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Works With Eager Hands

03 Feb 2010 by Jessica
This entry is part 3 of 22 in the series Proverbs 31 Hands On

Just a Blink Readers: I will pick and choose the order in which the verses from Proverbs 31:10-31 are “learned about”. I think I’ll clump together the husband verses down the road a bit.  Hey, it’s my blog I can wreck it up if I wanna. ;)

Proverbs 31:12
13 She selects wool and flax 
and works with eager hands.

Hang on a second, I need to go sheer a sheep and pick some seeds, then eagerly mix them together. Oh wait, I live in 2010, in suburbia, with not a clue what to do with wool and flax.

Research needed.

Wool

Did you know that felt was made from wool? I love felt. I guess some ancient people put clumps of wool in their sandals so they wouldn’t get blisters. By the time they walked a long way, the wool turned into felt under their feet. Flash forward a few thousand years.

Now look, it’s pretty…and less smelly I’m sure.

photo credit from Wikipedia

Flax

Flax can be used to make linseed oil, vitamin supplements and even a type of hair-do product. One of the oldest clothing remnants ever found was made from flax fibers.
And look, it’s pretty too…

Eager Hands

I don’t have seeds of flax or clumps of wool to put into my eager hands. I do have the opportunity to gather supplies for useful purposes.

To me, Proverbs 31:12 is basically like going shopping at craft, fabric or thrift stores. Hmmm…yes I just made thrift stores biblical.

Well, my hands to love to create with materials that I have on hand or that have been eagerly albeit thriftily gathered from my surroundings (garage sales).

I’ve done my research. Now, it’s time for homework.

Create with wool and flax.  I’ll show you what I come up with next week. I see felt in my future…

Love,

Jess

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Worth Far More Than Rubies

02 Feb 2010 by Jessica
This entry is part 2 of 22 in the series Proverbs 31 Hands On

My First Day

photo credit Designs of Life

Well, I am up before the sun. I fed my 3 month old babies, Claire and Leah. They help me get up while it’s still dark. I stayed awake after putting them back down to sleep.

I dressed myself in my gray imitation Uggs boots and my light blue fleece robe without a tie. (Ry always steals my robe ties for part of a costume, mostly Ninja Turtle headbands I think). I stumbled downstairs and made coffee. It is still perking.

Now, I am upstairs in my office “closet” on a laptop, wondering, what am I doing trying take on all the Proverbs 31 wisdom?

Well, I have to start somewhere. So, why not at the beginning.

Proverbs 31:10

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

First things first. I am a wife. But, what is this noble character business? All I can think of is a wife that is brave and knows how to curtsy.

Noble Definition: possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals

Noble wife, okay. I possess decent morals and most of the time I think my ideals are solid.

Am I worth far more than rubies? Let’s see, just to be cheeky, I’ll try to figure out my salary!

According to Salary.com my yearly income, in my zip code, as a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) of 4 kids is $133,544. Salary.com put together some of the responsibilities of SAHM and listed them in an hourly form. Below is an example of the hours.

Housekeeper 16.5
Day Care Center Teacher 14.7
Cook 13.1
Computer Operator 9.2
Facilities Manager 8.6
Van Driver 7.3
Psychologist 7.2
Laundry Machine Operator 7.2
Janitor 7.1
Chief Executive Officer 5.5

I am sure there are more responsibilities like nurse, referee, and gift shopper. Not to mention, all the extra pay that would ensue from literally being available for 24 hour on call services like bad dream cuddling, wet-bed changing and late night baby feeding.

The point of Proverbs 31:10 isn’t lost on me entirely. I realize that a wife of noble character is worth more than anything or any service money can buy.

Well, I better go throw some jeans on and ingest some of that coffee I smell downstairs. The big kids are up and so is the sun.

Love,

Jess

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Proverbs 31 Introduction

01 Feb 2010 by Jessica
This entry is part 1 of 22 in the series Proverbs 31 Hands On

Just a Blink Readers: Hang on with me…I may be going off the deep end with my next post series (which may take form in monthly or daily posts depending on how it goes). hmmm…I sure hope there are floaties in the deep end. Anyway, there will be plenty of craftiness and photos of the kids, so don’t run screaming from the screen just yet.

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?

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