#1 - Learn from the Lazy!

The boy is still sleeping and I have just wrapped up a great time reading & meditating on the Word. What is the difference a lot of people may ask? Reading is simply taking in content.... whereas, meditating is taking the content and actually LISTENING. Listening to what? Listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. What does HE have to say about what you are reading? Does He have specific direction or a specific word for YOU about YOUR life? Over the last year, meditating has brought me an abundance of amazing incite into who the Proverbs 31 Woman is.

My daily Proverb... Since today is the 24th, Proverbs 24 it is..... is there anything that jumps out that is a good cross reference to the Proverbs 31 Woman? It is amazing that still after doing this every month for the last year, the Holy Spirit is STILL giving me new and fresh incite! DAILY! His Voice is still fresh and new.

Proverbs 24:30-34 - I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; ³¹And, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone wall was broken down.³²Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction.³³Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep-- ³⁴So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.

So....What about this Proverbs 31 Woman? Where does she differ? We already know she is the DEAL!! One of my favorite verses...and I always pull text from the Amplified Version.

Proverbs 31:16 ^_ She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

The Proverbs 31 Woman.... check out what she has planted... FRUITFUL VINES in her Vineyard! She is getting a return on her investment! Not to state the obvious, but she does several things before even planting a vineyard that the lazy man does not do.

1. She prayerfully considers, "Is this new undertaking something I have time for? Should I say Yes or NO to this new task? Will it take away from what I am currently doing?
2. After considering this, that it WILL not take away from her present duties and tasks on her full plate, she determines that she CAN add this while still being able to do all the other things she is working on.

One thing about the Proverbs 31 woman, just by looking at verse 16... since she CONSIDERS a new field before accepting it.... at times this Proverbs 31 Woman has most likely also said the Holy, Spiritual, Religious word, a lot of us need to learn to say more often, and that is the word, "NO!" In verse 16, she was able to "accept the new field" after CONSIDERATION.... but, just the fact that she has gone through this "ritual" tells me she has also said "NO" to accepting fields before.

NO! NO! NO! It is OK to say NO! Just because you are offered something, does not mean it needs to be yes! It can be NO! Just because someone wants you to attend an event....sometimes the most spiritual answer to their request is NO! Being the new PTA President may seem like a great opportunity, but like the Proverbs 31 woman, if it is going to make you neglect the current duties and spread you too thin.... then with direction and Wisdom from the Holy Spirit the best answer may be NO! That also means adding your child to his/her 2nd or 3rd summer league, which means more driving, shuffling schedules, more games to attend, more this, more that, more planning, more grabbing food on the go... more... more... more... maybe it should be NO! What a spiritual Word! NO! Doesn't it feel good just to say it? NO NO NO NO NO!!!! Ahhh.

But, lets jump back again to Proverbs 24....

...Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction.³³Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep-- ³⁴So shall your poverty come as a robber...

What can we learn? What are the consequences? First of all, this "Wise person" in Proverbs, looked at the lazy person... they "considered it well" to receive instruction from them and LEARN from their.....hum... let's say stupidity. In being lazy, poverty and lack has and will come upon this person.

Check it out... even just one LIKE word in both sets of scripture, CONSIDER. Consider what you are going to do. CONSIDER! Learn from those lack or void of Wisdom. CONSIDER. Consider before adding tasks and new obligations. Consider!

An unfortunate disadvantage to NOT CONSIDERING is POVERTY! It could be "poverty" in the most common sense of the word, and that be in one's finances. But let's look at the other areas where poverty could be brought in from NOT CONSIDERING. Poverty in ones health - being spread too thin, adds stress, puts you to bed later - so adds lack of sleep, can very well bring weeds to other areas of life that is neglected. Poverty to ones health in the realm of "physical fitness", not able to be good to your body in being fit... causing the extra pounds to be added, flab to replace where muscle once was. Poverty in eating properly... adding too many obligations and the "Drive-Thru.....Fast Food" becomes a source of dinner on the go.... versus eating a healthy meal at home with fruits, vegetables, milk, fish or good lean proteins. Poverty in Relationships... what about your spouse? Does this busy schedule lend itself to growing further and further from your spouse because you are going two directions? Are you putting yourself in harms way to be a "statistic" of America's marriages? 50+% of marriages ending in divorce.

Can you CONSIDER before accepting the next obligation? Maybe the answer to it should be No? :)

Well... the boy is now talking. :) He is so cute. He is probably ready to eat... and so is mama! :)

11:21 am.... Monday.... signing off....