Home Cookin'!

I'm taking a break from my usual responsibilities this week... Savoring the last week of being 45. Yeah... that's it! ;-)

Yesterday, I got in touch with my inner Pioneer Woman (someone once compared my writing style to hers. WOW!!! Thanks!) and made homemade -- from scratch -- chicken stock! Yes, I did! You know what? It's EASY!!! It's cheap. Way cheaper than the box stock at the store! When the chicken stock was done, I moved on to dinner -- using the poached chicken from the stock to make a lovely Italian soup.

Ready?

Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe (sorry, no pictures. I wasn't thinking.)

Clean and toss the following into a stock pot:

• 4 ribs of celery, cut to four inch lengths
• 4 carrots, cut to four inch lengths
• 1 medium onion, chunked (I cut mine into eighths and separated the pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 10 peppercorns
• Thyme (I used one tablespoon of dried thyme, though I would have preferred sprigs of fresh thyme)
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 large (or 4 small) chicken breasts with skin and bones 
• 4 chicken thighs, with skin and bones

Cover the whole mess with cold water. Place it on stove and bring to a boil. Allow it to boil about 20 minutes. I didn't let it come to a rolling boil, but made sure it bubbled well. Then, reduce it to a simmer and allow it to cook another 40 minutes.

Remove chicken to a bowl and let it cool. 

Pour the liquid from the pot, through a strainer into a smaller pot. Add salt to taste -- I used sea salt, only about 1/2 tsp. (You can always add more salt to individual recipes. You can't remove it once it's there though.) Toss all the veggies and stuff into the garbage. They're all used up. (I tasted. Yuck.) Put the smaller pot of chicken broth on the stove and bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer hard -- a little boil, but not quite rolling boil -- for at least 30 minutes. Then lower it to a simmer. The water will simmer off and the chicken stock will continue to reduce as long as you want. I simmered mine for about 2 hours.

That's it!!!!

Store the stock in sealed containers in the fridge for up to five days. You can freeze it for three months. (HINT: Put a piece of scotch tape on the lid and write the date you made it with a sharpie. You'll never wonder how old something is ever again.) Also, once it gets cold, you can skim the fat off the top to make it healthier! YAY!!! (After all, it's almost swim season :D)

Tomorrow, I will post the soup recipe. YUM! If you plan to make it, you will need three cups of the chicken stock and all that chicken, deboned, skin removed, cut into bite size chunks. Easy!

The Proverbs 31 woman expands her husband's empire. She is frugal and wise. My husband doesn't have an empire, but I still like to maximize his income. It's my honor to serve my husband this way! 

WHEN you make your own stock (I didn't say IF, I said when), please let me know how it turns out!

Blessings,

Proverbs 31:13-16, Day 10

13 Bloggers, 13 Topics, One Great God

As our journey through Proverbs 31 comes to an end, I pray that it has blessed you at least as much as it has blessed me. I know spending ten days on this passage has helped me understand it more than I ever thought I could. Honestly, I usually prefer to skip over it and not even try. (Just being honest.... Who really wants the pressure of living up to the P31 standard?) As I've pondered this passage, though, I realize that God loves me -- all of us -- so much that He wanted to give us a picture of perfection NOT to heap guilt on us, but to help us discover more of Him. As we seek Him in our woman's role, we DO become more like her! 

How does the Proverbs 31 bring variety to her family? 

She selects wool and flax

She realizes that God chose her family 

and placed each member carefully in it. 

He makes no mistakes!

and works with eager hands.

She understands that her hands are God's tools of love;

they reflect His love in her heart.

She is like the merchant ships,

The modern P31 woman nurtures her family's unity,

through service to others and love for each other.

bringing her food from afar.

She prays for her family: to be filled with God's love,

for their future and for their lives through the power of the Holy spirit. 

She gets up while it is still dark;

She appreciates that her family

is a gift of creativity from God, who wants our worship.

she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls.

She does not hoard her family's blessings,

but uses them wisely to bless others as well.

She considers a field and buys it;

She makes wise decisions for her family,

seeking only the best, not settling for what is good.

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She seeks God's wisdom in her role in the family,

trusting in His Word to guide her as she nurtures her family.

Proverbs 31:13-16

Put simply, the Proverbs 31 woman understands that each member of her family is uniquely created by a loving, creative God who desires our worship. She seeks His Wisdom in all that she does, understanding that God trusts her to raise her family to worship Him. With a little help from God each day, I believe each one of us can become a Proverbs 31 woman. WHY? Because we don't do it ourselves!!! 

God leads. We follow. We love.

May God be praised through the way we love!

Please let me know how I can pray for you. If you aren't comfortable sharing your prayer request in the comments below, email me. My contact information is included on my "Contact" page. Please visit the other bloggers in this series for more encouragement.

13 Bloggers, 13 topics, One Great God.

• Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1 

• The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love

• Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure

• Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder

• Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora 

• Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse

• She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms

• Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned

• Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals

• Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy

• Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins

• Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House

• Organization/Teaching what is Good

Love,

Proverbs 31:13-16, Day 9

Out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. Proverbs 31:16

I'm not a wine drinker, but my friends have told me that different flavors come from different wine making regions. California grapes taste different than French or North Carolina grapes. Not only that, certain grapes grow better in different climates. Taking a California grape to France would just confuse the grape, leading to a muddled wine. Well-tended vineyards that receive the perfect balance of rain, sun, warm and cool create award winning wines. 


Our children are much like those grapes. Each one needs tending: spiritual training, encouragement, discipline and love in the right amounts. No problem. Right?


HA! I'm the first to say I am not perfect. My kids regularly get less than the best, not that I want to do that. It's just that I'm not perfect. (Yes, I said it twice... I'm that imperfect perhaps.) How is an imperfect mama ever to help her kids become the best they can be?

The first thing that came to mind was John 15:5  which says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." WOO HOO!!!! Jesus is the answer, not me! YAY!!! I may be responsible for raising my kids, but I do not do it alone. God has a specific purpose for each branch to bear its own fruit (Jeremiah 29:11)


My job? Simply to trust in Jesus and raise my kids the best way I can. But, I don't have to rely on my own experiences or wisdom. God provided all the instruction we need in His Word, the Bible. Throughout scripture, God gives us direction in parenting. When we study the Bible, we can produce kids who are more amazing than the greatest wine ever bottled!


Back to scripture... and kids... The modern Proverbs 31 woman invests her wisdom, gained from time she spends with God, to help her children become who God wants them to be. God first. Family second. Creativity and beauty abound. Beautiful!


To go deeper, meditate on these verses:

• Ephesians 6:4, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
• Psalm 127:3, "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him."
• Romans 5:5, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Consider these questions:

Do you consider yourself to be raising kids or adults? (Way to start with a tough one!)

How often do you pray for your kids? 

Do you pray more for them or more to become the parent they need?

Pray: 

Pray with your husband if you can! 

Thank God for the incredible gift your children are, even if you don't get along right now!

Thank Him for trusting you to raise your children.

Ask Him for the wisdom to raise your kids to become who God created them to be.

Please let me know how I can pray for you. If you aren't comfortable sharing your prayer request in the comments below, email me. My contact information is included on my "Contact" page. Please visit the other bloggers in this series for more encouragement.

13 Bloggers, 13 topics, One Great God.

• Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1 

• The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love

• Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure

• Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder

• Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora 

• Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse

• She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms

• Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned

• Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals

• Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy

• Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins

• Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House

• Organization/Teaching what is Good

Love,

Proverbs 31:13-16, Day 8

She considers a field and buys it... Proverbs 31:15

In "these parts," we have lots of fields for sale.When we moved here, tobacco fields covered most of the county. Our main streets are even named after tobacco terms. Today, though, many of those fields lie fallow, sprouting nothing but for sale signs. I've considered those fields, but I would never buy one. Not without God's prompting, that is. I suppose that if I pass a field with a big "Karen, this land's for you" sign, I'd listen. 

How does this idea of purchasing a field apply to the modern woman, one who isn't likely to purchase farmland?

The first principle to understand is "to consider." My thesaurus offers these synonyms: contemplate, examine, review, assess, evaluate, appraise. To consider is a thoughtful process. It involves assessing and evaluating to determine the worthiness of the endeavor. Whether that endeavor is purchasing a field, shopping for clothes or selecting a television show, we should assess its worthiness.

In the family, what is "the field"?

Let's look at the parable of the four soils. In Matthew 13:3-8, Jesus says "...a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop..."

When my boys were young, they both took piano lessons. The older one flourished. The younger one, no matter how I bribed, threatened, screamed or stomped, hated every single minute. Every minute. He was like the seed that fell by the wayside. Having no desire for piano at all (trust me, he told us over and over), the birds of hate and anger came and devoured him. His little heart seed just wasn't wired for piano.

Sometimes, when kids show an interest in something, overzealous parents (some who wish they had gotten to do more when they were kids) take it as a sign of genius. Who hasn't heard the mom bragging about her precocious toddler who can read books by age three. Thinking the child is the next Einstein or Shakespeare, we sign them up for the best preschools, enroll in every enrichment activity at the library, museum and zoo. By second grade, every other kid in the class catches up and the rat race resumes, all advantage lost.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-enrichment, but that "passionate" interest in robotics might just be a passing interest. Throw a kid with a passing interest into a group of kids with a passionate interest about something, and that passing interest kid will get burned up. Without deep roots for the topic, his little seed burns up and dies. OR you could say his passing interest was choked out by all the other seeds, pushing their thorny way to the top. That analogy makes me think of "Toddlers and Tiaras." (A topic for another day.)

But then you have the kid whose talent and abilities match with the opportunity before him. That's the sweet spot, the seed planted in the perfect soil.Put a kid with talent in the right environment and she will thrive.

To make wise decisions like the Proverbs 31 woman, make your decisions with God. Choose what's best, not just what is good or sounds nice. Consider the effect of each decision on the entire family -- is the endeavor really worth the sacrifices each member must make? When we consider the full cost, we can better determine whether we're making a great investment in good soil or wasting time, energy and resources in bad soil.

To go deeper, meditate on these verses:

• Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..."
• Ecclesiastes 7:11, "Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun."
• Proverbs 16:16 (NLT), "How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!"

Consider these questions:

When you make decisions, do you take time to pray and seek God's wisdom or do you tend to do what seems right at the spur of the moment?

Have you ever enrolled your child in an activity, sport or program because it brought back memories or regrets from your own childhood? Did it work out well? Why or why not?

Does your family sacrifice a significant amount of time or resources consistently for the activities of one person over the rest? Is it worth the cost to the whole family?

Pray:

Offer your family's schedule and wallet to God, seeking His wisdom in every decision you make.

Ask Him to reveal any selfish motives you have in deciding to participate (or not to) in any activity.

Thank Him for His plan for your family and submit to it, even if that means some tough changes in the way you do things.

Please let me know how I can pray for you. If you aren't comfortable sharing your prayer request in the comments below, email me. My contact information is included on my "Contact" page. Please visit the other bloggers in this series for more encouragement.

13 Bloggers, 13 topics, One Great God.

• Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1 

• The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love

• Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure

• Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder

• Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora 

• Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse

• She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms

• Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned

• Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals

• Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy

• Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins

• Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House

• Organization/Teaching what is Good

Love,

Proverbs 31:13-16, Day 7

...She provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

Proverbs 31:15

Friends, this is my favorite! I read these words and fill with warm fuzzies. A Proverbs 31 woman provides for her family and for her "servant girls." Day five's discussion talked about soul food -- not literal food for the family. This verse takes that idea just a little further. 

The Proverbs 31 Woman provides for her family AND her servant girls. She doesn't have tunnel vision, but realizes that her family is part of a larger world. She understands that providing "soul food" for her family includes showing compassion and kindness to others. She realizes that her resources aren't just for her family, but to reach people beyond her immediate sphere.

Since most of us don't have servant girls, how would the Proverbs 31 woman live this out today?

Every family has limited resources, but God's desire is that we use them for more than just ourselves. Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in (God's) house..." Yet, we use 100%  (actually our debt suggests we use more than 100% but that's for another post) of our income for house, food, activities, sports, clubs, entertainment, clothes and more. We don't live within our means and certainly have nothing left to share with others. 

The Proverbs 31 woman wouldn't fall in this trap. She would provide sufficiently for her family, but keep in mind that she has a responsibility to help others too. She would budget wisely and do both well.

What can we do to plan wisely?

• Pray over budget decisions before making them. Yep, I said it. BUDGET! Don't just draw up a plan, but pray and seek God's wisdom for your plan. (HINT: Pray with your husband and family for wisdom in this area.) Do you spend more for travel soccer than you do to heat your house? Or does your family spend more on dining out than you do on your monthly mortgage (Check this out: If a family dines out twice a week, spending an average of $50/dinner, that is $400/month!)?
• Invest intentionally in others. Incorporate the tithe into your budget from the get-go. Give back to God and watch Him bless your resources. Be wise, like the Proverbs 31 woman! But don't leave it there. What talent has God blessed you with? What are you passionate about? Share time, too. Not just money.
• Make it a family affair. Seek God's wisdom for your family. How can you serve together, blessing others with the joy, love and hope of Jesus? I talked about this a few days ago. Read this post to consider options for your family.

Beyond what she can do, we should ask why... Why would a modern Proverbs 31 woman look beyond her family to serve others? After all, life is hectic these days. 

• Realize "it's not about you." The Great Commission, Matthew 28:16-20, is Jesus' challenge to all who love Him. That includes the harried housewife! Go out there -- anywhere -- and make disciples of all. Jesus doesn't require that we go to Kenya to save the tribes. He does ask us to reach EVERYONE who doesn't know him. That includes the grumpy grocery store clerk, the mean schoolteacher, and the kids who live next door. And their parents. Hiding in our cocoons, wearing blinders, doesn't change the need. It just keeps us from meeting it. We don't live for ourselves, we live for Jesus.
• Understand that much of what we teach our kids is actually caught, not taught. We can take our kids to Sunday School and help them memorize Bible verses, but if they never get a chance to live out their love for Jesus, how will it grow? The Proverbs 31 woman modeled generous love by providing not just for her own family, but for others as well. She recognized that the servant girls are just as precious to God as her own children. Stop.... Reread that last sentence. Do you show your kids by the way you live that EVERYONE is as special to God as they are? Be honest. Your kids watch everything you do. They hear everything you say. What do your actions say to them?
• Love multiplies when it's shared. This is a God phenomenon. Supernatural love. Nothing I say can really explain it, but the more we love others, the more love grows. When my family "sacrifices" time or resources to help someone else, our love for each other grows. God knits our hearts together as we serve others. He never disappoints.

Dear friends, I pray with all my heart that you get this! What you do with your money, your "stuff," your time and your heart matters more to your family than you can possibly imagine. When your love spills over into the lives and hearts of people beyond your family, you will be blessed as the Proverbs 31 Woman is blessed. She is a generous woman, driven by her heart's desire to do the job of mommy well. 

"Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38). Ask God to show you His plan. How does He want your family to serve others? Let our great, creative God pour some creative love into your family's life!

To go deeper, meditate on each verse included in this post.

• Malachi 3:10.
• Matthew 28:16-20.
• Luke 6:38.

Consider these questions:

How does your family show God's love for others?

What keeps you from stepping into the "faith zone" to do more -- are you so focused on your desire for your own family that you have blinders about the world around you? (Yes, tough question!)

What do you desire for your kids -- do you have God-sized dreams or do you dream of success and an easy life?

Pray:

Ask God to show you what your heart really treasures -- whether it's His kingdom or your family or something else.

Invite God to help you dream bigger for Him.

Dedicate your family, the people, your resources and your time, to make an impact for His kingdom that will last forever.

My friends, I know this is a challenging post. I, too, am challenged to step further out of my comfort zone to make a difference for others. To make a difference for God! We are blessed to have the hope of Jesus in our hearts. Doesn't everyone deserve the same blessing?

Please let me know how I can pray for you. After you leave a comment, be sure to visit the other bloggers in this series:

13 Bloggers, 13 topics, One Great God.

• Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1 

• The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love

• Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure

• Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder

• Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora 

• Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse

• She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms

• Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned

• Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals

• Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy

• Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins

• Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House

• Organization/Teaching what is Good

Love,

Proverbs 31:13-16, Day 6

She gets up while it is still dark... Proverbs 31:15

Have you ever read my blog before? I know I have mentioned more than once that I am NOT a morning person! I do not like mornings, Sam I am. I do not like them east or west. I do not think that they are best! (My apologies to Dr. Seuss).

I could write a post on how important it is to rise early and get things done before your family rises, but I'd be a hypocrite. I'm usually one of the last two who wake up in my house. What else can we learn from this passage (I'm not dodging early rising, but I don't feel I'm in a place to write about that.)?

How do these words help us better appreciate variety in our families?

My daughter is a morning person, up with the sun (and long before in winter), she embraces the day with gusto. She bounds out of bed ready for what's to come. No surprise, I drag miles behind. Her early morning chattering sometimes (often before coffee) makes me edgy. How does she have so much energy?

She usually comes to my room to wake me up. "Mommy, do you want a snooze?" she asks, giggling. I pat her on the head a couple times and say, "Yes, that's my snooze button." Off she runs, laughing down the stairs to get her cereal. I burrow deeper into the covers for just a few more minutes of sleep, half-sleep really. I know she'll be back soon, announcing grandly, "Snooze is over!"

By 7:00 p.m., she'll crash -- hard -- ready for bed. Me? I'm finally warmed up, ready for whatever comes next, chores, work, play, anything.

I know God didn't put my daughter in my life to be my alarm clock or to annoy me first thing. Perhaps, He knows I need to get up earlier and appreciates that I wouldn't ignore her like I do the alarm clock (the real one that has a permanent shutoff button). Maybe He knows I need some refining in the areas of grace and patience. Whatever His purpose in putting us all under one roof, I have only two choices -- accept it or put a pillow over my head.

And maybe that's exactly what He wants, for us night owls to appreciate that we are given a whole day to worship Him. And for early birds to understand that the day doesn't end when they do. We can learn a lot from each other, once we stop bickering about waking up too early or it being too noisy at night.

To go deeper, meditate on these verses:

• Psalm 30:11-12, "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever..."
• Psalm 22:27, "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before You."
• Psalm 74:8, "My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your glory all day long.

Consider these questions:

Are you a morning person or a night owl, and how does that affect the other people in your home?

Regardless of when you wake up, does your day begin with worship? Are you thankful for another day to worship God with your life?

What can you do, practically, to help the early birds and night owls in your family get along better at those crucial points in the day?

Pray:

Ask God's forgiveness for your shortcomings, whether you're worst in the morning or late night.

Lay your family's schedule, and personalities, at His feet and ask His guidance in helping you appreciate each other's differences.

Worship Him, throughout the day, sing His praises (out loud is totally okay, but at least sing in your heart).

Please let me know how I can pray for you. After you leave a comment, be sure to visit the other bloggers in this series:

13 Bloggers, 13 topics, One Great God.

• Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1 

• The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love

• Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure

• Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder

• Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora 

• Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse

• She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms

• Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned

• Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals

• Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy

• Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins

• Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House

• Organization/Teaching what is Good

Love,

Proverbs 31:13-16, Day 5

bringing her food from afar. Pro. 31:14

My first inclination is to write on healthy eating. Undoubtedly, the Proverbs 31 woman provides wholesome nutrition for her family. She is willing to scour the farmer's market for the freshest fruits and vegetables and serves whole grains every day. She would not be the type of woman who uses the McDonald's drive through on a regular basis. Nor would she rely on sodium-laden box mixes to feed her family. But that was my first inclination...

Then God showed me that this verse goes deeper, referring to food for the soul. 

Busy mommies' days fill quickly with appointments, homework, baths, dinner, and work. Sometimes we get so harried that quiet time slips away... forgotten. Unnoticed. Then we wonder why the busy-ness we used to handle so well overwhelms us now. 

As our kids grow, their little personalities morph -- sometimes overnight. That sweet, social girl you tucked in last night wakes up this morning distant and unaccepting of anything you say. We suffer from mama-whiplash trying to understand it all. 

Without Jesus, the busy schedule and crazy kids are more than we can manage. Did that register? Without Jesus, we can't do it. Say it with me, "Without Jesus, I can't do it." So, why do we try?

Our friend, the Proverbs 31 woman brings food from afar. Picture her. The sun still sleeps as she slips quietly out of bed. She pulls a woolen blanket around her shoulders and tip-toes out of the room, careful not to wake her hard-working husband. She creeps down the hall, stepping around the squeaky boards in the floor and settles into her chair by the fireplace. She folds her rough hands in prayer and lifts each member of her family to the God who made them.

She prays for their hearts: Lord, let them stand strong against the battles of peer pressure, self-doubt and fear. She prays for their future: Lord, let this day be used to sharpen them for Your kingdom purpose here on this earth. She prays for their lives: God, guide them and protect them as only You can. Keep them safe in Your Arms whatever this day will bring. She has no fear. She needs no control. She has no doubt.

The food of the spirit is her family's greatest need, and she knows it. 

She closes with prayer for herself, not her selfish wants (You know the kind, "Please God, bring 100 readers to my blog today."), but to be used by Him and for Him: God, guide me today to care for my family's health. Use me to model faith and hope. Remind me when I forget that You have already blessed this day. Amen.

To go deeper, meditate on these verses:

• Matthew 10:37-38 (ESV), "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
• Proverbs 6:20-22 (ESV), "My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you."
• Ruth 2:12 (NLT), "May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done."

Consider these questions:

Does your prayer life reflect your heart for your children, or do you need to pray more and worry less?

Do you seek God for wisdom with your family, whether in your marriage relationship, parenting, or in providing for your family (yes, that does include the foods you choose to let your family eat)?

On whose strength do you rely most each day: yours? your spouse or family? or the Lord?

Pray:

Pray for your family member's hearts: Lord, let them stand strong against the battles of peer pressure, self-doubt and fear. 

Pray for their future: Lord, let this day be used to sharpen them for Your kingdom purpose here on this earth. 

Give God their lives: God, guide them and protect them as only You can. Keep them safe in Your Arms whatever this day will bring. She has no fear. She needs no control. She has no doubt.

Prayer for yourself: God, guide me today to care for my family's health. Use me to model faith and hope. Remind me when I forget that You have already blessed this day. Amen.

Please let me know how I can pray for you. After you leave a comment, be sure to visit the other bloggers in this series:

13 Bloggers, 13 topics, One Great God.

• Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1 

• The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love

• Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure

• Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder

• Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora 

• Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse

• She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms

• Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned

• Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals

• Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy

• Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins

• Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House

• Organization/Teaching what is Good

Love,

Proverbs 31:13-16, Day 4

She is like the merchant ships, Proverbs 31:14

Women and merchant ships: what could they possibly have in common? Other than being included in this verse, you might think they have nothing in common at all! I know that as I studied and prayed over these words, I struggled. Merchant ships... plural. 

Merchant ships aren't mentioned often in the Bible. Reading commentaries, most scholars interpret this verse fairly literally: The Proverbs 31 woman travels far to provide the best for her family. Could that be all it means? I don't think so. 

The verse says she is like merchant ships, not like a single merchant ship. The Proverbs 31 Woman, like the merchant ships, goes out, but she does not go alone. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." The Proverbs 31 woman does not "go it alone." She works with others to accomplish her goals.

Fast forward to 2012.

Does the modern family work together to accomplish goals? Or do we float through life on isolated ships, each headed in its own direction? Think about it: Both parents work to make ends meet (yes, that may be necessary in this economy, but drifting apart doesn't have to be part of it). Kids participate in sports, clubs and church activities. First, family dinner is sacrificed. Then family game night goes. Quietly, the family's strands unravel; everyone hangs on by a thread. Alone.

Parents complain about hostile teens who hide behind locked bedroom doors and tune them out, literally, by plugging their ears with headphones. Teens complain that parents don't understand -- old, boring, and out of touch. Maybe your kids aren't there yet, but your kids will become teens. And teens have attitudes. Or is that just the reality of modern life?

How can we maintain a close relationship with our kids that survives the teen years?

1. Take a stand!

Joshua 24:15 says, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." As for me and my house! It's not up to you to pray your kids into heaven. You are not their holy spirit. Not at all! When the family, even a family with young kids, serves together, God strengthens the bond. You can:

• Cook dinner for an elderly neighbor.
• Make homemade cards and deliver them to a nursing home.
• Plant flowers at a local school.
• Pick up garbage at the park.
• Serve in your church (my husband, 14-year old, 17-year old and I all serve in the same ministry at our church. It's awesome!).

When the family serves together, God knits their hearts together.

2. Listen!

As kids get older, their thoughts and ideas change. When my oldest was two, he loved construction trucks. When he saw his first road grader, he chattered away, enough that I stopped the car to watch it work. A few years later, he loved Pokemon. You bet I learned the difference between fire, water, electric and grass Pokemon. What mattered to him mattered to me.

Now, his world is complicated: filled with questions of faith, piano, friends, peer pressure, and college applications. But we're going through it together. He knows that no matter what he's thinking, I will listen like I did when he was young.

When parents actively listen to their young kids, they provide a foundation for a strong relationship through the teen years. The teen years are outrageously challenging, even for the "good kids." Listen now and they'll talk to you when they're older.

3. Guide!

Proverbs 19:20 says, "Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise." Now, before you go and plaster this verse all over your kids' bedroom walls, take a minute to let it sink in for you. How well do you listen to advice and accept instruction from your spouse? Your pastor? God? When we don't listen, we become hypocrites, "tossed with tempests." We lose credibility with our kids and the difficult passage through the teen years becomes harrowing. 

Instead of that, the modern Proverbs 31 woman, with Christ as her pilot, faith as her sail, and hope as her anchor, weathers the seas with her family by her side. (Gill)

To go deeper, meditate on these verses:

• Psalm 112:1-2 (ESV), "Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
• Proverbs 20:7, "The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.
• Psalm 37:26, "They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed."

Consider these questions:

How do you show your children that their interests matter to you?

When was the last time you had a family dinner -- that wasn't fast food drive through?

What are some things you did with your family as a child that you wish you did with your own family? 

Pray to God:

Commit to raise your family to love God and share His love with others.

Ask Him to help you see your children the way He does, created with unique interests and passions.

Invite Him to be your pilot, strengthen your faith and fill you with hope for life's journey.

Please let me know how I can pray for you. After you leave a comment, be sure to visit the other bloggers in this series:

13 Bloggers, 13 topics, One Great God.

• Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1 

• The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love

• Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure

• Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder

• Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora 

• Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse

• She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms

• Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned

• Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals

• Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy

• Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins

• Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House

• Organization/Teaching what is Good

Love,