Proverbs 31: 15
She gets up while it is still dark;

Some folks are naturally night owls, while others arise cheerily with the dawn. My energy peeks around mid-morning. Getting up while it’s still dark does not “do it” for everyone. How about you? When is your prime time?

I need sleep. My goodness, if I was up for the day at 4:55 a.m. I’d be ready for bed by 4:55 p.m. For real, passed out by dinner. So, during this time of baby raising and 5 a.m. feedings (if not 4:30 a.m.) I’m choosing to sleep.

I may not see the sunrise. But, I do see the point of this verse.

Be ready to serve, reflect, prepare or whatever it is that is needed to get your daily priorities straight…at anytime. Let nothing come between you and your purpose.

It is my priority to sleep until daybreak, or rather, go back to sleep after I have already been up feeding babies in the dark. (Which, among other things is my purpose these days.)

Until, another time Dark, until another time.

Love,

Jess

Proverbs 31:21

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

Hats, boots, mittens, snowpants….check

This Proverbs 31 “studying” is becoming very fun!

Love,

Jess

Onto the task before me…try to learn about the wisdom found in Proverbs 31, hands on.

Proverbs 31:14

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

photo credit: anthropologie

Like merchant ships she brings food from a far – basically grocery shopping.

Grocery shopping with 4 kids 5 and under!? Not. going. to. happen. Can you even image the scene? Cart wheels squeaking, breast milk leaking, children fighting, babies crying. Even on a good day, where would I put the food?

Enter online shopping

I am fortunate to have a local service in my community that provides pick-up or delivery service. The small fee I pay for having someone else shop the aisles for me and bring the food to my house, is worth every penny.

Shopping online provides the opportunity to watch my finances. I can easily “put back” items that have put my budget over. I can also stick to my list a lot better when I don’t have the chance to roam to the “other side” of Target. You know what I am talking about…holiday decor, clothes, clearance end caps and toys.

Add extra help

Even the thought of taking all the little ones (in this freezing weather) on a small trip to restock fresh foods or small items can really wear me down. I try to ask for help whenever I need some assistance. I love my friends and family!

The wisdom

Being wise is knowing when to push yourself and knowing when to set your limits. I set my sails to gather food, I just require a crew to help me navigate the way home.

Love,

Jess

I’ll be back with more grocery and meal planning adventures.

Climber

So we have a little climber on our hands. Tables, toy boxes, baby gates, rocking chairs! You name it, Molly will climb it. I caught her on the table one day with her hand literally in the cookie jar. She is very strong not to mention strong willed even at 16 months.

I gleaned a touching lesson from authors and speakers, Jim and Lynne Jackson as they presented some insightful information at one of my MOPS meetings last year. They suggested that parents try to see the goodness in their child’s current personality “challenge”.

i.e. If you have an older child always tattling or telling the others how naughty they were the parent would try to see strengths of honesty and justice.

So my dear Molly what strengths can I pray for?

How about an adventurous spirit, willingness to learn and sense of determination!

Okay, but for now…Get OFF the table!!

Bible, Book of Genesis, Chapter 49, Verse 22

“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.”

Sunflower Gate

Holy Bible, Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 11

Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so.

2. Glad helping hands at the Library

3. Guidance from the Good Book

Stupid things I’ve done and regretted:

• Gossiped about a good friend
• Ate 3/4 of a 9X9 pan of brownies
• Forgotten sunscreen on the back of my knees at the State Fair
• Cut my own hair with an office scissor
• Thrown a laptop to the ground for revenge and broke it

Stupid things I’ve done and not regretted:

• Blasted the AC in my car with all the windows down just so I could have my hand skimming the wind
• Told a hot dude I would be his girlfriend if he asked (wink, hi Pete!)
• Worn yesterday’s underwear inside out
• Napped instead of cleaned
• Rode the rickety old Zipper carnival ride with my Mom at the State Fair and laughed until I couldn’t breath

Proverbs 10:8

⁸ The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

These utterances came from my mouth as I rejected a bite of not fully ripened organic banana this morning. I finally have fresh fruit in our home after weeks of delaying the grocery run to Super Target.

I knew it was green but I was trying to push my luck. The banana tasted so foul. After I had resolved the issue I was telling Ryan about unripe fruit and why I had made such a fuss.

He said, “Mom that’s why God says in the beginning of ‘my little first Bible’, “Don’t eat fruit that is still growing.” Of course he was referring to the picture in his Bible of Adam and Eve hanging around a tree with the fruit still hanging on it in the garden of Eden.

I just smiled and said, “You’re right we shouldn’t eat fruit that is still growing!”

We ran ‘the little bake sale that could’ with homemade brownies, bakery doughnuts and water bottles to raise funds for Dawn’s sister Sarah. Sarah is going on a missions trip to Africa to help dig a well for clean water.

Both of our husbands get awards for doing non-stop Daddy duty (park, food, baths, everything) all Friday night and Saturday while we priced and ran the sale. [note: In general I don't think Dad's should always get awards for watching their own kids. Watching the kids under certain tough or busy times I think they should at least be thanked.]

I love to purge material things several times a year. In the winter months I usually just donate stuff to the Goodwill but in the spring I do a garage sale. A pleasant ahhhhhhhhhhh! is resounding in my mind now that the stuff has gone on to other homes or day-cares.

The following Bible verse inspires me to put my heart into important things not just my stuff,

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [Matt. 6:19-21].

Though I parted with several baby items like the Jumperoo, exer-saucer and baby swing. I still couldn’t part with all of my newborn baby clothes, a whole topic for another blog entry. We sold a lot and will be taking the rest of the unsold items to my Mom’s church, Friendship Church, for their fund raising garage sale.

I like collecting too. I did purchase 2 coats, 10 shirts and 1 handbag. I just happened to be sharing garage space with Dawn’s sister a Banana Republic store manager. So you can imagine the racks that were hanging there. Can you blame me? I am thrilled to have a few new pieces in my wardrobe. All day today was literally wearing a tee shirt that I wore in high school so yea, it was time to update. I refrained from wondering the streets to the other garage sales in her neighborhood so that is a huge star for me.

I equally love to do things that are complete opposites. I love quiet reading just as much I love yakking it up with my girlfriends. I love eating sensibly equally as much as I love eating chocolate flour-less cake or oh…the fruit cheesecake tart from Cafe Latte in St. Paul. Point being I love to collect and I love to give away.

It was a great day overall and we are already dreaming up ideas for a sale next year.