Hello and thank you for joining in today. The topic of this episode is 8 Lessons I Learned on Becoming a Woman of Valor. Hey everybody, I did it! I got married l had four wonderful children, a car, and a house with all the amenities. Wow, did I have it all? Oh wait, the best part was my husband was also a Christian just like me. I thought my life couldn’t get any better. My life was perfect so I thought! I truly was the Proverbs 31 woman. Nothing could have shattered my world!!! Or could it?  Ugh, what is that sound? Oh no, it’s the sound of the judges gavel. “Your divorce decree is granted”, he says sternly. Then he asks, “Do you want to keep your married name or go back to your maiden name”? Dazed, I chose to keep my married name because I didn’t know who I was without it. No one warned me that there would be days like this. Especially not for me a born again Christian. In a moment divorce instantly took my life away. I was no longer a wife, spouse, or helpmate. Oh and did I mention that I was now friendless because my single friends didn’t understand why I was divorcing my husband because I was married to a preacher which was what many Christian single women secretly yearned for. Then to add insult to injury my married friends’ husbands were afraid for their wives to be around me for fear of their wives catching the plague. The plague you say, yes the “divorce plague”. So how do I sign my name should I sign is as Mrs., Ms. or what?  Well that might not seem so important but who am I now? I used to introduce myself as Mrs. Calvin or I was the wife of Elder Calvin. That was my reality for twenty seven years. After my divorce I felt completely lost because I had lost my identity. I also felt unimportant which was not new. I had felt that way for a number of years anyway, especially when my ex-husband and I belonged to the same church. As soon as I would enter church and my husband wasn’t with me people would immediately ask where is Elder Calvin? Barely acknowledging me at all. It wasn’t easy being a minister’s wife. Oftentimes when life deals you a severe blow like divorce, illness, loss of a job, death of a spouse, loss of a limb or a child many people struggle with their identity. Just the day before you were a couple, had good health, were gainfully employed, had all of your body parts, and you were a parent. It takes real effort to put the pieces of your life back together after such devastating losses. My self-image and my sense of who I was had been totally diminished. However, God lovingly reassured me that I could get through that dark period of my life and that I could emerge stronger and even better than I was before. God even called me a Woman of Valor. Valor is defined as strength or courage, particularly in the face of great danger. Valor also means to be of value, or worth and to be strong. So who am I now? I am who God says I am. I am a woman of Valor. I am a woman of Valor because: I have been broke and broken I have been stepped on, stepped over, and passed over I have been acquainted with grief I have been desperate and in despair I have wept and cried all night I have wanted to give up many times But… I learned how to take a licking and keep right on ticking I learned to keep on going in spite of naysayers, difficult situations, and life challenges. I refuse to give up, give out or give in I learned and have experienced the unspeakable joy that God dispenses after long nights of gut wrenching agony I learned that it is in my best interest to lean and depend on Jesus I learned that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I learned how to look trouble, problems, disappointments, and failed relationships in the face and declare, “You no longer have power over me!” I learned to confidently declare that if God is for me than why fret over who is against me Finally I have learned that I am a woman of courage, and faith So who am I now? I am who God says I am. I am a woman of Valor.