For Divine Nature goal #2, we are to read Proverbs 31:10-31, the Proclamation on the Family, and two conference talks on womanhood, and identify the attributes of mothers by asking mothers we respect what they consider important attributes.
I love the Proverbs verses. (They are linked above – click there)
From those verses, I would begin with the attributes of caring for her husband, speaking positively always especially about family all they days of her life. Seeking wool and fine linen to have clothing for her family that is cared for and beautiful by the work of her hands.
Like the merchants ships, bringing food from afar, she finds a way to bring good food to feed her family, seeking out a healthy array of different menus to fill the health needs of her family.
Love this part "She riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens." It is ok to have maidens, friends helping her to accomplish all that transpires for her family – I feel like I have maidens in the office, helping me to meet all the needs of our clients. I have felt that a secret is to use the hours of the night as productive time. Mothers of old used these quiet times to provide meat. I don't believe this is actual meat, but rather money. The work that I do in the middle of the night helps to provide money to support our family. I do the books for the law office. I am grateful that much of this work can be done in the middle of the night. Sometimes I must leave my little ones during the day to work at the office, but most often I accomplish this 'while it is night.' Cool!
With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. I love to work in the garden. The past couple of years it hasn't been a great harvest! Last year while I was away, helpers brought compost from the horses to put into the garden boxes to help enrich the soil. They did that alright – they planted them full of hay! It has been a nightmare! Last year the soil was so hot, it burned everything up but the hay seeds! This year it is not that the soil is so hot, but the hay seeds are still growing abundantly, choking everything else out! What a joy – I will have a garden again! Next year I am going to redo our St. George garden boxes, raising them higher, and lining them so we don't have the morning glory or hay seeds infesting them! We did plant a garden again this year at our Fox Hunt house. From that garden we are harvesting daily! The cucumbers are delicious. We have three kinds of tomatoes we are enjoying daily! I am grateful for success on one of the gardens anyway! The kids and I came up last Thursday night. We have had a great time with family! Friday night we had a party at H & D's beautiful home, thank you for opening your doors so freely to us! It was fun to see everyone! Then Sat. B picked up C from camp, and he came up with J!
Oh, I haven't posted that J WON the Vegas Tournament! He was so excited! That happened Friday night with he and B in LV. Fun! J has now received four offers for scholarships playing basketball. Two are in CA to Jr. colleges, which isn't a problem because he is done with his Associates Degree – he needs a four year school! The other two are on the East coast – Houghton in NY and Southern Virginia University with is a predominately LDS school. Both good options – but both far away! I fasted for him to be guided in this important decision. I don't know where or what he is to do. This week B has encouraged him to go meet the coach at UVU and see if there is an option of playing if he stays here in Utah. He would so like to play! I don't care if they offer scholarship if he stays here in Utah! His dream is to play and continue his education. My ideal would be to keep him close to home. He would learn tons going back East! He may never have this opportunity again! I don't know, and I don't want to misguide him! Please Father, lead us, guide us in the right direction!
So the kids and I stayed in SLC this week, and B left Sunday night and returned home to St. George. The kids and I joined Grandpa and Grandma with all the cousins (minus C & K with B) at the cabin for our Cousin's Campout! It was so fun! We spent the day yesterday (Monday) in the mountains with them, until late afternoon, when I we came home to help clean the Draper Temple. What do you wear to the temple to clean? I wore white pants, and a sweater. They gave us white clothes to put on over the top of my sweater. I mopped the floors in the entry on the first floor, in the baptistry and the baptistry entry. I also dusted all the baseboards, pictures, and wood work on the first floor. Mom vacuumed with about six other sisters, and Dad dusted high – light fixtures, the high woodwork, etc. It was a nice few hours in the temple!
Back to attributes of Virtuous Women…
Verse 18 says "She perceiveth that her merchandise is good." I think this is similar to the note yesterday that a woman can have confidence. Different than pride, this is confidence in goodness. "Her candle goeth not out." Wow – My candle went out last night – I was so tired I took J to his bed after we read the BOM for FHE and he fell asleep in my arms. I layed down for just a minute, thinking I was going to read, and I was out!
Verse 20 says that she stretches out her hand to the poor and the needy. Listening to the quiet promptings is always important! Listen carefully!
She is not afraid of the snow – her family is prepared – two years supply in which house? I am grateful to be pretty prepared in both homes. We have been at the cabin, and my dear Mother has done a good job of having that home stocked as well with food if we needed to be there for an extended period, we could survive for more than 30 days on food stored there.
"Her Husband is known in the gates" I am grateful that this is true of my husband – he is known in the gates of the Elders and of the community leaders, among the attorneys in town as being a man of integrity, one many many recommend when people need legal help. His slogan was S's idea "Don't go far… Call Brad Harr!" His name, this tag line, and the office phone number are on our cars, they were for a time on a city bus running around town, they are on business cards handed out frequently, on banners at the finish lines, on thousands of water bottles, Frisbees, demolition derby cars, pens, and the current rented office building! Our lease expires in 18 months, and B is anxiously looking for where he will relocate the office to so we can quit paying rent to someone else. We have expanded three times, and need more space even today. We are grateful for the success we have found. Thank you Heavenly Father! This has sometimes been a struggle for me over the past few years as we have spent thousands and thousands in advertising to get the law firm going, spreading Brad's name everywhere! Posts in my blogs show that I have struggled with identity over the past few years. I am grateful that he is known for integrity, and pray that will always be the case! Thank you for miracles as dew from Heaven!
Proverbs 31:24 talks about creating works of fine linen, and selling it. I am grateful for creativity as a woman. I am grateful to be able to create beautiful things for my family and my home. I am not required to sell items made by my hand, but I am grateful to share many things that we make! L is becoming a beautiful creator! She can whip up a darling thank you card fast! She is talented in creating! This reminds me of Pres. Uchtdorf's talk about creativity (linked here). I will read that today as one of the two articles for this assignment.
Vs 25: "Strength and Honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in a time to come." I want to be strong. Strong in being an "Example of the Believers," strong in physically able to accomplish many things including physical fitness, and working strength. I love to see good things brought to pass – planting trees, planting a garden, building a waterfall! All good things that have happened lately in my life! All have required lifting, shoveling, working hard…. Strength. J Honor – what is that? Integrity? Standing for goodness. Example of the Believers. Steadfast and Immoveable. "Like a light house" as little B sang so beautifully to me yesterday as we hiked over the mountain with G&G, K, and cousins! Beautiful memories! Sorry we didn't take pictures of the kids! C had a camera we learned at the end – he took pictures of the three eagles, but not of the kids when they found the water snake in the little water pond at the top, or all lined up in the mine shaft. We took pictures in our mind! Beautiful time together!
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness." Wisdom when I open my mouth. Tongue of kindness. I have worked hard here, hope I am getting better!
Looketh well to the ways of her household… eateth NOT the bread of idleness! Wow! I am grateful to find this. We live in a world of idleness. How can people sit by, watching others work, collecting unemployment (Ugh!) while we labor and struggle to accomplish – working even into the night, and then to hear others say that we must share all that we have. Like they are entitled to the physical blessings we have as a result of hours of work. The balance of welfare. I struggle! Zion is not a community of idleness. It is a community of women who work in the night together – that is a Zion I can be a part of! The Zion too many members of the church view as a spreading of the wealth of some to all is not my idea of Zion. It is not allowing some to sit around while others labor! That is called idleness. Find a way to help. My children know among my favorite words to hear from them is "What can I do to Help?" I hope I am training them to SEE how to help so they don't always have to ASK, but I would rather have them ask than to sit idly by!
Her children arise up and call her blessed, and praiseth her.
"Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." Favor – yesterday on our hike, little J was struggling, wanting to be carried. Big J was there, and saw me struggling to carry him, and insisted on helping. Little J threw a fit, wanting me and no one else. He was favoring me, and screaming when I J tried to help! J was only trying to help. Little J was being spoiled! I had to leave him, and hear him scream, chasing us, yet unwilling to allow J to carry him. C and L felt sorry for him, and tried to step in and rescue him. We had to talk about showing favor, and not rescuing the little boy when he needed to learn a lesson. I was frustrated that J was not being kind – he did the same thing to Grandpa on Saturday, so that Monday Grandpa didn't even try to carry him, he was not going to allow it. I don't want to raise a spoiled child who thinks I will do everything for him. He needs to accept help from those willing… Grandpa, J, Dad! Favor. Wow - I just found my beautiful Mom's post this morning, she is a beatiful example of womanhood - thanks Mom! Her knowledge is so amazing! Thanks for teaching me - once again! Read her post about this experience with J! (Linked here)
I hope I can be a virtuous woman! The time is now almost 8:00 a.m. and I must gather my family and begin the day! My night time (early morning today) study time always seems to go so quickly!