God Bless Texas

Happy Texas Independence Day!!!

Sweet to the Soul

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24 NASB

At my small group Bible study this week we discussed the impact of toxic words.  Toxic words are like a virus.  They start as a small comment, but after thought and attention are given to them, they fester and spread until the point where they can debilitate or even kill a person. In contrast, pleasant words are healing to the bones!  Positive words give life, turn away wrath, make knowledge acceptable, and they heal. 

I love the picture of pleasant words as honey.  According to the National Honey Board at http://www.honey.com, honey really does have medicinal purposes.  Honey is a natural energy source and can be used for safe carbohydrate loading.  Honey is a humectant, which means that it attracts and retains moisture.  This quality makes it very useful in beauty products.  Honey is also a natural throat soother.  It can be safely given to children before bedtime to soothe their throats and to prevent nighttime coughing.  (But it MUST NOT be given to a child less than 1 year old.)  Researchers have also discovered that the healing properties of honey may be useful in treating MRSA, cancer, and in dressing wounds.  See Harnessing Honey's Healing Power by Angie Knox at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3787867.stm  

If pleasant words have this kind of healing power, let's start sharing pleasant words and wisdom with others!

Girls in White Dresses

Maria sure knew what she was singing about when she listed girls in white dresses as some of her Favorite Things. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's been too long since you watched the Sound of Music.) There's something sweet about white summer dresses.  White dresses just make me want to go on a picnic.  I got an email from http://store.delias.com this morning advertising their new spring dresses!  Of course I had to look.  Here are a few to admire.  I hope they make you smile and dream of warm spring days too!

Far Above Jewels

"An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels?" Proverbs 31: 10 NASB

I love the description of the wife in Proverbs 31.  This Proverb is an exaltation and honor to womanhood and the capable wife.  I believe that God inspired the writer to describe this wife's worth as far above jewels because He knew that women get this description.  We love jewels. We love bling. We understand that it is an honor to be compared to something rare and precious.

It's so inspiring to know that doing seven loads of laundry and changing stinky diapers can give me worth.  Society has tried so hard to diminish the value of the stay-at-home mom.  (We've all heard about the girl who is barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen!)  Yet God's Word serves as a reminder that there is a special role for the wife in the home.  It's hard.  It involves sleepless nights.  It involves community service.  It involves good money management skills.  It involves an entrepreneur's spirit.  And it requires energy.  But the Bible says that this job is worth more than precious jewels.

I've had to learn that the salaries posted on job boards are meaningless.  I can earn a set amount of money and be of some worth to a company or employer.  But my worth to my husband and children is more than the value of precious jewels if I can fulfill my duty as wife and mother.  I'm thinking that being a salaried professional doesn't sound so great when I can be a rare and precious jewel as a wife. 

Stilettos and Sippy Cups

I'm that girl.  Yes, you know her.  She loves to shop and dress up.  She has a new pair of shoes every time you see her.  She's the girl who actually buys outfits to match her shoes.  It used to be so easy to be that girl.  But then I got married, started a career, and now I'm a stay-at-home mom.  

For some reason, most women my age feel that they must wear the mommy uniform--sweats and yoga wear.  My husband calls those women "Give Ups."  When I found out that my first child was going to be a boy, I promised myself  that I would not become a "Give Up".  I promised that my little boy would know that his mommy is a feminine woman.  Thus began my passion for all things feminine.