God's ideal of family is togetherness.

I felt especially convicted this morning as I was reading through His Word. He says that we are to work together as a family for profit and not as individuals. I have gotten really mobby the last couple of weeks feeling sorry for myself that I don't have something to call my own like my husband has his own business. He is out everyday. Not that his job is easy or even safe, but at least he gets to socialize with people over 4 foot tall that can carry on a conversation about more than what they want to eat, who's picking on them or asking for their bottom, face or nose to be wiped.

I love my children dearly and have to remind myself often in the midst of the 3rd load of laundry that day that I am living my dream. Well, at least my dream of getting to stay home. I pictured it a little differently than what it actually is, but I'm thankful for the opportunity all the same.

I sometimes find myself feeling alone on my own little island of dishes and housework and it is drained. Wishing I too had something more I could be doing to contribute to life.

Then as I was studying I realized that I already do have that opportunity. I often look at Allen's business as HIS business. But as a family it is ours. It is my chance to shine as his secretary, his bookkeeper, his encourager. I have really slacked the last couple of months even attempting to help out with all the paperwork feeling like this was his dream and that he should be the one to take care of it or hire someone to do so.

It is another of my goals to help him become more organized with all the paperwork, keep up with it so as to have one less burden and for me to be able to share with him the blessing God has before us in his business and for us as a family. I want our kids to grow up feeling just as much a part of this business as if they helped build it themselves. I wonder how this applies to 2 income families that do not own their own business? I know not everyone in the Bible was a business owner, but it seems that even if a husband worked for another man, that his sons and wife went along and did also. This will be something for future study.

Oh How She Mocks Me.

There are days that I wish I could claim that the Bible just is not relevant in this day and age. Days I wish I could claim ignorance of the law. Days I wish God really was not Omnipotent and did not know the lifestyle of the 21st century from the beginning. But the fact is, He did. Yet He still felt compelled to inspire a writing about the Proverbs woman.

I would have loved to have seen this woman. However, she was not really one in particular woman. She was the kind of woman that was being recommended to King Lemuel by his mother. His mom was guiding him as to what qualities to look for when he was considering a bride to be His Queen. So why I have I let this woman taunt me each time I walk in the front room too tired to pick up another toy? Because I want to be like her so bad!

I want to have my to do list completed at the end of each day, she didn't have a Outlook Calendar. I want to have all my laundry caught up, she didn't have a super capcity washer and dryer. I want to have all the business paperwork completed and filed away neatly, she didn't even have Excel, Quicken or Turbotax. I want to feed my kids and take fresh homemade bread and cookies to the neighbors, she didn't have a bread machine or an Easy Bake oven to let her little one help. I want to be so creative at Home school and Devotions that the kids praise me at the park, she didn't have Sonlight, Abekka or Konos. I want to be able to go grocery shopping and not lose the rest of the day, she didn't have a Supercenter and a freezer to bring items home in stock.

I don't even remember how to thread my sewing machine anymore. And the garden and yard? I don't have to worry about the flowers as my kids seem to love to pick them all, and I'm considering getting a goat to take care of the weeds. We usually do have a garden each summer, but not a big one that requires meticulous care and attention and then provides us with extra to allow me to can for the winter.

She on top of all of that was involved in charities for the poor, does it count if I drop coins in the Salvation Army bucket at Christmas? She made real estate deals. Does it count that we've been remodeling for almost 3 years? She was so wise and kind with her words, yet I sometimes relate more with the woman who invented Prozac. She got up early, stayed up late and kept busy all day long, I do do that. In fact, the last two nights of watching American Idol, I used as snuggle time with the kids and they loved it, so I was multi-tasking then. Not really busy though, uh?

Her husband was so proud of her and she even built him up to his business associates. I didn't even get Christmas cards out this year for them. And I wonder how proud my husband is when he unexpectedly brings home an employee for lunch and I'm still in my sweats and hair in a ponytail. The only thing that I can say in my defense is, "Where are MY servant girls?!"

So it is my goal starting each new day to strive to get through my task list. However, if there is a cry for help on a project, I will place my priority with my hubby. If there is a rug burned knee, I'll place my priority on the child in pain, if there is a friend with a hurting heart, I'll place my priority to be in prayer for them, if there is child in need of snuggling and love, I'll place my priority on time with them. So while we have an open door policy at our home for friends and family to find a place of love and comfort, you will not probably find Better Homes and Gardens, you will not find a beautiful model or even someone remotely as organized as June Cleaver in pantihose and heals, you will not find the smoothest running and organized home office. But you then you'll know you have found me.