proverbs31-woman.com

She makes coverings for her bed… Proverbs 31:22

I hate a messy bedroom, don’t you?  For me it probably dates back to when I was 16 years of age.  I was engaged to a boy of 18 and his mother had lent me a book about looking after the marital home.  I know we were very young in those days but there had been a good reason.  He was dying of cancer and being his fiance meant I was allowed into the hospital to visit him at any time.  So his and my parents consented to our engagement. I was probably too young to realise at the time that we would never marry but I did read the book and took seriously what was written and still apply many of those things today.

I love our bedroom to look inviting and not messy.  For sometime I was tiring of the way it looked and wanted to dress it up somewhat. I’d found some great bed coverings and stored them away in hiding.  And then one day my eldest daughter helped me measure and shop for new curtains and then we hung them and made up the bed together. I couldn’t wait for Graham to get home that night to see our new look bedroom. It looked like something from one of those beautiful B&B places and I was thrilled with the result.  So was he as he had no idea of the surprise I’d planned for him and he’d been thinking our room looked small and tired but hadn’t said anything - he hadn’t wanted to upset me.  The new colours and decor now make the room look fresh and larger somehow.  He certainly made sure I knew he appreciated how much I cared about the room that cemented our marriage.  Graham’s always been good like that - he makes sure I know his appreciation and love for me.

Many years ago I saw the bedroom of a couple I knew and it was cluttered with mess - clothing, newspapers, books and all sorts of things everywhere, even on the bed.  I remember thinking what they would have to go through just to climb into bed each night.  What would happen to the spontaneity of love-making in that household?  Perhaps it never happened. I knew this wasn’t a once-only situation but something that was constant in their household.  I don’t believe for a moment that this was the only problem in their marriage and the cause for their breakdown later on in years but I do feel that perhaps their bedroom wasn’t valued by either of them and this wouldn’t have helped their situation. Somehow I feel that the care taken in a marital bedroom spills over to the care taken in that marriage and both husband and wife benefit from that effort.  What do you think?

I firmly believe it is the wife’s role to make the home a place the husband wants to come home to daily.  We hear so much of marital problems, husbands staying at work long hours or other things interfering with their marriage. I’ve always wanted to make sure that Graham loves coming home and I know he does - he’s told me often. I know it is true many women work away from home today and the housework might be lacking, but the bedroom should still be their private domain and one that is always inviting.  If the husband is one that is home more then perhaps this is something he could be caring for.  The bedroom of a married couple is one that should be sanctified, set apart, kept special and always inviting.  After all it is within the walls of this room that marriages are nurtured and celebrated and it should be in an environment that is pleasing.

As an Addendum I found a post on how to make your bedroom sexy with romantic decor. This advice isn’t just for young couples - it’s for everyone!

If you’ve not heard of it before, then it’s a Christian Women’s Radio Show you need to be aware of.  People from all over the world now have the opportunity to set up their own radio show at BlogTalkRadio and interview people of interest to their growing audiences.

Welcome to those who have come here from that interview too - it’s lovely to have you here.

I had the wonderful privilege of speaking today on We Love Girl Talk which is a  Christian Women’s Radio Show.  Sandra and Sarah, the show’s hosts were wonderful and made me feel totally at home!  I don’t know where the time went but the three of us had a lovely time chatting on their show and I hope the listeners enjoyed listening to us as much too.
They are trying to build up their ratings for the show as the BlogTalkRadio features shows on their front page so why not pop by and give them a rating!  They have a number of interviews available there.

I’ve had many wonderful testimonies sent to me by readers of my book.  And I would love to share those testimonies with others too.  If you have an account at Amazon.com why not login and leave your review for others to read?  Sharing your testimony with others is a wonderful way to share God’s message to the world.

I’ve had the joy and privilege of speaking at several seminars and conferences recently. And because my message is directed at women who work from home or want to work from home it is well received.

I love that women come up to me during the breaks to ask say ‘you’re a Christian!’ or to ask about my faith and where I go to church. Most recently I spoke at a trade expo for an international group and both men and women came to me during the breaks to talk and share their beliefs also.

The title for my book ‘Worth More Than Rubies‘ catches the attention of many and when I’m asked about it publicly on the stage I am happy to explain that it comes from Proverbs 31:10 of the Old Testament - it provides an opening for me to share without being put in the category of ‘bible basher’ or similar.

I did my very first Church Sermon last Saturday night at Discover church.

The senior pastor is away on a missions trip and he asked me to speak at his church a few months ago but I didn’t realise till about 3 weeks ago that I was actually doing the sermon. I was rather nervous about that but forged ahead as I knew that God was with me. He had spoken through a Pastor form my church a few weeks ago at a home group meeting, telling Graham and me ‘it is time’ and I knew that this is part of what was spoken.

I spoke on the topic of my book - Proverbs 31 woman and took excerpts from my book and weaved more stories into it. Congregation of about 70 people. Lovely people. Graham and I prayed with a number of people at the end of the service - women who wanted prayer for their families and women and men who wanted prayer for their businesses. It really was a special night and it made me feel even closer to Graham than ever before. I didn’t think that possible. It was like God had provided a new bond or a new level in our relationship. Graham and I had never prayed with others in this way previously - as leaders that others came forward to. It was also the first time Graham saw me speak in a professional capacity. Think he was both surprised and pleased at how I did.

I just want to thank everyone for their prayers for me over the past few weeks and I praise God that He trusted me with this role.

proverbs 31 woman, worth more than rubies, church service, ministry, prayer

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.