A Father's Love

Refreshed and Satisfied.

At first glance, it may appear I'm writing an ad for a new Gatorade drink. Not so...I'm simply describing the way I feel after spending time with my three year old niece, Hayden. I realize it might have something to do with the fact we are related, but this adorable blonde headed bundle of energy, with her big blue eyes and spunky personality, fills me completely with a love not of this world!

I am refreshed, after even a few minutes, with this precious, precocious tiny person by her passion and zest for life. She exudes an effervescent excitement over the simplest of pleasures. Making funny faces or playing an ordinary game of hide and seek are magical experiences in the eyes of this child. And when I look into those blue eyes that are bright and clear like a cloudless summer day, I see no fear - only trust. They contain a pureness that gives me strength to see beyond the dismal sadness that so permeates this world.

Yet what impacts me the most is the way she interacts with her father. They have a bond that runs deep. If their love were compared to the ocean, one would scuba dive for an entire lifetime and never touch bottom.

As I reflected upon their relationship, I wondered why my heart felt so warm and content...satisfied, like I just finished a healthy meal of proper proportions. It occurred to me that their love mirrors the relationship our Heavenly Father wants to have with all of his children...including me and you.

I believe the key to a healthy relationship with God lies in Hayden's childish innocence. She simply and effortlessly trusts her father. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loves her and would never let her down.

She trusts him because he keeps her safe.

"Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper." ~Psalms 37:3


She trusts him because he helps her.

"Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you." ~Psalm 37:5

She trusts him because he guides her.

"I will bless the LORD who guides me...I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me." ~Psalm 16:7-8

God can use anyone or anything to reveal what he is like and how much he loves us which is so refreshing and satisfying. I'm thankful he used this little child to show me.

A Light in the Dark

Mapquest says I live 636 miles from Newton, Connecticut but the distance does not diminish the ache in my heart. As a parent, I feel connected in spirit. Like much of the nation, I watched in horror as the story unfolded – twenty children shot multiple times and died right before Christmas.

Even though a few days have passed the heaviness hung in the air this morning as I went about my usual routine – checking the school’s lunch calendar, zipping up backpacks and tossing out a “don’t forget to brush your teeth” reminder before we piled into the car. As I drove my fourth grader to school, I thought about the parents who just last week were following the same routine but are now pulling into the funeral home instead. The pain is trying hard to drain my heart of every bit of hope, joy and peace this season offers.

It would be pretentious for me to say there are easy answers or simple solutions to such an atrocity. When we are confronted with the Devil himself he does not leave us untouched. The evil pierces our heart and bleeds out confusion… “Why?” It’s as if pain pushes that boulder-sized question up from the depths of our soul and thrusts it out through our tears. It flows into the surrounding darkness and calls into question anything we’ve ever believed about our world, ourselves and our God.

The night of the shootings my husband and I were driving along reeling from the day’s horrific events and stumbled upon a scene that sliced through the thick darkness and shone so bright my eyes – physical and spiritual – needed time to adjust.

Its simplicity was stunningly beautiful. I begged my husband to pull the car over and I hopped out to capture the sight with my iPhone. The little white church stood in such stark contrast to the night’s inky black backdrop and the day’s horrific events. Tears choked in my throat and, while I stared, it seemed as if light from heaven was bursting forth, chasing away the evil shadows and declaring a timely message...

“May the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust Him.”

God of all hope… the One who is above all and who promises good to come.

Fill …to supply liberally - to the top so we are not left wanting.

You…the object - the one He wants to pour good things into.

With Joy …the sense of well-being that is caused by good fortune.

And Peace…the satisfaction of mind and heart at being rightly related to God.

As you trust in Him… hope, joy and peace are in direct proportion to our belief in God.


I climbed back into the car awash in comfort and strength from being freshly reminded that the manger is where I can place my hope…the cross is where I find peace…and the empty tomb is where I am filled with joy. I might never get an answer to the “why” but as long as I follow the Light I will be filled with hope...peace...and joy even in the midst of darkness.

The Hand of God

My husband pulled on the silver chain and raised the shade covering my hospital room window. I just had surgery the day before and was still a little groggy but the quiet in the room along with the soft orange glow peeking in the window told me it was early morning. As he faced the window and surveyed the landscape from the sixth floor, he drew in a breath and blew out a hushed, “Wow”. “You should see the sky!” he whispered to me. “It looks like the hand of God is scratching across the surface!” I tried to sit up but was limited due to my condition. I craned my neck as far as I could to see the amazing handiwork of God but I was incapable. Resigned to my situation and somewhat disappointed, I asked him to take a picture. And as it always does, my husband assured me the picture did not do the sight justice.

My thoughts drew a parallel. How many times have I strained to see the hand of God in my life but felt disappointed? I would hear many people talk about how God’s hand was so evident in their lives but it seemed so absent in mine. I thought to myself, “Am I the only one? Am I doing something wrong? Do I not have eyes to see? What’s wrong with me? Maybe God just shows up to special people – those with great faith… to which I am neither.”

Time is a tool the Master Teacher uses and if we let them do their work, we will eventually come to a place of understanding. Time has proven "Hindsight is 20/20" and that God’s hand has always been over my life – providing, protecting, guiding and helping. I was limited in my understanding during tough times to see with wide opened eyes of faith.

As we journey through life we will inevitably encounter circumstances with different amounts of difficulty, discipline, pressure, pain, uncertainty, and danger - all of which limits our ability to see God’s hand at work. Yet these uncomfortable situations are precisely the means God uses to rub our eyes open and show us a fresh glimpse and new understanding of Himself. The more of these we experience, the more opportunity God has to prove himself real to us and strengthen our eyes of faith.

Take for example those whose stories are found in the bible:

Jacob wrestled with God until his knowledge of the Lord was expanded and his eyes were opened to a fresh awareness of God’s presence.

Through many long and painful years of discipline, David learned the power and faithfulness of God and toward the end of his life was able to humbly say, “Who am I that you brought me this far?”

Paul was tormented with an intense “thorn in the flesh” but eventually discovered God’s grace is sufficient.

Job was a man allowed to suffer yet after all was said and done spoke these words to God, “I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.” Job allowed his pain to chisel away at his limited understanding of God.

Noah was commanded by God to carry out a seemingly ridiculous operation that made no sense at all but when the final nail of the ark was in place, realized nothing can thwart the plans of God.

Daniel, standing bound and literally in the fire, experienced God’s ability to rescue in the most dangerous and dire circumstances.

And there was Mary and Martha who, in the midst of an emotional crisis at the death of their brother, saw God raise the dead and prove He has a plan and power to change even the bleakest of outlooks.

The stories go on and on but are written that we might gain a fresh glimpse of God in our circumstances. Perhaps you are discouraged the hand of God doesn’t seem evident...

Are you wrestling? Keep going…God wants to give you a fresh awareness of His presence.

Are you weak from the heavy hand of His discipline? Stop trying to hide from God. Trust Him. He wants to bring you closer to Him through this.

Are you begging God to take the thorn away? Know His grace is strong enough to help you bear up under it.

Has God asked you to do something “ridiculous?” Keep pounding…God’s plans are good and you will see your efforts are worth it.

Is the fire getting hot? Stand firm…your rescue is perfectly timed.

Is the outlook bleak? You will see God’s glory if you just believe!

Jesus himself warned us that we will encounter tough times, but as we move forward trusting Him and allow perseverance to finish it’s perfect work, we will eventually see the hand of God bestow a double portion of blessing that barely scratches the surface of all he wants to give.

The Cross

My family and I sat in our local movie theater, passed around the bucket of buttery popcorn while waiting for the featured movie to start. The trailer to the new release, Alex Cross, played across the screen and I thought, from the few glimpses I caught, it was a typical plot like many other crime story films we’ve become so accustomed to.

In case you haven’t seen the previews, Alex Cross is an upcoming American crime thriller adapted from the twelfth Alex Cross novel by James Patterson and is due for release on October 19, 2012. Dr. Alex Cross (Tyler Perry) is a police detective and psychologist, who meets his match when a new serial killer, called Michael "The Butcher" Sullivan (Matthew Fox) arrives. As an ex-operative, he predicts every step of the police service, easily killing his victims and fleeing. He challenges Cross by murdering his wife in front of him on their anniversary, with Cross becoming obsessed in capturing him. But, catching a man who predicts his every step, every choice and every decision proves a challenge even for him.”(Wikipedia)

The trailer successfully grabbed my emotions and shook loose fear mixed with revenge and justice motivated by love (the essentials of all good stories) to where I was on the edge of my seat. But one sentence that Cross uttered sent chills down my spine as his words penetrated the deepest place in my heart. As this sick, psycho murderer was getting pleasure from torturing and killing, Cross drew his weapon, cocked the chamber and with steely resolve declared, “I will meet him at the gates of hell before I let him take another loved one from me.”

In one brief sentence uttered by the main character, I suddenly realized this little screenplay parallels the much bigger story in which we all have our own part. This universal story explains the meaning of life and love as God, Himself, is the writer, producer, director and His Son, Jesus Christ, has the starring role.

Ironically, the movie character is named “Cross” and that is exactly the way God avenged the enemy and delivered justice motivated out of His pure love for you and me. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross because he loved each and every one of us. The cross was His way of defeating the enemy of the entire human race who is fascinated by pain as he seeks to steal, kill and destroy each of us in his own sick and twisted ways. God rescued us from this evil being and brought justice to earth through the cross of Jesus and it’s up to you and me to complete the purpose of the cross by accepting its message. He is waiting for each person on the face of this earth to make a decision so he can put a period on the final sentence. The story - Jesus said, "It is finished" but has not God has not yet penned "The End." There is still time to believe and receive message of the cross.

“For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross…
For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send is Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it…
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment. For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God – all because what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us…” on the CROSS.


(scripture taken from Colossians 1:19-20, John 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:9, Romans 5:8-11)

True Beauty

I don’t know what it looks like where you live, but in my neck of the woods, the trees are changing colors right before my eyes making our southwest Michigan landscape more and more breathtaking each day. I love the changing seasons we experience here - my favorite being fall. Watching the tips of the green leaves begin to turn bright red and orange makes me think God enjoys finger painting. I love to see the sun glisten and sparkle off the golden maples spreading splendor all around.

The variety of trees is a glorious display of God’s endless creativity. Maple, Birch, Cottonwood, Elm, Poplar and Cedar just name a few, the list goes on and on. While out driving and enjoying the beautiful day, one particular type of tree kept catching my attention – the Mighty Oak.

Towering above its neighbors of Maples and Evergreens, the Oak was the most majestic of all. The array of color it beautifully displayed was beyond compare and held my gaze for a long while. Proudly clothed in its bright red, sun kissed yellow and burnt orange wardrobe it stood stately. Although the trunk was twisted and engrained with marks where someone tried to cut it down, they did so to no avail. Years of wind and rain also attempted to weaken it, but instead only strengthened its stamina and enabled it to take its rightful place as a true work of art and beauty.

And then I realized…I want to be like that Mighty Oak. Since hitting the 40-year mark, I stand at the half way point in life where I can look equally back and forward… if God allows me a full 80 years. Standing at this mile marker I gain a unique perspective of beauty. Gazing up at the Mighty Oak helped me to understand that beauty defies age. In our culture, youthful beauty is idolized and our efforts to capture its power in a bottle are of little value for beauty only reveals itself with age. The Mighty Oak is beautiful because of its age, not in spite of it.

I, too, have encountered the winds and rains that have attempted to weather me but, by God’s grace, I pray they only strengthen me to where I can one day stand tall and become a display of God’s glory and beauty.


Psalm 1:3
And she shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything she does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

I just can’t help myself today. I’m blowing off all inside activities which include emptying the dishwasher, folding towels, vacuuming and the like to sit outside and watch the clouds roll by. The sky is a beautiful powder blue and the white clouds look like puffed up marshmallows ready for s’mores!

It seems these clouds want to tell me a story…so I look and listen. As they slowly and silently creep across the sky, I am reminded that life is like those billowy puffs, constantly moving and taking different shape and form. Our circumstances can either be like their white, peaceful presence or dark grey with the promise of a heavy downpour. In fact, much of life is lived either waiting for a storm to pass or anticipating one on the horizon!

The clouds of our lives can change at any given moment and sometimes we get caught unaware when they unleash and pour out their tears. Other times we ignore the fact that they are changing from white to grey because we are just too distracted with our own activities. The truth is we all get wet sometimes whether it’s by our own doing or someone else’s.

So what happens when the clouds spill forth and rain down on us the hard times…the sad times…the times of frustration and pain? We can run and find shelter in the arms of the One who controls clouds and in His infinite wisdom He will send someone to hold an umbrella. Someone who is willing to come alongside and say, “Hey, I see you are getting wet! Come under and dry off. What’s going on and how can I help until the storm passes?”

Take time to look up. Take time to look around. The clouds are telling a story. And don’t forget to grab your umbrella…someone just might need it.


“Also with the moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, that they may do whatever He commands them on the face of the whole earth…” Job 37:11-12

Traveling Questions

A road trip with children is not complete until someone calls out from the back seat, “Are we there yet?” Built in dvd players, enough snacks to feed an entire army and an iPod with a battery life that can outlast the energizer bunny only prolong the inevitable. Eventually a little (or big) voice from behind calls out, “Are we there yet?” It’s a common question that has been asked by traveling children down through the ages. I imagine little ones bouncing around in a covered wagon across rocky terrain aren’t much different than those speeding along an interstate in the back of a suburban.

Like kids in the back of a vehicle, adult travelers also have questions while cruising down the path of life. Instinctively we know in time we will reach our final destination so as not to hurry it, we focus our attention more on the journey. Instead of “Are we there yet?” our questions are, “How am I doing?” Am I okay? Am I enough? ” These common queries are secretly packed in every soul that has traveled earth's well worn path. We long to know if we are going in the right direction. We silently wonder if we are equipped to handle the trip and hold our breath with hope that our journey will be successful.

Our human nature has developed a method that answers these nagging questions and serves as a map to help us on our journey. Each of us has formulated an imaginary checklist with set criteria. We think these items must be checked in order to satisfy those gnawing questions that drip like a faucet in the quietness of our soul, “How am I doing? Am I okay? Am I enough?” If our lists are checked, our warped belief system tells us we are doing okay. And the more items we can check off, we assume the more we will be accepted, respected and fulfilled. We will be deemed a worthy traveler.

Just as no two journeys are alike, no two checklists are the same. Each is individualized according to our personality, background, and life experiences. Society has also played a huge role in helping us formulate our checklist. I recently took inventory of mine and realized I have ten items. Here they are in no particular order:

You are okay if you:

1. Are physically fit enough to run a marathon. This includes attending a Zumba or Pilates class once a week, crunch your core regularly using an abdominal strengthening ball and spend 30 minutes a day in an aerobic state while tracking your progress with the Nike Fit app on your iPhone.

2. Decorate your home with the latest accessories from Pottery Barn. Pier 1 is an acceptable second choice and Target can be considered chic if you can achieve the eclectic look found in Better Homes & Gardens.

3. Provide your family with three healthy meals per day. This includes waking up at the crack of dawn to fry up farm fresh eggs that have not been tainted with hormones and serve alongside healthy, whole grain bread and freshly squeezed orange juice. (Cocoa Puffs and Eggo waffles are for lazy mothers who also toy with the idea of shoving a pop tart on a paper plate across the counter as their children head out the door.) Lunches are to include an appropriate amount of fruits and vegetables – never fruit roll ups and Little Debbie snack cakes that are chocked full of additives and preservatives. It is possible to whip up dinner in less than 30 minutes AND pleases every palate around your table. Anything that tastes less than if Rachel Ray or Paula Deen masterfully prepared it…is not okay.

4. Cultivate an organic garden filled with enough fruits and vegetables that will sustain your family for the entire year AND allow you to can the abundance of your lush crop for the winter months. Buying produce from the local market is a good option if you don’t have a green thumb (sigh) but buying from the grocery store…(shame shame)…that is not okay.

5. Possess a degree from a respected academic institution. To have letters behind your name automatically gives you enough points for a free pass in another category. If you use your degree to successfully run your own business while keeping a spotless house (this requires a cleaning lady)…you are at the top of the Ideal Woman food chain…in fact, you are very close to achieving the gold star of Womanhood.

6. Your children must be straight A students who never get detentions and display appropriate behavior at all times. An “eye roll” or sassy comeback in front of other mothers knocks you down a few pegs and you must work that much harder to climb back up to attain acceptable standing. Spending time watching your children play and enjoying their company while calmly handling squabbles and playing Playdough with sheer joy and passion is also a requirement.

7. Outward appearances have significant impact in determining if you are okay. A freshly done mani/pedi and weekly highlights will keep you in the game. A roll, wrinkle and blemish are completely unacceptable. These are indicators you need the latest beauty treatment and should schedule an appointment for laser treatment as soon as possible.

8. To earn your “I am Okay” angel wings, it helps if you prance around like a Victoria's Secret Model on a weekly basis. This is the only way to make your man happy…enough said.

9. Accessorize! A few recommended items include: A Coach purse, the latest Vera Bradley design, Nike and North Face, and of course, your look must also include coordinating jewelry for every outfit and shoes that compliment as well.

10. Pinterest proves you are okay. If you are clever and crafty and possess the creative genius to throw an awesome kids' birthday party using pinwheels and pixie sticks while making the cake look like Buddy, The Cake Boss made it…you are okay. And if you can blog and tweet about how you use mason jars in 101 ways and can make banners and boards and bags and buttons … if you can paint, make pottery, pastry puffs and pillows…you are definitely okay.


That is quite a checklist! I realize that by sharing it I am risking the fact that some (ok, many!) might think I need a little therapy and, quite frankly, I don’t blame them. I probably need to sign up for an Insecurity 101 course as well. Some women might think I'm way out in left field while others may agree with a few, if not all, items on my list. However, my hunch says I’m not alone. I’ve talked with enough women who join me in asking, “Am I okay when the hamper is overflowing, when I don’t attend the class field trip like the other moms? Am I okay when I get upset with my kids for leaving wet towels on the floor? Am I okay when it’s hot dogs and mac n cheese for dinner? Am I okay with stretch marks and 20 extra pounds? Am I okay if I can’t run to my mailbox much less in a 5k?

As women we spend the majority of our time secretly comparing checklists. Somehow we rationalize, “If I have more checked off then “her” I am somehow better but if she has more than me, there is something wrong with me. I am not okay.” Unfortunately, I speak from experience. I’ve wasted so much time and energy playing this game only to discover – this game is not fun and there is no winner! After years of wrestling and struggling, I asked God to weigh in on this subject (something I should have done much sooner!).

Our conversation went something like this:

Me: “God, Am I okay? Because I never feel like just being me is enough. I look around at other women and see areas I lack and see nothing I’m even remotely good at. I know, I know I focus too much on the negative and I really don’t want to be like this. If I look at each of those 10 areas on the checklist, I fail miserably in each area. My only conclusion is I’m never going to be okay”

God (in a booming voice): “Put down the Sharpie.”

Me: “What?”

God: “You heard me. Put down the Sharpie and get rid of the checklist.”

Me: “Why? I think the checklist is pretty accurate. It even lines up nicely with the Proverbs 31 woman described in your Word.”

God: “No it’s not. And no it doesn’t.”

Me: “Uh huh…”

God: “Uh uh”

Me: “Forgive me here, but have you read about the virtuous woman? I mean my list pretty much squares with her…you know her arms are strong, she quilts, her children rise and bless her and her husband praises her. She is a good cook and skilled businesswoman who stays up late and gets up early. She’s never lazy and even gives to the poor. She’s like Martha Stewart, Mother Teresa, Jennifer Anniston and Jillian Michaels all rolled into one!”

God: “Excuse me, but, yes, I’ve read about her and you’ve missed the entire point of the passage.”

Me: “How? I don’t get it…show me…please!?”

God: “Ok. Keep your eyes and ears open and I will gladly explain.”

(Days pass. God seems quiet.)

Me: “I haven’t heard anything, God. Remember our conversation?”

God: “Yes. Do you remember when Pastor Dave said, “When we compare ourselves to others we do so inaccurately? We tend to use our blooper-reel against the other person’s highlights.”

Me: “Oh yeah…that’s true. Maybe I don’t give myself any credit.”

God: “Well, that’s a good start. That’s why I said to put down the Sharpie. I never have nor ever will make two people alike. It is unfair, inaccurate and downright stupid to compare yourself with someone else. I didn’t make you to be like her, or her, or her…I made you to be you.”

Me: “Ok, I get that. So I should just focus on trying to be like the Proverbs 31 woman then? She is in the bible so she must be the ideal woman. But wait! That still doesn’t make sense to me. I read this passage and feel worse than if I were to use my own checklist. I know your Word doesn’t bring shame and condemnation…it brings freedom so I’m confused.”

God: “Ahhh, you make me proud with your questions. Keep searching…keep listening…”

A couple more days pass with no real revelations until my teenage son comes into my room one night and says, “Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?” I reply, “Of course. What’s up?” He continues, “Well, you are a girl so can you tell me what it means when a girl says and does this...?” We go back and forth for a little while discussing his latest dating relationship and our conversation ends in prayer. I asked God to keep my son’s focus on Him and when he’s ready to bring the right woman along that will become his life partner. I ask that she be the type of woman who loves God and complements my son in every way – a woman with life giving qualities that enable him to be the man he is created to be. Amen.

I follow my son out of my bedroom and into my daughter’s room. It’s time for me to tuck her in so I sit down on the edge of her bed and as I reach for her purple, leather bound bible I realize it’s the 31st. I’ve been reading to her a few verses from the corresponding chapter in Proverbs each day. “Oh great” I silently bemoan as I open the book. “Here we go again. More guilt!” I begin to read. I barely get past verse three and I’m practically knocked over by a feather.

God’s Word is like a multi-faceted diamond, and when held at different angles, allows different truths to shine and sparkle. As I hold up this passage and stare, it occurs to me that the author is a grown man who is simply recounting past conversations he had with his own mother as she passed on instruction. He reminisces over the lessons she taught him and describes them in beautiful, poetic rhythm.

As the scales fall off my eyes, I suddenly realize this is not a checklist of qualities to master or a woman to idolize instead it is a beautiful piece of ancient poetry describing a mother’s heart and, oddly enough, I can relate. My heart feels like someone just cut the ropes that have been holding it captive for so long and it now has permission to stretch its unused wings and soar.

I close the bible and let it rest on my lap while I sit amazed and practically slack jawed at the insight the Spirit of God just showed me. Truth brings freedom. Years of struggle and frustration come to a screeching halt and it’s as if God slammed on the brakes and said, “Here is the end of the road. It’s time to start heading in a new direction. Put down the Sharpie and throw out the checklist. You are okay because I say you are okay...now sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.”

Proverbs 31
The Sayings of King Lemuel
31 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.
2 O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,
3 do not waste your strength on women,
on those who ruin kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine.
Rulers should not crave alcohol.
5 For if they drink, they may forget the law
and not give justice to the oppressed.
6 Alcohol is for the dying,
and wine for those in bitter distress.
7 Let them drink to forget their poverty
and remember their troubles no more.
8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
ensure justice for those being crushed.
9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,
and see that they get justice.
A Wife of Noble Character
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 LORD will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.