The Wife of Noble Character

Finally made it to Proverbs 31.  I feel like I could blog for about 8 days on this one, but I'll keep it short and sweet for today.

Before we get to the wife of noble character, can I just say how much I love these verses:

 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, 
   for the rights of all who are destitute. 
Speak up and judge fairly; 
   defend the rights of the poor and needy.” vs 8-9


It makes me sad that we (individually and as the Church collectively) aren't speaking up for the needy and vulnerable like we should.  Some friends and I were at a Christian concert on Sat night and were amazed at the huge amount of people there.  My dear friend commented that Baltimore would look so different if just each person in that room were totally living for God.  I don't care what your political views are - I think the church (we!) should be taking care of the hurting and needy in our midst.  More government programs aren't going to help - people being Jesus to other people is the only solution.  And that's wisdom folks!


Ok - off my soapbox!


On to verses 10-31.  Is this woman not amazing?  Truthfully, I get a little tired when I read about all she does...but I still love her and want for those things to be said about me one day.  Well, the wife and mother part I don't have as much control over, but the rest I can be working on now :-)  She works hard, loves fiercely, speaks wisely, cares greatly and laughs joyfully!!  What a combination!!!  I did get out of bed before it was light out, but not quite as successfully as her.  I made it to the gym, but forgot socks and deodorant (and of course it will be 60 degrees here today!).  Don't worry, 7-11 not only sells delicious coffee, I can also can pick up forgotten toiletries needed for the day!  :-)

Baby steps - I think that's how I'll work on this.  

Just Enough

Two things I ask of you, O LORD; 
   do not refuse me before I die: 
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 
   give me neither poverty nor riches, 
   but give me only my daily bread. 
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you 
   and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ 
Or I may become poor and steal, 
   and so dishonor the name of my God. vs.7-9


Honestly, it's hard for me to ask this of God.  It's funny, because I don't really think I'm that selfish, but if I really contemplate what I ask God for, I realize I think I'm entitled to more than just my daily bread.  I've visited other countries where people don't have savings accounts and 401(k)'s.  In fact, they don't even have refrigerators, because they truly survive on just the food they can earn that day.  There is such a richness to their lives, because each and every day they are relying on God to meet their needs, and He is proving faithful.  


I notice an interesting parallel between this Proverb and how Jesus teaches us to pray "give us this day our daily bread."  Like the writer of this Proverb, Jesus knew that once we have more than our daily bread, our desire for even more continues to grow and grow.  There are times in my life when I have abundantly more than enough, and I notice that during these times I am much less likely to recognize my need for God.

The wisdom in this Proverb lies in the truth that it's all about God, not me.  The writer is more concerned with how his circumstance points to the Lord, rather than what his circumstances do for his situation in life.

Lord, please give me just what I need today, and help me to not desire more than that!

I Wore My Pink Rainboots Today and Thoughts on Friendship

I was having a hard time picking one Proverb to focus on today in Chapter 27.  There are so many good ones. As I read over them again, I started to notice a trend - there are a lot of verses about friendship.  Then I began wondering, why does the Bible speak so much to friendship?  Why are there so many words of wisdom written on that topic?

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, 
   but an enemy multiplies kisses. v 6


Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, 
   and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel. v 9


Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, 
   and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you— 
   better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. v 10


As iron sharpens iron, 
   so one man sharpens another. v 17


And those were just the ones I picked out of this particular chapter.  (There are some other really insightful Proverbs in this chapter that I might come back to next week!  Too much for this post.)


Anyway, we all know how I feel about my friends.  I love them like family and these verses totally apply to our relationships.  What's awesome to me is to think about how much God cares about friendships.  It's all over the Bible.  Jesus even calls us friends!  God designed us to live in community.  He cares about how the relationships within those communities function.  It amazes me that the God of the Universe cares about friendship enough to inspire words like above to be written.  It also convicts me to put the proper amount of attention and wisdom into my relationships.  Clearly, based on all the instruction we are given on how to NOT mess them up, they are easy to get wrong.  


I am certainly counting my blessings!


It's pouring in Baltimore today!  Cats and dogs I tell ya!  Thankfully I made a last minute wardrobe switch to these bad boys...

Hot pink polka dot rainboots are sure to brighten any rainy day!!
Have a great day and a great weekend!!

Sorry

Life can be exhausting sometimes, but it's just so good!  Last week was crazy!  Work has not quite slowed down as much as I was expecting.  Life outside of work has really ramped up too.  This whole, having a boyfriend business is a little time consuming!!  But I'm not complaining - just apologizing for not keeping the blog updated.
I hit my goal weight!  It is so strange to not be trying to lose weight anymore.  This is the first time I can remember that I haven't been trying to lose!  Liz and I went shopping over the weekend and I was shocked at the size I now fit into.  It's so nice to have clothes that fit again!  Now to clean out my closet and dresser to make room...that is the real challenge!

My uncle also had 5 bypasses last week and then had to go back into surgery the next day, because he was in such excruciating pain.  When they went back in, they found that the surgeon had left a sponge in his chest.  Now, I'm not a medical professional (in fact, just writing about these things kinda makes me a little whoozey), but from what I understand, that should never ever happen.  Thank you to everyone who prayed!  Please keep praying.  They took him off the ventilator finally on Sunday and he remains in stable condition.  Everyone is very optimistic!

I think I may have said this before, but it was really impressed on me this morning - we have to work for wisdom...

Apply your heart to instruction 
   and your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12




We need to be listeners, and we need to be listening to the right things.  Lord, give me ears to hear today!


Have a great one!

A lot to say

I had a great weekend with this little one!

And then had Monday off to recover :-)

I'm gonna leave it with the pictures.  After reading my chapter in Proverbs today (chapter 17), I'm left with the thought that less is more when it come to words :-)

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
   and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
   and discerning if he holds his tongue. vs. 27-28

It's Purple in Baltimore

I love living in a city where the team's color is purple.  This could not make me happier. First of all, I love wearing purple.  Secondly, the city looks so good when it's all decked out in shades of purple and black.  :-)  We had a bye the first round of playoffs last week and the whole city is preparing for the big game on Sunday.   Isn't it funny how a color can bring people together?  Even the lights in the subway are purple.  There is definitely an excitement in the air!

I had two verses that stuck out to me today in Proverbs 13, so I thought I'd share both.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, 
   but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. v 13

As I was praying at the end of December, I found myself asking God how He wanted to grow and change me this coming year.  The theme I heard repeated over and over again was Hope.  I need to learn to hope in Him and trust that it pleases Him to give good gifts to His children (not for us to work for them, but just because of who He is.)  It is so hard to hope for something for so long and not see any signs of it becoming reality.  What I've found though, is that if we are looking, God is always sending us little signs that He's paying attention and he hasn't forgotten us.  He's meeting our little longings that we lose track of because we are so focused on the big thing we want so badly.  This year I want to be focused on the little ways He's filling my heart every day, and let that sustain me!


He who walks with the wise grows wise, 
   but a companion of fools suffers harm. v 20


My mom always told me to be careful about the friends I picked, because although you might make good decisions for yourself, you don't want to end up guilty by association.  Find some wise people to spend time with!


I will leave you this week with a sneak peek to part of my outfit for the game on Sunday...

I love my co-workers!  One of them brought me this this morning.  I will definitely be rocking the fanstache to show my solidarity with Flacco on Sunday.
GO RAVENS!!

Anxiety

An anxious heart weighs a man down, 

   but a kind word cheers him up. v 25

As someone who struggles with anxiety, this verse stood out to me.  Speaking from experience, anxiety certainly does weigh you down.  In fact, it makes you feel like you are completely stuck in the mud.  Anxiety steals hope and replaces it with fear. It even physically makes you feel bad.  Often, it has the power to stop me dead in my tracks and affects almost all aspects of my life, including relationships.


Thank goodness there's a "but!"  A kind word can really go so far to lift someone's spirits.  It got me thinking about how you never really know where people's hearts are when you come into contact with them.  What if your kind word could help lift them out of the mud, change their day and help their relationships.  It could be a stranger or someone you know well.  We can never have enough kindness.

Kindness

Kindness is underrated, if you ask me.  I sort of feel like kindness is equated with weakness these days.  We are so focused on getting ahead, standing up for ourselves and fighting for what we want, that we forget how we are treating others.

A kindhearted woman gains respect,
   but ruthless men gain only wealth.

A kind man benefits himself,
   but a cruel man brings trouble on himself. vs. 16-17

One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
   another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. v. 24

In reality, I think showing kindness takes more strength than the fighting and struggling we are doing to get where we think we want to be.

Just something to think about! :-)

Life and Proverbs 10

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, 
   but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. v 11


Words either bring life or death.  What are yours bringing today?  Are you lifting up or bringing down the people around you?


Speaking of life - aren't these beautiful?

:-D


And I also saved the life of this stink bug with my awesome Christmas gift - the bugzooka! - last night!  more on that later

Also!  A very happy Birthday to Wendy and my cousin Justin today!  Love you both so much!!

Wiser and Wiser

 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; 
   teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. v 9


It is wise to know that you aren't wise...


A wise person knows there is always still more to learn...

You can correct someone who's wise and they won't get defense, rather they'll thank you!


I want to be this type of person.


PS - I got flowers again this weekend :-)  I'll post a picture tomorrow.

Happy Friday

My son, keep your father’s commands 
   and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 
Bind them upon your heart forever; 
   fasten them around your neck. 
When you walk, they will guide you; 
   when you sleep, they will watch over you; 
   when you awake, they will speak to you. 
For these commands are a lamp, 
   this teaching is a light, 
and the corrections of discipline 
   are the way to life,  vs. 20-23


There is so much peace in these verses.

May the Light of the World guide you down right paths today.

May you feel He peace, comfort and safety as you sleep.

May you hear His voice first thing when you wake up and all day long.


Happy Friday!

This is a Tough One

Proverbs 5 is about staying away from adulterous women.  At first read, this is a difficult one for me to relate to.  You might be in the same boat.
As I prayed over it though, I thought about Hosea and the connection God makes between an adulterous woman and a nation who's hearts are turning away from the One who deeply loves them.  Why reject the perfect love God wants to give us for limited moments of pleasure here and there that bring no true satisfaction.  And I'm talking about all of the ways we seek pleasure outside of what God has for us...when we keep our eyes focused on our own gain and take them off the One who wants to give us every good and perfect gift.  Wisdom is following paths that lead to life and steering clear of the ones that in the end only bring destruction.  It's staying as far away as possible from the adulteress...not even walking down the street she lives on.  In other words, it's not even engaging in a conversation that you know is going to lead you to gossip (or apply this to your own struggle.)
Isn't it so much easier to stay away from these distractions when we are focused on the right paths though?  When I really think about how good our God is, it just doesn't make sense to try to do things on my own.

Wisdom isn't inherent

This morning I was thinking and praying about how wisdom doesn't come naturally.  I think sometimes I feel like I just automatically make wise choices because of something inherent in me, however, Proverbs 4 made me think a little differently.
Solomon tells his son to "listen", "pay attention", "get wisdom", "get understanding", "listen", "hold on to instruction", and  "pay attention."...and that's just in chapter 4.  What struck me is that these are all actions.  If you want wisdom you have to be intentional about getting it.  It doesn't just show up.  You have to actively seek it out and hold onto it.  What are you doing today to get wisdom and hold onto it?
One of my favorite verses is in Proverbs 4.
Above all else, guard your heart, 
   for it is the wellspring of life. v. 23
And then in goes onto say in vs. 24-25
 Put away perversity from your mouth; 
   keep corrupt talk far from your lips. 
 Let your eyes look straight ahead, 
   fix your gaze directly before you. 

We all probably realize that speaking with grace and truth and keeping our eyes fixed on good things are wise, but how hard is that to do out of our own willpower?  For me, it's pretty much impossible, and soooo frustrating when I keep messing up.  I love how verse 23 is the key though.  Guard you heart - everything else flows from that.  By guarding your heart, you can train your lips to steer clear of gossip.  By guarding your heart, you can keep your eyes straight ahead.
Let's keep our hearts safe friends!!  I can't help but wonder what a difference that would make it my life!

I got these at work yesterday.  :-)  Just thought I'd share that!

How do You Seek Wisdom?

So, I told you last month that I was going to read a chapter from Proverbs each day.  It started out really well, but sorta fizzled toward the end of the month.  I thought I'd try again this month.
I don't know about you, but the idea of seeking wisdom is sort of hard to grasp for me.  We all seek a lot of things, but it's difficult to think about seeking something as intangible as wisdom.  I think that's what I love the most about Proverbs.  It makes wisdom so much easier to touch.
Today is Proverbs 3.  Here's my lesson...
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 
   bind them around your neck, 
   write them on the tablet of your heart. v. 3
Wisdom is holding onto the good gifts in our lives that come from God.  He is the source of love and faithfulness.  Focus on the things the remind you of His love and faithfulness and don't let them go!
I snapped a quick picture of the sun rising through my bedroom curtains.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but the sunrise always reminds me of God's faithfulness.

Walk in wisdom today friends!

A Year in Review and a New Year Ahead

Yeah, I got lazy in December.  Actually, that's not true - I was so busy I got myself sick :-(  I'll get to that later though.
I love looking back at a year and seeing change and growth.  I feel like if you come out of a year different somehow, then the year was a success.  (I suppose there are some circumstances where this isn't true, but in general, change is good!)
So let's see - some highlights from 2011...

I FINALLY went to Ireland!!

One of my goals every year is to see more of the World.  2011 gets a big check mark.  If you can't tell, I loved Ireland, and I'm hoping to make it back this year.  I haven't planned what 2012's new place will be, but I'm sure I'll find somewhere new to visit.

I turned 31 last year.  I have to say - 30 was awesome!  31 is a little more scary.  The novelty of 30 wears off and you are stuck with being a 30 something.

My household increased by another Nicole :-)  This meant I finally had to clean out the extra room in my basement.  I also finally got a lot of house projects completed, that had been on my To-do list for way too long!

I had the busiest December of my life.  It started out with a spur of the moment work trip to Oregon.  We flew into Portland and drove out to Bend.  It was so incredibly beautiful.  This is a picture of Hood Mountain, which we passed through on our way East.

I spent one night at home and then went to my parents house for Army-Navy Weekend.

At this point I had started recovering from the cold I picked up on the flight out to Oregon, but little did I know, that was just the start of my problems.  As you can see from the photo above, my face was a big 'ole mess of cold sores.  Family time and the Army/Navy game was awesome though!  Navy won for the 10th consecutive year.  It was sooooooo cold out though!

We were finishing up our audit at work in December and stilling working on the ERP implementation, which meant work was busier than usual.  Christmas parties, football games (GO RAVENS!) and Christmas shopping dominated the month.  The cold sores started healing, but then one morning I woke up one morning with bug bite looking bumps all over my arms, legs and face.  (December was not an attractive month for me!)  Thank the Dear Lord Jesus, my doctor confirmed they were not any type of bug bite at all, but related to some sort of virus I apparently came down with from being so worn down.  Also thankfully, I had the last week of the year to sleep and chill out!

Christmas with my family was awesome!  Low key and quiet is the best description I can give you, but it's just what the doctor ordered!  I got my house clean for the first time in a while and started getting life organized again!

God taught me a lot about focusing on Him in the past year.  I learned so much about maintaining my trust in Him and the hope of the good things He has promised.  I see hope as a theme that will definitely sustain me this coming year as well.  I still have so much to learn!

One of my biggest accomplishments last year, I think, was losing 28 pounds (although the last day of the year may have put a pound or two back on!)  In September I joined Weight Watchers and it has been such a great experience.  I feel so good and am really thankful that I'm only a few pounds away from my goal weight!

We threw a New Years party at my friend's house again this year, and it was fantastic.  I seriously have the greatest friends!!

Wishing you all many blessings this year.  I can't wait to see where God takes us on this amazing journey!!