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She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. (Proverbs 31:13-19)


      Are you busy? The sort of wife Lemuel's mother advised him to find was a busy lady. She was the head of a diversified corporation. While its main focus seemed to have been textiles, she also dealt in real estate, agriculture and import/export. She knew her stuff and took care of business and her businesses were typical activities for that time period. It's exhausting just reading about her day.
            I know some people who fit this description. Some of them have more than one job. Some are stay-at-home mothers who are developing skills in crafting or may even be selling what they make or by making what they give as presents. There are some practical people who don't spend everything they make on entertainment or shoes. I also know people - both men and women - who can't take care of their own business. There was a survey recently that showed that a significant portion of Millennials can't sew on a button, hem their pants, cook a dinner or change a tire.
            I know I'm not as good at this as I'd like to be. It's not that I haven't worked - and worked hard, but the work I tend to prefer requires marketing (AKA self-promotion) and I don't tend to make my "arms strong" when it comes to marketing. I don't set about it vigorously. I don't put forth my best effort. I'm not as good at the practical as I should be and what's really sad is that it's not that I don't know how, or was never taught to, but that I let them slide.
         There have always  been people who looked for relationships based on sexual chemistry, attractiveness and wealth. I wonder what would happen if we 1) started working on expanding our own skill set, and 2) included "can do something well that I cannot" in our criteria for friendship and romance. It would make a great alternative to liking the look of his/her butt, which over time is likely to become less appealing.

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