Grace Under Fire

(1993-1998)

Brett Butler in Grace Under Fire

The character of Grace Kelly also puts herself through night school, earns a college degree, and shows the difficulty which often results when employment is sought after obtaining such a degree, yet no job to support the level of education exists. Setting a good example for her children in productivity, determination, and getting the job done, we can see in Grace Under Fire the importance of doing what needs to be done and relying on the support of friends around us to get us through everything we need to do.

Sometimes the world makes us believe we can’t handle things on our own; that we, as women, simply aren’t competent enough to raise our children (especially our boys) or maintain what has to be done in an environment that is often less than supportive to our ambitions. What do we do in these situations? We keep going and leave behind what is unsupportive in all situations, circumstances, and instances to move on to whatever lies ahead that is better.

Quotable quote: “Can you see me walkin’ down the street/Beatbox blares a click-track to my empty mind/Now my Walkman’s playin’ a slow and endless march/and I’m looking for that bright spot in the sky.” – Theme Song

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, September 2010, Copyright 2010 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

Phillis Wheatley

(1753-1784?)

Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley became one of the most famous Africans of her day by publishing her poetry and writings in “Poems on Various Subjects, Religion, And Moral.” She wrote on various subjects, themes, issues, and morals. Her poem in support of George Washington caught his attention and led him to invite her to his home. In pursuit of the war, however, Phillis’ poem was lost in the shuffle.

Phillis Wheatley was freed from slavery the year her owner died, in 1778. Not long after she married John Peters, a free man and grocer. He was imprisoned for debt in 1784, making it impossible for Phyllis to publish another volume of her writing. She was left behind with a sick infant daughter and forced into scullery work at a boarding house. She died alone on December 5, 1784.

Phillis Wheatley is considered the first African-American poet and the first African-American to profit a living from her writing. In light of her historical contribution, we recognize the work we do may not always seem relevant when we do it. We also see clearly how a great calling doesn’t exempt us from trials and tragedies. Making history is bigger than any trial, and must move us on.

Quotable quote: “The world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are less dangerous than its smiles and flatteries, and it is a difficult task to keep in the path of wisdom.”

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, November 2009, Copyright 2009 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

Amelia Jenks Bloomer

(1818-1894)

Amelia Jenks Bloomer

When only 22, Amelia Jenks married Dexter Bloomer, a progressive Quaker lawyer and newspaper owner. He encouraged Amelia to write about issues pertaining to women for his paper, and write she did! Later prompted by feminist friends such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, she started the first paper to ever be run, owned, and edited by a woman: The Lily. An immediate success, her paper featured women’s issues, problems, challenges, and promoted reform on laws, education, and social customs for women.

Amelia Bloomer is best known for her promotion of a style of clothing known as “Bloomers” for women. Clothing in the 1800s was tiresome, heavy, and uncomfortable for women, and Amelia Bloomer both advocated and wore a new style for women that involved pants – a daring move for women in the 1800s. Despite ridicule, she continued in this dress until 1859.

What does God have for you to lead? We forget that each one of us is called to be a trailblazer, whether it’s leading our families out of religion or to lead societal and religious reforms. Let’s lead the way God has for us!

Quotable quote: “The human mind must be active, and the thoughts of a woman’s heart must find vent in some way; and if the garden of the mind instead of being highly cultivated, so that it may produce a rich harvest of fruits and flowers, is suffered to run to waste, it is not surprising that it yields nothing but weeds, briars, and thorns.”

Syncletica of Alexandria

(d. 350 AD)

Syncletica of Alexandria

When she was old enough to handle her family’s fortune and estate – coinciding with the death of her parents – she sold everything, giving the profit to the poor and needy. She left the city with her younger sister, retreating to a crypt and adopting the lifestyle of a hermit. God didn’t let Syncletica go that easily, however. Her devotion to the Lord quickly gained attention, as did her adherence and desire to maintain holiness, and she quickly drew many followers unto her, desiring to learn of her and follow her teaching and example as a leader.

Her writings are found among the Desert Fathers, one of only three women included in that recording. She was believed to live to eighty years of age, dying in 350 A.D.

Sometimes we have our own concepts of what God wants for us, wants us to pursue, or of what is His will in our lives. Syncletica of Alexandria reminds us that we can pursue our own plans – but God will bring us to our full purpose in Him. Even though the hermitage lifestyle may have been what she wanted for herself, it wasn’t what God wanted for her. Our lives find their ultimate fulfillment in His will for us.

Quotable quote: “In the beginning there are a great many battles and a good deal of suffering for those who are advancing towards God and, afterwards, ineffable joy. It is like those who wish to light a fire. At first they are choked with smoke and cry, until they obtain what they seek. As it is written, “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:24).”

Ann Eliza Young

(1844-?)

Ann Eliza Young

Ann married for the first time to James Dee in 1863. It was a monogamous marriage, yet an unhappy one. The marriage bore two children and ended in divorce. In what became an arrangement between Ann’s family and Brigham Young, Ann became, by her own account, Brigham Young’s 19th wife (later biographers cite her as his 52nd wife or his 27th wife) when she was 24 and he was 67. Throughout the marriage, Brigham Young was cruel, unrelenting, and unfair to Ann. She was cut off from his finances and forced to take in borders to provide for herself and her children. In an unheard of move, Ann Eliza Young filed for divorce from Brigham Young.

Ann Eliza Young traveled the country, speaking out against Mormonism and polygamy. Due to her testimony before congress, the Poland Act made prosecution for polygamy possible. She was formally excommunicated from the Mormon church in 1874. Ann would go on to marry again, only to divorce again. Later in her life, she was estranged from her family, including her children. In 1907 she published the book, Wife No. 19, detailing her experiences in plural marriage. In 1908, she disappeared. Many believe she was kidnapped and killed due to her outspokenness against Mormonism and polygamy. There is no record of her death or burial.

Quotable quote: “[I have] a desire to impress upon the world what Mormonism really is; to show the pitiable condition of its women, held in a system of bondage that is more cruel than African slavery ever was, since it claims to hold body and soul alike.”

JUNIA

(New Testament Era, AD)

Junia

From what we know of Junia, we can identify two important things: 1) Women are called to leadership because they always have been, and 2) Women can be of outstanding reputation in the ministries God calls them to.

As history wore on, Junia’s name was deliberately mistranslated in Bible manuscripts to the name Junias. This transition from a female name to a male name came as women were deliberately excluded from formal church ministry. In order to justify this exclusion of competent, called women, and isolate them in convents, Junia became Junias so no one would ever think a woman could be an apostle or leader in the church.

Thanks to modern discoveries and studies into the ancient languages, the truth about Junia has come forth. Even though she was hidden and buried for nearly 2,000 years, the invincible spirit of this female apostle continues to shine forth and inspire female apostles and women in ministry, even to this very day.

May every female apostle be truly called and of note for their stellar work in Christ, outstanding among all apostles.

Quotable quote: “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.” – Romans 16:7, NIV (2010)

Nina Evans Allender

(1872-1957)

Allender Cartoon #73 --Insulting the President

It was thanks to the work of Nina Evans Allender that the image of the suffragist changed from roudy, unattractive, and selfish to dignified and strong. As suffragism gained ground during World War I, Nina continued to support these women with her strong cartoons and image known as the Allender girl – in which a suffragist was portrayed as slender, dignified, and energetic. Nina also used images of women as mothers, students, activists, and feminists to showcase the whole spectrum of women and their positive capabilities.

What are you gifted to do? So often we don’t use the gifts we have because we think it would be more desirable to have another gift – a different gift that someone else has and displays well. Nina Evans Allender shows us the power of using the gifts that we have for a greater purpose. We don’t have to compare what we can do to what someone else can do; if we do what we are able, we can rest assured that we have done what we can, and we have done enough. We also see the importance of standing up for what’s right even if it is unpopular.

The image today features one of Nina Evans Allender’s “Allender girl.” It is one of her famous cartoons.

MARY CHURCH TERRELL

(September 23, 1863-July 24, 1954)

Mary Church Terrell

In 1891 Mary Church married Robert Terrell, a lawyer who became the first black municipal court judge in Washington, D.C. they had four children, three of whom died in infancy, and an adopted daughter. Her work of activism far superseded living as just a wife and mother, and included serving as the first black woman in the United States to serve on the District of Columbia Board of Education. She advocated for women to receive the right to vote, and for equality among the races. She wrote tirelessly to communicate the advancement of African American women, and to promote her beliefs in both black and white publications. In 1904, Mary Terrell spoke at the International Congress of Women in Berlin, Germany. For this event, she received a standing ovation. She was also a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Continuing in a life of activism until her death at age 90, Mary died July 24, 1954. In 2002 she was listed among the list of 100 great African Americans.

Quotable quote: “Seeing their children touched and seared and wounded by race prejudice is one of the heaviest crosses which colored women have to bear.”

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, July 2010, Copyright 2010 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

SOJOURNER TRUTH

(1797-1883)

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner was born one of thirteen children to her parents, James and Elizabeth Baumfree, who lived their lives as slaves. Sojourner herself had a hard life as a slave. After being sold, she suffered repeated rape, beatings, and mistreatment under her new masters. She was later sold by this individual to yet another master, who though was more congenial toward her, had a wife who made Sojourner’s life unbearable.

In 1815 Sojourner met and fell in love with a slave named Robert whose masters sought to keep them apart. He was eventually beaten and she never saw him again. In 1817 she was forced by her master to marry an older slave named Thomas. She had five children, one who died in infancy and one who was fathered by her first love, Robert.

Sojourner escaped to freedom in 1826 with her infant daughter, forced to leave the others behind due to the laws of her time. She had to fight hard and long to get them back, and worked labor and housekeeping jobs in the meantime. In 1831 Sojourner officially adopted her name, became a Methodist, and began active preaching work, preaching on abolition, pacifism, women’s rights, and religious tolerance. She spent the rest of her life in these pursuits.

We learn the power of perseverance from Sojourner Truth; the importance of trust and faith; and the invincible spirit of woman.

Quotable quote: “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!”

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, September 2008, Copyright 2008 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

NINA, APOSTLE AND ENLIGHTENER OF GEORGIA

(Third and Fourth Century AD)

Nina, Apostle and Enlightener of Georgia

The niece of a Jerusalem patriarch, Nina loved God from a young age and was filled with empathy for those who did not believe in Him. Her father left the family to become a hermit and her mother became a deaconess, and left the young Nina with a nun for her education. It was here that she learned stories of the pagan nation of Georgia and already knew, from a young age, that she wanted to travel there to bring Christ to the pagan people of that nation.

When God opened an opportunity for Nina to go to Georgia, Nina indeed went. She earnestly grew to love the people and took time with those she met, including the Tzar of Georgia and his family. It was she who baptized them, and then she who went on to receive their patronage and blessing for her zealous missionary efforts. In her lifetime, she traveled through the whole country of Georgia, evangelizing many people despite bitter Christian persecution at the time. Word spread of her great life of prayer and faith, and she performed miracles in the sight of many.

Her work was persistent and consistent – and slowly she saw almost the entire nation of Georgia turn to Christianity. Once the nation converted, Nina withdrew in solitude to thank and praise God without fanfare or fame. After a few years, she returned to missionary work, converting the Tsarina Sophia to Christianity as well. At long last, she died into eternal rest in 335 AD. There is a church now standing on top of her grave, dedicated to another saint and long-lost relative of hers.

Nina, Apostle and Enlightener of Georgia reminds us of the power of promise. We can do great things as we follow God our Father. It doesn’t matter our state in life; all that truly matters is that we follow where God leads and as He opens doors for us to work and point others to Him.

We must also see in her life the power of influences that tell the truth and spread the faith. While her parents abandoned their parental duties to instill spiritual values, thank God she learned the truth of a pagan nation and God moved in her with a desire to proclaim the Gospel! Where we start is not where we have to wind up! Let us be that good example and instill good values in others for Christ!

Quotable quote: “O handmaid of the Word of God,/ who in preaching equaled the first-called Apostle Andrew,/ and emulated the other Apostles,/ enlightener of Iberia and reed-pipe of the Holy Spirit… Equal-to-the-Apostles and preacher of God’s word,/ the bearer of good tidings who brought the people of Katralina/ to the path of life and truth.”
- Troparion, Tone 4 and Kontakion, Tone 2

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, October 2008, Copyright 2008 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

VESTAL GOODMAN

(1929-2003)

Vestal Goodman

Born in Fyffe, Alabama in 1929, Vestal Goodman began singing in church. Despite aspirations to sing opera, Vestal pursued the call of God to sing Gospel music. Once she married her life-long husband, Howard Goodman, his preaching work took them across the country, planting and pastoring churches and singing all the way. With the dawn of the 1960s, Howard and Vestal joined with other relatives to form The Happy Goodmans, a group which became the forerunner and standard for southern Gospel music. Later a soloist and performing artist with the Gaither Homecoming tour, Vestal Goodman is rightly classified as the “Queen of Gospel Music.”

Vestal Goodman was a woman who lived life without regrets. In an interview after her late husband’s death, she stated that if she had any part of her life to do over again, she would not do any of it again. Even in mistakes, she held fast, stating that through those mistakes learning came and they were for a greater benefit. It’s a great thing to be able to look back over a life and recognize that every aspect of that life had purpose and meaning.

We also see the power in following the will of God for our lives in Vestal. While the average musical performer has a popularity span of about two years, Vestal’s popularity span lasted through entire generations. Her sound was legendary, and coming into that voice gave her a testimony of God’s truth all its own. The reality of her faith and how she lived her life came through in her songs; and made both her and her music real to audiences over her fifty-plus year popularity span.

We too can use our voices for the greatness of God. Even though nobody will ever sing quite like Vestal Goodman, we can all use our voices and our songs to praise God and tell others of His goodness and grace. God can bring any of us to the point where Vestal Goodman was in her life; and the sooner we make ourselves usable and available to God, the better our life lived with no regrets will be.

Quotable quote: “I wouldn’t take nothin’ for my journey now/Got to make it to heaven somehow/Though the devil tempts me and tries to turn me around/He’s offered everything that’s got a name/All the wealth I want and worldly fame/ But if I could I still wouldn’t take nothin’ for my journey now.”

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, March/April 2012, Copyright 2012 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

DIANE JUDITH NASH

(1938- )

DIANE JUDITH NASH

When in college in Nashville, Tennessee, Diane Nash was appalled by segregation and moved to action, recognizing standing against such segregation was a command of her faith.

Diane Nash began by engaging in civil, non-conflicting protests in 1960, at the age of 22. She was arrested for protests and chose to stay in jail rather than receive bail. Later that year, Diane Nash founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, leaving school to direct its course. As a Freedom Rider through the south, she took over, coordinated, and expanded the vision when others involved in the movement gave up and went home. She led the rides from Birmingham, Alabama to Jackson, Mississippi. She also worked for Southern Christian Leadership Conference, organizing events for such as Martin Luther King, Jr., until she began to question the lack of female leadership in the movement.

Although a later divorce caused her to become a single parent and thus having to give up advocacy work as a full-time strategy, Diane Nash’s contribution as a young college student in the south cannot be ignored. As one of the first women in the Civil Rights Movement with active involvement and participation, she reminds us all that we are never the wrong age to make a stand.

Quotable quote: “Freedom is people realizing they are their own leader.”

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, September 2011, Copyright 2011 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

DEBORAH

(Judges 4-5)

Deborah

Deborah was also a prophetess according to the record we have of her. This must have been quite useful when it came to leading the people. It is obvious she served as not just a political leader, but a truly spiritual guide – literally, a mother in Israel!

Deborah breaks stereotypes society has established for women. Think women can’t be in the military? Serve as judges? What about questions about women serving as president or heads of state? Deborah dispels the notion that women can’t be competent. We learn from Deborah the grace and power in a strong woman. We also can see that even though a man may not have the primary call – as was the case with Deborah’s husband, Lappidoth – that women should not step down or accept a lesser position. The message of Deborah is for women to rise up and take the position God has for them, no matter how intimidating it may seem to others.

Quotable quote: “Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel. “ (Judges 6:7, NIV)

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, September 2011, Copyright 2011 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

DEBORAH

(Judges 4-5)

Deborah

Deborah was also a prophetess according to the record we have of her. This must have been quite useful when it came to leading the people. It is obvious she served as not just a political leader, but a truly spiritual guide – literally, a mother in Israel!

Deborah breaks stereotypes society has established for women. Think women can’t be in the military? Serve as judges? What about questions about women serving as president or heads of state? Deborah dispels the notion that women can’t be competent. We learn from Deborah the grace and power in a strong woman. We also can see that even though a man may not have the primary call – as was the case with Deborah’s husband, Lappidoth – that women should not step down or accept a lesser position. The message of Deborah is for women to rise up and take the position God has for them, no matter how intimidating it may seem to others.

Quotable quote: “Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel. “ (Judges 6:7, NIV)

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, January 2010, Copyright 2010 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

KATHARINA VON BORA LUTHER

(1499-1552)

Katharina von Bora Luther

Born in Kobenhagen, Germany in 1499, Katharina lived in a family of impoverished Saxon nobles with three brothers and a sister. At the age of five, her mother died, and her father quickly remarried, thus sending Katharina to a Benedictine Cloister in Brehna. In 1508, she was moved to Marienthron, a Cisterian convent of Nimbschen where her maternal aunt was mother superior. Katharina took her vows as a nun on October 8, 1515 – when she was but 16 years old.

Over time, Katharina grew tired of life in the convent and contacted the infamous Martin Luther for help to escape. Along with a few other nuns, they fled the convent, thanks to Martin Luther’s arrangements. Within two years, Luther had secured marriages, employment, or homes for all the women – except Katharina. She made the personal declaration that she would either marry Luther or one of his associates – and no one else! Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora on June 13, 1525; and were given a former Augustinian monastery at Wittenberg as a gift from the Elector of Saxony. She was 26, he was 42.

Katharina was an amazing administrator and businesswoman of the estate; she administered and managed the holdings of the monastery, bred and sold cattle, and ran a brewery to help cover the expense of the family students present there to study with Martin Luther. Martin himself referred to her as “My lord Katie” and “the boss of Zulsdorf” with great affection. This great woman also was mother of six children and adopted parent of four orphan children, including her own nephew.

After Martin Luther died, Katharina was left in a difficult situation, and spent the remainder of her life moving from place to place, relying on the fortunes of others to survive. She died December 20, 1552 at the age of 53, and was buried at Torgau.

Katharina von Bora Luther reminds us to be open to God’s paths in our lives. We may wind up far from where we start, but we are never far from God as we follow His will. She also shows us the great power in serving as active participants in our marriages; we are not called to be silent partners, simply dragged here and there, but are to be active participants with our husbands; to be productive in our lives in every area; to be efficient in business and finance; and to be gracious managers of our homes and families. God does not call us to take a back seat; no! He calls us to be participants at life, to speak up and be counted, and follow Him, even if it deviates from our plans.

Quotable quote: “I will stick to Christ as a burr sticks to cloth.”

(From the History Makers column in Power For Today Magazine, January 2010, Copyright 2010 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries. All rights reserved.)

KATHARINA VON BORA LUTHER

(1499-1552)

Katharina von Bora Luther

Born in Kobenhagen, Germany in 1499, Katharina lived in a family of impoverished Saxon nobles with three brothers and a sister. At the age of five, her mother died, and her father quickly remarried, thus sending Katharina to a Benedictine Cloister in Brehna. In 1508, she was moved to Marienthron, a Cisterian convent of Nimbschen where her maternal aunt was mother superior. Katharina took her vows as a nun on October 8, 1515 – when she was but 16 years old.

Over time, Katharina grew tired of life in the convent and contacted the infamous Martin Luther for help to escape. Along with a few other nuns, they fled the convent, thanks to Martin Luther’s arrangements. Within two years, Luther had secured marriages, employment, or homes for all the women – except Katharina. She made the personal declaration that she would either marry Luther or one of his associates – and no one else! Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora on June 13, 1525; and were given a former Augustinian monastery at Wittenberg as a gift from the Elector of Saxony. She was 26, he was 42.

Katharina was an amazing administrator and businesswoman of the estate; she administered and managed the holdings of the monastery, bred and sold cattle, and ran a brewery to help cover the expense of the family students present there to study with Martin Luther. Martin himself referred to her as “My lord Katie” and “the boss of Zulsdorf” with great affection. This great woman also was mother of six children and adopted parent of four orphan children, including her own nephew.

After Martin Luther died, Katharina was left in a difficult situation, and spent the remainder of her life moving from place to place, relying on the fortunes of others to survive. She died December 20, 1552 at the age of 53, and was buried at Torgau.

Katharina von Bora Luther reminds us to be open to God’s paths in our lives. We may wind up far from where we start, but we are never far from God as we follow His will. She also shows us the great power in serving as active participants in our marriages; we are not called to be silent partners, simply dragged here and there, but are to be active participants with our husbands; to be productive in our lives in every area; to be efficient in business and finance; and to be gracious managers of our homes and families. God does not call us to take a back seat; no! He calls us to be participants at life, to speak up and be counted, and follow Him, even if it deviates from our plans.

Quotable quote: “I will stick to Christ as a burr sticks to cloth.”

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder
(1867-1957)

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder

We all fondly remember the “Little House On The Prairie” stories. The many stories of the people of Walnut Grove remind many of us of times long gone, yet closely remembered. Many are surprised to learn these stories are fictionalized accounts of her life in the Indian Territory. Her ability to transcend time and make stories that are applicable to all generations truly inspires and encourages young women spanning many years.

Laura Ingalls Wilder was more than her stories. She was also an amazing woman: she was a pioneer, a seamstress, a tailor, an author, a farmer, a teacher, and the primary source of income for her family for most of her married life. She lived through great hardship, drought, illness which left her husband walking with a cane for the rest of his life, and the death of a child.

For much of her life with Almanzo Wilder she struggled financially, trying to make ends meet. It was only later in her life that Laura’s financial struggle ended when she was published, thanks to her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane’s connections. Writing about pioneer life, growing up in the Dakota territory, and sharing stories based on her experiences brought in a great harvest for her in her life. Even today, her books are regarded as classics which promote historical information, personal experience, and good values for children of all ages. It is obvious that, in telling her history, Laura Ingalls Wilder made history of her own as well.

Laura lived out her later years fiercely independent, remaining strong and self-sufficient up until her death. Surely her life is one we can all learn from, grow from, and draw on for inspiration for our own life. By drawing on our own experiences and lives, we can help someone else to be stronger, more inspired, and more encouraged through whatever they may be going through.

Quotable quote: “The trouble with organizing a thing is that pretty soon folks get to paying more attention to the organization than to what they’re organized for.”

From: Power For Today Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 3, March 2011. (c) 2011 Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved.

Every one of us has been touched by a woman – or in most cases, several women – who have worked and shaped who we are today. This is especially true for Christians. Testimony after testimony abounds about how someone’s mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, friend, Sunday school teacher, preacher, wife, friend, or other woman is the reason they are in the faith today. Between prayer, intercession, influence, teaching, and inspiration, there are probably many women who have helped to make us who we are in this life.

I come from a long line of women who were very strong because they had to be. The women in my family dealt with generations of poverty, spousal abuse, the sting of immigration and bigotry, alcoholism, and the eternal balance between work and family. It’s an amazing thing to realize how strong the women in my family truly were. They worked hard for their families and for their lives. In them, I recognize something powerful about my heritage: that strength is a part of my life, too. Even though nobody may ever know who they are in terms of record books, they were history makers. They worked hard and in their constant work, they left a legacy.

History has put its best foot forward to represent its men. History has given more relevance to fathers than mothers, especially in the area of the faith. In a long look at history, we come to discover many of the sterling images we see of historical men were falsified or puffed up. Every time I encounter yet another reality coming forth about a historical man, I think about the women of history. For thousands of years we see women struggling with the limitations placed upon them in this world and within their societies. If we genuinely look at their histories, experiences, testimonies – or sometimes the lack thereof – we find a powerful revelation in these women: they are the women who have made us. If Joan of Arc had never led the army, if Mary had never returned from the tomb to tell the male apostles of the resurrected Christ, if Maria Woodworth Etter had never traveled coast-to-coast multiple times in her life…I wouldn’t be here today, working in church leadership and proclamation as an apostle.

Who are the women in your life who have helped to make you? Both relatives and historical women advocated, worked, played, petition, and interceded so we could be where and who we are today. Our “cloud of witnesses” as spoken of in Hebrews 12:1 is closer than we ever imagined, especially as we step back and pay tribute to those women: living, deceased, family, friends, church family, historical women, and yes, even…our mothers in the faith.

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