My Proverbs 31 Woman Project

If you've ever read Elizabeth George's book Beautiful in God's Eyes, then your familiar with her concept of the Proverbs 31 Woman Project. She uses verse 16 as a motivator to create a vision for your home, life and finances.

She considereth a field and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she plantheth a vineyard. Proverbs 31:16

In addition to her daily household chores, the lovely Proverbs 31 woman created two of her own businesses and was able to add to her family's monetary resources. By devoting ourselves to God's goals for our life and using the creativity and ingenuity He's given us, we can do the same thing.

A couple of years ago when I first read this book, I had just finished teaching a year-long series in our Ladies' Sunday School Class called The 12 W's of the Christian Woman. I also called it The Lesson That Blew Up. I had every intention of teaching one lesson with just a handful of words that all started with the letter W. But by the time I was done with the outline, the Lord had given me 12 words and there was no way I was going to squeeze them all in to one half-hour lesson.

Instead, I spread them out, teaching one a month for a year. Each lesson explained how all of these W words tied together, helping us keep our relationship with God in balanced, working order. I had handouts in folders for each woman, little gifts tucked in the front pocket and tons of visual aids to teach with. By the end of the year I was ready to collapse from exhaustion, but I was also ready to move on to another letter.

But almost immediately, I was handing out the extra folders and copies of my notes to other ladies, ones who weren't able to be in class. It's a blessing to know that missionaries' wives are even using it on the foreign fields to teach their ladies.

Then God laid it on my heart to reach even more women, maybe ones I had never even met. I already had the writing done, so why not turn it into a book? I went back through, rewrote some of the parts I had written just for our class, and then found a publisher that wouldn't make me change the KJV Scripture.

Earlier this week I received the first 10 copies of The 12 W's of the Christian Woman. While it may not make us financially independent or allow me to buy a yacht on the Riviera, I like to think this is my Proverbs 31 Woman Project, following God's call on my life.

It's the greatest feeling in the world to go to Amazon.com and see the description of your work, available to whatever woman God leads to buy it. I won't know until I get to Heaven how many women might be touched by this writing, straight from the Lord's heart - to mine - to theirs. What a day of rejoicing that will be!

For more information about my book, head to Amazon.com and type in: Laura Carrell or The 12 W's of the Christian Woman. I pray that this book will be as big a blessing to you as it already has been to me.

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