Proverbs 31:10-31

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.

She selects wool and flax
       and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,
       bringing her food from afar.

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

She considers a field and buys it;
       out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;
       her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,
       and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff
       and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor
       and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
       for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;
       she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,
       where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,
       and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
       she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,
       and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household
       and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;
       her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things,
       but you surpass them all."

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
       but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,
       and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

 Why Follow a Schedule? 

Those who know me well know that I love to organize. I love schedules and lists and charts and calendars. Not everyone shares my passion for organization, so you may be asking yourself, "Do I really need a schedule?"

Do you find that you no longer have time for hobbies that you once enjoyed? Did you set aside knitting or card-making when the responsibilities of keeping the home increased? Did you stop baking bread or cooking from scratch as your family size grew? Or perhaps you always wanted to do these things but thought that you just didn't have the time?

When we were expecting our second son everyone told me, "Well now you won't have time to do all that baking", or "You will have to learn to accept a messy house", "It's too bad you won't have time to make those pretty cards anymore".

Well I knew that we had hopes of a large family and that we were praying for God to bless us with children. But I also knew that I loved homemaking and making things and that my husband found these qualities endearing. I knew that the smell of freshly baked bread added to the comforting atmosphere of our home. And I knew that seeing the things that I made for our home made my husband happy and that he appreciated the love and time that went into making them. There had to be a way to hold on to these as our family grew!

I needed a plan. A good, working schedule that included time for all that we wanted to accomplish. A schedule that would include time for prayer, time for our children, time for our home, and time for the things that I enjoy.

At first following a schedule can feel daunting. It may feel restrictive or rigid. Many many times I have been tempted to just throw the schedule out of the window. But whenever I stray from the schedule I find myself feeling like I am drowning in a sea of laundry, rushing to get the basics done, throwing dinner together at the end of the day and frustrated that I have had no time for the activities that I enjoy.

But what a sense of accomplishment I feel when my husband comes home to a neat and tidy home with a lovingly prepared dinner waiting on the table. And the children excitedly tell him about what we did during school, and I show him the needlework that I am working on.

Following the schedule gives our home a sense of order. We have found that our children are better behaved and that the chaos that disorganization creates seems to fade away. I feel better prepared in my duties as wife and mother, my husband is pleased to know that his home is well ordered and the children feel secure in the routine.

II Thessalonians 3:11-12
"For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."

    "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." ~ Titus 2:5