Wake Up Call

  

Have you ever got plain frustrated when you go through something hard in life and wind up going through it yet again? Last night I was laying in bed in tears. I knew I wasn't supposed to ask God why. As I was praying I said "...God I dont understand why.... I always wind up hurt Why do I have to keep going through this?" He said "How are you gonna be praised if you don't?" Right then I knew he was talking about the verse I studied just this week.

 

Proverbs 31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

You talk about a wake up call. I laid there for a while thanking God. I should have known he had a plan. I was just to busy worrying about myself to think straight. So.....

  
Thank you Lord
Day 1 For sending your Son to die on the Cross for me
Day 2 For my kids whom I love dearly
Day 3 For my sweet husband
Day 4 For your gentle corrections
Day 5 For giving me a wonderful home

 For more information on the November Thank You Lord Challenge


PS Thank you all for the wonderful comments. It means so much to me to know there is people actually reading these posts not just following. 

May God Bless you on your journey.  

Amanda

 

Proverbs 31:31

 When we put God first in our lives we produce good fruit. What is good fruit?

John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
  
Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

This is the most important praise we can get. When God says "Well done my child" 
Oh, how I long to hear them words. Seeking to make others happy will get us nowhere fast. But, seeking God we can have eternal life. We are to keep a check on ourselves often to make sure we are fruitful. If not we need to ask God to help us in the area we're missing.

May God Bless you on your journey.  

Amanda

Proverbs 31:30

          Do you remember 1 or 2 people in school that always got noticed? Most of time is was because of looks. True beauty is from the inside. A friend once said to me "Amanda, your an original. You don't choose sides. Your just plain you." I love that. Its better to be kind, caring, loving, faithful, hopeful than to be trendy. For those of you who know me personally know I'm no dressy person. I'm the t-shirt and jeans type.  When we take our time and think about how God sees us we see the real picture. He don't look at how our hair is done or anything like that. He looks at our heart. God draws those who fear him closer. We are not better than anyone else on this earth. So why do some act like they are? Because they don't understand things and people change. When we fear God as we should we will reap our reward one day.

“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,but true beauty in a Woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows.”  ~Audrey Hepburn

“No matter how plain a woman may be, if truth and honesty are written across her face, she will be beautiful.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I highly recommend you checking out more information on inner beauty http://www.teen-beauty-tips.com/ . The site is directed toward teens but I'm sure adults can learn from it too.

PS Don't forget to add the blog on facebook, twitter, and pinterest.

May God Bless you on your journey.  

Amanda

Beyond proverbs 31

This means we are to go beyond just being the proverbs 31 women.  It's more than just being a good housekeeper, wife, mother, neighbor.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We have to get rid of our want to's and seek God.  Because if we do he will bless us and show us how to excel in life. If you think about it, how much selfishness can we have before things start falling apart? Not much. When things get so out a whack we are running back and saying "God help me on this". Why not start right from the beginning and put God and others first. You may think well Mary does better at ... than I do. Remember:

Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

For example if God can touch a blind autistic boy with the gift of song. I'm sure he can bless you. 

10-Year-Old Blind Autistic Boy Sings Open the Eyes of my Heart from duffley on GodTube.

May God Bless you on your journey.  

Amanda

Blessings and Praises...

We all love to hear good feedback from our families. We might not get compliments right away like some but we can see the reaction to nice warm meals, clean home, and you having fun. I like to think my kids and I have a close bond. Lots of people will say "your their mom not there friend" I agree but to an extent. I am a mom who likes to be involved in my childs life if that means dancing to a new song they want me to hear while cooking. Then, so be it. :) I set down on occasion and bring up why I make certain decisions. They most of the time get it. They might not call me blessed right now but a smile and a hug works wonders for me. Not to long ago I took the time to tell my grandmother what a blessing she is in my life. I apologized for all my stupid remarks as a teen and said I see now you were only looking out for me. My grandparents raised me. I had a choice to be a homemaker or get out and get a job. Once my daughter was born I knew what I wanted to do. None of my children have been in daycare. They will later on see why and later call me blessed.

We might not hear things right away from our husband or as mine bits and pieces. But when you see that lunchbox packed and him give you a sweet kiss before he leaves be proud of yourself. In time he will praise you for it.

The most important acknowledgments is from our heavenly Father. When we know in our hearts he is happy with what we are and have done the rest don't matter as much.

Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

May God Bless you on your journey.  

Amanda

...Ways of her household

I so needed to study this today. I had to make some big decisions about where I put my time. After yesterday's parent teacher conference I realized something needs to change. My son Tyler is doing well in all areas but reading. Due to his dyslexia he is going backwards instead of forward. It hit me hard. I am on top of our kids education but things like this set you back. I decided right then I needed to prioritize my time. If we don't pay attention to those we love and take care of them things can happen. Make sure everything and everyone in the household has what they need. Get up from the computer a moment and spend time with each of your kids and husband. Putting off what you can do today will only make things harder later. Those facebook farms, texts, and phone calls can wait. God and family should come first.

May God Bless you on your journey.  

Amanda

Proverbs 31:26

 Have your kids ever repeated something you said out in public? Then they say mommy said it. Mine have. There was no taking it back. Embarrasment and shame hits you all at the same time. 

We have to set examples for our children and those around us. How are we going to represent Christ if we talk softly in church and have a bad mouth as soon as you get in the car? We can't. We are to use our words wisely. Not blurt out the first thing that comes out our mouth. We are to keep our negative talk to ourselves. How many times have you made a bad comment to someone? I'm sure at least once. We are to be kind and encouraging with our words. Let God help you choose your words more wisely.

May God Bless you on your journey.  

Amanda

Proverbs 31:25

I'll never forget the day our oldest daughter cut her finger. She was preparing supper when all of the sudden the knife slipped. She screamed and I cried. I wrapped it the best I could. My husband was as calm as a cucumber. He said come on lets go tot the fire department to see if they can get it to spot bleeding. Here I was praying and crying the whole time. To this day I still get emotional about things but God showed me to place it in his hands. Worries and fears are some of the worst things for your health. It can cause us to loose weight, hair, appetite and become week.  

Psalms 118:14 The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

We are so week and vulnerable without God. We break if small things upset us in life. But, he strengthens us to face those fears head on. Let me ask you how is your spiritual life. Are you strong in the Lord?  We are to be on gaurd for what not only life has in store but what the devil has up his sleeve. Stand firm in the word and let God help you face each rough moment in life the way you should. If we do we get to rejoice with the Lord in eternity.

May God Bless you on your journey.  
Amanda

Are you using your talents?

God gave each of us talents and abilities to do things. He didn't intend for us to let them get lost in a memory. We are to use our talents to make some extra money for our families. Make sure you pray and discuss things with your husband before you make any sudden decisions. My husband and I discussed how next year I will be extending the business by selling parts. I couldn't pass the opportunity up. I will be using my skills in the process. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this study series you need to brush up on your talents and hobbies. This is the reason why. If you make the decision to start making extra money don't let your relationship with God and your family suffer. They should come first in your life.

May God Bless you on your journey.  

Amanda

Are you rotten or honoring?

 Do you crave the attention your husband gets? Oh be honest we all do. My husband runs a small engine business from our home. I do most of the paper work, ads and such. Most don't know this though. I like to stay behind the scenes and watch the business grow. It brings me joy. I wasn't always this way. Like lots of woman I would do all I could to get recognized for what I did. I still have my moments but with the Lord's help I stop before I start.

Think about the elders in this verse as being not just elders but people in general. Do you give a a good impression of your husband to others? Or do you make fun of him or put him down? Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. She is an honor to him with what she does and says.



May God Bless you on your journey.  
Amanda

Are you dressed to represent Christ?

How many times have you been somewhere in sweat shirt and pants? We all have at some time. I dont see anything wrong with it. I do believe a woman should dress nicely though. Not with our hair in a just got out of bed state. We have to look at our appearance as a way to represent Christ and Christianity. My father in law explained it best that God might convict him differently on his appearance than he might someone else. That's true. Some may say pants is a big no no for women while others they're fine. I don't believe showing your undergarments or exposing them areas is right at all though. In my personal opinion a woman should Not be dressed way better than her husband and kids. If you feel in your heart God is telling you a shirt is too low cut or something. It's better to cover exposed skin or not wear it at all. Then to keep wearing it over and over knowing God don't want you to. Big tip: the same goes with sin. If God tells you not to do something and you keep on that's sinning. Best thing to do is ask God to show you how he wants you to dress.



May God Bless you on your journey.  
Amanda

Let's get organized

I make these posts a day ahead of time. That way I have more time to study. I had one of them unusual days where I was gone running errands all day. I didn't get up as early as I normally would on a weekday.This put me behind. I learned quick I need to prepare for days like this. This verse couldn't have came at a better time for me. We are to be prepared our families and homes for the seasons. Lately my husband, our sons and myself has been getting out the coats and stacking wood for those warm fires.Oh yes I get out there and helped too. We have to put our "I'll break a nail" to the side and prepare our households for those cold months.

I have been using a homemakers binder for over a year now. A homemakers binder is a personal binder to keep everything for you and your household to be more organized, in one place. Such as Schedules, menu plans, grocery list, to do lists, phone numbers, and more.. What you need is a binder big enough to keep everything in. You can pick up the 1 inch at the local dollar store. I use top loading sheet protectors to put my pages in and write with dry erase markers. This cut down on having to print so much.  All these things can be found in the office supply section. I also have a 3 hole pencil pouch I put my pens, pencils, highlighters, paper clips (which i chain to keep them together), sticky notes, and scissors. I use dividers to divide everything into sections such as Important info, Schedules, Meals, homeschool, holidays and so on...  Here are some good sites to find printable pages to start your binder.

home management printables
 
household notebook printables
 
Resources for household management (printables)

To find out more about organizing check out this neat site. http://organizedhome.com/

We are to prepare our families for the spiritual elements too. You don't know when your children. I love the 31 ways to pray for your husband and 31 ways to pray for your children

If you have any questions your welcome to contact me or comment.

May God Bless you on your journey.  
Amanda

Reaching out to those in need

Before I go on with the study please know I'm not the virtuous woman I need to be. But, as I study and pray I'm getting better.

Anyway, this verse is talking about going out of our way to help others. Most will donate to goodwill or help at a local homeless shelter. Those are good things to do but God wants us to fill them needs that are overlooked also. Maybe helping a sick person by cooking a meal for them and their family. Or helping an elderly person with there housework. But, this verse doesn't mean to help only our friends, family or church family. It's to Reach out also to those you may not even know.

Beware of the internet, tv advertisements, and those who take advantage of others. Some make their living by begging and such. You never know who you might can bless though. Remember our reward will be in heaven. :)  If you knew much about Dale earnhardt you would know he was a caring man. He went out his way to help other and didn't want anyone to say a word about it. An expecting woman was in line at a race shivering from the cold. Dale walked up took off his nascar jacket and put it around her. We are to be like that and do these things (alms) in secret.  

Mathew 6:1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
² Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
³ But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
⁴ That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.


May God Bless you on your journey.  
Amanda

Proverbs 31:19

As I think and study more on this verse I think of the virtuous woman being one who makes use of what she has. Whether its playing games with the kids when the power is out during a snow storm or throwing a meal together when she had a change of plans. A proverbs woman tackles what needs to be done with joy in her heart. She make life better for those around her. She don't pitch fits that she has to change her plans to do her duties. We are to work on keeping things in our homes running smoothly.

May God Bless you on your journey.  
Amanda


 

Proverbs 31:18

Wait!! What?!! We have to get up early then stay up late at night? No this just means when there is something that has to be finished before bed time we are to stay up late and finish it.  I'll never for get the project I took upon myself to do 2 years ago. My son had a celebration for the 101st day of school coming up. We had to come up with a homemade dalmatian outfit or pj's. I knew pj's would be the easy route. But, me and my son wanted to make it together. He cut a bunch of dots out of an old black shirt while I sewed each one on a white hoodie. I sewed it for a few days straight in my spare time. The night before I was sewing at 2am. I am so thankful I did. To this day he loves it. The most precious things we could make or do are those we devote time into. We are to keep an eye on things and make sure everything is taken care of. whether it be clothes need to be washed or  making sure floors need mopping she will stay up late to do it. We are to put time and effort in those important things in life. Marriage, child training, homemaking, friendships, church, charity..... I came up with some questions I ask myself each day so that I can keep check on what done and what I need to work on.

1. Are you rare?
2. Does (husband's name) trust you?
3. Does he lack anything?
4. Have you worked with your hands?
5. Have you worked on ways to save money?
6. Have you got up early and stayed up late as you should?
7. Did you prepare for the day and fix breakfast?
8. Have you planted any seeds (physical and spiritual)today?
9. Have you helped someone today?
10. Have you had wise and kind words come out of your mouth?
11. Are setting a good example for those around you?
12. Did you drink enough water and eat less junk food today?
13. Are you using your time wisely?
14. Have you smiled today?

May God Bless you on your journey into becoming a proverbs 31 woman.
Comments and Suggestions are welcome :)

Proverbs 31:17

A proverbs 31 woman strengthens herself physically and spiritually. We are to keep our bodies healthy and strong so we can do what God has for us to do. I just now thought of something. Think of our bodies as a church for a minute. Would you put junk inside a church? No Then why do we put so much junk in our bodies? Don't worry I'm guilty too. chips and chocolate, hrs of tv is some of my favorites. We also need to strengthen ourselves spiritually. You never know when things may happen in our lives when we need strengths such as faith, courage, patients, hope, love...  My husband was diagnosed December 2011 with cancer. We kept a paper on our fridge with the verse "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Mathew 17:20" along with a mustard seed taped to it. In faith I prayed for his upcoming surgery and that the Lord would confine the tumor to that one area. One day he woke up and the lump had moved Praise God. We found out after surgery and a few tests they removed all of the cancer. Things happen in life we can't predict but we can be prepared by studying the word. Remember: 2 Chronicles 15:7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. 

May God bless you on your journey into becoming a proverbs 31 woman.

Proverbs 31:16

A proverbs woman prays and thinks about things before she makes a decision. Just like some other proverbs 31 verses this one can be looked at in 2 different ways.
The most important way is makes sure things are right for her family before she brings it in. She don't want to bring in something that's going to bring ungodliness into her home. I came across a little devotional read over the radio one day and done my research on it. I found the site had where you could order a free book of devotionals to be delivered to your home each month. I am so glad I chose to get them. They make great family devotionals. Check them out at Keys for Kids What we plant in the lives of those around us will grow whether its good or bad. We have to be careful to plant good seeds.

I am putting definitions in parenthesis.

2 Peter 1:5-8

⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence (hard work), add to your faith virtue(goodness); and to virtue knowledge;
⁶ And to knowledge temperance(self-control); and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our kids absorb our actions like a sponge. If we are good to others, have patients and such watch what they do. My husband and I love to help others. One day while my little boy was playing at his friends house he noticed the boys mom picking beans in the garden. He said "come on lets go help". The little guys helped her pick the rest of the beans. She was so thankful he took time and do that. I have some embarrassing stories too but I'm not going to go there. Planting seeds in there little minds is a privilege. We need to take advantage of every moment we can to help them and others around us to grow in Christ.

The second way to look at the verse is: We are to find ways to save money. Like I check out the latest sales and plan meals around those sales. This saves lots of money. For example a few weeks ago our local grocery store had whole chickens 88¢lb  I got 3. What I wont fix right away goes straight into the freezer for a later date. I got this printable weekly meal planner I keep in my homemakers binder to plan out my whole week of meals. Meal Planner Printables  I also keep a inventory of every food item I have in the house. This helps to keep up with how much mac and cheese you have and so forth. I hate having to go back to the store for something I forgot. I keep a grocery list ready to write down things as soon as I think of them. Its our responsibility to stretch our budget. If you don't know much about couponing I highly recommend checking out the Hip 2 Save and coupon mom


May the Lord bless you as you continue on your journey of becoming a Proverbs 31 woman.

Proverbs 31:15

Oh them extra few minutes of sleep. Too many mornings I would wake up dragging out of bed in a rush to get things done. I still do at times, I'll admit. I kept feeling even more sluggish staying in bed so long. About a month ago I started getting up 30 minutes earlier. I get up to pray, read my bible and start the day out the way it should be. To this day I still don't get out of my pj's right away but I get things done :) Maybe one of these days I'll start getting fully dressed to help start my day. I can pray and read his word in the early mornings without "mommy mommy" all the time interrupting. I love my little dumplings of joy but being able to focus on Gods Word and what he's teachings is very important to me.  I usually spend a little time at night writing my to do list for the day. That way when I get up I know what I want to fix for breakfast, go over last minute spelling words or whatever needs to be done first thing in the morning. We are to prepare ourselves and our family for the day. This verse doesn't say you have to get up at 2 am to fix breakfast. This verse just means you should get up in plenty of time to prepare your family for the day and share what you can with others. If you know you need to fix breakfast for everyone than get on them fuzzy slippers, put a smile on your face and get to it. Part of our Godly mission here on earth is to take care of our families. Cooking breakfast, making sure your child's hair is combed and so forth is just part of it. If you know your going to have more spaghetti than you will need share with a friend or neighbor.These little things like this can be a big blessing to others.

May God bless you as you continue your journey becoming a proverbs 31 woman. 

Proverbs 31:14

You can look at this verse in 2 different ways. She is like the merchants ships. Think of all the many miles of ocean them ships travel to get the merchandise from point A to point B. We are to learn how to find good sales on food and go get them. Sometimes it might take going a few extra miles to get those sales. A virtuous woman will go out of her way to save money for her family.More on this later in the chapter.


Lets look at the words "she bringeth her food from afar". This could mean spiritual food.
We have to go out of our way to bring physical food from afar why not spiritual. I was
speaking to my kids in the car the other day about how we're not suposed to mention other gods. I remembered this from a previous bible reading. (Ex 23:13) I just couldn't recall at that moment exactly what it said but I promised them I would find it. After school we read the verse and talked about it.  We as proverbs women should not only make it an effort to bring in the Word of God in our homes but study it so when moments arise we are prepared.

May God bless you as you continue on your proverbs 31 Journey.

Proverbs 31:13

In bible times women had to make clothes for her family. But thankfully now we don't have to do that. To me the words "she seeketh wool, and flax.." means she gets whats needed for her family and her household. I always keep what is called a running list. Running lists are grocery lists or to do lists that you write down the next idea that you think of. It saves time and gas money. If you haven't heard about the homemakers binder. Now would be the time to do some research. Its a great way to stay organized and help you manage everything around the house.  There are lots of free printable pages you can download for this. I use sheet protectors with my pages and dry erase markers. 

She "works willingly with her hands". Ever have them slowly roll out of bed mornings? You don't feel like moving let alone get up and do anything. I've been there. If we are willing to work like it says we are to do all we can to get ourselves pumped up and ready to tackle a new day. We can do this by asking God to help us to be eager and to get what we need to done. Let's grab a cup of coffee, put in a cd or whatever gets us going and let's get some work done. If you have to turn the computer or tv off till you get finished.Just remember them dishes and clothes aren't going to clean themselves. I have tried cleaning schedules in the past and such they just dont work for me. Seems like I can never stick to them. But, not all people are alike. I found it easier to write a to do list each night so I know what needs to be done for the next day.

Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Proverbs 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

We are to do all we can to prepare for the days ahead for our family whether its for winter or an upcoming holiday meal.