Scripture to Memorize:
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selectes wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
Proverbs 31:12-13
Passage to Read:
To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers e from his holy hill. Selah
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
Psalm 3:4-6
PRAYER
Dear Father God, I cry out to you and firmly believe that you answer me. Forgive me for all the times I have cried to everyone but you. Remind me always that a mere morals can not provide the answers that only you alone have the wisdom and power to answer my prayers.
Thank you Father God for the restful sleep you provide for my healing and restoring to me the physical energy I need to fulfill your purposes. Holy Spirit guard my sleep, teach me how to relax so that I can have a restorative restful night's sleep. God you know how much sleep I need to awake refreshed and energize therefore provide me with just the amount my body needs. Help me to not become slothful and lazy and sleeping to much.
I release to you all worry, fear, stress, and cares that can keep me from fully enjoying a full and restful night's sleep. Help me to realize that you are the Lord of the Universe and you will work all things fr good of those who believe in you. I know that you have only my good in mind, I love you and have been called according to your purpose. This knowledge alone should free me up to release my anxiety and to sleep in peace. Tonight Lord, I lay me down to sleep, I pray that you will keep me through the night and if I die before I wake, I pray that you Lord will sweep me home. In the healing name of Jesus, Amen.
Donna talks about how insomnia is an epidemic in our country because so many people lay awake worrying about things. Further that sleep deprevation has an adverse effect on our immune system. Research shows that we need seven to eight hours of restfull sleep and they have further proven that you can "catch up" on lost sleep. She then lists practical things we can do to get a better night's rest.
(1) Modify eating habits. Ideally you should eliminate caffeine but considering how much coffee and caffeinate beverages we drink she believes she is wasting her breathe. At the very least stop consuming caffeine after noon. Also minimize you sugar intake and eliminate all sweets and refined carbohydrates after dinner. Have your treat at lunch if you must.
(2) Create the right environment. The ideal sleep atmosphere is dark, quiet, and cool. Several hours before bedtime turn down the lights in your house to signal thqat sleep time is approaching. It is better to not exercise at night. Your mattress should be supportive and less that ten years old. Use your bedroom for sleep only, not to watch television, pay bills, or operate a home business from a desk near your bed.
(3) Establish a nighttime routine. Find a way to unwind. Take a bath, read, review your scripture verses, drink a cup of hot lemon water (I use chamomile tea will a little warm milk). Do the same thing every night Always end your routine with getting in bed the same time every night. Make sure this routine excludes television.
(4) Keep your personal notebook/journal by your bed. This way when your mind starts wandering on the million things that need to be done or issues that are bothering us. When this happens reach for you notebook/journal and jot down your concerns, and forget them by turning them over to God. We can always pick them up in the morning after a good night's sleep. It makes it much easier to fall asleep when you have emptied your mind by putting it in the notebook/journal.
(5) Engage in positive conversation. Many couples make the mistake of complaining about the day or disputing about the bills afer the children are in bed at night. Big mistake on every level. You and your husband can and should pray together ab outg your concerns, urning your anxieties into prayer requests. But don't have a gripe session right before sleeping and then wonder why {1} your love life is in a rut and {2} you don't sleep well.
Donna states that if we will do these five things we can dramatically improve the quality of your sleep. I know looking at that list there are several of her suggestions that I really need to work on adopting.
Affirmation: I lie down and sleep in peace.
Practical:
In this segment Donna recommends that we write out a proposed bedtime ritual along with thoughts of how following this ritual will improve our lives. Then go to bed on time, today and every day! Commit to a specific bedtime. I know for me this will be one of the hardest things to do because my schedule is rather chaotic and very difficult to change but I will attempt to do so for the remainder of the 90-days in this jumpstart. The other thing that will be difficult is turning off the television AND COMPUTER before starting my nighttime routine. I don't have a television in my bedroom but I tend to have it on when I drink my nightcap of chamomile tea and after I take my nighttime medications. Then I sat down for another 30 minutes of computer time or knitting before heading for bed. So there are some things I need to work on to improve my sleep.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Day 10: Devote Yourself To Prayer
Scripture to Memorize:
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
Proverbs 31:12-13
Passage to Read:
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess you sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and half years.
James 5:15-17
Prayer
Dear Lord, I admit that at timkes my prayers are not always offered in faith. Sometimes they are rushed and couched in doubt. They are also offered as a last resort when every thing else that I have tried has failed. I often turn to you last instead of first. Many times in times of despair or sickness I turn this world's answer instead of turning to you and seeking your guidance and healing.
Thank you for promising to hear my prayers and raising up those who are sick. Help me not only interceed for others but also seek your help in my own healing. Tonight Lord I ask your healing for all who battle sickness and problems that sicken the soul. Send your healing to our world today as you did when Jesus and the first disciples walk the earth.
I confess my sins so that nothing will stand in the way of my prayers today. Forgive me Lord, particularly of my tendency to get so caught up in the things of this world that I rush through my prayers to you. Help me to be more consistent in my prayers for others.
Thank you for the assurance that the prayers of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Help me remember this promise. Remind me that it is through the sacrifices of my savior Jesus that I and others who believe can ask and believe that you not hear but will answer our prayers. Help me to realize that your answer may not be the one I wanted but to remember that you have only good for me and you know what is best.
Lord I thank you for you awesome love and the fact that you are faith and just to keep your promises. Give me the faith of a mustard seed so that my prayers can be made with the conviction that you will answer with the very best answer. Help me to remain faithful even when I don't understand or can't see your answer. Holy Spirit cleanse me so that with Christ's righteousness on me, I can pray with great power and effectiveness. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
Personal:
At the opening of this section Donna offered these quotes regarding prayer. "When we work, we work. But when we pray, God works." (source unknown) The other was a quote from the revival preacher Leonard Ravenhill who said "No Christian is greater than his prayer life". She then went on to challenge the reader to tithe their time in prayer which equals approximately 2 1/2 hours every day. She then states that when prayer becomes as natural as breathing, we will soon discover that you can pray without ceasing.
According to Donna prayer is not just something we do but a mindset, an attitude, an atmosphere we create.
In today's segment Donna talked about some different types of prayer and times to pray.
1. Begin your day with prayer asking God what his priorities are for your day.
2. Watchful prayers thoughout the day as a result of continued watching and an attitude of gratitude for opportunities he sends thoughout the day for us to pray.
3. God-prompted prayers which she said can get the most dramatic and immediate results. God-prompted prayers are those that clearly come from God calling to our mind something or someone in need of prayer.
She also stated that the purpose of prayer is to bring heaven's power to bear on earth's circumstances. She also again reminded me that I need to also listen during my morning prayer time and throughout the day. She suggests as have other authors that I keep a small notebook or journal along with a pen/pencil with my Bible in my prayer space to jot down those things that I sense God saying to me. Two most meaningful things to me that she said was that (1) my prayers need to be a two-way conversation and not a one-sided approach, a glorified gripe session. (2) That prayer can be the ultimate adventure. I have never considered the idea that my prayer life could be an adventure.
I guess that I need to follow her suggestion of asking the Holy Spirit to teach me how to be prayerful, watchful, and thankful. I do want to be a woman who makes a difference in the lives of other people, to bring about much good in the world.
Affirmation: I devote myself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Practical:
I don't have the notebook she suggests but I have a journal. At one time I also had a prayer journal in which I actually wrote down prayers. It was modeled after Beth Moore's "Whisper of Hope". I have dug it back out and I made a commitment to myself to begin journaling a daily prayer. The first one in this new section is a prayer of thanksgiving that none of my friends homes or persons were seriously damaged in today tornado that went through our area.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
Proverbs 31:12-13
Passage to Read:
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess you sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and half years.
James 5:15-17
Prayer
Dear Lord, I admit that at timkes my prayers are not always offered in faith. Sometimes they are rushed and couched in doubt. They are also offered as a last resort when every thing else that I have tried has failed. I often turn to you last instead of first. Many times in times of despair or sickness I turn this world's answer instead of turning to you and seeking your guidance and healing.
Thank you for promising to hear my prayers and raising up those who are sick. Help me not only interceed for others but also seek your help in my own healing. Tonight Lord I ask your healing for all who battle sickness and problems that sicken the soul. Send your healing to our world today as you did when Jesus and the first disciples walk the earth.
I confess my sins so that nothing will stand in the way of my prayers today. Forgive me Lord, particularly of my tendency to get so caught up in the things of this world that I rush through my prayers to you. Help me to be more consistent in my prayers for others.
Thank you for the assurance that the prayers of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Help me remember this promise. Remind me that it is through the sacrifices of my savior Jesus that I and others who believe can ask and believe that you not hear but will answer our prayers. Help me to realize that your answer may not be the one I wanted but to remember that you have only good for me and you know what is best.
Lord I thank you for you awesome love and the fact that you are faith and just to keep your promises. Give me the faith of a mustard seed so that my prayers can be made with the conviction that you will answer with the very best answer. Help me to remain faithful even when I don't understand or can't see your answer. Holy Spirit cleanse me so that with Christ's righteousness on me, I can pray with great power and effectiveness. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
Personal:
At the opening of this section Donna offered these quotes regarding prayer. "When we work, we work. But when we pray, God works." (source unknown) The other was a quote from the revival preacher Leonard Ravenhill who said "No Christian is greater than his prayer life". She then went on to challenge the reader to tithe their time in prayer which equals approximately 2 1/2 hours every day. She then states that when prayer becomes as natural as breathing, we will soon discover that you can pray without ceasing.
According to Donna prayer is not just something we do but a mindset, an attitude, an atmosphere we create.
In today's segment Donna talked about some different types of prayer and times to pray.
1. Begin your day with prayer asking God what his priorities are for your day.
2. Watchful prayers thoughout the day as a result of continued watching and an attitude of gratitude for opportunities he sends thoughout the day for us to pray.
3. God-prompted prayers which she said can get the most dramatic and immediate results. God-prompted prayers are those that clearly come from God calling to our mind something or someone in need of prayer.
She also stated that the purpose of prayer is to bring heaven's power to bear on earth's circumstances. She also again reminded me that I need to also listen during my morning prayer time and throughout the day. She suggests as have other authors that I keep a small notebook or journal along with a pen/pencil with my Bible in my prayer space to jot down those things that I sense God saying to me. Two most meaningful things to me that she said was that (1) my prayers need to be a two-way conversation and not a one-sided approach, a glorified gripe session. (2) That prayer can be the ultimate adventure. I have never considered the idea that my prayer life could be an adventure.
I guess that I need to follow her suggestion of asking the Holy Spirit to teach me how to be prayerful, watchful, and thankful. I do want to be a woman who makes a difference in the lives of other people, to bring about much good in the world.
Affirmation: I devote myself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Practical:
I don't have the notebook she suggests but I have a journal. At one time I also had a prayer journal in which I actually wrote down prayers. It was modeled after Beth Moore's "Whisper of Hope". I have dug it back out and I made a commitment to myself to begin journaling a daily prayer. The first one in this new section is a prayer of thanksgiving that none of my friends homes or persons were seriously damaged in today tornado that went through our area.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Day 9: Stay Planted in the Word of God
Scripture to Memorize:
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
Proverbs 31:12-13
Passage to Read:
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mocfkers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3
Prayer:
Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing me. Holy Spirit speak to my inner being and keep me from seeking guidance from the wicked (or the world but only from you). Keep me from associating with the ungodly and participating in their ungodly, worldly ways. Help me find my delight in the study of God's Word. Grant me insight and teachers, bring it to life as only you can. Teach me to meditate on Holy Scripture and guide me to the passages you want me to focus on. Holy One help me remain committed to the study of God's Word so that I might be like a tree that yields the fruit of the Spirit each in it's season. Help me to be fruitful for you. Help me . Lord! Amen.
Personal:
Donna's first comments under this section is to talk about the fact that if I am to become a "capable, dignified, and virtuous woman" it will require hard work, many years of hard work. I firmly believe that it is something that I will need to work on the rest of my through regular Bible Study, prayer, and devotion to following God.
She then shared a story about their three citrus trees not bearing any fruit not even a flower while all of her neighbors trees were loaded with blooms and then fruit. At first she felt it was unfair even bizarre until she discovered that six months earlier her husband had been working on the watering system and had turned it off and forgotten to turn it back on. Her next point was how we tend to look at other people's "blooms and fruit" and wonder why they are prospering when we are not. I want to label it as due to something beyond my control, something unfair, or bizarre; but if I am truthful I will have to admit that the cause is something I did or failed to do. It is a consequence of my own behavior. Cause and effect, actions and consequences of my actions.
Donna then went on to say that if I remain faithful and meditate on the Scripture I will prosper in season AND IN SEASON does not necessarily mean next week. I am not a very patient person, as most addicted people I want what I want and I wanted it yesterday. I want instant results. I live in a culture of instant. But God is not about instant. He is about the tree that takes years to mature and begin to produce fruit. Plus fruit trees only bear their fruit in the season when they bear fruit. Some may produce fruit in Spring, others in the Summer, and some in Fall.
To be blessed I need to stay planted in God's Words. Donna then urges the reader to become a more serious student of the Bible--to study, memorize, and meditate.
"The Proverbs 31 woman didn't become God's ideal woman overnight, and neither will we. But eventually she became the kind of woman everyone honored--a woman clothed with strength and dignity--ad so will we."
Affirmation: I study God's Word so my life is fruitful; everything I do prospers.
Personal:
Donna suggests using a page like the one below as a Bible Study tool.
Bible Study Worksheet
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Date: ___________________________
Passage: _______________________________
1. Summarize in a few sentences what the passage is about.
2. Is there an example for me to follow?
3. Is there an error I need to avoid?
4. Is there a command for me to obey?
5. Is there a sin I need to forsake?
6. What application of this passage can I make today?
Donna suggests that you begin a notebook to place several blank pages in this format, or to do it on a Word document to be printed off and kept in a notebook which you keep in your Bible Study/Time Alone With God place. I have done something like this in the past but find it difficult to remain diligent about it. I do better if the book in the Bible I'm studying is small. For me it works best under 10 chapters. I sometimes do this between studies. However, I still struggle with "Am I getting the message God wants me to get" even though I prayed before I began that day and asked the Holy Spirit to teach me and spend time after I finish with that days reading to just be quiet and wait on God's answer or guidance. I know this is partly the deceiver trying to discourage me but someone also suggested that I read smaller passages and really focus on grasping the message/lesson is a small passage keeping in mind the purpose of the book. Next time I do this possibly when I finish this study, or in the Summer I will take that suggestion and maybe incorporate some of the suggestions I have gleaned from Kay Arthur studies.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
Proverbs 31:12-13
Passage to Read:
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mocfkers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3
Prayer:
Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing me. Holy Spirit speak to my inner being and keep me from seeking guidance from the wicked (or the world but only from you). Keep me from associating with the ungodly and participating in their ungodly, worldly ways. Help me find my delight in the study of God's Word. Grant me insight and teachers, bring it to life as only you can. Teach me to meditate on Holy Scripture and guide me to the passages you want me to focus on. Holy One help me remain committed to the study of God's Word so that I might be like a tree that yields the fruit of the Spirit each in it's season. Help me to be fruitful for you. Help me . Lord! Amen.
Personal:
Donna's first comments under this section is to talk about the fact that if I am to become a "capable, dignified, and virtuous woman" it will require hard work, many years of hard work. I firmly believe that it is something that I will need to work on the rest of my through regular Bible Study, prayer, and devotion to following God.
She then shared a story about their three citrus trees not bearing any fruit not even a flower while all of her neighbors trees were loaded with blooms and then fruit. At first she felt it was unfair even bizarre until she discovered that six months earlier her husband had been working on the watering system and had turned it off and forgotten to turn it back on. Her next point was how we tend to look at other people's "blooms and fruit" and wonder why they are prospering when we are not. I want to label it as due to something beyond my control, something unfair, or bizarre; but if I am truthful I will have to admit that the cause is something I did or failed to do. It is a consequence of my own behavior. Cause and effect, actions and consequences of my actions.
Donna then went on to say that if I remain faithful and meditate on the Scripture I will prosper in season AND IN SEASON does not necessarily mean next week. I am not a very patient person, as most addicted people I want what I want and I wanted it yesterday. I want instant results. I live in a culture of instant. But God is not about instant. He is about the tree that takes years to mature and begin to produce fruit. Plus fruit trees only bear their fruit in the season when they bear fruit. Some may produce fruit in Spring, others in the Summer, and some in Fall.
To be blessed I need to stay planted in God's Words. Donna then urges the reader to become a more serious student of the Bible--to study, memorize, and meditate.
"The Proverbs 31 woman didn't become God's ideal woman overnight, and neither will we. But eventually she became the kind of woman everyone honored--a woman clothed with strength and dignity--ad so will we."
Affirmation: I study God's Word so my life is fruitful; everything I do prospers.
Personal:
Donna suggests using a page like the one below as a Bible Study tool.
Bible Study Worksheet
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Date: ___________________________
Passage: _______________________________
1. Summarize in a few sentences what the passage is about.
2. Is there an example for me to follow?
3. Is there an error I need to avoid?
4. Is there a command for me to obey?
5. Is there a sin I need to forsake?
6. What application of this passage can I make today?
Donna suggests that you begin a notebook to place several blank pages in this format, or to do it on a Word document to be printed off and kept in a notebook which you keep in your Bible Study/Time Alone With God place. I have done something like this in the past but find it difficult to remain diligent about it. I do better if the book in the Bible I'm studying is small. For me it works best under 10 chapters. I sometimes do this between studies. However, I still struggle with "Am I getting the message God wants me to get" even though I prayed before I began that day and asked the Holy Spirit to teach me and spend time after I finish with that days reading to just be quiet and wait on God's answer or guidance. I know this is partly the deceiver trying to discourage me but someone also suggested that I read smaller passages and really focus on grasping the message/lesson is a small passage keeping in mind the purpose of the book. Next time I do this possibly when I finish this study, or in the Summer I will take that suggestion and maybe incorporate some of the suggestions I have gleaned from Kay Arthur studies.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Day 8: Become Consciously Selective
Scripture to Memorize:
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
Provers 31:12-13
Passage to Read
Same as above
Guided Prayer (brain is fried tonight so am using Donna's from the book)
Dear Lord, help me to become more selective! I want to be more selective about the music I listen to, the movies and television programs I watch, and the people I allow to influence my life. Holy Spirit, empower me to be more selective about where I invest my time, money, energy, and other resources. I want to work with eager hands--to be diligent and not self-indulgent. In particular, I recognize the need to be less self-indulgent of my taste buds and far more selective about the food I put in my mouth and on my table. Everything matters to you, and I want to please you in all things. Lord, you know sometimes I have trouble getting in gear in the mornings. I believe you'll give me extra energy as I'm faithful to awake a little earlier each day, just to spend time with you and to get myself and my family off to a good. start. Help me to providee for the basic needs of my family and others who rely on me for guidance. Lord, give me super-natural selectivity. Amen. {Donna Partow Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be: A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life, pg. 46-47}
Personal:
In this section today Donna talks about how the Proverb 31 woman was selective. She was careful in the selections she made. I need to be selective in the choice I make. This is something that I have just started to do in recent years. First it was the television programs and movies I watched. Next it was the magazines I purchased. Then it was following the latest fashion trends. When I was going up my family did not have much money and my mother made almost all of our clothes. While I was in grade school that really did not matter because we wore the same things that the other children in our rural community wore. However, when I started high school it became a BIG issue. I did not have the latest clothes as some of the city girls had. Many of my clothes were hand me downs. This became a very big issue and when I got married I we were still poor and so money for a lot of clothes just wasn't in the budget particularly because my husband and I drank and money was spent on food and booze, diapers and formula, later baby food. So when I was divorced and had more money for me I started to spend more money on clothes and when I was by myself and make more money than I ever thought possible I became a clothes horse and that habit continued. It is still something I struggle with.
Donna shared a story about a child she had met on a mission trip. When the child came to the U.S. and was sent to the grocery store (as a teenager) to buy cereal she almost had a nervous breakdown. The cereal aisle alone had more food that her entire village grocery store.
Donna further shared that in many of the third world countries she has travelled to the people have very few options. Only one place to draw water, only one market to purchase or barter for goods, only one food staple. Life is difficult yet simple. She further stated that we have so many choices and therefore need to practice selectivity. She stated that unlimited options and unending choices are both a blessing and, in some ways, a tremendous burden.
I need to be more selective in the choices I make, not only in clothes, music, food, but how I spend my money, my time and who I spend it with. If I am going to become the woman God wants me to be, I am going to have to work at becoming consciously selected. I need to ask myself some difficult questions. I have to also ask myself is this item I am about to purchase, this action I am about to take, this person I am about to spend time with, something that is glorifying to God? Something He would want me to do? Does it reflect my true values or is it the path of least resistance? I need to start today to make more consciously selective choices.
Affirmation: I am consciously selective about how I invest my time, money, and other resources.
Practical: Donna asks the reader to analye the following areas and rank them 1-10 with 1 meaning the path of least resistance (conforming to the world) and 10 meaning you are consciously selective in that area.
Reading material: 3
Media exposure: 3
Fashion sense: 7
Financial priorities: 8
Family time: 2
Home life: 2
Diet/food selection: 8
Personal appearance: 5
Time usage: 7
What changes do I need to make. Reading material still occassional purchase a current fashion magazine like "More" this also plays into poor financial priorities. Media exposure is a little to heavy on scientific/history topics that can have a poor view of Christians and what the Bible says. For fashion sense I do still tend to follow current styles to closely. Financial priorities need to make fewer impulse buys. Since some of those impulse buys are food stuff that is not really good for me I need to make wiser food choices at the grocery store. I also tend to waste time at work talking, facebooking, reading blogs, etc.
The other practical suggestion is to add a selectivity page to my journal and divide it into three columns. My journal page is too small for that so I set aside some back pages and labeled a page for each of the column headings: "Books to Read", "Recommended Movies", and "Positive Projects", plus set aside additional pages for any ideas that come to mind over the next 81 days.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
Provers 31:12-13
Passage to Read
Same as above
Guided Prayer (brain is fried tonight so am using Donna's from the book)
Dear Lord, help me to become more selective! I want to be more selective about the music I listen to, the movies and television programs I watch, and the people I allow to influence my life. Holy Spirit, empower me to be more selective about where I invest my time, money, energy, and other resources. I want to work with eager hands--to be diligent and not self-indulgent. In particular, I recognize the need to be less self-indulgent of my taste buds and far more selective about the food I put in my mouth and on my table. Everything matters to you, and I want to please you in all things. Lord, you know sometimes I have trouble getting in gear in the mornings. I believe you'll give me extra energy as I'm faithful to awake a little earlier each day, just to spend time with you and to get myself and my family off to a good. start. Help me to providee for the basic needs of my family and others who rely on me for guidance. Lord, give me super-natural selectivity. Amen. {Donna Partow Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be: A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life, pg. 46-47}
Personal:
In this section today Donna talks about how the Proverb 31 woman was selective. She was careful in the selections she made. I need to be selective in the choice I make. This is something that I have just started to do in recent years. First it was the television programs and movies I watched. Next it was the magazines I purchased. Then it was following the latest fashion trends. When I was going up my family did not have much money and my mother made almost all of our clothes. While I was in grade school that really did not matter because we wore the same things that the other children in our rural community wore. However, when I started high school it became a BIG issue. I did not have the latest clothes as some of the city girls had. Many of my clothes were hand me downs. This became a very big issue and when I got married I we were still poor and so money for a lot of clothes just wasn't in the budget particularly because my husband and I drank and money was spent on food and booze, diapers and formula, later baby food. So when I was divorced and had more money for me I started to spend more money on clothes and when I was by myself and make more money than I ever thought possible I became a clothes horse and that habit continued. It is still something I struggle with.
Donna shared a story about a child she had met on a mission trip. When the child came to the U.S. and was sent to the grocery store (as a teenager) to buy cereal she almost had a nervous breakdown. The cereal aisle alone had more food that her entire village grocery store.
Donna further shared that in many of the third world countries she has travelled to the people have very few options. Only one place to draw water, only one market to purchase or barter for goods, only one food staple. Life is difficult yet simple. She further stated that we have so many choices and therefore need to practice selectivity. She stated that unlimited options and unending choices are both a blessing and, in some ways, a tremendous burden.
I need to be more selective in the choices I make, not only in clothes, music, food, but how I spend my money, my time and who I spend it with. If I am going to become the woman God wants me to be, I am going to have to work at becoming consciously selected. I need to ask myself some difficult questions. I have to also ask myself is this item I am about to purchase, this action I am about to take, this person I am about to spend time with, something that is glorifying to God? Something He would want me to do? Does it reflect my true values or is it the path of least resistance? I need to start today to make more consciously selective choices.
Affirmation: I am consciously selective about how I invest my time, money, and other resources.
Practical: Donna asks the reader to analye the following areas and rank them 1-10 with 1 meaning the path of least resistance (conforming to the world) and 10 meaning you are consciously selective in that area.
Reading material: 3
Media exposure: 3
Fashion sense: 7
Financial priorities: 8
Family time: 2
Home life: 2
Diet/food selection: 8
Personal appearance: 5
Time usage: 7
What changes do I need to make. Reading material still occassional purchase a current fashion magazine like "More" this also plays into poor financial priorities. Media exposure is a little to heavy on scientific/history topics that can have a poor view of Christians and what the Bible says. For fashion sense I do still tend to follow current styles to closely. Financial priorities need to make fewer impulse buys. Since some of those impulse buys are food stuff that is not really good for me I need to make wiser food choices at the grocery store. I also tend to waste time at work talking, facebooking, reading blogs, etc.
The other practical suggestion is to add a selectivity page to my journal and divide it into three columns. My journal page is too small for that so I set aside some back pages and labeled a page for each of the column headings: "Books to Read", "Recommended Movies", and "Positive Projects", plus set aside additional pages for any ideas that come to mind over the next 81 days.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Days 6 &7: Weekly Checkup & Weekly Reflection
Scripture to Memorize:
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11
Practical:
Weekly on day 6 check to see that I have completed all the assigned one-time tasks.
I have created my on-line journal (this blog).
I have written my personal vision statement and recorded it here.
I had already created a special prayer place.
I recommitted to spending time alone with God.
I have confronted areas of secret sin and am developing a battle plan to deal with them.
I have an accountability partner.
Weekly Evaluation:
1. Am I listening for and hearing God's voice? What is he saying to me?
Relax, slow down, I will help you cope with the workload you have. I will help you through this period. Don't lose your temper and don't gossip. Be an empathic listening ear without joining in the complaining. Offer advice only when asked.
2. Am I increasingly manifesting the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23)? What areas look encouraging? What needs prayers?
This week I did better in the areas of love, joy, faithfulness, and gentleness. Need prayer and work on patience (big time for this has long been a problem in my life), kindness, goodness, and self-control. I did better at not blowing up and saying things I shouldn't but did not do very well in self-control regarding food. I also made some purchases at the commissary for treats that we really did not need.
3. What did God teach me during my TAG?
Slow down and remain calm, it will get done but you (me) don't need to get yourself all worked up. I have felt like the "Frazzled Female" this week and God has been whisper in my ear not only during our time alone together but throughout my days "slow down, remain calm, easy does it". I just need to follow his lead.
4. Which priorities did I live by? Which goals did I pursue?
Because my God was find ways of pursuing a deeper relationship with God my priorities were lived by more this week than in the past few weeks but I still need to work at this more particularly in the morning. Mornings are a struggle for me because my mind and my body wants to stay in bed as long as I possibly can. Therefore, it is a struggle to get up a little earlier so that I can spend time alone with God first thing in the morning. This continued again this week. Most days I found myself rushing through my morning devotional and saying a hurried prayer before I started getting dressed and ready for work or my appointment before work.
5. Which priorities or goals did I neglect?
The ones I always tend to neglect--taking care of my body, my temple of God. Eating things that I really do not need to eat and not exercising. I did walk a little more because of the job but not nearly as much as I should. I also did not keep up with my food diary on Fitday and therefore, know that I ate way more than I needed/wanted too.
6. What new thing did I learn--about life, God, my family, and the people around me?
Learned how important being able to stop and talk with Giles during my day had become. When he was not there his quieting influence was missed. Susan is a good sounding board but she tends to be so fired up herself that she is more an aggitation than quieting. Learned that if I let him God continues to bless me with the beauty of his world.
7. What are my specific priorities/goals for the coming week?
Continue to keep my cool at work and not blow up at the diva but to treat her with kindness, patience, gentleness, and courtesy. To not give in to the tendency to gossip about her even when I disagree with her or something she did. To not work harder at client's recovery than they do but also to not get frustrated when they just "don't get it". To take better care of my body, God's holy temple.
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11
Practical:
Weekly on day 6 check to see that I have completed all the assigned one-time tasks.
I have created my on-line journal (this blog).
I have written my personal vision statement and recorded it here.
I had already created a special prayer place.
I recommitted to spending time alone with God.
I have confronted areas of secret sin and am developing a battle plan to deal with them.
I have an accountability partner.
Weekly Evaluation:
1. Am I listening for and hearing God's voice? What is he saying to me?
Relax, slow down, I will help you cope with the workload you have. I will help you through this period. Don't lose your temper and don't gossip. Be an empathic listening ear without joining in the complaining. Offer advice only when asked.
2. Am I increasingly manifesting the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23)? What areas look encouraging? What needs prayers?
This week I did better in the areas of love, joy, faithfulness, and gentleness. Need prayer and work on patience (big time for this has long been a problem in my life), kindness, goodness, and self-control. I did better at not blowing up and saying things I shouldn't but did not do very well in self-control regarding food. I also made some purchases at the commissary for treats that we really did not need.
3. What did God teach me during my TAG?
Slow down and remain calm, it will get done but you (me) don't need to get yourself all worked up. I have felt like the "Frazzled Female" this week and God has been whisper in my ear not only during our time alone together but throughout my days "slow down, remain calm, easy does it". I just need to follow his lead.
4. Which priorities did I live by? Which goals did I pursue?
Because my God was find ways of pursuing a deeper relationship with God my priorities were lived by more this week than in the past few weeks but I still need to work at this more particularly in the morning. Mornings are a struggle for me because my mind and my body wants to stay in bed as long as I possibly can. Therefore, it is a struggle to get up a little earlier so that I can spend time alone with God first thing in the morning. This continued again this week. Most days I found myself rushing through my morning devotional and saying a hurried prayer before I started getting dressed and ready for work or my appointment before work.
5. Which priorities or goals did I neglect?
The ones I always tend to neglect--taking care of my body, my temple of God. Eating things that I really do not need to eat and not exercising. I did walk a little more because of the job but not nearly as much as I should. I also did not keep up with my food diary on Fitday and therefore, know that I ate way more than I needed/wanted too.
6. What new thing did I learn--about life, God, my family, and the people around me?
Learned how important being able to stop and talk with Giles during my day had become. When he was not there his quieting influence was missed. Susan is a good sounding board but she tends to be so fired up herself that she is more an aggitation than quieting. Learned that if I let him God continues to bless me with the beauty of his world.
7. What are my specific priorities/goals for the coming week?
Continue to keep my cool at work and not blow up at the diva but to treat her with kindness, patience, gentleness, and courtesy. To not give in to the tendency to gossip about her even when I disagree with her or something she did. To not work harder at client's recovery than they do but also to not get frustrated when they just "don't get it". To take better care of my body, God's holy temple.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Day 5: Choose to Focus on the Positive
Scripture to Memorize:
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks for nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11
Passage to read:
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I do rejoice in you and I seek for the joy and rest I find in knowing you be manifest in my life as a gentle and quiet spirit. Thank you for walking with me and guiding me. Today because I have faith in your promises I will not be worried about anything. Instead I cast all my worries, petty concerns, and unquiet spirit on You. You have been very good to me and I thank you for your many blessings.
Holy Spirit, help me to remain in the peace of the Lord and recognize when I am not, even when my circumstances are less than peaceful. Give me a positive attitude that helps me focus on my blessings, the things I have to be grateful for instead of what is wrong in my life. As the verse say let me focus on wht is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. In other words help me to stay focused on Jesus because he is all of those things. Thank you for making it so simple and keep me from complicating it. In Jesus name, Amen.
The power of positive thinking. Donna shared several examples of how a positive outlook on life and a belief in people as good, the world around us as good instead of focusing on negativity and what is wrong with people and the world. Doctors know that if we have a positive outlook we recovery from illnesses more quickly, are less apt to get sick in the first place, and live longer and happier lives.
She also points out that if we treat people in positive ways they respond in positive ways. She further points out that it is our choice. We can chose to wallow in misery and negativity and feel sad, stressed out, and in general negative all the time or we can chose to be happy and think positively in which case we will generally be happier, healthier, and live longer. A negative attitude will also make the people around unhappy.
Another point is that a big step in becoming the woman God wants me to be has to do with focusing on what is right and not what is wrong, and turning my attention on the truth of God's Word. A major tool in having a positive mind is the use of affirmations. It is not enough to simply read the affirmation, I need to repeat it over and over again, frequently throughout the day, and day after day until they are incorporated into my belief system. "As you fill your mind with the truth about who God is and all the good things he has done in the past and desires to do in the future, the negative will eventually get washed away."
As I begin to think new toughts, my attitude changes, gradually the words I speak and the way I respond will change, and my behavior will also change.
Affirmation: I choose to focus on the positive, especially the truth of God's Word; therefore my life is filled with positive outcomes.
Practical.
Write the day's affirmations on Post-it notes or better yet spiral bound index cards and carry them with you everywhere you go. You can also write your own affirmations. Then anytime you a few free minutes repeat some or all of the affirmations out loud several times. You can do this anywhere you have to wait a few minutes.
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks for nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11
Passage to read:
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I do rejoice in you and I seek for the joy and rest I find in knowing you be manifest in my life as a gentle and quiet spirit. Thank you for walking with me and guiding me. Today because I have faith in your promises I will not be worried about anything. Instead I cast all my worries, petty concerns, and unquiet spirit on You. You have been very good to me and I thank you for your many blessings.
Holy Spirit, help me to remain in the peace of the Lord and recognize when I am not, even when my circumstances are less than peaceful. Give me a positive attitude that helps me focus on my blessings, the things I have to be grateful for instead of what is wrong in my life. As the verse say let me focus on wht is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. In other words help me to stay focused on Jesus because he is all of those things. Thank you for making it so simple and keep me from complicating it. In Jesus name, Amen.
The power of positive thinking. Donna shared several examples of how a positive outlook on life and a belief in people as good, the world around us as good instead of focusing on negativity and what is wrong with people and the world. Doctors know that if we have a positive outlook we recovery from illnesses more quickly, are less apt to get sick in the first place, and live longer and happier lives.
She also points out that if we treat people in positive ways they respond in positive ways. She further points out that it is our choice. We can chose to wallow in misery and negativity and feel sad, stressed out, and in general negative all the time or we can chose to be happy and think positively in which case we will generally be happier, healthier, and live longer. A negative attitude will also make the people around unhappy.
Another point is that a big step in becoming the woman God wants me to be has to do with focusing on what is right and not what is wrong, and turning my attention on the truth of God's Word. A major tool in having a positive mind is the use of affirmations. It is not enough to simply read the affirmation, I need to repeat it over and over again, frequently throughout the day, and day after day until they are incorporated into my belief system. "As you fill your mind with the truth about who God is and all the good things he has done in the past and desires to do in the future, the negative will eventually get washed away."
As I begin to think new toughts, my attitude changes, gradually the words I speak and the way I respond will change, and my behavior will also change.
Affirmation: I choose to focus on the positive, especially the truth of God's Word; therefore my life is filled with positive outcomes.
Practical.
Write the day's affirmations on Post-it notes or better yet spiral bound index cards and carry them with you everywhere you go. You can also write your own affirmations. Then anytime you a few free minutes repeat some or all of the affirmations out loud several times. You can do this anywhere you have to wait a few minutes.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Day 4: Be a Woman Worthy of Confidence
Scripture to Memorize:
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11
Passage to Read:
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
Proverbs 31:10-12
Dear heavenly Father, my deepest desire is to become a wife of noble character. Help me to always remember that the real test of my character is who I am when no one is watching. Help me to make the choices that I know are pleasing to you and not the choices that the world would have me make or the choices that are pleasing for others. Although I can never attain perfection in this life help me to strive to do my best and not allow this fact to keep me from doing what I know is right. Help me to not use this inability to reach perfection as an excuse to do whatever I want, to follow the world and to seek the approval of others and not you. I to do your will and to be of service to you. Thank you for loving me and guiding me, Father God. Empower me to live a life of grateful servic in response. Amen
Do I bring good and not harm to my husband, my employer, my friends and can they have confidence in me?
Am I the kind of woman that God can have full confidence in?
How might I bring harm to God? The most obvious way for an earthly husband to be harmed is to create jealousy in him by pursuing other exclusive relationships. The very first commandment tells me how important this issue is to God. I am to have no other God before Him. I am to have God first in my life.
I bring God good by living in such a way that he can have full confidence in me. A good wife is one who does the right thing even when her husband isn't watching, who remains faithfuol and diligent no matter the circumstances. She is trustworthy. Since I am completely faithful to my earthly husband, then I need to even more so to God. I need to be trustworthy in secret things so God can have full confidence that I will bring him good, not harm, all the days of my life.
This was defineately not always the case. There were many times in the past in my addictive life where I was not to be trusted. No one friends, employers, co-workers, family members, could truely trust me because I operated on my own self-will. I brought harm to God and every one around me. My god was my addictions and what I wanted. I think my loving God that he did not leave me in that condition, that as a shepherd seeks after his lost sheep, God continued to seek after me. When the time was right he drew me home much as the prodigal son was drawn home because his misey was so great, I turned around and sought my way back to God. It was a slow and rocky journey. However, it more blessed that I have now returned home I know that I am forgiven and my Father in heaven not only welcomed me home with open arms but He and the angels threw a banquet in heaven rejoicing that the one who was lost is now restored;
Affirmation: I bring God good, not harm, all the days of my life.
Practical: Some things that can bring God harm that I must continue to guard against. Gossiping, anger, resentments, placing approval of others before God, lying, tearing others down to build myself up. I need to be sure that others continue to know these tendencies and keep me accountable for doing what God would have me do to be a woman worthy of His confidence.
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11
Passage to Read:
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
Proverbs 31:10-12
Dear heavenly Father, my deepest desire is to become a wife of noble character. Help me to always remember that the real test of my character is who I am when no one is watching. Help me to make the choices that I know are pleasing to you and not the choices that the world would have me make or the choices that are pleasing for others. Although I can never attain perfection in this life help me to strive to do my best and not allow this fact to keep me from doing what I know is right. Help me to not use this inability to reach perfection as an excuse to do whatever I want, to follow the world and to seek the approval of others and not you. I to do your will and to be of service to you. Thank you for loving me and guiding me, Father God. Empower me to live a life of grateful servic in response. Amen
Do I bring good and not harm to my husband, my employer, my friends and can they have confidence in me?
Am I the kind of woman that God can have full confidence in?
How might I bring harm to God? The most obvious way for an earthly husband to be harmed is to create jealousy in him by pursuing other exclusive relationships. The very first commandment tells me how important this issue is to God. I am to have no other God before Him. I am to have God first in my life.
I bring God good by living in such a way that he can have full confidence in me. A good wife is one who does the right thing even when her husband isn't watching, who remains faithfuol and diligent no matter the circumstances. She is trustworthy. Since I am completely faithful to my earthly husband, then I need to even more so to God. I need to be trustworthy in secret things so God can have full confidence that I will bring him good, not harm, all the days of my life.
This was defineately not always the case. There were many times in the past in my addictive life where I was not to be trusted. No one friends, employers, co-workers, family members, could truely trust me because I operated on my own self-will. I brought harm to God and every one around me. My god was my addictions and what I wanted. I think my loving God that he did not leave me in that condition, that as a shepherd seeks after his lost sheep, God continued to seek after me. When the time was right he drew me home much as the prodigal son was drawn home because his misey was so great, I turned around and sought my way back to God. It was a slow and rocky journey. However, it more blessed that I have now returned home I know that I am forgiven and my Father in heaven not only welcomed me home with open arms but He and the angels threw a banquet in heaven rejoicing that the one who was lost is now restored;
Affirmation: I bring God good, not harm, all the days of my life.
Practical: Some things that can bring God harm that I must continue to guard against. Gossiping, anger, resentments, placing approval of others before God, lying, tearing others down to build myself up. I need to be sure that others continue to know these tendencies and keep me accountable for doing what God would have me do to be a woman worthy of His confidence.
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