If you search this in Google you get over a million hits. Every time I read this verse I get something a little new from it. but this is my ideal. This is goal that I am striving to reach. I need to have this verse framed and hung in my kitchen, where I spend a good portion of my time.
Proverbs 31:10-31
The first thing that jumps out is that her husband trusts her. This means to me not only always being truthful with my husband when he asks me something, but giving him all the information. Being completely truthful about our finances, being completely truthful about our plans, and being upfront with him about everything.
It also strikes me that she works with willing hands. To me this is saying that regardless of how much I hate to hem pants, clean the litter box or wash blankets, I still do it, without complaining, without putting it off. Not because Jaime wants me to do it, or because it needs done, but because God wants me to do it.
I also see that the earnings should be put back into the family. It says specifically "She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings" (Proverbs 31:16). So she (or I) takes the money that she has for her earnings, which would be after tithing, and after the bills, and reinvests it in her family. Today this may mean literally buying plants for a garden if you have the space, or it may mean investments, stocks, or even putting it into savings where it can grow.
She volunteers her time for the needy. This is pretty much the same today as it always has been. I personally live this by volunteering my time to the Appalachian Warehouse, donating our gently used clothes to the Harmony Clothing Closet (a local clothing bank that is free for anyone to pick up from), and taking excess canned goods to the local food pantry. I also volunteer with the local 4H group, but being Alexis takes part in this club, I don't usually count this.
The other big one that jumps out at me is that she is never idle. I have long since quoted that idle hands are the devil's playground but this also shows that it is the making of a good wife. I live this by always having something in my hands. Whether I am crocheting or embroidering, even when I am watching TV with my husband, I keep my hands busy. However I could always do more.
This is not by any means a full personal interpretation of Proverbs 31:10-31. This is just the huge things. I also read Proverbs 31 Wife Handbook.
God Bless
Ashley
Showing posts with label wife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wife. Show all posts
Monday, June 25, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Turning My Perspective Around
Yesterday I had a turning point.
I was putting away a basket of laundry my husband had brought upstairs the night before while I was at work. As I was putting it away I realized all that was in this basket was my clothes. He had put his away, given Alexis' hers and left mine.
At first I was frustrated. Really, I put his clothes away all the time, never ask him to put them away himself, just do it and do them all. Is it really so hard to take 5 extra minutes and put my clothes away too?
Then I stopped and re-evaluated. Even when we are working all of the time and he is trying to help me, the laundry is something that is mine. Granted it's mine because he takes the clothes out of the dryer and things may still be damp and he just puts them away, folded or hung up, but he tries. So he went out of his way to help me do something.
He didn't have to put away his clothes. He didn't have to give Alexis her clothes and have her put them away. He could have left all of it for me to do. Then, instead of 5 minutes, it would have taken closer to 15. And so I should be grateful for his help, instead of criticizing what he didn't do, or feeling like he didn't do enough.
I'm working very hard at adjusting my perspective. As I was growing up my dad wanted things done completely immediately. This perspective rubbed off on me. However I am trying to adjust this to being appreciative for the help that I receive. It isn't his responsibility to keep the house or help with laundry. It is mine. So anything he does is that much less that I have to do.
I know my husband is trying to adjust to our new dynamic. I have always been home in the evening. I have always been the one to make supper. Now I have nights that I'm working from 4 to 11 and he has to do bedtime and dinner on his own. Wednesday night, while Alexis was at All-Stars, he even brought me supper because what I took wasn't enough to fill me. He is considerate of my needs, especially when I am clear about what those needs are.
As a Christian wife it is important to show that I respect my husband. I can't tear him down because I feel he hasn't done enough. I have to build him up for what he does. In Ephesians 5:33 the Bible says "To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband." (HCSB) God says to respect our husbands and so we must, not based on what he does or doesn't do, not based on if we feel he has or hasn't earned it. It's not my job to judge my husband, it's my responsibility to follow God's commands. And so I need to show this respect by thanking him for what he did do, not criticizing him for what he didn't do.
Have you had a problem with appreciating what is done for you, even if it wasn't ALL done for you? Won't you share with me?
God bless
Ashley
I was putting away a basket of laundry my husband had brought upstairs the night before while I was at work. As I was putting it away I realized all that was in this basket was my clothes. He had put his away, given Alexis' hers and left mine.
At first I was frustrated. Really, I put his clothes away all the time, never ask him to put them away himself, just do it and do them all. Is it really so hard to take 5 extra minutes and put my clothes away too?
Then I stopped and re-evaluated. Even when we are working all of the time and he is trying to help me, the laundry is something that is mine. Granted it's mine because he takes the clothes out of the dryer and things may still be damp and he just puts them away, folded or hung up, but he tries. So he went out of his way to help me do something.
He didn't have to put away his clothes. He didn't have to give Alexis her clothes and have her put them away. He could have left all of it for me to do. Then, instead of 5 minutes, it would have taken closer to 15. And so I should be grateful for his help, instead of criticizing what he didn't do, or feeling like he didn't do enough.
I'm working very hard at adjusting my perspective. As I was growing up my dad wanted things done completely immediately. This perspective rubbed off on me. However I am trying to adjust this to being appreciative for the help that I receive. It isn't his responsibility to keep the house or help with laundry. It is mine. So anything he does is that much less that I have to do.
I know my husband is trying to adjust to our new dynamic. I have always been home in the evening. I have always been the one to make supper. Now I have nights that I'm working from 4 to 11 and he has to do bedtime and dinner on his own. Wednesday night, while Alexis was at All-Stars, he even brought me supper because what I took wasn't enough to fill me. He is considerate of my needs, especially when I am clear about what those needs are.
As a Christian wife it is important to show that I respect my husband. I can't tear him down because I feel he hasn't done enough. I have to build him up for what he does. In Ephesians 5:33 the Bible says "To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband." (HCSB) God says to respect our husbands and so we must, not based on what he does or doesn't do, not based on if we feel he has or hasn't earned it. It's not my job to judge my husband, it's my responsibility to follow God's commands. And so I need to show this respect by thanking him for what he did do, not criticizing him for what he didn't do.
Have you had a problem with appreciating what is done for you, even if it wasn't ALL done for you? Won't you share with me?
God bless
Ashley
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Learning to Live
Yesterday I rejoined the workforce part time. Today I am learning to once again learn to juggle work and home life.
Dishes still need done, laundry is still dirty, meals need made, floors need swept or vacuumed. No magical fairy came in last night after I crawled into bed at 11:30 after my shift and took care of this for me.
However all day it has been all I can do to take care of basic necessities like making cereal for breakfast, driving to swimming lessons, and watching my daughter play. It's like I'm having to learn to live again.
On the plus side these late nights will only occur a couple of times a week. However I'm still pursuing a full time job as well. And my personal opinion is if I can take care of my duties as a mother and a wife while I am working both jobs, great. It will help us get our savings together to have a down payment to buy a house. However my first priority has changed over the last 6 months.
6 months ago I would have said my priority was having money in the savings account and buying a house. My husband could keep house as well as I could. He could make meals, dress our daughter, put her to bed, whatever needed done if I was working. 6 months ago I would have said it doesn't make a difference if I'm keeping house or if he is.
Today my tune is a little different. My first priority is to my husband and daughter. I still believe that my husband can keep house as well as I can. I still believe that to make a house function the best it takes teamwork when both spouses are working. However ultimately the housework is my responsibility. In Proverbs 31:27 it says "She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle" This means it is MY responsibility.
And so I am learning to live and thrive again. This is my verse for today.
How do you juggle all of your responsibilities?
God Bless
Ashley
Dishes still need done, laundry is still dirty, meals need made, floors need swept or vacuumed. No magical fairy came in last night after I crawled into bed at 11:30 after my shift and took care of this for me.
However all day it has been all I can do to take care of basic necessities like making cereal for breakfast, driving to swimming lessons, and watching my daughter play. It's like I'm having to learn to live again.
On the plus side these late nights will only occur a couple of times a week. However I'm still pursuing a full time job as well. And my personal opinion is if I can take care of my duties as a mother and a wife while I am working both jobs, great. It will help us get our savings together to have a down payment to buy a house. However my first priority has changed over the last 6 months.
6 months ago I would have said my priority was having money in the savings account and buying a house. My husband could keep house as well as I could. He could make meals, dress our daughter, put her to bed, whatever needed done if I was working. 6 months ago I would have said it doesn't make a difference if I'm keeping house or if he is.
Today my tune is a little different. My first priority is to my husband and daughter. I still believe that my husband can keep house as well as I can. I still believe that to make a house function the best it takes teamwork when both spouses are working. However ultimately the housework is my responsibility. In Proverbs 31:27 it says "She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle" This means it is MY responsibility.
And so I am learning to live and thrive again. This is my verse for today.
How do you juggle all of your responsibilities?
God Bless
Ashley
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