Proverbs 31 - Week 10

Week 10 is centered on Family Relationships: Love your husband, Cherish your children, Establish family traditions, Honor the Sabbath and Live in peace. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? Oh, that it were!

This week's Scripture memory is Proverbs 31: 28-29, Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Now, before you roll on the floor laughing at the thought of your husband saying that about you, think about how wonderful it would be to actually hear your husband say that about you - and mean it!

In the guided prayer Donna states: "I want him to be madly in love with me, inside and out." Isn't that really what we all want? If we lived our life knowing that our husband was madly in love with us, inside and out, we would be much happier and alot easier to love! And, isn't that what God wants from us, to be madly in love with Him? How much simpler life would be. Donna goes on to say, "There's something very special about knowing your husband thinks you are the greatest, even if you're not." So true! Suggested reading: The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

Next, let's explore the legacy of Susanna Wesley. Donna tells us Susanna had 19 children with whom she spent 30 minutes of 1-on-1 time with each week. Two of her sons, John and Charles Wesley were key components in the Great Awakening in England. Charles a great song writer and John harkened as the father of the Methodist and Wesleyan religions. One of the men John Wesley led to the Lord was John Taylor who became a preacher. His sons and grandsons became preachers and one of his great-grandsons was J. Hudson Taylor who became the founder of the China Inland Mission. All-in-all, 9 generations of preachers in the Taylor family. Also impacted by one of the Wesley sons was Jonathan Edwards, "The state of New York did a study on five generations of the Edwards family and found that of their 729 descendants, 300 were preachers, 65 became college professors, 13 were university professors, 60 were authors, 3 were congressmen, and 1 became vice president of the United States." WOW! What a legacy, because one woman taught her children to read the Bible and love the Lord.

Establish family traditions was one of my favorite sessions. Just to take a calendar or scratch paper and list all of the things we do as a family every year. To see it all laid out month-by-month for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, summer was a pleasure! This is another great opportunity to involve the whole family. You can find out what they remember and look forward to on each event. Start with: "We always..." and fill in the blanks for each month or event. This is also a great way to find out what is really memorable for your family members and make sure you don't forget that part next time :)

This entire book revolves around the next one: Honor the Sabbath. The book states every Sunday, this is not a day to catch up on things, this is a day to rest and reflect. Donna provides a simple guideline: "If it's work-related or stressful, don't do it. If it's restful, do it."

Lastly, Live in Peace. We all know that we have to forgive others like Christ forgave us. Here are five questions to ask yourself to live in peace:

1. Am I repaying evil for evil?
2. Am I careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody?
3. As far as it depends on me, am I living at peace?
4. Am I taking revenge?
5. Am I leaving justice in the hands of the only One who judges justly?

Enjoy your family this week!

Christina