Proverbs 31 - Week 8

First, let me apologize again for the delay. My summer routine is not yet established, but I am working on it!

This week's lessons begin with a remarkable passage from I Thessalonians 4:11-12: Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (NIV)

Let's break that down a bit.

1. Lead a quiet life.
2. Mind your own business.
3. Work with your hands. (and do what you're told.)

And the results are:

1. Your daily life may win respect.
2. You will not be dependent on anybody.

Well, that sounds just fabulous to me!!! Where do I sign up?

Although there is some room for inspiration here, you could say that "mind your own business" refers to gossiping or nosiness. I am taking it to mean attending to my own line of business, whatever God wants that to be at this time in my life. For some time now and for many reasons, I have had a desire to have my own business. To be able to assist with the family budget in more ways than clipping coupons and shopping for sales. To have the sense of accomplishment that comes with making something to sell or to be consumed by others. To simply have conversations with other moms/adults that don't involve cartoons or crayons :) I can't quite figure out what to do. I would love to bake bread, cookies and pies to sell; have an online Christian book store; make beaded jewelry for sale at a local consignment shop. There are so many ideas.

Donna imparts so much wisdom this week, here are a few of her highlights:

• "...women start twice as many businesses as men and are far more likely to succeed."
• "...God intended the home to be the center of our lives, not just the place we come to recover from our lives."
• "...any woman can make extra money from home is she is willing to work."
• "...include your children in your business so they learn to be entrepreneurial and self-sufficient under God's sufficiency..."
• "...the Proverbs 31 woman had multiple streams of income...She operated various manufacturing and direct-selling enterprises: 'She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.' She invested in real estate: 'She considers a field and buys it.' ...she reinvested the profits into yet another income-generating business: 'Out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.' ...she diversified her income streams. If we are wise, we will do the same."
• "In direct selling companies, the person who does the work earns the money."
• "The best part about joining forces with an existing business is that you don't have to start from scratch."
• "Just $250 per month, beginning at age forty, will yield $330,000 for your retirement."
• "...there is no hard-and-fast rule that applies to all investing - except one: to profit from your investments, we have found it is vital always to diversify them. ...Ecclesiastes 11:2: 'Divide your means seven ways, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth (NRSV)." -Tamera Aragon
• "There are two ways for investors to make money in real estate: appreciation [when you sell or refinance; buy and sell] and cash flow [month after month, as long as you own the property; buy and hold]." - Tamera Aragon
• Real estate investments to consider: Rental properties, Lease options, Fixer-uppers, Vacant land, Forced appreciation, Preconstruction, Foreclosures.
• Internet Marketing: eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, etc.

Suggested reading:

• Homemade Business: A Woman's Step-by-Step Guide to Earning Money at Home - Donna Partow
• www.donnapartow.com/homebasedbusiness
• Multiple Streams of Income - Robert Allen

Next week, a true need for improvement for me, we will discuss Household Management. Hold on to your hat Martha!