Introduction

Hello. This is the first time I have ever written a blog, and it is intended for ladies only. I'm excited about doing this, because the teaching on The Virtuous Woman has greatly impacted my life. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was one of the younger women being taught by the older. However, in the last few years I have had the privilege of teaching a cooking class at a church in Eaton, Ohio, in which Proverbs 31:10-31 became a part. The students were required to memorize that passage, but I didn't want them to just memorize it. I wanted it to have meaning in their lives as it has in mine. The Lord allowed me to study and prepare weekly devotions from each verse. The verse-by-verse devotions were inspired by the initial teaching I had by an older lady I truly admire as a wonderful example of the Proverbs 31 woman, Shirla Jones. My husband, Darren, was a wonderful contributor and help to me with each devotion. He is my best friend, a wonderful husband and father, and the perfect Spiritual leader of our home.

No woman can ever attain the Bible's 'Virtuous Woman' in its entirety. We all have faults and failures in one area or another. Jesus Christ is the only human that ever lived that was sinless and perfect. But, through Him, we can become the Virtuous Woman that God wants us to be. It's the same as salvation...it takes a willing heart and mind to accept God's way, and yield our will to Him. We must admit to Him that we are a sinner, that we need a Saviour to take that sin away, and trust in Jesus Christ alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." It must be a realization not just in our mind, but in our heart. Likewise, we as women can become more Christ-like through studying and applying God's Word to our lives, if we open our hearts to what the Bible has to say.

God has a purpose for each of us. Although Proverbs 31 is in the Old Testament, we can still glean much from it and learn from the examples given. In the New Testament, the Scripture clearly teaches us to be "Keepers At Home". Titus 2:4-5 says, "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." There is no purpose greater for us in our lives, than to be in our home, taking care of the needs of our husbands and children. Our desire is to be toward our husband. Being home with our children gives them stability and security. It keeps them protected from a sinful, cruel, and negatively influential world. As we will see from the Scriptures, our position as "Keepers at Home" is the most important and influential position we could ever have as ladies. Not only can we have a lasting and positive effect on our family, but by doing so, we will influence the world, and eternity.

You will notice that I refer to the Scripture often. The King James Bible, AV 1611, is the inspired, perfect, inerrant, preserved Word of God. It is THE Final Authority by which we can judge right from wrong, truth from error, and fact from opinion. The Bible says what it says, 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. We must decide what we base our beliefs on, and my beliefs are based on this Book, God's Word.

So, in the upcoming weeks, I hope the devotions will be helpful and encouraging. They may even be life-changing for some...I know they were for me.