Christian Women in the Spotlight

Elisa

Wife, Mom, Writer, Designer, Mentor, Creativity Nut, and Servant-in-Training

www.extravagantgrace.net & www.theruthproject.net

How did you get into your area of work?

That depends on which line of work you are talking about! I studied English writing arts and art in college and have been writing and designing in some form or another ever since. I became a wife over eleven years ago, to my best friend and number one encourager, Stephen. Together, we’ve served at a private boarding and day school for the last ten years, he as a teacher while I continue to find various roles to fill. Eight years ago our eldest was born, which is when I left full-time employment. Six years ago, shortly after our second daughter was born, I took on the position of dorm head, caring for twenty teenage girls. That is where I “officially” fell in love with reaching the next generation through sharing my life intimately with them. Much to my dismay, there was too much competition between my role as mom/wife with the demands of the dorm. We transitioned into off-campus housing. Three months later I found out I was pregnant with twins, which began a new a season of learning Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Homebound for the majority of two years, I turned to blogging as a means of sharing the precious life lessons God had before me. What began spontaneously, opened doors to a God-given passion to write, teach, and even speak publicly to others about God’s extravagant grace. It came in the form of essays and devotions about my life, both past and present, and the reality of God at work, as well as through chapel talks and dessert discussions with the teen gals at our school. With each opportunity, God has encouraged me to continue wearing my heart-on-my-sleeve for His glory, as a means of giving others hope that they can overcome all things with Christ. But the passion isn’t just to share my story, but to consider the truths found in Scripture, extracting life principles that transcend our age and experience. As a result, I am currently teaching a series that I’ve written, entitled Living with a Mission, to a local mom’s group, as well as mentoring a group of teen gals that are hungry to know how to live the Christian life in our ever-changing world.

The Ruth Project is an entity all unto itself, but one that is dear to my heart. It is a website designed to encourage the friends and families of widows to offer their loving support now and in the years ahead. It is hard to know what to say, what to do, and how to help after the freezer is thawed out of all the casseroles. The Ruth Project offers words of wisdom from those who have experienced the loss of their husband as well as links to resources relevant to friends, like myself, looking for guidance on how to help.

What is the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is submitting my time to the Lord. There is so much I want to do, but never enough hours in the day to accomplish all that I dream up. I’ve taken on the practice of keeping a daytimer and restricting my list to what fits in on the page (I have the smallest version possible!), and then praying over the tasks of the day for the Lord to order them up. My tendency is to be a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. I’ve been praying for the Lord to turn the tables on that!

What are the benefits?

I am keenly aware of the benefits as I look around my world and witness the number of people working to provide for their family, or caught in the game of making it to the top of their invisible chart. I have the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom, which affords me the opportunity to serve my family from home, sit with the Lord during the day, write for the shear pleasure of testifying about God’s grace, and looking for ways to encourage others in their faith. Yes, there are days I’d like to have more money so that I could get a new wardrobe from the fancy department store instead of the local superstore, or book a romantic cruise with my hubby, but those things will fade away. God has provided for every material need, and in the process, has given me great treasures of seeing Him at work today and allowing me to invest in things of eternal consequence in the lives of others.

How do you put God into your work day?

God is my work. He shows me what to do, and it is my job to do it. He gave me a husband. My work is to honor, respect, and love him through my actions and attitude. God gave me children. My job is to train them up in the Lord and show them by example how to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Deut. 6:4-9). And God gave me himself, through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. My job is to declare His wonderful works and share the good news of His grace. (Eph. 3:7). In all things I do, my work is unto the Lord. I try to make this goal a reality by spending time with the Lord each morning, and again in the afternoon before the kids come home from school. Both require discipline, something I’ve always been in short measure of, yet I’ve witnessed the Lord transform these quiet times into desired times.

What do you wish you could do differently?

I would like to trust God more completely with all the things I do. Whether it is my marriage, children, or ministry efforts, I would like to take a hands off approach and see God’s work play out more often. Sometimes I can get so bent on an idea or method, that I run God right off the map.

What Bible verse do you think has encouraged you the most?

There are so many verses I could quote. This past summer, I looked up the meaning of my name and searched the Scriptures for a verse that could accompany me throughout my life. I landed on

Ephesians 3:7

“By God’s grace and might power, my life is marked by the privilege of serving Him by spreading the Good News.” This is indeed, the testimony of what God has done in my life and continues to do through me, and also offers me much guidance on what work He has prepared for me to do ahead.

Do you get an opportunity to share you Christianity with others during your work? And if so, how?

Yes, I’m always sharing my faith with others. It is my identity. I am a daughter of the King, and I’m slowly learning to live like one! When I am with people who don’t know my God, through Jesus Christ as Lord, I try to be a representative through the way I speak and act. The most important aspect I believe is humility. When I mess up, whether it is with my family, friends, or strangers, I apologize. And when I see others hurting, I look for ways to show them God’s grace and love.
Thanks, Amy, for the privilege of sharing this window to my life with other bloggers. I’d love to encourage your readers to come by Extravagant Grace any time for a word of encouragement and ideas on how to live out their faith intentionally.

Thanks Elise!!

Are you interested in sharing your personal story? How does God affect you in the work place or at home, or in your ministry?

If you are, please feel free to email me, so we can share it with others!

Amydeanne

the160acrewoods (at) yahoo (dot) ca