Virtuous Woman #5

I don't know about the rest of you, but summer vacation is kinda losing its charm. Basically, it's been card-making and Etsy managing this week.

 I did have fun paddle-boating yesterday, but when we got back, there didn't seem to be too much to do. Today was pretty productive, though, with hem lowering, ironing, watching the Walton's... :)

So, we are now back to Virtuous Woman #5 (I'll start posting about two or three verses so we can move on sooner).

"She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms."
Proverbs 31:16-17

I like these verses, for one thing, because I enjoy planting and working with my hands. We again see that the Virtuous Woman is a good businesswoman. She carefully looks at land, or whatever, and buys it at a good price. She isn't afraid or ashamed to get her hands dirty, either. That reminds me of my late pastor's wife, who, even in her seventies, wasn't too scared or refined to sled down a hill, walk through a park, or feed the geese with her elementary class. That is a Virtuous Woman.
Gardening is a great way to get close to God. It teaches patience, and is a good activity for kids to participate in. The Virtuous Woman gardens, but in this verse, I believe a vineyard could refer to something that brings in a little extra cash. This takes work and time, but in the end is worth it to provide for her family.

And, it's funny, in a way, about how it specifically says the Virtuous Woman strengthens her arms, since arm strength is something I occasionally try to work on and lack greatly. But the Virtuous Woman truly is strong in body, mind, and soul. She exercises and cares for her body, keeping in mind that our bodies are God's temples. I'm pretty sure this doesn't mean we can't have chocolate ice cream. If it did, I would have a serious problem. A really serious problem. But, like with everything, we have to be careful about how much we consume. And if we eat three bowls of ice cream in one day, that's okay- as long as you work it off, right? :) I think that we can fulfill these verses by being cautious and wise in business, hard-working, and keeping ourselves (body, mind, and soul) fit.

Adam Clarke Commentary: Proverbs 31


Have a great day!!

Seeewwww Wonderful... Summer Vacation!!

Whew! Another year of homework and finals is over and gone. It's sad to see old friends go before you do, but exciting to see what the future holds! For now, I'll just enjoy the summer with all of its blessings, busyness, and, unfortunately, boredom. So far, I have managed to fail at macaron-making, finish sewing a skirt, begin working on a dress, and make a card (to see my cards, check out my family's Etsy shop, craftycolllaborations). Oh, I also got a hair/bangs cut by my sister (who has thought I should get bangs for a while and ended up being right!). Hopefully, I can keep busy for the rest of vacation!

I have recently been asked what my favorite Bible story/verse is. I would like to share mine with you, and would love to hear what YOUR favorites are!! In answer to this question, I wrote that my favorite chapter is Hebrews 11- the faith chapter. If you have read this, you know why it's so popular!! When you need an encourager, or a reminder to stay strong, read Hebrews11! How can you feel down and out knowing all the things that our forefathers have gone through? Or thinking about the hope that there's something better for those who believe: For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.. and it sure isn't an earthly country!
My favorite verses would probably be Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's pretty powerful! The only thing that can separate us from God's love is ourselves.

Crafting/Etsy/Friendly Friends

I am very excited today, because I have had my FIRST sale on my family-owned Etsy shop!! First of all, Etsy is a really cool place where you can find really cool things. Second, Etsy is a really neat place where you can SELL really neat things!! So, you can buy cool stuff, and sell it! How awesome is that??

For our shop, I mainly make cards: Christmas cards, Valentine's Day cards, birthday cards... And my sister makes prints (she has some really cool ones!).

One great thing about making cards is that I happen to have a really creative/crafty/awesome-at-card-making friend who is very inspiring (in more ways than one!). You could look at one of her cards and BAM! instant ideas flow through your mind (maybe not quite like that, but you know what I mean!).

Crafting is also a great thing to do with friends. You can make crafts to sell, for fun, to give away, OR what's really fun is sending a card to a random, unknown person in your neighborhood! (Just don't actually put your address, because you may accidentally send it to a creeper....).

So, if you ever need a card for any occasion, or would just like to look around, feel free to stop by my shop: CraftyCollaborations.



 Have a fantastic day!