What Adjective Describes You?

Well, folks, I'm busy! I haven't had time to even think lately. I'm preparing for my new job while working full time AND being a mom. My day has been beginning at 5:30 and ending at 10:00 or after with only one hour of doing nothing and that is because I'm in the car driving to and from school. Phew!!! I'm not trying to have a pity party, just stating a fact.

I keep remembering over and over in my head as I go about my day to day to-do's the Proverbs 31 woman. The Virtuous Woman!

Pro 31:1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
Pro 31:2 What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows?
Pro 31:3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.
Pro 31:4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,
Pro 31:5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
Pro 31:6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;
Pro 31:7 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.
Pro 31:8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Pro 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Pro 31:10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
Pro 31:12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
Pro 31:13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
Pro 31:14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
Pro 31:15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.
Pro 31:16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
Pro 31:17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
Pro 31:18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.
Pro 31:19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
Pro 31:20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
Pro 31:21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
Pro 31:22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Pro 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
Pro 31:24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.
Pro 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
Pro 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
Pro 31:27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Pro 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
Pro 31:29 "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."
Pro 31:30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Pro 31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

Oh, of all the titles we as women wear, the most coveted of all is "virtuous". If you are a woman, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, etc. you wear an adjective, whether you want to, or not. Is the adjective that describes what kind of friend you are "selfish"? Are you the "manipulative" grandmother? Are you the "controlling" mother? Might you be the "co-dependent" wife? Maybe the "gossiping" sister? I don't know about you, but I do know that I don't want anyone to think that of me. I want to be the kind of girl that Lemuel's mother told him to bring home.

In verse 10, a question is put forth, "An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." I find that to be a great question still today. Who has found an excellent wife? Who can even find one of those??? Well, I'll tell you, men could find them, if we, women would be excellent. Not given to silly, worldly lusts and pleasures, but given to God's Word and His teachings. Women who didn't care what star wore what to which award show. But, instead strove to see to it that our children never had the last pair of clean jeans on to wear to school the next day. If we didn't even care who Edward is. But, our husbands were known at his place of business to be an upstanding man with a wife that adores him and children that admire him. In verse 25, strength and dignity are said to be her clothing and she laughs at the time to come. Of course she laughs!!! She is living a life full of abundance. She can't wait for another day!!! She loves her Lord, she loves her family. Life is good!

God has made it quite plain what a good wife is. Let's be the kind of women our husbands deserve. And, teach our sons just as Lemuel's mother taught him the kind of women to be interested in. And, teach our daughters to be like the woman to which the mother of Lemuel was referring. I fail often, but daily strive to be just what God wants me to be and what Josh and Nathan and Logan deserve for me to be. Let's all laugh at the days to come!!!

Raising 'Em Right!

We watched Fireproof on Saturday evening. It is a really good movie. It was a movie that we didn't mind if the kids came in the room in the middle of the movie. In fact, Logan came in at one point and one of the characters was talking about salvation that is available to us because of what Jesus has done. Logan stopped and looked at the TV. He looked with a puzzled face at Josh and said, "He's right." So, I strongly encourage everyone to check it out. I think we as Christians should really support things that are wholesome in this dark world.

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8

On a different note, I do one load of laundry a day. I have the boys sort the laundry for me. I'm trying to teach them to be responsible for themselves and be helpful around the house. I've started an extra step of this teaching process. Yesterday, I had them take the clothes that they had sorted and toss them into the washing machine. Yesterday, we did dark colors. Today, we are doing lights. This is the conversation that took place as Logan (Nathan was doing his homework, so Logan had to do the job alone today) sorted the laundry and put it in the washing machine.

Logan: I know which ones we are doing tomorrow.
Me: Oh, you do???
Logan: Yep, the reds.
Me: Why, yes, we are.
Logan: Yesterday, we did the darks. Today, we are doing the lights. So, that means tomorrow we are doing the reds.

I have to say, I am quite pleased with that. I know that this little dialogue is a far cry from him being a responsible adult that helps around the house and is a great contributor to every thing he is involved with, but....it made his Mama proud....I hope I'm raising 'em right.

Happy VD...oops, I Mean Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! It has been a great Valentine's Day for us. We went out to Famous Dave's last night and went to a movie. We watched New in Town. I thought it was a great date movie. It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen and probably will never seek to watch it again, but it was great for the occasion.

Sidenote: Speaking of movies that don't fit the occasion. It sure beats the time that a friend and I went out after the kids (they were all toddlers at the time) went to bed one night (we didn't leave them unattended, for those of you that were wondering...we left the children with their fathers...in theory, they were being taken care of... ;) ). We went to see Cold Mountain. I won't ruin the movie for those of you who have not seen it, but let's just say, it is depressing!!!! Yeah, that is how you want your girls night out to be...depressing.

Tonight, we are going to watch Fireproof on DVD at home with some popcorn. Hope you all enjoy your Valentine's Day and grow closer to your Valentine!

Jay Oh Bee

Have you figured it out???? Jay Oh Bee, or J-O-B, or JOB, or I have a job!!!! I am so excited to be employed. I have been substitute teaching at the boys' school, but now I will be a preschool teacher at the boys' school. A real job that I go to every day. I haven't had one of those in a while. God has blessed me. Wish me luck. I start March 2nd.

All the Pretty Colors.....

Well, it is officially DAY 5 of Logan's bout with the FLU! At some point, I expect it to stop. Not sure when, but I'm expecting it. He has been a great patient, though. Yesterday, he started playing with some little plastic army men on his window ledge. He has divided the men into two different teams and making them take turns to fight someone from the other team. He has a pointer (it looks like a little Mickey Mouse hand pointing on a stick....he bought it from the book fair, so his teacher could have a back-up if she lost hers....the kid is hilarious!!!) that he uses to push the fighter from each side to the battleground. He then makes sound effects for their battle and then the pointer pushes the loser off of his window ledge. I jokingly referred to Logan as Napoleon yesterday to Josh. I only hope his little body is doing that on the inside with the flu germs, so we can get back into the real world.

One good thing, I've been cleaning. When someone becomes ill in my house, we all become high from fumes. When Logan got sick on Wednesday, I sent all things flu germy into his room and went into GERM FIGHTER MODE. I go Chuck Norris on germs. I think if I were a super hero, I would be some germ fighting ninja or something. I've been germ fighting for so long that my hands are cracking open. I say, if you are going to do something, do it with all your might. But, even for a die hard like me, five days of straight germ fighting can get old. I'm ready for this to end. But, I won't give up, I must stay the course. Wherever there are flu spores, they must know that I will hunt them down and bleach or Lysol them. There is no messing with the Germ Fighting Ninja!

I'm also reading my Bible through from Genesis to Revelation this year. Right now, I'm in Leviticus. For me, Leviticus is the hardest book to get through. It does make me so very thankful for Jesus. If He had not come to save me from my sinful ways, I'd be having to keep all of these laws. I have enough trouble remembering to put all the ingredients in certain recipes, much more remembering every detail about all of the laws that the Israelites had to follow. Praise God for having a better way!

Alas, I must be off to rid the Pappas house from it's flu overtaking. The oxygen level is coming closer to 100%. I must get it back to 100% bleach and Lysol. So much to do, kids, until next time...WASH, WASH, AND AWAY!!!!!