Ahh, blogging. Writing has never been a strong suit of mine. And I'm sorry that I haven't posted in months!
Training Camp was this past week! I have lots to write about, but this post is dedicated to my team this upcoming year. Our team name is Eshet Chayil which means woman of valor. Proverbs 31 is about this ideal of womanhood.
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.
She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.
She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.
Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.
She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.
She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.
She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last, but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
As you can imagine, I am on a team with 6 other beautiful, strong godly women. I am so excited that God has placed in my path these inspirational women who I know will challenge me, teach me and love me. Each of us has said that through the World Race, we want to change. We want to become more like Jesus. Now, this won't be easy. No, it will be painful and hard. But it will be worth it. Becoming more like Jesus will come from laying down our lives, being vulnerable, sometimes both saying and receiving hard words, being uncomfortable, but being confident in God and confident in each other.
While I am so excited for this journey, I also am terrified. I recognize that God has a lot of work to do in my life over the next year. I know that it will hurt. But I also know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love God. And good to God is Jesus. So while journeys of transformation are hard, they are inevitably good!
I want to invite you to follow our blogs. Not just mine (because I may not always be the best at updating it), but all of ours. You will get to experience what we experience. I hope and I pray that you will allow God to grow in you and transform your life over the next several months as he will each of ours.
Without further ado, I introduce…team Eshet Chayil!!!
Top: Me, Meredith Snapp, Carrie Grabau
Middle: Ashley Minkel, Megan Liesmaki, Deanna Cook
Bottom: Sara-Katherine Braucher
I could go on for days about each one of these women and how God is already showing me how he will be using them in my life. I am excited. So excited. God is doing big things and I am thrilled to work for Him with these incredible women!
