Friday, February 8, 2013

#254 - REJUVENATE! Take a BREAK! :)


Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.
Ok ladies... let's get down to it. Today, let's talk about your strength level. Have you felt run down? Tired? Frustrated? Follow me on this... we're going to jump through a few word studies to really dig in and get a deeper understanding... and by the end, I really feel like the Word is going to help you. In the least, I feel like It will give you a place to start, where you can begin to come out of some of the exhaustion you may be feeling right now.

We don't typically use the word "gird" on a regular basis, so I decided to look it up to get some other definitions.... one of the 2 definitions was strengthens. To get a more firm, overall description, I checked out the synonyms as well. Here were a few of my favorites:

  • secures, supports, reinforces, encompass, fortify, ready, prepares. 
Some of my favorite synonyms for strengthen included:

  • bolster, empower, enhance, increase, intensify, regenerate, rejuvenate, renew, restore, support, sustain, add fuel to the fire, built up
As a mom, working woman, business owner, wife, or a woman seeking to pursue and chase God, I know you most likely have days where you feel run down, exhausted, worn out. Maybe you have those days where you'd just like to rewind time and go back to when it was simple. Maybe a day before kids? Not that you'd trade them in or anything, you obviously love them... but the days before you felt like all you were doing was wiping noses, fixing food, doing dishes, picking up spilled food from under the table, cleaning up toys, changing someones clothes again, and then fixing the next meal! Some days it seems like a never ending cycle?! Or maybe you are in the corporate world, and you are fixing their problems... maybe different than a 3 year olds, but the same thing just different. Returning email, answering questions, answering the phone, fixing problems, changing pricing, refunding money, working late, checking voicemail, talking to your boss, analyzing your numbers, and the list goes on. 

All the more reason this is for you!!!

Let's check out our verse again, you are going to LIKE the outcome!!! A break is in store for you!!! Get excited!!

As we look at the life of the Proverbs 31 woman, I don't know about you, but for me if I just read about who she is & what she does, it could DEFINITELY be overwhelming! Here she is this perfect person, doing everything, making money, traveling afar to get food for her house, waking up early, staying up late.... I mean really, when does this perfect woman sleep?!? And GOD, I'm suppose to be like her?!? I'm exhausted already, how can I do more?? --- Does that sound like the conversation you have with God when you consider this Proverbs 31 woman? Well, lets dive into some good news!! :) 

In the past, I viewed Proverbs 31:17 from a fitness perspective. I always focused on the later part of the verse, "girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong and firm." So, "Great," some of you may be thinking, "Not only am I suppose to do all this other stuff, but I'm ALSO suppose to work out and attempt to get buff arms?! Who has time for that? I'm already not sleeping if I'm attaining to be this woman!" 

Let's plug in a few of the synonyms that we looked up... 
  • Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself in strength...
  • She rejuvenates herself in strength... 
  • She prepares herself renewed...
  • She fortifies herself being built up...
  • She adds fuel to the fire for herself being rejuvenated ...
Take a snapshot. Run down. Tired. Worn out. Going every day. There is never a break for mom. Always more to do. Things to be done. Laundry. Food. Dishes. 

How can you add fuel to the fire and be rejuvenated? What are some things that rejuvenate you??? I can think of a list of things for me. Let's start out... you list out yours... but here are a few things that rejuvenate me:
  • Going to see a movie by myself (without kids) .... or with my husband.
  • Watching a good chick flick on netflix. Maybe in sweats and a sweatshirt, on my laptop, in my bed, eating popcorn. Hummmm..... a few favorites.... The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia, Letters to Juliet
  • Taking a bubble bath. 
  • Doing a CRAFT project. Maybe something I saw on Pinterest (things that I typically wouldn't do because I would consider them unproductive, frivolous, extras)
  • Writing.
  • Working on a scrapbook. 
  • Sitting in a coffee shop by myself. :) 
Those are just a few for me. Well, our PROVERBS 31 WOMAN, this Perfect picture of a woman, She actually TOOK TIME FOR HERSELF!!!

Those of you who know me, know that Tyler and I both take ONE day a week where it is our Day of Rest. On that day, we rejuvenate! For Tyler, his "rejuvenating" looks like a documentary.... (arghhhh, just the word documentary practically puts me to sleep!). To me, rejuvenating, means unwinding my brain and sewing something for Trinity or making a headband for me, doing a craft project for my home, watching a movie, getting out by myself! 

We also know that God Himself, worked 6 days and rested ONE! Tyler and I have worked it into our schedule that we work 6 days and rest 1. We REJUVENATE 1 day out of the week! Now... some weeks it isn't perfect, it may be a 1/2 day. Or maybe it doesn't work out for Tyler to have the kids, so I still have to be "mom" and feed people. But even on those "unperfect" Day of Rests (DOR's), I still do fun, restful thing. Maybe I veg-out and watch a movie while the kids nap. Maybe they play outside while I read on a blanket. Even on the "unperfect" DOR's.... we still make it work. Instead of fixing dinner (aka: mom working), we may go to Cici's where kids eat free! I don't have to cook, so I get a break... and it's a break of the normal routine! 

MOM's - YOU being rejuvenated is IMPORTANT for YOU! Your health! Your husband! Your kids! Your spiritual walk! Your dreams being accomplished! I've tried it both ways! I've tried it working 7 days a week, never taking a break or breather, 365! And I've tried it rested. Getting 1 day/week where I mentally take off, and 6 days of working. I can tell you, from experience, when I am rested from that 1 day, I accomplish MOUNDS more on the other 6 days! On my DOR, I can plan, evaluate my goals, talk to God, dream about where I'm going. 

So.... 

PERMISSION GRANTED... obviously check for yourself .... but, mom's (and dad's...and non-parents)... take a DAY OFF! :) Biblical, from what I read, I say YES, ABSOLUTELY. If you're spouse can't give you a complete day off... that's ok, take it anyways. If they are not going to participate, let them know YOUR plan. "Honey, today, I'm taking a DOR. Pizza for dinner tonight. I'm not cleaning, cooking, or doing anything that looks like work. I'm going to REST. And tomorrow, I'll hit the ground RUNNING! Being rejuvenated and ready to TACKLE our dreams and goals (and laundry!)!" 

Rejuvenate. 

xoxo!

(OK.... kids are awake now! My apologies for not going through to spell-check! Thanks for your grace if there are grammatical errors!)









 
 







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