A Small Part of God's Good Work

The LORD is so good. He is so faithful. He does amazing things and He asks that we be a part of them! I am in awe of that right now.

Friday night, we had our Slumber Party retreat. I was sick the week beforehand. It became very real in the days leading up to the retreat that if good things were going to happen, it was because God was going to do them. It was His time to be with His people. He had asked for my hands and feet, but He was going to do the good work.

This was a humbling realization for me, yet so comforting as well. It doesn't take me too long to figure out that I am frail and weak and selfish and incapable of lots of things. He has given me gifts. True. However, if they are being used for my selfish gain instead of His glory, they are fully wasted.

I went to church on Friday hoping that the activities that I had planned really were what God wanted His women to participate in- that they really were from Him. And the cool part? They were. Women's hearts were open to the gospel and to His word. They were able to reflect on what God has done for us in Jesus and then moved to respond like He would.

That's such an awesome feeling. To know that the work you've been participating in the past few months really has been God's work. To see how He uses our simple hands to transform hearts.

I am blessed!

If you helped in any way, I want to encourage you as well. God used your feeble hands for His kingdom building. If you came to the retreat, know that the work God did in you is an encouragement to our hearts as well.

May we never forget that He's the one working and moving and changing lives. May we never cease to want to be a part of His good work!

Ephesians 2:10

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Icky Sicky!

A couple weeks ago, poor little Caleb got a runny nose. That little runny nose got worse and worse and more and more colorful, until it was a green, sticky mess. We went to the doctor last week and it was diagnosed as a sinus infection and we were given antibiotics.

He takes the medicine really well and his nose was clearing up. Then, Saturday night, Ross was changing his diaper and called me back to Caleb's bedroom. There was Caleb's little bottom- flaming red. Great- yeast!

Poor little guy is recovering- he doesn't seem to mind anti-fungal being rubbed on his bottom or being rinsed after every diaper change in the bathroom sink. He's a trouper.

I, on the other hand, seem to have developed a sinus infection, too. Wow- it's so much harder to be sick while caring for a little one! Today, I basically removed anything Caleb isn't allowed to touch (the fan, the garbage can), closed all the bedroom and bathroom doors, and let him roam around while I lied helpless on the couch.

It's hard to not feel lazy on days like this. Really, this whole weekend. I've felt miserable- so I lie on the couch and just stare at all the stuff that needs to be done around here- the dishes are piling up, the carpet really needs to be vacuumed, the counter has had junk mail on it for a week!

Then I remember that sometimes God calls us to rest. It may not seem to be an opportune time for us (we have that slumber party on Friday, remember?) But it is ideal for Him. He simply says, "Stop striving. Rest for a little while and rely on Me. "

So that's what we're up to for the next couple of days. Forget the dishes, the vacuum, the little extras. And rest!

Psalm 23:1-2

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Psalm 23

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

Slumber Party Retreat!

I haven't posted in almost a week. I haven't been doing what I said I would. I'm sorry.

In less than 2 weeks, Trinity's Women's Ministry will be hosting our 3rd Annual Slumber Party Retreat. This is a very sweet, special time for women to gather and fellowship and worship together. It's my favorite event all year and it takes a LOT of work.

So that's what I've been doing instead of blogging- working on the retreat. I hope you understand : )

I would LOVE to have you join us for the retreat this year. It will be from Fri Aug 26th-Sat Aug 27th. The program Friday evening runs from 7pm-10pm. Saturday morning is from 9am-11am. You can stay overnight if you want, but you don't have to : ) Everything happens in the Education Building at church. This provides flexibility for women who want to go home and keeps costs really low. It only costs $10 and that includes a yummy hot breakfast in the morning.

Our theme this year is "The Greatest Story". We will be looking at the gospel and how it should affect every day of our lives. There will be lots of time to meditate on the Word and to fellowship with other women.

I hope you will join us. If you Facebook, you can RSVP here.

If not, you can e-mail me at dru-lynng@tbcphoenix.org to RSVP or if you have further questions.

Thanks for reading and for waiting for the next post from Proverbs 31 : )

Where are my Servant Girls?

Proverbs 31:15

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

I can't help but smile as I read this verse. It instantly takes me back to a conversation I had several years ago with my grandma.

I don't know how the conversation got here, but she was talking about reading this verse and asking God, "Hey! No wonder this woman can do all this stuff. She has servant girls. Why, Lord? Why can't I have servant girls?"

It's a legitimate question. When we read this verse, it's easy to skip past the part about getting up early and jump right to the unfair portion. Where are my servant girls?

My grandma felt like the Lord spoke to her that day. Very directly. As she was complaining about not having servant girls- he gently reminded her of her dishwasher, the washing machine, the dryer, the vacuum cleaner. These aren't servant girls, but they do certainly make the job easier. Personally, I may exchange my dishwasher for a helper's conversation and sweet company, though : )

Okay... okay... enough dreaming about hired help around here. What is this verse really trying to teach us?

This woman works hard and is productive. I don't get up before the sun rises, but I can tell you that most of my hard work gets done while my boys are busy. This past weekend, I had dishes to make for potluck parties and I purposely got up before they did to cook. It was so.... peaceful. I didn't have to feel bad kicking Caleb out of the kitchen. I didn't have to feel bad watching Ross chase Caleb around. I could just enjoy the peaceful morning cooking and caring for my family.

How do you feel about your daily tasks now? Are they harried and hectic? Are you constantly being torn between household tasks and the screams of your children? Do you have trouble concentrating on one task? Perhaps it would best be done in a peaceful home. Maybe that means rising earlier than your family. Maybe it means working during naps instead of reading or checking Facebook (personal conviction- here!) Maybe it means working at home while the children are at school, instead of busying ourselves with lots of appointments.

This woman is also generous. My NIV study bible doesn't make any specific notes here about this verse, but I am assuming that it was especially kind of her to set aside portions of food for her servant girls. Now, we aren't going to set aside portions of food for our dishwasher and vacuum cleaner... but we can be kind and generous to others who help us.

My mom sets a great example of being generous to others. She has several medical issues and sees many doctors and visits the pharmacy often. She could be discouraged about her situation, but instead, she blesses doctors, nurses and pharmacists with plates of cookies and other treats. Who can you provide portions for? The mailman. Your child's teacher. Your neighbors.

This verse demonstrates again how we can be loving and faithful- by working hard and being generous.

Feeding the Family

Proverbs 31:14

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

Mmmmm...... Food! Have you ever stopped to think about what a gift food is? God could have made us so we never needed to stop and fuel our bodies. But we do need to. Several times a day in fact. Well then, he could have made food a very mundane thing- same old, same old. But He didn't. Food can smell delightful and taste delightful and look delightful and food is a GREAT way to bless your family.

Have you ever thought about it that way? I know sometimes it's easy to get bogged down with the inconveniences of food. You have to decide what your family will eat. You have to plan which day you are going to eat it. You have to make a grocery list. You have to go fetch the food. And in that process, you have to fight off cravings and urges and marketing traps to make healthy, affordable choices. And you still haven't cooked anything yet! The task can seem unbearable.

Although, cumbersome, let's try to think about providing food for our family as a joy. The past paragraph might lead you to believe that cooking overwhelms me. Sometimes it does, but mostly I love it. It's by far my favorite chore- because at the end of it, you get to eat : )

Whether you love cooking or hate it, whether you work full time outside the home or in, there are a few things we want to remember as we provide food for our families.

- Make it a blessing, not a chore. How can you incorporate your husband's favorite meal into this week's plan? What can you do to surprise your child when they open up their lunchbox? Who can your family reach out to this weekend by inviting over to dinner?

- Healthfulness promotes holiness. I don't think serving your children donuts for breakfast, or McDonald's for lunch, or popcorn for dinner is a sin. (Maybe if it was all in one day...) We don't want to be legalistic, but we do want to be healthy. Because, the truth is- when we're healthy we have energy for things God wants us to do. Our husbands need to be healthy so that they can provide for our families and lead us well. Our kids need to be healthy so that they can play and learn about God's world. We need to be healthy so that we can serve our families well. God gave us bodies to house our spirits and His. We need to take care of them so that we can do His work well.

- Recruit little hands. Believe it or not, someday your 2 year old little girl or 10 month old little guy is going to be living on their own and will need to eat 3 times a day. Now is the time to be teaching them, little by little, how to thank God for their food, how to eat healthy, how to bless others with something their little hands have made. Teach your children- boys and girls- how to use food to bring God glory.

I'd like you to think about that as you prepare dinner tonight- be in from scratch, or a box or a drive-thru- that feeding your family is a task that you can use to bring God glory. Now, how cool is that?

Eager Hands

Proverbs 31:13

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

Are you worried about the words "wool and flax"? Don't be. Make sure you read my last post before you move on : )

This woman cares for her husband and her children by weaving wool and flax into fabric and then making that fabric into clothes for them. You probably don't do that... And that is okay : )

What matters is that your husband and children are clothed. You may make clothes for them. You may purchase good quality clothes for them at high end stores. You may purchase gently used clothes at consignment or thrift stores. You may gladly share hand-me-down clothes with neighbors. What your children wear doesn't really matter. What matters is that they have clothes that you have thoughtfully acquired and that they are taken care of (which means the laundry has to be done : ) )

Also of super importance is how she goes about her tasks at home. What kind of hands does she work with? EAGER hands.

Are your hands eager? Are you excited to care for your family and your home with your hands? I'm definitely not always eager to work- but we should be. Caring for our families- sacrificing our desires for their needs- is a visual picture of the gospel. We should work eagerly with our hands.

Look around you. What needs to be done around your house? Ask God to give you eager hands to do it! : )

(At my house, I need to eagerly scrub both of our shower/bathtubs. I need to ask the LORD to give me eager hands for that one!)

From Hearts to Hands

I hope you have been encouraged so far as we walk through Proverbs 31. It's not so much the things that we do as our hearts that matter. Our noble character, our husband's full confidence in us, and our desire to bring our husbands good are much more meaningful than a clean house and a gourmet meal.

However, a wife who demonstrates noble character, has her husband's confidence, and wants to bring him good ALL the days of her life, will show these things in very practical ways.

We are about to jump into those verses head on. Before we begin, I want to encourage you to continue looking at this woman's heart. Many of the verses will comment on both a practical action and an attitude of the heart. Keep both in mind.

Also, don't become discouraged if it talks about some skill that you don't do well. The Proverbs 31 woman is an incredible seamstress. You may not be. I certainly am not. I took 2 courses in high school. I passed them both, but I'm not sure how. I don't have the precision or dexterity to sew well. The fact that I don't sew my family's clothes isn't the issue. They are clothed. And that is important. : )

I invite you to join me as we continue along in Proverbs 31- looking at how our hearts will cultivate practical actions to build a happy home.

Bring Good!

Proverbs 31:12

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

I love this verse. It may be my favorite one in this whole passage.

As we think about what it means to be a sweet wife and a happy homemaker, this verse says it all. Our goal should be to bring our husbands good, not harm ALL the days of our lives.

What does "good" look like? Every husband is different, so every one will define "good" differently. So go ahead and ask him!

If he's anything like Ross, good things will look like: having a happy heart, giving hugs and kisses freely, using lots and lots of encouraging words, being confident of his abilities and his love for me. Then there's the practical things, making his lunch for the next day, planning dinners for the week, arranging babysitters so we can enjoy a date night here and there. Sex might be on the "good" list too : )

I encourage you to ask your husband what kinds of things would do him good and eagerly, happily do them!

We also need to be aware and watchful for harmful things as well. Most of us would say that we would never want to purposely bring our husbands harm, but we all can be selfish and forsake his needs for ours and sometimes that means harm.

Here are some common "harm-ers": being too busy with the practical things for an encouraging word or a kiss, spitting out a bunch of frustrations from your day with no time to listen about theirs, nagging (uh! It's the worst! Your husband didn't marry you because he needed another mother. Stop nagging and start praying!) planning a super busy family schedule with little time for your husband to rest and relax alone or with friends.

These are just a few. Again, I encourage you, ask your husband what kinds of things bring him good- seek to do them happily- and those that bring him harm- and avoid them like the plague : )