Wisdom from the Ages

Proverbs 31: 10-31 is a passage from the Bible that is actually a Hebrew poem about wisdom. The poem describes a woman that makes very wise and loving decisions about how to live her life. She serves others, she is a business woman, she is thoughtful and the list goes on.

I want to study the traits of this wise woman found in Proverbs 31. I am a hands on learner. Reading can only get me so far. I will task myself to try all the wise things the Proverbs 31 woman does in her wise, wise life.

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

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

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

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

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

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

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

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I am using my New Year’s Resolution, Enrich, to act as a guide for the love and logic behind my Proverbs 31 task.  However, I’m going to need a whole lot more than love and logic to get me through the process. I am going to need a lot of faith.

Love,

Jess

P.S. How much are rubies? And how the heck do I use a spindle?

Sometimes He calms the child. Sometimes He calms the storm.

Ryan and I walked toward the doctor’s office from the van. He was visibly nervous about seeing the eye specialist.

I led the way and he followed me.

While in the parking ramp, we shoved our necks into our jackets to avoid the brisk chill. Yet, without gloves, he held my hand and I held his.

In the sky-way, we leaped in unison over every stripe in the carpet. Passersby could hardly contain their smirks of joy as they watched Ryan tramp through the sky-way in his clacking yellow rain boots.

Ryan’s fearful grimace softened into laughter as I challenged him to a speed-walking contest down the long corridor to the eye doctor’s door. He kept an incredible clip for having 5 year old legs!

He made it through the appointment just fine. He is so proud of his behavior with the doctor. Of course, he was probably just beaming because the Dr. told Ryan that he should play video games while he wears an eye patch (he has to wear the patch 2 hours everyday for 2 months to correct his vision). So, now Ry is telling everyone the Dr. told him he has to play video games everyday.

This is what it’s like to be HELD

God holds my hand when I head into new territory.

Life with twins was going to be “busy” “crazy” and “overwhelming” or so I thought. My life has those qualities sometimes. But, overall, I have abundant joy and a new and unexpected work-horse drive for chores (except, for ironing–that drive still hasn’t kicked in yet).

He leads the way and I follow Him.

I experience what it feels like to be held, daily. Someone out there is praying for me (us), if it is you, please — keep it up!

I trust that God is here to help me, refine me and push me during the storms of my life. I trust that God is here to show me a way to be content and useful in every situation. Whether it has holiday decor in it or not; whether it has new 8 hours of sleep in it or not; and frankly if it has brushed hair in it or not.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Love,

jess

I am grateful for my kids! Molly, Ryan, Claire and Leah

I am also grateful for glue guns, flavored coffee and good books.

May your attitude of gratitude lift your eyes to God and thank Him today and everyday!

Love,

Jess

I holler at the kids; interrupt at dinner parties and chat up my mom friends at the park.

Still, I am feeling a vacant sort of quiet in my head.  The noise of my own thoughts seem too loud so I stop listening and keep on doing things anyway.

On auto-pilot and cruise control for parenting, working, family bonding, cleaning, enjoying, creating, worshiping. Until…I found this photo, in my archives, of an apple corer.

Change

A whole apple represents me. Blades of daily life split me apart; tearing pieces away from my very center. All that was left? Fleshy fruit waiting to brown with a pile of seeds standing alone.

Or so I thought.

In reality, I am an apple, willing to nourish and refresh others.

Even when bowls of mac-n-cheese spill over the highchair, or another opportunity for time with my husband gets side-tracked by much needed “to-do” work on the laptop, *cough* see above, I can give a section of hope to my loved ones.

When every slice of me is served up for the taking, I am still centered. God stands with me as the core of my strength.

When I my shiny, red exterior has been sectioned off by the mini-van hustle, job responsibilities, hyper kids, and unmet wants and desires. God provides seeds of regrowth, made just for me.

By Definition

The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. {2 Timothy 4:1}

The last thing I remember saying was “Can’t everyone just be quiet!”

The last thing I remember doing turning my eyes off the road to fiddle around in the back seat.

Next, I felt the curb.

I jerked up my head just in time to swerve into my neighbors lawn, avoiding a huge head on crash with the mailbox.

I did not jerk my head up just in time, however, to miss the mailbox completely. Darn.

My white Jeep bucked the 20 person association-style lock-port mailbox like a cartoon anvil.

Seriously, it would have been comical, if say, I was watching it on YouTube. But, no, it was me in real life…scared and crying.

The implications are overwhelming.

What if someone had been checking their mail?  Sigh…. What if the kids had been hurt? How am going to pay for this? What if someone had been there, a kid, a dog, another car. What if, what if????

The police came and filled out a report. My neighbor comforted me while my nerves settled down. My husband sighed deeper than I have ever heard anyone sigh in my life.

My son, 4 years old, gave me a driving lesson,

“Just drive around things that are not in the road, drive straight from now on.”

Thankfully, nobody was hurt except my checkbook and my dignity. I have been thanking God all day for the mercy in the situation. No one was checking their mail, no one.

Fearfully Focused,

Messy Jess

PS Yes, Mom I will keep my eye on the road from now on, I promise, not even to look at my flip flop.

My life is hurdling by, at a rate that is most typical. (at least to a young family with two kids and two on the way)

Long days that push my strength limits.

Longer nights that pull at my eye lids.

Fast weeks that provide much change or little change at all.

Motor months that feel like a splash of yearly repeated Holidays.

Blink-able years.

So yes, I do try and take it all in, blink by blink it goes on. All the while trying to figure out what “it all” really is anyway.

I would like to remember the endless knock-knock jokes, the ou-wies shown with pride, the yelling, the cuddling, the everything the “it all” means.

I would like to remember the feeling of being held by a loving God during laundry mountains, financial pressures, morning sickness, and sibling issues in my children and this-house-is-too-small agreements with my beloved Neat Pete.

Things will be different. Places will change. Priorities will shift.

My naturally brunette hair will be a distant memory.

My desire for alone time will be met and feel incredibly quiet.

My heart will be consumed as I balance my time taking care of my grand babies and aging parents.

But while I can, I embrace the moment {Just a blink. Just a breath. Just a stitch.} knowing I am living in tomorrow’s memories.

It’s amazing what a neighborhood drainage ditch can be to anyone with an imagination.

Love,

Messy Jessy

PS The twins are at 14 weeks and I am starting to turn a corner in my all-day sickness. yes! Though I am continuing my Unisom and B6 treatment for now. Thanks for those of you that inquired!

]]> http://justablink.com/2009/05/blinking-once-again/feed/ 2 http://justablink.com/2009/03/green-week-day-3/ http://justablink.com/2009/03/green-week-day-3/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:59:51 +0000 Jessica http://justablink.com/?p=2226 Looking For Spring

I feel ready for Spring to burst into my life at any minute. I think Spring got frozen under the sheet of ice on my driveway.

I look for hope in everything but politics. I look to God for a sense of order. I look to family for support and laughter. I look back. I look ahead.

I look for Spring….waiting….

I do not share the above list for pity. Rather, I share it to keep it real. My heart is balancing on a tight rope of darkness and light. Hope and Joy are ever present even during the most difficult days that turn into difficult nights. I have comfort from the Comforter, Jesus.

I strive to be graceful under pressure. I am saying hello to peace. Long ago I used to only find a nightmarish anger. Praise God for love!

I would like to share some of the love I had for my Uncle Mick.

Dear Uncle,

My heart is heavy with loss. My memories of you are strong. Your laugh is still with me.

Thank you for your continuous generosity, genuine curiosity and unyielding verbosity.

Thank you for fighting for your nation and your brothers. Your sacrifice has been an inspiration.

Good-bye Uncle Mickey. I hope to see you again.

Greatest Love and Respect,

Jessica

Uncle Mick at a family party (summer 2008), ever ready to engage in discussion, sits in the living room as I busy myself in the kitchen. (I am in the background).

21 Gun Salute to Mick's service in the Air Force and Vietnam War.

My, newly widowed, Aunt Rosie receiving Mick's burial flag of the United States of America.

Here are my little dumplings with their Daddy on Thanksgiving morning. Thank You God for such a blessing.

We had a leisurely breakfast and played around on our living room “furniture”. Yes, cushions and blankets kept us pleasantly cozy and entertained!

{note: in the upper right hand of the photo the kitchen cabinet doors are painted and stacked ready for their new hardware. Of course we still have to order the hardware, so the doors might be finding their home in the living room for awhile!}

We played turkey-gone-a-hunting for about 45 minutes with a stuffed animal turkey. It was big hit, even for Molly!

We are off to local family gatherings for the afternoon.

For my family Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks, break bread and grow contentment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

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.”