Women Living Well

Escaping the Rat Race & WLWW Link-Up Party!

May 15, 2012 By Courtney 21 Comments

The term “rat race” began in the 1940′s with the invention of modern day conveniences. More opportunities and choices were available to us than ever before and soon some felt like they were endlessly busy but often times with meaningless things.

Wikepedia defines the rat race as a term used for an endless, self-defeating or pointless pursuit. It conjures up the image of the futile efforts of a lab rat trying to escape while running around a maze or in a wheel. In an analogy to the modern city, many rats in a single maze expend a lot of effort running around, but ultimately achieve nothing meaningful either collectively or individually.

Those who first used this term would never be able to imagine the modern day conveniences we experience in 2012! We have more time saving appliances and resources available to us than ever before and yet it seems that our stress levels only continue to rise.

Is it God’s will for God’s people to be trapped in this rat race?

Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but at succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter at all.~Francis Chan

So often we fear failure. We fear that our children won’t make the ball team or get good enough grades. We fear wrinkles, grey hairs or missing out on the latest and greatest new gadget for our kids. But do we ever fear being successful at things that – at the end of the day when we stand before God’s throne – don’t really matter at all?

Today I had big plans for our day – it was supposed to be a family day (daddy was off work) and my daughter got a belly ache right in the middle of the day and messed up all of our fun plans. I was on a mission to make a great day for the kids – but all she really needed was a mama who loved her and cared about her belly. My plans faded into the distance – and I was the one disappointed – cause this mama gets sucked into the rat race sometimes! What mattered to her was not the long list of plans I had but that her mommy would sit quietly on her bed rubbing her hair while she cried. And this forced pause in our day – reminded me of what really matters in life.

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.~Proverbs 14:1

The rat race has the potential to tear a family apart. Many families barely have time to eat dinner together these days, much less read God’s word or pray together. Last night I sat in bed with the kids singing our “God is an Awesome God” and a few other favorites. It’s in these slow moments…moments of song, back rubs, and story time – that I am most fulfilled as a mom. As we write our to-do lists may we remember to include the simple things. Let’s build our houses with wisdom.

Walk with the King,

If you are new to Women Living Well then you are in for a treat!

It’s my favorite day of the week! It’s Women Living Well’s Wednesday Link-Up Party!!!

Join the fun, do a little blog hopping and don’t forget if you join below -please add the Women Living Well Wednesdays button to your post so your readers can find us here! (Posts can include the topics of marriage, parenting, homemaking, homeschooling, finances, recipes, organization and more!)

To find the code go to the sidebar – or right click and “save as” the button and then upload it into your post!

Filed Under: Simplify, Women Living Well Wednesdays

The 1950′s Wife vs.The Proverbs 31 Wife

May 14, 2012 By Courtney 50 Comments

Pictured Above – my grandmother with 2 of her 3 boys and my mother

On the Rachael Ray Show I was dubbed a “1950′s Wife“. But my grandmother, a mother of 4, is the REAL 1950′s wife. She is ALSO a Proverbs 31 woman.

Were all 1950′s wives Proverbs 31 wives?

No…the two terms are not equal. I know that nostalgia makes us believe the old days were better but what distinguishes a 50′s wife from a Proverbs 31 one? Her fear of God.

Grandma’s life was full and busy as she lovingly cared for her family. She served God by serving her family. She worked with eager hands (Prov. 31:13b), she set about her work vigorously (Prov. 31:17), she watched over the affairs of her household and did not eat the bread of idleness (Prov. 31:27). And the most beautiful part was she feared the Lord (Prov. 31:30).

My grandma had a weekly schedule which I jotted down in a journal – my mother rattled it off as quickly as my grandmother!! So this must be where I get my scheduling tendencies - it’s in my genes lol!!! One strong similiarity of the 50′s wife and the Proverbs 31 wife are their household duties.

Here’s what a woman’s work looked like in the 50′s:

Mondays – Wash Clothes (by hand in sudsy water, ring it, rinse it, ring it, hang it outside to dry. This took all day.)

Tuesdays – Iron ( Iron everything – shirts, pants, and underwear. There was no permanent press – everything was very wrinkly. This took all day.)

Wednesdays – Mend and work on new sewing projects (She sewed patches onto pants and mended socks. My grandmother sewed all of my mother’s clothes until she reached the middle of high school.)

Thursdays – Cleaning of bedrooms and bathrooms (They only had one car which was normal in those days. Grandpa did the grocery shopping and grandma worked the garden.)

Fridays – Cleaning of living room, dining room and kitchen (Grandma baked every day. She made cinnamon rolls, pies, donuts and cakes from scratch.)

Saturdays – Prepare for Sunday by cooking double meals and giving baths etc. (Grandma always made hamburgers for dinner on Saturdays because they were fast. Then she focused on the Sunday Roast and sheet cake that they would eat after church.)

Sundays – Day of Rest

Do I want to be a 1950′s wife? Not really, I certainly do love my modern day conveniences! But if there’s a 1950′s wife I’d like to emulate, it’s not June Cleaver - but a REAL 1950′s wife – my grandmother. Her God and her family were of prime importance and her daily priorities show this to be true.

As Proverbs 31:31 says “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

My grandmother’s works are worthy of my praise. I pray that our generation would be remarkable in our care for our families and homes and that we too would be worthy of praise.

Do you have a role model who is a Proverbs 31 woman? Tell us about her in the comments section!

Walk with the King!

Filed Under: Proverbs 31

The Proverbs 31 Woman Series Begins!

May 13, 2012 By Courtney 123 Comments

Photo Credit: TimeWarpWife.com

Welcome to Week 1 in Proverbs 31!!! I’m so delighted that you are here.

I know that a lot of women have mixed emotions about the Proverbs 31 woman – I mention in the video below how some women are intimidated and even irritated at this passage in the Bible.

I want to challenge women everywhere to read it, accept it, tremble in awe of the mighty God we serve who has called us to such a high task and pray.

(if you cannot see the video click here - and if you are wondering what passage I am referring to in the video – with a list for noble men – go to I Timothy 3:1-13.)

Summer Proverbs 31 Series Details:

This series will run the entire summer (14 weeks).

I will post a video every Monday here on Women Living Well. The videos will be done by either me or Angela (my BFF) of GoodMorningGirls.org

To follow the rest of this series click over to GoodMorningGirls.org where you will find more posts every Wednesday and Friday about the Proverbs 31 Woman - all summer long! You don’t want to miss this!

Now flip open your Bible and read Proverbs chapter 31 for a brief overview of this passage.

So who’s in? What are some of your thoughts about the Proverbs 31 Woman? Do you find her intimidating or inspiring and why?

Walk with the King,

Filed Under: Proverbs 31

Happy Mother’s Day

May 13, 2012 By Courtney 5 Comments

4 Generations

This is my prayer today for all mothers everywhere:

“Oh that God would give

every mother a vision

of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is place in her bosom to be nursed and trained!

Could she have but one glimpse

in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity;

could she look into it’s soul to see its possibilities;

could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child,

for the development of its life, and for its destiny,

–she would see that in all God’s world there is no other work so noble

and so worthy of her best powers,

and she would commit to no others hands

the sacred and holy trust given to her.”

-JR Miller