12 Extraordinary Women ~ Part 1

Starting on Sunday, our church began an 8 week change up in Sunday School.  We switched from our traditional classes to a handful of choices on specific topics.  From college to older adults, we began our 8 week journey into the topic of our choice.  Brad chose to go to the class, 12 Ordinary Men, based on the book by John MacArthur.  I decided to attend the women's class, studying 12 Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur.  I was looking forward to the class, I have never read the book but had heard good things about it.  I was also looking forward to the change of being in a class geared just at women and spending time with the wonderful ladies at my church.  Our first lesson was about Eve and it was very good.  I loved the things that John MacArthur had to say about her and the points that our Sunday School teacher (my aunt) brought out of the chapter.  We all know the story of Eve, we blame her for all the horrible things that happen to us, but she was extraordinary!  What an honor it will be in heaven someday to talk with her and ask her what it must have been like to experience God's amazing grace and compassion.  I can not imagine the moment when her eyes were open to her sin and her innocence was lost...the guilt, the shame, the fear. But even in God casting them out of the garden, He showed mercy and grace.  How great is our God!
While thinking about this book, these 12 extraordinary women, and how God used each of them I began to think about the extraordinary women in my life.  I have been beyond blessed to know some pretty amazing women.  I have family, friends, acquaintances, people from my past and present who demonstrate daily what it means to follow hard after God and be an extraordinary woman.  Some of these women have no idea that they are extraordinary, some of them are just being obedient and faithful and don't realize that they are an example to others.
That is why I want to spend some time over the next several days recognizing some of the extraordinary women I have the honor of knowing.  I could go beyond 12 very easily, I could give you the list of obvious ones, but I want to share with you some women who have touched my life that probably don't even know it.
So here is my first one, a friend from my past but who I creep on often through her blog.  When I moved to Georgia in 1998, I was a sad, bitter, lost 16 year old walking into a new high school where I knew no one.  That move from Oklahoma City to Gainesville turned my world upside down.  I had lived a very sheltered, naive, comfortable life and suddenly I was thrown out of my protective little bubble into a brand new town where people have very thick southern accents and have been friends since the beginning of time and new girls don't come around all that often.  So here I was, this new girl who people stared at but didn't really say much to and then came Christina!  I am pretty sure she has NEVER met a stranger...I'm pretty sure I thought I had never met anyone stranger!  :)  But she was and is one of the most genuine people I have ever met.  As a junior in high school I cared entirely too much about what people thought about me but she didn't care at all.  She was silly, funny, loud, friendly and I never saw her unhappy.  I secretly admired that even though I was "too cool" to admit it at the time.
Christina and her friends welcomed me to the school, were friendly, let me sit with them and took an interest in my life.  I was so thankful for her during those first few transition weeks.
That first semester of our junior year was the only time we had class together, and sadly I moved on to other friends.  But I will never forget and never stop being thankful for her smiling friendly face who made me laugh when all I wanted to do is cry and move back to Oklahoma!

Since becoming an adult and reconnecting with old friends through facebook, I discovered that Christina and I were having babies just a few weeks apart in August of 2007.  She also was a great blogger and has an incredible way with words.  I love reading her stories and I still can hear her wit and laughter over the funny things she posts.
Christina is happily married and is the mommy to 4 beautiful children (all under the age of 5!).  I have read her blog since I found it and I am always excited to see a new post.  Though many of her posts are sharing funny stories about her kids or the daily going ons of her life there is an underlying theme of her love for the Lord and her desire to instill in her children a desire to know Him more.  I have watched over the years, through her blog, how she is raising children who love the things of God, who are being raised in an incredibly loving household, by two parents who are faithful servants of God.  I admire Christina so much, and although she probably doesn't even know (until now) what a testimony she is to me I consider her to be an extraordinary woman.
She is a great example of a Proverbs 31 woman...she is raising obedient, loving, happy children; she takes care of her home; she honors and respects her husband; she is frugal and a good steward of their finances.  I have read many of her blog posts and been convicted, encouraged, and inspired.  I love that a woman who is a young mother is already such an amazing, godly woman who can be an example to others.  So many times we only look up to older women who have lived longer lives, experienced more, and had more time to do things right.  I have someone who I can look up to who is the same age as me and in a similar season of life as I am.  Her posts on spiritual things and the things she and her husband are teaching her children are wonderful.  She has so much wisdom and such an understanding of the things of the Lord.  I would love to be more like Christina.  I want to teach my children more about the things of God.  I want them to see Jesus in me.  I want to be patient, understanding, fun, loving, and a good homemaker.
What an honor and blessing it is for me to be able to keep up with such an amazing woman through her blog and facebook.  I am thankful God allowed our paths to cross all those years ago and I am thankful that she has been ever faithful to the Lord and His call in her life.  I look forward to the years to come and seeing how God continues to use her, her husband, and her children.
Christina, thank you for being my friend...I wasn't a very good friend to you but you hold such a special place in my heart and memories.  I am so glad I am able to continue to peek in on your life from time to time through your blog and see what an incredible, steady, consistent, obedient, faithful servant of God you are.  I pray that my post encourages you and that you know you are a great example to me!