the car....I load the car....drive home....I unload the car and put all of the groceries away!! Thankfully, it's only once a month!!
She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
Every morning, Monday through Friday, I get up between 4:30 and 5:00 to provide my family with food. Mark works far away!! 96 miles north of where we live!! I get up, put on my shoes and make his coffee, make and pack his lunch and fill his commuter cups before he leaves. If he ever wanted a hot breakfast, I'd make that for him as well. (I have offered many times, but he declines, each time I offer) When Mariah stays with us, in the summer, I provide her with a good breakfast as well. No one cooks in my kitchen, but me. If someone needs a snack, I'll fix them one. All they need to do is ask. It is my duty to see to the comfort and needs of the people in my life. I don't have any maidservants, but if I did, they'd be taken care of too.
Having a servant's heart is a rare gift. God calls us, as women, to want to serve our households....It is something to be commended, especially in this self-serve age in which we live. It is something I learned when I was very young and believe it or not, it is a great pleasure for me, to serve others. I am the oldest daughter of a servant wife. I can't see it as being a drudgery or an inconvenience. I believe that it is the duty of a virtuous wife, to have a servant's heart. I have seen many wives who do not serve their families....They go out to jobs, everyday, leaving their children and husband to fend for themselves. Then, when they get home from work, they're so tired, they retire to seclusion to read and comfort themselves and take no interest in their homes or the lives of their families and that's just sad!! Yes, things would be better, financially for us, if I were working a job, but at what cost?? I do what I can, to make a little extra money, here and there and God meets our needs, as long as we are trusting Him for our everything. I don't want to seem critical, over this, but yes, I do believe a woman's place is in the home.
Well, here's to another day serving the Lord and each other!! I wish you much joy on this Wednesday and hope that it brings you nothing but flowers. I am off, to happily toil in my kitchen. Remember that I love you and if you need prayer, please leave me a comment and I'll put you on my prayer list. Thanks for sharing my quiet time, with me....and love as He loves!!
In Him!!
Lisa
Monday, February 22, 2010
Beginning the Journey, Again!!!
The best thing about a personal relationship with God is that He is a God of second chances....And thirds and fourths and fifths and four hundred and eighty seconds.......So here I am, on the precipice, looking out over the road of my new sojourn. Right now, I can see that that road leads through some rocky places and I see that the path is steep....the climb is going to be difficult....So I look to my left and there stands Jesus, right next to me.....His eyes are full of compassion...His words speak of forgiveness and of hope. His arms are strong enough to carry me, when I cannot find the feet to move forward and He promises to never ever leave me.
Psalm 91: 14-16
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
My weight has always been an issue, for me. Since I was young, I've been instructed about it, discriminated against, because of it....Teased and tormented, passed over......My weight bothers me....It makes me feel different. It makes me feel sick. It makes me sad. I know God loves me, no matter what I look like.....He created me. I am His creation. He loved me so much that He bought me...He purchased me with the blood of His only Son. I am a work of the Most High.
Romans 14:20
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
Offense: something that outrages the moral or physical senses.
So my eating....my act of being fat is sin!! I have heard this before!! I'd lie to myself, saying that God loves me...He made me.....He made me who and what I am. He made me to love food. Why would He condemn me, if He made me who I am?? It's only been the past couple of days that I've realized that it wasn't me, lying to myself....It was Satan, convincing me that it was okay. My love of food has become my stronghold.....My love of food has set a barrier between my God and myself. Satan is loving this, but I am ashamed!! I am ashamed!! I have ruined His work....I have defiled His temple with sin. I traded my salvation for cheeseburgers, ice cream, pizza and mashed potatoes......Wow....very sobering. Very sobering, indeed. I've traded my salvation for food. It's become my god....thing is? This god will not save me....this god will not get me into Heaven. This god will not heal me or give me strength or comfort.... It's only going to lead me directly to the charbroiler.....I know....I've said it all before. I've said it, but I've never believed it!! How could God condemn me over a Double Cheeseburger and Fries......why shouldn't he? I'm destroying something He built.....Something He loved enough to give up His most precious gift to save and I'm sitting there, throwing that away!!
Father God, forgive me for my folly!! I am a fool, playing a fool's game.....I repent of my addiction to and obsession for food and I ask you to fill me in it's stead, with Your loving kindness and Your grace. Wash me clean and sanctify me to Your service. Strengthen me, when I feel weak. Let me see Your true heart and let me hear Your true voice. In the blessed name of Jesus, I pray....Amen.
Today is the beginning of another new journey for me....I'm trading my shame for the Joy of the Lord....I'm no longer living to eat, I am eating to live. I have to follow a low carbohydrate diet, because of my diabetes and I have to exercise, to increase my ability to support my weight and I have to live.....Not just exist...I have to live. No more offensive eating and God is now my obsession and my addiction. I will always love food.....It's my belief that God made me to love food to bless others, though.....I had a vision in Church on Sunday....and by the way, the front row, organ side is a great place to get visions....I was cooking for a huge banquet and Jesus Himself was the guest of honor. I kept asking Jesus how I could continue to love food and use it, to glorify Him instead of destroying myself.....He said one thing to me....In a voice I will remember for the rest of my days...."Lisa, if you love me, feed my sheep....feed my lambs" and then it dawned on me: In the past, I have gotten much joy out of eating....but I have gotten much more joy feeding others, than I've ever had in feeding myself. So tomorrow, when I see Pastor Dave, I will tell him about this revelation and how God is moving me to bring it to the masses.....I have a place in God's kingdom and I have a gift to share with others. I am not less, because there is more of me and my love for food is now replaced with a love for God and a love for His people.....Please pray for me, my friends as God continues to bring me Loaves and Fish to deliver to His children, so that His glory, His power, His love and compassion is revealed!!
I am off to fix a moderate lunch and then off to the gym and the post office.....
My friends, love each other, the way He loves and please, remember my Loaves and Fish, in your prayers.....
In Him,
Lisa
Psalm 91: 14-16
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
My weight has always been an issue, for me. Since I was young, I've been instructed about it, discriminated against, because of it....Teased and tormented, passed over......My weight bothers me....It makes me feel different. It makes me feel sick. It makes me sad. I know God loves me, no matter what I look like.....He created me. I am His creation. He loved me so much that He bought me...He purchased me with the blood of His only Son. I am a work of the Most High.
Romans 14:20
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
Offense: something that outrages the moral or physical senses.
So my eating....my act of being fat is sin!! I have heard this before!! I'd lie to myself, saying that God loves me...He made me.....He made me who and what I am. He made me to love food. Why would He condemn me, if He made me who I am?? It's only been the past couple of days that I've realized that it wasn't me, lying to myself....It was Satan, convincing me that it was okay. My love of food has become my stronghold.....My love of food has set a barrier between my God and myself. Satan is loving this, but I am ashamed!! I am ashamed!! I have ruined His work....I have defiled His temple with sin. I traded my salvation for cheeseburgers, ice cream, pizza and mashed potatoes......Wow....very sobering. Very sobering, indeed. I've traded my salvation for food. It's become my god....thing is? This god will not save me....this god will not get me into Heaven. This god will not heal me or give me strength or comfort.... It's only going to lead me directly to the charbroiler.....I know....I've said it all before. I've said it, but I've never believed it!! How could God condemn me over a Double Cheeseburger and Fries......why shouldn't he? I'm destroying something He built.....Something He loved enough to give up His most precious gift to save and I'm sitting there, throwing that away!!
Father God, forgive me for my folly!! I am a fool, playing a fool's game.....I repent of my addiction to and obsession for food and I ask you to fill me in it's stead, with Your loving kindness and Your grace. Wash me clean and sanctify me to Your service. Strengthen me, when I feel weak. Let me see Your true heart and let me hear Your true voice. In the blessed name of Jesus, I pray....Amen.
Today is the beginning of another new journey for me....I'm trading my shame for the Joy of the Lord....I'm no longer living to eat, I am eating to live. I have to follow a low carbohydrate diet, because of my diabetes and I have to exercise, to increase my ability to support my weight and I have to live.....Not just exist...I have to live. No more offensive eating and God is now my obsession and my addiction. I will always love food.....It's my belief that God made me to love food to bless others, though.....I had a vision in Church on Sunday....and by the way, the front row, organ side is a great place to get visions....I was cooking for a huge banquet and Jesus Himself was the guest of honor. I kept asking Jesus how I could continue to love food and use it, to glorify Him instead of destroying myself.....He said one thing to me....In a voice I will remember for the rest of my days...."Lisa, if you love me, feed my sheep....feed my lambs" and then it dawned on me: In the past, I have gotten much joy out of eating....but I have gotten much more joy feeding others, than I've ever had in feeding myself. So tomorrow, when I see Pastor Dave, I will tell him about this revelation and how God is moving me to bring it to the masses.....I have a place in God's kingdom and I have a gift to share with others. I am not less, because there is more of me and my love for food is now replaced with a love for God and a love for His people.....Please pray for me, my friends as God continues to bring me Loaves and Fish to deliver to His children, so that His glory, His power, His love and compassion is revealed!!
I am off to fix a moderate lunch and then off to the gym and the post office.....
My friends, love each other, the way He loves and please, remember my Loaves and Fish, in your prayers.....
In Him,
Lisa
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