Proverbs 31

Beautiful

Somewhere in time, I am not sure when, about 2500 BC King Lemuel wrote Proverbs 31.  Proverbs 31 details the perfect woman.  I don’t know if you have read this lately, but it details superwoman.  Let’s face it, no woman can be all these things.  What amazed me though, as it goes through all the attributes of the perfect woman, it never mentions that she is pretty or skinny or anything else.    If you read magazines or watch television or movies, you may get the impression that external beauty is the most important thing, but it really isn’t. 

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

Doesn’t that give you the impression that God values people differently than the world does?    Let me give you another verse to prove my point.

1 Samuel 16:7b  “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Lasting beauty is found in the condition of the heart, not in the condition of the figure or face.  I know so many beautiful women of all ages and the one thing they have in common is that the beauty inside, the beauty of character outweighs the external beauty that is seen.   Even on my really pretty friends and family, the beauty of her character surpasses what can be easily seen.

So here is the Proverbs 31 for the modern woman.

She is a hard worker.  When she is working outside the home, she is doing her best for her employer.

When she is a homemaker, she is not idol. She searches for bargains, she volunteers where needed.

She helps her children with school work, even when she is tired herself.

If her child needs something, she will move heaven and earth to make sure they get what they need.

She loves her family and does the best for them. She considers their needs above her own more often than not.   She works to take care of them and provide them with a warm and welcoming home.

She works with honor and integrity in everything she does.  She is not lazy, she purposefully has to set aside times to rest to keep from over doing.

Her speech is full of wisdom.  When you get advice from her, you know it is good advice.   

She is generous to others.  She has a giving spirit and helps were she can. 

People envy her husband because his wife is such a treasure.   When the husband leaves, they count him a fool for giving up such a good woman.  When she is single, people wonder why some smart man has not proposed yet.

Her beauty is eternal.  It is not affected by fad or fashion. It comes from within and radiates out as she chooses to love others. 

She deserves honor and praise, but she does not need it because she knows she is a treasure to her creator.

To all the women, I know and love, this one is for you.  I know I have part of you in my Proverbs for the modern woman.

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=7PL77PNX

Follow the link for Beautiful, Beautiful

The Gift of Encouragement

Silver Boxes with Bows on Top

Somewhere in time, 1928, Florence Littauer was born.    She is an Author, a conference speaker and someone I had never heard of until a couple of weeks ago. 

Bill and I volunteer in the church library.  I check the books in and out and he puts them away.  Every once and a while, he will find a book he thinks is interesting, he sets it aside.  The funny thing about this is he really doesn’t read them, he just glances through them, but I will read them cover to cover.    One day he grabbed a book called “Silver Boxes, The Gift of Encouragement” by Florence Littauer.  This book was published in 1989 and to be honest will probably be removed from the library.  It hadn’t been checked out since 2004 until the one time a few weeks ago when it was returned. 

Ephesians 5:29  “Do  not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

The book began with her recounting a time when she was asked to give a children’s sermon.   She was at the church to be a special speaker, but she came to the service to get a feel for the people and their needs, when the Pastor spotted her.  He invited her to give the children’s sermon and she really had nothing prepared, so she had to think quickly.  Thinking of Ephesians and the lessons she was working through with her own children, she started to speak on that.   She started talking to them about the power of words and how to encourage people with words.  One little girl remarked, “What she means is that our words should be like little silver boxes with bows on top”.

This was a profound statement and it caused her to really think about words.  I found many things she said interesting.  I enjoy teasing people, but do I ever take the time to encourage and build them up.  That caused me to think.  I don’t think I do that as well as I should.  I love my family, but when was the last time I told each one of them how special they are to me.  It has been a while.    

One story I found very amusing. She and her husband were at a conference, she was a key note speaker, but she hadn’t taken the podium yet.  They were waiting to set up outside a conference room where a conference on personal evangelism was just concluding. When the doors opened, she tried to smile and acknowledge ever one leaving the conference, but no one would make eye contact.  I thought that was funny, how can you personally evangelize if you don’t acknowledge people.    She went on the say that a smile and a kind word to a stranger can brighten a person’s day, so I tried it.

I went to Wal-Mart to buy groceries like I do every Saturday, but this time I tried to smile at the other ladies in the store.  I got a few smiles back, but mostly no one wanted to make eye contact.  I was in the cereal aisle and I noticed an older lady trying to get a box from the top shelf.  She was struggling.  The box she could reach had others on top and they were threatening to fall.  I looked around, there were others in the aisle not as height challenged and me, but no one was even looking.  I went over to her and said let me help.  I pulled out my writing pen and used it to push back the top boxes.  I could not reach the boxes, but the extra two inches of the pen worked.   She looked surprised that I would help, but she was grateful.  We talked a little bit about how they need to restructure the grocery store a little bit for those of us who are height challenged.   I wished her a nice day and continued shopping. 

The real test came at check out.  There is one cashier that I avoid if I can.  She never smiles and I always feel like checking out my groceries in an imposition of her time.   This time, I went to her line on purpose. I smiled and I said good morning, I asked how she was doing.  I did not get a miracle, but I did get a half of smile.  She still put enough groceries in each plastic bag to make the bust on the way from the car to the house, but at least I did not get open hostility. 

I want to encourage who ever reads this to make it a point over the next few days to brighten someone’s day with words or actions.  I would be interested to hear what happens.

Trouble and Trials

Trouble

Somewhere in time:  This is current, this week, September of 2011.  The school where I used to teach requires incoming freshman to write a spiritual autobiography.  I read one with permission of the student’s parent and now I am going to use part for today’s blog.  When I first read it, I was heartbroken over the hurt and betrayal this young man felt.  Before reading some of what the young man wrote, I want you to think about this scripture in John. 

John 16:33b  (NIV) “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart I have overcome the world.” 

This was written by Ben Thai:

Before I got in touch with Jesus I was a depressed teenager. No, I did not fit in the ‘emo’ scene nor did I cut myself. I had a master plan of contemplating suicide to end all the terrors that haunted me. It started when I was just a boy. My father beat my mom. He was unreasonable and selfish. He did my family wrong in many ways. I had no childhood.

Then he just vanished. Just like that. The pain was overwhelming. How can a man just leave his children for a “better life”? I was in denial of the thought as I grew, ‘oh, he never left me. He was just taking a break!’. I was just 8 or 9 when I thought of that foolish scenario. Through my preteen years he never communicated with me. I told friends he was dead. In my heart he truly was. I got into drugs and drifted off the path of light. I let down my mom so many times I gave up trying to be the perfect child. I always tried to make people smile and happy, so they won’t have to feel the pain of loneliness or sadness like I did. I joined small crews consisting of stupid youngsters like myself into thinking taking control of turf was the best idea of fellowship. We were only kids, so violence was just fights and destruction of property. Then in eighth grade, I came to Arizona from El Paso.

No friends, no nothing. My brother stayed back in El Paso. Everything seemed fine with fun, happiness and friends until a rumor and a horrible one too was spoken. Everyone rejected me. They even hated me. They threatened to hurt me, even kill me. I left schools from Horizon Honors to Pueblo. I was loved there. Still, a dark thought popped into my mind, Satan himself whispered to me while I cried face down in the dirt, “You’re nothing. You better finish yourself off, before someone else does. DO IT!!” At last, Summer came. I was readying for my death. I had a belt fastened as a noose to pillars in my closet. Suddenly, Jake Weber called just before I took the last step off the chair. He invited me to a church summer camp. “Whatever, I’ll be dead anyway. Why not.” I thought to myself. Those five days of camp changed me. I saw the majesty of God and his beauty. I was moved  by the  sermons that were taught. I noticed leaders doing testimonies during the last days. So, I decided to do a testimony.

In front of everyone. It took me forever to get the strength to make a speech and to fathom what I was about to do. Nevertheless, I did it. I broke down in tears as did many others. I swore that I would trust and believe in Jesus Christ as our savior and king. I would serve for him and try my best to do good for people and make people happy. In the future, I promise to become a beacon of hope for those in need of love and Jesus. My experience with dark times could help with others who are in a similar position. I hope to break out of the darkness and into the light. I hope for a new world. I will help create a new world where men will become better than hate and brutality.

When we read the verse in John, it said be of good cheer.  Sometimes I think we find it hard to be of good cheer.  We find it hard to believe that before Ben’s father left his family, God knew it was going to happen and he planned ahead. The things that happened to Ben were not God’s idea, but He is still capable of taking the circumstances of this young man’s life and using it to make him the man God wants him to be. 

Consider this verse in James.

James 1:2-3 (NIV) “ Consider it pure joy, my  brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. “

God knew ahead of time what would happen and he made a way for Ben to develop a faith that is able to stand testing, a faith that will last for the long haul.  God is awesome; He is not limited by us, He instead takes the circumstances of our lives and works them to make us the person he wants us to be.   I have people I love very much facing a trial right now, a trial of a broken family.   I just want them to consider what a wonder God is able to perform in our lives when we let him.  If we take our eyes off of our situation and place them on God, He can perform a work in us to make us more like Him and less like our earthly father.  That is something to think about.

Finally, in 2 Timothy 4:6, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.    Fighting the good fight is allowing God to turn the bad things in our lives to things that work for our good.  Then we can finish the race well. 

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

The Battle of the B’s

Somewhere in time, about 10 years ago, I heard a comedian, Mark Lowery talk about the battle of the B’s. He said, once you get over forty, you have to battle baldness, bridges, bi-focals, bowlegs and bunions.   I laughed, it was pretty funny, but 10 year ago I was turning forty.  This year I turned fifty.  I am not going bald and I don’t have bowlegs, but I have everything else.  I’m working to get in better shape and I get discouraged sometimes, but then I read this Psalm I felt hope returning.    

Psalm 139: 13-16 (NIV)

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

                when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

                your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

                were written in your book

                before one of them came to be.

Isn’t it amazing, we look at babies and we see the miracles of God.  They are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.  When I look in the mirror at fifty, it is harder to believe, but it is still true.   Each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made.  God had a plan for us before we were born.  He does not care when we turn fifty, he is not done perfecting his will in our lives.  I think that is really wonderful and I am thankful for that.

Another thought on turning fifty.  I was told by another lady who beat me to the turn, that it gives you a certain amount of freedom.  I no longer have to be cool and I no longer have to worry about what others think.  At this point, it is just about being what God wants me to be. I should have thought about that when I was twenty.   

Contentment

Lessons from the weed

Somewhere in time A.D. 61 and March 2011

Philippians 4:11 (INV)     “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Have you ever thought of the word contentment?  I haven’t given it much thought. After all, I’m always looking for the next thing, the next thing to do, the next thing to change.  One day, I was praying for God to change things and God brought the word contentment to my mind.  I think He may have only been able to get in one word, but His one word stumped me.  Was I content?  I really didn’t have anything to not be content about. I have enough food, enough cloths to wear, and a nice house to live in. I want for nothing, yet I was not content. Paul wrote in Philippines, in what every circumstance I am content.  Paul was beaten, shipwrecked and imprisoned and yet he was content.

On my way to work, I saw a weed.  It was growing at the base of a stop sign in the middle of a three lane road.  There was a field on one side of the road and to me this looked like a better place for a weed to grow.  The field had lots of room to grow, but the weed was growing at the base of the stop sign, a small opening in the black top of the road.   It was not a small sickly weed, it was flourishing.  God reminded me that I needed to be more like the weed. I need to be blessing the dirt instead of cursing the black top around me. 

If we use Paul as our example, we can learn the meaning of contentment.  He knew he was doing what God called him to do and that was enough.  It made me realize just how self-focused I am at times and how ungrateful I am for the goodness God brings into my life.  The weed really ministered to me that day and now I am trying to be more thankful for my own patch of dirt and I pray God will allow me to bloom where I am planted.

In Defense of Martha

In Defense of Martha

This is somewhere in time, about 32 A.D.

Luke 10:38-42

I am sure many of you have read this story or heard about it.  Jesus goes to visit his friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.   Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and Martha gets busy.  We never hear what Lazarus is doing, but we know that Martha is bustling around.  She is probably making dinner for everyone.  She may also be making sure that Jesus has a place to sleep.  Through all her rushing around, she notices that she is working alone.

This is from the message Bible.  Luke 10:40-42 “Master don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me?  Tell her to lend me a hand.”  The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.  One thing is essential, and Mary has chosen it – it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”

Maybe I understand Martha.  She is the one getting things done.  I know more than a few people like her.  When you need something done, you give it to a Martha.  Martha’s run Vacation Bible School, man the prayer list and take food to the invalid.  She is the one who is always busy and usually has something to show for it.    If I had lived back then, I would have been friends with Martha. In a way, more people need to be like her so we wouldn’t need to search for volunteers to teach Sunday school.

So why does Martha always come off as the example of what not to do.  This is what I think.  First of all, if she had walked into the room and asked Mary to come help her, the story would have ended there. Instead she wanted Mary to be just as busy as she was.  She was bustling around and probably realized that she was getting a little stressed in her preparations, and she was working alone.  She probably started with a little self-talk.  What is Mary doing?  Doesn’t she see we have thing to accomplish.  Why isn’t she in here helping me? As this continues she probably gets a little more irritated with her sister.   Then she gets a little irritated with Jesus because He does not send Mary in to help her.  Her entrance into the room was probably not gentle and she may have had a bit of an attitude. 

When she walks into the room, she does not address her comments to Mary, but to Jesus.  “Master don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me?” 

Let’s stop right there.  How many times have we come to our Master with the “don’t you care” question on our lips?  Don’t you care that a child is sick. Don’t you care that I lost my job. Don’t you care? We all expect Jesus to act based on what we think should be done. I think His response to us will be similar to his response to Martha.  “You’re fussing far too much.” Why are we stressing and worrying when God can hold the universe in the span of His hand?  He knows the beginning from the end. He works things out for our good, if not in this life than the next.  Jesus can say he already knows about every problem we bring to him.  Faith means putting trust in our Creator to work out everything for us.

I will acknowledge that in my own life at times, I have asked Jesus, don’t you care?  Normally this was preceded by a decision I made without seeking His advice and now I need His help to clean up the mess.    Sometimes it was during a difficult and stressful time that had nothing to do with my decisions; it came from living in a broken world.  When I found out I could never have a child of my own. I had one of these times and I had to learn to trust my heavenly Father. 

Martha had a servant’s heart and for that we applaud her, but she questioned Jesus.  Not a smart move. You may be going through something now and it may be serious and heartbreaking.  I just want you to know that we have a heavenly Father we can trust to help us if we only ask.  Why are we worrying and stressing over many things?

What other lessons can we learn from Martha?  If the creator of the universe is sitting in your living room, go hang out with Him and order in.  He loves you, so enjoy it.

Aristotle

Aristotle

Aristotle is noted as one of the first people to suggest the earth was round.  People seemed amazed that he could figure this out as early as 384 BC.  I agree, Aristotle was in interesting person who made interesting discoveries, but he was not the first to suggest the earth was round.  More than likely he learned this from another source.

The book of Isaiah was written from 700 – 681 BC.  This was a couple of hundred years before Aristotle.  The prophet Isaiah wrote in Chapter 40, verse 22 “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.”   God sits above a round earth.  I think that is amazing.  This fact was written down long before people realized the earth was round.  God knew the earth was round, He created it.  The prophet Isaiah knew the earth was round, God told him.

I wonder how many other amazing true facts are the in Bible if we just take the time to search them out.