Proverbs 31:28
Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
To some it might seem like I'm claiming that this is what my children and husband do; bless me and praise me. And while I don't feel I
have to explain myself and my new tattoo to anyone, I
want to share the meaning behind it. Here it goes; my confession.
I know this might be difficult to believe, but I haven't always been the
(rarely) perfect wife and mother that I am today. Just five years ago, my life was much more centered around me and my needs and wants for life. I wasn't as patient with Payton as I could have been and I wasn't as accepting of Matt as I needed to be
(among other things).
During a bible study a few years ago, I was reading this passage and God clearly told me that I needed to work to be A Wife of Noble Character by today's standards.
(I obviously don't need to make sure my "hands are busy spinning thread" (Proverbs 31:19) but I can make sure my time is well spent. ) I needed to change. I needed to focus on what God had called a wife and mother to be. I began making changes in my life; some were much harder than others. But over time God changed my heart and showed me how I could be what he was calling me to be.
The tattoo does not make me a Wife of Noble Character. It is not my claim that I am a Wife of Noble Character. Only God, lots of hard work by me and support from people who love me can do that. My tattoo is not a boast of what I have become, but a reminder of what God, my children and my husband need me to be. I need reminders in my life...lots of reminders.
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.
22 She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the L
ord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Proverbs 31:28
Our first night was spent just getting settled in and reacquainted. Sunday, we took the boys on their first ride on the Metro and went to see Chinatown and Cars 2. Since then, we've been busy almost every day. (I was down with a flu/cold type thing and a high fever for about 12 hours.) We've been to a lot of great museums, great sites and had a lot of great experiences. I would love to recap each and every moment, but I just don't have the time to type it all out. I have uploaded a lot of images on Facebook, and I also posted them in our Picasa Album. 
