Posted in Proverbs 31 Entrepreneurialism
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This second installment in the Proverbs 31 series has proven more difficult than I anticipated.
If you missed the first one, you can read it here.
In the first post I addressed what I would call "homemade hobbies". At the end of the post, I said, "But there is another category of homemade items that I do believe to be necessities. The question is whether or not making these types of items by hand is 1) better and 2) necessary. I'll discuss this in Part II."
What are necessities? For this argument, let's keep it simple -- how about food & clothing? Is it better to sew our own clothes, grow our own vegetables and bake our own bread, (for just three examples)? And is it necessary?
What do I mean by better? Is it better to make things homemade or are the items themselves better? I would like to address both issues. First, I don't think there is anything inherently "better" in making things homemade. In my last post I quoted a speaker from a very popular reformed CD on homemaking who encouraged women to "work on one or two skills at a time... like say you don't make your bread, let's say you buy a lot of prepared foods... start with a couple of things and learn those, you're not going to be like us right now..." From this comment and others, it seemed clear to me that she was encouraging all women to slowly work toward 100% homemade. I think this is a gross misinterpretation of the Proverbs 31 woman. The general principle of the passage is that she provided for the well being of her household. In fact, I would argue that you could go further to say that she provided HIGH QUALITY items for the well being of her household. Whether store bought or homemade her goal was to provide "only the best" for her family. She traveled great distances (like merchant ships) to purchase such items. It even says that "she bringeth her bread from afar!"
If we want "only the best" for our families, is it necessary that we make these items at home or can equal or superior products be purchased in the marketplace? With the industrial revolution and all the advances in technology, I would argue that, IN GENERAL, you can purchase clothing and food of equal, if not superior quality for pretty low price compared to the hours spent making them yourself. Even modest clothing and organic food can be purchased affordably. I've found that oftentimes the raw materials can be more expensive than the finished product. But of course there are EXCEPTIONS! Your husband may just love your bread or home grown tomatoes and no store bought compares. Or you may not be able to find that perfect dress, costume, or modest bathing suit. There is also something special and gratifying about making something with your own hands. And in certain cases it can save you a great deal of money. So I'm addressing the general principle, not the exceptions.
But even if your homemade items are slightly better than storebought, is it really worth the time invested to make such items. I've baked my own bread, nurtured my own garden and sewn my own clothes. These are no small investments of time.
Some might argue that their financial situation necessitates this investment of time. I can definitely understand that situation. But what if you could get yourself out of your financial situation by spending those same hours following the Proverbs 31 woman in her entrepreneurial ventures. I would argue that in the same amount of time spent gardening, baking and sewing, you could multiply the money you saved. I'm going talk more about this in Part III.
To sum up Parts I and II, I would say that I think the Proverbs 31 woman has been sadly misinterpreted. She was not the spokesperson for "homemade". Rather I would say she was the spokesperson and rolemodel for wisdom and excellence. And whether made at home or purchased in the marketplace, she provided high quality items for her family, like scarlet, fine linens and carpets of tapestry.
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Posted in Proverbs 31 Entrepreneurialism
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I fully intended to post my "mini-series" consecutively, but on the eve of my first post one of my employees quit with no notice due to family conflicts. So last week I attempted to maintain my own busy schedule AND HERS! On top of that my husband is listing his luxury development TOMORROW. I feel like I haven't slept in a week. Oh wait, I haven't. So, all this to say, I'll be back to Proverbs after I train her replacement and get back to life as normal (if you can call it that).
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Posted in Proverbs 31 Entrepreneurialism
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As I mentioned a few days ago, something about the modern Proverbs 31 women's movement has bothered me for a long time. Since my shower revelation (term used loosely, of course) a few days ago, I've been trying to organize my thoughts into sentences and paragraphs. I've read through the passage over and over, making notes and organizing the verses into categories. I think verse 27 best sums up this woman: "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." She worked hard to provide for the needs of her household. And to meet a lot of those needs, she had to make things at home by hand. We got the terms "homemade" or "handmade" from these types of activities. But I think somewhere along the road, the Proverbs 31 Woman has become equated with the woman who makes everything "handmade" or "homemade". I used to attend a very large fundamentalist church where the women's ministry was very devoted to encouraging all women, young and old, to become "Proverbs 31". Though they often spoke of her wisdom, kindness and other virtues, most of the time the label "Proverbs 31" was used when someone had done something "crafty," like making cloth covered photo albums and Bible covers, cutting and stamping their own greeting cards, cross stitching a towel or pot holder, putting puffy bows on baskets and dried flower arrangements and so on. "Oh how Proverbs 31 of you!" or "Look at my Proverbs 31 items," they would say. Most women reading that list would probably be able to put a distinct decade on those activities -- the 80s! I've since left the "fundamentalist" camp and have become "reformed," but I still see Proverbs 31 being equated with "homemade". The homemade activities may have changed, but the emphasis remains the same. I just finished listening to a pretty popular, reformed CD on homemaking where the speaker was encouraging other woman not to get discouraged by comparing themselves to her. She encouraged them that some day they would be able to do all these "wonderful, great, exciting things" too. She gave the examples of Quilt-Making & Candle Making. She went on to encourage them to just "work on one or two skills at a time... like say you don't make your bread, let's say you buy a lot of prepared foods... start with a couple of things and learn those, you're not going to be like us right now..." Another gal on the tape said later, "We have enjoyed taking on other projects as well, such as Cross-Stitching, Smocking, Crocheting, Knitting, Spinning, Quilting, Dried Flowers, Arranging and Cheese-Making. Becoming proficient in these things is something I know I will never regret." I'm sorry ladies, but Quilt-Making, Candle-Making, Cross-Stitching, Smocking, Crocheting, Knitting, Spinning, Quilting, Dried Flowers, Arranging and Cheese-Making are hobbies. They may be fun and they may make you feel good about providing homemade items for your family and friends, but 1) the items being made are not necessities, and 2) there is just as much virtue in buying these things. If we are to follow in the Proverbs 31 woman's footsteps, we must be prepared to work hard, beginning before it is light and ending well into the night. There is a lot of work that is required to keep our homes running smoothly and I've found that I have very little time for hobbies and such. If I DO find free time, I usually read or write, but I don't find many hours in my week to spend in such activities. But there is another category of homemade items that I do believe to be necessities. The question is whether or not making these types of items by hand is 1) better and 2) necessary. I'll discuss this in Part II. |
Posted in Proverbs 31 Entrepreneurialism
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Something about today's Proverbs 31 movement has bothered me for a long time, but I haven't been able to put my finger on it. I could point to a thing here or a thing there, but not the general principles. Then today in the shower it all started coming together for me.
I actually said to myself, "Wow, this happens a lot in the shower. Why in the SHOWER?" It only took a few seconds for me to answer my own dumb question. When I did, I laughed outloud. It happens in the shower because that's the only concentrated time in my day where I am not constantly interrupted by "Hey Mom..."
So I've started to write down my thoughts and it's getting long, so I'm going to post it as a mini-series! :-)
I hope to get the first "chapter" posted tonight. |
Posted in Proverbs 31 Entrepreneurialism
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CONTINUED "The next two verses (19, 20) are lovely. The same hands that work at the distaff and that hold the spindle to earn more money, as a result, are able to reach out to the poor and needy. She makes enough to help others. She is not ingrown. And she doesn't fear cold weather (even snow) for her household. Why? She clothes them all in red flannels (literally, in scarlet). Beautiful, warm clothing is what she provides the family. She prepares ahead of time (v. 21). She also makes her own bedspreads and expensive clothing (fine linen and purple). She wants her home and her family to look attractive (v. 22). In verse 23, you must understand that her husband is not loafing as she works. Because he has a wife like her, he has risen to a place of prominence in the town, so that he sits as one of the elders (town fathers) in the gates (the city hall). The verse is speaking about her in terms of what she has done for her husband. She also makes clothing to sell: linen garments and belts. How many tasks of this sort does she undertake? Four? Five? It is hard to tell, buy many. She is a woman of strength, but also dignity (she is not a mere drudge, v. 25). And because she has such foresight, and prepares so well for it, she is able to laugh at the future. Indeed, she is well versed in biblical teaching and can speak wisely to others, including her children. She is not gruff, sarcastic, short-tempered or careless in speech. Her words are kind (v. 26). She cares for her family (making sure they are cared for spiritually as well as materially). She is not an idle gossip or busybody (v. 27). For all this her children and her husband praise her. He says, "Honey, you're the greatest" (vv. 28, 29). Beauty, or physical attractiveness, can become a curse to those who depend on it. Here is a woman with inner beauty (v. 30; cf. I Peter 3:1-6). She must be given credit for all she does (she is action and task driven) and her works (exhibited by the clothing her husband wears) will praise her in the city hall."
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