Wisdom for Women of Worth and Worship

Wisdom for Women of Worth and Worship

Natalie A. Francisco, Ed.D.

Published by St. Paul Press at Smashwords

Copyright 2010 Natalie A. Francisco

ISBN 978-1-4524-4380-5

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of Natalie A. Francisco.

Acknowledgements

First, I’d like to thank God without whom this book would have been improbable to write and my life impossible to live. He means more to me than words could ever express, and He is the reason why I am who I am and can do what He alone has commissioned me to do. Thank you, Abba Father, for extending Your love, salvation, anointing, favor, and grace to me even as a little girl...and I will treasure it forever.

Out of all the endeavors that I have been blessed to undertake, the single greatest accomplishment of my entire life would be that of my first ministry which is my home, out of which came my three gorgeous, gifted, and gregarious daughters. No mother could be prouder, and I do not regret one teaching moment, object lesson, and discipline session or mother-daughter day spent with you. All that I have sacrificed and continue to strive toward is for the purpose of leaving a legacy for you. I love you unconditionally Nicole, Lesley, and Lauren, and I thank you for choosing to serve the Lord and honor your parents along the way so that you can live long, happy, and blessed lives.

To my husband, Leslie, who has been a friend, lover, and phenomenal father to our girls and a gift to me in a myriad of ways—I say thank you. Thank you for unconditionally loving, pushing, and prodding me to do things even beyond what I thought I could do to bring out the best in me. Thank you for being an excellent provider even when times were extremely difficult within and without as we both trusted God as our Source. Thank you for being consistently dependable and even-keeled in your temperament and disposition (even when I didn’t want to be). Thank you for loving and respecting your mother so that you would know how to love and respect me. And thank you for being my bishop, pastor, mentor, and employer for these many years … and we’re still married! I love you beyond time and space and into eternity.

I express my gratitude to all who prayed for, supported, encouraged, inspired and even challenged me. A special thank you goes to Marvin Sapp. I am stronger, wiser and better because of: my family; close friends and prayer partners (and you know who you are); Calvary family; and especially my parents, Claude and Mildred Gatling (2003, 1994); my father-in-law and former pastor, Bishop Leslie W. Francisco (1992); my brother-in-law, Pastor Steven H. Francisco (2004). You are all included now in that great cloud of heavenly witnesses. And to my precious and wise mother-in-law, Naomi R. Francisco.

Finally, I will always have a special place in my heart for the lady pastors and women of the churches under the covering of Calvary Covenant Ministries, Inc., and women from many other churches and walks of life, who were integral in the success of this book as it was used as the curriculum guide for my Women of Worth & Worship Institute (WOWWI) sessions. Many from across the United States and around the world have experienced spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, financial, and social growth as a result of enrolling in my onsite and online classes, and testimonies continue to abound. You and women like you inspire me to continue on my journey of Personally Mentoring Women of Worth & Worship for Kingdom Living & Giving.

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1

God Chose Me Before I Chose Him

Chapter 2

Marriage Is Hard Work

Chapter 3

Blow the Horn for My Firstborn!

Chapter 4

Leadership is a Serious, Surreal Responsibility

Chapter 5

From the Frying Pan into the Fire

Chapter 6

Pain is an Integral Part of the Process & Progress of Life

Chapter 7

It’s a Fact: Life is a Balancing Act

Chapter 8

Women of Worth & Worship are Women with Purpose & Passion

Appendices:

My Prayer for Every Woman of Worth & Worship

Woman of Worth (Poetic Prose)

FOREWORD

by Author, Speaker, Singer & Television Personality

Michelle McKinney Hammond

It has been said in order to be great one should surround themselves with greatness. Or as I would rather put it: If you want to be successful you should walk with those who have already accomplished what you are trying to achieve. That is why I am so excited about this offering from my dear friend, Natalie Francisco.

Here is a woman who is doing more than talking the talk. She is truly walking the walk. And that walk is reflected brilliantly in the life of her family: her husband is known in the gates and respected; her children rise up and not only call her blessed but bless her in return by living lives that glorify God and are a tribute to her as a mother. Has she earned the right to pen Wisdom for Women…? Indeed she has! Natalie has been a student first and a fine one at that. She has mastered the art of being a woman according to God’s design, an amazing friend, a wife who is a true help meet, and a mother who has guided her daughters toward their destiny effectively…whew!

If you’re thinking to yourself: This is the type of woman I want to be, then this book is for you. Natalie shares not only from her heart and her experiences but also from the sound principles of God’s Word, which will never lead you wrong. Warm, funny, personal and transparent—she will connect with you where you live. You will not only see her wisdom, but you will also see yourself and the things you can glean from what she shares.

In a time when many have abandoned the call to teach the younger women… Natalie Francisco emerges as a true Titus woman. As a modern day Proverbs 31 woman, she proves we can all be the women God created us to be if we are armed with the right truths to work with. So take the time to read, to absorb, and then apply these rich lessons to your own life. But don’t just stop there. Share the wealth with others. Wisdom for Women of Worth and Worship is a jewel of a book that has the potential to change the world one home at a time.

Michelle McKinney Hammond

President and Founder

HeartWing Ministries

INTRODUCTION

I once read the following quote from German-born American Physicist Albert Einstein: The life of the individual only has meaning insofar as it aids in making the life of every living thing nobler and more beautiful. Life is sacred, that is to say, it is the supreme value to which all other values are subordinate. Now I don’t know whether or not Einstein was a Christian, but I did recognize the biblical truth that was encapsulated in his statement of the value and sanctity of human life and the indelible mark that each person is capable of making upon the life of another and the world. In fact, that is why God created mankind from the beginning.

As I reflected upon the creation of man in Genesis 1:26-28, it further reiterated the truth of Einstein’s statement. God created both male and female in His own image and likeness, and afterward blessed them both with the capacity to be fruitful and to multiply. In other words, we not only were given the mandate from God to bear fruit, but to do so as He did by reproducing after our own kind. This not only referred to procreation as many have believed and taught, but I believe it also included our life’s purpose as well. Each of us was (and is) commissioned to impart what we have learned into others so that their lives are nobler and more beautiful simply because they happened to be in our sphere of influence.

A woman has the power to influence others to a greater extent than man because of the way we were designed by our Creator. According to Genesis 2:18-24, woman was created to be a helpmeet to man. Consequently, she is flexible, adaptable, and comparable to man in any and every way that is needed. In fact, she has so much influence and value that she can cause a man to leave his father and mother in order to become joined to her in marriage and to receive everything he previously lacked in the person of a capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman. Such a woman is indeed full of value, virtue, and victory, whether she is single or married!

The New King James Version of Psalm 139:13-18 below emphasizes the very fact that God created male and female and instilled in us a sense of worth before birth. David lets us know God’s perfect knowledge of who He created us to be so that we can value what God values:

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

I encourage us as women to hold our heads up, push our shoulders back, and walk in God’s confidence recognizing that we are indeed His gift to this world. We are called to impact and impart into others the knowledge of Who our Creator is and who we are as His daughters. We are God’s chosen, royal, holy, special, and peculiar people according to I Peter 2:9 … peculiar on purpose because, as my husband says, no one can do what we can do quite like us but us.

While reading this book and completing the Moments of Meditation exercises, my sincere hope is that: your God-given dreams that are aligned with your purpose will re-surface, your prayer life will be strengthened, and you will be transformed by the lessons and biblical principles that I’ve shared as you put them into practice. Most importantly, to do all of this, requires your permission and participation in partnership with God. I pray that you would commit your life to loving and serving Him as well as others. I am not speaking of having a religious experience, but rather the realization and restoration of a real relationship between you and your Creator that is available through the work of the Cross as a result of Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (John 3:16-17; Romans 3:21-26; 5:8; 6:23; & 10:8-13). If you desire to be a Christian, or to embark upon an even greater journey as you represent a Christ-like witness and lifestyle, then I invite you to pray this prayer:

Dear Father,

I thank You for loving and valuing me by instilling a sense of purpose and worth within me before I even knew You or accepted You as my personal Lord and Savior. I pray now that You would forgive me for the things I’ve said, done, and thought that were contrary to Your Holy Word and will for my life. I confess my sins to You, and I believe that they will be removed from me as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against me again.

I believe that Your Son, Jesus, was sent to earth to be born, to live, and to be crucified on the Cross as He carried the sins of the entire world. I believe that You raised Jesus from the dead on the third day, and that the same power that caused Him to be resurrected is the same power that will now come to dwell in me, cleanse my heart, and teach me about Jesus. I also believe that this same Power will bring all things back to my remembrance that I study, hear and learn, and commit to reading my Bible and finding and being actively involved in a place of worship where I can understand what is preached and taught by spiritual leaders with wisdom and integrity.

I also forgive those who have sinned against me by their negative words and wrongful actions, and pray that all bitterness, resentment, and vindication would be erased so that my heart will be pure and free to worship You in spirit and in truth. I honor You God, and ask that You reveal to me the gifts, talents, and abilities that are uniquely mine and in alignment with the purpose for which You created me. Teach me how to live for You each day so that I can be righteous (in right standing) in Your sight and a beacon of light to those around me, for I now know that I am blessed in order to bless others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

I trust that you will take the time to relentlessly relish the wonders of God’s creative work in you and decide to leave an indelible mark upon this world by purposefully pursuing your purpose, being the very best that you can be, and daring to delve into your destiny as guided by God our Creator. As Einstein said, The life of the individual only has meaning insofar as it aids in making the life of every living thing nobler and more beautiful.

I challenge you to make an effort to mentor someone in your circle of influence by reminding her of her innate worth before birth. If this book is a blessing to you, please consider purchasing it for a friend and sharing with her how this resource can also serve as a catalyst to catapult her into a greater awareness of self-worth and abundant living. Wisdom for Women of Worth and Worship also serves as an excellent curriculum guide for small group study, women’s reading clubs and church Bible study or fellowship groups. Moreover, I encourage you and other women in your circle of influence to register to attend my annual Women of Worth & Worship Conference held the second weekend of October in Hampton, VA, as well as to enroll in my Women of Worth & Worship Institute (WOWWI) either onsite or online. For more information, log on to my personal website at: www.nataliefrancisco.com, our church website at: www.calvarycommunity.org, or call 757-825-1133 ext. 209 to inquire about the WOWW conference, WOWWI sessions and retreats, or to invite me to be a speaker or facilitator for a conference, church, community, or corporate event.

Thank you in advance for making an incredible investment in yourself by purchasing and reading this book, which is the embodiment of forty-four years of my life. You will never be forgotten and are now inextricably engraved, not only upon the palm of God’s hand (Isaiah 49:15-16), but you are also indelibly imprinted upon my mind and heart, and therefore, in my thoughts and prayers because you have joined my sphere of influence as a woman of worth and worship. Welcome!

Chapter One

God Chose Me Before I Chose Him

There comes a time when it is necessary to ponder the pivotal years and people who helped shape the character, nature and even the direction that has propelled one towards a particular vocation in life. A vocation differs significantly from an occupation in that it carries with it a sense of urgency to fulfill a mandate or purpose predestined by God as opposed to a profession or employment needed merely for the sake of receiving a paycheck to satisfy financial obligations. There is something uniquely special about pursuing a life of purpose that allows one to be enlightened, empowered, and energized as natural and spiritual gifts, talents and abilities are passionately engaged daily, especially for a cause greater than oneself.

Some people instinctively know what their vocation should be and focus upon the path that leads them there, whereas others are in search not only of their purpose in life, but also of themselves. The fact of the matter is, one can have an epiphany at any age to examine life and whether or not it is pleasing to God, oneself and others. It may be helpful to ask: Have other people, situations