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Some people are sent to try us! There are some people in our lives who are constantly calling on us to do things for them, get them out of trouble, sort out their problem and so on. You know the type of person don’t you? I’m sure you do. We have someone like that in our lives too. We love her dearly but do get frustrated that she just doesn’t seem to be able to organise herself and often calls because she needs our help to get her out of a situation.

Most of the time it’s because of bad planning. The problems arise because she suddenly thinks of something she needs and has forgotten and, because I work from home and am here 99% of the time, with the car, guess who gets called to rush to her aid?

I get torn between going to help her out of trouble, and leaving her to sort it out – she needs to start becoming independent. This person is in her mid 20s and is very intelligent and capable, but lacks organisation.

Perhaps it’s not that you know someone like that, but you might be like that yourself and you find yourself in the bad habit of just not planning ahead, not foreseeing your needs and then having to lean on someone at the last minute because you can’t sort it out alone.

All through verses 10-31 of Proverbs 31, the wife and mother is shown to be someone who plans, looks ahead, considers things before she does them, and sets about her tasks vigorously. There is not a hint of indecision, of last minute rushes, of failing to achieve. In fact, the second half of verse 27 says she does not eat the bread of idleness – this indicates to me that her mind is always on what needs to be done, and what there is ahead of her.

If you are someone who fails to plan, the old saying says that you are planning to fail, and there is some truth in that. None of us can see ahead to what might be, but we can certainly plan ahead for what could be.

Are you setting yourself up for failure or are you planning to be organised and ready for whatever lies ahead? It’s your decision. But if you find you can’t manage it alone, then know that you can call on God to help you. Lay it all before Him and ask Him to help you be more organised in your day, every day.

My book “Worth More Than Rubies” is being launched at Amazon next week. And I’m doing a special offer with giveaways for a 24 hour period only. Of course, the book will always be available, but if you want to experience the special offers, then it needs to be purchased during the time period listed below.

The date is:

Special offer (24 hours only): From 12.01am 27th June 2008 AEST(10am 26th June – 9.59am 27th June US EDT)

See Amazon Campaign for advance details.

If you’d like to be reminded of the launch and the goodies that will be available please register below – you’ll get an email from me just prior to the launch.

I don’t believe the form was working, so I’ve set up a Contact form.

Proverbs 31:11-12 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

Graham and I recently had a long weekend away – just the two of us. We had late morning lay-ins, earlier than usual nights in bed, long lazy walks and drives in the country, and one afternoon that was wet and cold, saw us return to the cottage we had hired, to sit, read and write and spend the afternoon in quiet solitude together.

Once again, in this quietness and relaxation, I was struck by just how well matched we are and how God had answered my prayer for a husband so many years ago. He had given me so much more than I had asked for.

I delight in doing things for Graham. There is a real joy in doing something for him and seeing the appreciation on his face and in his body language. He warms my heart and makes me feel special.

Just the simple act of getting together some cheese, biscuits, kabana and drinks and placing them on a small table beside where we sat and periodically hand him a biscuit with cheese filled me with peace and joy. But then he took turns and began serving me and I was struck by how simple this servant hood role spoke volumes of love for one another.

We did not speak many words, just the actions and being together is all that was needed for us to feel the love we have for one another.

A long time ago, a troubled single mother, told Graham and me that she could feel the love when she walked into a room in which we were both present. She said we didn’t even have to be together, she could see it from the way we both looked at one another and felt it from our presence. I do believe if Paige had been in that cottage with us that weekend she would have been overwhelmed by the presence of that love also.

If you are married but feel that you’ve lost that special feeling then there are some things you can do to bring it back.

First, seek God’s blessing on your marriage and continue to pray for your spouse. Pray for them every single day, for their protection, for guidance from God, for anything you know they need.

And after that, seek for other things that will assist you. A book I read some years ago held great value for me – The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian. There is a version for men too, co-written with Stormie’s husband.

Doing courses with your spouse. Graham and I have done Deeper and Cleansing Stream together at our current church, but in the past we have been house church leaders and co-run courses together. Just studying God’s Word together and discussing it has brought closeness.

Recently we did Marriage Alpha and we were reminded the importance of ‘dating’ together weekly, even if we are married. We used to do that all the time when the kids were young but had grown out of it, with the busy-ness of our lives. We are now seeking to do this again regularly and having periodic weekends away are a good way to do it. But what if your kids are young and/or you can’t afford to go away? Can you get the kids to stay at friends’ places for one or two nights? You can always return the favour to those parents. Or take a single day off, on a weekend or whenever you both are not working, and go out on a long drive, taking a picnic lunch with you.

You got married to be together for the rest of your lives, you owe it to yourselves, and your children, to keep that love growing and building, and maturing. There is nothing like loving a marriage partner with whom you are comfortable and so familiar that you can be entirely yourself and no holding back.

And of course Marriage Alpha emphasized the need for serving one another and the love that shows through that. Which brings me back to the start of this message, the pure joy I experience in serving my husband and bringing him good, not harm, for the days of my life. I hope and pray that you too, can experience this same joy.

I know that a lot of people read this blog and visit every single day, some are also subscribers. I’ve started up a network specifically for women interested in networking with others who has an interest in being a Proverbs 31 Woman. I know that so many of you have businesses of your own, or would like to start a business from home and I feel we could all benefit from each other’s experiences, knowledge, encouragement, prayers and support. So, if you want to meet us, why not join by clicking on the button below? And I’ve also put it on the front of the blogsite for all visitors. I look forward to getting to know you all over time!

I’m still tweaking the network site and learning how the system works, so if you have experience with Ning, I’m all ears!

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