The Imperfection of the Woman of Proverbs 31

I’ve been working behind the scenes at The Christian Ladies Network. I’ve been editing and adding images to old posts that were shared on the original site back in its prime. Some of the work I’ve had to delete for various reasons. While digging through those particular articles I found one that caused me to stop and think. It was something I’ve not considered E.V.E.R. The woman of Proverbs 31 was not perfect. The article pointed out things like she might have suffered from bedhead, bad breath, and a short temper. But is also mentioned that there are none righteous, so that meant she was not perfect.

The Imperfection of the Woman of Proverbs 31

Over the years I’ve read blogs where women were striving to be the perfect wife and mother by following Proverbs 31 or channeling their inner June Cleaver or Caroline Ingalls. I can’t help but giggle when I think about this “perfection” because the latter two were not real.

June Cleaver may have a spotless house with meals on the table at the right time and never a hair out of place – she is fiction.

Caroline Ingalls may have had to deal with the daily life of living on the prairie and dealing with incorrigible town people. But we only know what has been written about her and Hollywood made the Caroline Ingalls we all know and love – she is fiction.

The woman in Proverbs 31 was a teaching example a mother used while training her son. While we really don’t know who King Lemuel was, many believe him to be King Solomon and that would mean his mother, Bathsheba taught him what to look for in a wife. (As the mother of a son, I do the very same thing.) She used an imperfect woman to teach her son.

Many young women find themselves in a mess because they can’t live up to the Woman in Proverbs 31. Rightfully so, because they are not perfect. I’m not perfect and you’re not perfect.

This woman manages a household, family, and business without blinking an eye. She speaks kindness and gives great advice. Her family is never in need. She lives such a life her husband doesn’t have to fear what others think of him and the family. The children never show disrespect, they praise her.

But in all honesty, this woman is not perfect.

The Imperfect Woman of Proverbs 31 and the Other Women of the Bible

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Have you ever considered All the Women of the Bible when trying to live like the Woman of Proverbs 31? There are many we can look to and learn from just by reading their stories – some good and some bad.

Here are just a few:

Ruth – A virtuous woman (Ruth 3:11)

Zipporah – She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life (Exodus 4:14-20)

Queen of Sheba – She is like the merchants’ ships; she brings her food from afar (I Kings 10:6-10, Matthew 12:42)

The Wise Virgins and Anna – Her candle doesn’t go out at night (Matthew 25:1-12) (Luke 2:36-38)

Dorcas – She stretches her hand to the poor and needy. (Acts 9:36)

Lydia – Her clothing is silk and purple; she makes fine linen and sells it. (Acts 16:14)

Deborah, Huldah, and Pilate’s Wife – She opens her mouth with wisdom and kindness.
(Judges 4-5) (II Kings 22:14-20) (Matthew 27:19)

Rahab – She looks well to the ways of her household. (Joshua 2:2-13)

Jael – Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
(Judges 4-5:24)

While the woman of Proverbs 31 is an ideal woman we all can look to, she is not who we are suppose to be living like. We are to be living a life of Christ. He’s the only one who can help us balance out our imperfect life.

Homeschool High School Curriculum Choices

Usually, I would have already rung the bell for the start of the new school year. With this being our last year, my sweet boy asked if he could wait a little longer to start. How could I deny a little more time for summer ramblings to the one who will be graduating next spring? It’s hard to think about my “little” boy about to enter adulthood, but he is and I am happy for him. I’m excited about some of the courses my son will be taking this year because they show him as growing into a fine young man.

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Homeschool High School Curriculum Choices {Grade 12}

Bible

Last year, we enjoyed just reading through the Old Testament and reading books by different preachers.  We’ll be doing the same thing this year while reading through the New Testament.

Math 

Business Math is our study this year. While we’ve spent the last three years focusing on higher maths, it’s time to focus on real world math that is used in everyday life. I looked at several publishers comparing them with ACE and I’m still wondering why it's not called Consumer Math.

English

We will be working on English Composition from Saylor Academy. (We had a good experience last
it’s called business instead of consumer math. English year with their Astronomy.) Their Pre College English course teaches a great deal of note taking, so we’ll be hitting those sections up. 

Science 

My son loves the history of airplanes. In fact, he is considering joining the Air Force. Because of his love and future, he will be studying Aerospace. I was able to download the book for free because of the insisting of my student not wanting to deal with a big book. (I can always order the book later on if needed.) 

Economics 

We didn’t get to Economics last year because I made the decision to pull from a very well known free
homeschool curriculum website for government. It was a huge mistake on my part because it didn’t turn out like I was hoping, so I had to buy the Government course from Abeka. 

Wilderness Survival 

When Jamie went to survival camp several years ago and liked it, I knew I wanted to do something fun and exciting during his final year. A while back, I came across this website doing some research. 

It uses the Boy Scouts Merit Badge Books. (You can download the pamphlet and workbook for the merit badges) For our needs, we’ll be using a few of the books along with what my husband has learned over the years. This is definitely a father and son course with momma joining in with a camera to record the experience.

HTML Coding 

Discovery K12 Online Homeschool has this course. It’s free to sign up for an account and use their curriculum and has the lesson plans laid out for us. That’s a big plus for me.

ASVAB Prep 

As I mentioned earlier, my sweet boy is considering joining the Air Force. He’s thinking about the free college and hands on learning for airplane maintenance or possibly computers. He has a secret desire of rebuilding WWII era airplanes one day. What better way to fulfilling that dream than by joining the Air Force. I asked in a homeschool Facebook group about which book to buy. A wife to an airman recommended the ASVAB Premier 2017-2018 by Kaplan.


I'm sure you've noticed the free resources we'll be using. Now days, there are tons of free online resources for homeschoolers. Of all the years of home education, this will be our least expensive year even if I have to buy the Aerospace textbook.

You can see our previous curriculum choices HERE.

If you’re a homeschooling family do you have your curriculum chosen?

Creating a Homeschool High School Plan

Several years ago, I planned our high school years. Those homeschool high school plans were not set in stone, in fact, there are a few things we changed. The reason behind making these plans was so I could see what my son needed to meet graduation requirements. While the state of Montana and Georgia do not have graduation requirements for homeschoolers, I did use the local high school requirements as a planning tool. Because of planning, this final school year will carry a light load so we can enjoy our time together as a family before my son heads off into the adult world.

Creating a Homeschool High School Plan

Homeschooling high school doesn’t have to be intimidating; you just need a plan in place. When I say plan, I don’t mean you have to have your curriculum choices made. You just need to know the courses your child will take. As time moves forward, you can plan out your curriculum and make changes as needed.

Why you should create a homeschool high school plan.

• Requirements. If your state requires certain courses and number of credits, you need to know about them so you can plan accordingly. You also need to know the requirements of perspective colleges.


• College. Whether your child attends college or not, plan for them to attend. Their plans may change in the future and not having the right amount of credits or courses will only hurt them. Only you know your child. Will they need general college prep or a rigorous college prep? With college to consider, high school plans help you see the needed courses your child will take.


• Help keep your sanity. Instead of worrying about missing a course, if it is in the plans, you’ll see it. There is nothing like being able to open to a page and see four years of plans. If a plan changes, it’s easy to see everything and know where changes can be made.

It’s very easy to create a homeschool high school plan.

• Get your student involved. Since this plan is your child’s plans for education, they should be part of it. They know their interests and if there is something they want to learn, allowing them to have a say gives them more decision making skills.


• Include the electives. Be careful when choosing electives. These courses represent who your child is. Electives let them branch out and try new things while digging deeper into a passion they have.  Be choosy about electives, don’t try and fill credits just to have them.


• Keep a record. Record the completed courses and any changes you made. (I used a composition notebook and pencil.) The changes will help you remember why something was changed.

High School Planning Resources I Use and Recommend:

Lee Binz the Homescholar

HSLDA

Homeschooling in Georgia

A look at the homeschooling in the state of Georgia with a list of field trip locations around the state.

 

I never considered writing about homeschooling in Georgia until after I wrote about homeschooling in Montana. Between the two states, there are some differing regulations. They both have one that is on the sticky side if you ask me, but that is how laws go sometimes. Georgia has dropped down into what is considered low regulation state because some laws changed in the past few years – and that is a good thing.

Homeschooling in Georgia

The laws are simple:

Parents are to have required qualifications
File a letter of intent
Teach the required subjects
Meet the required number of days during the year
Write an annual report
Test child every three years starting in 3rd grade

Groups and Co-Ops: Georgia his home to hundreds of groups and co-ops. They are not hard to find one if you are searching. There are many Facebook groups associated with locations and one for the whole state.

Field Trips: Ideas for field trips abound in Georgia. We have a rich history going all the way back to pre-Revolutionary War days. For our family, field trips are meant for learning, not just amusement. You’ll see what I’m talking about as you look through my list. These are all places we’ve visited over the years, some more than one time. (**= free admission)

• Atlanta History Center – Wait until after the Atlanta Cyclorama reopens in the fall of 2017 before visiting. You’ll be glad you did.


• Fernbank Science Center


• Fernbank Museum of Natural History


• **Marietta National Cemetery - read my post about our visit


• The Georgia Renaissance Festival - Seasonal April- June


• **Chickamauga Battlefield


• Etowah Indian Mounds (state park – per person) - read my post about our visit


• New Enchota Historic Site (state park – per person)


• Chief Vann House (state park - per person)


• The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History


• Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park


• National Civil War Naval Museum


• **National Infantry Museum


• Historic Westville – Georgia Working 1850’s Town - They are in the process of moving with plans to reopen in late 2018.


• Providence Canyon (state park)


• Andersonville National Historic Site


• **Museum of Aviation


• The Okefenokee Swamp Park


• Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village


• Roosevelt’s Little White House Historic Site (state park – per person)


• Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum


• Tybee Marine Science Center


• Georgia Sea Turtle Center at Jekyll Island


• **Fort Frederica (as of the posting, free admission)


• **Christ Church Frederica


• **Kettle Creek Battlefied


• Historic Meadow Garden (home of Declaration of Independence Signer, George Walton)


• **Berry College (We only visited the college grounds for photography shoots and not the museum – amazing!)


• Cloudland Canyon (state park)

Homeschooling in Georgia

Curriculum Shout Out – Teaching Textbooks will always be at the top of my recommendation list. After six years of using it, we are still happy with the choice of making the change. Creative Writing That Puts You In Their Sandals is another book I recommend. We used it for last school year, and I wish I would have bought it sooner.

Advice – My advice is never like other homeschooling families. While we agree with prayer and commitment, I’m a lone wolf homeschooler. Being an introvert, I don’t care for homeschool groups and co-ops. Over the years, we attended one year of co-op. It was a once a month meeting with a few days of gathering for sports. It was fine, but I felt I was being required to attend sports days when I didn’t really have to. Those in charge came across as not open to help or ideas from the families. Problems with mishandling of the fees added to the already stress I was experiencing, needless to say, groups and co-ops were a once and done thing for us.

I know everyone is different and some feel the need to join a group or co-op and that’s okay. Ask lots of questions before making your decision. Ask those you know who they would recommend. Ask if you can attend a meeting or activity before joining. (If they don’t allow you to check them out, that is something to consider.) Is there a statement of faith or guidelines of what is expected from members if they are a secular group? Do they have a plan in place for legal problems? What happens to the prepaid fees if they close unexpectantly? Ask others how they feel about the logistics of how everything is run. Will you be getting your money’s worth out of the group/co-op? What’s expected of you as a parent? Are the classes you’ll be paying for offering enough for high school credit?

As you can see there are a lot of questions (and more)to ask before joining a group/co-op.

If you are a homschooling family where do you call home?

Trusting God - Seven Days of Scripture Writing

Have you ever dealt with not trusting God? This post is for you {and me}!

Of all the let downs we’ve had in our lives, God is the only one who has not let us down. His timing and answers may not be what we want, but he always has our best interest in mind.

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines Trust as Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person. He or that which is the ground of confidence.

If we can put trust in others who are imperfect and not put our trust in God who is perfect and will not fail us, we have a major problem. God’s integrity and justice are in a class all their own, why not have confidence and trust in him?

I love this quote by Ernest Hemingway -

The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.

You know the slogan Just Do It. The only way we can trust in God is to just do it. Trust he will provide. Trust he will give protection.  Trust he will heal. Trust he will answer those prayers.

I know there are times when it is easier said than done. I’ve experienced those times, and it’s not easy. But once you get over the first hurdle keeping you from trusting, it becomes easier.

Recently, I started writing out verses to help me focus more with trusting God. The effects of climbing over the hurdle that was keeping me from experiencing all I can was amazing. I found writing those verses kept them in my heart longer than just reading them.

Seven Days of Scripture Writing on Trusting God

• When we trust God, we receive blessings. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
• If we trust God, he will direct our paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• We can have confidence that God hears our prayers. (I John 5:13-15)
• We’re not stranded to deal with life’s trials alone, we can trust God to be with us. (Isaiah 43:1-2)
• We can trust God will never leave us. (Hebrews 13:5-6)
• When we give God our plans and allow him to work, we succeed. (Proverbs 16:1-3)
• If we stop and listen, we can hear the Lord speak to us. (Psalm 143:7- 9)