Proverbs 31:15

My Time as a Proverbs 31:14 Woman:

"She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar."

I enjoyed challenging myself with this verse and I think I did a fairly good job at applying it too - of course there is always room for improvement! My sister-in-law Shannon did a GREAT job at applying the "bringeth" part of the verse. Remember we were supposed to gain something with effort? Well, she took the kids to Mendon Ponds and went berry picking and then she made a pie with the fresh berries she picked - way to go Shannon!

Well I wasn't that adventurous; but, I tried to be more concious of what I was feeding my family and made sure that I wasn't wasting any of the food we had here. I tried a new recipe, and found some other healthy and low-cost ones to try later on. The kids and I used up some old bananas and made banana bread too. With the warmer weather around, I haven't been as good about creating a menu for the week and keeping tabs on what we need for groceries. But this week I was able to create a diverse menu and I got everything we needed for groceries AND stayed in budget - that doesn't always happen! haha

Anyway, I think this verse was very rewarding and I hope you were able to apply it and reap the benefits as well!

Challenge #5: Proverbs 31:15

"She riseth also, while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens."

When I first read this verse I thought to myself "Oh, I've got this one covered! I already get up before dawn to care for the baby or the kids when they are having a rough night!" Sure, we (as Mom's) need to be willing and ready to take care of our kids at night - but that's not what this verse if referring to.

So, what does it mean? It means that we should be getting up early to prepare ourselves for the day. She is up before the sun, idleness and laziness have no place with her. I'm not saying I'll be up before the sun everyday but I'll do my best to get out of bed earlier than usual.

There are great benefits to rising up early:

1) Its a quiet time, free from noise and distractions of the day.

2) Its an ideal time to spend with the Lord in prayer and devotion. What a perfect way to start your day - communing with your Creator!

3) It allows you to get a good start on your day. If you sleep in late, it gives you less time to accomplish things during the day.

4) You can exercise!! I have been wanting to start running again but with our busy lives and the kids it is easy to make excuses. SO...I hope to get up early and go running this week. Hopefully this challenge can get me motivated to get in shape.

5) Make breakfast for your family. When they wake up, greet them with a smile and be ready to serve them and make them a delicious breakfast! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we need to make sure that we and our families get off to a good nutritional start.

Her maidens are her female servants. Now, if I had servants living with me, then I would probably make THEM get up early and prepare a healthy breakfast for me and my family. But not the virtuous woman. She is kind and thoughtful. She demanded of others only what she was willing to do herself. There is no doubt that her maidens respected her for her willingness to "get her hands dirty" and serve them when she didn't even have to. What about us? Are we willing to, once again DIE TO SELF, and serve others and show them love - even when we don't have to?

I hope you are able to challenge yourself with this verse over the next week or so. I think it might be my toughest one yet. But, I will do my best to get up early and spend time talking with the Lord, exercising and getting things ready for the day. Good Luck!!!

We need to begin our days the right way...Refreshed and Renewed.