Happy New Year! Yes, I know I'm a bit behind on my blog, but am here now, so what does it matter. I'm in the process of reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, which I do have to say is an amazing book. I wanted to post something from their book that hit me so strongly.
"....f0r the Scriptures tell us, the heart is central. 'Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life' (Prov. 4:23). Above all else. Why? Because God knows that our heart is core to who we are. It is the source of all our creativity, our courage and our convictions. It is the fountainhead of our faith, our hope, and of course our love. This 'wellspring of life' within us is the very essence of our existence, the center of our being. Your heart as a woman is the most important thing about you.
Think about it...God created you as a woman. 'God created man in his own image...male and female he created them' (Gen. 1:27). Whatever it means to bear God's image, you do so as a woman. Female. That's how and where you bear your image. Your feminine heart has been created with the greatest of all possible dignities-as a reflection of God's own heart. You are a woman to your soul, to the very core of your being. And so the journey to discover what God meant when he created woman in his image-when he created you as his woman-that journey begins with your heart. Another way of saying this is that the journey begins with desire. The desires that God has placed into our hearts are clues as to who we really are and the role that we are meant to play. Many of us have come to despise our desires or at least try to bury them. They have become a source of pain or shame. We are embarressed of them. But we don't need to be. The desires of our heart bear a great glory, because as we will detail further in the next chapter, they are precisely where we bear the image of God. We long for certain things because he does!
Look at the games that little girls play, and if you can, remember what you dreamed of as a little girl. Look at the movies women love. Listen to your own heart and the hearts of the women you know. What is it that a woman wants? What does she dream of? Think again of women like Tamar, Ruth, Rahab-not very 'churchy' women, but women held up for esteem in the Bible. We think you'll find that every woman in her heart of heart longs for 3 things: to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure and to unveil beauty. That's what makes a woman come alive."
WOW!! Now you understand why. I would recommend this book to any woman out there. As I read in the book, I will continue to jot things down, to know what I need to post on here.
P.S.
Training has started back up again now that the holidays are over. Race day is April 11. Counting down, but will keep ya'll updated.
Have a blessed week!
