I am participating in the True Woman Makeover with Tammi at Valley Girl. Tammi is hosting a Mr. Linky so everyone who wants to join in with the Bible Study can connect. You can learn more about True Woman and sign up here. It's listed as a 30 day makeover, but since it's summer Tammi decided to stretch it out for ten weeks. We are going to read or listen to three lessons a week and share our thoughts each Tuesday.

The True Woman 30 day makeover wants to help women:

• Discover and embrace God's created design and mission for their lives
• Reflect the beauty and heart of Christ to their world
• Intentionally pass on the baton of Truth to the next generation
• Pray earnestly for an outpouring of God's Spirit in their families, churches, nation, and world

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One of the questions asked in the first part of the study is "“Where am I getting my picture of what it means to be a woman?” Well, until recently, I guess I would have to say I had been getting my idea from worldly influences. The kind that tell you you have to do this or that to be successful. After the birth of my second son, I started to re-think my priorities and try to listen more to what He has to say.

In listening to this study and learning more about the Proverbs 31 lady, it seems she is super woman. She can do it all. We are to be like her and teach other ladies to do so also. However, I am so far away from the description of what this woman is. How can I learn to be more like her? I think the answer is to put God first in everything I do. People will be able to see God through me by the way I react to things. Right now, I am ashamed at how I react to silly little things. I lose my temper way too much and say the wrong thing more often than not. I have a lot of work to do.

The next section is on being a virtuous woman. In it we learn she is kind, wise, and not lazy. Verse 27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness. That just kicked me out of the club, so to speak. I try to be kind, and am a little wise, but I am lazy. This is definitely something I need to work on.

No one can be like this woman on her own. We can only do it through Christ! There will be steps forward and back. This will be a lifelong process. The process of becoming a Proverbs 31 woman. There will be growth if we only let it happen. We have to start with reverencing God.

In this section there is also a part where men are praising their virtuous wives. But, we are cautioned to "One, be faithful regardless of whether you ever get praise from men. And then second, let me remind you that ultimately our greatest praise comes from God." This goes back to not seeking our worth in the world, but in our heavenly Father.

In order for this transformation to work, I have to allow it to happen. Allow the Lord to work on me. Put Him first. I will fail sometimes. I'm only human. When that happens, I need to get right back up and start again the process of becoming. In the Bible it says “The righteous man falls down seven times” (Proverbs 24:16). He just gets back up and keeps on going. I can grow through Him. Through His grace I can do this.

This section, and I have heard it before, says to put your husband before your children. That is something I have always struggled with. I tend to think of my children first, and husband second. I am not sure how I can learn to reverse this order. But, I am going to try.

Another thing that hits too close to home is this, "if your husband is not a noble man instead of blaming him, maybe you should look at yourself as the cause". Ouch! That hurts! In order for this to happen it says we are supposed to "set out, not to change him, but set out to be the kind of woman with the kind of character that you want him to have."

I have to start with myself! If I can learn to be a Proverbs 31 woman my husband will be blessed. And who knows, maybe he will become the man I know he can be. I am thinking of ways right now to start on this journey. I know small steps will be necessary because I get discouraged too easily.

Thanks for joining me in my first virtual women's study. If you would like to see what others thought about True Woman go to Tammi's site where others will be linking up with their thoughts.