Women of Faith

Women of faith! Women I know and admire, who are stronger than they think, and braver than they believe. Sometimes we don't want to be brave, sometimes it hurts to be strong, yet we do it! Through it we gain a greater strength, give strength, and give hope to those around us.

Today I am grateful for women of faith!  I have many friends and family members who are such great examples to me.  Women of different faiths, religions, cultures and ages.  Women that have helped shape me into the woman I am and the woman I continually strive to be.  In their moments of weakness I find my strengths.  In their triumph I see my purpose and am sometimes reminded of my weaknesses.  When I see a new mom struggle to keep her little ones quiet in a store, or an exhausted mother shopping with a screaming toddler, I smile.  Not from spite but from the pure fact that I've been there!  I remember thinking how hard it was, but then you wake one day and those toddlers are teenagers.  I smile because she doesn't know how fast it will go, and I didn't either back then.  When I see a woman who has been through divorce I admire her courage and her dedication to her children and all she's been through and at the same time I am grateful for the man I married and the strength he is to me.  When I hear of a family struggling with death, a little bit of my heart can relate as I think of my sister who lives in heaven. Or when I hear the word cancer, I immediately recall my dealings with cancer and being there when my grandfather took his last breath.  When I see an accident on the side of the road and the EMT's attending to someone's medical needs or working to save someones life I am reminded of my weaknesses and my inability to deal with trauma or blood.  But in the same thought I am astounded at their selfless service and thrilled that those who have that gift share it with others.  All of these experiences help us grow, help us to relate to others and to share our experiences and gain love for one another.

I know... women who know how to throw a killer party, women who know where they are going and who are confident and strong, women who would drop whatever they were doing and help, women who have shared trials and joys in my life, women who have more faith than I could muster, women who have had life hand lemons to them and they've made some KILLER lemonade! Women who have insanely clean homes, women whose children are so well behaved it makes me think I'm dreaming, women who think of others first no matter what, women who make me think I can do anything, women who make others feel so important and welcome.  Women who wouldn't say a bad thing about anyone, women who when we get together we laugh until it hurts, women who love to serve, women who accept others unconditionally, women who are amazing wives, women who can cook like a master chef, women who are so creative it makes my brain hurt, and women who know how to balance life and all that they are handed.  Women whose homes are so warm and cozy you could stay forever, women who know who they are and aren't afraid to share their opinion, and women whose inner beauty shines so brightly you almost have to squint!  How grateful I am for each of them!

The women I know are women of faith, faith in getting back up when they fall down, faith in putting one foot in front of the other ......every. day.  Even on the days they just don't have the will power to do so.  Women who sacrifice for family, friends, neighbors, and complete strangers.  When I see women sharing their weaknesses it strengthens me, it helps me to be grateful for the strengths I possess, and humbles me to know  I do not have the same challenges to contend with.  We all have talents and abilities and skills that we can use to bless the lives of others.  We all have weaknesses and inabilities that allow us to seek the greater good in others, allow us to depend on others, learn from others, and to be grateful for the talents others posses.  This is all for our good!  Sometimes it HURTS to stretch and grow, sometimes we want to take away another's pain and make everything better, (this too is a strength to others) compassion shows we are alive and shows others we care about them individually.  This life was not suppose to be easy, but it was meant to be worth it!  So here is to all the women in my life who have touched my heart and my mind, brought me through things, helped me, befriended me and assisted me on this journey to become a better woman, A woman of faith!  Thank you!!! For your example, your faith, your dedication, your friendship, your weaknesses, humility, honesty, strengths and abilities.  With out ALL OF YOU the world would be pretty DULL indeed!!