The Proverbs 31 Woman Rises Very Early

Proverbs 31:15 "She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls."

We see that the woman of Proverbs 31 is a treasure to her husband because she is trustworthy, a woman of action, she works with eager hands and is a great shopper! In verse 15 we see a new character trait. She rises VERY early!

For all the night owls, I want to clarify in advance - I am not saying that all godly women rise early. I'm saying the Proverbs 31 woman rises early. Later in Proverbs 31:18 we'll see that her lamp does not go out at night - so she stays up late working too.

But since in this passage, she rises early, that is today's topic of the blog post. Why does the Proverbs 31 woman rise early?

1. To provide food for her family.

2. To provide portions for her servant girls.

The word portions in this passage actually means work. She rises early to feed her family and delegate the days work that needs to be done. You may say "I don't have servant girls!" - my sentiments exactly! But let me suggest that your washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, and vacuum are just a few modern day servants that lighten our work load tremendously compared to Biblical times.

What are the benefits to rising early?

1. Time with God. You can be alone - just you and God in peace and quiet. This is my most precious time of day.

***Tip for those with little ones who disrupt this golden time.*** Starting at the age of 3, I will train my children to stay in their rooms until there was a 7 on their digital clock. I found a woman who covered the last two numbers of the clock with masking tape and wrote the number 7 on it. Then told her children to wait until they saw matching number 7's. They are allowed to play and read in their rooms just not come out until there is a 7. Training them to do this has been a huge blessing to this mama. I will enjoy this quiet hour with nearly no interruptions. They will know what is expected and they will do it.

2. Time alone for planning. The Proverbs 31 woman delegated the days work. She knew what needed to be done and she owned her role as the manager of her home. I like to use the morning quietness to think clearly and write a list of what I need to get done that day.

3. Time for making breakfast, packing lunches and even some dinner preps. The priority of providing food for her family got the Proverbs 31 woman out of bed in the morning!

4. Time for family devotions. We try to read the Bible while we eat breakfast each morning. It's a great way to prepare everyone's hearts for the day.

5. And for me, it's my time to post my daily blog!

How to discipline yourself to rise early:

1. Determine what time you plan to rise and make it the same 6 days a week.

2. Get to bed early - at least 7 hours before your wake time.

3. Pray and ask God to help you rise early.

4. Get up!

If you are in a season of life where you are nursing a baby or caring for a sick family member - please do not let this blog post put guilt on you. There are seasons of life where we are not able to rise early. God never commands that we do. Rather we see the example of the Proverbs 31 woman as a goal to attain.

Are mornings hectic and chaotic in your home? You can change that by rising earlier. Rising early can change the entire course of your day and will bless your family.

Embrace Homemaking - Be Busy At Home

Do you feel frustrated with your homemaking skills? I do! And then I think, how will I ever pass this on to my daughter if I don’t get this myself? I especially feel frustrated on days when I decide to have a down day. If I spend one day just letting things go – the place suddenly appears as though a bomb went off – the dishes quickly pile in the sink, the shoes pile by the door, the coats pile on the chair, the clothes pile in the bathroom, the markers, crayons, paper and toys just pile pile pile!!!!

Homemaking takes diligence and we must embrace it if we will find joy in it! As we clean we long for perfection – to create a heavenly home that truly does not exist – there will be no perfect home until we reach the shores of heaven. The frustration we feel as homemakers is a direct result of the effects of a fallen world.
Have you ever noticed how every time you go to the grocery store there is a new expensive cleaning gadget that has been created to make cleaning quicker? We have gone from rags and soap to throw away wipes that already have the solution in them. We have gone from buckets of soapy water and mops to thingymajigs that spray liquid and mop. It’s really amazing how they market these “quick” cleaning items! We want the easy way out!

But truly to be a good homemaker it takes just one thing – DILIGENCE! It’s not the tool in your hand – it’s your heart! You can read all the websites and magazines and books on cleaning and own every gadget and gizmo – but if you lack diligence and have not given homemaking your time – you just won’t get it all done. And this is what our daughters need to know!

The Proverbs 31 lady gave time to her home. We can be busy running here and there – going to play dates, sports for the kids, birthday parties and serving at church. Those are not bad things – BUT Titus 2:5 says that the younger women in the church need to learn to be “busy at home“. So that means – first we need time in our homes and second, if we feel really busy homemaking – then you are doing it right!!
Homemaking takes time and will keep you quite busy! The home is where the molding of children’s hearts takes place. The home is where your husband finds comfort and solace, where your children can share their passions and grow intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. Because we live in a fallen world – your home will never be perfect. Please do not strive for perfection – you will frustrate yourself and all who live in your home. But on the opposing side, please do not neglect your home believing that there is something greater and with more meaning outside the doors of your home.

God clearly puts a priority on homemaking in both Titus 2 and in the example of the Proverbs 31 woman. So embrace homemaking today – and get busy. Sit down and make your to-do list and follow the mandate that God has given younger women – “be busy at home“. And don’t forget to bring your daughters along side of you as you are busy at home.

Walk with the King!

Saving our Girls

There is a rising epidemic in our culture.

Have you noticed it?

The length of childhood, for little girls especially, is rapidly decreasing. It is a sad phenomenon. When I was a child, I can remember playing with my dolls until I was 14 or 15 years old. There was no shame in it, no push for me to grow up. Sadly, this does not seem to be the case today. Everywhere I look I see little girls dressing older, talking older, and acting older. In my opinion this should not be. We are taking something very special from our daughters when we don’t allow them to enjoy a lengthy childhood.

Childhood, this marvelous girlhood, only happens one time. We need to protect it and cherish it for our little girls. I want this for my daughter, but the cultural pressure suffocating these dear ones, pushing them to look and to act grown up is overwhelming. However, we as mommies, can push back. Here are some of the ways that we can protect childhood for our daughters.

Let’s limit media – the obvious is TV, but also magazines (let us be careful as moms what magazines we are reading), music, internet, video games, and even some books. They may seem harmless at first, but our children are so impressionable. Is this what we really want impressed on them?

Let’s allow our little girls to look like little girls, pretty bows, frilly shirts, twirly skirts, braids, pig tails and the like help to preserve this girlhood period a bit longer. While it is fun for our daughters to play dress up and experiment with our makeup, let’s keep it for play for now and put the dress up clothes back in the closet and the makeup back in our drawer when play time is over.

While we are raising these little ones to one day be homemakers, and that is the majority of the reason for this site, we do not have to push them into being little women just yet. They can learn a lot from us by our modeling, rather than formally training them in every task. Let them be little and practice in their toy room with their baby dolls, strollers, kitchen sets, and ironing boards. There will be plenty of time for our daughters to do it for real later.

I also strongly believe that allowing our little girls special time with their daddy keeps them little longer. Being accepted and loved and cherished by their daddy, keeps them from longing for that affection outside the home. Essentially it keeps her little longer. Along with that, little girls also need fun interaction with their mommy. Let’s show them our silly, soft side. Get on the floor and be crazy, create zoo animals out of play dough at the kitchen table, craft with glue and scissors and messy, but oh so delightful, glitter, put puzzles together, read and snuggle on the couch. Allow her be a child in her own home.

I think that a long, sunny childhood is an amazing preparation for adulthood, and it is one of the most beautiful gifts we can give to our girls. We cannot slow down the clock, but we can make the most of the minutes that God blesses us with.

How do you keep your little girl little?