Are You Prepared For Summer?

Word Filled Wednesday: Proverbs 31:21 "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet."

It's week 13 of our Proverbs 31 series and I'm loving it!!! Thanks for sticking with me. So far we have seen that she rises early, works eagerly and vigorously, shops wisely, is extremely productive, she uses her evenings to get work done and she has beautiful hands that she extends to the poor.

Now we come to verse 21 which is all about preparation! "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet."

The Proverbs 31 woman is prepared. She is prepared for the change of seasons and is careful to be sure that every single person in her household has everything they need. There's no scurrying for mittens, hats or boots - she is organized and prepared.

Every Christmas and Easter I make myself a little crazy trying to get my family matching outfits. I find great joy in picking a theme - this years theme was green as you can see in the picture above. This color was chosen because my daughter had a hand-me down dress which was white and green and my son had a sweater vest I bought last year on clearance for $2.99! (Love a deal!) So, green it was! Next I had to find my husband a matching tie - easy! And myself a matching dress - UGH- much more difficult.

After finding the dress, I realized I had a much longer way to go than I imagined. My daughter needed a cardigan in case it was cold, a hair bow, new white shoes, new white socks and on and on it went as I realized that having the family ready from head to toe means thinking everything through thoroughly!

I certainly am not going to say that the Proverbs 31 woman really cared for a second about matching outfits - but I will say that she carefully dressed her family. The term "scarlet" is significant because it signifies expensive and quality. She went for quality over quantity - I must admit I do quite the opposite in life. I love a deal and I love my hand me downs! But the reality is - managing all of my "cheap" clothes at times is a pain! If there is too much in the drawer, my children end up wading it up into balls and making a mess for me to fix regularly!

Are you prepared for summer? Have you thought through what your family will need, the quality of what you will purchase and considered your family's comfort as the Proverbs 31 woman did?

Here's a few things we all will need: Sunday clothes, shorts, capris, short sleeved shirts, sandals, sunglasses, hats, swimsuits, swim towels and sunscreen. Now is also the time to purchase items for next fall on clearance.

My oldest sister reminded me at our Easter Celebration to not wait to buy my children their sandals. Due to the economy, the stores are not stocking their shelves quite as full and they are running out of items more quickly and not reordering more in. She urged me to go get what we need for the summer now before they are sold out.

We must think ahead and be mindful of what our family is going to need in coming months. It's time to rotate the drawers from winter to summer clothes, wash up the shoes, clean the coats, box them up and purchase some Crocs (I have found Crocs to be the best sandals EVER! They are costly but they last. The fact that they can be washed easily is a bonus! My kids have already stomped through spring mud in them and they still look new because I rinsed them with the hose - easy, comfy, quality) "

I tend to be drawn toward finding deals and quantity - but the Proverbs 31 woman was really much more simple. She had quality items that were costly. Think how much easier the rotation process would be if we followed her lead. As summer approaches, make a list of your family's needs, simplify your purchases by getting quality items that will last and be prepared. This is your job as the manager of your home. Let's get to it - the time is now!

Walk with the King!

I am participating in Seven Clown Circus Wordful Wednesday. and 5 Minutes for Mom Wordless Wednesday.