March is Women’s History Month and this year’s theme is Our History is Our Strength.
Intriguing title isn’t it?
The web site says, “The stories of women’s achievements are integral to the fabric of our history. Learning about women’s tenacity, courage, and creativity throughout the centuries is a tremendous source of strength. Until relatively recently, this sphere of women’s history was overlooked and undervalued. Women’s achievements were often distorted, disdained, and denied. But, knowing women’s stories provides essential role models for everyone. And role models are genuinely needed to face the extraordinary changes and unrelenting challenges of the 21st century.”
Living a reflective life is a spiritual discipline I know I need to practice more. I need to take the time to look back over my personal history, and identify my strengths. This month also opens the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the people, especially this month the women in my life, that have empowered me and molded me into who I am.
What role models have given me strength?
· My mother. One of my strongest memories is her telling me Bible stories as a child and her daily reading the Word
· My great Aunt Anna, who wrote three books, earned her PhD in Theology in the 1920s, toured the world, and kept a journal everyday of her life. I have those journals and treasure each of them.
· My 99 year old friend Esther and her smile.
, · Contemporary spiritual companions – Sister Nancy Brousseau who taught me so much about spirituality and the poetry of others like Joyce Rupp
whose words often opens my hearts to God
whose words often opens my hearts to God· The everyday lives of my friends – I see ordinary people of extraordinary strength persevere through life’s’ challenges. The complexity of human life continues to amaze me. We don’t always see them but God’s fingerprints are all over our lives.
I believe everyone has and is a wonderful story. We can learn so much from one another. I plan to spend some time looking within at my own history and looking around at other’s remarkable stories of strength.
Who in your life has been a role model of strength?
Hi Jean, thank you for visiting my blog. I love your blog also! Hum, my mom was a quiet but strong lady. She had moral strenght, love for the Lord and grit! (in a lady like way!) There have been so many amazing friends and relations who have touched my life. My sister amazes me each week! Yes we live in WI now and have for around 8 years. I hope that your son will love it like we do! Blessings to you!
love it that all of us can think of people close to us and people through their words that mentored us and walked with us in our journeys. May be all be a blessing to others too.
My grandfathers and dad were stronger influences than my mom and grandmothers. The women were good, just not as strong. For some reason I think of Elisabeth Elliot, her books and Gateway to Joy. I listened to her when I was just out of college, and I’ve often thought she mentored me from a distance. I don’t think I would have had the courage to be a homemaker and now educate my daughters without her teaching.
Lovely post. I have wonderful women role models in my life. My mom and grandmother are the biggest influences on me. I also have wonderful sister in Christ that encourage me to live a better life and follow Christ.
Wonderful post Jean.
I’ve been blessed to have had a number of exceptional women influence me over my lifetime; the most notable two being my mother, and my wife. 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
There are allot of women through out History who has really made a difference in this world. And though it does not come easy for they fought allot of opposition they still consider the cost and moved forward.