Guess what I did with the trash can??

Not only is this a great way to use the cruddy, old trash can. It can be used annually for it. Year after year, remembering the great grace of our Lord as you reap the rewards of gardening. Include the whole family - after all it will take at least 3 of you to actually dump the can when the time comes!

If you read often, or have looked at my other blogs, you will notice I love to cook and garden. It's really something to grow stuff and then be able to eat it. I am in awe of this. So, when I saw this idea from Heavenly Homemakers, I knew I just had to do it. This is a container garden in a whole new direction---move over topsy- turvy hanging tomatoes!

You actually beat up your container a little more , add some holes, dirt, and seed potatoes and you've got mashed potatoes galore. (Yes, there is definitely another day's blog......)

Anyway, here are the complete directions: love to hear if anyone else tries it - I will include pictures as it grows!

Planting Potatoes in a Container

Lately the 3 blogs have been too much for me to handle so I am concentrating mainly on this one and adding whatever the Lord puts on my mind for that day. However, I will also still share recipes and garden on my other blog: Proverbs31 Cooking

May you be blessing in all you do today--T

The Homeschooler's 23rd Psalm

The Homeschooler's 23rd Psalm
Saturday/June 6, 2009: Daily Focus

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.


He maketh me to live on less sleep:
He leadeth me through the noise of many voices.

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me to teach
The right lessons each day, for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of undone
Laundry and kitchen messes, I will fear no evil:
For thou art with me, my teacher's guides and
Answer keys, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence
Of threatening school officials and critical family members:
Thou anointest my head with heavenly wisdom, my cup runneth over.

Surely educated and godly children shall follow after me
All the days of my life: and I will dwell again one day
In a clean house with the Lord forevermore.

Praise God, we do have a good Shepherd who leads us through every homeschooling problem and provides for our every need. Best of all, our Shepherd knows us and promises never to desert us when the wolf comes seeking to destroy (John 10:11-13). As we listen to the Shepherd's voice and follow Him, we are sure to receive a great reward, as we reach the peaceful green pastures of Christ-like, educated children. "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" (1 Peter 5:4).

Father, how I praise You for leading my children and me in the path of homeschooling. Without You, we surely would be confused and lost. We come to You again this day and pray for Your continued blessings as we follow You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Day 4 - TOP 10 Be On GUARD!

Are you living---

Day 1 - Godly vs. Gaudy

Day 2 - The Great Closet Clean-Out

Day 3 - The Great MIND Clean-Out






Romans 12:1,2 gives us sure guidelines to what should enter our bodies...









1 "...by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Here are 10 things you can fix right now that will increase modesty in your walk today-I could blog a week on each of these.....

1. Guard your wallet. When it comes to purchases watch out for excessive purchases of makeup, hair products, etc. Who are you impressing??




2. Guard your mirror. Would you wear that outfit at the gates of Heaven? Would you wear that wedding dress to be married to Jesus?




3. Guard your coffee table. Throw out any magazines whose main focus is on celebrities, gossip, sex, or all-about-me articles.




4. Guard your TV. Turn off TV shows you would not watch if Jesus was sitting next to you (because He is).




5. Guard your personal reading time. Toss all fantasy and romance novels, even Christian ones that motivate you to daydream and covet another's life.




6. Guard your computer. Stop visiting and Delete any Internet sites in your favorites that are not godly or promote ungodly behavior.




7. Guard your relationships. Stop building relationships on-line and off-line that take you away from your family duties. It's fine to comment or discuss with a nice group or on blogs or join a pray group, but it should not provide an 'escape' from your daily life or encourage ungodly behavior like gossip, nagging spouses, or coveting.




8. Guard your thoughts. That means staying busy! Idle hands definitely the devil's tool.




9. Guard your mouth. Watch what you say. That doesn't just mean gossip, it means foul language and ungodly topics, laughing at jokes made in poor humor, and forwarding ungodly e-mails to un-believing friends.




10. Guard your heart. That means renewing your mind constantly and without ceasing. This can only be accomplished on way - by being IN THE WORD every day!
    
    
    An immodest mind shows a heart willing to flirt with the world.

Without careful discernment you will not be alert to effects the world has on you. One area is hard enough to maintain, as godly women we need to maintain ALL of them (and that of our young'uns).

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us of some very important things:



19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Who are you honoring??

Thanks for stopping by. I hope today's message has been encouraging to you. Please feel free to comment and tell me how God has been working in your life and if you have found new changes to gain modesty.

Waiting at the door---Elizabeth


A little something extra....

Trouble with math??
Here's a simple trick for learning the 9's times table:

9 times table tricks

Day 3 -- Cleaning out your Mind

Happy Monday!

Ready for the next challenge - today we prepare for :

The Great Mind Clean-Out!!

Challenge 3 will be easier for some than others. Parts of it will take no time at all, but some parts may take a lot of time. It all depends how many bad habits, my dear reader, that you have! And, since we are dealing with your MIND you are the only one who knows what's really in there.

Take a moment and read on to see if you are hiding any "dirty laundry" or "out-of-style" behaviors in the closet of your mind....

Colossians 3:2 and 5 tells us:

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things...

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly

nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. "

You may take a quick glance and think you've got no worries, but let's dig a little deeper and see if there are areas that need addressing...

Matthew 15:11
"It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

The trouble is what happens after it enters you, gets processed and comes out. That is is what Paul is warning us about. But we all know that what we hear and see stays with us, good or bad, and it is up to us as PROVERBS 31 WOMEN to guard what is in front of our eyes and ears and that of our families.


Everything that goes into through the eyes or ears runs through the same simple process...it all starts with...

1. What goes into the mind - via books, TV, radio, Internet, talking with others

2. What is within the mind - What you meditate on, think about, dwell on

3. What comes out of the mind - your attitude, conduct, demeanor and of coarse, the words you speak

Your CHALLENGE today and for the better part of this week is to look at what is around you, and take note of what influences your decisions for TV, radio, Internet, books, magazines. What are your family members devoting their time to???

*Do you read romance novels or watch afternoon (or evening) dramas and soap operas?
*Do you spend huge amounts of time building relationships on-line that are not with Christians?
*Do you read magazines that promote idolatry of money and fame?
*Do you enjoy "reality shows" that use profanity, encourage hateful behavior, and gossip...and promote cheering for someone to get "fired", all for ratings?
*Do you watch shows that promote a "view" point that is not Christian?
*Do you listen to music that has profanity, violence, or bad behavior promoted through out it?

If you find that you have slipped in some of these areas, don't be too hard on yourself.

It happens to the best of us...

I while back my husband and I used to watch a simple cooking reality show. Until one day we actually watched and said --this is really not a show we would watch if Christ were sitting here with us....needless to say our viewing choices have changed - drastically!!!

One book that helped us clarify what is "of the world" was:

Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World




Take note and we will continue this closet-cleaning tomorrow with a TOP 10 list you won't want to miss....

Top 10 Modesty Quick-Fixes!

Meanwhile, drop me a comment and let me know how it's going. Are you taking the modesty challenge, have you neglected any areas in the past that are now clean??

Thanks for stopping by------
Elizabeth

Modesty - Check Please!

As spring unfolds and as summer draws nearer, families around the nation are turning their thoughts to sunnier days, warmer temperatures and spending more time outdoors. For some values-minded parents however, generally parents of tweens and teens and particularly of girls, a sense of uneasiness is taking hold as they consider the types of clothing they will allow their kids to wear this summer that actually fit their description of modesty. Anticipation of arguments to come can lead these parents to a full-blown sense of anxiety.

But, psssst… let me whisper so that your kids won’t hear… modesty has made a comeback in our culture and this year it’s likely to make a parent’s job at least a bit easier.

Read the article in full at Modesty Makes a Comeback

We are to present ourselves as godly women
not gaudy women!

“A chaste, pure woman can draw others to the Savior (1 Peter 3:1-2). As women we can either choose to highlight our female body by wearing teasing or revealing clothes or we can choose to draw attention to our soul and to our Lord.”

--Wanda Kennedy Sanseri, God's Priceless Woman: A Bible Course for All Ages

Read my full article on this at Proverbs31 Wisdom

Thanks for stopping by please see my other blog at:

Proverbs31 Cooking

Pure or Dirty - What's on Your Mind??

Titus 2:4-5 tells us:



4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

HAGNOS defined:

Found in the New Testament:

1 time - Chaste (1 Peter 3:2 "when they see the purity and reverence of your lives")

1 time - Free from sin (1 Tim 5:22 "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. ")

1 time - Innocent (2 Cor. 7:11"See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be pure in this matter.")

5 times - Pure (2 Cor 11:2 "For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin";

Phil 4:8 " Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things";

Titus 2:5 (above);

James 3:17 "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy";

1John 3:3 "And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

I would like to encourage everyone to read and meditate on these. Notice these versus are not all about women. Plenty of the information is about all Believers.

Return to: Proverbs31 Wisdom


Please visit while you're here:

Proverbs31 Cooking

Top 10....Don't Give Up!

Are you having a tough day homeschooling??? Before you throw in the towel read this great list from Camille Kendall at TOS.

Top 10 Reasons Not to Give Up!

1. If you stop homeschooling and enroll your children at the school down the road, you will have to have them all up, dressed, fed, and outside waiting for the bus by 6:45 every weekday morning with their books and school supplies in tow. Personally, with seven school-age children living under one roof, I don't think that is humanly possible.
   
2. If you stop homeschooling, you will have to graciously endure comments such as, "I knew that homeschooling thing was a totally hare-brained idea. It's good to see you finally came to your senses and decided to do the rational thing." Of course, such comments will come repeatedly and enthusiastically from those unsympathetic relatives who have offered so little help and encouragement all along.
   
3. Those same dear relatives will also offer the following words of comfort: "Now your kids can finally be normal." Gack! Now there's one compelling reason to NOT give up! Visit your local shopping mall on a Saturday night, take a long look around, and ask yourself if you really want your kids to become "normal."
   
4. At our house, homeschooling means our children have a diverse people group influencing and shaping their lives--70-year-old grandparents, 90-year-old WWII veterans, middle-aged farmers, college professors, trapping buddies, young cousins, and children of family friends. Giving up and going the more "normal" route would mean limiting their peer group primarily to a knot of same-aged friends with little life experience, diversity, or wisdom.
   
5. If you give up and send the kids away to school, who will feed and take care of the chickens? And the horses? And the cow? And the family dogs and cats? Who will check the boys' trap line every day, and who will tend the bees and cultivate the orchard? Who will help with the 4-5 loads of daily laundry, and who will cut and split firewood for the fireplace? Do you really want to take ALL THAT RESPONSIBILITY on yourself?
   
6. If you give up, just think of the educational opportunities you will miss. Already in my homeschool "career," I've mastered advanced algebra, discovered the difference between world history and the history of Western Civilization, contemplated Plato, recited Samuel Taylor Coleridge, conjugated a verb in a foreign language, learned a few basic principles of economics . . . oooooooh, this is just way too much fun to give it up!
   
7. Babies are beautiful; toddlers are terrific; pre-schoolers are precious; elementaries are exciting; pre-teens are precocious; high schoolers are absolutely fantastically amazing. Do you really want to miss even one single stage of this incredible journey?
   
8. I can't think of anything more intensely sanctifying than living together in the crucible of shared family experiences. In this context, none of us can escape the reality of our own sinfulness, and none of us has the opportunity to go too long without the correction, compassion, and/or encouragement of a brother or sister or parent or child. Each of us is challenged by those around us--those who observe us constantly and who see us without a facade--to align our practice with our faith, to love our Lord and our neighbor "not in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth." Call it Extreme Sanctification: Homeschool Edition. Where else will you find so many daily opportunities to run to the cross, to repent and to rest in the sufficiency of the work of Christ, if you give up homeschooling?
   
9. Homeschooling is an investment not only in your children, but in their children, and in their grandchildren after them. It is an investment in your church and your community, and in the churches and communities and countries where your descendants will live and have influence as adults. Imagine the long-term "returns" of continued investment over a lifetime--and don't give up!
   
10. What would you give this homeschool labor up for--what would you have instead? A clean, quiet, orderly house? A career and a sense of relevance in the broader culture? Another income for your financially-strapped family? Time to develop underused talents and pursue suppressed dreams? I would have given up homeschooling for all of these and more at different points in the journey, but God in His good providence thwarted me. Now, with two adult children and more on the very brink of manhood and womanhood, what encouragement can I offer to NOT give up? Persevere, for the rewards truly will far, far outweigh the costs. Words cannot express the joy and the humble amazement that is mine when I look at the children God has given me and consider the men and women they are becoming--nor can words convey the depth of gratitude I feel for God's allowing me--even constraining me--to participate in His purposes for them.

Thanks for stopping by!


Please check out my other blogs while you're here:
Proverbs31 Wisdom
Proverbs31 Cooking

Break it up- Plant it- Watch it grow!

CBD - You know I can't say enough about Christian Book Distributors! If you have never visited their site click the link below for some super Friday Specials! You won't believe the prices and the shipping is fast too!
Today Only! Fabulous Friday Specials!

Break it up - Plant it - Watch it Grow!

This passage from Colossians gives us so much information on how a family should interact.

Each member has their own specific job to do.

You are responsible for yours, and as I've learned in the past: if you do your job, and let God do His, things work out quite well! When you try to make things happen - all you really make is a mess!

So, let's take a look and see what we can learn today:


Colossians 3:18-21:


18 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.
20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.


Verse 18 today:

Wives, this is a direct command to wives - and wives only. Commands are not optional or they would be called suggestions. They're not so let's not treat them that way...

be subject - when you are a subject you are to obey the one who has authority over you. Such as a king has subjects, the same here...Your husband is king and you are not.
You are to be obedient to him. No questions asked. Do not be mistaken my dear reader, this does not mean you have to be submissive in a cowardly, fearful way.
It means you obey reverently. God speaks to the family through the husband and because of this we need to listen to what our husbands say and act upon it. Of coarse, you need your own discernment and would not do anything that defies God but

disagreement with your husband is not a cause for disobedience.

I have found in the past that when I disagree with my husband on things, I really regret it. It's OK to state your opinions, but they are just that - your opinions, you are to obey the king.


to your husbands, I think a lot of Christian women are confused on this, or have been wrongly advised. Ephesians 5:22 further explains it accurately for us:
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.


This means only your own husband. Women are not to be bullied and bossed around by men in general. And they are not to allow it themselves. I have seen some men act very inappropriately to women and I find this is usually because they are not treated as king in their own homes. Wives are to be submissive and obedient to their own husband only. That is why women can use their gifts and can hold positions over men in this world.

But in the home there is only one king.

as is fitting in the Lord. - this means putting God in Christ before you in your marriage. You are to treat your husband, like you would Christ, if you were married to Him! I assume that would be some pretty good treatment!!

But, you say, my husband is NO Christ. Yes, that is true but God expects (and commands) you to treat him as if he were worthy of being treated this way. Even when you don't "feel" like it. You see,
Marriage is not based on a "Feeling,"



Marriage is based on commitment to God.

Do you love God enough to be committed to your marriage the way He commands?

Remember: The higher the expectations the bigger the disappointment. Unrealistic expectations lead to bigger disappointments.

You see you're putting your expectations on the wrong thing.

Love people more than things (this includes feelings).

But, most of all love GOD more than all people!

When you set high expectations on GOD, you are NEVER disappointed!

When you are married to your "Christ-Man," God is your Father-in-law. Treat your husband as God's child. Would you whine and grumble at God? Then don't do it to his son. Would you cheat or back-talk God? Then don't do that to his son.




Follow God's plan for family and marriage and you can't help but please Him.




Learn to be a winner not a whiner.

Please your husband and you will please GOD.

Verse 19 today:

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.

Husbands - this is a command to the husband in a Christian Home


love your wives - this is love in it's highest form. Though the husband's authority has been established, the emphasis moves to the supreme responsibility of husbands to regard their wives, which is to love them with the same unreserved selfless and sacrificial love that Christ has for His church.


do not be embittered against them - The form of this Greek verb is better translated "stop being bitter," or "do not have the habit of being bitter." Husbands must not be harsh or angrily resentful toward their wives. 1Peter 3:7 tells us that husbands should be sensitive to the needs, fears, and feelings of his wife. This should be done through his consideration, chivalry, and companionship not by conforming to the ultra-feminization of the secular world.
It's not unmanly to be sensitive (in-tune with the needs of others), just like you don't have to be weak to be meek (managed anger) .
Sensitivity to others and meekness are two wonderful, and very manly, qualities that were shown daily by our Savior as He walked the earth. They are qualities we should be praying for in our husbands (and sons).

Why write about the husband's role in a Christian Home? It's not for you to nag, whine, or gossip with other wives. It's not for you to worry that your marriage is below average.



It is for you dear Christian wife to understand the role of your husband so you can pray continually for your him.

Pray continually and specifically for these areas FOR your husband.

I hope this information has encouraged you today. As we define our roles in the Christian Home as God intended them to be, we will be happier and more purposeful. In the meantime, pray for one another as James instructed us in 5:16 of his book:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another,

and pray for one another so that you may be healed.

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Verse 20 today:





Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.





Children, - a direct command to children

be obedient to your parents - the child in the Christian Home is to be willingly under the authority of their parents. They are to be in obedient submission to them because of the authority given to parents by God. They are to obey their parents as if they were obeying the LORD Himself.
Ephesians 6:2 further explains this by restating the 5th commandment:


HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise)


Honor is a term which refers to one's attitude and throughout this passage, Paul is dealing with the motive behind the action of obedience.

In order to properly place into action the act of obedience

our children must first have the right attitude.

This is the first commandment to deal with (human) relationships and the only one to address the family. When it is obeyed, this principle alone secures the family's fulfillment.


in all things, - the only limit on a child's obedience is when parents demand something contrary to God's Word. For example, for some children this includes coming to Christ.


for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. - This is the way God designed it and that makes it the only RIGHT way. The only way to please Him is through obedience.





And, of coarse, it is always obedient to teach our children to repent their sins. We must teach them the forgiveness of our grace-filled God by showing grace and forgiveness toward them ourselves.







Know your child well enough to know their heart. Train when appropriate, Forgive as necessary, Pray for them continuously, but most of all show Grace as often as you can!
Emulate the Savior and they will respect Him as well as you. That is the goal!




Verse 21 today:

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

Let's break it up and plant it------

Fathers, - Though this term usually means a male parent, it is also used for parents in general - much like the pronoun 'he' is used in the formal form. It is believed that since Paul is talking to both parents previously in this passage, he is addressing both in this verse as well.




do not exasperate your children, - some translations use 'provoke.'





During the pagan times that Paul was writing this, many Jewish families were ruled by rigid and domineering authority.

The desires and welfare of the children were rarely a consideration. Paul, a product of one of these households before his conversion, wanted it made perfectly clear that a Christian Home does not place unreasonable demands and strictures on the children that would drive them to anger, despair, and resentment of the family and of the faith.

This is not to be confused with lack of proper discipline. Ephesians 6: 4b continues this thought: "but, bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." This calls for systematic discipline and instruction, which brings children to respect the commands of the Lord as the foundation of all life, godliness, and blessings.


so that they will not lose heart.- The result of being an unreasonable parent is that you exhibit the complete opposite of the image we are to show our children of the Father. Parents are to exhibit authority in a way that leads to respect, not fear or resentment. Train them properly and they will honor the mother and father and the Father will be honored as a result.



We can learn a lot about parenting from these two....

but that's another day!

Thank for joining me today.

Remember it only grows when it's planted!


Please pray for our country :

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14



Stop by my Cooking blog while you're here!
Return to Proverbs31 Wisdom

Coram Deo

"Before The Face of GOD"








I first heard of Coram Deo in the amazing book edited by C.J. Mahaney:



Worldliness

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.--1John 2:15

Coram Deo literally means "before the face of God".

It carries the notion of our living in the presence of God, under the authority of God and to the honor and glory of God.

It is what each person was designed for by their Creator.

Living "coram Deo" has been best expressed perhaps by the Reformation tradition of the Church.

The Reformers recaptured and championed the great "solas" - sola scriptura (Scripture alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), soli Christo (Christ alone) - soli Deo gloria! (to God alone be glory).

In this very relevant book Mahaney helps us align our lives with God in the areas where most usually try to ignore Him.

in my media - what are you watching?

in my music- what are you listening to?

in my Stuff- what are you idolizing?

in my clothes- what are you wearing?

1John 2:16 warns:

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

In a nutshell - take a look at what is before your eyes (and of coarse the eyes of your family). Would you be doing anything differently if you were sitting next to GOD? Coram Deo - in the face of God - He is always right there and we should never be ignorant of that fact!

The drift toward worldliness may be slow, starting with a dulling of the conscience until you are watching soap operas, listening to gossip radio or music, idolizing your precious time and money, and wearing inappropriate or showy clothing.

The Bible teaches us that the real "monster" is not the TV,the computer, or the mall;

he's US!

Our battle is with the FLESH.

Gal 5:17 Paul confirms this:

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit,

and the Spirit against the flesh;

for these are in opposition to one another,

so that you may not do the things that you please.

We are warned and need to pray for strength in these area - Daily.

The FEAR (reverent awe) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7)

and is the best place to start. Living Coram Deo puts us in the right frame of mind - one of reverence.

The person who is unashedly aware that God is sitting right there, front and center, watching everything will properly fear the Lord.

I hope this has inspired you to read more on the subject. Meanwhile take inventory of your inventory.

Coram Deo (before God's face) we will find Grace.

Father, My eyes have coveted, my imagination has trespassed, my time has been squandered, all for useless conformity to this world. Thank you for your Grace that forgives and empowers me to change. Thank you for the Grace that leads me to desire and pursue obedience. Help me to live Coram Deo - in every aspect of my life.

All for Your Glory. Amen

The Gatekeeper..

1Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

2Chronicles 23:19

He stationed the gatekeepers of the house of the LORD, so that no one would enter who was in any way unclean.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

What do these 3 passages have in common?

The gatekeeper of 2Chronicles 23, had the job of keeping the unclean out of the Temple - where God dwelled.

In 1Corinthians 3, Paul calls our bodies God's "temples." And let there be no mistake there are plenty of forces at work each day trying to make these temples "unclean." The only difference is you have to be your own gatekeeper.

The location has changed,

the job has switched hands,

BUT the Owner remains the same.

You, the Proverb 31 woman, are the gatekeeper of your home. Philippians 4:8 tells us exactly what we should let into our "temples" - that which is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.

Guard the hearts and minds of your family.

I leave you with this...Romans 12:9

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Father, Help me to resist the temptations of this world. Show me how to watch over my family that we may keep Your temple Holy. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that dwells in me. Change my heart to abhor what is evil and to cling to what is good. Let me be the wife and mother You have called me to be. Let me me the gatekeeper of my home for Your Glory. Amen