Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!"​ Speaking to Mary in her time of dire distress the angel Gabriel spoke the words that turned Mary's shame, stress, confusion, and utter disbelief into a revelation that would come and give us all life, abundantly and fully. The same words that Gabriel spoke into Mary's life is also spoken into ours. We are favored women. The Lord is with us. 

Blessed  and Highly Favored. Blessed and Highly Favored. Sometimes I have to repeat it to myself several times, slowly sometimes, to capture the essence of that statement. We are blessed and highly favored women of God. When you stop to ponder your life think on that. What does it mean to you to be blessed and highly favored? To me it reminds me that as long as I walk faithfully with Christ I'm gonna be more than fine. It means that when I pursue my goals I have no need to be fearful, hesitant, doubtful, or feel inferior to others, because I am blessed by God's grace and He favors my success. God had commanded me to be strong and courageous. He says I don't need to be afraid; to be discouraged, for the He is my God and will be with me wherever I go. And He's says the same and more for you as well. 

I have this beautiful print in my room that says "Be in love with your life" and it's a gorgeous reminder that God has blessed and favored my life and I need to live that truth. And so do you. It's time we live the life of blessed and favored women. 



So what does that life look like? Blessed and Favored Women...

1. ... understand that nothing is impossible.

Recently I watched The Imitation Game on my laptop and I could not believe that I was watching a movie about a guy who imagined in the early 1930s, probably before, a device such as the laptop. I had a moment during the movie where it hit me that he was dreaming up something at that time was crazy and others said was impossible, but here I was watching his dream on the device he was dreaming up. And there are many moments such as this throughout all of history. So when your dreams seem cuckoo think about one of those individuals in history.  They understood that nothing is impossible. 

2. ...are their own best friend. 

I spoke abut this in a recent post and cannot over emphasize how important it is to be comfortable in your own skin. The pursuit of a worthwhile dream is rarely an easy task, it's more of a convoluted journey. That's why it's so important that you have two people in your corner that will be there NO MATTER WHAT. You and God. 

3.  ...take risk.

Calculated and analyzed risk.  1 Corinthians 16:13 says "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like [wo]men, be strong." The blessed and favored women does just that and when the opportunity arises she is prepared, she's done her research, she understands what she's undertaking, and gives the rest to God to handle. 

4. ...work hard.

There's no easy street and cruise boulevard to success. Trust me I've looked. There's only one way to get to where you're going. The blessed and favored women understand that. She doesn't just work hard, she works smart. Constantly reviewing her progress and thinking of how she can be better and more efficient. She doesn't do it alone, she has God, family, and friends. 

5. ... believe in the beauty of their dreams. 

Do you believe that one day you will get there? That you will earn that? That you will see that? Do that? Be that? Honestly, do you believe that? The Blessed and Favored woman does. You are blessed and favored. I am blessed and favored. 

I hope you think of your life as God thinks of it. You are a phenomenal woman. Never forget that.

With love,

Marie